USA > Ohio > Champaign County > A centennial biographical history of Champaign county, Ohio > Part 32
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wart support to the Republican party and its cause, being long promi- nent in public affairs of a local nature. In 1899 he was elected to the office of county recorder, in which he has given a most capable and discriminating administration, and in 1902 was re-elected for a second term of three years, having taken up his residence in the city of Urbana upon assuming his official duties. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity, having been raised to the master's degree and holding men- bership in Mount Olivet Lodge, No. 226, F. & A. M., at Addison, Ohio, while he is also a member of Social Lodge, at Addison, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, taking an active interest in the affairs of each of these noble organizations. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church, of which his wife likewise is a member.
On the 23d of July, 1882, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Moses to Miss Maria Huddleston, who was born and reared in Jackson township, Champaign county, being the daughter of Milton and Jemimah Huddleston. Mr. and Mrs. Moses have five children, namely : Rolly R., Jennie L., John S., Blanche G. and Ethel MI.
JOHN P. NEER.
Among the native sons of Champaign county who went forth in defense of the Union when its integrity was menaced by armed rebel- lion, rendering the valiant and loyal service of a leal and loyal son of the republic, is John P. Neer, who is most consistently given representation in this work. for he has practically spent his entire life in this county, is a member of one of its honored pioneer families and through his identi- fication with the agricultural industry has become one of the successful and influential citizens of this section.
yours lindy of P Neer
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John P. Neer was born on the old homestead, in Concord township, on the 27th of April, 1842, being a son of Joseph and Margaret Susan ( Monroe) Neer. Joseph Neer was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, the paternal lineage tracing back to German origin, though the family had been established in the Old Dominion at an early epoch in its history .. Joseph Neer was reared and educated in his native state, where he re- inained until about 1826, when he came to Ohio and became one of the pioneers of Champaign county, having settled on the homestead in Con- cord township which is now a part of our subject's estate, as early as 1831. This was school land and was purchased by Mr. Neer at the time when it was first placed on the market, and it has ever since been retained in the possession of the family. He cleared the tract of its heavy growth of timber and developed a good farm, while he was a man of dauntless spirit and progressive ideas, doing much to further the advancement of the interests of this section in the early days and to conserve the general welfare. His political allegiance was given to the Whig party until the time of the organization of the Republican party, when he became a stal- wart supporter of the principles of the latter, having been strenuously opposed to the institution of human slavery and having exercised his franchise in support of John C. Fremont, the first presidential candidate of the Republican party. He was an active and zealous member of the. Methodist Episcopal church, taking a deep interest in the promotion of both its spiritual and temporal affairs.
In Champaign county, on the 10th of November, 1835, he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Susan Monroe, who was born in Harrison township, on the 27th of November, 1819, being a daughter of David Monroe, who was born in Virginia, of Scotch lineage, and who emigrated westward in an early day. becoming one of the honored pioneers of Champaign county, where he passed the residue of his life. Joseph Neer was summoned into eternal rest in 1869, and his cherished
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and devoted wife passed away in 1880, having retained their residence on the old homestead from the time of their marriage until death released the silver cord of his life. About tour or five years later the widow with her youngest daughter moved to Urbana where she died. Six sons and six daughters were born, concerning whom we incorporate a brief record in the following paragraph.
David C. is a successful farmer of Allen county. Kansas: Ann F. is the widow of James W. Ellis, who was a farmer of Oklahoma, where she still maintains her home : Eliza M. became the wife of Judge Joseph V. Offenbacher, of Champaign county, who died in the city of Wash- ington, D. C., in January, 1895, her death having occurred on the 6th of October, 1875, in southern Colorado; John P., the next in order of birth, is the immediate subject of this sketch; Martha J. died on the 16th of September, 1870; Nathan A. is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Los Angeles county. California ; Sallie C. is the wife of Lowel T. Clemans, an electrician of Los Angeles; Joseph F. is a farmer of Cham- paign county ; Mary F. is the wife of Charles W. McMaster, of Los An- geles county, California : Samuel J., who is engaged in the book and stationery business in Winfield, Cowley county, Kansas, served for two terms as clerk of that county ; Elizabeth died in infancy ; and James M. is a farmer and stock-raiser of Cowley county, Kansas.
