20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 88

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 88

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).

Digitmedby Google

851

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

sequently engaged in a shoe business. He ship, the same on which Joel Ebersole gradually added other activities and be- came the agent of the local electric rail- road which opened for business July 4, 1903. Although he is a stanch Demoerat he is an admirer of President Roosevelt and was appointed postmaster by him at North Hampton. Mr. Taylor has served as a justice of the peace and now holds the office of notary public.

Mr. Taylor has had four children, all horn of his first marriage, namely : Harry, deceased; Leno; Albert; and Ella, who married James Rector. Some years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Taylor married Anna M. Minnick, who still sur- vives.

On June 4, 1857, Mr. Taylor was made a Mason and a Master Mason in July of the same year. He belongs also to the Chapter. He has led a most interesting life, into which almost every element of happiness and pain has entered, and his reminiseences of its various phases are deeply interesting.

JOEL EBERSOLE, one of the most highly respected citizens of German Township, resided on a farm of 100 acres, which is situated on the Joel Ehersole road, six miles northwest of Springfield, is a member of one of the old pioneer families of this section. He was born on a farm in Bethel Township, six miles from Springfield, June 24, 1821, and is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Keller) Eber- sole.

Jacob Ebersole, father of Joel, came to Clark County in 1810, with his father and his future father-in-law, John Keller. They settled on a farm in Bethel Town-

was born and reared. Jacob Ebersole married Sarah Keller and they had ten children, five sons and five daughters, all of whom, with one exception, reached ma- turity. The survivors are: Joel, who was the third in the order of birth. and John, who was the last born. Jacob Eber- sole was a farmer. He was a worthy, Christian man, being an elder in the Dunkard Church, and he performed the ceremonies of baptism, marriage and funeral for a large number of the fam- ilies in this part of the county in those early years. He died December 18, 1851, and was survived by his widow from Oc- tober, 1864. They were quiet, virtuous people, who found their greatest pleasure and happiness in working for the good of others. Both came of Revolutionary stock, their fathers entering the Patriot army when sixteen years of age and serv- ing like men, for six long years. Both were fine types of manhood, strong in body and courageous in spirit. Side by side they carried their muskets and side by side fought the enemy. Both escaped with their lives from the great struggle and both faced the future together in the wilds of Clark County, bringing their families with them from Lancaster Coun- ty, Pennsylvania. It was with the same friendly feeling that they secured their farms of 160 acres adjoining, and it gave them happiness to have the families united by the marriage between their ehil- dren. Both of the grandfathers of Mr. Ebersole were buried. full of years, in Clark County.

Joel Ebersole was reared to manhood abont one and one-half miles from his present home, and he resided with his

Digitized by Google

852

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

father until he was twenty-seven years of age. The main interest of his life has been farming. In 1854, four years after his marriage, he moved to Wells County, Indiana, where he resided for two years and ten months, at the end of this period returning to Clark County, at the earnest solicitation of his father-in-law, who de- sired Mr. Ebersole to assist him in the care of his three large farms.

On February 14, 1850, Joel Ebersole was married to Catherine Click, who was born in 1833, and they have the distinc- tion of being the oldest married couple in Clark County. She was reared on the present home farm, which has but recently been sold by Mr. Ebersole to his son, John H., from the age of three years. Her parents were Samuel and Mary (Garber) Click, who came to Ohio from Bridge- water, Virginia. They were very promi- nent in founding the Dunkard Church here and the father of Mrs. Ebersole was a man of large fortune. Mr. and Mrs. Ebersole have had eleven children, the four survivors being: John Henry, Clara B., Samuel W., and J. Grant. Five chil- dren died in infancy. John Henry Eber- sole, who now owns and operates the home farm, married Ida Grisso and they have five children: Ralph, Clarence, Orren, Alice and Ruth. Clara B. Ebersole mar- ried Neil Glass, who is manager of the Pacific Telephone Company, of Los An- geles, California. At the present writing (1908) Mrs. Glass is with her parents preparing to leave for her home at Los Angeles. She has resided prior to this for several years at Springfield and Chi- cago. Samuel W. Ebersole is a resident of German Township. He married Jen- nie Domer and they have two children.

