A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 89

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 89

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JOHN HARPER.

John Harper is the conductor on the Pennsylvania fast trains Nos. 20 and 5, running between Columbus and Indianapolis. He maintains his resi- dence at the former city, his home being at No. 198 Cleveland avenue. He was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1854, and is a representative of one of the old families of Pennsylvania. His father, George Harper, was born at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1820, and when a young man came to Ohio, entering the railway service in this state soon after the construction of the first road here. He long served as passenger conductor, resigning the posi- tion only when age incapacitated him for further service in that connection. He died in Cleveland in the year 1898. His wife died in the same city August 4, 1899, at the age of eighty-six years. They were the parents of the following named: George, who was baggagemaster for many years, died in 1874; Lorenzo, who is a passenger conductor on the Wisconsin Cen- tral Railroad, living at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and is now fifty-eight years of age; Henry, who follows farming near Chillicothe, Ohio; and a sister, who is living in Cleveland. She was married twenty-three years ago.

John H., of this sketch, began his railway service April 4, 1864, as a water boy on a work train on the old Indiana Central, which is now the Indianapolis division of the Pennsylvania line. He afterward became car inspector on his father's train, his father being one of the first conductors in this part of the country. His duties were extremely varied. He had to pack the boxes, keep a lookout for hot boxes, keep the car windows clean, see that the wood box was filled in winter and sweep and dust. Having served his time as car inspector Mr. Harper became a switchman in the Columbus yards. After two years' service there he was promoted to freight brakeman and was afterward passenger brakeman. In order "to learn the

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road" he was made a freight conductor and served in that capacity for seven years, after which he was made baggagemaster, being in that position for three years. In 1884 he was promoted as passenger conductor and has since filled that position, covering a period of sixteen consecutive years. As a reward for his ability, discretion and carefulness he was given the most desirable run on the road, and is to-day recognized as one of the most reliable and efficient men in the service. It is a conservative statement to say that he has never had an accident, never neglected a duty, never forgot an order. He gives his attention wholly to the discharge of the tasks that devolve upon him and his unfailing courtesy and obliging manner have made him a favorite.

During his thirty-six years of railway service he has seen wonderful changes in the methods of transportation. He recollects that in the early days all trains were run by a time card, certain stations being designated as meeting points. At these meeting points passenger trains waited fifteen minutes and freight trains thirty minutes, and thus a passenger train, if on time, could start out on its route and it was the business of the other trains to keep out of the way. If both trains were more than fifteen minutes late at meeting stations then both forfeited their rights and they had to feel their way along. When they came to a curve, and there were a good many curves in those days, each train would have to stop and send out a flagman to see if the track was clear on the other side of the curve. Mr. Harper has done such service many a time. It thus required many hours to make a journey over the road and the conductor was a greater man than all of the stock- holders, directors and officers combined. It would seem a very ridiculous idea for any of the fast express trains of to-day to come to a complete stand still every time they approached a curve.

Mr. Harper was united in marriage, May 18, 1882, in Columbus, to Miss Anna McGowan, whose mother is now a resident of St. Joseph, M ssouri, but her father has been dead for a quarter of a century. Four children grace the union of Mr. Harper and his wife: Susie May, born in 1884; Margaret, born in 1885; John, born in 1887; and Martha, in 1895. Since his early boyhood days Mr. Harper has been a resident of Columbus and he has here a very wide acquaintance, while his many sterling traits of character have gained for him a large number of friends.

JUSTIN R. COCHRAN.

Justin R. Cochran, a conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad, running from Columbus to Pittsburg, was born September 3, 1858, at Summerdean, Augusta county, Virginia. His father, Calvin S. Cochran, was born in the Old Dominion, and when the Civil war was inaugurated he enlisted in the- Confederate service, participating in the battles of the Army of Virginia in 1861-2 and 3. At the battle of Chancellorsville, on the 3d of May, 1863, he was wounded and died from the effects of his injuries on the 6th of June. His wife, Mrs. Susan Cochran, died at the old Virginia home October 4 ..

