20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 73

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 73

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

SETH W. SMITH. Among the men who have helped lay broad and deep the prosperity of the community in which he lives is the subject of this review, who was born on the farm where he now lives. January 24, 1843. His parents were

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Seth and Deborah (Wildman) Smith. from his ancestor, the great-great-grand- His father was born in Eastern Tennes- sce, where they were temporary sojourn- ers, as the grandfather, Seth Smith, was born in Pennsylvania, and had gone thence to Virginia Having lived fourteen years in Tennessee, they removed in 1800 to Highland County, Ohio, and in 1811 set- tled upon the farm where Seth W. Smith now resides. At this early day the grand- parents were among the first pioneer set- tlers of this part of Ohio, and the country was in an undeveloped state. The ex- periences which they encountered were varied and interesting. Indians were plentiful, but were peaceably inclined.

The grandfather purchased the Fitz- hugh survey, which was supposed to comprise 1,000 acres, but proved to con- tain 1,120 acres. On the land was a primeval log honse, which they occupied until 1817, when they manufactured brick on the farm and constructed a substantial two-story brick honse, which stood for many years, or until 1899, when the suh- jeet of this record had it torn down and erected his present commodious and mod- ern residence. The grandfather resided in his home in Clark County, until he was an old man, honored and respected by all who knew him. He had come to Ohio when it was but a territory, landing at Paint Falls, Ross County, to which his elder brother. Jacob, had come in 1796. Of the brothers left in Tennessee, some of their descendants removed to Ver- milion County, Illinois, whence some members of the family removed to Ore- gon. In the pioneer spirit which caused the grandfather to seek a home amid the wild scenes of Ohio, may be traced with interest those sturdy qualities inherited

father of the subject of this review, who was born in England about 1680 and was one of those who, actuated by their Chris- tian faith, became a follower of William Penn, and with him, accompanied by two other brothers, came to America. One of the brothers settled in New York, or one of the New England states, and one in the Carolinas. There has been no reliable ac- count of the descendants. One son, the great-grandfather, Joseph Smith, was born about 1720. He was educated and reared in the Quaker faith, as was also his wife, who in her maidenhood was Rachel Bales. After his marriage he set- tled in Maryland, near Bladensburg, and rented a farm and conducted a mill on Permugen Creek. He finally removed to a farm five miles from Winchester. Maryland, where they remained for a number of years on rented land. After a few years they decided to make a change and accordingly drove across the moun- tains to where Brownsville, Pennsylva- nia, now stands, but not liking the loca- tion they returned without unloading their goods. While crossing the moun- tains they were attacked by robbers, but drove them off. They returned to the farm they had ocenpied near Winchester. and there spent their remaining days.

Among their many children was Seth, the grandfather of Mr. Smith, the name being thus handed down to the third gen- eration-the subject of this review. In the grandfather's family were the follow- ing children-Jacob and Samuel. who died in early childhood; Mary, who mar- ried David Littler; Rachel, who married Nathan Linton; Ruth, who married

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Jeptha Johnson; and Seth, the youngest lieved. He was a birth-right Friend, be- child.

Seth grew to manhood in Clark County, receiving a good education for the period. The country was still new at that time and the educational advantages enjoyed were not those of the present time, but the brave and energetic spirit inherited from his forefathers and cultivated by his own efforts was his, and he did much to- ward promoting the growth and develop- ment of his community. He inherited about two hundred and sixty acres of land from his father, which he cultivated and improved, adding to it until he be- came the owner of considerable land and in time gave each of his chil- dren a good farm. In his remembrance Indians were very thickly settled around the locality in which the family lived, but they were friendly inclined and made very little trouble. While the fam- ily lived in Highland County one evening they had been away from home and on re- turning found the house lighted up, and on looking in they found the floor cov- ered with Indians, who had come in and built a fire in the wide, open fireplace, de- siring to warm and rest themselves. On receiving their supper they departed in peace. On one occasion a young Indian became enamored of his sister, the aunt of the subject, and desired to make her, as he termed it, his "pretty squaw." As the recipient of this adoration did not favor his suit, he showed his disfavor by taking a lump of charcoal, chewing it, spitting it in his hands and rubbing it over his face.

Seth Smith, the father, was born July 11, 1798. He was an anti-slavery man, a great temperance man and earnestly did he advocate the principles in which he be-

ing a direct descendant on both sides of the family of members of that seet.

