USA > Ohio > Champaign County > A centennial biographical history of Champaign county, Ohio > Part 13
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Barnet A. Aughinbaugh received his early educational discipline in the public schools of his native state, the family having removed to Ship- pensburg when he was a lad of about ten years. He there served au apprenticeship at the trade of carriage manufacturing, and thus laid the foundations for that successful business career which has been his in
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connection with this line of industry. After the completion of his three years' apprenticeship he was employed as a journeyman in various lo- calities, finally locating in the city of Cincinnati, where he was employed at his trade for a period of seven years. At the expiration of this time Mr. Aughinbaugh came to Urbana, in 1866, and here entered into part- nership with Aaron Heiserman, establishing a manufactory of fine car- riages and buggies and conducting business under the firm name of Heiserman & Aughinbaugh for six years, when the firm of Aughinbaugh & McComb was organized, and this alliance continued six years, while for an equal period were operations continued in turn under the firm names of Aughinbaugh & Baker Brothers and Aughinbaugh & Todd, and then our subject became sole proprietor of the enterprise, which he has ever since continued to conduct under his own name. He has a well- equipped factory, and the products of the same include the highest grade of lighter vehicles, a specialty being made of hand-made work and special designs being executed with the highest grade of workmanship and finish, thus giving the concern a reputation which is unassailable, forti- fied as it is by long years of straightforward and honorable dealing on the part of the proprietor, who has been consecutively identified with the enterprise from the time of its inception. In addition to the manufac- tory Mr. Aughinbaugh also deals in vehicles manufactured by other con- cerus, thus having various grades and being enabled to cater to all demands in matters of price, style, etc., the repository and general head- quarters being located at 206 West Court street. Mr. Aughinbaugh cast his first vote in support of Abraham Lincoln for the presidency, and he has ever since been a stalwart Republican, though he has never taken an active part in political affairs and has never been an aspirant for office. Both he and his wife are members of the First Methodist Episco- pal church and both are highly esteemed in the social circles of the city where they have made their home for so long a term of years.
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In the year 1870 Mr. Aughinbaugh was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Clark, who was born in Virginia, the daughter of William Clark, who removed thence to Champaign county. Ohio. in 1848. Our sub- ject and his wife have no children.
JOHN H. RUNYON.
When it is stated that for more than ninety years the name of the stibjeet of this memoir has been prominently identified with the history of Champaign county, the natural inference will come that he was a representative of one of its earliest pioneer families. He passed his entire life here, bearing and honoring an untarnished name, and his history forms a link between the primitive past and the modern days of prosperity and opulent privileges and improvement. He saw the county in the days when it seemed almost on the borders of civilization, -its land wild and uncultivated. its forests standing in their primeval strength, its log-cabin homes widely scattered. and evidences of develop- ment few. In the work of progress, through which such marvelous changes have been wrought, he bore his part. as had his father before him, and he gained rank as one of the substantial and successful farm- ers of his native county, honored for his sterling integrity of purpose and for all those attributes that make for strong and noble manhood. Thus it becomes signally fitting that here be entered and perpetuated a memoir of his worthy life.
John 11. Runyon was born on the farm. in Union township, where his widow now maintains her home, the date of his nativity having been December 10, 1817. His father, Richard Runyon, was a native of New Jersey, whence he emigrated to Champaign county in 1801,
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AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE GOLDEN WEDDING OF JOHN H. AND MARY H. RUNYON, NOVEMBER 6, 1899.
