20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 81

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 81

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).

Thomas Cartmell was born in Virginia and when a small boy came to Clark County, Ohio, with his father, John Cart- where he was reared to manhood and mar- ried. Thomas Cartmell married Amanda Fisher and reared a family of thirteen children.

Mr. Keifer was reared in his native city of Springfield, and received his literary training in Wittenberg College and at mell, who located in Pleasant Township, Michigan University, Ann Arbor, Mich- igan. He subsequently took up the study of law and was gradnated in 1892 from the Cincinnati Law School. Since com- pleting his education, with the exception William E. Cartmell was reared near Catawba and received his education in the schools of the county and became a farmer by occupation, which he has since followed with considerable success. He was joined in marriage on February 3, and his brother, William W. Keifer. In 1874, to Mary Ferguson, who was born near Catawba, and is a daughter of Joseph and JJane (Neer) Ferguson, both deceased, the father dying in Angust. 1849, when she was but eight months old. Her mother died in 1905 at the advanced age of eighty-five years. of about a year spent in military service in the Spanish-American War, Mr. Keifer has been a member of the law firm of Keifer & Keifer, the other members of which are his father, J. Warren Keifer, May, 1898, he was appointed captain of the Third United States Volunteer En- gineers by President Mckinley, was sta- tioned successively at Miami, and Jack- sonville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia, and saw service in Cuba from December, 1898, until April, 1899. He was present at the evacuation of Havana by the Span- ish, January 1. 1899. He served on the staff of his father, General J. Warren Keifer, and was innstered out April, 1899. He had been Major of the Third Ohio Na- tional Guards since November, 1904. Mr.

Mr. and Mrs. Cartmell first went to housekeeping in Moorefield Township, but subsequently moved to Catawba. Pleasant Township, where they resided for several years, and in 1887 came to New Moorefield, where they had previons- ly bought their property and have resided

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here continuously since. In 1897 Mr. his father. Luke Bird, to Clark County, Cartmell purchased his farm of one hun- dred and fifty acres in Pleasant Township, but has never resided on it. In 1893 he became superintendent of the Warder farms-11 farms, then belonging to B. H. Warder of Washington, D. C .. and consist- ing of over two thousand acres of land, ten of which are located in Springfield and Moorefield Townships, Clark County, and one in Champaign County, Ohio. For a period of fourteen years Mr. Cartmell acted as superintendent of these farms, all of which, but one, have been sold. Mr .. C'artmell is a member and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church of New Moorefield.

JOHN ARTHUR RICHARDS, a rep- resentative citizen of Springfield Town- ship, residing about four miles east of Springfield, was born March 6, 1830, in Virginia, and is a son of Edward and Jane (Benson ) Richards.

Edward Richards was a native of Vir- ginia. He came to Clark County, Ohio, July 2, 1836, where he died in September, 1857. He married Jane Benson and they had eight children, the two survivors be- ing: John Arthur, and Margaref, who is the wife of Like Bird.

When John Arthur Richards was about sixteen years old he went to live with his cousin, Milton Benson, who was a promi- nent man at that time, but since deceased. Mr. Richards remained with Mr. Benson for twenty years. In 1868 he married Nancy Jane Bird, who is a daughter of Anthony and Jane (Snodgrass) Bird. Anthony Bird was born in Virginia and was twelve years old when he accompanied

in 1817. They settled first on the farm now owned by J. B. Pearson, where Luke Bird died shortly afterward. Anthony Bird became a large landowner, acquiring almost all of the land east of Springfield around the National Turnpike and the Taylor Mill Road, the latter of which is now known as the Bird Road. At the time of his death, Anthony Bird owned two hun- dred and forty acres, which was managed and operated by his son John S. Bird for twenty-five years. Anthony Bird died July 3, 1882, his first wife having died in 1836. Anthony Bird was the father of eight children, four by first marriage and four by his second marriage, there being no children by the third marriage. The three survivors are: John S., Luke and Mrs. Richards.

John S. Bird was born on the old Bird homestead, seventy-eight years ago. In 1872 he was married to Almina Carson. who died in 1875, leaving one daughter Almina, who married William Scott, of Newark, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have, one daughter. Nellie Irene. The Birds have been prominent in the affairs of Clark County for a great many years. The late Anthony Bird was known as C'ol- onel Bird, having been colonel of State militia. He also served many years as a justice of the peace. John S. Bird served one term as constable, but declined all other offices. He is an honored member of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Richards.