He was married February 25, 1824, to Deborah Wildman, daughter of John and Elizabeth Wildman. To them were born seven children, three of which died in early childhood. The eldest son, Samuel, married Esther Cook, who died in Sep- tember, 1885, leaving three children. He died in February, 1901. Ruth married Samuel Hadley, of Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio. Oliver married Margaret Negus and to them were born six children. After living for several years in Clark County, they moved to Kansas and thence to California, where he died in 1896. The mother, Deborah W. Smith, departed this life January 2, 1858. In 1860 Seth Smith, the father, married Anne Hollings- worth, with whom he lived until his death in 1876, being buried at Selma, Ohio.

The boyhood days of Seth W. Smith were spent on the home farm. He re- ceived a good common school education and after teaching a few years attended Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, for two years and one year in the Agricult- ural College, at Lansing, Michigan, thus being well fitted for the practical duties of business life in after years. In 1872 he married Marion Griffith, of Alliance, Ohio, and they took up their residence on the home farm, this union being broken by her death in just one year. In 1878 he married Hannah Lewis of New Vienna, Ohio, danghter of Isaac and Mary (Hos- kins) Lewis. They were blessed with five children, namely: Oscar L., Lewis H. and Mary Emma D., while two died in infancy. Oscar L. Smith was born August 23, 1879. In 1903 he married Jean Blanche

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Ervin, of Cedarville, Ohio, where he is now engaged as Cashier of the Exchange Bank. Lewis H. Smith was born Janu- ary 30, 1880. In 1905 he married Eula Elder of Selma, Ohio. They wow reside on the old home farm. In 1906 there was born to them a son, Lewis Elden.

Mr. Smith has been identified with agricultural interests here and with bank- ing interests in Cedarville, Ohio, and his individual interests have been blended with the welfare and improvement of his county and township.

FREDERICK FISSEL, general farm- er, residing on his farm of fifty-one acres, situated in Section 17, on the National Road, about three miles east of Spring- field, was born in Prussia, Germany, De- cember 5, 1840. His parents were Charles and Susanna (Dihme) Fissel, both of whom died in Germany.

Frederick Fissel grew to manhood in Germany, where he learned the tailor's trade, after which he served for two years and two months in the German army. When released, after performing the mili- tary service demanded by the laws of the Fatherland, he sailed for America, land- ing at the port of New York, July 1, 1867. He worked at his trade in that city for one year and, July 1, 1868, reached Spring- field, Ohio, where he continued to work at his trade until 1881.

In 1869, Mr. Fissel was married to Amelia Vollmer, who is a daughter of John and Susanna (Eberle) Vollmer. Jolin Vollmer was born and was reared in Wittenberg, Germany, and came as a young man to Reading, Pennsylvania, later coming to Springfield. He was a

shoemaker by trade and he acquired thirty-five acres of the farm on which Mr. Fissel resides. Mr. and Mrs. Vollmer had nine children, the four survivors of the family being: John, who lives with Mr. Fissel; Jacob, who resides in Harmony Township; Mrs. Mary Kemler, and Ame- lia, Mrs. Fissel.

Mr. and Mrs. Fissel moved to their own farm in 1874, and to his brother-in-law's farm in 1881, and have been engaged in agricultural pursuits since that time. They have seven surviving children. namely : Emma, who married Conrad Ger- hardt, and has four children-Agnes. Mary, Frederick and Catherine; Charles, residing in Florida, who has no family: Minnie, who married William Gebhardt, and has two children-Charles and Ed- ward; Mary, who. married Thomas Dow- den, and has three children-William. Edith and Hazel; Frederick, who resides in Springfield; Angusta, who married Henry Dersch; and Henrietta, who mar- ried Wilbur Hoyle, and has two children -Elizabeth and Panl. George, who was the fourth born child in the family, died when two years old. Mr. Fissel is a mem- ber of the Fifth Lutheran Church at Springfield.

OLIVER J. MILLER, a well known resident of Bethel Township, who is en- gaged in general farming on a tract of fifty-five acros, situated about ten miles west of Springfield, on the south side of the Valley Pike, was born on the old home farm in Bath Township. Greene County. Ohio, April 12, 1846 and is a son of Sam- vel and Mary (Warner) Miller.

