USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 74
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"The arrival in what is now Clark County was probably about the last of October, 1806. They finally located along Buek Creek, about six miles east of New Moorefield, and near Catawba Station on the Delaware branch of the C. C. C. & St. Louis Railway. The Tuttle and Reece families located near each other on lands belonging to Mr. Van Meter, a large land owner in this region. Here they spent about a year and a half. The first winter would be the hardest. They had no wheat and only what corn and other provisions they could buy, and we may be sure that money was a scarce article with these new settlers and must be carefully husbanded to secure land from the government on which to build up the new home. But they would not lack for meat. Morris Reece was a marksman of wide repute in His old Virginia home, and as game was
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quite plentiful, he was able easily to pro- potato crop. too, would not be forgotten. vide both families with abundance of We can readily imagine that as soon as meat. It was an understanding between the two families that whenever Morris Reece's rifle was heard to crack there would be meat to be had, generally bear meat or venison. Grandfather and the two older boys would possibly find some employment with the rich Van Meter, in flailing out his crop of wheat getting their wages, it may be, in corn or sometimes wheat. possible a garden would be planted under the care of the women and younger boys. Then as soon as the sheep were shorn would come a busy time for grandmother and the girls. The wool must be seoured, carded into rolls, spun into yarn, dyed and woven into cloth to make garments for the family. The previous winter may have been long and tedious, but the sum- mer was busy and fleeting.
"To get the meal or flour they would probably have to go to the little grist mill of Simon Kenton, at what is now the La- gonda suburb of Springfield. This mill probably passed into the hands of Nichol- as Prickett a year or two later.
"Mrs Van Meter was a kindly disposed woman, and would bring her coffee- grounds to grandmother that she might get a mild sort of coffee from them for her family. Grandmother would quietly take them, but her pride of independence would not suffer her to use them when there was not special need or benefit to be derived. So when Mrs. Van Meter was gone she would throw out the grounds. They contented themselves with mush and milk, corn pone, bear meat, and venison. and towards spring they could have a re- freshing drink from the tea of the fragrant spice bush, and the sassafras root. As the spring drew, on they would be busy making a little sugar from the sugar tree, for they lost no opportunity to provide the necessaries and as many of the hixnries of life as their own labor could seenre.
"The spring would find all busy. Grandfather and the boys getting in a erop of corn and flax from which to mann- facture tow and linen garments. The
"However busy they were, grand- father did not forget the one object they had in view in coming to the wilds of Ohio, viz., to secure a home. He selected a quarter section of land on the Sinking Creek, about one and a half miles above its month. Here was water for the home and for cattle, and yet only a small part of the land was crossed by the stream. Here, too, was a fine sugar bush, so fine as to attract the attention of some wander- ing tribes, who came every spring in Feb- ruary and March to make sngar, eneamp- ing along the creek.
"Others, however, looked with longing eye on this fertile quarter section, and grandfather and grandmother soon de- cided that if they secured the land they would have to use strategy. Grandfather and the older boys were busy at home. Who then should make the journey to Cincinnati, where the nearest government land office was located, and enter the land? The lot fell upon Caleb, the eight-year-old boy who had shown himself so efficient and self-reliant the previous year in car- ing for the sheep throughout the long journey from Clarksburg. Secretly he was equipped for the journey. Plain and explicit instructions were given him as
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to the number of range, section, etc. Fifty pleted, was a palace compared with the dollars in gold were securely fastened to cabins in which they had found shelter hitherto. Here were celebrated weddings and infairs-as receptions were then called-and here the young people gathered for merry-making, such as husk- ing-bees, etc. his sturdy little body. Thus equipped he set out on one of the old horses for Cin- cinnati. In a few weeks he returned, hav- ing correctly entered the land, and bring- ing a receipt for the first payment, which also described the land. It is not difficult "In 1812, October 30, the eldest son was married to a Miss Ellsworth; one of a family in the settlement; and on Decem- ber 31st of the same year the second daughter married Aquilla Ellsworth of the same family. October 7th, 1813, the remaining daughter married Charles Bot- kin, and settled a few miles east of the homestead. In the meanwhile the eldest daughter, Eunice Reece, had buried her husband, and with her two children, found a home with her parents. During the War of 1812 with England, the two oldest boys were in the service for a short time, gnard- ing a supply train which brought provi- sions for the army under General Hull." to imagine that our grandparents were ex- ceedingly relieved of anxiety and much gratified at the result of their scheming. Another winter was passed in the Van Meter cabin. Then, when the winter he- gan to wane, the two older boys were sent to the future home to cut the timber for the log cabin, and to clear some land for the next season's crops. They built a sort of tent or hut for a temporary shelter, and for weeks spent their entire time at the work of chopping, burning brush, etc., returning home Saturday evening to spend Sabbath with the family. Soon the Indians came for their nsual spring sngar-making. Sometimes the boys would go down to the Indian camp in the sugar bottom to while away an evening with the Indians and engaging in their pastimes.
