USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 103
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the only member of that political party to serve three terms in that office. Mr. Vollmer would make a good public official nnder any party's wing and at present he is identified with the Prohibition party. He has served also as a school director and has been liberal in his contributions to public-spirited enterprises in his sec- tion.
In 1870 Mr. Vollmer was married to Olive (Laybourn) Stevens, who was the widow of Henry Stevens and a daughter of Joseph and Anna (Kirkley) Laybourn. Mrs. Stevens had one daughter, Hattie, who was born in 1864. She married Frank Mark and they have one son, Maurice. Mr. and Mrs. Vollmer have had four children: George, Charles, John and Daisy. The eldest son, George, was born in 1872, was well educated and now occupies the responsible position of cash- ier of the Germania Bank, at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Charles, the second son, was born in 1874 and died in 1894. This bril- liant young man was a student at Witten- berg College, at Springfield, and was pre- paring for the medical profession. John, the third son, was born in 1878, married Lida Baird, and they have two children, Paul and John H. Daisy, who was born in 1879, remains at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Volhner are members of the Methodist Protestant Church, of which he is one of the trustees.
Christian Laybourn, the great-grand- father of Mrs. Vollmer, was born in Eng- land in 1745. He was there married in 1777 to Margaret Newlove, who was born in 1758. They came to the United States in 1794, bringing with them six children. They remained in New York state for a period of eighteen years, during which
time he served as mayor of New York city two years. In 1812 they came to Ohio and settled in Harmony Township. He died in 1842 on the farm now owned by his son Amos and grandson Joseph Laybourn, the father of Mrs. Vollmer. Joseph Laybourn continued to reside on the old home place until his death, which occurred in January, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Laybourn had seven children, five of whom are still living, Mrs. Vollmer being the second in order of birth.
JOSEPH D. TROUT, a prominent farmer of Harmony Township, residing on his fine farm of ninety acres, was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, December 1, 1855, a son of Philip and Sarah (Baker) Trout. His parents were natives of Virginia and Maryland respec- tively. Philip Trout came to Clark Coun- ty with his father, David Trout, when a child. Here he met Sarah Baker and they were married in 1839. They settled on a farm in German Township and there they lived and died. Philip Trout was a Demo- crat. Religiously, he and his wife were Methodists, while his father David was a Dunkard and was a preacher of that faith. Philip Tront and his wife had fonr- teen children, of whom nine are still liv- ing. They are: Mary (Conard), residing in Springfield, Ohio; Lydia (Huffman), residing in Iowa; Rev. Philip, a Meth- odist Episcopal minister of Waynesville, Ohio; John F., of Springfield Township; Joseph D., subject of this sketch; Cassie (Bevitt), residing in Springfield; Carrie (Callison), whose husband is a farmer of Pike Township; Stephen A., a farmer of German Township; and Jacob B., also a
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MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH D. TROUT AND FAMILY
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farmer of German Township. Those de- ceased are: William Edward, Eliza, Sarah and an infant daughter. Philip Trout, the father, died at the age of eighty-four years. Mrs. Trout died at the age of seventy.
Joseph D. Trout received his education in the local schools and was graduated from the German Township High School in the class of 1877. He taught school for eight years, since which time he has been engaged in farming.
In 1878 Mr. Trout was married to Em- ma E. Stephenson, a native of German Township and daughter of James and Sa- bina (Overpeck) Stephenson, both of whom were natives of Clark County. Mr. Stephenson, who was a farmer and stock dealer of German Township, was born September 23, 1824. His wife was born September 12, 1823, and they were mar- ried in 1847. They had eleven children, of whom six survive, namely: Harvey, William, Nancy (Bowers), Mary (Nis- sley), Emma E., and Sallie (Hartman).
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph D. Trout have had a family of ten children, of whom nine now survive, namely: Orval, who mar- ried Laura Cotrel, lives in Springfield, and has one daughter, Dorothy; Maud, who is the wife of Albert Frantz, of Royal Center, Indiana; and has three children -Roger, Russell, and Irma; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Clarence Heath, of Day- ton, Ohio, and the mother of two chil- dren-Sherman and Alta; Daisy, who is the wife of Crawford Minter of Dayton, and has one son, Ronald; the others being, Elza, Jessie, Harvey, Russell and Loyd. The one deceased was Roger, who died at the age of nine months. The children who are single are all at home.
