A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 52

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806

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In his early manhood Mr. Fowler taught school during the winter seasons in the rural school districts of his native county and of Randolph county, Indiana, receiving for his services from ten to twelve dollars per month and boarding around by turns with the dif- ferent patrons of the schools he taught ; and during the spring and summer seasons he hired out as a farm hand by the month, re- ceiving for his services from eight to twelve dollars per month and his washing and mend- ing additional. He now devotes, and has for several years devoted, his attention to farming, the rearing of hogs, cattle and horses, and is a reader of the local papers, two general weekly newspapers and two farm journals. He is what may well be termed a self made man, and has held many minor positions of private and public trust.

He is the owner of one hundred acres of excellent land, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation, and his son, Ed-

ward F., has seventy-six acres adjoining. The latter, with the help of a hired man, now cultivates both tracts, while our subject lives somewhat retired, though he still attends to his garden and drives home the cows. He is now seventy-seven years of age, and his wife. who does all the work for her household, is sixty-eight years of age. They still enjoy good health and are in full possession of all their faculties. They are widely and favor- ably known and have a host of warm per- sonal friends.

HARMON C. COPPESS.

Harmon C. Coppess is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Richland town- ship, Darke county. He was born there April 2, 1860, and throughout his life has been interested in agricultural pursuits. In his early youth he worked in the fields, as- sisting in the cultivation of crops from the time of early planting in the spring until harvests were garnered in the late autumn. The public schools afforded him his educa- tional privileges and therein he gained the knowledge which has made him a practical business man. When he had arrived at years of maturity he chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss Florence Brewer, the wedding being celebrated on the 4th of September, 1881. She is a native of Darke county, her birth having occurred in Adams township. March 18, 1860, her par- ents being Alfred and Mary J. (Rice) Brewer. She was educated in the common schools, and by her marriage she had three children, namely : Ollie O., who is a student in the Ansonia high school and has also been a student in music ; Ivy and John C. The mother was called to her final rest June 29. 1899. She was a member of the Christian

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church, and her loss was felt throughout the entire community, for she was known as a lady of many excellent qualities. of kindly manner and genial disposition.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Coppess began the operation of the old homestead farm, which he rented for two years. On the expiration of that period he purchased forty acres, which he afterward sold and again operated his father's farm for four years. When that interval had elapsed he turned his attention to merchandising and the grain business in Dawn, being thus en- gaged for seven months, after which he be- gan the operation of a gristmill. On dispos- ing of his interest in that property he pur- chased eighty-eight acres of land in Brown township and has since lived upon that farm. A glance at the place indicates that the owner is one of the practical and progressive agri- culturists of his community, for everything is neat and thrifty in appearance and kept in first class condition. His practical training in farm work in his youth made him well fitted for the labors of manhood, and at the present time the well tilled fields yield to him a gold- en tribute for the care and labor he bestows upon them.

Mr. Coppess votes with the Democracy and first upheld its banners by his ballot in 1884, when Grover Cleveland was a candi- date for the presidency. The public school system finds in him a stanch advocate, and he is at present serving as a member of the board. He belongs to the Christian church at Stelvideo and aided in its erection. He belongs to one of the best known families in Richland township, and his career is credit- able to the family history. Passing his en- tire life in the county, he has become widely known, and the fact that many of his stanch- est friends are those who have known him

from boyhood is an indication that his career is one that has ever been worthy of commen- dation and respect.

MICHAEL LOY.

This well known and honored citizen of Jackson township. Darkę county, Ohio, was born November 14. 1827. His grandfather. Jacob Loy was born in Washington county, Maryland, in 1766, of German parentage, and became a fair German scholar. He saw George Washington and Cornwallis when the latter was a prisoner. He married Bar- bara Bock and three of their eight children were born before leaving Maryland. In 1 800 they moved to Cincinnati, which at that time contained only a few huts and Camp Washington. After spending a short time there they located in Preble county, where Mr. Loy entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. The country was very wild, In- dians were numerous, and the few settlers were widely scatered. Mr. Loy built a log cabin upon his farm on Twin Creek, cleared nearly all his land, and followed the cooper's trade. He was a supporter of the Demo- cratic party and an active man of the German Lutheran church. serving as a trustee for many years. He died upon his farm January 1, 1854, aged eighty-eight years, and his wife, who was badly injured in shooting a deer, died in 1851 or 1852, aged eighty-four years.