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1865. There were but two sons in the family, James W., born at the old homestead in Virginia, November 15, 1861, came to Ohio in 1885 and mar- ried Miss Susan Summers, of Wellston, Ohio, on the 14th of March, 1888. They are now residents of Columbus and Mr. Cochran is holding a responsible position as foreman with an extensive contractor and builder.

Justin R. Cochran has been connected with the railroad service for twenty-four years. He began railroading on the Chesapeake & Ohio in West Virginia in 1876, and for six months acted as wiper in the roundhouse, for he was thought too young to be allowed to become a brakeman. How- ever, he was soon given such a position on a freight train and for three years served in that capacity and was then made a freight conductor. He ran a train for four years and then voluntarily left the company, going with the Elizabeth, Lexington & Big Sandy division. Subsequently he came to Colum- bus in 1883, and has since been in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He was a brakeman on the road until 1889, when he was made conductor and is now running on the Pittsburg division between Columbus and Pittsburg.

Mr. Cochran was married, February 7, 1887, in this city, to Miss Ellen S. White, a daughter of Thomas and Savilla White. Her father was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and now resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while her mother was born in Stark county, Ohio, and was of German lineage. She died on the 30th of October, 1885. In their family, in addition to Mrs. Cochran, are the following named : William A., who was born February 5, 1852, but is now in the government postal service, is married and resides in Crestline, Ohio; Oliver, born March 2, 1854, is married and resides in Ander- son, Indiana; George T., who was born November 24, 1865, is a polisher and resides in Cleveland, Ohio; Laura D. is the wife of Joseph Dickson, of Crestline; and Mary E. completes the family and makes her home in Colum- bus. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran have one child, Ray Eugene, who was born November 8, 1888, and is now in the eighth grade of the grammar schools of the city, displaying special aptitude in his school work.

Mr. Cochran has been a member of Magnolia Lodge, No. 20, F. & A. M., since the 19th of February, 1895. His life has been a busy, useful and honorable one, and he is one of the most reliable and popular conductors on the Pennsylvania line. His residence is at No. 485 Lexington avenue and he has many friends in his adopted city.

JOHN HART.

This prominent citizen of Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, is of old Virginia stock, and some of his ancestors fought for American liberty in the Revolutionary war. Moses Hart, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Virginia and was reared a farmer. He married Elizabeth Hight and in 1818 came to Ohio, bringing his wife and six children, and locating in Sullivant's bottoms, Franklin township, not far from the present

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site of the asylum which is so conspicuous a landmark in that part of the county. The journey was made with a wagon and four horses and one mule. In 1820 Mr. Hart bought six hundred acres of land in Norwich township, for a part of which he paid one dollar and a quarter an acre and for the re- mainder a dollar and a half an acre. When they moved from Sullivant's bot- toms to Norwich it required five days to cut their way though the forest.

Mr. Hart and his boys built a small log cabin, in which the family was domiciled until a better residence was erected several years later, and gave them- selves with might and main to clearing the land and developing a farm. Later Mr. Hart sold part of the land to Ephraim Fisher, and at his death four hundred acres were divided equally among his four boys. He died on his farm in Norwich township, September 8, 1841, aged seventy-seven years, and his wife died September 22, 1847, aged eighty-four years, five months and twenty- three days. They had children named as follows: Joseph, who died in Iowa in 1851; Moses, father of John Hart, of Norwich township; Valentine, who died in childhood in the year 1826; Betsey, who married Henry Krider and died near Chillicothe, Ohio; Mary, who died unmarried; and John, who died in Norwich township in 1858.