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the year prior to the admission of Ohio to the Union. He located in the forest wilds of Union township, being one of the earliest settlers in that section. and here he reclaimed a portion of his land and became one of the founders and builders of the Buckeye commonwealth. He continued to reside on his pioneer farm until his death, at the age of about three score years and ten. He married Betsy Sargent, who came to this county from Virginia, and they became the parents of eight children. of whom the subject of this memoir was the third in order of birth, his mother having passed away at the age of seventy-three- years. John H. Runyon was early inured to the ardnous work in- volved in the clearing and otherwise improving of the old homestead. where he was reared to years of maturity, his educational advantages being such as were afforded by the primitive subscription schools which were precariously maintained by the early pioneers. Ilis first presiden- tial vote was cast on his home farm. in support of William Henry Har- rison, his father having been justice of the peace at the time and a man of prominence in the community, his official position leading to the holding of the elections at his home, where, it may well be imagined, the facilities were few and the formalities slight. but no corruption or ballot-stuffing could ever be charged against those honest and sterling pioneers, whose lives were simple and their manhood exalted. Our subject early took a prominent part in political affairs of a local nature. having been identified with the Whig party, and though his early ad- vantages were most meager he had an alert mentality. and by reading and other personal application became a man of broad and exact infor- ' mation. He assisted in the organization of the Republican party in this county and was a prominent factor in its affairs, having been for sixteen years treasurer of Union township and for eight years county commissioner, while for a long period he was a school director of his district. ever taking an active interest in all matters touching the gen-
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eral welfare and advancement of the community. His religions faith was that of the Presbyterian church and was a dominating factor in his life. He was one of those principally concerned in the erection of the Buck Creek church of this denomination, and for about a score of years held the office of deacon in the same, being one of its most zealous and devoted adherents. From the time of casting his first vote for Harrison, in 1840, until his death, he supported every presidential candidate of the Whig, and later the Republican party, his last ballot having been given in support of the lamented President Mckinley, in 1900. He passed his entire life on the old homestead on which his father located in the early days, and here he made the best of improvements and at the time of his death left a valuable landed estate of two hundred and fifty-five acres. He passed away on the 4th of March, 1901, in the fulness of years and crowned with the honors which reward a life of usefulness and sterling integrity, his death being felt as a personal be- reavement by the people of the community where he had lived and labored to such goodly ends.
On the 6th of November, 1849. Mr. Runyon was united in mar- riage to Miss Mary H. Todd, who survives him and who maintains her abode in the home so hallowed by the memories and associations of the past. She was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of October. 1822, being the daughter of Samuel and Nancy ( Allen ) Todd, both of whom were natives of that same county, where their marriage was solemnized. In 1840 they came to Champaign county, Ohio, and located near Buck Creek church, in Union township, and here the father died at the age of forty-six years, being survived by his widow for. many years, and having been in her sixty-ninth year at the time of her death. They became the parents of eight children, of whom two survive, Mrs. Runyon having been the third in order of birth. She was about seventeen years of age when the family came to Champaign
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county, and here she has ever since maintained her home, having the sincere esteem and friendship of the people of the community and being a devoted member of the church with which her husband was so long and prominently identified. She became the mother of two sons and one daughter, of whom R. Heber and Nancy .A. are deceased. The surviving son, John N., has control of the homestead farm and has re- mained a bachelor. .
JOHN J. ANDERSON.
Champaign county, Ohio, contributed to the federal armies many a brave and valiant soldier during that greatest of internecine and fra- tricidal conflicts, the war of the Rebellion, and among the honored vet- erans who remain to recall the incidents of the struggles on many a san- guinary battle-field. yet holding at bay that one invincible foe, death, which is fast disintegrating the noble ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic, stands the subject of this sketch, who was loyal to his country in her hour of peril and who has remained her loyal supporter in the "piping times of peace," in which he has likewise won decisive victories. He is numbered among the representative business men of Urbana and his high standing in the community entitles him to distinctive representa- tion in this compilation.