John P. Neer, the immediate subject of this review, was reared upon the oldl homestead farm and acquired his early scholastic training in the district schools, which he attended during the winter months, while during the summer seasons he assisted in the work of the farm. In this peaceful vocation he continued to bend his energies until a higher duty faced him, when came the clarion call to arms, prompting the loyal sons of the north to defend the unity of the republic, now in jeopardy through civic rebellion. On the 30th of July, 1862, he enlisted as a pri- vate in Company 11, Forty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which
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he was sworn into service at Camp Chase, in the city of Columbus, on the toth of August. He continued on active duty with his regiment un- til the 12th of June, 1865, when he received his honorable discharge, at Camp Harker. Tennessee. His service thus covered the greater period of the war, and his record as a soldier was one to which he may well advert with satisfaction. He was promoted to be corporal of his com- pany, later sergeant and orderly sergeant and before he returned to his home he was commissioned first lieutenant in recognition of valiant ser- vice. Mr. Neer participated in many of the memorable and important inovements and engagements incidental to the course of the great con- flict. He was in the battle at Dutton Hill, Kentucky, and later his regiment, while he was on detached duty, assisted in the pursuit of Mor- gan at the time of his famous raid through Ohio and Indiana. On the zoth of October, 1863, he was in active service in the battle at Phila- delphia, Tennessee, in which engagement his regiment lost in killed, wounded and missing. one hundred and sixty-eight men, while later the regiment was in the entire campaign in eastern Tennessee, and in an en- gagement at Holston river, on the 15th of November, they lost one hun- 'dred and one men, five of the number being officers. They also had a spirited .encounter with the forces under General Longstreet. In this engagement, on the 17th of November, Mr. Neer was shot through the left lung and was taken to the hospital, where he remained during the entire siege of Knoxville. As soon as he had sufficiently recuperated he returned to his regiment, going to Tazewell. Tennessee, and thence to Cumberland Gap, where he remained a short time, after which the regi- ment marched to Mount Sterling, Kentucky, where it remained about a month, he being detailed to take charge of the patrol of the city. Thence the command returned to Tennessee, by way of Knoxville, and finally joined the forces proceeding onward for the Atlanta campaign, in all of which our subjeet participated, including the engagement at Franklin.
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which was one of the most hotly contested of all the fights of the war. He was present at the battle of Atlanta and his regiment was actively engaged in that famous battle, while later it was in the hard-fought battle at Nashville, Tennessee, on the 15th and 16th of December. 1864. We can but mention a few of the other notable engagements in which Mr. Neer took part,-Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Pine Moun- tain and Lovejoy Station.
After the war Mr. Neer returned to the old homestead, where he resumed his farm work, being associated with his father for two years, and after the death of the latter, in 1869, he purchased the major por- tion of the old home place from the other heirs. He now has an ex- ceptionally attractive and valuable landed estate of six hundred and seventeen acres, upon which are the best of improvements, while he also gives special attention to the raising and handling of high-grade live stock, his business affairs being so capably conducted that splendid suc- cess crowns his efforts. Mr. Neer is a stanch Republican in politics, has taken an active part in the work of the party and believes firmly in its principles. He has served as county commissioner for two terms, filling the office from December, 1885, until 1891. He and his wife are prom- inent members of the Concord Methodist Episcopal church, in which Mr. Neer is serving as trustee, while he contributed toward the erection of the church edifice. He keeps alive the pleasing associations of the old days when he was following the old flag to victory by retaining membership in the post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Urbana, of which he was commander in 1899.