Mr. Trout is a Prohibitionist in politics. Religiously, he'is a Methodist and is a local preacher in the Methodist Church, having supplied the pulpit at Vienna Cross Roads, Ohio, for two years.
CHARLES F. WISE, a prominent citi- zen of Green Township and a prosperous farmer, residing on a quarter section of land lying about ten miles southeast of the city of Springfield, Ohio, was born in Springfield Township, and is a son of Lewis and Melinda (Hatfield) Wise.
Lewis Wise was born near South Charleston, in Clark County, in 1829, and died in February, 1906. He was a son of Jesse Wise, who came from Virginia about one hundred years ago and located near South Charleston. He followed farming all his life and died near Sehna at the age of sixty-eight years. He first married a Miss Strong, and of their three children, one was Lewis, the father of Charles F. His second union with Muriel Hann resulted in the birth of six children. Lewis Wise lived under the parental roof until he was married, at the age of twenty- six years, then moved on the Hatfield farm, in Springfield Township, where Charles F. Wise was born. Lewis Wise followed farming through his active years. He married Melinda H. Hatfield, a dangh- ter of James Hatfield, an early resident of Clark County, whose family came orig- inally from Wales. They settled first in Pennsylvania, then went to Virginia, and then to Kentucky, later coming to Ohio. Six children blessed this union, three of whom are now living.
Charles F. Wise was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools
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during his early days. He remained with his parents until his marriage, then set up housekeeping in Harmony Township, where he carried on farming about one year, returning then to the old home place. After conducting this farm for one year he purchased his present property, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres situated in Green Township. He follows general farming and stockraising and success has attended his efforts.
Mr. Wise was joined in the holy bonds of wedlock with Miss Minnie A. Schicke- dantz, a native of Clark County, and a daughter of Christopher Schickedantz, who was a farmer and stock dealer near South Charleston. They have three sons : Blaine C., Clarence L. and Jesse C. Po- litically, Mr. Wise is a Republican and is now serving his township most efficiently in the capacity of township trustee. He is also a member of the School Board, having been appointed to serve out an un- expired term. He belongs to the Patrons of Husbandry. With his family, he is con- nected with the Baptist Church.
JOHN M. MILLER, who resides in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio, is a successful business man, who in addition to farming maintains stall No. 42 in the Springfield market. He has a fruit farm of thirty-three acres in Spring- field Township, on which he has 600 bear- ing cherry trees, besides a large number of apple, peach and plum trees. During the winter he butchers and dresses poul- try for the market. He also rents and farms the Bitner place of 100 acres in Springfield Township. Mr. Miller was born on his father's farm in Franklin
county, Pennsylvania, September 11, 1861, and is a son of Emanuel and Anna (Ken- dig) Miller, and grandson of Emanuel Miller.
Emanuel Miller, father of John M., was one of ten children and was born on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. At the age of eighteen years he came west to Ohio with a party of men on horseback, Clark County being at that time largely forest land, but he soon returned to Penn- sylvania, and followed farming in Frank- lin County until his death in June, 1890, when aged seventy-two years. He mar- ried Anna Kendig, who was born in Penn- sylvania and is now living there with her oldest son, at the advanced age of eighty years. They had fourteen children, ten of whom grew np, as follows: Jacob K .; Melinda, wife of H. Frantz; Jerry, who died at the age of thirty-four years; Bar- bara, wife of John C. Miller; Abraham; Benjamin F .; John M .; Susan E., wife of George Geltzinger; Martin R .; and Harry.
John M. Miller was reared on the home farm and attended the common schools. When nineteen years old he began learn- ing the trade of a machinist, and for three and a half years was in the employ of Frick & Co. in their engine and boiler works at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. He subsequently followed the trade of a tool maker. In 1886 he came to Springfield, Ohio, and worked for the William N. Whiteley Company continuously until 1890, except for a short time spent at Dayton, Ohio, and from 1890 until 1892, for the Rogers Tron Company, now the William Bailey Co., of Springfield. In 1887 he purchased ten acres of land in Springfield Township, from Henry
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Frantz, upon which he moved on March 1, 1888, removing from there to his pres- ent location in October, 1899, having pur- chased this place in the fall of the same year. He was always considered a skilled machinist and has also been successful in agricultural work and his business under- takings.