Mr. Anderson is a native son of the Old Dominion state, having been born in Augusta county, Virginia, on the 9th of March, 1835. the son of John and Fannie (Clark) .Anderson. John Anderson, Sr .. was born in the same county, on the 12th of December, 1788, being a son of James and Isabella (King) Anderson, the former of whom was born in the beautiful Shenandoah valley of Virginia. in 1749, while his wife was a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1758. James Anderson was a son of Janies, who was of Scotch-Irish lineage, having
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been born in Ireland, whither his parents had emigrated from Scotland in 1665. He emigrated to America in his youth and here married a Miss McLanehan. About the year 1725 he went from Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, to the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, as the organizer of an ex- ploring party. He returned to his home and later removed with his fam- ily to this famous valley, being one of the first to make permanent set- tlement there. IJe was an active participant in many of the Indian con- flicts in the early days and he continued to reside in that section of Vir- ginia until his death. His son James, grandfather of our subject, served with distinction as a soldier in the war of the Revolution. His wife. Isabella, nec King, was a daughter of John and Isabella ( Christian ) King, who were of Scotch-Irish lineage. Fannie ( Clark ) .Anderson mother of the subject of this review, was born in Clarke county, Virginia, on the 4th of August, 1804, the daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Smith ) Clark, both of whom were born in Maryland, the latter being a daughter of James Smith. John Reynolds, great-grandfather of our subject in the maternal line, was captain of the first company organized in Wash- ington county, Maryland, at the inception of the war of the Revolution, in which he served as captain in the Sixth Maryland Regiment of Vohin- teers, and he met his death. at the hands of the Indians, in March, 1790. on the Ohio river. His father. John Reynolds, came to America from Ireland and the latter's father was born in England, the religious faith of the family being that of the Presbyterian church and of the rigid Scotch type. The wife of the last mentioned ancestor was of Scotch ancestry, was born in Ireland and was a member of the church of Eng- land. They were married in the Emerald Iste, in 1681, and came to America in 1714, locating in Pennsylvania.
John and Fannie ( Clark ) Anderson became the parents of the fol- lowing named children: Mary H., deceased: James W .. to whom in- dividual reference is made on other pages of this work; George D .:
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Jane C .; Isabella A., deceased : John J. subject of this sketch: Norval W., deceased : and Sarah M. Norval W. was a Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion and was killed in the battle of Stone river, in 1863. The parents passed their entire lives in Virginia.
John J. Anderson was reared and educated in his native state, where he remained until he had attained his legal majority. when. on 1856, he came to Champaign county, Ohio, where he has ever since made his home. Ilere he devoted his attention to carpenter work until the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion. when his intrinsic loyalty and patriotism were quickened to definite action. On the 17th of April, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company K. Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and at the expirations of his three months' term he re-enlisted, becoming a member of Company G, Third Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, in which he served as a private until the close of the war, his service thus covering practically the entire period of this great civil conflict. Mr. Anderson participated in many of the most notable battles of the war. among which may be men- tioned the following : Bull Run, Bowling Green, siege of Corinth, Mun- fordville. Beardstown, Lexington, Chickamauga, McMinnville, Shelby- ville. Decatur, Moulton, Kenesaw Mountain, Vining Station, Peach Tree Creek, Lovejoy Station, Franklin Tennessee ). Selma (Alabama ), Columbus and Macon (Georgia), besides many other skirmishes and 'ninor engagements. With his command he performed arduous and faithful service in supporting the Union cause, and his military record is that of a gallant son of the Republic, for he always evinced the highest soldierly qualities, was ever found at the post of duty and bore incom plainingly the hardships and vicissitudes which attended the progress of the most notable civil war in the annals of history. At the battle of Mur- freesboro Mr. Anderson received a gun-shot wound in his left shoulder. and from the effects of the same he was confined for a brief interval in the field hospital, returning to his command at the end of four weeks, and
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this being the only occasion on which he was incapacitated for duty dur- ing his long and faithful service. He received his honorable discharge at. Edgefield, Tennessee, on the 4th of August. 1865, victory having then crowned the Union arms. He retains a lively interest in his old comrades and this fraternal spirit finds definite manifestation in his identification with the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a prominent and popular member of W. A. Brand Post, No. 98, department of Ohio, and has held all the offices in this post.