Samnel Miller was a native of Lancas-

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ter County, Pennsylvania, and when just a boy his father, Samuel, Sr., packed his household goods in a wagon and brought his family over the mountains to Ohio, where he settled on a tract of timberland in Bath Township, Greene County, and resided there the remainder of his life. Samuel, father of Oliver J., was reared on this farm and assisted in clearing the land. He married Mary Warner, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, whose parents came to Ohio when she was eight years old and settled in Bath Township, Greene County, on a farm adjoining that of Sam- uel Miller. and the two children were reared together, and became lifelong com- panions. Samuel Miller's death occurred first, wlien seventy-one years of age, his widow surviving him ten years. They were the parents of twelve children: George W., who enlisted in the Forty- fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, died in the army: Harrison, member of the One hundred and tenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, died in the army; Henry, who served in the army, enlisting in the One hundred and fifty-fourth Regi- ment Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Chris- tenia, widow of John Shrodes; Oliver .James; William, who died young; Leah C., who is the widow of Elias Trubee, who was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic; Martha J .; Eliza Ellen ; Reuben A .; Mary Alice, deceased, who was the wife of Andy Miller; and John C.

Oliver James Miller was reared to man- hood on his father's farm, devoting his time to agricultural work and to his edu- cation, which was received in the district schools of the township. In 1862, after the outbreak of the Civil War, although a mere lad of sixteen years, he decided to

give liis services to his country, and was twice accepted as a recruit, but was each time compelled to withdraw, by his father, who considered him too young to enter the army. His third attempt was success- ful, he enlisting on his eighteenth birth- day, April 12, 1864, in Company K, One and fifty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, remaining in service 120 days, and was mustered out in September, 1864. He participated in several skirmishes and the battle of New Creek, Virginia. He then returned to his father's farm and on Oc- tober 20, 1868, was united in marriage with Susan Kreider, a daughter of Henry and Susan (Kirkwood) Kreider. Mr. Miller and family continued their resi- dence in Greene County until 1900, when he came to Clark County and purchased his present farm of fifty-five acres, the old Reuben Harnish farm in Bethel Town- ship, where he has since been engaged in general farming. Mr. Miller grows about three acres of tobacco each year. The greater part of the improvements, includ- ing out buildings, the commodious house, etc., were on the land at the time of his purchase.

Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller, namely: George W., married Sadie Turner and has a family of six children; Susan. married M. Wel- ter, and has four children; Olympia : Mary Ann, wife of Lewis Grindle, has two chil- dren ; Gertrude; Myrtle, married W. B. Kauffman ; Harry, died aged eight years; Orey O .; Grace, and Sarah.

Politically Mr. Miller is an adherent of the Republican party. Fraternally he is associated with the I. O. O. F. of Fair- field. Ohio, being a member of the En- campment.

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EDGAR W. ALBIN, superintendent ly: Daisy Maude, wife of Walter of the Clark County Infirmary, and a life- long resident of Clark County, is rec- ognized as one of the leading and repre- sentative citizens of this community. He was born April 27, 1854, in Mad River Township and is a son of George and Mary (Martin) Albin.

George Albin was born January 2, 1790, in Clarksburg, Virginia, and was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving with Duncan McArthur, and was in active service at the time of Hull's surrender. In 1810 he came to Ohio and located on a farm in Mad River Township, being one of the most prominent pioneer settlers in Clark County. The site of Springfield was then covered by timber, and when the streets were laid out Mr. Albin assisted in clear- ing off the trees and hazel brush. He continned occupied in farming here until his death in 1872 at the advanced age of eighty-two years. He was buried in the old Knob Prairie Cemetery near Enon. Politically he was a Republican.

Edgar W. Albin was reared in Mad River Township, receiving his primary education in the district schools later at- tending Wittenberg College for two years. After leaving school he spent some time in traveling, after which he en- gaged in farming in Green Township with much success for a period of thirty-one years. On February 1, 1907, he assumed the duties of superintendent of Clark County Infirmary and has since served very efficiently in that capacity.

In 1874 Mr. Albin was united in mar- riage with Miss Martha J. Ross, a daughter of E. A. and Elizabeth ( Wright) Ross of Mad River Township. Mr. and Mrs. Albin have five children living, name-

K. Weimer of Moorefield Township; Evangeline, wife of Jacob Milton Gog- henour of Montgomery County, Ohio; George C., who is engaged in the experi- mental rooms of the National Cash Register Company of Dayton, Ohio; Earl, who is employed as inspector of the Na- tional Cash Register Company of Day. ton; and Rosa, who is attending Willis University at Springfield, Ohio.

