Greenville Township (part 10 of 11)

The battery moved with the brigade of Gen. Lew "Wallace, of the Second Division, in the advance upon Corinth, and was posted upon the extreme right of the division. On the march by da}T and busily erecting works by night, it had advanced to within two miles of Corinth when the evacuation was made known, when it accompanied the brigade into the town.

It rested but three hours when ordered to proceed with the column of Gen. Grant to Memphis, Tenn., where it reported June 17, and remained six months, being occasionally called upon to accompany expeditions and scouts about the country. On December 20, it set out with the command of Gen. Sherman for Vicksburg, Miss., and, a week later, took part in the sanguinary engagement at Chickasaw Bayou. It was critically situated for several days, during which it was exposed to the guns of the enemy, but, Januaiy 1, 1863, it retreated with the army to the transports, which made their way to the Mississippi. On Januaiy (i, the battery formed part of the force sent against Arkansas Post, and contributed prominently to that brilliant success of the National arms. On the morning of January 26, 1863, a section of the Eighth, under command of Lieut. James F. Putnam, was "embarked on one of the boats constituting the fleet forming an expedition up the Yazoo. After proceeding up the stream from the Mississippi about fifteen miles, the boat stopped, and about 3 P. M., Lieut. Putnam received orders from Gen. M. L. Smith to bring all ashore, which was promptly done. Two days rations were taken, and at 9 A. M. next morning the section was in motion. The route lay directly across the plantation of Sidne}' Johnston, whose fine mansion was reduced to ashes. A low, barren tract of land was entered upon ; roads were almost impassable. A general halt was made about noon, and the enemy were found to be disputing progress. After an interval of about two hours. Gen. Smith sent back for the guns to shell the position of the hostile forces. Command was given and the artillery was rapidly advanced about two miles, when the rebels were found well posted upon a range of high hills covered with a dense growth ot trees and underbrush, at the bottom of which ran a deep bayou.

The section advanced about two hundred yards in an open field, planted the guns about a mile from the enemy and opened with shell, and the first fire caused them to move farther up the hill. The guns then advanced about three hundred yards farther and again opened fire. A little after dark, the section was relieved by a Wisconsin battery. At daylight Sunday morning, Putnam was ordered to advance his pieces to the front of the center division, where the firing was deafening, and there to silence a battery playing heavily on our infantry. This was soon done, but the section continued to work the guns all day, under fire, until dark, when, having tired three hundred rounds, the ammunition gave out and a gun was ordered to be fired every fifteen minutes during the night. The men were now tired, hungry and without cartridges, and were relieved by the First Illinois Battery and secured needed rest. Next day, the chests were filled, the men fed. and the section advanced briskly to the front, but firing was light. About 3 P. M.. the guns were ordered to the left to cover an attempt by infantry to ford the bayou and storm the position. The Sixth Missouri crossed under a deadly fire and pressed forward till checked by the rebel works, too high to scale, and soon retired in good order. The enemy was now receiving re-enforcements, and the command was ordered to the transports.

In the campaign against Vicksburg, the Eighth assisted in the battles of Grand Gulf, Black Biver Bridge, Raymond, Champion Hill and in the rear of Vicksburg. For service rendered, it received the special thanks of Gens. Grant and Sherman. It operated on the extreme right of the Union position in Steele's division, Fifteenth Army Corps, and used thirty-two-pound Parrott guns, the heaviest pieces on the line.

Vicksburg having surrendered, the Eighth was sent to Jackson to help in the movement against Johnson ; it then returned to the former city, Avent into barracks and remained till December, 1863. It went with Gen. Sherman on the expedition to Meridian, and, on its return, was placed on duty in the city, where it remained until the spring of 1864, when the command veteranized and visited their homes. They set out on their return on April 4, having recruited 118 men for the battery. Occasional expeditions occupied the Eighth until December 22, 1864, when it moved with an expedition to the central part of the State to destroy the Central Mississippi Bailroad, and thereby hinder the re-enforcement of Gen. Hood, who was then in full retreat from his ill-advised march on Nashville. Forty miles of track, three locomotives and forty cars, loaded with rebel cotton and corn, were destroyed. The enemy were found in force at the Black Biver Bridge, and. being assailed, were driven from strong stockades and the bridge burned. The battery made its way back to Yazoo City and Vicksburg. At Yazoo City, the enemy had closed in and nearly surrounded it when the river was crossed and it moved down the opposite bank, being followed and under fire four miles. The Eighth Battery remained at Vicksburg until May 20, 1865, at Avhich time it was ordered to Natchez, where it performed garrison duty until the last of June. Again it was sent to Vicksburg and employed on provost duty up to the last of July, when it was ordered to Camp Dennison, Ohio, and, at that camp, mustered out of service August 9, 1865.

Thus briefly have we outlined the movements, and placed on record the heroic actions, of organizations which, from the larger number of Darke County soldiers enrolled in them, presented the strongest claims to detailed notice.

It will be seen that the county had representatives in all branches of the service and upon every notable battle-field of the war. Their record is stainless, and in many adverse situations the}' bore themselves with honor. It is easy to eulogize, but it is seldom that it has worthier theme.

Fifteen years have elapsed since the men came home bronzed and bearded ; many of them in middle age constitute the best citizens of the county, and many are enfeebled by the exertions made in their early manhood, but few are the recipients of a nation's bounty.

WILLIAM ALLEN, lawyer, jurist and statesman; was born in Butler Co., Ohio. Aug. 13, 1827. His father. John Allen, was born in Ireland, and emigrated to America in 1812 ; after residing six years in the State of New York, he moved to Butler Co.. Ohio, in 1818 ; he moved his family into the woods of Darke Co. in 1838. his dwelling being a log cabin with puncheon floors and a mud and stick chimney ; in the latter part of his life, he was a preacher in the United Brethren Church. Our subject was favored with no educational advantages, except those afforded by the common schools of the day, yet by making most of these, he was able to teach at the age of 15, and for several years followed that vocation ; at the age of 19, he commenced the study of law, under the late Felix Marsh, of Eaton, Ohio ; was admitted to the bar in 1849, and in the following }-ear commenced practice in Greenville ; in 1850, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Darke Co., and reelected in 1852 ; in the fall of 1858, he was elected to Congress from the Fourth District, comprising the counties of Darke, Shelb}T, Mercer, Auglaize and Allen, and re-elected in 1860, thus serving in the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congress ; in the winter of 1865, he was appointed by Gov. Cox as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the first subdivision of the Second Judicial District of Ohio, composed of the counties of Butler, Darke and Preble, to fill a vacancy made by the resignation of Judge D. L. Meeker ; in 1878, Judge Allen was nominated for Congress by the Republicans of the Fifth District, but he declined. In 1851, he married Miss Priscilla Wallace, whose father settled in Darke Co. in 1834 ; the issue of this marriage was four sons and four daughters, of whom only one son survives ; four of his children died of diphtheria under the most afflictive circumstances, in the space of as many weeks ; this was in the winter of 1861, when he was summoned from Washington City to his despoiled home ; Mr. Allen, although he has risen from poverty to affluence by his own unaided exertions, is one of the most charitable of our citizens, and his integrity has never been questioned ; his positive character, while it wins friends true as steel, also makes bitter enemies, but even his enemies concede to him great ability and unflinching honesty of purpose ; he is at present, Vice President of the Greenville Bank, and President of the Greenville Gas Compairy.

MATTHEW T. ALLEN, lawyer, Greenville ; was born in Butler Township, Darke Co., Ohio, Sept. 17, 1848 ; he lived on his father's farm, and enjoyed the usual educational privileges of farmers' sons of that period (his father and mother are noticed in the sketch of his brother. Hon. William Allen) ; in the fall of 1S64, he entered Otterbein University, at Westerville, Ohio ; after a partial course at that institution, he removed to Winchester, Ind., where he was employed as clerk in a shoe store one year ; he next taught school one year ; in 1867, he commenced the study of law with D. M. Bradbury, of Winchester ; after admission to practice, he was appointed Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of Indiana, comprising the counties of Wayne. Randolph, Jay and Blackford ; in the summer of 1872, he came to Greenville, and continued practice as junior member of the firm of Allen, Devor & Allen. In 1878, the firm dissolved, and, subsequently, young Allen formed a partnership with Hon. John Devor, under the style of Allen & Devor. In 1878. Allen was the Republican candidate for Prosecuting Attorney, and. such was his popularity, that he was fairly elected in a county giving 1,200 majority against his party, but was counted out by reason of mistakes in writing his initials on scratched tickets. Mr. Allen has already won an enviable distinction as a counselor and advocate, and his genial social qualities render him immensely popular with all classes. His marriage with Mary V. Whiteside, was celebrated upon the 23d of April. 187!). She was born in Camden, Preble Co.. March 17, 1860.

HENRY ALTER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 12 ; P. 0. Greenville ; was born in Washington Co., Md., March 18, 1833 ; he was a son of Jacob Alter, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1799 ; emigrated to Maryland, and in 1866 came to Darke County ; and after residing in Greenville one year, made his home with his son until his decease, which occurred in May, 1875. He was married, in 1819, in Maryland, to Eliza Tice ; she was born in Washington Co. in 1806, and is now in her 73d year, and makes her home with her son. Henry Alter went to Clark Co., Ohio, in 1858, and followed farming there until 1866, when he came to Darke Co. and located upon his present place. His marriage with Elizabeth Ilges was celebrated in 1864 ; she died in 1870 ; one child was born to them - Mary L., born Aug., 18, 1866 ; his marriage with Mary Clew was celebrated Dec. 17, 1874 ; she was born and raised in Darke Co., and is a daughter of D. B. Clew, one of the early pioneers of Darke Co.