After the close of the war Mr. Anderson returned to Urbana, where he followed contracting and building until 1872, in which year he was elected city marshal of Urbana, an office which he retained consecutively for a period of twelve years, proving a capable and popular official. After his retirement from this position Mr. Anderson engaged in business, his enterprise being the handling of coal, lime, brick and building material. and in this line his efforts have been attended with gratifying success, the business having shown a continuous growth and being one of the import- ant enterprises of the city. In politics he has ever given a stanch alle- giance to the Republican party, and fraternally, aside from his member- ship in the Grand Army of the Republic, he is identified with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife have been for many years zealous members of the First Methodist Episcopal church.
At Urbana, on the 18th of September, 1868. Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Harriet E. Kimber, who was born in Miami county, Ohio, the daughter of Emor and Phoebe Kimber. Our subject and his wife have no children.
HAMILTON MAGREW.
Within the pages of this work will be found specific mention of many worthy and representative citizens who have passed their entire lives in Champaign county and whose memories link the present-day
Hamilton, Magrew
бізской Мафии
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prosperity and advanced position with the pioneer days when the work of development was in progress or in its initial stages. One of the native sons of the county is Mr. Magrew, who is honored as a member of one of the sterling pioneer families of the county as well as for his own worthiness in all the relations of life. His finely improved farm- stead is located in section 11, Mad River township, where he has prac- tically passed his entire life and where he has been notably successful as an agriculturist and stock-grower.
Mr. Magrew was born in the house where he now lives, the date of his nativity having been January 31, 1834. His father. Archibald Ma- grew, was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1792, and at the age of eighteen years he accompanied his parents on their removal to Champaign county. Ohio, locating in Mad River township, where the grandfather of our subject, Archibald Magrew. Sr .. took up a section of land ( section 11). the entire tract being still covered with the native forest trees. He made a clearing and erected a log cabin, and that continued to be his home until his death, at the patriarchal age of ninety- two years. As he came to this county in the year 1810. it will at once be seen that he was numbered among the early settlers in this section of the state. He was of Irish descent. and the name was originally spelled McGrew. The father of our subject assisted in the reclamation of the pioneer farm, and in Salem township, this county, was solemnized his marriage, after which he began his career as an independent farmer on the place now owned by his son, the subject of this review. Ilere he passed the residue of his life, making the best of improvements on his farm and placing the same under effective cultivation, while he became recognized as one of the able and influential citizens of the county. In addition to his farming enterprise he was interested in the mercantile business in Urbana, where he also built what is known as the Magrew warehouse, and was for many years one of the leading grain dealers 11
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in the county, buying and shipping extensively, while he also owned other valuable real estate in Urbana, including the building now utilized by Charles Ganson as a livery. In politics he was a Democrat and he served for a number of years as justice of the peace, while fraternally he was identified with the Masonic order. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Mary Taylor, and she was born in Virginia, whence, as a child, she accompanied her parents on their removal to Champaign county. Her father. John Taylor, was likewise a native of the Old Do- minion state, and he became one of the early settlers in Champaign county, where he erected what was known as the Taylor mill, in what was then called Taylortown, in Salem township, the village now being known as Kingston. He carried on a successful gristmilling business there for many years and was succeeded by his son. The family is of German extraction. The father of our subject died at the age of sixty- eight years, his wife long surviving him and passing away at the age of eighty-three years. They became the parents of five sons and five daughters. and six of the number grew to years of maturity, while only two of the family are now living,-Caroline, who is the widow of Milton Fithian and who now maintains her home in Chicago, Illinois ; and Ham- ilton, who was the youngest of the children and is the immediate subject of this sketch.