Jacob Loy, the father of our subject, was born in Maryland, in 1794, and was nearly seven years of age when the family came to Ohio. He was never able to attend school, but taught himself as well as he could, and acquired an excellent knowledge of farm work at home. In March, 1816, he married

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Susanna Temple, also of Maryland, and a daughter of John Temple. He rented land in Twin creek until 1832, when he purchased one hundred and sixty acres from Christian Kuhn for five hundred dollars. At that time there were no roads or public schools in the locality, and while serving as a school direc- tor hie built a schoolhouse with money from his own pocket. He improved his land and built thereon a log house and stable. He was very stout, hardy and rugged, and a good farmer and all-around man. He served as a private in the war of 1812 and was stationed at Fort Nesbit for six months. Politically he was originally a Democrat, and supported Andrew Jackson for his first term, but later became a Whig and finally a Republican. Religiously he was a member of the German Reformed church. He died in 1885, and his wife departed this life in 1855. Their chil- dren were Conrad. a successful brickmaker and general contractor ; George, who died in 1846, aged twenty-eight years ; Greenberry, a farmer ; David, a resident of Greene coun- ty. Ohio; Mrs. Catherine Fritz; Mrs. Mary Gettner: Michael, our subject; Lewis, a farmer; John, who died in 1864; and Jacob Harvey, a farmer.

Michael Loy began his education in a hewed-log schoolhouse, and after acquiring a fair district-school education he followed farming until his marriage in 1849. when he turned his attention to brick-making. From 1851 to 1858 he cultivated a rented farm, and after moving to his own farm of forty-five acres in the latter year he often rented other land also. He has drained his land, erected all of the buildings thereon, and has success- fully engaged in general farming.

In 1849 Mr. Loy married Miss Abigail Evans, who was born in Montgomery coun- ty, Ohio, in 1825, a daughter of John Evans,

and to them were born five children, concern- ing whom we record items as follows : Isaac Newton received a good public-school educa- tion and is now the pastor of the Reformed church at Versailles ; Mary E. is the wife of Solomon Hart ; Jacob Henry, who is at home with his parents, married Catherine Null, a native of Union City, and they have two sons. David Earl and John Russell, now in school; Conrad Madison married Laura Rowe and followed farming : and Clara Belle is the wife of James M. Lea.

In 1864, during the Civil war, Mr. Loy enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Fifty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Creveston, and took a wagon train to General Hunter, remaining in active serv- ice until the company was mustered out. He is now an honored member of the Mc- Pherson Post, G. A. R. He cast his first presidential vote for Zachary Taylor, and is now an ardent supporter of the Republican party, but has never cared for political pre- ferment, though he served eight years as school director. He is an advocate of temper- ance principles and is an active and consistent member of the Reformed church, in which he has served as deacon for twelve years.

HARVEY HILL.

A biographical record of Mississinawa township would be incomplete were there failure to mention Harvey Hill, who is an enterprising farmer living on section 20. Ohio numbers him among her native sons, for he was born in Clermont county, January 15, 1838. His father, Nathan Hill, was a native of the same locality, born August I, 1806. and the grandfather, Thomas Hill, was born in North Carolina. He there be- came the owner of a plantation and a number

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of slaves, but he left his bondsmen in North Carolina, save one old negro, Uncle Dick, who was very much attached to him and fol- lowed him to Ohio, on his removal to the Buckeye state, about 1801. Thomas Hill became one of the pioneer residents of Cler- mont county, taking up his abode in the midst of the forest. He wedded a southern lady, a wealthy planter's daughter, who knew nothing of work or of pioneer life, but she possessed a heroic spirit and became a prac- tical housewife, proving to her husband an able helpmate. She reared a large family of sons and daughters, but all are now de- ceased. One daughter, Mrs. Sarah South, removed to Danville, Indiana. The mother of these children after her husband's death made her home with her son, Nathan Hill. When called to her final rest her remains were interred in the old family burying ground by the side of Thomas Hill. The farm has now passed out of the possession of the family, but Mr. Hill has a description and deed of the old tract of two hundred and fifty acres where his grandfather settled be- fore Ohio was admitted to the Union. This was divided into four sections in 1822. The Hill ancestors were Irish, and at the time of the Revolutionary war Thomas Hill became one of the loyal Colonial soldiers who aided in establishing the independence of the nation.

