USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 104
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Mr. Hartman was married in German Township to Barbara Snell, who was born in Clark County, Ohio, a daughter of Daniel Snell, who came to Ohio from Vir- ginia at an early day. Mrs. Hartman died March 22. 1884, aged forty-four years. There were seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hartman, namely: Oscar W., residing at Atchison, Kansas,
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married Clara Kline; Harrison F., died superintendent of the Dupont Cloth Man- aged four years ; Ellen F., married George ufacturing Works. From there he went to Pennsylvania, where he was also en- gaged in a manufacturing business, and he was married in that state to Mary Wil- son. After their marriage they came to Ohio, and settled in Fairfield County. James Partington manufactured blank- ets, carpets and woolens at Knisley's mill in that county. About 1839 he came to Clark County and bought the farm now owned by his son, Charles, acquiring a paper-mill and water-power. This mill he changed into a woolen mill and en- gaged in a manufacturing business quite extensively, giving employment to a num- ber of men. Both he and wife died in advanced age on this farm. They had eight children, namely: James W., Rich- ard, Jane, Eliza, Mary, Martha, John and grandchildren have not survived in- Charles, the latter being now the only survivor. Lavey, residing in Clark County, and they have three children, Harvey, Bessie E. and Dorothy; Ida A., married Jacob Baugh, residing in Champaign County, Ohio, and they have the following chil- dren, Maude, wife of Wiley Gundolf, Jessie, Cecil S., Noah and Nola, twins, and Luther; Peter, died aged six months; Effie M., married David Flory, who farms the homestead, and they have the follow- ing children, Clara M., Emma C., Russell HI., Inez M., Elmer F., Lavina E., Verna E. and Nellie A .; and Elmer C., who is engaged in a mercantile business, mar- ried Crista Bush, and they have had four children, Ludwig, Lucille, Christina and Louise. Mr. Hartman has a fine family of descendants. Several children and fancy, but the larger number have de- veloped into men and women and boys and girls of physical strength and beauty and of mental capacity. Mr. Hartman's family belongs to the German Baptist Church, of the old order. He is one of Pike Township's most respected resi- dents.
CHARLES PARTINGTON, a retired farmer of Mad River Township, who owns eighty acres of valuable land on which he resides, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, July 17, 1836, and is the youngest child of James and Mary (Wil- son) Partington.
James Partington was born in England and came to America in boyhood, accom- panying his parents, who settled at Bran- dywine, Delaware, where he later became
Charles Partington was a child when his parents came to the Mad River Town- ship farm. The mill then stood on the land, but all the surroundings were in a wild state, and even when Charles had grown old enough to be trusted with a gun, squirrels and turkey were yet plan- tiful on the home acres. As he grew to manhood he assisted in clearing the land and also worked in his father's factory. He obtained his education in the log school-house near his home, his teacher being James Hagen. After he had reach- ed manhood he began buying land, and kept on adding to the original tract until he owned 155 acres, seventy-five of which he has recently sold. After a time he opened up a stone quarry on his land, which was worked for a number of years, as long as it was profitable, and he still
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CHARLES PARTINGTON.
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sells sand and gravel, furnishing a great deal of the gravel used in mending the roads in the township. Mr. Partington has always been considered a good busi- ness man. In addition to his other inter- ests he was engaged in dealing in horses, buying and selling for the Dupont Band- ing Company, of Brandywine.
Mr. Partington has never married. He resides in the old comfortable stone house which was built by his father and with him live Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Sparrow and their son, Ralph, the latter of whom now looks after the horse business. In politics Mr. Partington is a Republican. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
GEORGE L. KEDZIE, one of the early settlers of Mad River Township, an es- teemed citizen and prominent agricultur- ist, residing on a fine farm of 207 acres, was born August 5, 1821, and is a son of James and Margaret (Hume) Kedzie. The grandfather, Adam Kedzie, a native of Scotland, brought his family to Amer- ica in 1795, and settled on a farm in Dela- ware County, New York, where he re- mained until his death, some years later.