"When the early spring came, the logs for the cabin were all ready and at an ap- pointed day the neighbors came from far and near, and by sun-down the cabin was up and under roof and chinked, ready for a mud plaster on the cracks between the logs. Then a capacions but rude chimney was built, the lower part of nigger-heads or boulders laid in clay mortar, the upper part of clay and sticks.
"In a year or two a new house was built. This one is hewn of logs, and two stories high, with two large rooms on the ground floor. This house, when com-
February 23, 1815, John Tuttle mar- ried Margaret Prickett, a daughter of Nicholas Prickett, who some years be- fore had brought his family from Cler- mont County and settled at Lagonda. He purchased the grist-mill of Simon Kenton, which he improved and ran as long as he lived.
In the year 1822, March 21st. Caleb Tuttle married another danghter of this miller's family, Mary Prickett.
In the spring of 1816 a Baptist Church was organized in the community, one mile south of the Tuttle homestead. Nicholas Prickett was one of the founders. From the records we learn that Sylvanus Tuttle was received into membership in this church in October, 1816, and in November Mary Tuttle became a member. They
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could have preaching service but once each month, and at these services, which were held both Saturday and Sunday, one or more were received into the little church. A few years later Sylvanus Tut- tle was elected to the office of dencon in this church, in which capacity he served until his death.
In the year 1821 the present brick dwell- ing-house was built. The bricks were made and all the material for the house was gotten from the farm, except the hardware and lime for the mortar. As the years went on, one by one the chil- dren, as children will, formed homes else- where. Then came grandchildren to live with and help the grandparents in their old age. In these early years all the wheat or rather the flour must be hauled all the way to Cincinnati for market. To get a little money was very difficult and money was very scarce. The people lived in a plain, simple manner. Salt was one of the most difficult articles to obtain, and had to be hauled from Cincinnati or San- dnsky. There were no roads at that time worthy of the name, and bands of hostile Indians were ready to shoot any white man who might unwarily fall in their way.
Sylvanus Tuttle died on January 1, 1843, at the good old age of eighty-one years, seven months, and nineteen days; and Mary Tuttle, his wife, died May 26, 1848, aged eighty years, eleven months, and nine days.
John Tuttle, son of Sylvanns and Mary 'Tuttle, was born in Virginia, and accom- panied his parents in their journey to Ohio, as above recorded. He shared in the pioneer hardships experienced by the rest of the family, and on one occasion, in company with some neighbors, made
the long and dangerous journey to Cin- cinnati, for salt. His marriage to Mar- garet Prickett, on February 23d, 1815. has been already recorded, as likewise the birth of their son Harvey H., whose name begins this article.
The latter was reared in Springfield Township, attending the school known as Congress Hall. Afterwards he was graduated from Wittenberg College. Springfield, in the class of 1867, and three years later was graduated, in the class of 1870, from the Theological Seminary at Upland, Pennsylvania. Previous to that, on September 2, 1861, at the age of nine- teen, he had enlisted in Company F. Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a corporal, and served with that com- pany seventeen months. When a baby, about twenty months old, he had met with an accident by which he had lost two fingers; and in the war he had another finger on the same hand shot off, while on picket dnty near Georgetown, Kentucky. He was discharged for that reason Decem- her 27, 1862. He then re-enlisted in the 100-day service as second lientenant in Company D, One hundred and forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served nntil September 7, 1864, when he received an honorable discharge. He then returned to Wittenberg College, which he had left to enter the army. His mental equipment was completed at Crozer Semi- nary, on leaving which, he was married June 14, 1870, to Laura J. Luse, danghter of John Luse. He then took the pastorate of two churches -- one at Bradford June- tion and one at Covington, both in Miami County, Ohio. He remained thus of- eupied for about two years, when his health failed and he quit pastoral work.