JOSEPH AMANN, Jr., deceased. The subject of this memoir was born in Dayton, Montgomery Co., Ohio, in 1840, and was a son of Joseph and Francis Amann ; in early life he learned the blacksmith trade ; in 1853, he came to Darke Co. and followed farming and blacksmithing until the breaking-out of the rebellion, when he enlisted and served four years in the Union army ; after being mustered out of service he returned to Greenville, and in 1867 was married to Barbara Caron ; six children were the fruits of this union, viz., Nora, Louisa, Joseph, Katie. William and Barbara. He engaged in business in Greenville soon after his return from the army, and in October, 1873, he purchased his brick buildings on Third street, and followed the restaurant and saloon business until his decease, which occurred in October, 1879. The business has since been conducted by his widow.

JOHN ATEN, farmer ; P. 0. Jaysville. The subject of this memoir was born in Twin Township, Preble Co., Ohio, April 1, 1823, and is a son of Adrian Aten, who was a native of Kentucky but came to Preble Co. in 1822. John Aten was raised to agricultural pursuits upon the home farm, and, upon the 6th of April, 1854, was united in marriage with Lavina Russell, who died Sept. 19. 1875 ; nine children were the fruits of this union, viz.: Abraham R., born June 30, 1855 ; Adrian, April 29, 1856 ; John H., Oct. 3. 1S57 ; James P., Jan. 25. 1859 ; Theodore C, Oct. 20, 1860 (died Aug. 8, 1863) ; Emma, July 11, 1862 (died June 29, 1863); William, Jan. 6, 1864; Charles, Oct. 23. 1865, and George W., June 1, 1867 ; upon the marriage of Mr. Aten, he continued tanning upon the old homestead three years, when he purchased a farm in Preble Co., and, in the fall of 1860, purchased property at Arcanum, Darke Co.. residing here five years ; he then purchased the saw-mid at Jaysville, selling the following year. and. in 1866, purchased his present property where he has since lived : he has 111) acres upon his home farm, a large part, of which he has reclaimed from a swamp by means of a ditch and tiling until it is now as productive as any land in the county. He is one of the self-made men of Darke Co.. and has by his hard labor and correct business habits placed himself among the large Landholders and successful farmers of Darke Co. He was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in the King Hiram

J. B. AVERY, farmer, Sec. 3 ; P. 0. Woodington ; an old settler of Darke Co.; born in New London Co., Conn., Aug. 27, 1826 ; at 17 years of age, he commenced farming and school teaching until 1847, when he came to Darke Co., and, in the following year, purchased his present place of 80 acres, where he has since lived for a period of thirty-one years ; upon locating here, there were some 7 acres only partially cleared ; no building, no fences ; he first put up a small frame house in which he lived several years, and to which he has since attached a much larger residence ; he has cleared some 55 acres of his place and brought the same to a good state of cultivation by his own hard labor. His marriage with Marcella Earhart occurred Nov. 14, 1848. She was born in Darke Co. Jan. 10, 1827, and has always lived within one mile of the place where she was born ; she was a daughter of Samuel Earhart, one of the early pioneers, who was born in Warren Co., Ohio, in 1802, and came to Darke Co. in 1820, and located on Sec. 10, Greenville Towhship ; he died January, 1854 ; he married Elizabeth Scribner ; she was a daughter of Azor Scribner, who was the first permanent settler of this county ; he established a trading post in Mina Town in 1806 ; Mrs. Earhart died March, 1873, at the age of 67 years. The children of J. B. and Marcella (Earhart) Avery were five in number - Prudence M., born Sept. 20, 1849 ; Franklin P., born Jan. 21, 1852 (died May, 1869) ; Emily M., born Oct. 8, 1858 ; Lizzie M., born July 28. 1862, and Ira J., born Feb. 28, 1869. Mr. Avery has been a member of the Presbyterian Church for upward of thirty years ; his wife, for a period of thirtyeight years, and all the children, save the youngest, also being members of the same church.

ANDREW B AIRD, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. Greenville ; the subject of this memoir was born in Warren Co., Ohio, Oct. 26, 1844, and is a son of Tunis Baird, also a native of Warren Co., Ohio, his father coming from New Jersey, and are of Scotch descent. Andrew was raised in the above county, his early occupation being that of a farmer's son ; he obtained the advantages of a common-school education ; he remained with his father upon the farm till the spring of 1864, when he enlisted in the 146th 0. N. G., and went forward to battle for the Union. He was forwarded to West Virginia, where he served the full term of his enlistment, and received his discharge at Camp Dennison, Ohio, in September, 1864. He then returned to Darke Co., and farmed one year upon the old home farm, and in the latter part of the year 1865, he went to Illinois, where, upon the 22d day of June, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miranda Collett. She was born and raised in Darke Co. In September, 1866, he returned to Darke Co., since which time he has followed farming with the exception of some eighteen months, during which time he was engaged in the coal and wood business in Greenville. The children of Andrew and Miranda (Collett) Baird are five in number, four daughters and one son, viz.: Lula, Ella M., Franklin T., Cora D. and Kittie.

JACOB BAKER, attorney at law, Greenville ; born in Butler Township in 1840 ; practiced law in Greenville since 1864, where he has been connected with some of the most important legal proceedings had in the county ; was defeated for the Legislature in 1865, and elected in 1867. He introduced and carried through several important pieces of legislation. He was a delegate from this Congressional District to the St. Louis Convention at which Mr. Tilden was nominated for President.

CHARLES BACHMAN, tailor and clothier, No. 88 Broadway. Greenville. Ohio. There are probably but few of the successful business men of Greenville, who have shown the energy, enterprise, and quick conception of the wants and demands of the public, as the subject of our sketch, who is among the popular clothiers of Greenville. He was born in Prussia June 1, 1836, and emigrated to to America when 18 years of age ; in 1861, he located in Eaton, and followed the occupation of merchant tailor, until 1867, at which date he came to Greenville, where he has since followed the above business, with the exception of two years. As one of the patrons of the above gentleman, we can cheerfully recommend him as educated in his business, and to his honorable dealings, together with his large and carefully selected stock of seasonable goods and to his personal attention to the details of every branch of his business, may be attributed the secret of his success. A card of his business is to be found in the business directory of Greenville, in another part of this work. His marriage with Julia Marenthall was celebrated in 18G1. She was also a native of Prussia. They are the parents of three children, viz., Jennie, Samuel and Maley.

DAVID BEANBLOSSOM (deceased) ; one of the early pioneers of Darke Co., was born in North Carolina, May 25, 1801 ; when 1G years of age, he came to Ohio and located in Darke Co., consequently he was one of its very early settlers. He was twice married; his first wife was Susannah Rarick ; she died about the year 1834 ; eleven children were the fruit of this union, of whom one is now living - Joseph, now living in Greenville Township. His marriage with Mary Delk was celebrated Nov. 6, 183G ; she was born in Darke Co., a few miles south of Greenville, Sept. 30, 1816 ; she was a daughter of Etheland Delk, who was born in North Carolina, and came to Darke Co. in a very early day. The children by the last marriage were fourteen in number, of whom two are deceased. The living are Ludena, born May 20, 1840 ; Enos, Jan. 6, 1842 ; Ann Eliza, born Oct. 25, 1843 ; Julia A., born Nov. 24, 1845 ; William, Jan. G, 1848 ; Elizabeth S., born Oct. 22, 1849; Margaret M., born Feb. 9, 1852; David D., Jan. 14, 1854 ; John C., April 18, 1856 ; Rachel and Isabell (twins), and Henrv A., born Jan. 13, 1859. Of the deceased, Nancy, born Aug. 28, 1838, died Feb. 26, 1854; the other died in infancy. Mr. Beanblossom died Dec. 8, 1861, upon the same place he located, in 1817, and where he lived forty-four years ; his old residence, which he built in 1820, is now occupied by his son Enos. Mr. Beanblossom suffered all the privations and hardships of frontier life. He commenced without capital, and split rails at 25 cents per hundred to obtain his wedding ding outfit. He, with the assistance of his wife, fought the battles of life nobly, and at the time of his death, had accumulated upward of 400 acres of land ; built his present residence in 1856. He took a deep interest in the cause of religion, and was a Deacon in the Christian Church and was a member of the same for forty years. He died respected and beloved by all who knew him.

ENOS BEANBLOSSOM, Sec. 1 ; P. O. Pikesville. Another of the old settlers of Darke Co.; born upon Sec. 1, Greenville Township, Jan. 6, 1842, where he has always lived, with the exception of three years that he served in the arm}* ; he is a son of David Beanblossom. who was born in North Carolina, and emigrated to Ohio, and located in Darke Co. in 1817 ; he entered Government land, upon which he lived until his death, which occurred Dec. 8, 1861, aged 63 years. The mother of Enos Beanblossom was Mary Delk, who was born in Ohio, and is now living in this county. Our subject was raised to agricultural pursuits, which lie followed until July 10, 1862, when he enlisted in the 45th 0. V. I.; he served in the arm}' of Gen. Sherman until the fall of 1864, when he was made prisoner in Tennessee and taken to Belle Island ; after remaining there three months, he was taken to Andersonville, where the cruel treatment received here was in keeping with its well-known acts of barbarism ; during his imprisonment his weight was reduced from 155 to 94 pounds ; he remained in prison some five months, and was released in the spring of 1865. and received his discharge during the summer, at Columbus : thence returned home and engaged in farming, which business he has since followed. He now owns 100 acres of well-improved land. His marriage with Ann E. Sipple was celebrated March 31, 1872; she was born in Darke Co., Feb. 3, 1845 ; they have four children - Irene M., born May 17, 1873 ; Daisy V., born July 31, 1875; Ora E., born July 20. 1877. and an infant, born September 14, 1879. The residence in which Mr. Beanblossom now lives was erected by his lather in 1820, and is now a good comfortable home.

