A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 67

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1156

USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio > Part 67

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He was married in Westerville, Ohio, to Miss May Altman, a daughter of S. F. Altman, and their union has been blessed with two children, Milo Faxon and Marshall Frank. Since casting his first presidential vote for James A. Garfield, Mr. Chenoweth has been a stalwart supporter of Republi- can principles, but has never sought or desired office, preferring to devote his attention to his private business affairs. He was made a Mason twenty-three years ago in Commercial Point, and about fifteen years later transferred his membership to Mt. Sterling, Ohio, where he is still an active member. He

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also belongs to Sherman Lodge, K. of P., and has been for several years a representative to the grand lodge. He is now a member of the state board of equalization, representing the tenth senatorial district. His advancement in business circles is attributable entirely to his own capable management and unflagging industry. He began to earn his living at an early age, and as he had no capital was forced to acquire the means which would enable him to first engage in merchandising on his own account. He is now classed among the substantial and reliable citizens of the community in which he resides, and his life history stands in exemplification of what may be accomplished in a land where ambition and determination are not hampered by caste.

WILLIAM J. MERRICK.

William J. Merrick, who resides at No. 37 Greenwood avenue, Colum- bus, is a passenger conductor on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. A native of the Keystone state, his birth occurred in Car- bondale, Pennsylvania, on the 22d of March, 1859. His father, John Merrick, died February 14, 1877, and the mother, Ellen Merrick, died Feb- ruary 17, 1860, both passing away at their home in Carbondale. The fam- ily is of Irish lineage, and the paternal grandfather of our subject died on the Emerald Isle. His wife afterward crossed the Atlantic to the new world and spent her last days in Carbondale, departing this life in March, 1878, at the extremely advanced age of one hundred and nine years. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Thomas Murray, died in 1867, in Car- bondale, where also occurred the death of his wife, in 1860. Unto Mr. and Mrs. John Merrick were born the following named: James, who is now a retired merchant of New York city, where he has resided for forty years; Thomas, a resident of Carbondale, Pennsylvania; John, who is engaged in the grocery business in Carbondale; Michael, who was an engineer on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad and was killed October 4, 1877, in a railway accident at Melrose, Pennsylvania, leaving a wife and son, who now reside at Union Hill, New Jersey, the latter being twenty-four years of age; Patrick, now forty-six years of age, and who resides in Carbondale and has one son, but his wife is now deceased ; Maria, wife of Peter O'Neil, also a resident of Carbondale; Elizabeth, who died in that city in 1891, at the age of forty-one years; Kate, who is a young lady residing in Carbondale; and Ellen, who died in that city at the age of fifteen years.

In the public schools of his native town William J. Merrick pursued his education, and when nineteen years of age he secured a position as brakeman on a freight train on the Erie Railroad, running between Port Jervis, New York, and Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He occupied that position for one year and afterward spent a year in charge of a construction train on the Long Island Railroad. He then came to the west and began braking on the Pan- handle Railroad west of Pittsburg, being a brakeman on a freight train for a year and a half, after which he spent six years as brakeman in the passenger

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service. He was then promoted to freight conductor and a year later was made passenger conductor, which position he has held continuously since 1889, being on the Pittsburg division, between Pittsburg and Columbus. He lecame a member of the Order of Railway Conductors in 1888, joining Hol- lingsworth Division, No. 100, in which he was assistant conductor for one year, and during the past two years he has been the chief conductor of the division of the order. He has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for the past two years.