Moses Hart, son of Moses Hart, Sr., and father of John Hart, was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1791, and was married there to Sarah Margaret Nicely, who was born in Alleghany county, Vir- ginia, in April, 1802, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Circle) Nicely, both of whom were born in the Old Dominion. He came to Franklin county with his father, from whom he bought fifty acres of land, upon which he began the work of improvement, and there erected a log house. For some years he returned every spring to Virginia, sometimes on horseback, oftener on foot, and worked there during the sum- mer, coming back to Ohio in the fall. He was a natural sportsman and in his early days here shot much game. He served in Captain Davidson's command in the war of 1812. There were plenty of maple trees on his land and he made much maple sugar. He raised hogs also and sold them at a cent and a half a pound, using the money to buy salt, kettles and other necessary supplies for his farm and family. The children of Moses and Sarah Margaret ( Nicely) Hart were: Jacob, who died in Norwich town- ship in 1897; Moses V., of Hilliard; Martha, who married Edward Brown and lives in Columbus; John, who is the immediate subject of this sketch; Mary, who married Joseph Thackeray and after his death Jack- son Flynn and is now living widowed at Hilliard; Margaret C., who married John Weeks, who died in Putnam county, Ohio; Joseph, who lives in Colum- bus, Ohio; Sarah R., who is Mrs. William Walton; and Amanda, who is Mrs. Ferdinand Grace.

John Hart was born on the old Hart homestead in Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, June 18, 1832, and was reared to farm life with limited educational advantages. His first teacher was Mr. Versell. He was only a child when he took up farm work and he helped to clear part of his

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present farm, which now consists of one hundred and three acres. He owns another farm of eighteen acres, in his landed possessions, making a total of one hundred and twenty-one acres. He is a Master Mason and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in politics he is a consistent Democrat in general elections, while in local elections he votes for the men whom he believes will best fill the offices. He was married in Alleghany county, Virginia, December 22, 1891, to Miss Sarah Margaret Nicely.

ISAAC P. HEDRICK.

Among those whose long connection with railroad service plainly indi- cates their worth to the company and their fidelity and ability in the discharge of their duties is numbered Isaac P. Hedrick, who is now a conductor on the Pennsylvania roads and makes his home in Columbus, his residence being at No. 793 Summit street. He was born in South Charleston, Clark county, Ohio, July 5, 1859, and his early education was acquired in the public schools. His father, Isaac H. Hedrick, was a native of the same county and was born in the year 1805. He lived to a ripe old age and passed away on the 19th of January, 1892. He was twice married and was the father of twelve sons and three daughters. He and nine of his sons were in the Union army during the Civil war, a record that can scarcely be paralleled in any family history. He lost his first wife and afterward married her sister and the latter is still living, having attained the age of eighty-seven years on the 26th of March, 1900. In their family were the following: Charles W., who enlisted in 1863, when only sixteen years of age, held the rank of corporal and was killed at Stone river, in December, 1863. Joshua T., who was a member of the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio Infantry, was wounded in the service and died in 1867 from the effects of his injuries, when only nineteen years of age. Eliza Alice became the wife of William O. Warring- ton, and is now living in South Charleston, Ohio; Isaac P. was the fourth child. Adam M. died in 1880, at the age of twenty-five years. Jacob M. was mar- ried and resides in Illinois, at the age of forty-two years. Mary K. died at the age of four years. William Henry was wounded and died at Manassas, his remains being interred in the Soldiers Home cemetery at Washington. Seven of the brothers enlisted in 1861 at President Lincoln's first call. John M. Hedrick joined the army as a private and was promoted to the rank of a captain. This is certainly an exceptional and wonderful record of patriotism for one family.

Isaac P. Hedrick learned telegraphy in his youth and was employed as an operator in early life. On the 27th of March, 1873, he began breaking on the Cincinnati division of the Panhandle road and after four years' service he was promoted to the position of baggage master. A second promotion made him yardmaster and after three years and eight months' service in that capacity he was made freight conductor and later passenger conductor, which position he now holds. During the entire time he has been on the same

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division of the road. When breaking in 1877 he lost the thumb on his right hand and also his index finger of the same hand has ever since been stiff from the injury. While serving as yardmaster he lost the end of the third finger on the right hand. During his service as passenger conductor he has been in no wrecks or collisions and has always been found at his post of duty.