Howard and Noah. J. Grant Ebersole, who is a commercial traveler for the Rey- nolds Company, at Piqua, Ohio, taught school for eleven years. Mary Elizabeth Ebersole, the oldest of the family, mar- ried Thomas Baker. She died May 3, 1904, leaving two children, Florence and Emma. Florence married Roy Ream of Northampton and has two children, Lu- ther and Catherine. Emma married Ver- non Swartzbangh and they have two chil- dren, Daisy and Russel. Phebe Hannah Ebersole died aged three years, four months and twenty-four days.

Mr. and Mrs. Ebersole have been per- mitted to pass a long life together and although they have had sorrows as well as joys, they have been greatly blessed in many ways. They have all the comforts that their declining years demand and have devoted children and grandchildren to surround them with affection. Both have been somewhat crippled by paraly- sis, but both have regained their usual health and find pleasure in family life, social communion and church attendance. They have remarkable memories and can entertain the passing stranger so well with their reminiscences of the past that he would fain prolong his visit. They are valned and beloved members of the Conservative Dunkard Church.

JONATHAN D. BAKER. general farmer and owner of valuable farming land in Mad River Township, Clark County, Ohio, consisting of forty-four acres on which he resides and forty-two acres farther down the township which he rents, was born November 17, 1844,

Dignized by Google

853

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

near his present residence, and is a son of Moses M. and Mary ( Davis) Baker.

The grandparents of Mr. Baker, Jonathan and Sarah (Mulfred) Baker, came to Ohio in 1798, from Elizabeth, New Jersey, having made the entire jour- ney over the mountains on horseback. With them came a family by the name of Miller and three of Mr. Baker's brothers. The entire party settled first near Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and six years later moved to Clark County, buying government land in Mad River Township for $1.25 an acre. The land purchased by the Baker and Miller families consisted of a traet two miles square and practically the en- tire purchase is owned by the descendants of the two families, Jonathan D. Baker's farm having been a part of the old home- stead. Jonathan Baker was one of the founders of the Christian Church in this section of Ohio, and was appointed a deacon, holding the office until he was in- capacitated on account of old age. This office has been in the Baker family for 103 years, the father of Jonathan D. hav- ing been elected upon the retirement of Jonathan Baker and he being succeeded by his son, J. D. Baker.

Jonathan Baker was married in New Jersey, where he followed the cooper trade, to Sarah Mulfred and to this union were born nine children, namely: Benja- min, Meline, Moses, Miller, Milton, Alfred and Jolin, sons, and Phoebe, who married Moses Wheeler, and Anna, who married William Layton, daughters. The death of Jonathan Baker occurred in 1840, being followed by the death of his wife in 1860, both passing away in Mad River Town- ship. Mrs. Baker was seventy-two years of age at the time of her death.

Moses M. Baker was born within forty rods of his son's present residence, in 1809, and the old log house in which he was born 'is still standing. He spent all of his boyhood in this township, and helped to clear the home place. At the age of eighteen he went to Springfield, Ohio, which was then but a small village, with but one tavern. While there he learned the brick-laying and plastering trade and was engaged in this work until 1836. During this period Mr. Baker, in company with a merchant of Springfield by the name of Charles Caveleer, took a trip to New York to purchase goods, the entire trip being made on horseback. Moses Baker was married in Springfield to Mary Davis, who came with her par- ents from Wales when nine years of age. At the time of his marriage he built a home on Factory Street, Springfield. This house, which is still standing, he subsequently sold, after which he pur- chased a farm east of the old Baker home place in Mad River Township, and here the remainder of his life was spent. Moses Baker died in 1881, aged seventy- two years, his wife's death having oc- curred sixteen years previously. in 1865, when in her fiftieth year. They had the following children: Robert, deceased; Sarah, who married John Shellabarger, both deceased; Miriam, Jasper, Jonathan D. and Mary, who died yonng.

Jonathan Dickenson Baker was given his second name after an ancestor by the name of Dickenson, who succeeded Aaron Burr in the presidency of Princeton Col- lege. His boyhood days were passed on the home farm and his primary education was received in the old brick school which

Dg ized by Google

854

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

was later attended by his children. He 1847 Edward Phleger came to Clark later entered Adrian College, at Adrian, Michigan, and for the succeeding eighteen years taught school, first in Michigan and later in Clark County, Ohio. In his earlier professional work he devoted his winters only to teaching, giving his sum- mers to farming, but in the last few years he taught he devoted nine months to the educational field.