On the 19th of June, 1883, Mr. Merrick wedded Miss Theresa A. Boylan, of Chicago, who was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1863. Her father, Patrick Boylan, was born in Ireland and died in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, March 30, 1897, while his wife, Mrs. Anna Boylan, departed this life in that city on the 28th of July, 1872. Their children were: Mrs. Merrick; John and Thomas, who are engaged in mining at Victor, Colo- rado; Mary, wife of Mark Brennan, of Carbondale; Jane, wife of James Crapo, a resident of Chicago; Margaret, wife of Albert Myers, an engineer now residing in Aspin, Colorado; Annie, wife of Thomas Barrett, of Chicago; Kate, wife of James O'Rourke, a railroad conductor on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Merrick have been born seven chil- dren, namely: William G., born November 10, 1884; John Leo, born Oc- tober 18, 1886; Marguerite, born January 30, 1889; James Russell, born January 21, 1892; Joseph, born June 3, 1894; Philip B., born September 8, 1896; and Andrew, born June 1, 1897. The children attend the Sacred Heart school in Columbus and the family are all members of the Catholic church, of which Rev. Father Eis is pastor. For fourteen years they have resided in Columbus and now have a wide acquaintance and many friends. Mr. Mer- rick enjoys the high regard of all with whom he has come in contact through business as well as social relations, and is a popular conductor upon the road, owing to his willingness to aid those who ride over his line, his unfailing courtesy and his obliging disposition.

ABSALOM BORROR.

Among the leading citizens and representative farmers of Jackson town- ship, Franklin county, Ohio, is Absalom Borror, who was born in that town- ship, on th 27th of April, 1838, a son of Isaac and Olive ( Babcock ) Borror, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was a carpen- ter by occupation, and was one of the early settlers of Jackson township, this county, where he died at the age of forty-eight years.

Absalom Borror is the third in order of birth in a family of eight children, consisting of five sons and three daughters. During his boyhood and youth he was only able to attend school for about two months during the winter season. He was only ten years old when his father died and the responsibility of carrying on the home farm devolved upon him and his older brother. To its improvement and cultivation he devoted his energies until

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twenty-five years of age, with the exception of the years spent in the army dur- ing the Civil war. In 1861 he enlisted in Company G, Fifty-fourth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Fifteenth Army Corps under com- mand of General Grant. He was first sent with his regiment to Camp Den- nison, fifteen miles from Cincinnati, Ohio, and from there went to Paducah, Kentucky. During the battle of Pittsburg Landing he was wounded by a rifle ball through the right side, and was honorably discharged from the service on account of this wound. He entered the army as corporal and was mustered out as sergeant.

In 1863 Mr. Borror was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Swag- ler, and to them have been born eleven children, namely: Bertha, Edward L., Sadie, Dora D., Isaac N., Olive, Albert R., Clayton S., Prentiss H., Clifford M. and Nella B. Soon after his marriage Mr. Borror sold his inter- est in the old homestead and bought a farm in Bond county, Illinois, where he lived for one year, but at the end of that time he disposed of his property there and returned to Jackson township, this county, where he operated a rented farm for one year. Again he went to Bond county, Illinois, and engaged in general mercantile business there for three years. Since then he has made his home uninterruptedly in Franklin county, Ohio, having pur- chased a good farm of one hundred nine acres and a half in Jackson township, which he has placed under excellent cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. His time and attention are devoted to general farming, in which he is meeting with good success. Socially is an honored member of Ed. Krous Post, G. A. R. For forty years he has been an earnest and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, takes an active part in its work and contributes liberally to its support.

JAMES A. MILES.

James Alexander Miles is one of the ablest lawyers practicing at the Columbus bar, having the mental grasp which enables him to discover the salient points in a case. A man of sound judgment, he manages his cases with masterly skill and tact. He is a logical reasoner, has a ready command of English and has gained an enviable reputation.

Judge Miles is a native of Eden township, Licking county, Ohio, where his birth occurred the 21st of September, 1844. His grandfather, Stephen Miles, was a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and when Ohio was the home of the red men and the haunt of wild beasts he made his way into the wilderness and aided in reclaiming its unbroken tracts of land for purposes of civilization. He married Miss Dush, and unto them was born a son, John Dush Miles, whose birth occurred in Licking county March I, 1823. Amid the wild scenes of the frontier he was reared, and after attaining years of maturity he wedded Miss Sarah Games, a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Evans) Games. Her father was a native of this country and a soldier of the war with England in 1812, and when Ohio first became

JAMES A. MILES.

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the home of white men he took up his abode within the boundaries of this commonwealth. He married Miss Sarah Evans, whose mother was an adopted daughter of Lord Bradley, of England. Coming to America, she was married to Mr. Evans in Virginia, and a large estate was left by the Bradleys which has never been claimed. Throughout his active business career John Dush Miles has followed farming. When his son James was a youth of seven years he removed with his family to Delaware county, Ohio, where he has since made his home, his present residence being in Sun- bury. Although he is now seventy-eight years of age, he is still robust and vigorous. His wife, however, died in February, 1900, at the age of eighty years. One of their children, Rev. John Miles, is now a minister of the United Brethren church.