JOSEPH BEANBLOSSOM, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. Greenville ; another of the old settlers ; born in Darke Co., Ohio, Feb. 7, 1826, he was the oldest son of David Beanblossom, one of the early pioneers, whose biography appears among the sketches of Greenville Township in this work. The subject of our sketch was raised to agricultural pursuits upon the farm of his father, until he attained his majority, when, upon the 22d of February, 1847, he was married to Rhoda Brandon ; she was born March 12, 1823, and died Sept. 3, 1853. leaving three children - Thomas A., bom Nov. 7, 1847 ; Mary A., born Oct. 19, 1849 ; David W., born Nov. 24, 1851. His marriage with Elizabeth Potter was celebrated Nov. 6. 1855 ; she was born in Greenville Township, Darke Co., Sept. 26, 1829, and was a daughter of David Potter, one of the early pioneers, who came to Darke Co.. in 1812 or 1813, and died in 1869 ; his widow who survives him, is now living upon the old place, where she has lived for upward of fifty years ; her maiden name was Maria Ulleiy ; the children by the union of Joseph Beanblossom and Elizabeth Potter are four in number, viz.: John R., born June 29, 1857 ; George N., born Aug. 24, 1858 ; Charles F., born May 26, 1860 ; Maria, July 27, 1864. Mr. Beanblossom located upon his present place in 1857, where he has since lived for a period of upward of twenty-two years. Upon locating here it was all woods ; he has since cleared some 70 acres, and brought the same to a good state of improvement. His home farm contains 140 acres, with good buildings, located two miles northwest from Greenville. Mr. and Mrs. Beanblossom are entitled to a place in the front ranks of the old settlers of Darke Co., having been continuous residents of the county for upward of half a century.

JACOB L. BEATTY, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. Greenville. Among the settlers of Darke Co. in 1850, we mention the name of the above gentleman ; he was born in Fayette Co., Penn., April 16, 1816, and was the only son of Thos. Beatty, who was born in New Jersey in 1787, and came to Pennsylvania with his parents in 1797, and to Guernsey Co., Ohio, in 1832, and, in the fall of 1848, came to Darke Co., and located in Neave Township, where he died Jan. 21, 1855. He married Mar}* Roury, in Pennsylvania, in 1815 ; she was born in Fayette Co., Penn.. April 8, 1798, and is now living with her only son, Jacob, in the 82d year of her age, is in possession of all her faculties, and can read any common print without the use of glasses ; there were two children by this union - Jacob L. and Eliza ; the latter is now Mrs. Dr. Thomas Duncan Stiles, of Neave Township. The subject of this sketch followed fanning in Guernsey Co. until 1 850, at which date he came to Darke Co. and located upon his present place, where he has since lived for a period of thirty years ; he has 120 acres of land upon Sees. 8 and 5, 80 acres of which are under a good state of cultivation. His marriage with Hester Stiner was celebrated in 1840 ; they were the parents of six children - Mary E., born Sept. 18, 1841 ; William H., April 16, 1843 ; Sarah A., March 7, 1845, died An?. 30, 1846 ; Eliza J., born Nov. 20, 1847 ; Thomas, May 10, 1851, and Reuben L., Dec. 21, 1860.

SAMUEL BECHTOLT, farmer ; P. O. Greenville ; born in Miami Co., Ohio. Jan. 10, 1819 ; when an infant, his parents removed to Warren Co., where the subject of our sketch was raised to farm labor until 20 years of age, and, in the fall of 1849, he came to Darke Co., and located in Greenville Township, and, in 1852. purchased his present place, where he has lived for a period of twenty-seven years. He owns 132 acres upon his home farm, with good farm buildings, and one-half of the woolen-mills owned by the firm of Fox & Bechtolt. His marriage with Eleanor Vannote was celebrated in 1840 ; she was born in Warren Co., Ohio ; they have four children now living ; lost two by death ; the living are Catherine E., Joseph, Mary E. and George ; the deceased died in infanc}-.

'LEWIS BECKLER, farmer ; P. O. Greenville ; another of the old settlers of Darke Co.; born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Aug. 30, 1837 ; at 10 years of age, he came to Darke Co., and made his home with Henry Beckler until 23 years of age, and, upon the 20th of December, 1860, was united in marriage with Elizabeth

Dininger; she was born in Darke Co. April 14, 1843; they were the parents of two children. Mrs. Beckler is a daughter of Jacob Dininger, one of the early pioneers of Darke Co. Upon the marriage of Mr. B., he located upon his present place, where he has since lived ; he owns 100 acres, upon which is his home farm, under a good state of improvement. He is a son of Peter Beckler, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Montgomery Co., Ohio, where he married Hannah Dill. He died in Montgomery Co. in 1840. His widow was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, and is now living, at the advanced age of 73.

CHARLES BILTEMIER, manufacturer and dealer in boots and shoes, etc., of the firm of Biltemier & Maitini, Broadway, Greenville. The above gen tleman is the oldest continuous person in the above business in Greenville : he was born in Hessian Germany in 1822 ; at the age of 14 years, he commenced the trade of shoemaking, which he followed twelve years in his native country ; he emigrated to America in 1848, and landed in Baltimore ; coming directly West, he located permanently in Greenville in 1849, where he has since lived; upon locating here, he received employment as journeyman until 1855, at which date he engaged in business for himself, which he has since successfully followed ; in 1864, he associated with his present partner, since which time they have conducted the business under the above firm name ; they carry a large and complete stock of gents', ladies', youths' and children's goods, and employ from three to five hands. He was married to Carolina Dohm in 1852 ; she was born in Hessian German v ; they have four children now living, viz., Lizzie, Caroline, Henry and Anna. He. wjth his wife, have been members of the German Methodist Church since 1853.

WILLIAM J. BIRELEY, retired, Greenville; was born in Frederick Co., Md., in 1812 ; was the son of John and Barbara Bireley ; John was born in the same county, and Barbara was born in Hagerstown, Md.; her maiden name was Brindle ; the grandfather, John Bireley, was born in Saxony, and emigrated to this country before the Revolutionary war. The grandmother was from Wurtemburg, Germany, and also came to this country prior to the Revolutionary war. Mr. Bireley 's father came to Lancaster, Ohio, in the spring of 1822. and in the fall following came to Montgomery Co., where he lived till his death. which occurred in 1827. Mr. Bireley, the subject of this sketch, came to Darke Co. Oct. 15, 1830, and located in Greenville ; he carried on the boot and shoe business for William Martin, Sr., and continued with him about five months, when he returned to his mother, in Montgomery Co., where he remained till 1833, when, on Jan. 24 of the same year, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Martin, daughter of Christopher and Elizabeth Martin. Sr.; they were both born at Sewickley, Penn., and came to Ohio in 1814 ; they settled in Butler Co., and then moved to Darke Co. in 1815, and settled about five miles east of Greenville ; after raising a large family of children, they moved to Greenville, where they lived and died. Mr. Bireley, in the next May after his marriage, in 1833, came back to Greenville and entered upon the manufacture of earthenware, which business he followed for twenty-eight years, doing an extensive business ; he then bought a farm of 150 acres, one mile out of the corporation of Greenville ; he then took his family and moved on to the farm, which was in 1851 ; in 1858, he sold this farm and bought another, five miles east of Greenville, upon which were several quarries of limestone, and went into the manufacture of lime, and continued at this business till January, 1880, when he rented it to Martin Smith and Emanuel Hershey for five years, receiving $400 yearly, or $2,000 for the five years ; Mr. Bireley moved from the farm into Greenville in 1870, where he has since resided. Mr. Birelev is the father of ten children, seven of whom are living, viz., Henry P.. Elizabeth E., William W., Barbara C, Harvey H, Wade G. and Mary R., all married and settled in life except the youngest, who is still single, and remains at home. At the commencement of the rebellion, his three oldest sons enlisted in the 44th O. V. I., and. after being out eighteen months. they went into the 8th O. V. C and in this they served through the war till honorably discharged, and all returned safely home. Mr. Bireley was one of the pioneers^ coming here when all was a wilderness, and but few houses constituted Greenville ; he has lived to see the wilderness pass away, and now a flourishing town of 4,000 inhabitants occupies the spot where then all was woods and wild animals ; even the citizens who lived here then have all passed away, with but few exceptions, viz., Henry Arnold and wife, Dr. I. N. Gard and wife, John Wharry, Esq., Allen La Mott and Mrs. Farrer. Mr. Bireley and wife are active members of the M. E. Church, having united in 1834. Mr. Bireley started in life upon sound principles, having resolved never to take the wine cup or waste his time and means in attending shows and theaters, which resolution he has firmly kept ; he is one of the few whose life is filled up with usefulness, and whose business interests in his various undertakings have met with remarkable success, and we may trust that from his Christian life he will enter that " life beyond the vale " in due time, with the same assurance of success and happiness, unalloyed with the cares and conflicts which attend this life, and that the record he has here left upon the pages of time will be a worthy example for all future generations.