J. D. Baker was married (first) in Sep- tember, 1874, to Agusta Wilson, who died in 1882, leaving two children, Ber- nard M., who resides in North Dakota, and Mary, who married A. Bradley, also lives in North Dakota. His second mar- riage occurred October 20, 1885, to Emna Gill, a danghter of James and Olive (Austin) Gill, and a native of Bridgeport, Ohio. James Gill was born in Virginia and his wife in Wheeling, West Virginia. Two children have been born to the sec- ond union: Horace Gill, who died aged two years, and Helen, who attends the Enon High School. Mr. Baker is affili- ated with the Enon Christian Church, having been a member since 1861, and is serving as deacon. Politically he is a Re- publiean.

JOHN L. PHLEGER, township treas- urer of Moorefield Township and a lead- ing farmer of this section of Clark Com- ty, where he owns 153 acres of excellent land and superintends the W. S. Thomas farm of several hundred acres, was born at New Moorefield Village, Clark County, Ohio, December 12,, 1859. His parents were Edward and Jane (Lynn) Phleger.

Edward Phleger was born in Mary- land and was a son of John Phleger. In

County and engaged in work as a miller, working first at the old Snyder Mill in Springfield Township and from there all through the county. At one time he owned the Moorefield Mill, in partnership with his father-in-law, Joseph Lynn. In 1861 he began to farm the place which his son, John L., now owns, and he continued here for the remainder of his life, his death taking place in 1901. He married Jane Lynn, who died in 1895, and of this union seven children were born.

John L. Phleger was reared at New Moorefield, and with the exception of three years spent at Selma, he has al- ways resided in sight of the village. His life has been a busy one, occupied with attending to large agricultural interests and to performing the duties of public of- fice. He was appointed township treasur- er to fill out the unexpired term of the late James Clark and assumed the duties of the office on May 1, 1906, and in the fall of 1907 he was elected township treasurer on the Republican ticket. He is a man of sterling integrity and as such he enjoys the wide-spread confidence of his fellow- citizens. He is a charter member of Moorefield Council, Junior Order of American Mechanics.

Mr. Phleger married Nettie McConkey, who is a daughter of Enos MeConkey, and they have one child, Williard. This son was born December 4. 1882.

W. H. SCHAUS, proprietor of the only exclusive china store in Springfield, has been for thirty years one of Springfield's most highly respected citizens and repre- sentative business men. He was born in

Dla zed by Google

855

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1857, and at the age of sixteen years went to Newark, Ohio, where he learned the stone-cutters' 1rade, having previously learned shoe- making. In 1877 he came to Springfield and here conducted a china store under the firm name of W. H. Schaus & Com- pany for about four and a half years. He then disposed of the business and for five years was engaged as a traveling sales- man for a Pittsburg house, after which he established his present business, in which he has since continued. He is a man of high principle, possessed of up- to-date business methods and the success attending his efforts is well merited.

Mr. Schaus is also interested in various other enterprises of this community, be- ing director and treasurer of the Lagonda Box Company, director and treasurer of the Fortuna Fruit Company, of Spring- field and Cuba, and director in the fol- lowing business concerns: The Spring- field National Bank; the Peoples Light, Heat & Power Co., the Springfield and Xenia Telephone Co., and the Springfield and New Carlisle Telephone Co. He is also a director and ardent supporter of the following: The Springfield Cemetery Association, the Law and Order League, the Humane Society, and the Y. M. C. A. He is also closely connected with the work of the Y. W. C. A., being one of its fiscal trustees. He is treasurer of the Clark County Sunday School Association. He was the first president of the City Coun- cil elected under the new municipal code in 1903. He also served on the Board of Elections for four years. He is a man of public spirit and has done much to advance and develop the interests of this city. He was one of the trustees of

the hospital at the time of its erection, and is a member and served as president of the Commercial Club in 1900. Dur- ing his term as vice-president of the Com- mercial Club in 1899, in the absence of the president he issued a call for a citi- zens' meeting for making arrangements to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city, and was selected as a member of the Executive Committee.

In 1886 Mr. Schaus was united in mar- riage to Miss Mollie MeClintock, a daugh- ter of John MeClintock, one of the pio- neers of Clark County. In January, 1905, he was deprived of the companionship of his wife and helpmate by death. Fra- fernally Mr. Schaus is past master of Clark Lodge, F. & A. M., and is a mem- ber of Moncrieffe Lodge, K. of P. He is a member of the Fourth Lutheran Church, being also one of its deacons, and super- intendent of the Sunday-school, and is always associated with the advancement of the plans of eivie righteousness.