Mr. Magrew was reared on the farm where he now resides, and his 'early educational privileges were such as were afforded in the primitive log school house of the pioneer epoch, the same being equipped with slab seats, while the desks utilized were of slabs supported by pins driven into the log walls. Later he supplemented this training by a course of study in the academy at Urbana. After his school days he returned to the old homestead and continued to assist his father in carrying on the work pertaining thereto, and after his marriage, in 1858, he still continued his residence in the house where he was born and which he
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still occupies, the same having been the home of four generations of the family, including his children. Here he has ever since continued to devote his attention to general farming and stock-raising, having made a specialty of the latter department of his industrial enterprise and having attained a high degree of success through his energetic ef- forts and marked business discrimination. He has made excellent im- provements on his farm, which comprises one hundred and ninety-one acres, and has placed the major portion of the farm under a high state of cultivation. The old homestead has been consecutively in the pos- session of the family from the time when the grandfather secured the land from the government in the early pioneer days, and in the three generations the representatives of the Magrew family have worthily contributed to the work of development and progress and have stood for the most sterling integrity of character, retaining the unqualified esteem of the community in which they have lived and labored to So goodly ends. Mr. Magrew is a stockholder in the Citizens' National Bank of Urbana, and is also a member of its directorate. He at one time owned property in Fargo, North Dakota, and has traveled quite extensively through the northwest. In politics he has been an uncon- promising Democrat from the time of attaining his legal majority, and for fifteen years served as trustee of Mad River township. Fraternally he is one of the most prominent members of Magrew Lodge. No. 433. Knights of Pythias, which was named in honor of himself and his brother, the late Lemuel Magrew, said lodge having its headquarters in the village of Westville.
On the Ist of November, 1858, Mr. Magrew was united in mar- riage to Miss Elizabeth Snyder, who was born in this township April 16, 1838. being the daughter of Daniel and Anna ( Kizer ) Snyder. who were early settlers in the county, Mrs. Magrew's grandparents, on the paternal side, having located in Champaign county as early as 1806.
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She received her educational training in the schools of Urbana and Springfield, this state, and is a woman of refinement and gracious pres- ence. Our subject and his wife became the parents of three children, namely: Luella, the wife of William F. Ring, a prominent attorney of Urbana and who is individually mentioned on another page of this work : Cyrus H. died at the age of fifteen years; and Elizabeth H. re- mains at the parental home. The father of Mrs. Magrew died in Mad River township July 9. 1870, at sixty-two years of age and the mother of Mrs. Magrew died in the same township March 22, 1881, having been born in 1810. The father was born in Virginia, as was also the mother. Daniel Snyder, Sr., the grandfather, was born in Virginia in 1785, and died in Mad River township in 1849. The grandmother was Bar- bara ( Pence ) Snyder, born in Virginia in 1788, and died in 1866 in this township. Her maternal grandfather, Philip Kizer, was born in Vir- ginia, came to Ohio in 1805, was a soldier in the war of 1812, in which he was a captain, and died in 1817. His wife lived until 1837.
MILO G. WILLIAMS, A. MI.
Whatever the future may have in store for that noble educational institution maintained under the auspices of the New Church, Urbana University, at no point can there fail to be on the part of those who enjoy its privileges a deep and reverent appreciation of the devoted labors of the one who stood at its head in the formative period. Though Pro- fessor Williams, with that personal modesty so typical of the man, never consented to actually accept the title of president of the university, he was virtually and essentially the incumbent of this office from the time of the organization of the institution, more than a half century ago. until his final withdrawal from active participation in the educational
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work, a score of years later. He was a distinct power in his chosen field of endeavor, and it is not too much to say that he distinguished himself by the fidelity with which his multifarious duties were discharged after he was placed at the head of the intant institution. The formation of his plans was marked by wisdom and their execution by unwearied labor and care. and as a scholar. an educator and a man he commanded the highest respect and confidence. The history of his life is an integral portion of the history of Urbana University, and it is demanded that in a work that touches those who have lived and wrought so nobly within the borders of Champaign county a memoir and tribute be paid to Pro- fessor Williams, though the limitations of the work will not permit the entering into manifold details as to the inception and growth of the in- stitution he so dearly loved and for which he so zealously labored.
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