WILLIAM F. BISHOP, retired ; P. 0. Greenville ; another of the old settlers ; born in New Jersey April 27, 1800; is a son of Frazee Bishop, who was also a native of the same State, born in 1775 and married, in 1797, Elizabeth Lamb, also a native of the same State. Our subject came to Ohio when 5 years of age, and was raised in Butler Co.; in 1842, he came to Darke Co. and purchased 217 acres of land upon Section 9, southwest of Greenville, where he lived until 1865, when he purchased his present residence on Fourth street, where he has since lived, retired from active business. His marriage with Maria Bogus was celebrated Sept. 6, 1825 ; she was born in Kentucky Dec. 6, 1805. They are the parents of ten children, of whom seven are now living, Thompson L. being the oldest, and is prominently mentioned among the sketches of this township. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop have peacefully trod the path of life together for a period of upward of fifty-four years ; the anniversary of their golden wedding was celebrated, at their residence on Third street, Greenville, upon Sept. 6, 1875, to which were gathered some 300 persons, representatives of all ages, from childhood to old age, to pay their respects to this aged couple. They came loaded with costly gifts, among which we mention a gold-headed cane and gold spectacles to Mr. Bishop ; Mrs. Bishop received her full share. Mr. Bishop has been a member of both the I. O. 0. F. and Masonic Orders for many years, and is held in respect and esteem by all who know him.

THOMPSON L. BISHOP, fanner and stock-raiser ; P. O. Greenville ; one of the old settlers of Darke Co.; born in Butler Co., Ohio, Nov. 8, 1829 ; he attended the common and high schools, until 12 years of age, and in 1842 came to Darke Co. with his parents, and located on Section 9, where he assisted his father in agricultural pursuits, until he attained his majority. In 1850, he went to Wan-en Co. and for three years was employed by the month as farm laborer ; the first year he received for his wages $144, and for the next two years he received $15 per month ; in 1853, he returned to Darke Co. and cropped with his father two years, receiving one-third of the proceeds. The summer of 1855 he passed in traveling through the Western States, and in the spring of 1856, he purchased an interest in the saw-mill at Gordon, Twin Township, and followed this business four years, and in the spring of 1860 purchased ninety acres of his place, and has since added, by purchase, three acres, and has made improvements upon the buildings to the amount of $5,000, and has brought the same to a fine state of cultivation, located one mile from the city limits of Greenville. He was united in marriage with Cynthia A. Dunham, in Warren Co., Ohio, Dec. 10, 1856 ; she was born in the same county in 1836. They have three children, viz., Sylvan E., Cora, and William G. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop have been members of the Baptist Church for a period of twenty years.

Third Street, Greenville, Ohio. Greenville, like all cities of its size, has its representative business men in nearly every branch of trade, and to the above gentleman must be accorded the honor of being the representative merchant, in his line, of the place. He is a native of Birmingham. Warwickshire, England, and was born April 18, 1843. At 7 years of age, he emigrated to America with his parents, landing in New Orleans March 17, 1851 ; thence to Cincinnati, where he attended public school continuously until the spring of 1857, at which date he removed to Richmond, Ind., and learned the shoemaker's trade, and, in 1863, engaged in the boot and shoe business, which he continued to follow until 1868, at which date he came to Greenville, and in October, 1869, engaged in the above business, which he has successfully followed. He has given a great deal of attention to the manufacturing of boots and shoes to order, and also manufacturing for his retail trade ; he gives emplo3Tment to from five to ten hands, and carries the largest stock of boots and shoes in Greenville, and by honorable and fair dealing, together with his personal attention given to eveiy detail of his business, has built up a large trade, which is yearly increasing. His marriage with Martha A. Pannel was celebrated in 1869 ; she was a native of Eastern Virginia ; thejr were the parents of three children, of whom two are deceased ; the living is James S.

B. BLOTTMAN, groceiy and provisions, queensware, fruits and country produce, Greenville. Among the most enterprising and energetic business men of Greenville, the gentleman whose name heads this sketch requires more than a passing notice ; he was born in Baden, Germany, May 6, 1846 ; at 9 years of age he emigrated to America, coming to Greenville Dec. 31, 1854 ; he was employed at various pursuits for several years, among which were draying, ditching and farming, and as hostler ; in 1864, he had accumulated $90, with which he purchased a dray and harness, then purchased a horse on time and commenced draying as his first business adventure, and by close attention, hard labor and correct business principles, he succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations ; in 1868, he disposed of his draying, and with the fruits of his previous earnings embarked in the groceiy trade, which business he has since successfully followed, his sales having increased until 1879, and exceeds upward of $30,000 ; Mr. B. is one of the self-made men of Darke Co., commencing in life without capital, and has, by his energy and correct business principles, placed himself in the front ranks of the successful merchants of Greenville. His marriage with Maiy A. Kelly was celebrated in Greenville, Sept. 15, 1868 ; she was a native of Pennsylvania ; they have three children now living, having lost one bj' death - the living are William B., Mary M. and James F.

H. BORNSTEIN, wholesale and retail dealer in wines, liquors, etc., Greenville. Born in Berlin, Prussia, Sept. 18, 1827, where he received his education in the subscription school, and was engaged as clerk in the dry -goods store of his father until 17 years of age, when he emigrated to America, landing in New York in 1 844 : he then devoted several years traveling in the Southern and Western States, and in 1853, located in Dayton, Montgomery Co., and until 1875 was engaged in business in Dayton and Cincinnati ; in the fall of 1875, he removed to Greenville, where he has since successfully followed the above business ; a card of his business appears in the business directory of Greenville in another part of this work. He was married in Cincinnati in 1860, to Sarah Chilcls, who was born in that cit}' ; they have four children - Rosa, Eddie, Malcolm and Blanche.

DR. LEO MYERS BUCHW ALTER, physician and surgeon, Greenville : the paternal ancestry of Dr. Buchwalter, whose portrait appears in this work, can be traced, not without many missing links, however, to the }'ear 1527, at which time the Mennonites or Anabaptists (to which denomination they belonged), on account of their peculiar belief, were compelled through religious persecution to flee from their native canton, Berne, Switzerland, first to the Netherlands, and subsequently to the United States, arriving in Lancaster Co., Penn., about the year 1709. From the time of their exodus until the birth of Gerhardt Buchwalter, grandfather of Dr. Buchwalter, the line of genealogy cannot be traced with certainty. He, it appears, was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., June 9, 1771. Married Maria Brobsten in 1796, who bore him thirteen children : Benjamin, the oldest, father of Dr. Buchwalter, was born August 9, 1797 ; married Catharine Miller, daughter of Joseph Miller, of Middletown, Md., in 1824, the fruits of which were eight children, two of whom survive ; in 1826, he removed to Dayton, Ohio, and after remaining here ten }Tears, went to Laurel, Franklin Co.. Ind.. where he followed his calling of millwright, erecting many of the best mills in the country ; in 1842, he left Laurel and located in Harrison, Hamilton Co., Ohio, at which place he was appointed Postmaster in 1852, in which capacity he served until 1861. when he was elected Mayor, the duties of which office he creditably discharged for a period of ten years ; after this he came to Darke Co., and soon after died at Euphemia, Preble Co., Ohio ; his wife followed him July 11, 1877. Dr. Buchwalter, the subject of this sketch, was born April 11, 1831, in Dayton, Ohio ; his boyhood days were passed in the usual routine incident to youthful life in general up to a suitable age to attend school, which in those early days was not over a stone pavement a few blocks distance to a fine schoolhouse, but, when the boy was determined enough to encounter the difficulties, he took his lonely way through the woods, along a winding path for many miles to a rude log cabin ; these very hardships, stamped upon that boy an energy of purpose, which intensified by maturer j-ears, defies all opposition; at the tender age of 12, Dr. Buchwalter's father placed him in his mill, requiring his time eighteen hours out of the twentyfour - six of which, however, viz., from 6 P. M. until 12 M., being watch duty, he employed in reading and study, thus acquiring a very fair education in the English branches ; in his 16th year he began teaching, which he followed about four years, then entered the store of Michael Miller, at Euphemia, as clerk : having thus by his own industry secured the necessary funds, he, in the fall of 1855, began reading medicine in the office of Dr. G. S. Goodheart, of Harrison. Ohio ; before completing his course of reading, however, he was compelled to resume the counter, first with Miller & Moore, and subsequentby with Moore & Winner. On the 1st day of November, 1864, he married Miss Matella Wilson, second daughter of Hon. William Wilson, of Greenville, by whom he had one child - Anna. In the spring of 1866, Dr. Buchwalter graduated from the Miami College of Medicine, and immediately located in Hollandsburg, in which he remained nine years, in the meantime building up an extensive practice ; in 1874. he removed to Greenville, where he has by his indomitable will, untiring perseverance, and thorough acquaintance with his profession, built up a practice, which, while it is inferior to none in the countjr, is rapidly and permanently increasing. Dr. Buchwalter possesses an excellent library, which he is constantly enlarging by the addition of the leading medical and scientific productions of the day ; he is, in the broadest sense of the term, a self-made man, and has won his way, conquering step by step, every opposing element that has impeded his pathway to that success and high professional skill to which he has at length full}' attained. In the Biographical C}Tclopaedia, appears a biographical sketch of the Doctor, to which, through more recent information, we are enabled to add some additional facts and emendations.

ABRAHAM N. BREWER, harness-maker, Greenville. The gentleman whose name heads this article was born in Warren Co., Ohio. July 1, 1833, and is a son of Abraham and Ann Brewer ; his father was born in Kentucky Jan. 17. 1800, and departed this life Jul}- 27, 1843 ; his mother was born in Pennsylvania March 18, 1797, and died Aug. 26, 1873. Our subject's early days were spent on the farm, and, after he had attained a proper age, he learned the carpenter trade, which he followed for five }-ears, and then followed wagon-making in Arcanum, where he settled in 1858 ; in 1865, he turned his attention to the manufacture of harness, in which ever since he has been successfully engaged ; none know better how to do their patrons justice, and Abraham will always be found ready and willing to give his patrons the best stock in the market, and his jobs are turned out in a workmanlike manner. His first marriage was consummated with Mary Hough June 8, 1858 ; to their union, five children were given, viz., Lorenzo, Thomas N., Ella H., and two dying in infancy ; Mrs. Brewer departed this life Nov. i), 1863; his second marriage was celebrated with Miss Emeline Baker, in November, 1874.

