USA > Ohio > Darke County > A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography > Part 93
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Mayor Wallace attended the public schools of Union City until eighteen years of age, and was then a student at St. Mary's Institute, Dayton, Ohio, for nine months. At the close of his school life he was em- ployed as a salesman for the Peter Kuntz Lumber Company three years, and then com- menced the study of law in the office of Williams & Bolen, with whom he remained six months and was with Bell & Ross one year. Since reaching man's estate he has taken quite an active and prominent part in public affairs and at the age of twenty- one was elected a member of the city coun-
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cil. A year later he resigned that position to become city solicitor and at the age of twenty-five was elected a justice of the peace, which office he filled for three years. In the spring of 1900 he was elected mayor on the Democratic ticket by a majority of eighty-five votes, which was the largest ma- jority ever given a city officer in Union City, and that position he is now most cred- itably and acceptably filling. He is wide- awake, energetic and progressive, and has made a remarkable record for a young man of his years, and undoubtedly a brilliant fu- ture awaits him.
GEORGE E. NISWONGER.
George E. Niswonger, county commis- sioner of Darke county, Ohio, is one of the representative men of the county and be- longs to a family whose residence in the state of Ohio covers many years and whose settlement in America dates back to the colonial period.
John Niswonger, the great-great-grand- father of George E. Niswonger, was born in Germany, and on his emigration to this country took up his abode in Virginia. Ile was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His son. John, the great-grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in Rockingham county, Vir- ginia, where his early life was spent on a plantation. In that state he married Eliza- beth Circle, and about 1804- they came out to what was then called the "Western Re- serve" and settled in Clay township, Mont- gomery county, Ohio. Here he entered half a section of government land, developed a farm and on it passed his remaining years, his death occurring in 1848, when he was about sixty years of age. His wife died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Samuel
Baker, in Monroe township, Darke county, when over seventy years of age. They were members of the Dunkard church. Their children were as follows: George; John, who married Susie Warner and is still liv- ing, having reached the age of eighty-five years ; Nicholas, whose death was caused by a runaway horse at the place where Pitts- burg now stands. He was twice married, his first union being with Leah Shaffer, after whose death he chose for his second wife Lucinda Boyd; Eli, who died in Clay town- ship, Montgomery county ; Nellie, who mar- ried Jacob Swank, and is now deceased ; Mollie, the wife of Samuel Baker, of Mon- roe township, Darke county ; and Elizabeth, the deceased wife of Samuel Baker.
George Niswonger, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1809, and there spent his life. He married Elizabeth Warner, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of David and Esther (Brum- baugh) Warner. She was brought by her parents to Ohio when she was an infant and died at the age of fifty-eight years. After her death he married for his second wife Susan Hinsey. He died at the age of seventy-one years. He was prosperous in his business affairs and at one time was the owner of six hundred acres of land. There were no children by his second marriage. The children by his first wife were as fol- lows : David, who was married in this town- ship to Carrie Peffley and is now deceased ; Eli, the father of George Niswonger ; Cath- erine, the wife of John Peffley, of Mont- gomery county, Ohio; Mary, the wife of Joseph Wenger, of Montgomery county; and Moses, who married Marie Murray and resides in the state of Michigan.
Eli Niswonger, the father of the subject
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of this review, was born in Clay township, Montgomery county, August 31, 1836, and spent his youth on his father's farm, receiv- ing his early education in one of the prim- itive log school houses of that place. After lie reached his majority he attended school for a time in Dayton. He was married, in December, 1859, to Miss Mary Ann Cauff- man, a native of Little York, Montgomery county, her birth having occurred in June, 1838. Her parents, Jesse and Eliza (Mc- ·Chord) Cauffman, were natives of Pennsyl- vania. After their marriage they lived on the old Niswonger homestead in Clay town- ship for two years, after which they came to Darke county, and settled on a tract of wild land, ninety acres in extent, in Monroe township, where he devoted liis energies to the work of clearing and improving a farm. He built a lewed-log house, 20x24 feet, and two stories high, containing four rooms, and here they lived in pioneer style for a num- ber of years. In 1889 he sold his farm and retired to Pittsburg where he has since re- sided. He and his wife are true to the faith in which they were reared, being consistent members of the Dunkard church. Politically he is a Democrat. The children of this worthy couple are as follows : Ella, the wife of Charles Delk, of Pittsburg, Ohio; Belle, the twin sister of Ella, married A. Ersen- borger and is now deceased ; Ola, who mar- ried Maggie Smith and now lives in New York city: George: Jesse, who married Dora Hamel and now resides in Pittsburg. Ohio; and William, who married Myrtle Stauffer and now makes his home in Pittsburg, Ohio; Ira, who was a twin brother of Jesse and died at the age of two years ; and Webster, who died in infancy.
