A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 131

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 131

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Andrew Johnson Fuller

was born April 18, 1849, in Marietta. His father, Samuel Fuller, was born near Marietta, and his mother's maiden name was Eliza Judd. His father was a cabinet maker and followed it until furniture making drove him out of busi- ness, and then he became an undertaker. Our subject attended the schools at Marietta and the Marietta College until 1869. He was clerk in the postoffice after he left school for three years. He was clerk in the rolling-mill store for one year. He went to Central, Indiana, and railroaded with General Dawes until 1874. In 1874, he came to Portsmouth with the intention of going into the postoffice as clerk, but went in the Wait Furniture Factory as book-keep- er and salesman. In the fall of 1884, he engaged with his brother in the fur- niture and undertaking business, and has been in that ever since. He was married September 22, 1878, to Miss Mary Smith. They have three children, Gilbert, Floyd and Mary. He is a republican in his political views. and a member of the Bigelow Methodist church. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow. He is a republican in his political views, and a member of the Bigelow Metho- dist church. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow. Mr. Fuller's wife died Janu- ary 17, 1886.

Joseph Warren Fulton, M. D.,

was born October 24, 1810, at Schenectady, New York, the son of Robert and Nancy (Hewitt) Fulton. His father was a cousin of Robert Fulton, the in- ventor. He moved to Ohio and settled at Cleveland and lived there during the war of 1812. His father removed from Cleveland to Athens county, in order to give his sons the advantage of the Ohio University at Athens, but died in 1825. His sons were unable to attend the Ohio University and each obtained only a common school education.

Our subject graduated at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, in 1832, at the age of twenty-two. He commenced the practice of medicine in Fairfield county in 1832, and his first patients were victims of the cholera. He was very successful in his treatment of them. He practiced medicine until 1846. He then engaged in mercantile pursuits and carried on a large coal mine in the Hocking Valley, at Nelsonville. In the spring of 1860, he moved to

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Greenup county, Kentucky, opposite Portsmouth, locating on the farm on which Fullerton is now situated.

When the war broke out, he formed the idea of raising a regiment among the miners in the Hocking Valley, and received authority for that pur- pose from Governor Dennison. He visited the Hocking Valley and found a regiment had been raised there. He helped raise the 53rd O. V. I. but on ac- count of his age, he declined the office of Colonel. He was appointed Quarter- master with the rank of First Lieutenant, September 6, 1861. He resigned De- cember 11, 1862, because he could not endure the hardships of the service. At the time he was appointed, he was forty-eight years of age, or three years past the age required for military duty. He was engaged in the battle of Shiloh and during the same was assigned to special duty by General Buell who in his published account of the battle, gave him credit for having ma- terially contributed to the success of the Federal Army. No man in the war was more intensely loyal than Doctor Fulton. His brother, Robert R. Ful- ton, was made Lieutenant Colonel of the 53rd O. V. I. at the age of fifty-two and served for two years. His nephew, Joseph W. Fulton was First Lieuten- ant of Company B, and afterwards Captain of Company G, 53d O. V. I. He had a brother Lorenzo Fulton, who was Captain of Company G, 53rd O. V. I.

In 1867, Doctor Fulton removed to Springville, Kentucky and operated a tan yard. He removed to Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1868, bought the Pacific Mills, near the Baltimore and Ohio station, and operated them for four years. Then he bought the Offnere Mill on Front and Chillicothe streets, and operated that until 1883. In that year, he removed to Kentucky, to develop lands near Louisa, which he had purchased.

He was married May 22, 1843, at Chancy, Ohio, to Augusta M. Cutler. daughter of Colonel Charles Cutler. They had three sons: Doctor Charles C. and Robert, now of Elliott county, Kentucky, and Joseph M., of Columbus, Ohio.

In politics, Doctor Fulton was a whig and afterward a republican. He cast his first vote for Henry Clay in 1832. He was always active in politics. He was a forceful and entertaining speaker, but never aspired for an office. In the city of Portsmouth, he was a prominent member of the Board of Trade and was for a time a member of the City Council. He was an original thinker and advocated measures far in advance of the times. When the water works were first talked of in Portsmouth, he advocated a reservoir on one of the hills instead of the Holly system. He advocated flood defenses thought unjudicious by others. He died in Elliott county, Kentucky, March 20, 1893. He was one of the most public spirited citizens who ever lived in Portsmouth and far ahead of his times. He had the courage to undertake what he recom- mended. His arguments in favor of projects presented by him were unan- swerable. He was not appreciated as he should have been in his life time, but the citizens of Portsmouth realize now that he was one of the city's best friends.