Mr. Miller was married December 5, 1886, to Anna L. Bair, who was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Daniel H. and Barbara (Weber) Bair, the latter of whom died after the birth of the following children: Benjamin W., Mary, Anna L., Martha, and Elizabeth. The father of Mrs. Miller formed a second marriage with Clara A. Resh, by whom he has a son, Daniel I. Mr. Bair is living at the age of seventy- two years. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are par- ents of five children, namely: Arthur R., Mary A., Harvey D., Harrold L., and Oscar B. The family belong to the Men- nonite Church.
DANIEL KIBLINGER, a substantial farmer and highly respected citizen of German Township, residing on a fine farm of 145 acres, situated just north of Law- renceville on the Ballentine Road, was born September 25, 1838, in Pike Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Jacob M. and Elizabeth (Penee) Kiblin- ger.
Jacob M. Kiblinger was a son of Daniel Kiblinger, who, with his wife and family, came from the Shenandoah Valley, Vir- ginia, to Clark County, Ohio, at a very early period and bought farms in German and Pike Townships, but settled on the land in German Township on the Mad
River. Daniel at one time owned three farms, and gave the one in Pike Township to his son, Jacob M., the father of our sub- ject. Jacob died on our subject's farm in 1897 at the age of eighty-three years, and was survived by his widow until 1904, when in her eighty-fifth year, she died.
Daniel Kiblinger was reared in Pike Township, and in 1855 came to his present farm with his parents and has been a resi- dent of German Township ever since. Mr. Kiblinger has made many improvements on the farm, including the erection of a fine brick residence. He was married in February, 1868, to Elizabeth Littrell, who is still living, and who is a daughter of Henry Littrell. They have had five chil- dren, as follows: Amy, who married Wil- liam Michael and has one child; Clara, who married Elmer Overholser, and has two children; Scott, who is married to Blanche Greist, and has four children; Nettie, who lives at home; and Mary, who died at the age of fourteen months. Mr. Kiblinger is a member and an elder of the Reformed Church of Lawrenceville.
THOMAS EDWARD HARWOOD, who was prominently identified with the printing and publishing business at Springfield for forty years, was born May 26, 1846, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and died February 13, 1906, after a short illness, at the home of his son, Frank C., who is president of the Gazette Publishing Com- pany, of this city. Mr. Harwood was of Virginia ancestry, a son of Francis Lee and Mary (Coffman) Harwood.
In boyhood Mr. Harwood learned the printer's trade at Newark, Ohio, and after working as a journeyman, came to
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Springfield in 1865. Thoroughly under- standing all the practical details of the making of a newspaper, he soon displayed also a facility in editorial work, and in the course of time became city editor of the "Weekly Gazette," a journal he bought in 1873 and continued to issue weekly until 1876, when he founded the Daily Gazette. Later he admitted his son, Frank C., to partnership, and in 1898, when the business was incorporated, Mr. Harwood became president, and the name of the T. E. Harwood Printing and Pub- lishing Company was assumed. Later the name was changed to the Gazette Publish- ing Company. This enterprise was suc- cessfully conducted until the death of Mr. Harwood, when his son succeeded to the presidency, continuing the policy of the old organization. The Gazette is the leading Republican organ of this section of the State. Mr. Harwood was a man of recognized ability, public spirited to a large degree, and with disinterestedness fostered many of the city's useful enter- prises. For a number of years he re- sided in a beautiful home on South Foun- tain Avenue.
At Springfield, October 19, 1868, Mr. Harwood was married to Anna M. Hart- stone, and they had ten children, the fol- lowing of whom survive: Frank C., re- siding at No. 1054 East High Street, who is president of the Gazette Publishing Company; Frederick H., who was an offi- cer of the Tenth Regiment, Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, during the Spanish-Ameri- can War, and served also for two years in the Philippines as sergeant-major of the Thirty-first Regiment; Lee Edward, Charles A., who resides at Birmingham, Alabama; Ralph C., who lives at Cleve- and was frequently elected to responsible
land; Kenneth S., who resides at Bir- mingham, Alabama; Jessie Manton, who married John L. Bushnell, of Springfield; and Nannie L. Carter, residing at Cleve- land .
HOWARD SULTZBACH, a leading citizen of Moorefield Township, part owner of 200 acres of very valuable land which is situated in Section 32, on the Urbana Turnpike Road, about three miles from the center of Springfield, was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, March 20, 1856. He is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Longenecker) Sultzbach.