George E. Niswonger, whose name in- troduces this review, was born upon the old
homestead farm in Monroe township, Darke county, March 18. 1866. There he was reared to manhood, his time being devoted to the work of the farm through the summer months, while in the winter seasons he pur- sued his education in the public schools. He first attended district school No. 4, his teach- er being Mr. Wanzer. Afterward a school house was built on the corner of his father's farm and there he continued his studies 1111- til nineteen years of age. During the periods of vacation he followed the plow and assisted in harvesting the crops, remaining with his father until his marriage, which occurred on the Ist of March, 1886, Miss Nancy Behrer becoming his wife. She was born in Miami county and is a daughter of Ebizah [Abijah] Rohrer. For a year after his marriage Mr. Niswonger remained upon his father's farnı and then engaged in the butchering business for more than a year. He afterward re- moved to Pittsburg. where he carried on business as a stock dealer and was thus en- gaged until the spring of 1899, when he was elected county commissioner. He was chosen to that office in the Democratic ticket, receiving a majority of nine hundred and thirty-two votes, and in the discharge of his duties he manifested such fidelity and marked ability that he has won the commendation of the majority of the citizens of Darke county.
In 1888 Mr. Niswonger was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 3d of February of that year. They had one child, born August 23, 1887. On the 17th of December, 1890, Mr. Niswonger was again married, the second union being with Frances Strader, who was born in Twin township, Darke county, on the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1869, a daughter of Emanuel and Molly ( Fisher) Strader. By that marriage
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there were two children, but the elder died in infancy unnamed. The younger is Wal- ter S., who was born September 4, 1893. Mr. Niswonger is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Arcanum Lodge, No. 341, and to the en- campment. He is also connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity, of Arcanum and is a popular and highly esteemed citi- zen, who keeps well informed in the issues of the day and does everything in his power to promote the welfare and prosperity of his township and county.
ADAM S. COPPESS.
Adam S. Coppess, a prominent repre- sentative of the agricultural interests of Jackson township, belongs to one of the old- est and most highly respected families of Darke county, his grandfather, Adam Cop- pess, having taken up his abode here in 1819, only two years after Jacob Hartle, the first white settler, located within its borders. He was of Dutch extraction and a blacksmith by trade, being the first to follow that oc- cupation in this county. On first coming to Ohio from North Carolina he located in Greene county, and it is said that he had to hide to keep from being murdered by the Indians. In Darke county he entered land for himself and sons, made a clearing and built a log house, which stood for a number of years. He took an active part in laying out the roads in his locality, cleared many acres of land and in connection with work at his trade manufactured cowbells by hand. In politics he was a Democrat and in relig- ious belief a Lutheran. He died at the age of seventy-four years and his wife survived him several years. Before leaving North Carolina he married a Miss Mock, whom
our subject well remembers, and to them were born the following children: John, David, Peter, Adam, Alfred and Daniel, all farmers : Mrs. Phœbe Horning, Mrs. Mary Frampton, Mrs. Elizabeth Brewer, Mrs. Catherine Harney and Mrs. Sarah Robison.