On the maternal side our subject is de- scended from one of the old families of Ohio. His father. Nathan Hill, on attaining man's estate was joined in wedlock, in Clermont county, to Mary Ann Frazee, who was born in that county, December 8, 1816. a daughter of John Frazee, whose wife bore the maiden name of Miss Higbee. Their marriage oc- curred June 29. 1837, and was blessed with seven children : Harvey, of this review ; Ja-

cob, who died in infancy ; Elizabeth, who was born in 1842 and died in 1843; Albert F., who was born in January. 1844, and died the same year: William, who was born in De- cember, 1844, and now resides with his fam- ily in Anderson, Indiana ; John F., who was born December 15, 1846, and is now living in Chicago. whither he went in 1891 and during the World's Fair made ten thousand dollars in the hotel business, so that he is now comfortably situated in life; and the youngest child of the family, a son, died in infancy. The mother died June 1, 1849, and the father afterward wedded Elizabeth Bricker. His last days were spent upon the old homestead farm, where he died August 7. 1869. He had located thereon in 1854, purchasing a quarter-section of rich timber land, on the river bottoms, and in order to build a cabin he had to clear away the trees, for the forest was very dense. His first home was a very primitive one and the family lived in true pioneer style. Deer, turkeys and all kinds of small game were very plentiful and the subject of this review has often shot wild game, thus supplying the table with meat.

Harvey Hill began his education in the old-time school-house, with its puncheon floors. slab seats, greased-paper windows and roughly made writing desks. He attended school from four to six months in a year dur- ing his early boyhood and was afterward in school only during the winter season. He was early inured to the arduous labor of de- veloping and improving land and in early life not only worked for his father but was also employed by others in preparing the land for the plow. On leaving the home farm, at the age of twenty-three, he worked out in the county until 1864, when he removed to Illi- nois, spending some time in McLean and Livingston counties, also a part of one season

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in Iowa. On the expiration of that period he returned to the old homestead.

On the 17th of November, 1873. Mr. Hill was united in marriage, at the age of thirty- four years, to Martha Ellen Matthews, who was born in Preble county, August 5, 1854. a daughter of Robert Matthews. They lo- cated in the old home which the father had erected in 1854, and their union was blessed with two children : William Jesse, who was born November 2. 1874, and Amy Grace, who was born March 8, 1880, and is now the wife of Charles Jones, by whom she has a little son, Claudius Jones. Mrs. Hill died March 22, 1895. She was a woman of many excellent. characteristics, respected and es- teemed by a large circle of friends, and her loss was deeply mourned throughout the en- tire community.

Mr. Hill devotes his time and energies to general farming and is the owner of eighty-five acres of rich and arable land which he keeps under a high state of cultiva- tion. Like most of the farmers of this local- ity he has given much attention to the raising of corn and hogs and also raises some cattle. His business affairs have been earnestly pros- ecuted and his diligence and careful manage- ment have secured to him a comfortable com- petence. He has followed in the political footsteps of his father, who cast his first pres- idential vote for General Jackson, and is a stanch Democrat in his political belief. In 1870 he was elected township clerk, in which office he served for thirteen consecutive years and for six years he has served as a justice of the peace, discharging his duties with marked promptness and impartiality. He was also township trustee for five years, has been a member of the board of education for six years and is now serving his third year as infirmary director. He is a citizen whose

devotion to the public welfare is most marked, and his official prerogatives as well as his efforts in private life are exercised for the benefit of those measures which he be- lieves will contribute toward the public good. He has served for thirty years in office and has yet to meet the first political defeat.