On the 23d of November, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Isaac P. Hedrick and Miss Laura Smith, of Springfield, Ohio. They had resided in the same neighborhood in Clark county from early childhood until their mar- riage. Mrs. Hedrick's father died when she was a year old and her mother passed away on Christmas day, 1895, at the age of seventy-five years. There were seven daughters in the family, all of whom reached womanhood with the exception of one who died in infancy. During the past five years Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick have resided in Columbus. Their family numbers five chil- dren : Smith E., born in 1877, was married February 10, 1899, to Miss Goldie Brooks, of Springfield, Ohio, where they now reside, and he is a molder in the employ of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner. Foster, born in 1880, enlisted when seventeen years of age, in Columbus, as a member of Company H, of the Nineteenth United States Infantry, at the breaking out of the Spanish-American war, and went with his regiment to the front, participating in the battles of El Caney, San Juan and Santiago. After peace was de- clared he was made a corporal and is now in the Philippines. Mabel, born in 1882, died when four years of age. Louis, born in 1884, is a bright and intelligent young man now in the second year of high school. General Sher- man, born in 1889, is also a student in school. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In his political views Mr. Hedrick is a stalwart Republican. He became a member of the Masonic order when twenty-one years of age and has long been identified with Palestine Commandery, No. 33. of Springfield, Ohio. He is a worthy Knight Templar and in his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the fraternity.

JOSEPH CONNOR.

Industry, frugality and perseverance have brought success to many a man in Franklin county, Ohio, and elsewhere, but there is no man in Nor- wich township who has made his way in life more worthily than has the prom- inent young farmer whose name is mentioned above. Joseph Connor is a grandson of Richard Connor, who was born and married in Ireland and who came to the United States in 1851, after the death of his wife, and found a home with his daughter at Troy, New York, where he died in 1854. His son, Joseph Connor, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in county Tipperary, Ireland, in 1816. He received a limited education and entered upon the battle of life in his native land, determined to succeed. He came to the United States in 1847. young and without capital except the capacity for honest hard work, and was employed for two years by the United States government in blasting stone at West Point, New York. During that time

CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 737

the thumb and two fingers of his right hand were blown off while he was engaged in the hazardous work mentioned. He came to Columbus in 1849 and was employed as a section hand on the line of the old "Sheepskin" rail- road, now a portion of the Baltimore & Ohio system. In 1860 he was put in charge of the Hilliard section, of which he was boss until 1867. Mean- time, he had bought eighteen acres of land a mile east of Hilliard, on which he made his home in 1865 and to which he gave his undivided attention in 1867.

From the date last mentioned until his retirement, Mr. Connor devoted himself to farming. In 1869 he sold his eighteen-acre farm and bought a farm of one hundred acres, two miles east of Hilliard, where he lived until the spring of 1893, when he retired from active life and removed to Plain City, Madison county, Ohio, where he died July 31, 1895. A man of the highest character and of winning personal qualities, his death was deeply regretted by all who had known him. He was married at Columbus, Ohio, to Miss Bridget Kerwan, who was born in county Tipperary, Ireland, January 1, 1830, a daughter of Philip Kerwan, who was born and died in Ireland. Mrs. Con- nor died at Plain City, Ohio, May 30, 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Connor were devout members of the Catholic church and Mr. Connor was an unswerving Democrat. They had children as follows: William, who is living in Mis- souri; Mary, who resides in Plain City, Ohio; Philip, of Plain City, Ohio; Joseph; Anna, who is dead; Thomas, who has a home with his brother Joseph; and Hannah, who is dead.

Joseph Connor was born at Hilliard, Franklin county, Ohio, June 20, 1862. He grew to manhood in Norwich township and attended the public schools near his home and at Hilliard and was reared to farm work. In 1896 he married Miss Jessie Glover, a daughter of Clark Glover, of Norwich town- ship, Franklin county, Ohio. Joseph and Jessie (Glover) Connor have two children, William Thomas Connor and Ann Bridget. . For a time he rented his father's farm, in which he now owns a one-third interest. He has made a success of general farming and has become one of the leading men of his township. A prominent Democrat, he has never sought office, but has been school director. He is a popular Knight of Pythias and he and his family are members of the Catholic church.

CAPTAIN THOMAS B. HAMILL.

