USA > Ohio > Champaign County > A centennial biographical history of Champaign county, Ohio > Part 23
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Old Dominion and was numbered among the pioneer residents of Day- ton. Ohio. In 1830 he came to Mechanicsburg, where he made his home until called to his final rest on the 13th of February, 1841. For many years he served as justice of the peace, and his rulings were so fair and impartial that he won the high commendation of all concerned. By oc- cupation he was a grocer and his well conducted store brought to him a good financial return. He strongly endorsed temperance principles and labored to promote the non-use of alcoholic beverages. Ile gave his political support to the Whig party, voted for William Henry Harri- son in 1840 and was a warm admirer of Henry Clay. He was widely known as 'Squire Baker and was highly respected because of his genn- ine worth. In his religious views he was a Universalist and his life was so honorable and upright that he left to his family an untarnished name. He was twice married, his first union being with Miss Kirby, by whom he had a son and daughter, the latter being Charlotte, the wife of Dr. F. Owens. now deceased. She was eighty-two years of age in 1901. The son of the first marriage has passed away. His second marriage was with Ann M. Henderson, a native of Virginia, born in 1807. Her father, Charles Henderson, was also born in Virginia, and followed the occupation of farming. Mrs. Baker was called to her final rest in July, 1885, having survived her husband many years. By her marriage she became the mother of seven children, of whom our sub- ject was the second in order of birth and the eldest son. His brothers and sisters were: Margaret A., now deceased ; Amelia J., the widow of Benjamin Taylow, Sarah J. Ewing, of Mechanicsburg ; Robert B. 11., also of Mechanicsburg: Joseph, who has passed away; and one who died in infancy.
(. A. Baker, of this review, was abont two years old when brought to Champaign county by his parents. He was reared in Mechanicsburg and educated in the public schools and at the age of sixteen years began
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learning the tailor's trade, completing his apprenticeship in Piqua, Ohio, in 1848. He then returned to Mechanicsburg and continued his educa- tion for a year with Professor Henkle and Mr. Wilson. In 1849, how- ever, he turned his attention to the grocery trade in Mechanicsburg, following that pursuit for about a year. In 1850 he went to Milford Center, where he engaged in the tailoring business for a year, on the expiration of that period returning to Mechanicsburg, where he again established a grocery and also conducted a clothing business in connec- tion with J. P. Smith, now deceased. He was thus an active factor in business circles in this place until about 1853. when he purchased two farms, comprising three hundred and forty acres. Locating upon his land he carried on agricultural pursuits for thirteen years and on the expiration of that period sold out and in August, 1867, once more took up his abode in Mechanicsburg, which has been his home continuously since. For some years he engaged in buying and selling stock, but is now living retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest.
On the 24th of April, 1853, Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Jane Fullington, a native of Union county, Ohio, whose father was a large land owner in both Union and Mason counties. Mrs. Baker is the eldest of four children and was reared in the county of her na- tivity. She reached the age of seventy-eight years on the 4th of Jan- uary, 1901, but is now suffering from ill-health, having been stricken with paralysis November 23, 1901. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Baker have been born three children: Abbie, who became the wife of Charles Frary, of Chicago, and died, leaving one son, Herbert B., a resident of Cleveland, Ohio : Walter S., who first married Laura Kates and after- ward wedded Lillian Stacy, by whom he has one daughter, Abbie J .; and Charles, who died when about one year old.
In his political views Mr. Baker is a stanch Republican and has. filled the office of justice of the peace, yet has never been a politician
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in the sense of office-seeking. He is a prominent Mason, who has at- tained the Knight Templar degree, belonging to Raper Commandery, No. 19. at Urbana. He has been a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal church and he believes in the final salvation of all mankind. With one exception he is the oldest resident of Mechanicsburg. Through many years he has been a witness of the growth and development of this county and has ever taken a deep interest in its progress and improve- ment, his own efforts contributing in no small measure to that end. Throughout his long business career his course was ever one of honor and industry, perseverance and keen sagacity being numbered among his strong characteristics and proving potent elements in winning him success.