In 1899 Mr. Neer was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Goble, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, where she was reared and edu- cated, being a daughter of fra and Catherine (Burke) Goble, both na- tives of the Empire state and both now deceased.
In recapitulation we may say that Joseph Neer, the honored father
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cf our subject, was born on the 7th of August, 1804, and that his death occurred on the 25th of January, 1869, at which time he was in his sixty- fifth year. His wife, who was born on the 27th of November. 1819. cied. October 8, 1880. At the time of their marriage they moved into the house where our subject now lives, and this contiued to be their home until death's hand intervened. Both were devoted members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church and they contributed largely to the erection of the church building in this township.
SIMEON TAYLOR.
When it is stated that Mr. Taylor, who was formerly incumbent of the important office of auditor of Champaign county, is of the third generation of his family in the county it becomes evident at once that he is a representative of one of the early pioneer families of this sec- tion, and such has been the prominence of the name and such the honor attaching thereto in connection with the annals of the county that it becomes specially consistent that a review of Mr. Taylor's genealogy and personal career be given place in this volume. He is one of the representative men of the county, where he is not only successfully en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, but where he also has other interests which have important bearing on the industrial and business activities of the locality, maintaining his residence in the town of Westville, where he has an attractive home.
Simeon Taylor was born in Mad River township, this county, on the 7th of June, 1838, being the son of Benjamin S. Taylor, who was born in Tennessee, whence he came to Champaign county with his parents when he was a boy, the family locating in Mad River township.
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where he was reared to maturity and where he devoted the residue of his life to agricultural pursuits. He became one of the prominent men of the county, where he was honored for his sterling character and his useful life. In politics he was a Democrat, and in his later years was a stanch advocate of the cause of temperance. He died when but forty- nine years of age. His father, John Taylor, was born in Virginia, whence he removed to Tennessee and finally to Champaign county, where he was numbered among the first settlers in Mad River township. He located on Nettle creek, where he entered government land, and at this time the Indians were far more in evidence in the locality than were the white settlers. He developed a farm and on the same passed the re- mainder of his life. He was of Scotch-Irish descent and was a man of industrious habits, strong mind and inflexible integrity.
The maiden name of our subject's mother was Sarah Miller, a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, where she was -eared and whence she accompanied her parents on their removal to Champaign county. Ohio, being a young woman at the time. Her father, Valentine Miller, settled in Mad River township about the year 1816, and here he devoted the remainder of his life to farming, his lineage showing Dutch, Irish and Welsh strains, with the Dutch predominating. The mother of our subject lived to attain the age of four score years. Her three children were as follows: Sarah Anna, who is the wife of Washington Louden- back, of this township: Darius, who died at the age of about sixty- three years ; and Simeon, the subject of this sketch.
Simeon Taylor grew up on the old homestead farm where he was born, and his early educational discipline was received in the district school, after which he continued his studies in the graded schools of Urbana and thereafter entered the Bryant & Stratton Business College in Cleveland, where he took a commercial course. He devoted his atten- tion to teaching school for about a decade, his entire pedagogic labors
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having been performed in his native township, and that he was success- ful and popular in this line is clearly shown by the fact that for eight years he was retained as teacher in one district. He finally gave up teaching and located on the old farmstead, where he once more turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, said homestead having been located in sections 16 and 17. He still retains the homestead, but leases the place, not having given his personal attention to its operation since the year 1889.
In politics Mr. Taylor has been one of the stanch advocates of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, and he has ever taken an active interest in public affairs of a local nature, lending his aid and influence in support of all measures for the general good of the com- inunity. He served as township trustee and as justice of the peace in Mad River township, and in 1889 was elected to the office of county auditor, being the only Democrat ever elected to this office in Champaign county, where the normal Republican majority is about one thousand. He gave an able and discriminating administration of the affairs of the office and thus gained the unqualified endorsement of the people, with- out reference to partisan affiliations. Mr. Taylor has long been a prom- inent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served as steward and superintendent of the Sunday-school, ever manifesting a lively concern in all departments of the church work, as does also his wife, who has been a devoted member of the organization for many years. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Taylor's finely improved farm comprises one hundred and cighty acres and is one of the valuable places of the county. He has been for twenty years a member of the directorate of the Citizens' Na- tional Bank, of Urbana, and is now vice-president of this solid institution. He is also a director of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company, whose headquarters are in Mechanicsburg, and is president of the People's Sav-
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ings & Loan Company, of Urbana. Thus it may be seen that he is dis- tinctively one of the representative citizens of his native county, and here his course has ever been such as to command to him the unqualified con- fidence and esteem of all classes.