James Kedzie was one of his family of eight children: George, James, William, Adam, Elizabeth, Janet, Isabella, and Nancy, all now deceased. James Kedzie was married in New York State in 1804, to Margaret Hume, a native of Scotland. She came to America on the same vessel as Mr. Kedzie, accompanying her par- ents, Robert and Allison (Willson) Hume. In 1837 James Kedzie and family re- moved to Ohio and settled in Mad River Township, buying a large tract of tim-
bered land from Henry Bechth, who had entered it from the government. The family lived for a time in a log house which was found on the place, but in 1842 a frame house was erected. Three years later this house burned down. In 1852 the large ten-room brick house in which George L. Kedzie now resides was erected, and here both James Kedzie and his wife died, the former on May 28, 1860, and the latter in 1865. They were the parents of nine children: Adam, deceased; Allison, married Robert Hyde, both deceased; Margaret, married Orrin Penfield, both are deceased; Isabella, deceased; Robert, died while attending college in Now York; John H., deceased, went to Chicago in 1847 and became a large real estate owner, and his widow, Mrs. Mary E. (Kent) Kedzie, still resides there; Eliza- beth, married John Dewey, both are de- ceased; George L., and Jane Ann, who died, aged nine months.
George L. Kedzie was born on his fath- er's farm near Delhi, New York, and at the age of sixteen years came with his parents to Clark County, Ohio, and set- tled on his present farm. The trip from Delhi required about two weeks time, the travelers going first to Utiea, New York. in a lumber wagon, thence to Buffalo by canal, from there to Cleveland, Ohio, by steamboat, then down the canal to Colum- bus, and from there to Clark County in wagons. Mr. Kedzie's education was re- ceived in the common schools previous to coming to Ohio. After reaching Clark County, although only a lad. he began clearing the farm and experienced many of the hardships common to pioneer life. He subsequently purchased the place
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from his father and assumed entire Catherine, William L., Charles, Thornton, charge of the farming and stock-raising, in Mary, Emma, Leonidas Hamlin (subject of this sketch), Edwin DeLashmutt, Fos- ter B., and Elissa J. The six first men- tioned have all passed away, while of the living members of the family Leon H., Edwin D. and Foster B. are residents at South Charleston, Elissa being a resident of Springfield, Ohio. which he has always been very successful. Mr. Kedzie is a stockholder in the Mad River Bank, the First National Bank and in the Lagonda Bank, of which he was one of the organizers. He is a Republican in politics. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder.
LEON H. HOUSTON, who has the repu- tation of being one of the shrewdest and most capable and successful business man of Central Ohio, as a merchant, banker and farmer, was born in South Charles- ton, Clark County, Ohio, March 1, 1842, a son of Thomas F. Houston. His paternal grandparents, Joseph Houston, and his wife, Nancy (Fisher), were among the early settlers of Clark County. They were born and married in Sussex County, in the State of Delaware, lived a short time in Kentucky, and came to Ohio in 1812, settling about three miles northeast of Springfield, near what is now Lagonda.
There was a large family of children who married and had homes in Clark and adjoining counties of Ohio and other states. Thomas Fisher Houston was the youngest son of Joseph and Nancy Hons- ton, and was born October 7, 1818, in their pioneer home. He was married to Ra- chael A. DeLashmutt, December 25, 1839, in South Charleston, where they lived many years, and after five years spent on their farm in Pleasant Township, Clark County, they moved to Springfield, and in their East High Street home Thomas Houston died June 28, 1874, and his wife, Rachel, died November 8, 1886. Their family consisted of ten children, namely :
Leon H. Houston was their eldest son. Edwin D. Houston was their fourth son, and was married to Ethel A. Jones Feb- ruary 22, 1905. Foster B. Houston was their youngest son, and was married to Ida Rose Arbogast June 24, 1890, in Springfield, where he had lived until he was twenty years old. They have a son, Roger, and daughter, Rachel.
William Laws Houston was their sec- ond son, and was one of the progressive farmers of Clark County. He died in London, Madison County, leaving a wife, two sons and a daughter.
These Houstons are lineal descendants of Robert Houston, of Sussex County, Delaware, who was a recognized patriot and rendered material aid to the cause of independence during the Revolution- ary War, and also of Robert R. Houston, of near Paisley, Scotland, whose name is found on the land register of Virginia and Maryland as early as 1664. He died at Pokomoke City, Maryland, in Decem- ber, 1692. The parish, castle, and town of Houston, in Scotland, near Glasgow, are objects of present interest.