Two children were born to John A. Richards and wife-Anthony Bird and Carrie. Anthony Bird Richards was mar- ried (first) to Lizzie Schooley, of Clare- mont County, Ohio, who died in 1898, leav- ing one child, Miriam. Mr. Richards was

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married, secondly, to Mabel Dickerson. Carrie Richards married Robert Park. Mr. and Mrs. Park reside with her par- ents.

Formerly, John A. Richards owned fifty-three and one-half acres of land across the road from his present farm, on which he built a fine residence in 1883. In 1894 he sold that farm and subsequent- ly erected his present comfortable house. Mr. and Mrs. Richards are members of the United Presbyterian Church.

CASSIUS W. MINNICH, owner of an excellent tract of one hundred and twen- ty acres in Bethel Township, Clark Coun- ty, situated eight miles west of Spring- field on the Valley Pike, was born Novem- ber 6, 1848, and is a son of John and Caro- line (Layton) Minnich.

Michael and Eva Minnich, his paternal grandparents, came to Ohio in wagons when it was practically a wilderness and were among the first settlers of this sec- tion, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They had six children-three sons and three daughters.

John Minnich, the father of Cassius, was born here in 1810 and when he grew up assisted in clearing the land. Dur- ing his life he acquired two hundred and thirty acres of land and held many im- portant township offices, including the superintendency of the construction of the Valley Pike. He married Caroline Lay- ton, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Samuel Snodgrass, the great-grand- father, came from Virginia to Clark Coun- ty, in 1808, and was married here to Jane Steel, who was born in Kentucky, Their son, William Snodgrass, was born in Clark Layton, early settlers of this section, and to them were born the following children: Michael S .; De Witt C .; Cassius W .; Mary E., who married J. M. Latta (both de- ceased) ; and Jessie, who married A. E. County, where he lived until he was forty

Umphrey. John Minnich died in 1864, aged fifty-four years, and his widow sur- vived him until 1904, passing away in her seventy-ninth year.

Cassius W. Minnich was born on a farm adjoining his present place and his in- dustrial energies have been devoted en- tirely to agriculture. His education was acquired in the district schools and at Wittenberg College. In November, 1872, he was married to Ida C. Higgins, a native of Mad River Township, whose death oc- curred in September, 1885. They were the parents of three children : Carl; Kenneth, who married Mary Rogers, is a resident of Springfield, and has two children, Louis and an infant; and Alice.

Mr. Minnich has served on the school board and for the past twelve years has been a township trustee. He has also for the past twelve years been connected with the Clark County Agricultural Society. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Ma- sons-Clark Lodge No. 101 of Springfield -and the Knights of Pythias-Mad River Lodge No. 374, at Enon.

JOSEPH F. SNODGRASS, a general farmer in Harmony Township, who was engaged in a grocery business for some five years, during this period being post- master, was born in Clark County, Ohio, November 27, 1867, and is a son of And- rew and Eliza Jane (Foreman) Snod- grass.

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years old, when he moved to Indiana. He married Mathew Roy Oates, in 1887, who married Sarah Edgar and they had four died in 1906; Blanche, who died in in- fancy; and Finley, born in 1873, in Kan- sas, died aged seven years. children: John, born in 1838, died aged thirteen years; Andrew, born in 1840; Nancy J., born in 1842, married David Laybourn, resides in Colorado, and they have seven children, Jennie, William, Harry, Frank, Charles, Andrew and Fannie; and Margaret, born in 1844, mar- ried Tobias Bird, resides in Colorado, and they have four children, Harry, Della, William and Fred.

Andrew Snodgrass, father of Joseph F., was reared and educated in Clark County. At the outbreak of the Civil War, in 1861, he enlisted from Springfield, in the Six- teenth Ohio Battery, and served all through the dangers, hardships and pri- vations until the close of the war. He participated in a number of important battles, including Vicksburg, Port Gibson and Champion Hill, together with numer- ous skirmishes and other engagements, and on one occasion on account of injuries was remanded to a hospital, in which he was compelled to remain for six weeks. He is a valned member of the Grand Army of the Republic. When his honor- able discharge reached him at Columbus, in 1865, it found a soldier who had ever been at the post of duty. In 1872. Andrew JAMES J. KINNANE, who has been identified with the business interests of Springfield for the past thirty-eight years and is a leading citizen here, was born June 22, 1853, at Talbert, in County Kerry, Ireland. Snodgrass moved with his family from Clark County to Kansas, where he con- ducted a stock farm of six hundred aeres, for five years, after which he returned to Clark County, which has remained his home until the present. He married Eliza Mr. Kinnane was fifteen years old when he came to America and found em- ployment in the dry goods house of F. B. Nugent, at Louisville, Kentucky, where Jane Foreman, in 1867. She was born in Clark County and was a daughter of Harvey and Mary (Jones) Foreman. The four children born to this marriage were: he remained for one year. He then came Joseph Forest ; Emma, born May 23, 1869, to Springfield, where his brothers were