Mr. Hill has in his possession an illus- trated primer which his father studied on first attending school, and this is a much- prized heirloom. He has long been a wit- ness to the development of this section of the state and from pioneer days down to the present time the name of Hill has been asso- ciated with all that is best and most com- mendable in connection with the public affairs and progress of his part of the Buck- eye state.

FRANK M. WHITACRE.

Frank M. Whitacre is a representative farmer of Mississinawa township in whom his fellow citizens have manifested their trust and confidence by electing him to public of- fice. He resides on section 26, and was born on this farm February 15. 1858. His grand- father was Jonas Whitacre, who died in 1818, after which his widow married a Mr. Baldwin and died about 1827. By her first marriage she had four sons and two daugh- ters and by the second union had two chil- dren. After the death of the mother they were scattered, going to live with strangers, but on attaining their majority each re- ceived two hundred dollars from the old es- tate. The old Baldwin home is still owned by Benjamin Baldwin, who was a child of his father's first marriage and is now a wealthy resident of the county.

Francis B. Whitacre. the father of our subject, was born in Warren county, Ohio,

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in 1815, and sixty years ago came to Darke county, taking up his abode upon the farm where his son Frank now resides. It was then a wild tract on which the native timber grew so thickly that he had to cut away the trees in order to make room for a little cabin. The log house which he erected is still stand- ing, having been weatherboarded since that time, and is a mute reminder of the progress which has occurred through the passing years, making this one of the best developed sections of the entire state. Mr. Whitacre married Nancy Replogle, a daughter of Philip Replogle, who was the first settler of this locality. His descendants are still wide- ly and favorably known in this part of Ohio. The parents of our subject were married Oc- tober 8, 1837 and unto them were born five sons and five daughters: John R., who was born in July, 1838, and is living in Lights- ville ; Jacob G., who was born September 21, 1840, and is living in Mississinawa township : Robert, who was born September 5. 1842, and is now living in Jay county, Indiana ; Nancy A., who became the wife of Reuben Barnhart and died July 17, 1873, when al- most thirty years of age; Larissa R., who married James Barnhart and died November 3. 1867, at the age of nineteen years and four months; Frederick, who was born Sep- tember 2, 1849, and is living on a farm ad- joining the old homestead; Sarah E., who died at the age of eighteen years; Rachel A., at home ; Mary J., who died at the age of twenty-six years ; and Frank, of this review. Of this family three brothers, John R., Ja- cob G. and Robert B., were soldiers in the civil war. The first named joined the Fifty-second Ohio Infantry for the one-liun- dred-day service, while Jacob and Robert were members of the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infantry, the former enlisting

for three years, and was wounded in the hip, the injury being quite a serious one. Robert was incarcerated in Libby prison for nearly three months and both endured many of the hardships which fall to the lot of the soldier in camp and on the field of battle. The inother of our subject was called to her final rest March 31. 1895, when seventy-six years of age.

Frank M. Whitacre received his educa- tion in the common schools. He has never been away from home for any length of time, having always lived upon the old farmstead, in whose fields he has labored day after day in the cultivation of the crops, which have re- turned good harvests in the early summer and the golden autumn. He was married, January 25, 1882, to Miss Mary Ware, of Eaton, Preble county, a daughter of Kerry and Catharine (De Land) Ware, both of whom are living in Union City. Their mar- riage has been blessed with four children: Josie M., Walter D., Rosa L. and Fern M. The three younger children are in school. The family is one of prominence in the com- munity and Mr. and Mrs. Whitacre enjoy the hospitality of the best homes in this sec- tion of the state.

Farming has been Mr. Whitacre's life occupation. For twenty years he has culti- vated the old homestead place of one hun- dred and twenty acres, and like most of the agriculturists of the community raises corn, wheat and hay, making a specialty of the last named, for his upland meadows yield a splendid quality of hay. He also raises horses and cattle and the sales of his stock and farm products bring him an excellent in- come. He is now regarded as one of the prosperous and progressive farmers of the community, and has a fine property whose I neat and thrifty appearance indicates to every

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passerby his careful supervision. In his po- litical views he is a stanch Republican and, thoughi living in a Democratic township, has frequently been called to public office. He was the township clerk for four years, has been notary public for the past nine years, and was appointed census enumerator for his township in May, 1900. He holds member- ship in the United Brethren church, is the circuit steward and has acted as teacher and superintendent of the Sunday-schools. His life is upright an honorable, unclouded by a shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, and his useful career is in many respects well worthy of emulation.