ORVILLE NOBLE.
The old Bay state of Massachusetts, where was cradled so much of our national history, figures as the native place of this venerable and honored citizen of Urbana, where he has maintained his home for nearly half a century, having been actively identified with its business activities for many years, and finally retiring to that dignified repose and surcease of active labor which constitute the just reward of earnest and honest endeavor. As the shadows of his life lengthen he can look back with satisfaction upon the exertions of past years and rejoice in the prosperity which has attended his efforts and enabled him to crown his ciays with peace and restful calm, "far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife."
Orville Noble was born in the village of Russell. Hampden county. Massachusetts, on the 2d of January, 1821, being. in both the paternal and maternal lines, a representative of old and honored families of this
Orville hoble
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colonial commonwealth. In the agnatic line the family is of English derivation, and the original American ancestor came from the "tight little isle ' and settled in Massachusetts in the early colonial epoch. The parents of our subject were Reuben and Cynthia (Gowdy) Noble, and both were born in Massachusetts, where they passed their entire lives, becoming the parents of two sons and three daughters, all of whom are deceased with the exception of the subject of this review. Silas Noble, grandfather of our subject, was a man of prominence in his day and was one of the influential citizens of Hampden county, Massachusetts. He had five sons and two daughters and his descend- ants are to be found in diverse sections of the Union. Our subject was reared to the age of six years in his native town and then the family removed to Granville, in the same county, and that place continued to be his home until his removal to Urbana, Ohio, in 1856. Having availed himself of such advantages as were afforded by the common schools of Granville, he supplemented this discipline by a course of study in an excellently conducted select school in Springfield, Massachusetts. That he duly profited by his scholastic advantages is evident from the fact that he qualified himself for pedagogic work, becoming a teacher at the age of twenty-one years and following this vocation with gratify- ing success for a period of eight years thereafter.
In the town of Granville, Massachusetts, in the year 1840, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Noble to Miss Caroline A. Bates, a member of a prominent family of that state. She accompanied hin on his removal to Urbana and here passed the residue of her life. prov- ing a devoted companion and helpmeet to her husband. sharing in his joys and sorrows, aiding and encouraging him in his efforts and walk- ing by his side down the checkered pathway of life for more than half a century, when the veil was lifted to gain the new glory of a gentle and noble life, death setting its seal upon her mortal lips on the 14th
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of November. 1899. They became the parents of one child. Mary .1 .. who is now the wife of William M. Rock, of Urbana, and who accords to her father the utmost filial solicitude. Upon his arrival in Urbana Mr. Noble engaged in the garden-seed business, in which he success- fully continued for a period of thirteen years, while he also became interested in agricultural enterprises and other ventures which rendered him good returns, enabling him to secure a competency for the declin- ing years of his life. He is the owner of a good farm in Salem town- ship and has an attractive residence property in the city of Urbana, where he continues to make his home, honored as one of the venerable and sterling citizens of the county and having the solace conferred by many and warm friendships.
In politics Mr. Noble originally gave his support to the Whig party, but upon the organization of the Republican party transferred his support to the same, though he has never been active in political maneuvers and has never sought public office. He has long been a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, as was also his wife, whose life was in harmony with the faith which she professed. Fraternaliy our subject has long held membership in the Masonic order, being a member of Harmony Lodge, F. & A. M .; R. A. M .; and Raper Com- mandery, No. 19. Knights Templar, of which he was recorder for nine years.
FRED NEER.