Both parents of Mr. Sultzbach .were born in Pennsylvania, the father in York County, and the mother in Lancaster County, both stanch old German strong- holds. After their marriage they lived for some years on a farm of 100 acres near the town of Hellam, York County, and on that farm thirteen of their four- teen children were born. In 1855 Joseph Sultzbach brought his family to German Township, Clark County, Ohio. He had sold the York County farm and for the first year in the new locality he rented land and then purchased 346 acres of land in Clark County, sixteen of which were in German Township. The former owner was John Grube, and he had built a large brick house, so that there was a com- fortable home on the new farm. Joseph Sultzbach prospered and in 1860 he built what is still one of the largest barns in Clark County, its dimensions being 112 feet in length by 50 feet in width. He was an intelligent, reliable man and soon became a leader among his fellow citizens
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offices, serving both as trustee of German Township and of Moorefield Township, and also as county commissioner of Clark County. After a life of usefulness he died, in 1886. His widow survived until 1892.
The children born to Joseph Sultzbach and wife were the following: Henry, who lives in Harvey County, Kansas; Eliza- beth, who resides on the home farm; Frank, who lives in Mad River Town- ship; Joseph, who is engaged in farming in Bethel Township; John, who lives in Mad River Township; Catherine, who is the widow of J. J. McLean, formerly a grocer at Springfield, resides with her brother, Howard; Amanda, residing at Seattle, Washington, married Mark Wood; Hyman, who resides at DuBois, Iowa; Webster, who died in 1907, was a resident of Harmony Township; Bayard, who is deceased; Calvin, who was acci- dentally killed at Detroit, Michigan; George, who resides on a farm in Moore- field Township; Anna, who married John Humbarger, residing in Mad River Township; and Howard, the latter being the only member of the family born in Ohic.
Howard Sultzbach was one year old when his parents settled on the present farm, which is jointly the property of himself and his two sisters, Mrs. Cath- erine McLean and Miss Elizabeth Sultz- bach. Two railroads run through this farm, the Erie and Big Four and the Ur- bana Traction. Mr. Sultzbach manages the farm, carrying on general farming, stock-raising and dairying. He has never married. His sister, Mrs. McLean. at- tends to his domestic affairs and makes his home comfortable. She has one
daughter, Bessie, who married J. J. Cromwell. Like his late father, Howard Sultzbach is a stanch Republican. He takes a good citizen's interest in public affairs, but has never sought office, his preference being for the quiet, enjoyable life of an independent farmer.
JOHN TEMPLETON STEWART. It is deemed fitting and proper to give rep- resentation in this work to one who, though long deceased, left an impress on the affairs of Clark County which more than half a century of time has not effaced. A pioneer, coming in 1805, prior to the organization of Clark County, Mr. Stewart took an important part in the work of development, improvement and progress in this part of the state, both in private and official capacity. Aside from this, he gave to the community a large family of children, who became influential and of large affairs and have done much as individuals, some of them as public of- ficers, to add materially to the welfare and prosperity of Clark County.
.John Templeton Stewart (1) was born in Hanover Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in 1781, and was a son of Samuel, Jr., and Nancy (Templeton) Stewart. He came of a prominent old colonial family in this country and traced his ancestry in Scotland back to Jolin Stewart, a Scotch Covenanter of the sev- enteenth century, who fled from Scotland to County Down, in the North of Ireland, at the time when Charles II. of England was trying to force Episcopaey upon the Scottishi nation, some time between the years 1660 and 1685. Of this early an- cestor we have record of but one son,
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Robert Stewart, who was born near Glas- gow, Scotland, in 1665. The latter did not go to the Emerald Isle until the death of his father in 1720, then located in Dru- more Township. County Down, where he died ten years later.
Samuel Stewart, Sr., a son of Robert, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1698, and in 1720 emigrated to North of Ire- land with his father. In 1735, with his only brother, Hugh, he came to America, and after landing in Philadelphia, went to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1770. He married Mary McClay, and one of their ten children was Samuel, Jr.