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and took up his residence on his present of the most valuable in Clark County, and farm, which was then owned by his father- is kept by him in fine condition. As a grandson of one of the most conspicuous among the pioneers of this section, he is especially well-informed in regard to local history in which he takes an intelligent and patriotic interest. He and his fam- ily are as highly esteemed as they are well known in every part of the county. in-law, his advent here being in January, 1874. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Tuttle went to Granville, Ohio, where he lived for sixteen years, returning to his farm in Clark County in 1904. For a number of years he was librarian for the Dennison University at Granville. On the reorgani- zation of the Sinking Creek Church in 1883 he became the pastor, which position he still holds. While a resident of Gran- ville he frequently returned to officiate as pastor of this church.
CHARLES BAUER, a member of the city council of Springfield, has been suc- cessfully engaged in business here for many years. He was born at Springfield, Ohio, in 1869, and is a son of Jacob Bauer.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle num- bers nine children, all of whom are mar- ried but two. They have twelve grand- Jacob Bauer, father of Charles, was born in Germany and was an early settler at Springfield. He worked in the Ross Mitchell flour mill, which then stood on the site of the International Harvester plant. Later he conducted a dairy and operated a milk wagon through Spring- field, although his patrons were few be- cause the population was limited at that day. He died in 1899. children. Their children are as follows: Laura May, wife of Professor Price, prin- cipal of the Pillsbury Academy, Owanton- na, Minnesota; John Luse, who married Lotta Gower; Martha Byrd, wife of Pro- fessor E. J. Owen, also of Pillsbury Acad- emy; A. J. Tuttle, who married Frances Davidsor, a missionary in Assam, India; Margaret Ann, wife of Edward H. Jes- son, Y. M. C. A. secretary at Berwick, Charles Bauer was educated in the schools of Springfield, and while still a boy went to work for the Warder. Bush- nell & Glessner Company, with whom he remained for fifteen years. He then em- barked in a feed, flour and grain business, and cement, and has been so engaged ever since. Pennsylvania; Harvey Wallace, single, who is now preparing for evangelistic work ; George Clyde, who married Cathar- ine Evans, and is a reporter on the Colum- bus "Citizen ;" Mary Catharine, a music teacher in an academy at Toulon, Illinois; to which commodities he later added coal Alice, wife of Osear Laybourne, who re- sides at home with her parents.
Mr. Tuttle is a member of the Grand On December 23, 1905, Mr. Baner WAS married to Vinnie Peden. He has taken a very active part in city polities. For five years he served as a member of the school board from the First Ward, during two of which he was its president. His present Army of the Republic. He is a man of much force of character, an able and faith- ful minister of the Gospel, having much persuasive force in the pulpit, and is also a ready and. capable writer. His two hundred and forty-five acre farm is one standing in the council is that of a metu-
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ber at large. His business judgment is of Frederick Oehler. Mr. Oehler was valued on the board and his integrity and efficiency as a citizen is very generally conceded. He is a popular member of a number of fraternal orders, including the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Red Men, and the Knights of Pythias.
ERNEST BURKHARDT, a leading farmer and dairyman of Springfield Township, residing on his farm in Section 17, on the old Columbus road, two and a half miles from Springfield, was born in Wittenberg, Germany, November 27, 1847.
He is a son of Ludwick and Caroline Burkhardt.
Ernest Burkhardt was reared in Ger- many, where he learned the cabinet-mak- er's trade and after coming to America, in 1867, he worked at this trade at Cincin- nati for a year. His elder brother, Lud- wiek Burkhardt, was engaged in a butcher- ing business in that city and Ernest learned that trade with him, after which he carried on a butchering business of his own and owned two markets in Cincin- nati. In 1884 he moved to his present home, purchasing at that time seventeen acres of land on which stood a fine brick honse and a barn. He built on his land a frame slaughter-house, which subse- quently burned down. He then replaced it with a brick one and continned in the meat business until 1898. To his original purchase he added more land, and his farm in Springfield Township now con- tains thirty-eight acres. He owns also a farm of eighty-five acres in Moorefield Township.
In Cincinnati, Mr. Burkhardt was mar- ried to Emma Ochler, who is a daughter
born in Germany but his daughter is a native of Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. Burk- hardt have seven children, namely : Lula, Emma, who married Stewart Gower, re- siding in Cincinnati; Elma, Alice. Ernest. Bertha, and Ruth, all residing at home. Another daughter, Clara, died at the age of two years. Mr. Burkhardt is consid- ered one of Springfield Township's pros- perous citizens. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is In- dependent.