JOSEPH BRYSON, farmer and stock-raiser ; resides on Sec. 9, Township 11. (ireenville Township ; P. O. Greenville. Among the old settlers of Darke Co., the gentleman whose name heads this sketch is assigned a place in the front ranks. being born upon the place where he now resides, on the 30th of November, 1821 ; he was a son of James Bryson, one of the early pioneers of Darke Co., who came from Bedford Co., Penn., and located upon the above place in 1817 ; he was born near Hagerstown, Md., May 21, 1786, and died March 20, 1863, upon the place where he had lived for nearry half a century. He married Mrs. Rachael Rush Aug. 12, 1817 ; her maiden name was Rachael Creviston ; she was born March 3, 1784, and died Feb. 14, 1855 ; she came to Darke Co. in 1810 ; her first husband was Henry Rush, and Lemuel Rush, now living three and a half miles north of Greenville, is the only child now living by that union, and is probably the oldest continuous male resident of Darke Co.; the children of James and Rachel Bryson were six in number - Morris, whose sketch appears in this work, born May 13r 1818 ; Mary Ann, born Jan. 29, 1820, died Dec. 15, 1854 ; Joseph, born Nov. 30r 1821 ; Rachel J., born Dec. 25, 1823 ; Eliza, born Jan. 23, 1826, and James H., born Feb. 26, 1829. Until 25 years of age, Joseph followed farming on the old place ; he then followed carpentering and farming during the summer, and schoolteaching during the winter, for seventeen years, since which time he has devoted his whole attention to farming ; he has resided upon his present place for a period of fifty -eight years, and is the oldest continuous resident upon any one place that the writer of this article has yet found in Darke Co.

MORRIS BRYSON, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 8 ; P. O. Woodington ; one of the old settlers of Darke Co., Ohio ; born in Darke Co., what is now Greenville Township, May 13, 1818 ; his father, James Bryson. was born in Washington Co., Md., May 21, 1786, and came to Darke Co. in 1816. He held various offices in the county, among which was County Commissioner, and served a term in the Assembly of Ohio ; was County Judge some ten years, and was Justice of the Peace man)' years, and held other offices. He died March 20, 1863. He married Mrs. Rachel (Creviston) Rush ; she was previously the wife of Henry Rush, who died in Ft. Rush, during the campaign of Harrison ; his brother Andrew was killed in 1812, by the Indians, upon their first depredation ; the first white child born in Darke Co. was Thomas Rush, a half-brother of the subject of our sketch ; the latter was raised to agricultural pursuits, and, upon the 8th of April, 1846, was united in marriage with Mar}T Ann Cole ; she was a daughter of Joseph Coler one of the early pioneers of Darke Co., who located here in 1818 ; upon his marriage, he farmed rented land two years, and, in 1848, purchased 80 acres of his present place, where he has lived for a period of thirty-one years ; he now has 287 acres of land, all of which he has earned by his own hard labor, with the exception of 80 acres. The children of Morris and Mary Ann (Cole) Bryson were ten in number, of whom seven are now living, viz.: James W., Rachel, Joseph O, Isaac N., Anna C, Volney D. and David H.

JOHN K. BUTT, farmer, Sec' 24; P. 0. Greenville; born in Butler Co., Ohio, Oct. 22, 1824 ; when 5 years of age, his father died ; he lived with his mother until 16 years of age, when he commenced to learn the blacksmith trade. which business he followed with the exception of six years, until 1871 ; he then came to Greenville Township, and purchased 12 acres of land upon Sees. 12 and 13, where he lived until the spring of 1879, when he rented the farm upon which he lives. He is now farming 89 acres, and is engaged in raising corn, wheat and tobacco ; he first came to Darke Co. when 1 3 years of age, and, after a residence of three years in Palestine, went to Preble Co. and has since lived in Preble, Montgomery and Darke Cos. He has been twice married ; his first wife was Delia Arnett ; they were married Oct. 10, 1844 ; she was born in Montgomery Co. and died Oct. 22, 1858, leaving two children, viz.: Sarah A., born Sept. 12. 1845. now Mrs. Jacob T. Miller, of Montgomery Co.; Marion A., born Feb. 8, 1852. now Mrs. Philip Hartzell, of Darke Co. His marriage with Eliza Lantz was celebrated in Montgomery Co. Dec. 6, 1859 ; she was born in Berks Co., Penn., June 3, 1837 ; the}' have three children - Flora F., born July 18, 1861 ; William P., born Oct. 3, 1864; Franklin E., born July 11, 1867.

ANDREW ROBESON CALDERWOOD, attorney at law, Greenville ; another of the old settlers of Darke Co.; born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Sept. 14, 1818, and was a son of George and Margaret (Robeson) Calderwood, natives of Huntingdon Co., Penn. They were married Sept. 14, 1811 ; in the fall of 1817, they removed to near Dayton, Ohio, and from there, in 1832, to Darke Co.. where George Calderwood died Sept. 7, 1849 ; his wife survived him until Aug. 12. 1873, when her decease occurred. George Calderwood was of Scotch parents, and, though uneducated, was a man of sound judgment, great firmness and very courageous ; of large stature and possessed an iron constitution ; he was kind and generous to a fault. Margaret Robeson descended from Scotch, Welsh and Irish ancestry, and was a woman of remarkable good sense, fine natural talent and great kindness. Our subject was employed in early life upon the farm, digging ditches, mauling rails, etc.; his education was meager ; being called upon to serve as juror, lie was so inspired by the eloquence of some of the attorneys in the case that he resolved to become a lawyer, and at once commenced the study of the same, being admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in 1851. Was elected Probate Judge in 1854 ; after serving three years, he entered the Union arnry as Second Lieutenant ; was promoted Captain of Co. I. 40th 0. V. I.; resigned his commission on account of injuries received from being thrown from a horse ; on regaining his health he was recommissioned as Captain by Gov. Tod, and, by Col. Cranor, assigned to the command of his old company ; after six months' service, in the above position, by loss of his voice and previous injuries he was again compelled to leave the active service of the arm}' and acted in the capacity of recruiting officer until the close of the war, after which he again resumed the practice of the law. On Dec. 3, 1876, he assumed the editorial control of the Sunday C<>uri< r, a leading organ of the Republican party of Darke Co. He has been three times elected Mayor of Greenville, and, in 1868, the Republicans of Darke Co. presented his name in the Fourth Congressional District of Ohio, his opponent, Mr. McClung, being nominated by a small majority over Judge Calderwood. He has a liberal share of the practice in this county, and enjoys somewhat more than a local reputation as a criminal lawyer; at the forum, his abilities are best shown ; he has an original faculty of developing a subject by a single glance of the mind, detecting as quickly the point upon which every controversy depends. There is a deep selfconviction and emphatic earnestness in his manner and a close, logical connection in his thoughts ; he wears no garlands of flowers to hang in festoons around a favorite argument, yet for impromptu appeals and eloquence he stands among the first in his profession, and, by his great knowledge of human nature, he is acknowledged to be one of the best judges of a jury at the bar.

HENRY CALKINS, lawyer, Greenville. The subject of this memoir was born in West Burlington, Bradford Co., Penn.. upon the 5th of December. 1832, and is a son of Moses and Eveline (Broffett) Calkins, who were married in Pennsylvania about the year 1826 ; Moses Calkins was born in Bradford Co.. Penn., April 6, 1797, his father being one of four men who first settled in the county in 1 790. was the father of five sons and four daughters, and died at the advanced age of 80 ; his widow's decease occurred two weeks later, at the age of 78 ; of their children, three now survive, viz., Moses, the father of our subject, now 84 years of age, and two daughters, aged 82 and 86 years, all in good health : the children of Moses and Eveline (Broffett) Calkins were six in number, of whom five are now living, viz., Charles, born Feb. 11, L 827, and whose biography also appears in this work, our subject being the next surviving member ; Edward, born in 1836, a prominent lawyer of Richmond, Ind., since 1862 ; Alfred, born in 1838, a resident of and Mayor of New Paris, Ohio; Emma, born in 1841, now Mrs. C. B. Northrup, of New Madison. The maiden name of the great-grandmother of our subject on his mother's side was Gore ; her husband was killed at the Wyoming massacre ; she, with two children, one of them the grandmother of Mr. Calkins, escaped with other fugitives by boat up the Susquehanna River, then across the mountains, and located in the Sheshequin Valley. Bradford Co.. Penn., where she died in 1 833, being 90 years of age ; her daughter Rebecca, the grandmother of Mr. Calkins, was born in 1774 ; was married, in 1794, to James Broffett, and were the parents of five children, all of whom were early settlers of Darke Co.. viz.. Silas and Alfred Broffett, at Broffettsville, Harrison Township ; Celinda, wife of Judge Jaqua, of New Madison, and Lucinda, wife of Rial Lawrence ; her second husband was Joseph Bloom, by whom she had four children - Charles. Guv. Hiram, and Celinda, now the wife of A. L. Northrup, residing in New Madison ; she died at the age of 84 ; the parents of Mr. Calkins are now living at New Paris, Preble Co.; they came to Darke Co. in 1852, and settled in Harrison Township. The education of our subject was obtained in the common schools up to 16 years of age ; he then received an academical course at Troy, Bradford Co., Penn. ; then was a student of the Delaware (Ohio) College two years ; afterward studied medicine and attended a course of lectures at Cincinnati Medical College ; in the spring of 1856, he went across the Plains, remaining until 1859. Upon Dec. 12. 1862, he was married to Harriet E. McClure, at Peru, Ind. The following August, he enlisted a company of 101 men, and went out as Captain of Co. C, 87th Ind. V. I., serving through Kentucky and Tennessee. After returning from the army, he returned to Illinois and engaged in farming, stock-raising, etc. Was Police Judge of the city of Jerseyville, 111., in 1868 ; was admitted as a member of the bar in 1870, and was afterward elected two terms as City Solicitor ; in 1874. he came to Greenville, and engaged in the law business with his brother Charles. Was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Darke Co. in 1877, and re-elected in 1879. Has alwa}-s voted the Democratic ticket. Henry Calkins is the father of three children now living, having lost three by death. During the residence of Moses Calkins in Pennsylvania, he was largely identified with the lumber trade, and. upon locating here, has been engaged in loaning money, etc.; he is a man of sterling worth, and a great champion of the cause of temperance.