John Coppess, the father of our subject, was born in North Carolina and was only six years old when brought by his parents to this state. The family had owned a negro slave, who was set free on their arrival here. John Coppess attended the subscription schools to a limited extent, but was mainly self-educated, and being fond of reading he became a well informed man. He was very ingenious and able to engage in almost any occupation, including blacksmithing, carpentering and farming. He also followed the trade of a fuller for some time, and later operated a water-power saw-mill until steam came into general use, when he turned his attention to general farming, owning three hundred and fifty acres of land, including a part of the old homestead. Returning to Greene county, he married Mrs. Susanna ( Stevenson) McFarland, a native either of Kentucky or Virginia. Her father was a scout in the war of 1812 and saw much active service under General Wayne. He afterward received a land grant in recogni- tion of his services. Our subject's paternal grandfather also took part in the same war. Mrs. Coppess was fairly well educated and was a great bible student. Her children were Andrew, a farmer and stock raiser of Iowa; Adam S., our subject; Jacob P., a farmer of Ansonia, this county ; and B. F., now a resident of Greenville. For his sec- ond wife the father married Rhoda Horny, who died leaving three children: John, a justice of the peace ; and Pyrus and Peter, both school teachers. Most of the family
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held membership in the Presbyterian church and the father was a Democrat in political sentiment.
In an old cabin on the homestead in Rich- land township Adam S. Coppess was born October 2, 1833. He began his education in a subscription school, but after attending fifteen days he broke his arm and was forced to remain at home for some time. At the age of eleven he entered the public schools, where he pursued his studies three months during the year until he was fifteen, and though his advantages were limited he ac- quired a fair education. He aided his fa- ther in the labors of the farm until seven- teen years of age and then began earning his own livelihood, though he remained at home until he attained his majority. During the following three years he managed his fa- ther's business, and in 1857 purchased eighty acres of his present farm on section 24, Jackson township, which at that time was practically new land and had to be drained before it was ready for cultivation. He now has a fine farm of one hundred and ninety acres, though he at one time owned four hundred and forty acres. He is suc- cessfully engaged in general farming and stock raising and also devotes some atten- tion to the dairy business.
On the 4th of June, 1854, Mr. Coppess married Miss Sarah A. Davison, who was born in Richland township, this county. April 6, 1834, a daughter of Robert and Mary (Stratton) Davison. They have five chil- dren, all of whom were provided with good educational advantages. James Madison, the eldest, follows farming: Robert F. is a druggist and physician of Alger, Ohio, and was educated in Cincinnati; Andrew J. is engaged in farming on the old homestead; Stephen A. attended school in Toronto and
Cincinnati, and is now a veterinary surgeon and horse dealer of Ridgeville, Ohio; and Mary E. is the wife of George Russ, and they have one child, Adam Paul.
In religious faith Mr. Coppess is a Uni- versalist, and in political sentiment is a Dem- ocrat. He has efficiently served as road su- pervisor, was school d'rector twenty-seven years and clerk of the board when every brick school house was built. Socially .he is a member of Ansonia Lodge, No. 488, F. & A. M. He is a very entertaining man, possesses a good fund of general informa- tion and is very hospitable.
HENRY WILLIAMS.
Henry Williams is a retired farmer of Rossville and an honored veteran of the civil war. He was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, July II, 1825. Before his birth his father had died and he was reared by Michael Castle until he was twelve years of age. He accompanied Mr. Castle to Will- iamsburg, Montgomery county, Ohio, and continued under his roof for a time. He has depended entirely upon his own efforts since the age of twelve years. He worked as a day laborer and as a farm hand, scorn- ing no employment that would yield him an honest living. As the years passed he was enabled to save some capital, which he in- vested in land, and its cultivation brought to him a good financial return. He was married January 9, 1850, to Sarah Replogle, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Gos- sand) Replogle. Since that time he has en- gaged in farming, following agricultural pursuits mostly in Wooster and Allen town- ships. In 1856 he settled on a tract of land of thirty-two acres and after the war he added to his property until it comprised sev-
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enty-three acres of rich land. He afterward sold a portion of that, retaining possession of forty-four acres, which he continued to cultivate until the spring of 1883, when he practically laid aside business cares and re- tired to his present home, situated on a tract of five acres of land at Rossville. In- dustry and energy have enabled him to add yearly to his income. He worked in the fields, cultivated his land, and when the crops were harvested he obtained a good return for his labor. Putting aside some of his earnings he is now in possession of a com- fortable competence, which enables him to live retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Williams has been blessed with nine children .- four sons and five daughters,-all of whom are yet living with the exception of William Henry, who was killed by the cars. He was born February 27, 1858, and died June 27, 1896. The other children are still liv- ing, are married and have families of their own and there are twenty-eight grandchil- dren and eleven great-grandchildren living.