Judge Miles, whose name introduces this record, pursued his educa- tion in the public schools of Delaware county, and subsequently entered the. university at Westerville, Franklin county, where he spent one year as a student. Later he engaged in teaching for several years, and then took up the study of law under the direction of the firm of Jackson & Beer, of Craw- ford county, Ohio. On the 4th of September, 1868, he was admitted to the bar and began practice in Franklin county, where he has won distinction as a very able lawyer. His fitness for leadership has also led to his selection. for public office, and for two terms he served as the mayor of Westerville,. while in 1899 he acted as a police judge of Columbus. He has long been. a prominent and active worker in the ranks of the Democratic party, doing all in his power to promote its growth and insure its success.

The Judge was united in marriage to Miss Mary Esther Longwell, a daughter of James and Edith (Wallace) Longwell, of Johnstown, Licking county, Ohio. Her father was a very prominent farmer, who died some years ago. Unto the Judge and his wife have been born the following chil- dren : Frank A., the eldest, is a graduate of the high school in Sunbury, and for some time was connected with farming interests in Licking county. On the 5th of August, 1900, he started for the Philippine Islands to fill the position as clerk on the transport Warren, on which his brother, Captain Perry L. Miles, was quartermaster. The Captain is the second son and is now a captain of the regular army. He was appointed to West Point from Franklin county in 1891, and was graduated in 1895. He was com- missioned second lieutenant of the Fourteenth Infantry, after which he was stationed at Vancouver's barracks in Washington until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, when he went to San Francisco, and on the 28th of May, 1898, he sailed for the Philippines as second lieutenant. However, he was in command of Company I, for the first lieutenant and the captain were left behind on special duty. He participated in the battle of Malata. and was under fire and was present at the capture of Manila, where the Fourteenth Regiment lost forty-seven men in killed and wounded. He was also in the first engagements with the insurgents, and by General Overshine

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was ordered to capture a block-house. After the capture of Manila he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, in July, 1898. For some time he was in the trenches and on outpost duty in the Philippines, and on the 10th of October, 1899, he was commissioned captain on account of bravery dis- played in the capture of the block-house, the promotion being given him in recognition of "gallant and meritorious conduct in action." In Harper's Weekly appeared the following, under the title of "Ballad of Lieutenant Miles :"

When you speak of dauntless deeds, When you tell of stirring scenes, Tell the story of the isles Where the endless summer smiles- Tell of young Lieutenant Miles In the far-off Philippines !

'Twas the Santa Ana fight ! All along the rebel line From the thickets dense and dire Gushed the fountains of their fire; You could hear their rifles' ire, You could hark the bullets whine.

Little wonder there was pause! Some were wounded, some were dead; "Call Lieutenant Miles!" He came, In his eyes a fearless flame. "Yonder block-house-that's our aim," The battalion leader said.

"You must take it-how you will; You must break this damned spell !" "Volunteers!" he cried. 'Twas vain, For in that narrow tropic lane 'Twixt the bamboo and the cane 'Twas a very lane of hell !

There were five stood forth at last ; God above, but they were men ! "Come!"-oh, blithely thus he saith ! Did they falter? Not a breath! Down the path of hurtling death The Lieutenant led them then.

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Two have fallen, now a third! Forward dash the other three. In the on-rush of that race Ne'er a swerve or stay of pace; And the rebels-dare they face Such a desperate company ?

Panic gripped them by the throat- Every rebel rifleman ; And as though they seemed to see In those charging foemen three An avenging destiny, Fierce and fast and far they ran.

So a salvo for the six! So a round of ringing cheers ! Heroes of the distant isles Where the endless summer smiles- Gallant young Lieutenant .Miles And his valiant volunteers !

The daughter of the family, Bertha, is a graduate of the Johnstown high school, and is residing with her grandmother in Licking county. Judge Miles was again married, his second union being with Miss Lena G. Witter, of Columbus, a native of Germany. Her father was a very highly educated man, and spoke seven different languages. He spent his entire life in his native country, and is now deceased.