Eugene Melvin Funk

was born in Greenup county, Kentucky, January 1, 1852. He is the son of Thornton A. and Anary (Gray) Funk. She was the daughter of John Gray of Kentucky. Mr. Funk's maternal great-grandmother died at the age of 114. Her husband was a soldier of 1812. On the paternal side, he is the great- grandson of Martin Funk, who settled on the land west of Lawson's Run or Funk's Gut. His son, John Funk, was our subject's grandfather. The boyhood of Mr. Funk, until he was six years old, was spent in Kentucky. His parents removed to Portsmouth and remained four years and returned to Kentucky. He received a common school education. He worked on the farm until 1870 and began dealing in timber, fire clay, tan bark and general merchandise, which business he continued until 1875, when he came to Portsmouth and went into the Portsmouth Planing mill on Gay street. He continued here six years and then engaged in the same business with H. Leet & Company which he continued until the present.

He has been elected city councilman for the fourth ward, three terms. He was defeated for Sheriff of Scioto county by W. G. Williamson. He is one of the prominent democrats of the county. On January 23, 1878, he was

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

married to Amanda Turner, daughter of Robert and Sarah (Murphy) Turner, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and granddaughter of Arnold Murphy, an early settler of Jefferson township, who came from Columbiana county, Ohio, ,about 1810. They have five children: Earl D., Mabel E., Richmond, Thornton and Carl. He is one of our best citizens, a plain conscientious business man, well liked by his associates and the community in general.

Joshua Madison Gammon,

son of Joshua L., and Harriet (Stewart) Gammon, was born at Tygart, Ky., about four miles from Portsmouth, December 13, 1839, one of eight children. He received a common school education, working on his father's farm until 1865, when with several companions, among them, John Shackleford of Ports- mouth, he started to the gold mines of Montana. He had reached as far as Sioux City, Iowa, he determined to return to his old home in Kentucky, and gave up his dreams of gold. Since then he has lived the life of a Kentucky farmer.

On the 13th of October, 1867, he married Louisa Kendall, second daugh- ter of Milton and Ruth (Lawson) Kendall. They had nine children: Nellie Ruth, married M. F. Mackoy, on the 8th of March, 1893, and died October 3, 1895, leaving one child, Bessie Louisa, living with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Mackoy ; Milton Smith, married, has two children; Elbert, mar- ried, living in Sciotoville, has one child; Olive, married Charles F. Aeh, who resides near Yorktown, Ohio, and is engaged in the dairy business. They have had two children, but one is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Gammon have five children at home: Lola May, Clara Belle, Lilly Ione, Irma Alice, and George Madison. In politics, Mr. Gammon has always been a democrat, and he is earnest in his views and political conduct. He is a member of the Christian church of Siloam, Ky., and has been for many years a member of the Portsmouth Aurora Lodge of Masons. He is highly respected in the entire circle of his acquaintances. In his manner, he is quiet and unostentatious. He is a good husband and father, a good neighbor and his rough side is his outside.

Samuel Glenn Garvin

was born in Scioto county, Ohio, July 21, 1850. He is the son of William and Harriet Garvin. He was one of four children, three sons and a daughter. His mother died when he was a child and his father married again. There were four children of the second marriage, three daughters and a son. He attended the country schools and worked on his father's farm. His father was also a cooper as well as a farmer. He died in 1861 at the age of fifty-five years. Samuel worked on a farm until 1872, and on July

12, 1872, he went to work in the Burgess rolling mill. He continued to work in the Burgess until 1898, and then he began to work in mills in dif- ferent places. He was in Indianapolis, Indiana, from the fall of 1898 till the spring of 1899. He then went to Chester, Pennsylvania, and worked for eight months in the American Steel Casting Works. In 1901, he went to Pittsburg, remained there one month and went to Birmingham, Alabama, in the fall of 1901, and then came to Portsmouth and worked in the Portsmouth steel works. He started as a puddler, and worked for eight years. He then had charge of a forge for three years, and for another three years he worked at the open-hearth steel furnaces.