On April 1, 1859, Leon H. Houston commenced his business career with the firm of Houston & Brother, composed of Henry Clay Houston and John R. Hons- ton, at a salary of $50.00 per year and board for the first year. He continued as
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a clerk until January 1, 1863, when he make a specialty of loaning money on was admitted as a partner into the firm farm mortgages., of Houston & Company, composed of H. Mr. Leon H. Houston has been several times elected to the village council, and has taken much interest in beautifying the village of South Charleston. He was in- strumental in the construction of the mod- ern cement sidewalks and macadamized streets, which are known to be the best of any village in the state. He served with credit as county commissioner from 1878 to 1881; was a member of the State Board of Equalization in 1890 and 1891, and was accredited with accomplishing great good for the farming and other in- terests of the state. C. Houston, J. R. Houston, and Leon H. Houston, which partnership lasted until January 1, 1867. John R. and Henry C. Houston then retired and the firm of Houston & Murray was organized and continued until January 1, 1875, with Leon H. Houston and Peter Murray as partners, when Peter Murray retired, and the firm of Houston & Brother was or- ganized by Leon H. Houston and Edwin D. Houston. This firm continued until January 1, 1893, when Foster B. Houston was admitted under the firm name of Houston Brothers, this co-partnership Leon H. Houston owns over 4,000 acres and Edwin D. Houston over 1,500 acres of the best farming lands in Madison, Clark, and Green Counties. continuing up to January 1, 1904, when the business was incorporated under the name of The Houston Company, with Ed- win D. Houston as president, Foster B. Their Woodlawn Farm, about seven miles north of London, in Madison County, is known as the best farm in the State. They also own large tracts of tim- ber land in Mississippi. Houston, vice president, and Leon H. Houston, secretary. The business con- ducted from the beginning was the selling of general merchandise to farmers and others, and the operation of grain eleva- tors, lumber and coal yards, including also extensive dealings in wool.
Mr. Leon H. Houston has been actively engaged in the said general business from April, 1859, to the present time. In 1892 the Citizens' Bank, of South Charleston, Ohio, was organized, Leon H. Houston and Edwin D. Houston owning more than three-fourths of the institution, Leon H. 'Houston acting as president, Edwin D. Houston as vice president, and William A. Malshary, cashier. This is regarded as the strongest bank in Clark County, as it is a co-partnership, and all the prop- erty of each and every co-partner is bound for the liabilities of the bank. They
To operate these farm lands there has been recently organized The Houston Farm Company, with a capital stock of $100,000.00-Leon H. Houston, Edwin D. Houston, Foster B. Houston, Elissa J. Houston and Howard Yeazell being own- ers and directors of said farm company.
Leon H. Houston has been quite an ex- tensive traveler between this country and Europe, having crossed the Atlantic twelve times, and profited much by his observations in this and foreign coun- tries. Edwin D. Houston has made two trips around the world and one to South America.
The subject of this sketch has a pala- tial residence in South Charleston, of
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which place he is one of the foremost and respected citizens, and is known for his liberality and helpfulness to all worthy causes, and has contributed largely to the benefit and welfare of the community by aiding private and public interests.
WALTER S. MICHAEL is a well known citizen and successful farmer and stock- raiser, residing on his valuable farm of eighty acres, which is situated on the Flick Turnpike Road, eight miles north; west of Springfield, and two miles west of Lawrenceville, in German Township. Mr. Michael was born in German Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, January 14, 1872, and is a son of Alexander and Re- becca (Overholser) Michael.
Alexander Michael was also born in Clark County, where his father, David Michael, settled at an early day, and owned the farm adjoining the one now owned by his grandson. Alexander Michael was married twice and had twelve children. Walter S. Michael has two surviving brothers, D. I. and John, both residing at Springfield. He lost his mother when a babe only eleven days old and he was reared by Peter J. Hause and wife, who had no chil- dren of their own and who gave their adopted son a chance to obtain a good, common school education. Mr. Michael loved them as his parents, as he now reveres their memory; in every way he was a son to them and from them inherit- In 1836, when Isaac Kay was a boy of nine years, his parents left the old fam- ily home in Pennsylvania and journeyed over the mountains in the primitive man- ner of the time and established a new ed his present farm. Peter J. Hause died in 1895 and his widow in 1899. After his marriage Mr. Michael remained for one year on the farm and then moved to Herbst, Grant County, Indiana, where he home in Ohio. Other members of the
worked for two years in a tile factory, after which he returned to the farm. He carries on general farming, raises excel- lent stock and keeps eight cows, shipping his milk to his brother, John Michael, who is a milk dealer at Springfield. Mr. Michael married Maggie Rust, who is a daughter of Henry and Drusilla (Cost) Rust, farmers, of German Township. They have two children-Ernest Leroy and Glendon Ray. Mr. Michael is a mem- ber of the Junior Order of American Me- chanics, at Northampton.