ALONZO B. COIT.

The American progenitor of the family of Coit was John Coit, a ship- builder, who came to Connecticut from Wales in 1630. The Coits assumed prominence in the colonies. Benjamin Coit, the great-great-grandfather of Colonel A. B. Coit, of Columbus, Ohio, and Isaac Coit, Colonel Coit's great-grandfather, fought for American independence in the Revolutionary war. According to a record in possession of a member of the family, Isaac Coit was a sergeant in Captain Belcher's company in the First Regiment of the continental line from July 20, 1777, to July 20, 1780. From another record it would seem that at some time during the war Isaac Coit was a cap- tain in a Connecticut Regiment, and his father, Benjamin Coit, was a lieu- tenant in his company. Isaac Coit died at the age of eighty-nine years, Ben- jamin at the age of eighty-one. Harvey Coit, grandfather of Colonel Coit,

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married Miss Stone, of Northompton, Massachusetts, and emigrated to Franklin county, Ohio, and located at Worthington, where he died at the age of seventy-seven. His son, Harvey Coit, was born at Worthington, Massachusetts, in 1818, and is now living at Columbus, Ohio, aged eighty- two, alert, active and in possession of all his faculties. He came to Columbus in 1837 and was a dry-goods merchant there until about 1870, and he and Harvey Bancroft are the oldest pioneer merchants of Columbus now living. During all his active career he gave his attention strictly to his business interests and declined to take any part in politics except as a voter. He married, at Worthington, Franklin county, Miss Elizabeth Greer, daughter of Richard Greer, a native of the north of Ireland, who was married there to Miss Dickson and settled in Worthington about 1812, where he was promi- inent as a farmer and as an Episcopalian.

Colonel Alonzo B. Coit was born in Columbus, Ohio, a son of Harvey and Elizabeth (Greer) Coit. He gained his primary education in the public schools of his native city and took a collegiate course at Yellow Springs, Greene county, where he was graduated in 1867. He identified himself with the manufacturing interests at Columbus and is now secretary and treasurer of the Columbus Brick & Terra Cotta Company, and president of the Col- umbus Trunk and Hand Luggage company, which he organized in 1882. He is a director in the Galion (Ohio) Water Works Company and is a stockholder and otherwise connected' with other important interests. He is a Mason and past master of his lodge and is past high priest of his chapter.

Colonel Coit's military history began in 1882, when he became captain of Company B, Fourtenth Regiment, National Guard of the state of Ohio. He was promoted major in 1885, lieutenant colonel in 1886 and colonel in 1887, and served as such until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. He served with his regiment fourteen times on riot duty, occasioned by labor troubles in different parts of the state. He was indicted for manslaughter on five counts at Washington Court House, because of his part in defending negro prisoners against mob violence. His trial lasted one hundred and fifty- seven days and the jury acquitted him after only a few minutes' absence from the court room. He accomplished much toward breaking up mob rule in Ohio and, commenting on the charges against him, Governor Mckinley declared that he had done only his duty and had done that fearlessly and with good judgment.

At the beginning of the war with Spain, he was commissioned colonel of the Fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which, July 29, 1898, embarked for Porto Rico with the Third Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infan- try, and the Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, under Gen- erals Haines and Brooke, and led the advance at Guayama, where he was the only colonel under fire. After the engagement at Palmasas he was given civil control of the eastern part of the island, which included thirty-one towns of more or less importance. He returned to Columbus November 2, 1898, having lost twenty-one men by sickness and had seventeen disabled by wounds,

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and was placed on the retired list ofNational Guard colonels. He organized the Ohio Society of Spanish-American war veterans and was made its com- mander and the National Porto Rican Invasion Association, of which he is commander for the department of Ohio. He is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Until after the Spanish-American war in politics Colonel Coit was a Democrat of great independence, and though he has at different times been a member of state and county committees of its party, he has resolutely refused all offices proffered him, except that of police commissioner of the city of Columbus, which he has filled for two terms without compensation and that of a member of the board of education of his home township of Marion, in which his services have also been gratutitous. Colonel Coit said : "The theories of Populism attempt to inflate the curency by free silver, and the unpatriotic attacks of the party leaders on the administration were not Democracy; and it was his duty to support President Mckinley." He is a trustee of the First Universalist church of Columbus and is generously helpful in all of its material interests.