During the civil war Mr. Williams loy- ally responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting as a private on the 21st of August. 1861. He was assigned to Company K, of the Fifty-third Ohio Infantry, and for four years faithfully defended the old flag and the cause it represented. He was first wounded at Resaca on the 13th of May, 1864, but remained with his company until the 22d of July of that year, when he re- ceived four shots in front of Atlanta, one in the forehead, two in the right leg and one in the left leg! He was then sent to Tripler hospital in Columbus, where he re- mained until honorably discharged. From 1865 until 1875 he received a pension of twenty-four dollars per year; for the next
eight years he received four dollars per month. the sum then being increased to six and later to eight dollars per month, and since July, 1891, he has received twelve dol- lars per month. He is a valued member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In pol- itics he is a stanch Republican and has served as a township trustee and road supervisor. At all times he is as true to his duties of citizenship as when he defended the starry banner upon southern battlefields.
WILLIAM TOWNSEND.
At the time of his death this gentle- man was one of the prominent farmers of Van Buren township. He had won by an honorable and upright life an untarnished name, and the record which he left be- hind him is one well worthy of emulation. He was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, December 24. 1830, a son of James and Lydia (Arnold) Townsend, who spent their last days in Van Buren township, Darke county. They were married in September, 1818. The father was born in South Caro- lina September 12, 1796, and died when our subject was quite small, and the mother was born in the Newbury district of the same state in January, 1791, and died when William was fifteen years of age. He was reared near Jaysville. this county, and after the death of his mother remained on the old homestead until his marriage.
It was on the 8th of February, 1855 that Mr. Townsend wedded Miss Elizabeth Hart- zell, who was born in Adams county, Penn- sylvania, February 9, 1834, a daughter of Jonas Hartzell, who is mentioned more fully in the sketch of J. W. Hartzell on another page of this volume. Mrs. Townsend was but three years old when brought by her par-
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ents to Darke county, Ohio, and here she grew to womanhood, acquiring hier educa- tion in the district schools. To our subject and his wife were born six children, namely : Marie Belle, born December 8, 1854, mar- ried John Markwith, and died August 31, 1885; Josephine, born September 20, 1856, is the wife of John Bittner, of Keokuk coun- ty, Iowa; Harrison, born November 21, 1859, is a resident of Dayton, Ohio; James H., born April 13, 1865, lives in Van Buren township, this county; and Elman S. and Elmer Sherman, twins, born June 1, 1868, are residents of Greenville township, this county.
After his marriage Mr. Townsend con- tinued to live on his father's old farm until 1865, when he purchased the mill in Adams township, which hie operated for four years. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres of land near the Abbottsville cemetery and made his home there until his death, which
occurred June 12, 1892. In his political af- filiations he was a Republican. He was a consistent and faithful member of the United Brethren church and merited and re- ceived the confidence and high regard of all with whom he came in contact, either in busi- ness or social life.
AARON VAIL.
This honored and highly respected citi- zen of Greenville township, Darke county, where lie has made his home since 1852, was born near Middletown, Butler county, Ohio, October 19, 1823, and is a son of Shobal and Mary ( Bunnell) Vail, natives of Penn- sylvania and New Jersey, respectively. In their family were eleven children, but all are now deceased with the exception of our subject. His grandfather, Stephen Vail,
was one of the early settlers of Butler coul- ty, Ohio, and was a fuller by trade.
In his native county Aaron Vail grew to manhood and married Miss Saralı Aedy, of that county, and to them were born eight children, five of whom are still living, name- ly : Daniel, B. Shobal, Stephen, Etta and Mollie. Those deceased were Joseph, Laura and Henrietta. nl 1852 Mr. Vail brought his family to Darke county and subsequently purchased one hundred and forty acres of land in Greenville township, where he 110W lives.