ISAAC KAY, M. D., whose long and uninterrupted career as a physician and surgeon at Springfield has made him the oldest resident medical man in this city, has also brought him the esteem and con- fidence of his fellow-citizens, as well as deserved honors and fitting emolument in his profession. Dr. Kay was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, not far distant from the beautiful city of Cham- bersburg, December 8, 1828. He is a son of William and Susanna (Unger) Kay, a grandson of John Kay and a great-grand- son of John Kay, who, at the date of the Revolutionary War, was already a man of business enterprise in the city of Phila- delphia. It is not difficult to trace the family still farther back, even in the days when its early settlers accompanied Will- iam Penn to Pennsylvania and assisted him in his civilizing efforts.
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family took up the burden of clearing the land and developing a farm in the wilder- ness, but from early youth Isaac had made up his mind to be a physician. Through many obstacles he pushed his way and in 1849 he secured his diploma from Starling Medical College, at Colum- bus. On May 18, 1853, he came to Spring- field, having already had four years of medical experience at Lewisburg, Ohio, and with the growth and progress of this city, for a half century, he has been in- dissolubly connected. One of his early and continued interests has been the spread of medical knowledge within his own profession, and early and late he has worked to establish organizations of this character and to make them fulfil their mission. Almost since its inception he has been an active member of the Clark County Medical Society, in which he has frequently held official position, and for many years his name has been one of those most honored in the Ohio State Medical Association. Colleges and con- ventions, associations and societies have conferred degrees upon him for valuable services rendered, all feeling that they have profited from his scientific re- searches, his valuable literary contribu- tions and his enlightening lectures on subjects of the gravest importance.
Dr. Kay was married November 4, 1852, to Clara M. Deckert, of Miamisburg, Ohio. They have two sons, Charles S. and Clarence H. During almost the en- tire period of his mature life he has been an active member of the Baptist Church. Politically he is a Republican, always earnest in his efforts to encourage good government, but never descending to the methods of mere party politicians. His prominent families.
connection with the Masonic fraternity dates back to 1850 and he has felt it to be one of his great privileges to live up to the demands and aims of this brother- hood.
MILTON J. BAIRD, a representative farmer and well known citizen of Pleas- ant Township, residing on his valuable farm of seventy acres, which is situated on the Columbus Road, was born in Clark County, Ohio, November 27, 1870, and is a son of William J. and Nancy J. (Kim- ble) Baird.
His grandparents on the paternal side were residents in 1794 of Pennsylvania, whence they migrated to Kentucky, com- ing from the latter state to Clark Conn- ty, Ohio, in 1808 and settling in Harmony Township. William Baird, the great- grandfather, had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War, fighting for Ameri- can independence. At one time he was placed as a guard over certain Hessian prisoners, and accidentally overhearing several of them express sentiments favor- able to America, and declare that they would never return to Germany, but would, if they could escape, become citi- zens of the new republic against which they had been hired to fight, he purposely relaxed his vigilance, with the result that they got away, and, it is to be presumed, fulfilled their intentions, to the benefit of the land of their adoption. The family tradition is that the Bairds originated in Scotland, were driven to Ireland by re- ligious persecution and subsequently came to America. In Kentucky they intermar- ried with the Breckenridges and other
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Mr. Baird's grandparents, Peter C. and Frances (Wilson) Baird, were born, re- spectively, in Kentucky and North Car- olina. They resided in Harmony Town- ship, Clark County until their death, about 1872. Peter C. Baird came to Clark County in 1808. His ten children bore the following names, respectively: William .J., Clara J., Willis, Caroline, Susan, Lewis E., John, Robert, Dorothy and Mary Ann.