MICHAEL B. WILSON, a representa- tive citizen of Harmony Township, where he owns one hundred and twelve acres of valuable land which he devotes to gen- eral farming, was born in 1845, in Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Michael and Lavina ( Henry) Wilson.
The Wilson family is an old one in Harmony Township, the grandparents, Michael and Temperance Wilson, having had their home here and reared a large family. One son, Michael, was born in the same township and when he attained man- hood, he married Lavina Henry. They had a family of thirteen children born to them, to whom they gave the following names: Jasper, James T., Temperance. Elizabeth, Jefferson, Johnson, Michael B .. Lavina. Washington, Emma, Anna, Fre- mont and Skillman. Jasper married Ellen Prugh and they had four children: Wilburt H., Charles, Samuel and Elesta. Jasper Wilson served in the Civil War. James T. married (first) Abigail Turner and they had five children: Temperance. Nora, Samuel, Ada and Anna T. He married (second) Ida Tingley, and they
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had one daughter, Bessie. Temperance, County for thirty-seven years. She is a daughter of James T., married Edgar Sweete, and they have one son, Chandler. Nora Wilson is deceased. Samuel mar- ried Dollie Tingley and they have five children, namely: William, Carl, Dehna, Horace and Glenna. Ada married Chance Mahoney and they have three children: Maud. Nellie and Edna. Anna died aged fifteen years.
Temperance Wilson, eldest daughter of Michael and Lavina Wilson, died aged two years. Jefferson. the next son, was killed while serving as a soldier in the Civil War. Johnson married Julia West and they have the following children: How- ard. Effie, Alta, Walter, Mary and Floyd. Johnson Wilson served in the Civil War. The three brothers were brave soldiers, but only two lived to reach home. Lavina married Edmund West and at death left one child. Lillie. Washington Wilson married Frances Porter and they have four children: Porter. Charles, Nina and Washington. Both Emma and Anna are deceased. Fremont Wilson married Minerva Sharp and they have the follow- ing children: Mary, Lavina, Clara, Ross, Wealthy and Methia. Skillman, the youngest of the family, married Lida Sidebottom.
Michael B. Wilson has lived in Clark County all his life and since boyhood has followed agricultural pursuits. His land was purchased from his father by himself and wife and is divided into two traets, one containing fifty-five acres and the other fifty-seven acres. It is as good land as can be found in Harmony Township. Mr. Wilson was married in 1871, to Es- tella Roberts, who was born in Madison County, Ohio, but who has lived in Clark
daughter of Charles and Harriet (Me- Cann) Roberts, the former of whom was born in 1805 and died in 1853. The latter was born in 1814 and died in 1890. They were married in 1832 and had nine chil- dren, namely : John, Henry, Benjamin F., Catherine, Charles, Harriet, Peter, Mary E., and Estelle, five of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have two children, namely: Nellie F. and Frank R. Nellie F. was born October 14, 1876, married Ralph Christ and they have two children, Glen W. and Katherine E. Frank R. was horn January 20, 1882, married Myrtle Neer and they live in Harmony Town- ship.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Christian Church and he is serving as a deacon in Wilson Chapel. He belongs to Lodge No. 345, Odd Fellows, at Vienna Corners.
ROBERT M. LEFEVRE, superintend- ent of the Ohio Pythian Home and one of Springfield's well known and highly respected citizens, was born in York Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, in 1857.
Mr. LeFevre was seven years old when his parents moved to Union City, Indiana, where he spent his boyhood days. When sixteen years old his mother died, after which he returned to Ohio, locating at Troy, where for some time he worked on the farm. He was later employed as a body maker in a carriage works of Troy. He then engaged in the grocery business as a salesman, after which he returned to the farm, remaining there for about four years. In April, 1896, he came to Spring- field as superintendent of the Ohio
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Pythian Home in which capacity he is still Ulery became a large farmer and acquired serving, Mrs. LeFevre occupying the posi- tion of matron.
On May 4th, 1882, Mr. LeFevre was united in marriage with Clara Ida Ear- hart of Miami County, Ohio. Fraternally Mr. LeFevre is past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of the Domain of Ohio; also is a York Rite Mason, a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen; and a past Grand of the I. O. O. F. Mr. and Mrs. LeFevre are members of the Christian Church of Springfield.