Fred Neer is one of the progressive, wide-awake and enterprising men of Mechanicsburg, where he is conducting a creamery. He was born in Clark county, Ohio, November 22. 1864, and is a brother of J. S. Neer. Ile was the fifth child in his father's family and like the
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others of the household pursued his early education in the district schools, later continuing his studies in the high school of Mechanicsburg. Ile was only four years of age when brought by his parents to this county and remained with his father upon the old farm homestead until he had attained his majority, assisting in the labors of the field. When nineteen years of age he began teaching school, following that profession for ten years in Union and Champaign counties. For two years he was a teacher in the Milford Center high school and assistant principal at that place. In his educational work he displayed marked zeal and his own interest was an inspiration to his pupils. In 1894 he pursued a course in pharmacy in .Ada, Ohio, and afterward engaged in clerking in a drug store at Milford Center, where he worked for about two years. In 1896 he came to Mechanicsburg, where he engaged in the grocery busi- ness in partnership with J. E. Whittemore, there remaining three years. On the expiration of that period they dissolved partnership and Mr. Neer turned his attention to the creamery business in connection with D. McCreery & Son, who are now located in Urbana. He was associ- ated with them while they were at Milford Center for a period of about one year and in 1898 embarked in the creamery business at Mechanics- burg. his enterprise being known as the Mechanicsburg Creamery. His plant cost about three thousand dollars and is one of the best in the state for the purpose. The capacity is about seven hundred pounds of butter per day and the product is of such excellent quality that it finds a ready sale on the market.
In 1886 Mr. Neer was united in marriage to Miss Sallie Wilson, a daughter of William and Minerva Wilson. Her father served for four and one-half years in the war of the Rebellion and died soon after his return from the army. In his family were four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom Mrs. Neer was the eldest. She was born in Milford Center. Union county, and is a graduate of the high school
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of Mechanicsburg. For two years she engaged in teaching in Goshen township. Champaign county, and is a lady of culture and refinement. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with tivo children : Lois E., and Reed B.
Mr. Neer exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party. He is president of the school board of Mechanicsburg and has always taken an active interest in ed- ucational matters, exercising his franchise prerogatives in support of all movements and measures that he believes will promote the intellectual advancement of his community. Socially he is identified with the Knight of Pythias order and has filled all of the chairs therein. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church and is well known in busi- ness circles as a man of responsibility and energy, who has placed de- pendence not upon fortunate circumstances, but upon unremitting labor and sound judgment.
ELIJAH HANN.A.
For many years Elijah Hanna was a prominent figure in the annals of Champaign county, and aided materially in its development. By a life of uprightness, industry and honorable dealing,-a life devoted to the support of whatever was good and true,-he won the admiration and genuine regard of a large circle of acquaintances, who sincerely mourned his loss when he was called upon to lay aside the burdens, joys and sor- rows which had fallen to his share. as to all, in the journey of life.
Mr. Hanna was born on the 7th of May, 1824, in Nicholas county, West Virginia, of which locality his parents. Nathan and Alice ( McCoy) Hanna, were also natives. The father was a farmer by occupation and both he and his wife died in the state of their birth. Their son Elijah, who
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was the youngest son of their twelve children, six sons and six daugh- ters, came to Champaign county, Ohio, in 1844, when about twenty years of age, and as he was without means began his career in this state as a farm laborer. He subsequently located on the farm on which his widow now resides, purchasing the same from his father-in-law. Mr. Hanna was first married to Emily J. Haller, a daughter of William Haller, and of their three children, only one, William, who makes his home in Iowa, is now living. Mrs. Hanna passed to the home beyond on the 3d of July, 1860. For his second wife our subject chose Miss Mary Arrowsmith, who was born in Concord township. Champaign county, December 15, 1834. Her father, Mason Arrowsmith, was born in Mad River township, this county, January 16, 1806, on the farm on which Mrs. Hanna now resides, and was there reared to mature years, receiv- ing his education in the primitive log school house of the neighborhood. In the township of his birth he was married to Miss Margaret Rock, who was born in Concord township in 1819, a daughter of Felix and Mary ( Kelley) Rock, early pioneers of Champaign county. The pa- ternal grandfather of Mrs. Hanna, Ezekiel Arrowsmith, was born in Maryland, but subsequently located in Mason county, Kentucky, where he was married to Elizabeth Kenton. In 1801 they came to Champaign county, Ohio, locating on the farm on which Mrs. Hanna now resides, but at that time it was an unbroken forest. He erected one of the first cabins and was one of the first settlers in Champaign county, at that time there being no other white settlers nearer than Sandusky or Toledo on the north. Mr. and Mrs. Mason Arrowsmith became the parents of seven children, four still living,-Mary, Holly, George and Margaret. The last named is the wife of AAten Allen, of Los Angeles, California. The father of this family was first a Whig and later a Republican in his political views, and the mother was a member of the Methodist church.