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William J. Baird father of Milton .J., was born March 27, 1826, in Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, and was married twice, first to Frances Hayward. Three children were born to that marriage: John, who mar- ried Susan Slagle, resides at Springfield, and they have two children, Lewis and George; Margaret F., who married George Eberhart, residing in Clark Coun- ty; and Lewis R., who resides in Kansas, married Lena Perro, and they have five children. February 19, 1867, William J. Baird was married (secondly) to Nancy J. Kimble, and the following children were born to them: Clara E., born in 1868, married Frank Jones, and they re- side in Clark County and have had four children: Milton J .; Nellie, born Novem- ber 2, 1872, married Clark Jones; Eva, born November 2, 1875, resides at Vienna Cross Roads; and Laura, born November 14, 1877, married Minor Slagle and they have two children. William J. Baird died February 20, 1907. His widow sur- vives.
Milton J. Baird was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools. His main occupation has been farming. In 1902 he purchased his present proper- ty from Andrew Goodfellow, and has been engaged in improving it ever since.
On December 26, 1900, Milton J. Baird was married to Floy Neer, a daughter of Nathan O. and Millie (Comstock) Neer. The father of Mrs. Baird was born Janu- ary 8, 1850, and in 1875 he married Millie Comstock, who was born November 8, 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Neer had the follow- ing children: Floy. wife of Milton J. Baird, was born October 24, 1876; Anna B., born July 18, 1879, married Eugene Grubb, and they have two children, Evlyn and Mildred; Benjamin, born Oc- tober 31, 1882; Laura, born May 20, 1887; Ruth, born April 13, 1894; Mahlon, born April 20, 1898; and Clark, who was born March 16, 1885, died in the same year. Mr. and Mrs. Neer still survive.
Mr. and Mrs. Baird have four children, namely: Herbert, who was born January 8, 1902; Roland, who was born July 11, 1903; Howard, who was born September 14, 1905; and Florence, who was born March 26, 1907.
Mr. Baird takes a good citizen's inter- est in township affairs and gives liberal assistance to many public-spirited enter- prises. In politics he is a Republican. He is a valued member of the township school board.
LEVI KAUFFMAN, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits on a well im- proved farm of 166 acres, located about twelve miles west of Springfield, on the north side of the Valley Pike, was born September 3, 1833, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Christian and Anna (Erb) Kauffman.
The Kauffman family is of German ex- traction, the great-grandfather having come from Germany in 1717. He settled
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near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the ceased; Christian; John; Elizabeth, de- family later became very prominent. ceased wife of H. Huber; Mary, wife of Benjamin Kneisley, both deceased; Levi; Benjamin, deceased; Reuben, deceased; Anna, widow of Samuel Musselman; Henry; Sarah, wife of J. H. Mouk; and Abraham. Christian Kauffman, grandfather, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming all his life and acquired a full section of land. He mar- ried Anna Miller, also a native of Lancas- ter County, and they became the parents of three sons and three daughters.
Christian Kauffman, father of Levi, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania, and became both a farmer and miller. For many years he operated a water-power grist mill. He was married to Anna Erb, a daughter of JJacob Erb, of German extraction, and a native of Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania. In 1840, Christian Kauffman and family moved to Ohio, making the trip, which required three weeks, in wagons. They passed through Springfield, then a small village, and located in Bethel Township, Clark County, on the farm which is now partly owned by Levi Kauffman, purchasing 500 acres of timberland from Samuel Bur- nett. The family began life here in a small cabin, which was standing, later building a brick house, which was one of the first erected in this section, and was made of bricks of their own manufactur- ing. Mr. Kauffman engaged in farming here the remainder of his life, and he also operated a water-power sawmill, which he sold shortly before his death, which oc- curred in 1870, when aged seventy-one years. His widow survived him a nuin- ber of years, her death occurring when past seventy years of age. Thirteen chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kauff- man, all of whom but the four youngest, were born in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania: Emannel, deceased; Jacob, de-
Levi Kauffman was a small child when his parents moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, where the greater part of his boy- hood days were spent in assisting his father in clearing and placing the farm in a tillable condition. His education was such as could be obtained in the district schools at that time, which were of the pioneer type, with slab benches, and these he only attended about four months dur- ing the winters, when his services could best be spared. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Kauffman enlisted in the army, serving under Captain Mckinney, in Company E, One Hundred and Fifty- third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and participated in several important skirmishes. Mr. Kauffman remained at home engaged in farming until his mar- riage. In 1870 he purchased his farm from the Kauffman estate, where he has since been engaged in general farming and has added many improvements to his place.
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