MRS. MARY ANN ULERY, widow of George Ulery, who was one of the promi- nent farmers of Pike Township for many years, is a well known and highly es- teemed resident of this township, where she was born, not far from her present home, on Angust 3. 1832.
The parents of Mrs. Ulery were John and Elizabeth (Leffel) Funderburg. They had two children, Mary Ann and Samuel, the latter of whom is deceased. Both par- ents died when she was a child and she was reared by her maternal grandfather, Samuel Leffel, who was an early settler of Pike Township. Her brother was reared by the Funderbergs and he became a school teacher and a Dunkard preacher.
three hundred acres of land which he left to his family and his widow continues to reside on the old homestead. He later became a minister in the Brethren in Christ Church. There were nine children born to George and Mary Ann Ulery. as follows: Elizabeth, who was born Novem- ber 20, 1849, died aged eleven years ; Sam- uel, who was born January 21, 1851 ; Will- iam, who was born .June 4, 1854; John B .. who was born December 6, 1856, died No- vember 3, 1884; Mary, deceased, who was born May 8, 1860; Isaac, who was born April 3, 1862, is proprietor of the leading hardware store at New Carlisle, Ohio; Ezra, who was born March 30. 1864: Lucinda, who was born May 20, 1867, died aged two years; and George W., who was born February 22, 1871, and is a promi- nent farmer of Pike Township.
Mrs. Ulery is a valued member of the Brethren in Christ Church. She has lived a long and useful life and has a wide cir- cle of warm friends and hearty well- wishers.
JOHN F. TROUT, residing on his valu- able farm of forty acres of land situated in Section 5, Springfield Township, was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, February 14, 1856, and is a son of Philip and Sarah (Baker) Trout.
Mary Ann Funderburg attended the old log schoolhouse near that old landmark, the Black Horse tavern. On October 5, Philip Trout was a son of David Trout. and in his boyhood accompanied his father from Virginia to Clark County, Ohio. He was reared in German Township, where he inter became a successful farmer and at the time of his death in 1902 he owned one hundred acres of land. He married 1848, she was married to George Ulery, who was born in Lancaster County, Penn- sylvania, December 3, 1826, and died in Clark County, Ohio, February 13, 1878. He was a son of John and Elizabeth Ulery and a grandson of Daniel Ulery, who was born in Wertemberg, Germany. George Sarah Baker, who was a daughter of
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Jacob Baker, of Clark County. She died November 11, 1892. Philip Trout and his wife had fourteen children, nine of whom still survive.
John F. Trout grew up on his father's farm in German Township and attended the district schools, the township high school and the National Normal Uni- versity, at Lebanon, Ohio. For several years following he taught school in Ger- man and Harmony Township and then he- gan to farm in partnership with his brother Jacob. They owned the home farm together and continued to operate it until 1905, when the subject of this sketch desired to move to his present farm in Springfield Township. They then sold the property in German Township and Mr. John F. Trout has been established here since November 14, 1905. His land is a very productive property under his care- ful methods and he raises grain and stock. On June 25, 1902, Mr. Trout was married to Elizabeth Hixon, who was born in Highland County, Ohio.
ADAM BAKER, one of German Town- ship's leading citizens and large land- owners, whose three farms, aggregating three hundred and twenty-five acres, all lie in this township, with the exception of eight acres in Moorefield Township, was born on the farm on which he lives, near Eagle City, Clark County, Ohio, April 26, 1841. His parents were Adam and Susan- nah ( Klinefelter) Baker. .
The father of Mr. Baker probably grew to manhood in York County, Pennsyl- vania, but in 1835 he came to Clark Conn- ty with his wife, from Maryland. For six
months after reaching Springfield, they conducted a hotel there. Adam Baker, the elder, then bought the farm on which his son Adam resides and also a mill and distillery which stood on the place. He operated the mill for some ten years, after which he gave his attention to gen- eral farming and stock-raising, feeding many hogs. He lived on this farm until his death, which took place in 1863. His widow then removed to Springfield, where she died in 1879. They were the parents of twelve children, nine of whom reached maturity, the four survivors being : Elmora ; Johanna, who is the wife of Alex- ander Baker and lives at Springfield; .John W., who resides at Topeka, Kansas; and Adam. Those deceased were: Mrs. Elizabeth Ferree, William, Cornelius, Sarah Ann, George Washington, and three infants.
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