On the Ist of October, 1863, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Susan Ward, who was born in Mad River township. being the daughter of Noah and Lydia ( Smith) Ward, who were numbered among the pioneers of the county. Of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor we incorporate brief record, as follows: Alonzo, who was graduated in the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati and who was successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in Delaware county, Ohio, died at the age of thirty-four years; Laura O. is the wife of Gerald Colbert, a successful farmer of Mad River township; David E., who likewise is a prominent farmer of this township, and married Mary Sowers ; Bertha R. is the wife of Dr. R. Lee Grimes, who is engaged in the practice of medicine in Westville : and Floy remains at the parental home.
JAMES D. POWELL.
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When it is stated that with the lapse of but one more decade a full century will have fallen into the cycle of the ages since the time when the Powell family became identified with the annals of Champaign county, it will be readily understood that in touching upon the life record of James Dunlap Powell, the writer is dealing with a worthy representa- tive of one of the earliest pioneer families of this section of the Buckeye state. Within all these long years what has been the character, what the accomplishment of those who have borne the name? The answer comes in most grateful measures when we scan the record, for in the line
MRS. JAMES D. POWELL.
JAMES D. POWELL.
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have been men of sterling character and women of gentle refinement,- men who have played well their parts on the stage of life's activities ; women whose influence has been ever potent for good. What a wealth of incident and variety of experience is summed up in tracing back over the period of ninety years which marks the identification of this family with the interests of Champaign county, and still farther may we go to find the ancestry maintaining an unblotted 'scutcheon from that early epoch when it first was planted on American soil, in the early colonial days. Thus it may be seen that the biographer may well feel a distinctive respect, and satisfaction when he essays the task of rendering. even in epitomized form, a tribute to him whose name introduces this paragraphi and to those who have gone before him and likewise exempli- fied true virtue and true usefulness in all the relations of life. In the mad rush of this electrical and almost turbulent twentieth century, we may well stop for a moment and give retrospective study and apprecia- tion to those who have wrought so nobly in the past and the measure of whose influence can not be understood by superficial analysis.
James Dunlap Powell is a native son of Champaign county, which has been the scene of his labors during the entire period of his long and signally useful life. He was born on the pioneer homestead farm. in Urbana township, on the 3d of March, 1819, being a son of Elijah and Alary (Dunlap) Powell. Elijah Powell was born in the state of Vir- ginia, on the 20th of August. 1789, being the fifth in order of birth of the eleven children of Abraham P. and Ann ( Smith) Powell, both of whom were likewise natives of the Old Dominion, which figures as the cradle of so much of our national history, the former having been born on the 20th of October. 1754. and the latter on the 12th of September. 1762, while their marriage was solemnized in their native state, in Au- gutst. 1780. Abraham P. Powell rendered valiant service as a soldier in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution, and it may well
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be said that the family name has been from the beginning identified with the founding and building of the republic. When Elijah Powell was a child his parents emigrated from Virginia to the wilds of Kentucky, of which state they became pioneer settlers, and there he was reared to man- hood, while his knowledge of pioneer life was to be still farther ex- tended, since he accompanied his parents on their removal to Champaign county. Ohio, in the year 1812,-a decade after the admission of the state to the Union. The family settled on a tract of heavily timbered land one mile west of the present city of Urbana, which was at that time a mere hamlet of a few primitive dwellings, and on this farm, whose im- provement was at once instituted, Abraham P. Powell passed the residue of his life, passing away on the 3d of January, 1817, at the age of sixty- two years, while his widow long survived him, being summoned into eternal rest on the 19th of September, 1845, at the venerable age of eighty-three years.