Samuel Stewart, Jr., was born in Coun- ty Down, Ireland, and came with his par- ents to America. He was reared in Lan- caster County, where, about the year 1750, he settled on a farm of 100 acres in Han- over Township, for which he held a war- rant dated May 17, 1754. He served as a private in a battalion commanded by Colonel Tim Greene in the defense of the frontier, and in 1776 he became a member of the company commanded by Captain James Rogers of Lancaster, fighting for American Independence. He moved to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and in 1785 served on the first grand jury of that county. He first married Nancy Temple- ton, a daughter of Robert and Agnes Tem- pleton, and after her death married Agnes Calhoun, a danghter of William and Hannah Calhonn. He died Septem- ber 16, 1803, and was buried in Hanover Cemetery.
John Templeton Stewart lived in his native county until 1805, when, with an older brother, Samuel E., he came west to what is now Clark County, Ohio, then a
part of Greene County, settling on the bank of the Little Miami River. In 1813 he was elected justice of the peace, serv- ing continuously until 1838. He was the first clerk of Green Township, and served from 1837 until 1840 as associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In com- pany with his brother he purchased about 500 acres in Section 15, Green Township, erected a log cabin and set about clearing the land and converting it from its wild state to one of cultivation. There he lived and prospered, adding largely to his landed interests. His death on April 16, 1850, was mourned as a sad loss to the en- tire community.
Mr. Stewart was married March 2, 1815, to Miss Ann Elder, who was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in May, 1798, and was a daughter of Robert and Ann Elder, hier people moving to Ohio in 1812. This union resulted in the birth of ten children, eight sons and one daughter growing to maturity, as follows: Juliana, wife of David Anderson, died in 1901, at the age of eighty-six years; Perry, a rec- ord of whom may be found in the sketch of David Wilmot Stewart; Elder Robert. a resident of Springfield; Samnel, who died near Kenton, Hardin County ; Charles, a resident of Springfield, died October 26, 1902; Hon. James M., of Xenia, Ohio; Thomas, a resident of Green Township; Oscar N., a resident of Harmony Township; and William C., a resident of Green Township.
JOSEPH F. CRABILL, general farm- er and stock-raiser, of Springfield Town- ship, residing on a highly cultivated farm of 253 acres, part of which is the old
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Crabill homestead, was born on this farm February 1, 1859, and is a son of Thomas V. and Sidney (Yeazell) Crabill. He is the youngest of a family of fourteen chil- . dren and has always lived on his present farm, engaged in agricultural pursuits. His education was obtained in the district schools of the township. Mr. Crabill is one of the most successful farmers of the township, and is extensively engaged in stock-raising, making a specialty of cat- tle, horses and sheep. With the excep- tion of twenty acres of timberland, the entire farm is under cultivation and in pasture, and is well equipped with com- modious and substantial buildings.
Mr. Crabill has been twice married, first to Minnie J. Smith, a daughter of Andrew J. Smith. She died September 27, 1897, leaving two children-Glenna L., a graduate of the Springfield High School, who also took a Normal course at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and now teaches at Benson's School, Springfield Township, and Robert E., who lives at home. Mr. Crabill was married secondly to Mrs. Flora .J. (Jones) Lawrence, ,a widow, from Detroit, Michigan. She has one daughter by her first marriage, name- ly, Helen E.
GIDEON HARTMAN, a leading citizen of Pike Township, where he owns a valu- able farin of 113 acres, was born March 6, 1832, on his father's farm in York County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Peter and Hannah (Myers) Hartman.
The parents of Mr. Hartman sold their farm in York County in the spring of 1837 and came to Ohio by wagon, stop- ping for one month at Springfield on the
way to German Township, where they bought the farm on which they both died. Peter Hartman died in 1872, aged seven- ty-seven years. His widow survived un- til 1889, dying in her eighty-seventh year. They were members of the German Re- formed Church. Their four children were: Maria, who married Eli Keiser; and Amos, Gideon and Lewis M., the lat- ter of whom was born after the family settled in Ohio.
Gideon Hartman was five years old when his parents took up their residence in German Township and he can remem- ber many of the incidents of their early settlement there. He assisted his father in clearing up the land and after the death of the father he came into possession of a part of the home farm, to which he added until he owned 158 acres. This property he sold to Americus James in 1891. In January, 1883, he bought his present farm in Pike Township and moved on it in the following March, and here he has been actively engaged in a general farm- ing line until recently, when he retired. In 1897 the residence was destroyed by fire, but Mr. Hartman soon built a larger and more substantial one. In addition to farming Mr. Hartman also conducted a dairy and for nine years sold milk in Springfield, his largest customer being the old St. James Hotel.
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