Joseph F. Snodgrass owns a one-half acre of land and has an interest in other property in Harmony Township. He was married January 18, 1898, to Agnes En- sley, who was born in 1878, in Fayette County, Ohio. Her parents, Evan and Eliza J. (Mooney) Ensley, were formerly of Fayette County, but in 1890 they moved to Clark County. Mrs. Snodgrass has one sister, Carrie P., and one brother, Her- man. The former married Samuel Payne and they live at Catawba and have six children: Bessie, Glen, Paul, Robert. Helen and Thomas. Herman, born in 1880, married Blanche Fisher and they have two children, Herman and Allegra Wanetta. They reside in Harmony Town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Snodgrass have two children, namely : Melville, who was born January 20, 1899, and Clark, who was born October 18, 1904. Mr. Snodgrass was reared in the M. P. Church. He has taken a more or less active interest in township affairs for some years.

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BENJAMIN F. KEIFER

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established in business. In 1869 the Township, on which he resided until his brothers-James J., Edward, Daniel and death, which took place when he was sixty- six years old. His widow subsequently removed to Yellow Springs, where she died at the age of seventy-nine. Their children who attained maturity were Mar- garet, Sarah, Benjamin Franklin, Eliz- abeth, Lucretia Minerva, J. Warren, and Cordelia. John Kinnane-embarked in a dry goods business in Springfield, under the firm name of Kinnane Brothers, founding what is the oldest business house in this sec- tion. The business was conducted under that style until 1893, when it was incor- porated under the present name, The Kin- nane Brothers Company. Edward Kin- nane was the first president and was suc- ceeded by John Kinnane, who was in turn succeeded by the latter's son, John J. Kinnane, Jr. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and is an exception- ally bright young business man. James .J. Kinnane is the only survivor of the original firm and still continues his in- terest in the business, which has been de- veloped into one of the largest dry goods and department stores in Clark County. Employment is given to about 140 people and 64,000 square feet of floor space is utilized. James J. Kinnane was married to Olive Coffin, who is a daughter of E. G. Coffin.

BENJAMIN F. KEIFER, who up to his death on December 5th, 1907, was one of Mad River Township's most respected citizens, was a life-long resident of Clark County, where he was born April 22, 1821. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Smith) Keifer.

Joseph Keifer was born near Sharps- burg, Washington County, Maryland, in 1784. He came to Ohio in 1812 and short- ly afterward was married, in Clark Coun- ty, to Mary Smith, who was born near the site of the present city of Cincinnati. Joseph Keifer secured a farm in Bethel

Benjamin Franklin Keifer grew to man- hood on the home farm and obtained a district school education in the old log schoolhouse near his father's farm. He resided on the parental homestead until several years after his marriage, and then removed to a farm on the National Road, where he remained two years. In 1852 he bought one hundred acres of the pres- ent family homestead from Joseph Sipe, and to this he later added until he had ac- cumulated almost four hundred acres, which he placed under careful cultivation. His attention was confined almost entirely to agricultural interests, in which line of industry he was very successful. The es- tate which he thus built up is now one of the most valuable in Mad River Township, and comprises three hundred and ninety- five acres of well improved land.

On March 22, 1846, Mr. Keifer was united in marriage with Amelia F. Henkle, who died May 1, 1873. Though she her- self was a native of Clark County, Ohio, her family came to this state from Vir- ginia. She bore her husband eight chil- dren, namely: Silas, born March 27, 1847; Joseph, born March 3, 1850, who died January 27. 1852; Mary C., born Au- gust 15, 1852; Erwin, born November 15, 1855; Montgomery, born October 11, 1858; Benjamin, born Angust 3, 1861, who mar- ried Ethel Christ; Sarah A., born April

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17, 1865, who married William Drake; years. He then established his present and Ione, born July 10, 1868. Mr. Keifer tin and plumbing business in South had the following grandchildren-Wilbur, Charleston, where he has since continued with much success. Harold and Ruth Agnes Keifer and Marie Ione and Warren Keifer Drake.