Colonel Coit married Miss Annette Preston, of Columbus, daughter of Samuel D. Peterson, a pioneer merchant of that city. They have three children, named Harvey, Preston and Elizabeth. Harvey is the superintendent of the water-works at Galion, Ohio. Preston was the youngest enlisted soldier in the Spanish-American war. At fourteen years of age he was a trumpeter in Company A, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and for four months was in a hospital. He is now completing his elucation at Columbus. Elizabeth mar- ried Harry Williams, of Youngstown, Ohio.

WILLIAM MILLER.

William Miller is a retired farmer of Columbus. He was born in Frank- lin township, Franklin county, Ohio, in 1845, and is a representative of one of the prominent pioneer families, for in the early part of the century his grandfather, Major William Miller, came from Virginia to Ohio and aided in laying wide and deep the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of the commonwealth. He served in the state militia at an early day and was a major in the war of 1812. After joining the state militia he was com- missioned captain by Governor Morrow, the paper bearing the date of April · 14, 1823, and appointing him to the command of the Second Company of the Second Regiment, of the Second Brigade of the Seventh Division of the Ohio militia. He was identified with the interests of Franklin county dur- ing almost the entire first half of the nineteenth century and died in 1850, at the age of sixty-two years, his birth having occurred in 1788. He mar- ried Miss Christina Fisher, a daughter of Michael Fisher, who came to Ohio in 1798, and was one of the first white men to invade this region to reclaim the wild land for purposes of civilization.

Adam F. Miller, the father of our subject, was born on the old family

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homestead in Franklin township, January 1, 1818, the farm being then the property of Major William Miller, while at the present writing it is in the possession of William Miller, the subject of this review. Throughout his active business career he carried on farming and stock-raising and his well directed efforts brought to him a comfortable competence. Recognized as one of the leading and influential citizens of the community, he was called upon to fill various offices, and discharged his duties with promptness and fidelity. He wedded Mary Elizabeth Wolf, who came to Ohio from Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1855. at the age of thirty-four years. Her parents were Jacob and Margaret (Clark) Wolf, and the former served in the war of 1812, participating in several battles. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born four sons and one daughter. One son, Jacob, has for fifteen years been a member of the police force of Columbus, while Fisher Miller is a farmer of Franklin township; Margaret is the wife of J. B. Mc- Donald; and George died in 1894.

Upon the home farm William Miller spent the days of his early boy- hood and in 1862 became a student in the schools of Granville, where he con- tinued his education until 1864, when, at the age of nineteen years, he re- sponded to his country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battle of Monocacy and in several skirmishes, and when the country no longer needed his services he received an honorable discharge and returned to his home, taking up the pursuits of peace. He was trained to habits of industry upon the home farm and early became familiar with the work of cultivating the fields, and continued to operate his land until 1890, when he left the old homestead and became a resident of Columbus, but still runs his farm.

On October 16, 1867, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Miller and Miss Emily House, a daughter of William and Julia ( Moler) House. Her father was born in Franklin township and is still living. He has filled the position of township trustee and is a well known and highly respected citizen. Her mother was a daughter of Rollin and Susan Moler, the former having been one of the pioneer settlers of Franklin township. On coming to Ohio he took up his residence in Franklin township and there spent his remaining days. He owned a water power, which he used in operating a gristmill, just south of Greenlawn avenue, carrying on business along that line for many years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born three children : Mary Gertrude, the wife of Harry E. Bulen, who is a graduate of the high school of Columbus and was for seven years a successful teacher, but is now the proprietor of the Bryden Hotel; Clara Julia, who is a teacher in the public schools and is also a graduate of the high school of Columbus and Kindergarden School; and Alice Pearl, their youngest daughter, who is engaged in pyrography-the new art of burnt wood. She was married May 27, 1901, to Herbert Rockinham Earhart and is living in Charleston, West Virginia. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church

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A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 67

Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1156

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1156