Deeds of bravery and valor have been the theme of story and song from the earliest ages. Ere the invention of printing the minstrels went from house to house chanting songs of love and war. Tales of heroism formed a part of the teaching of the young in Greece, in Persia, in Rome and in all the centers of the older civilization, and nothing will so quickly arouse a spirit of patriotism and awaken the admiration of the American people as the story of one who risks life on the battlefield and faces the cannon's mouth in de-

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fense of a principle and who defends the flag of his nation at the risk of his own life.

Fortunate is the man who has back of him an ancestry honorable and dis- tinguished, and happy is he if his lines of life are cast in harmony therewith. Captain Hamill of this review is certainly a worthy scion of his race. When the yoke of oppression became intolerable to the colonists and the Declaration of Independence declared that residents of America would no longer acknowl- edge allegiance to the English crown, his great-grandfather joined the colonial army and with the rank of colonel fought to establish the republic. His grandfather, Thomas B. Hamill, was a loyal defender of his native land dur- ing the war of 1812. He was a native of the north but died in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1847, being engaged in the sugar refining business in that state. His wife passed away in Newport, Kentucky, in 1885. Thomas S. Hamill, the father of our subject, was born June 11, 1847, and after arriving at years of maturity he was married. His wife, Mrs. Anna E. Hamill, was born January 19, 1849. At the time of the Civil war he responded to his country's call for aid and enlisted in 1863 in the Fourth Ohio Cavalry, and afterward served with Company H, One Hundred and Eighty-third Ohio Infantry. He was only sixteen years of age at the time of his enlistment, but the Union numbered him among its loyal and devoted defenders. He is now engaged in the manufacture of paints on an extensive scale in Columbus, being asso- ciated in this business with his son, whose name introduces this review. His children are: Mary C., wife of Thomas H. Bush, a well known horticulturist of Michigan; Emma, who is at home; Martha, who is now a student in the high school; and Thomas B., of this review.

Captain Hamill was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 13, 1873. He spent the greater part of his boyhood in Newport, Kentucky, where he remained until eighteen years of age. There he acquired his education and from 1882 until 1892 he was employed as a salesman in the dry goods house of the John Schillet Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio. He afterward joined his father in business and they are now at the head of one of the leading industrial con- cerns of the city, engaged in the manufacture of paint on an extensive scale. Their business has constantly grown both in volume and importance, and the house enjoys an enviable reputation in trade circles for reliability and straight- forward dealing, as well as for the excellent quality of the goods sent out.

With the blood of Revolutionary ancestors flowing in his veins, and with the illustrious' example of his grandfather and father before him, it is not strange that Captain Hamill early became interested in military affairs. In 1885 when only twelve years of age he became a member of a boys' company attached as auxiliary to Post No. 1, G. A. R., of Newport. This company attended the state and national encampments of the Grand Army of the Re- public at Portland, Maine, in 1885, at San Francisco, California, in 1886, at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1887. and at Columbus, Ohio, in 1888. On the 20th of October, 1893, Mr. Hamill enlisted as a private in the Fourteenth Regiment of the Ohio National Guards, and was commissioned a sergeant of the regi-

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mental drum corps. On November 19, 1897, he was made sergeant of Com- pany B, and on the 27th of December of the same year he became second lieu- tenant of that company. On the 9th of May, 1898, after President Mckinley had issued his call for volunteers, he served with the army in Cuba. His company was mustered into the United States service for the war with Spain, and on the 15th of that month he left home, proceeding to Camp Thomas, where he remained until the 22d of July, when they left for Newport News, arriving at that place on the 26th. They reached Port Royal and on the 3rd of August landed at Orroyo, Porto Rico. Two days later they were engaged in a skirmish with the Spaniards at Guayamo, Porto Rico. On the 20th of September Captain Hamill was detached and sent with his company to Bievie- ques island, where they raised the stars and stripes on the 21st of September, remaining there for five days. Thence they proceeded to San Juan, where they remained until the close of the war. Leaving Porto Rico on the 29th of October, they arrived in New York on the 4th of November, 1898, and the following day passed in review before the President at Washington. On the 6th of November they reached Columbus where they were royally received amidst great rejoicing, the ladies of the city giving them a banquet. The regi- ment was then placed on waiting orders and mustered out of service on the 29th of January, 1899.

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A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 89

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