Mr. Keifer's political affiliations were with the Republican party. He was a con- sistent member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. He was a great reader and kept in touch with the general topics of the country.

CHARLES SUMNER BATTIN, prop- rietor of the largest tin and plumbing es- tablishment of South Charleston is one of the leading business men of the city, and was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1860, a son of Samuel R. and Lydia Ann (Winder) Battin.

Samuel R. Battin is a son of David and Sarah Ann (Reeder) Battin, life-long resi- dents of Columbiana County, Ohio, who were farmers by occupation. He was the eldest of a family of two children, having one brother, Franklin, who is deceased. He was born and reared in Columbiana County, Ohio, and engaged in farming there until 1874, when he came to Clark County, locating on a farm near Selma, where he has since continued to reside. He married Lydia Ann Winder, a daugh- ter of Joseph Winder of Carrol County, Ohio, and to them were born four children, Charles S., the subject of this sketch, and David, being the only living children.

C. S. Battin was fourteen years old when his parents came to Clark County, where his education was obtained. He re- mained on the farm near Selma until he attained his majority, when he engaged as a florist and thus continued for seven

Mr. Battin was united in marriage with Mary A. Mather, a daughter of John Mather of Stark County, Ohio, and they are the parents of two children, Leonard, who is an employee of the Springfield Gas Company; and Jessie. Politically, Mr. Battin is a Republican, and fraternally a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church of South Charleston.

EPHRAIM FRANKLIN HARSH- MAN, whose valuable farm of eighty and one-half acres is situated in Section 31, Springfield Township, lying four miles south of Springfield and running to the dividing line of Green Township, was born in Beaver Creek Township, Greene County, Ohio, November 11, 1849. He is a son of John C. and Mary Maria ( Miller) . Harshman. In his younger years John C. Harshman was a machinist and a distiller, but later acquired three farms in Greene County, and on one of these both he and his wife died.

Ephraim F. Harshman was reared and educated in Greene County and from there moved to Springfield, where he was engaged in the hay and feed business for about eighteen years. He employed from five to six men and ran five two- horse teams during this time. In 1895 Mr. Harshman bought and moved to his present farm, which he had rented for two years previously. He raises corn. wheat, oats and hay and keeps enough stock for his own use.

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Mr. Harshman was married (first) to Caroline Kossler and they had two chil- dren: Walter, residing at Dayton; and John Lewis, who died aged three months. Mrs. Caroline Harshman died at Spring- field in 1881. Mr. Harshman was mar- ried, secondly, to Mirtie Sipe and they have had three children: Carrie, Gladys and Elmer, the last mentioned of whom lived only eight months. Mr. Harshman has been bereaved of his second wife, her death taking place in July, 1906.

JOHN M. PERRIN, who is a repre- sentative of one of the prominent old families of Clark County, has always lived on the old Perrin farm in Springfield Township, on which he has been engaged in general farming since 1903. He was born on this farm August 30, 1859, and is a son of John and Mary (Dunnroush) Perrin.

The father of Mr. Perrin was born on the present home farm, where he died June 27, 1888. He was a son of John Perrin, who was born in Maryland and made his first visit to Clark County on horseback in 1803. At that time he re- turned to Maryland, but he came back in 1806 and invested in a section of land, this farm being a part of the same. His son, John Perrin, also owned a number of valuable tracts of land in different sec- tions and for a number of years entrusted all of his business to his son, John M. He married Mary Dunnroush, who died August 14, 1907, aged eighty-two years. They had the following children: Mar- garet Amelia; Elnora, who married Dr. Edgar Studebaker; John M .; Mary Belle; Mina; and Lavinia and Katherine, who

are now deceased. In 1902 John M. Per- rin was married to Minnie Cox, who is a daughter of David Cox, and they have one son, to whom has been given the family name of John. Mrs. Perrin died January 20, 1908. Mr. Perrin is identified with the Knights of Pythias.

ROBERT A. TINDALL, who resides on a part of the old Tindall homestead in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, comes of a prominent old family of this section. He was born February 7, 1875, and is a son of Robert and Abia (Hart- well) Tindall and grandson of Thomas and Sarah (Waller) Tindall.