C. S. OLINGER, a member of the Springfield bar, who has been a resident of this city since July 27, 1887, was born at Brighton, Clark County, Ohio, January 27, 1864, and is a son of Joseph C. Olinger.

Joseph C. Olinger was born in Augusta County. Virginia, and came to Clark County in 1846, locating at Brighton. He followed farming in that vicinity from that time until his death, which took place May 25, 1894.

C. S. Olinger was reared on his father's farm and after attending the schools at Brighton entered the Normal School at Valparaiso, Indiana, where he remained for almost three years, completing the

Digiized by Google

856

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

scientific course. For nine months there- after he taught the village school at Bright- on and then came to Springfield. Here he read law with the firm of Pringle & John- son, and was admitted to the bar in Octo- ber, 1889, immediately afterward opening an office in this city. He has taken an active part in public affairs and has been prominently identified with Republican politics. He was secretary of the Clark County Republican Central Committee during the late Senator Hanna's first campaign, and he served as a member of the Board of Education for three years. He has business interests at Springfield outside of his profession and is secretary and treasurer of the Bayonet Trolley Hasp Company, manufacturers of trolley hasps, trolley wheels and trolley poles and bases.

On August 1, 1895, Mr. Olinger was married to Mary E. Sparrow, of Spring- field, Ohio, and they have two children- Frances Marie and Robert Stanley. Mr. Olinger is a member of the Central Meth- odist Episcopal Church and is secretary of its board of trustees. He belongs to Monereiffe Lodge, Knights of Pythias, to Springfield Council No. 240, Junior Order United American Mechanics, and is a charter member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

WILSON WALHAY, owner of a fine farm of 109 acres, situated in Bethel Township, not far from Medway, on the Valley Turnpike, engages in general farm- ing and stock-raising. He was born July 15, 1853. on his father's farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of William and Catherine ( Rice) Walhay.

The grandfather was born in England and when he came to America he located on the farm in Adams County, on which his son William was subsequently born. The father was killed by runaway horses when William was only a lad, the young- est of the five children. With his widowed mother, William Walhay remained on the farm, which later came into his posses- sion by purchase. William Walhay was married (first) to Catherine Rice, who died aged forty-three years. They had six children : Eliakim, who died in 1907 ; Eliz- abeth, who is the wife of Oliver Karns; Angeline, who is the widow of Daniel Sheeley; John, who is deceased; Wilson; and Minnie, who married Dr. Stewart, of Carroll County, Maryland. William Wal- hay was married (second) to Mrs. Ruth Swope, who had a child by her former marriage.

Wilson Walhay was born and reared on the little farm on which his grandfather had first settled. It lies along Bear Mountain, and is about eight miles from the historic battlefield of Gettysburg. He remembers watching the progress of the battle from the top of the adjacent moun- tain. When he was sixteen years of age he went to Hagerstown, Maryland, where his uncle, Dr. T. Slusier, was practicing as a dentist, and after working for him for several months, became inspired with a desire to study dental surgery, but the money was lacking for college expenses and he was obliged to abandon the idea. In 1875, accompanied by William Betner, he came to Osborn, Ohio, and immediately secured employment on the farm of Mich- ael Kline, in Bethel Township. Mr. Wal- hay remained with Mr. Kline during the sneceeding winter, and then worked for

Dljiized by Google

857

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

two and one-half years for Andrew Monk and one and one-half years for Reuben Harnish. After he married he moved to Medway, and for one year worked by the day as a laborer and also raised tobacco and potatoes. Mr. Walhay then moved to the Andrew Mouk farm and operated it for six years, moving from there to the Tatman farm, a tract of 250 acres, where he remained for seventeen years. Dur- ing this period he laid the foundation of his present ample fortune and in the spring of 1898 he purchased his present farm, of Jacob Tippey. Here Mr. Wal- hay has carried on extensive agricultural operations ever since.

On January 14, 1880, Mr. Walhay was married to Margaret Mouk, who is a daughter of Andrew Mouk, and they have the following children: Bertha, who mar- ried John Beard, residing in Philadel- phia; Harry; Eva; Ward, who is em- ployed in the office of the auditor of the C .. B. & I. Railroad; Mary and Rita. Mr. Walhay is a member of the Lutheran Church at Osborn, in which he is a dea- con. Politically he is identified with the Republican party. Mr. Walhay is an ex- ample of a self-made man. When he came to Clark County, his whole capital was fifty cents.