CHARLES CALKINS, attorney at law, Greenville. The subject of this sketch was born in Burlington Township, Bradford Co., Penn.. Feb. 11, 1827, and is a son of Moses Calkins, who is prominently mentioned in the biography of Henry Calkins in this work. The early education of our subject was obtained like other boys of the age, in an old log schoolhouse ; at 16 years of age. he entered the academy at West Troy, where he received his academic education under the instruction of Ezra Long. Afterward, his father becoming largely indebted to the Bank of North America, in Philadelphia, for lands then owned by him, required all his efforts, as well as of his son, to liquidate the same; accordingly he built four saw-mills, and Charles run one of them one-half of the time, day and night, until his majority, the balance of the time being employed in rafting and running Lumber down the Susquehanna River. At the age of 21, he commenced the study of law at Towanda. Penn., with John C. Adams, who was an able lawyer, a just man, and distinguished throughout the State for his prominence and ability. He continued his studies with the above gentleman until April 11. 1849, when through the kindness and generosity of Allen and Eliza McKean. he was furnished with means to take him to the gold mines of California, and to the above parties he holds the deepest feelings of gratitude and esteem. After remaining in California some eighteen months, meeting with fine success, he returned to Bradford Co., Penn..

thence to Darke Co., with a cousin, in 1851, with the expectation of remaining but two weeks, but through the fortuity of Providence, he has made it his home for nearly thirty years. Upon the 1st of June, 1852, he formed a partnership under the firm name of Collins & Calkins, this partnership continuing until September, 1855, when it was dissolved by the death of Mr. Collins. In 1854, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for two years ; re-elected in 1866 for two years, and again in 1868 for the same length of time, and has had an honorable and lucrative practice since being admitted to the bar in 1 852. His marriage with Elizabeth Stamm was celebrated in the spring of 1853. She was also a native of Pennsylvania. They have four children now living, viz., Leulla, Harriet and Henry (twins) and George.

L. E. CHENOWETH, attorney at law, Greenville ; was born in Washington Township, on the 3d of December, 1840. His father, Thomas F. Chenoweth, came to Darke Co., from Franklin Co., Ohio, in 1818, and entered the farm on which he has since resided. L. E. Chenoweth was brought up a farmer, but with three brothers learned the trade of bricklaying. He received a good common-school education, and, at the age of 16, taught a district school. He taught school several terms. On the 13th of May, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Co. K, 11th O. V. I., for three months' service, and was honorably discharged Aug. 17, 1861 ; reenlisted Oct. 25, 1861, in Co. E, 69th O. V. I.'; was appointed Commissary Sergeant of said regiment, Feb. 1, 1863, at Murfreesboro, Tenn., and soon after appointed Quartermaster Sergeant of said regiment. Re-enlisted as veteran volunteer. Feb. 26, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tenn.; was discharged from service as Quartermaster Sergeant, at Sister's Ferry, Ga., Feb. 1, 1865, and was mustered in on same day as First Lieutenant of Co. H, 69th 0. V. I., and, on same day, was appointed Quartermaster of said regiment. Was appointed Brigade Quartermaster on the staff of Gen. George P. Buell, commanding 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 14th Army Corps, at Goldsboro, N. C, March 27, 1865. Was commissioned and mustered as Captain of Co. I, 0. V. I., June 16, 1865, at Louisville, Ky., and was discharged on the 17th of July, 1865, at the close of the war. Was present at the following battles : Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Ringgold, Snake Creek Gap, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Chattahoochie River, Peach Tree Creek, siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro and Savannah and Goldsboro, N. C. Since the war, has been engaged in the grocery business, miller, engineer, merchant tailoring, boot and shoe store, foundry and machine shop and a traveling salesman, handling school furniture and supplies, in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Canada. On the 5th day of December, 1876, in the Supreme Court of Ohio, was duly admitted to the practice of the law, since which time he has been engaged in the business of his profession. He married, on the 3d of July, 1867, Effle A. Arnold, daughter of Noah Arnold, Esq., of Jaysville, Darke Co. Has two children - Millie and James.

B. H. CLARK, Sec. 4; P. 0. Woodington ; an early pioneer of Darke Co.; born in Lebanon Co., Penn., Sept. 16, 1821 ; he was a son of Samuel Clark, who was born in Pennsylvania March 31, 1796 ; he came to Darke Co. in 1831, and located in Washington Township, where he lived until his decease, which occurred in November, 1872. He married Margaret Hofnagle in Pennsylvania ; she was born in the same State in 1797, and died in Washington Township in February, 1863. Our subject came to Darke Co. with his parents in 1831, and is, consequently, one of the early pioneers, and among the oldest continuous residents of the county, having lived here nearly half a century ; his education was obtained in a log schoolhouse with stick-and-mud chimney, a large fireplace in which they used logs as large as two or three of the largest boys could handle, and the desks and seats were made of slabs, as well as the writing-desks which extended around the house ; he remained with his father until 21 years of age, when he commenced farming for himself, and, in 1857, moved upon his present place, where he has since lived ; he has about 80 acres of land, with good farm buildings, which he^ has secured by his own hard Labor, in which ho has been nobly assisted by his amiable wife, to whom he was united in marriage April 25, 1844 ; she was born in Washington Township, Darke Co., April 18, 1830; her maiden name was Mary Ann Martin, a daughter of Hugh and Kve (Cox) Martin; her father was one of the early pioneers, emigrating from Pennsylvania in 1818, and locating in Washington Township; her mother was a daughter of Jacob Cox, who located here in 1816 ; he was horn in 1801 and died April 7, 1842, upon the farm he first settled on after his marriage ; her mother was born in 17!Hi. and died Dec. 13, 1866. The children of B. H and Mary Ann (Martin) Clark were thirteen in number, of whom eleven are now living - William 14., Isaac N., John C, Frank, Margaret E., Clatie P., Angeline ML, Jennie, Sherman, Walter and Arthur ; the deceased were Charles and Baxter, dying in infancy.

JOHN C. CLARK, firm of Breaden & Clark, attorneys at law, Wilson & Hart's Block, Greenville. The subject of this memoir was born in Washington Township. Darke Co., on the 17th of January, 1849, and is the son of B. H. Clark, another of our old settlers, whose biography also appears in this work. The early occupation of our subject was that of a farmer's son, his education being obtained in the common schools, until 18 years of age, after which he attended the graded schools of Greenville for three years ; the following three }rears he devoted to school-teaching, and. during vacation, gave his whole attention to study ; in 1873, he commenced the stud}' of law with Calderwood & Cole, was admitted to the bar in 1877. and, shortly after, associated with J. E. Breaden, Jr., under the firm name, now doing an extensive law business, which is yearly increasing.

HENRY M. COLE, lawyer, Greenville ; was born in Darke Co., March 17, 1845. His grandfather, Samuel Cole, Sr., was a native of Sussex Co., N. J.; he was one of the earliest settlers, and the first Justice of the Peace of Washington Township ; his father and mother are natives of the same township ; his father, Samuel Cole, Jr., is a substantial farmer ; his mother was Elizabeth Cox ; of a family of eleven children, our subject is the eldest ; by arduous study, with only common-school advantages, he obtained a fair English education ; he entered the service of the United States in the war of the rebellion in 1864. and was fifer-boy in Co. G, of the 152d 0. N. G.; he read law with Messrs. Knox & Sater, of Greenville ; graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in the spring of 1869 ; was at once admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Greenville ; in August, 1872, he formed a law partnership with Judge A. R. Calderwood, of Greenville, and is still so associated. Politically, he is a Republican. He possesses good legal talent, is a close student, and is devoted to his profession ; as a pleader and advocate he is effective ; in legal and general literature, he is well informed, and has the manners of a polished gentleman.

WILLIAM COLE, farmer and stock-raiser. Sec. 14; P. 0. Greenville; born in Greenville Township, Darke Co., March 3, 1849 ; he is a son of Samuel Cole, who was one of the early settlers of Darke Co., and is one of the oldest continual residents of the count}-, ami is now living in Washington Township, and is a brother of Joseph Cole, whose biography appeals among the sketches of Washington Township in another part of this work. Wm. Cole received a common-school education, and assisted his father upon the farm until he attained his majority ; in 1872. he located upon his present place where he has since lived ; he has 160 acres on his home farm, with good buildings. He married Clarissa Alexander Aug. 3. 1871 ; she was born in Preble Co., Ohio. Sept. 7. 1852 ; they have five children - Baxter, born April 11, 1ST:; ; Samuel G-., Aug. 8, 1874, John, Sept. 21. 1875; George. March 2."). 1877. and an infant. July 10, 1879. Mrs. Cole was a daughter of Samuel Alexander, who died in Washington Township Oct. 7, 1873; her mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Roberts, who died in 1874.