Thomas Tindall and wife were both natives of Yorkshire, England, and after their marriage came to the United States about 1816. After landing in New York they made their way to Cincinnati, also visited in Cleveland a short time, then came on to Clark County, Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their days. They were parents of nine children, as follows: George, who was accidentally killed by a horse at the age of twenty years; Charles; John; Nancy; Susan; Robert; Margaret (Bates), of Louisa County, Iowa; Mary (Holloway), of Greene County, Ohio; and Ella (Miller), of York County, Nebraska. All of this family grew to maturity.

Robert Tindall was born in Green Township June 25, 1825, and as a youth had few educational advantages. At the age of fifteen years he began working out by the day or month, making it a point to save what he could of his wages. At the age of thirty he rented a farm and also engaged in buying and shipping stock, and

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by economical living was, at the age of is a son of Lewis and Anna (Gordon) thirty-five years, able to purchase 175 West. acres of land in Green Township. He farmed extensively and raised a great deal of stock, and as his business affairs prospered he added to his farm until he was possessed of 641 acres of valuable land. In 1879 he built a large and com- modious home, in which he lived until his death, which resulted from an accident in which he was trampled upon by a horse, November 21, 1907.

Robert Tindall was married April 12, 1865, to Miss Abia Hartwell, who was born in Madison Township, Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, and was a daughter of William and Abia Hartwell, who originally came from Cincinnati. They were parents of the following children: Herbert D., who was born January 5, 1866, lives on the home farm; Carrie A., born July 7, 1867, died August 16, 1905. She married Joseph Conable, of Memphis, Tennessee, and left two children: Olive, born July 2, 1894, and Abbie, who was born August 16, 1896; Olive, born April 13, 1869, died May 25, 1886; Lucy, born January 18, 1871, died August 11, 1882; William, born November 16, 1873, is an electrician, residing in Memphis, Tennessee; and Robert A. Robert Tindall cast his first vote for Zachary Taylor in 1848, and voted for .John C. Fremont in 1856, and thereafter was unswerving in his support of the Republican party.

DAVID EDWARD WEST, owner of seventy-two acres of well improved farm- ing land, situated in Mad River Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, was born in Springfield, Ohio, September 2, 1877, and O. E.

David West, the grandfather of David Edward, came to Springfield from Old- town, Greene County, Ohio, in 1837, where he opened a carriage shop. In 1885 he built the present twelve-room house now owned by his son, and died there in 1901, aged eighty-six years. He was married to Mary McClure, who was born in 1829. and died in 1898, and to them were born five children: Louis, deceased, Jeffer- son, deceased; William, a resident of Springfield; Edward, deceased. Jeffer- son MeClure was a large landowner, hav- ing at one time a tract of 1,000 acres in Clark County.

Louis West, father of David Edward, was born in 1857, on High Street, Spring- field, Ohio, when that place was little more than a village. He was married there to Anna Gordon, who was an adopt- ed daughter of Phillip Wooleston, and three children were born of this union: Rose, who married William Rich, resides in Cincinnati; Ray, deceased; and David E. Louis West died in 1879, when only twenty-two years of age, and his wife died in the same year, aged twenty-one years. After the death of his father, David E. West went to live with his Grandfather West, and at the age of seven years they moved to his present farm, which he sub- sequently inherited.

Mr. West was married July 4, 1899, to Anna Leffel, a daughter of Fred and Maggie (Ludlow) Leffel. Mr. and Mrs. West have had three children: Lucille, Doris and David. Politically Mr. West is an adherent of the Republican party, and is fraternally associated with the F.

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The late Fred Leffel, father of Mrs. was for a great many years emigrant West, was born May 14, 1845, near agent for the Atchison & Topeka Railroad Springfield, Ohio. His grandfather, An- Company. He died in Springfield in 1890. thony Leffel, came to Ohio from Pennsyl- vania, in early days, and finally located

James A. Linn was reared and educated in Springfield and early in life engaged in Springfield, where he died, aged eighty- ' in the coal and ice business, beginning at six years. He had seven children, a num- ber of whom came with him from Penn- sylvania. Samnel, grandfather of Mrs. West, was a boy of seven years when he came to Springfield, which was then a small village, and he often told of pulling corn out of the mud, in what is now the Square. He subsequently became a farm- er and also worked as a carpenter. Samuel Leffel married Elizabeth Baker, who was born near Enon, and to them were born the following children: Fred; Daniel, deceased; Agnes, who married William Mort, deceased; Abigail, who married Samuel Nye; Samuel; and Josephine, who married J. R. McClure.

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20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 81

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