Mr. Albin is a man of public spirit and enterprise and for over thirty years has taken a prominent part in politics, har- ing served for many years on the Board of Education and in many other minor offices in Green Township. Fraternally he is one of the most prominent members of the Knights of Pythias, and has filled all the offices of that order and was a Rep- resentative to the Grand Lodge. He is also a member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. Mr. Albin is an ac- tive member of the Bethel Lutheran Church.

JAMES M. COLLINS, who resides on his well-improved farm of eleven acres of more, which is situated one-half mile north of Tremont, on the Valley Turn- pike Road, Clark County, owns another farm of thirty-six and one-half acres in Mad River Township, Champaign County. Mr. Collins was born in Orange County. Virginia, July 26, 1838, and is a son ef Jerome B. and Jane (Burruss) Collins.

James M. Collins was reared in Vir- ginia, and in his boyhood attended the country schools and worked on his father's farm. In August, 1860, he ac- companied his father to Ohio. They set-

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REV. AND MRS HARVEY H. TUTTLE

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tled first in Champaign County, where the son of Sylvanus Tuttle, one of the notable eldest son. Tandy Collins, had already pioneers of the county. made his home. For a few years James The history of this pioneer ancestor of the Tuttles is so typically representa- tive of that of the best class of early settlers in this section that a sketch of it may be here given, condensed slightly from an historical article written by the subject of this notice, Mr. Harvey H. Tuttle. M. Collins resided with his brother, the father dying there soon after coming to Ohio. The mother survived to the age of eighty-eight years. In 1866, James M. Collins came to Clark County and in 1870, he was married, at Delaware, to Rosanna Frey. Her father, John Jacob Frey, was lost on the Isthmus of Panama, when on his return trip to Ohio, having been a sne- cessful miner in California.

Mr. and Mrs. Collins have seven chil- dren, namely: Clement V., an attorney at law, with offices in the Bushnell Build- ing, Springfield, who married Nora Wood- ard and has one child, George C .; Carrie Anna, who married Joseph N. Pence, and has two children, Ethel Irene and Jose- phine; Isabel, who is a school teacher in the Northern School building at Spring- field; Mary, who teaches in the public schools at Columbus; Martin S., who is a student in the Baltimore Medical College, at Baltimore, Maryland; Maude, who mar- ried Dr. Nevin Sandow, of Columbus ; and Jennie T., who is a student at Witten- berg College. The present pleasant fam- ily home was erected in 1888. Mr. Collins and family belong to the Baptist Church.

REV. HARVEY H. TUTTLE, pastor of Sinking Creek Baptist Church, Springfield Township, also one of the leading farmers of Clark County, is a scion of one of the most prominent families of this section of the state. He was born September 20, 1842. his parents being John and Mar- garet (Prickett) Tuttle, and he is a grand-

"Soon after the glad ending of the long struggle for liberty in America, a stalwart young man decided to try his fortune in the new west. He had seen service as a New Jersey 'minnte man' at the battle of Monmouth, and no doubt at other places. It was his duty as a 'minute man' to be ready to respond to any call the cause of liberty might make on him within the limits of New Jersey colony. He had three older brothers, two of whom, at least, were with the patriot army under General Washington. One lost his life while crossing the Hudson River above the city of New York while in the service. The other served in the army seven years and received a pension of $60 per annum during life.

"But the subject of our sketch, a rugged yonng man, six feet in height, thought of the western country. He loved a comely maiden named Mary Brown. She was of medium height, with dark eyes and hair, and rosy cheeks, the very picture of en- durance and hardihood. She too was in- clined to tempt fortune in the wilds of the west. So Sylvanus Tuttle and Mary Brown were united in marriage about the year 1784.