JACOB W. COX. manufacturer of hoots and shoes. Sec. 31 ; P. O. Greenville. One of the old settlers, born in Greenville Township, Darke Co., Ohio, Aug. 12. 1841. He was a son of Jesse Cox. the first white child born in Washington

Township (date of birth, 1817), whose occupation was farming ; his death occurred on Oct. 4, 1873. He married Prudence J. Wintermute, a native of New Jersey, born in 1820, who is still living in Greenville Township. Jacob W. raised to farm labor until 14 years of age, when he commenced to learn the shoemaker's trade, which business he followed in connection with farming until 1873, since which time he has devoted his whole attention to his trade upon Sec. 31, where he resides. Upon the 14th of March, 1869, he was married to Mary E. Bechtold, daughter of Samuel Bechtold, whose sketch appears among the biography of Greenville Township ; they have three children - Charles N., Francis M. and Bellzoria.

FRANK t. CONKLING, book-keeper, Greenville ; born in Hamilton Co., Ohio, Feb. 27, 1858 ; his early education was obtained in the common schools of his native place, and completed by a study of eight years in Cincinnati ; in 1875, he came to Greenville, and in July, 1876, accepted a position as book-keeper of the Greenville Bank, which situation he has since filled with credit to himself, and satisfaction to his emplovers.

DAVID CRAIG, retired ; P. 0. Greenville ; another of the early pioneers of Darke Co. is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch ; born in Montgomery Co., Oct. 5, 1804, and was a son of John Craig, a native of Virginia, who had a hatred to the institution of slavery, and emigrated to Kentucky, then a free State, but upon slavery being admitted as one of its institutions, he came to Montgomery Co., Ohio, where his death occurred in 1812 ; in the spring of 1816, our subiect came to Darke Co., being then 12 years of age, and he and his twin brother contracted and cleared several acres of land in Wayne Township, by which they cleared upward of $1 per day each ; at 15 years of age, he went to Butler Co., and learned the blacksmith trade ; his skill and reputation in the making of edge tools soon became established, and for three years he found employment at Amanda, most of the time making stonecutter's tools for the contractors of the Miami Canal ; he was a witness to the commencement of the building of the canal, and saw the first dirt thrown out by Gov. Merrill, of Ohio, and Gov. Clinton, of New York ; in 1828, he and his twin brother purchased two lots on Main street, Greenville, erected a wagon and blacksmith shop, and carried on the above business in connection with the manufacture of plows and agricultural implements until 1850, when he located upon his farm, two and a half miles south of Greenville, and here he engaged in farming until the spring of 1877, when he disposed of his farm, removed to Greenville, where he has since lived. Mr. Craig has suffered the privations and hardships of frontier life ; upon locating here he had to go to Montgomery Co., purchase corn at $1 per bushel, and bring it to Greenville upon horseback ; it may be said of him that he is one of the selfmade men of Darke Co. ; coming' here at 12 years of age, he battled against adversity for many years, and now at the advanced age of 75 years is in possession of all his faculties, and has accumulated sufficient property by his hard labor and correct business habits to carry him and his amiable wife through their declining years. Upon the 3d of August, 1834, he was united in marriage with Ruhanah Shanon, who was born in Cumberland Co., Penn., Feb. 17, 1816, and came to Darke Co. with her parents in 1832. They were the parents of three sons and four daughters, viz., Elizabeth A., born Sept. 15. 1835 ; James M.. Nov. 29, 1836, now in Government employ at Washington ; Thomas A., born March 2, 1839 - died Feb. 22, 1845 ; Marietta.' May 5. 1842 ; Martha J., Jan. 18. 1844 ; Phoebe S., Dec. 17, 1845, and David Edgar. June 1. 1852.

T. W. CULBERTSON, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. O. Greenville : was born Oct. 25, 1828, within sight of the place where he now resides ; he is the son of Samuel Culbertson, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born in June, 1801. and emi-^ grated with his family to this county at quite an early day, settling on a piece of land in Van Buren Township. At that time, this county was almost entirely covered over with dense forests and immense swamps ; the labors of the pioneer had not yet made extensive inroads on the vast wilderness. He was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Westfall in 1823; six children were born of this union, to wit : Orin, .Mary J., T. W. Elizabeth and James; Orin and Elizabeth are deceased ; the others are settled in this county. The privations and hardships of pioneer life soon told upon the health of the elder Culbertson, and in 1837, he was called to bid farewell to his family and take his departure to that "undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns," leaving a loving wife and six small children to contend with the trials and difficulties incident to frontier life ; his wife remained upon the homestead and survived him about sixteen years, dying in 1853. Our subject was quite small at the death of his father, after which he remained with his mother till her death, assisting in sustaining her and giving her the comforts of a home ; he early learned the brickmason's trade. His educati< >nal advantages were necessarily limited, as a pioneer's life is one of constant exertion for sustenance, but what opportunities did offer in this direction were well improved. At the death of his mother, the home was broken up and he went to live with his sister, Mrs. Studabaker. Nov. 26, 1857, he celebrated his marriage with Elizabeth Harper ; she is the daughter of William S. Harper, a native of Pennsylvania, who also emigrated to this county at quite an earl}7 day. Immediately after the marriage of our subject, he moved upon a piece of land in Sec. 7, which he had previously purchased ; this was all in the woods, and he was obliged to clear off a spot large enough to erect a cabin on ; this constituted the first home of his own ; here, in the dense forest, he set out with his helpmeet, on the course of life, and by their own exertions they have caused the golden grain to wave where once stood the mighty forest ; in his rich fertile farm, we again behold industry and frugality bountifully rewarded. They are the parents of seven children, to wit : Frank, Edward, Charlie, William H., Harry, Cora B. and Purlej', all of whom are yet living and residing under the parental roof. Mr. Culbertson, realizing the advantages of an education in this advanced da}r, is offering his children all the opportunities now afforded b}' this county in this direction, and they, we are glad to chronicle, are making good use of them.

JOHN W. DEARDOURFF, manufacturer and dealer in boots and shoes. No. 13, Third street, Greenville. The subject of this memoir is a native of Preble Co., born June 3, 1845 ; he is a son of Daniel Deardourff, who was born in Adams Co.. Penn., and came to Preble Co. about the year 1849. He married Elizabeth Stouffer ; she was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., and is now living in Greenville, at the advanced age of 79 years. John W. was raised in Preble Co. until 20 years of age, during which time he attended the common schools, and learned and worked at the shoemaker's trade, which he followed until August, 1862, at which date he enlisted in the 50th 0. V. I., and went forward to battle for the Union ; he was in man}T severe engagements, among which was the battle of Perryville, and in the three months' campaign against Atlanta, during which time he was engaged some eighty-four days ; after the capture of Atlanta, he returned to Franklin, and after the battle of the latter place, the army fell back to Nashville, where he was engaged in the three days' fight; in the spring of 1865, he joined Sherman at Goldsboro, and was with his army at the surrender of Johnson ; he then lay in Salisbury some thirty days, then returned to City Point and Baltimore; thence to Cleveland, where he received his discharge, in the latter part of July, 1865, having served in the Union army three years. Upon receiving his discharge, he came to Darke Co. and was employed at his trade until the spring of 1877, when he engaged in business for himself, which he has since successfully followed ; a card of his business is to be found in the business directory of Greenville, in another part of this work. His marriage with Phebe S. Craig was celebrated in March, 1869 ; she is a daughter of David Craig, whose sketch appears among the biographic of this work ; they have two children - Harry A. and Charles.

JOS1AI1 B. DEETER, Sec. 4; farmer and manufacturer of all kinds and sizes of drain tile ; P. O. Woodington ; his factory is located one-fourth of a mile south of Woodington Station ; he may be considered one of our old settlers, being born in Greenville Township, Darke Co., June 3, 184-4 ; his father, Daniel M. Deeter, was born in Pennsylvania in January, 1801, and came to Darke Co. somewhere about the year 1825, where he has since lived. He married Anna Bolinger in Pennsylvania ; she died in the spring of 1879 ; the subject of this sketch followed agricultural pursuits during the early part of his life, and subsequently purchased an interest in the tile factory of Hime, Martin & Co., which, after two years he became the sole owner of ; since that time he has conducted the business in his own name ; his yearly sales in tile have exceeded $3,000 ; he also owns 94 acres of land, which extends to the station, his residence being located one-fourth of a mile from the same. His marriage with Hattie A. Crosson was celebrated July 17, 1873 ; she was born in Cincinnati July 18, 1855 ; she died in April, 1875 ; one child was born to them - Claud M., born Aug. 29, 1875 ; died Feb. 19, 1876.