MRS. DELIA VIOLA TAYLOR.

Mrs. Taylor, a highly esteemed and hon- oner citizen of Arcanum, Darke county, Ohio, was born in Tarlton, this state, April 30, 1849, and is a daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Van Tress) Bitler, both natives of Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandfather, George Bitler, was born in Lancaster, Penn- sylvania, and from there removed to Lan- caster, Ohio, where he owned and operated a large iron foundry for some time and later lived retired. He finally moved to Missouri and located near Edina, where he owned large tracts of farming land, and there died. He was twice married.

Michael Bitler, Mrs. Taylor's father, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and was only four years old when brought by his parents to Lancaster, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and married. At the age of nine- teen years he was licensed to preach in the United Brethren church, but as he afterward joined the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows while that church was opposed to se- cret societies, he entered the Methodist Epis-

copal ministry, joining the Cincinnati con- ference. He was the chaplain of the Forty- seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. He preached in Cincinnati two years and in the suburbs of that place for many years, but finally removed to Ithaca, Darke county, where he remained for a short time, and then came to Arcanum, where he practiced medicine until his death, having graduated at a medical college during his younger years. He died May 10, 1889, aged seventy years, and his wife died May 25, 1896, aged seventy-six years. They were the parents of ten children, namely: Clin- ton, who died at the age of eighteen years; Mary C., who died in infancy; Sarah, de- ceased wife of Z. H. Delapp; Samuel, a resi- dent of Gordon, Darke county; Isadore, the wife of Joseph Brown, of Columbus, Ohio; Delia Viola, our subject; John, a resident of Galveston, Indiana; Mary, the wife of Rev. J. Klingel, of Devil's Lake, North Da- kota; Emma, the wife of Professor B. F. Peters, of Indiana; and Leota, the wife of William Mummert, of Wawaka, Indiana.

During her girlhood Mrs. Taylor attend- ed the public schools, completing her educa- tion at Ithaca, this county. On the 13th of September , 1863, she gave her hand in mar- riage to Jolin Smith, a prominent merchant of Arcanum, who was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1828, a son of Jesse and Christina (Dietrick) Smith, also natives of tliat county. In 1835 he removed with his parents to Preble county, Ohio, where he made his home until 1850, and then came to Sampson, Darke county, where he remained about a year. In 1851 he took up liis resi- dence in Arcanum and embarked in general merchandising, opening the first store in the place. His popularity, strict integrity and honorable dealing soon won for him an ex-

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cellent trade, which was second to none in the county. He died February 18, 1890, hon . ored and respected by all who knew him. In 1851 he married Sophia McNutt, who died February 7. 1859, leaving three children, namely : Milton W., Leonidas H. and The- ophilus D., all living at the present time. By his second marriage he had eight children : Elmer Ellsworth, who died in infancy; Ed- win Stanton; Bertelle; Roy; Maud C., the wife of Eldredge Faulkner; Mamie Wini- fred, who died at the age of five years ; John A .; and Chester, who died in infancy. On the 14th of September, 1894. our subject married W. Scott Taylor, but has no chil- dren by this union. She is a lady of cult- ure, refinement and high social qualities, and has a large circle of friends and acquaint- ances in Arcanum where she makes her home.

JOHN CHAMBERS ARNOLD.

Wherever there is pioneer work to be done men of energy and ability are required and success or failure depends upon the de- gree of those qualities. In wresting the land of Darke county from its native wildness; in fitting it for the habitation of men; in de- veloping the natural resources of the com- munity in which they live, few if any have contributed more largely than Mr. Arnold. whose home is on section 13, Neave town- ship, and it is meet and proper that for the arduous and important labor he has per- formed he should receive due reward.

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A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 52

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 806

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806