In this county, on the 27th of January, 1818, Elijah Powell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Dunlap, who was born in Kentucky, on the 26th of October, 1800, being a daughter of Rev. James and Emily ( Johnson ) Dunlap, both of whom were born in Virginia, the respective dates of nativity being July 10. 1773. and October 15. 1777, and when they were young they accompanied their respective families on their removal to Kentucky, in which state their marriage was solemnized, on the 20th of August. 1794. In 1812 Rev. James Dunlap came with his family to Champaign county, and he became one of the pioneer clergy- men of this section of Ohio, becoming well known to the settlers far and wide and laboring zealously in the vineyard of the divine Master, his faith in whom he exemplified in precept and example, ever laboring to uplift his fellow men and to scatter the precious seed of the gospel on fertile soil. He moved to Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1844, and remained there until his death in 1866. Of the eleven children born to Elijah and
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Mary ( Dunlap) Powell, only three are living at the time of this writing, namely: James D., the immediate subject of this sketch : Jeptha, a resi- dent of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and Edward, who makes his home in Urbana.
James D. Powell was reared on the old homestead farm in Urbana township, carly becoming inured to the work involved in the reclamation and cultivation of the farm, while his educational advantages were such as came to the average youth of the locality and period, being confined to a desultory attendence in the primitive log schoolhouse, with its puncheon floor and slab benches. In short, he had to contend against the same disadvantages that hedged in all of the pioneer families in what was then a veritable frontier region, but few were so fortunate in fertility of natural resources and in meeting the exigencies and overcoming the difficulties which compassed the average youth thus placed. He gave his father able assistance in the management of the farm and became familiar with all details of the great basic industry which has ever figured as the bulwark of our nation's prosperity, and to the same he has consecu- tively devoted his attention during the long years of his singularly active and prolific life. His father died on the old homestead, on the 11th of June, 1866, at the age of seventy-six years and ten months. His relig- ious faith was that of the Baptist church, of which his wife also became a member in her youth, and his loyalty and patriotism found as definite manifestation as in the case of his father, the Revolutionary veteran. since it was his lot to have been an active participant in the war of 1812. His wife. Mary Powell, died July 30, 1881.
On the farm which is now his home, on the 9th of September. 1845, James D. Powell was united in marriage to Miss Minerva Hill, daugh- ter of Joseph and Mary ( Purcell ) Hill, both of whom were born in Vir- ginia. Joseph Hill was twice married. In Kentucky he wedded Miss Mary Oliver and they became the parents of eight children. In 1802
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they came to Ohio and became the first white settlers in what is now Concord township, their location being the farm now owned and occu- pied by our subject. and here Mrs. Hill's death occurred. Some time afterward Mr. Hill returned to Kentucky for a visit, and while there he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Purcell, daughter of George and Margaret Purcell, who had removed thither from their native state of Virginia. Of the second marriage five children were born, Mrs. Powell having been the third. She was born in Concord township, Champaign county, on the 26th of August, 1822, and was here reared to womanhood. her educational privileges being such as were afforded in the primitive schools of the pioneer epoch. To Mr. and Mrs. Powell were born six children, their names, in order of birth, being as follows : Mary, Amanda J., Emma E., Elijah H., Sallie A. and Annie M. Of these Mary and Anna are deceased. Joseph and Margaret ( Purcell ) Ilili both died on the old homestead, the former in September. 1861, and the latter on the 3d of July, 1869, both having been devoted and con- sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, secure in whose faith they passed to their reward. Mr. Hill was in active service during the war of 1812, and, although a poor man when lie settled in the virgin forests of Concord township, he accumulated a comfortable estate.
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