AAEON S. DENISE, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 27 ; P. 0. Greenville : one of the early pioneers of Darke Co., born in Butler Co., Ohio, Jan. 16, 182.") . he was the oldest son of John S. Denise, who was born in the State of New Jersey March 25, 1803, and came to Ohio when quite young. He was united in marriage in Warren Co., Ohio, with Margaret M. Clark March 18, 1824; she was Lorn in Warren Co. Aug. 15, 1804 ; they were the parents of ten children, of whom seven are now living ; they were among the early settlers of Darke Co., coming here in 1829, and locating upon Sec. 27, Greenville Township, which at that time was a howling wilderness, and upon this spot Mr. Denise passed the remainder of his days ; his decease occurred April 25, 1852 ; his widow now lives upon the same place, and although upward of 75 years of age, is in possession of all her faculties ; our subject came to Darke Co. with his parents in 1829, and is consequently one of the old settlers of the county ; he remained upon the old homestead until 1855, after which he went to Illinois and remained four years, thence to Missouri, staying there two years, and, in 1861, returned to Darke Co., and. in September of the same year, enlisted in the 40th 0. V. I., and went forward to battle for the Union ; he was first forwarded to Kentucky, where he was in several battles, after which he was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland ; participated in the battle of Chickamauga, then the siege and capture of Atlanta, continuing upward of four months fighting ; in the fall of 1864 and the early part of the winter of 1865, he was in the Fourth Army Corps, under Maj. Gen. Thomas, operating in Tennessee in protecting the cities of Nashville, Chattanooga and other points, during which time he was engaged in the battle of Nashville for two days, at the expiration of which time the rebel army under Gen. Hood were badly defeated ; he was also in many other engagements ; in the spring of 1S65, he was forwarded to Texas, and stationed at Galveston and San Antonio for several months, and in the fall of 1865, returned to Columbus, where he was mustered out of service and received his discharge in October of the same year, having served in the Union army upward of four years ; after two years' service, he veteranized, and at the expiration of three years, was transferred to the 51st 0. V. I., and remained with the same until the close of the war ; he was never taken prisoner, but had many narrow escapes ; he was twice wounded, but only kept from duty a short time ; he returned home Oct. 25, and located upon his present place, where he has since resided ; he has 100 acres in his home farm, of which 80 are under a good state of cultivation, one mile west of the city of Greenville ; also 40 acres in Daviess Co., Mo.; Mr. Denise is no politician, but is a strong Republican, and labors for the success of his party, and to make use of his own words, he always votes as he fought.

JOHN G. DEUBNER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 13 ; P. O. Greenville ; one of the old settlers of Darke Co.; born in Saxony, Germany, July 2. 1825, where he received a good German education and followed farming and working in woolen mills until 23 years of age, when he emigrated to America, landing in New York in May, 1848; he immediately came to Darke Co., and was employed working in the Broadway Hotel. Greenville, some five years, and, in 1853, he located upon Sec. 13, where he has since lived for a period of twenty-six years ; he now bas 82 acres under a good state of improvement, with good farm buildings ; when locating here, there were only 15 acres cleared ; he has since cleared 35 acres and brought the same to a good state of cultivation ; when Mr. Deubner purchased his first land, he had a capital of about $50 ; he has since accumulated all the above property by his own hard labor, and it can be truly said of him that he is one of the self-made men of Darke Co. He is a Democrat in politics, and always labors for the success of the party ; he has held the office of Township Trustee of Greenville Township for three years during his residence here. His marriage with Wilhelmina Bildemeyer was celebrated March 8, 1853; she was born in Hessen, Germany. Sept. 11, 1835 ; they were tne parents of thirteen children - John C, born Nov. 21, 1853 ; Frederick H., born Sept. 17, 1855 ; Charlotte, Feb. 25, 1858 (died Aug. 10, 1871) ; Lewis H., July 19, 1859 ; John W., Sept. 10. 1861 ; Wilhelmina P., Nov. 29, 1863 ; Charles A., July 14, 1866 ; Caroline S. and Louisa (twins), born Sept. 25, 1868 ; Sophia, March 6, 1871 (died July 20, 1874) ; Powell G., born Feb. 14. 1874 ; Mary, June 11, 1876, and Amelia M., Dec. 3, 1878.

JOHN DEVOR, lawyer, Greenville, was born in Darke Co. in 1831. His grandfather, John Devor, was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Darke Co. in 1808 : he entered the first half-section of land m the present limits of the county, and laid out the town of Greenville in 1810 ; in 1816, he moved his family to the county, they having, for eight years previously, lived in Montgomery Co., Ohio. Upon the organization of the county, in 1817, he was appointed Treasurer, and served as such three years. He followed the business of surveying for some years. His son. James Devor, was born near Maysville, Ky.. while the family were on their way from Pennsylvania, in 1795 ; he learned surveying from his father, and. for a number of years, was County Surveyor. He was the first Auditor of Darke Co.; from May, 1844, to October, 1847, he was County Treasurer, and, for a number of years, he was a Justice of the Peace ; he died October, 1855. His wife. Patience Dean, was a daughter of Aaron Dean, one of the early settlers of the county ; they were married March 1, 1828, and ten children were born to them, of whom the second son is our subject. He received a common-school education, and acquired a knowledge of surveying under his father's instruction; at the age of 19, lie commenced the study of law with the late Hiram Bell, Esq., of Greenville, and was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1852, and at once opened an office in Greenville. In 1855, he was elected County Surveyor, and was re-elected in 1858, serving six years ; from 1854 to 1867, he was a law partner of the late Michael Spayd. of Greenville ; in the fall of that year, he formed a law partnership with Hon. William Allen, which continued eleven years. For four years, he was Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Fourth District of Ohio ; he was also Registrar in Bankruptcy for the same district during the existence of the bankrupt law, which went into effect March. 1867, and terminated September, 1878. July 29, 1856, he married Miss Elizabeth Travis, daughter of John Travis, of Butler Co., Ohio : Mrs. Devor died Oct. 22, 1878. Formerly a Whig, Mr. Devor naturally became a Republican, and, for many years has been Chairman of the Republican Central Committee of Darke Co. * Mr. Devor is eminently social, and is an industrious and energetic business man. He is at present a law partner of M. T. Allen, and the firm is one of the strongest of the Darke Co. bar.

ELM AH DEVOR, attorney at law. Greenville. The subject of this memoir was I torn in Darke Co., Ohio, Oct. 16, 1849, and is a brother of John Devor, whose sketch and portrait both appear in this work. Our subject was the sou of James Devor. one of our early pioneers, and who, as well as the grandfather, are prominently mentioned in the sketch of John Devor. as well as in the historical part of this work. Elijah Devor obtained a common-school education, and, at 19 years of age. commenced the study of law with Allen & Devor: he attended the Cincinnati Law School, at Cincinnati. Ohio, one term, graduated from the same, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1871 ; commenced the practice of law with M. T. Allen, as a partner, in 1872, and continued the same two years ; in 1875, he associated with his present partner, and they have since conducted their business under the firm name of Devor & Bodle. He is, also, Treasurer of the Greenville Gas Co. On the 8th day of October, 1875, he was united in marriage with Emily A. Webb, daughter of H. A. Webb, of Greenville ; they have two sons by this union, viz., Henry Webb Devor and John Devor.

WILLIAM H. DILL, merchant, Justice of the Peace and Postmaster, Pikeville ; another of the old settlers of Darke Co., born in Beamsville, Richland Township, June 8, 1839 ; he was the oldest son of John H. C. Dill, who was born in Germany March 16, 1805 ; he emigrated to America and located in Butler Co., and. about the year 1837, came to Darke Co. and settled in Beamsville, where he lived until 1855 ; he then removed to Dallas and engaged in the grain trade one year, after which he followed farming three or four years ; he then returned to Dallas and engaged in the dry-goods trade for one year, when he came to Pikesville, in the spring of 1862, and engaged in the general merchandise trade and the purchase of grain up to the time of his death, which occurred April 2, 1865. He married Martha C. Seigment, in Ohio, Nov. 17, 1834 ; she was a native of Germany, born Oct. 23, 1815, and died in Darke Co. March 7, 1858 ; they were the parents of eleven children, of whom eight are now living, six in Ohio, one in Indiana and one in Missouri. Our subject resided in Beamsville until 16 years of age, where he received some experience in the mercantile store of his father ; he then assisted his father in farming, in Brown Township, some four years, when he commenced clerking in Dallas, and, the following year, his father located in Dallas, in the merchandise business, and he then assisted his father in his store one year ; in the spring of 1862, he came to Pikeville with his father, and remained with him until the latter's death ; he continued the business two years, and, in 1867, the store and stock were destroyed by fire ; he was then engaged in various pursuits until the spring of 1879, when he engaged in the merchandise trade, which business he now follows. He received the appointment of Postmaster under the administration of Lincoln, in 1862, and was the first Postmaster of the town ; he has also held the office of Justice of the Peace for twelve years in succession. His marriage with Julia A. Reed was celebrated in Darke Co., Ohio, Sept. 8, 1861 ; she was born iu Darke Co. March 28, 1843 ; they have two children - Ida E., born Sept. 3, 1862, and Frank E., April 26, 1874.

JOHN DININGER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 32 ; P. 0. Greenville. The subject of this memoir is justly entitled to the credit of being one of the early settlers of Darke Co.; he was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Nov. 7, 1823, and was the oldest son of Jacob Dininger, who was born in Germany Sept. 26, 1798 ; he emigrated to America when 18 years of age, and located in Montgomery Co., Ohio, and, in 1834, came to Darke Co. with his family, and followed farming in this township until his decease, which occurred June 11, 1875. He married Margaret Swank ; she was born in Montgomery Co. in 1806, and is now living upon the home farm, where she has resided for forty-five years. John Dininger made his home with his parents until 30 years of age ; at the age of 24, he commenced to clear his present place, and has since cleared some sixty-five acres of his home farm, which contains 100 acres, besides upward of one hundred acres in Washington Township, with good farm buildings upon each place. He has taken a* deep interest in the cause of religion, having been a member of the Lutheran Church for upward of twenty years, his wife and son also being members of the same church. His marriage with Catherine R. McClure was celebrated Oct. 1, 1857; she was born in Montgomery Co., Aug. 25, 1834 ; they were the parents of three children - Ira, bom Aug. 31, 1858, died Oct. 8, 1879; John L. and Hattie (twins), born March 31, 1864 ; Hattie died April 2, 1864, and Ira died from quick consumption at the home of his parents, after an illness of one year. Mrs. Dininger was a daughter of George and Maria (Merkles) McClure, who came to Darke Co. in