"They soon started for the west, hav- ing as their objective point southwestern Pennsylvania. Starting from Morris-

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town, New Jersey, they would cross the life. Here also in some quiet fertile val- upper Delaware River, and most likely go ley, the family gradually accumulated something of this world's goods. In those times the clothing and food were all pre- pared in the home, the clothing from the wool of a little floek of sheep and from flax which they grew. The men would shear the sheep, then the mother and girls would manufacture the wool into clothing, often displaying much skill and ingenuity in the colors and patterns of the flannel cloth. In like manner, after the flax was pulled and broken and skutched to re- move the outer bark, it would be turned over to the women for manufacture. Thus we can easily understand how the oldest, a girl named Ennice, became ex- ceedingly skilful at the spinning-wheel and loom, not only in duplicating a pat- tern of cloth she might chance to see, but even in inventing new ones. to Harrisburg, at which point they would intersect the great wagon road from Phil- adelphia to Pittsburg. This route was a veritable thoroughfare for the multitude of emigrants to the West. Probably the young wife rode the single horse they owned, the same horse carrying a few articles of clothing and some cooking utensils. They may possible have had a second animal which served to carry the young husband. However this may be, we may be quite sure that only the veriest necessities would be carried with them, since neither of these young people had much of worldly goods. We can be sure of but one article, viz: the rifle which young Sylvanus carried at the battle of Monmouth. This heirloom has been kept in the family, and is now in the posses- sion of James T. Tuttle, a great grandson. At what point in western Pennsylvania the first home was built we do not know now, nor do we know the exact period of time spent here. But while here Thomas Tuttle, the father, visited them, and re- mained with them until they decided to go down into Virginia, when he returned to Morristown, New Jersey.

"The new location was in the vicinity of Clarksburg, Virginia, now West Vir- ginia. Here they remained for fifteen or sixteen years. Here most of their chil- dren were born. Here the older children received their education, for all of them could read and write, and the boys, at least, were very apt and skillful in arithmetic. But here also they were trained in industry and frugality, in hardihood and self-reliance, acquirements that became exceedingly nseful in after

"But here in their quiet home in Vir- ginia, the rumors of the rich valleys and fertile lands of the Ohio country reached them. Perhaps some adventurer who had been there would tell of its beauty and fertility in such glowing terms as to awaken a desire to find a home there. Most probably they were renters of a farm from some large land-holder in Vir- ginia. Then in the ordinance of Congress, passed in 1787, by which all the country northwest of the Ohio was admitted to the Union, ample provision was made for free public schools in setting apart sec- tion 16 in every township for school pur- poses. These advantages, with the grow- ing needs of their now large family. in- duced Sylvanus Tuttle and his wife to again try the fortunes of the Ohio conn- try where the government was selling such beautiful and fertile lands at a merely

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nominal price and on most advantageous terms.

"December 22, 1803, the eldest daugh- ter, Euniee, was married to a man named Morris Reece. When grandfather and grandmother decided to emigrate to Ohio, Mr. Reece and his young wife decided to be of the company. So the preparations for the journey went forward.

Grandmother did not forget that they were going to a new wild country, so she took with her all kinds of garden seeds, apple seeds, and peach seeds to plant at the new home. The trees in the old orchard, now quite gone, were grown from the apple seeds brought from Vir- ginia. There were, besides the Tuttle and Reece families, two other families, by name Robey, who made the journey to- gether.

"There were in the Tuttle families the father and mother, six boys, two girls, be- sides Mr. and Mrs. Reece. They brought a flock of eighteen or twenty sheep and two or three cows. The sheep were in the charge of the seven year-old boy Caleb. . . . Their course would bring them through Marietta, Ohio, a distance from Clarksburg of eighty or ninety miles. The road would be over rough mountain trails called roads. The roads were so steep that often it would be nec- essary to chain saplings or small trees to the rear axle of the wagons to hold them back so the teams could guide the wagons down the steep inclines. All the way they camped out along the roadside. At Mari- etta one of the older boys, Thomas, took sick with a malignant fever,, and the jour- ney was delayed two weeks, the families encamping and the sick boy and his nurse finding accommodation with some hospit-

able settler. It was necessary for the lit- tle seven-year-old Caleb to go a few miles in advance to find accommodation for his flock. Here he stayed with the sheep until the journey was resumed. After a sick- ness of two weeks Thomas died and was buried among strangers in some lonely spot not far from Marietta. Then with sad hearts the parents, brothers and sis- ters resumed their journey. The next town of any importance would be Athens, the seat of Ohio University, and the next place would be Chillicothe, then the cap- ital of the new state. Then from Chilli- cothe to the vicinity of Springfield, over the old Chillicothe road, now the South Charleston pike. When they reached the vicinity of Springfield, they encamped the first night on the spring branch in front of the old Reid homestead, not far from Reid's schoolhouse.

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20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 73

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 993