19
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Mrs. Ilanna, the eldest daughter and second chikl in the above fam- ily, was educated in the district schools of Mad River township, the school house having been located on the dividing line between that and Concord townships. On the 25th of March, 1862, she gave her hand in marriage to Elijah Hanna, and they became the parents of four children,-Charles S .. Frank M., Edgar B. and Laura L. The first born is now deceased, and the three surviving ones are still at home. With her children Mrs. Hanna resides on a fine farm of two hundred acres, the work of which is carried on by her sons. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and of that denomination her hus- band was also a worthy and valued member. In that faith he passed to his final reward on the 23rd of September. 1901. He was a kind and loving husband and father, sympathetic and responsive to the needs of the poor and just and noble in all the relations of life.
ABRAHAM P. LOUDENBACK.
No citizen of Mad River township, Champaign county, is more widely known or highly regarded than Abraham P. Loudenback. Of a sterling pioneer family, of sturdy German ancestry, he and his rela- tives have been prominent in the development and maintenance of this county, always being safely counted upon to indorse and support to the extent of their ability every good work, movement and enterprise.
Mr. Loudenback is a native of Mad River township, his birth hay- ing here occurred on the 9th of November, 1845. His grandfather, Daniel Loudenback. was a native of Virginia, and both the latter's pa- ternal and maternal grandparents came to this country from Germany, taking up their abode in the Old Dominion. In a very early day Daniel
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Londenback came to Champaign county, Ohio, locating in the dense woods of Mad River township. He was a farmer and blacksmith by occupation and became one of the most prominent citizens of his lo- cality. His life's labors were ended in death when he reached the age of eighty-nine years and seven months, passing away in the faith of the Baptist church, of which he was long a worthy and consistent mem- ber, having assisted in the organization of the church in Mad River town- ship. During the war of 1812 he entered the ranks as a private and nobly served his country until the close of the struggle. Allen Louden- back, the father of our subject, was also a native son of Mad River township, and here he spent his entire life, his death having occurred at the age of sixty-nine years. Throughout his entire life he was prom- inently identified with the growth and development of the locality, and was a farmer, miller and merchant by occupation. His political sup- port was given to the Democracy, and for a number of years he served as trustee of his township, and religiously he, too, was an active and valued member of the Baptist church, his membership being with the denomination at Nettle Creek. As a companion on the journey of life he chose Elizabeth Keplinger, a native of Clark county, Ohio, and a daughter of Daniel Keplinger, who claimed Virginia as the state of his nativity, but was numbered among the early pioneers of Clark county. He was also of German descent, and as a means of livelihood followed the tilling of the soil. Mrs. Loudenback was called to her final rest at the age of sixty years. Unto this worthy couple were born ten chil- dren, six sons and four daughters, of whom our subject was the third son in order of birth.
Abraham P. Londenback passed his boyhood day, on his father's farm, and his early education was such as the district schools afforded. After his marriage he located on the farm where he still resides, his place consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of well improved land,
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where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, and has made a specialty of the latter industry. Numerous and substantial improve- ments have been instituted by the progressive owner, and by honest in- dustry and careful management he has succeeded in winning a hand- some competence for his declining years. A lifelong Democrat, he has ever given an active and intelligent support to the principles of that party, and for a number of years efficiently filled the office of school director.