In 1864 he enlisted for three months in Company H, One Hundred and Ninety- fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and pro- ceeded at once to Camp Dennison, where the regiment was drilled and equipped. At that time they were state troops, but at the re- quest of Governor Brough they enlisted in a body in the United States service, with the exception of three or four men. In the state service our subject was under the com- mand of Captain Hyde, of Company C, and after the reorganization of the regiment was under the command of Captain Gray, of Company H. He did guard duty most of the time. His command was first sent to Camp New Creek, Virginia, and subse- quently ordered down the valley to Martins- burg. The regiment was then detailed as wagon guard to the army train and pene- trated to a point near Lynchburg, but the rebels becoming too numerous for them a retreat was made. At Greenbrier creek they participated in quite a fight and here one of Mr. Vail's comrades standing close to him was killed. Our subject was mustered out at Camp Dennison and honorably discharged .. He had walked out of the corn field to enlist and on his return home resumed farm work.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Vail have long been
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active members of the Christian church of Coalville, and politically he is identified with the Republican party. He cast his first presi- dential vote for Henry Clay, the great com- moner, and he has filled the offices of town- ship supervisor and school director, holding the latter position several terms. He is a gentleman of inflexible character, true in friendship and unyielding in all that com- prises honor. He is charitably disposed toward the opinions of others, and although not rich in this world's goods he gives free- lv to all worthy objects. He has a com- fortable and tasteful home, graciously pre- sided over by his estimable wife, who has been to him a true helpmeet.
DANIEL W. STOVER.
The substantial and energetic agricult- urist residing on section 27. Jackson town- ship. Darke county, Ohio, whose name in- troduces this review, was born in Mont- gomery county, this state. December 30, 1859. His grandfather, Abraham Stover, moved with his father to that county from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1838, and located eight miles west of Dayton. where he made his home until his removal to Preble county in 1865. He, too, was a very energetic man and became fairly well- to-do, owning land in Darke county be- sides his property in Preble county. As a young man he was unusually strong, but died of heart disease in February, 1875. at the age of seventy-one years. He was a very just man, upright and honorable in all things, and was a consistent member of the Albright church. He was very kind to his family and a good neighbor and his death was deeply mourned. He married Nancy Landis and to them were born four children :
John, who died when a young man ; Henry, the father of our subject; Elizabeth, who died at the age of twenty-four years; and Mrs. Annie Brubacker.
Henry Stover was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1836, and was only eighteen months old when the family re- moved to Montgomery county, Ohio, where he was reared, receiving a fair education in the district schools near his boyhood home. He assisted his father until twenty years of age and then engaged in clerking in a gen- eral store for four years, after which he bought out his employer and carried on the business. During the war he sold the store and ran the old homestead farm for one year, at the end of which time he sold it and bought another, where he lived two years. On disposing of it he moved to Brookville, Ohio, where he was engaged .in the grain and railroad business and also kept books at a distillery until 1868, when he purchased one hundred and eighty acres of land on section 27. Jackson township. Darke coun- ty, only thirty acres of which had been cleared. Renting his farm he located in Union City, where he was engaged in the stock business, his trade being mostly local, though he shipped stock to some extent. Later he was interested in the grain busi- ness and built what is now known as the Lambert warehouse, which he conducted 111- til 1876, when he sold out and lived on his farm eight years, during which time he was still engaged in buying and selling stock. In 1880 he moved to Union City, Indiana, where he was engaged in the monument and marble business for four years and later in the furniture business. He erected a store building at that place in partnership with William Wright, who had also been a part- ner of his in the sheep business, and the
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firm of Stover & Wright continued in active business until 1896, when the father of our subject retired to his farm and built the pretty two-story brick house now occupied by our subject. Here he died May 22, 1899. For twenty-eight years he was an active and faithful member of the Union City Meth- odist Episcopal church, in which he served as a class leader, and when the church was built in Jackson township transferred his membership to that organization, serving as a class leader until his death. His re- ligion was manifest in his business and private life and he had the confidence and respect of all with whom he came in con- tact. Politically he was a Republican, but never sought office. He married Catherine Frantz, a daughter of Daniel Frantz, and born and reared in Montgomery county.
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