RICHARD HENRY RODGERS. whose large business interests have been mainly concerned with Springfield enter- prises, was born September 23, 1836, at Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, where his family, coming from old pioneer stock, has been prominent for many years. He was educated in his native city, completing his course at Witten-

berg College. He was seventeen years of age when he became a clerk in a local drug store, and later he was for several years a member of the office force of the Sandusky Railroad. At this period his unele was cashier of the Clark County Bank, and thus a promising opening was offered the young man and he became connected with the bank and remained with it until its reorganization, in 1857. Mr. Rodgers then left his native city for the first time, accepting a position with a wholesale and retail carpet house at St. Louis, Missouri, but one year later he returned to Springfield, and subsequent- ly was appointed deputy county treas- urer, in which capacity he served for five years. In the meantime he had been con- sidering a business proposition which re- sulted in his embarking in a book and stationery enterprise, in partnership with Captain E. P. Ransom, under the firm name of Ransom and Rodgers. After retiring from the county treas- urer's office, Mr. Rodgers gave his entire time to the book business, attending to all its details, while Mr. Ransom served in the army. After the latter's return Mr. Rodgers bought his interest, and con- tinued to operate his book store until 1867. At this date he purchased an in- terest in a business already established at Springfield, which later became known as the firm of Thomas, Ludlow and Rodg- ers, continuing thus until November 1, 1893, when the firm was merged into the Superior Drill Company. This subse- quently became a part of the American Seeding Company, which is still engaged in the manufacture of drills.

As indicative of Mr. Rodgers' grasp of business it may be mentioned that he is

Digitized by Google

858

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

vice president and a director of the First National Bank of Springfield; president of Mast, Foos & Company; president of the Springfield Gas Engine Company, builders of gas and gasoline and traction engines, and president of the Corrugated Steel Nail Company, of which his twin brother, Isaac W., is treasurer. The lat- ter is also president of the Patric Manu- facturing Company. Both Mr. Rodgers and his brother reside at No. 206 North Limestone Street.

Mr. Rodgers was married in 1866 to Alice Kilgore, and they had three chil- dren-Charles Kilgore, Robert S., and Effie S., the last mentioned of whom died in infancy. Charles Kilgore Rodgers married Florence Mast, and died October 27, 1902, leaving one son, Richard Mast. His wife died in April, 1901. Robert S. Rodgers married Edith Winwood, and resides in Springfield, where he is super- intendent of the manufacturing depart- ment of the American Seeding Machine Co. He has one daughter, Alice K. Mrs. Alice Rodgers died February 12, 1884.

Mr. Rodgers is an excellent type of the modern business man, alert and progres- sive, yet careful and thorough-one who, while conducting enterprises of world- wide fame, still finds time to interest himself in various matters pertaining to the welfare of his native city, promoting her religious, charitable and philan- thropic causes and institutions. With his family, he is identified with the Pres- byterian Church.

WILLIAM L. SNYDER, proprietor of Snyder's flouring mill, which is situated on the Valley Turnpike Road about one

and a quarter miles north and west of the corporation lines of Springfield, is one of the largest landowners of Clark County. He was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, March 28, 1858, and is a son of Christian and Amanda (Layton) Sny- der.

Henry Snyder, the grandfather of Will- iam L., was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where he learned the mill- ing business. At a somewhat early day be settled in Dayton, Ohio, where he lived for one year before coming to Clark Coun- ty, where the remainder of his life was spent. In 1825 he built the mill which is owned by his grandson, William L., and it is situated on a farm of 415 acres. Henry Snyder had five sons.

Christian Snyder, father of William L., was a babe when his parents came to Clark County, where he spent his life, his death taking place in 1907. For many years he operated Snyder's mill and was also engaged in a distillery business.

William L. Snyder was educated in the country schools and at the celebrated Mo- ravian Academy at Nazareth, Pennsyl- vania. His agricultural interests are large, as he owns almost 1,000 acres of land. It is divided into three farms, Mr. Snyder residing on his mill property, where he has a fine brick residence, which he completely remodeled in 1899. He has named his place "The Park Farm," which, on account of its location and nat- ural and artificial beauties, it is very aptly called. He raises horses, cattle and stock. In 1899 M .. Snyder installed the Rich- mond milling machinery in his mill and his prodnets are feed and flour, he making two special brands of the latter: "The Pride of the Valley" and "Solid Com-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 88

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