The marriage of Mr. Loudenback was celebrated in 1807, when Miss Sarah Chaple became his wife. She is a native of England, as were also her parents. William and Elizabeth Chaple. When she was but a year and a half old she was brought by her parents to America, the family locating in Boston, Massachusetts, where she remained until six years of age, and was then brought to Urbana. Her father was a carpenter and cabinet-maker by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Londen- back have four sons,-Arthur, Royal, Clifford and Paul, all at home. Mr. Londenback is a member of the Baptist church of Urbana, and is active and enthusiastic in church work. He is loyal in his support of all measures calculated to benefit the community or the general public, and in the locality where his entire life has been passed he is honored and re- spected by all.
MORTON M. SNODGRASS.
From out a childhood heavy with responsibility, and brightened by few of the helpful and encouraging smiles of fortune. Morton M. Snod- grass, one of the well known grocers of Mechanicsburg, has evolved a thrifty business and good name and gained a fair competence. In this town, which chiims him as an honored citizen, he was born June 23, 1861,
MM Snodgrass
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and the Civil war then thundering at the gates of peace brought desola- tion and loss into the humble home where there were four other sons and two daughters. The father, Henry Milton Snodgrass, left his native state of Virginia when a young man, and after settling in Champaign county married Amanda Shepherd, a native of this section and daughter of Joshua Shepherd, one of the early pioneers of Champaign county. The elder Snodgrass was a blacksmith by trade, and with his country's need of strong men exchanged his musical anvil for the deadly armament of war. As a soldier in Company 1. Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry. he served until the memorable battle of Lookout Mountain, from which field of carnage he was conveyed wounded to a hospital in Phila- delphia, where his death occurred in 1863. He was brought home for burial, and almost immediately want and deprivation settled over the hitherto happy home.
With the other children in the family Morton M. Snodgrass was in- troduced to lahor as soon as his growing strength permitted, and his op- portunities for acquiring an education were hampered by the necessity of providing his share towards the family maintenance. Nevertheless, in his environment of work he gained much that the schools cannot give, and at the age of fourteen had a fund of common sense of invaluable use in his capacity as an employe in a hardware establishment in Mechanics- burg. At the end of six years he resolved to try his luck in Wisconsin, where he remained for three years as a clerk for a large lumbering con- cern. Upon returning to this town he embarked in a small way in the grocery business, and his honest methods and fair treatment of the pub- lic have won a deserved patrorage. His experience in his chosen occu- pation was acquired first as a clerk, and during the four years in this position he learned the business from the bottom up.
In 1883 Mr. Snodgrass married Anna Williams, and of this union there has been a son and daughter, the latter of whom is desceased. Mr.
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Snodgrass is a Republican in political affiliation, but has so devotedly at- tended to business that no thought of political honors have entered into his calculations. Fraternally he is associated with the Royal Arch Masons and with the Knights of Pythias. Ile is also a stockholder and director in the Central Bank. In April, 1902, he was elected president of the board of education after having served for three years as a member of the board.
SAMUEL M. MOSGROVE, M. D.
As a successful practitioner Dr. Samuel M. Mosgrove has gained advancement in the prosecution of his chosen profession and has a large clientage, which is an indication of his superior skill and ability. He was born in Urbana, Ohio, August 4, 1851, his parents being John A. and Elizabeth ( Milier) Mosgrove, who were also natives of Urbana. the father's birth having occurred here in 1818. He was a son of Adam Mosgrove, a pioneer physician of the city and thus through many years the family has been closely associated with this line of business, contrib- uting to the general welfare. The father of our subject was a com- mission merchant, carrying on business here for a long period and in his undertakings he prospered, owing to his keen sagacity, marked en- terprise and unflagging industry. He bought and handled grain on an extensive scale and also dealt largely in wool, becoming widely known as a prosperous and enterprising business man. His political support was given the Republican party, but he never sought the rewards of office in recognition of party fealty. Prior to his marriage he spent sev- eral years in Illinois, Michigan and other western states, where he pur- chased cattle. driving them east to the Pittsburg markets. Ilis business reputation was unassailable and it was known that his integrity made
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