He was married March 15, 1877 to Catharine Bowman, daughter of Jos- eph Bowman. They have two children: Alma, married to William Wamser, pattern maker for the Drew-Selby Company, and Arthur, a laster at the Drew- Selby shoe factory. He has always been a democrat. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and a member of Scioto Lodge of Odd Fellows.

Erastus Gates

was born July 28, 1829, in Portsmouth, Ohio. His father was Wilson Gates and his mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Kinney. He obtained his edu- cation in the Portsmouth schools and then went to clerking in his father's dry goods store, which was in a frame building on Brunner's corner. He was a

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

"dude" then, though the term was not yet invented. In 1843, Wilson Gates took his family to Memphis and they lived there until 1849. His father died soon after their return to Portsmouth and Erastus then went as a steamboat clerk on the southern rivers. He was on the steamer Kate Fleming when she was blown up in the lower Ohio. He left the river and became a clerk in Henry R. Kinney's hardware store. On March 16, 1854, he was married to Mary Laura Thompson, daughter of Washington Thompson, of Kentucky. He farmed for awhile after his marriage. In 1855 he and Uncle Reuben Thomp- son and kept a confectionery store on Front street.

He enlisted in Company H, 56th O. V. 1. on December 9, 1861, and was made a Quartermaster Sergeant the same day. On September 5, 1862 he was made Second Lieutenant of Company G. He was promoted to First Lieu- tenant April 2, 1863, and resigned July 26, 1863. He died June 13, 1892.

William W. Gates, Jr.,

was born in Gallia county, Ohio, March 13, 1863, the son of William W. and Alvira (Nye) Gates. William W. Gates, Sr., was born near Marietta, Ohio, October 16, 1827 and is the son of Samuel Haskell and Mary ( Wheeler) Gates and grandson of John Gates. Alvira (Nye) Gates is the daughter of Melzar and Phoebe (Sprague) Nye and granddaughter of Ebenezer Nye who came to Marietta in 1790 and lived for five years in the stockade there. He was born in Tolland, Connecticut. His sister was the first white woman to set foot in Marietta. In 1869, William W. Gates, Sr., moved from Gallia county, Ohio, to Cabell county, West Virginia, near Guyandotte, where he lived until 1876, when he moved to Scioto county, locating on a farm three miles east of the city.

His son, William W. Gates, Jr., attended the Portsmouth public schools. helping his father on the farm during vacation, until he was seventeen years of age, when he entered the Drew-Selby shoe factory, October 26, 1880. After spending thirteen years there, during which time he had gained a general knowledge of shoe manufacturing, having been employed in the different do- partments, he became a member of the firm, continuing in this relation, until the firm's dissolution in 1902, when he, with Irving Drew and others, bought and reorganized the Star Shoe Company.

In politics he is a prohibitionist. He is a member of the Second Presby- terian church. In 1897, he was made an elder and has been clerk of the Ses- sion since 1898 and Sabbath school superintendent since 1900.

He was married in 1888, to Harriet S. Chick, daughter of Charles and Sarah (Lawson) Chick and great-granddaughter of William Lawson, a pion- eer of Scioto county. She is of the sixth generation of the Lawson family in this country, her great-great-great-grandfather, Thomas Lawson, an English- man, havng settled near York, Pennsylvania, about 1715. She is also the great-great-granddaughter of Joseph Moore, a native of New Jersey, who emi- grated to Hampshire county, West Virginia, and then in 1790 to Adams county, Ohio. He was the first preacher in the first Methodist church in Ohio.

Mr. Gates is one of the foremost business men of this city. He has been successful and prosperous in his business and his ambition is to do the most good he can for the opportunity about him.

John Frederick Gerding, Sr.,

was born May 10, 1818, in Bonte, in the province of Hunteburg, Germany. He attended school there until he was sixteen years of age, when he learned the cabinet-maker's trade. He came to the United States in 1839, in his twenty-first year, and landed at New York. He came to Pine Grove Furnace and was engaged at the furnace for several years, when he went to Junior furnace and became the engineer. He afterwards became a wagon-maker and followed that occupation for eleven years. He removed to Lawrence furnace in 1849, and lived there for eleven years when he bought the Ball farm in the French Grant on which he resided for thirty-five years.

He was married on March 7, 1844, to Julia Witte, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Claumer and Elizabeth B. Witte. They had four children: John F., who married Rosina J. Andre, and resides in Kentucky, near Ports- mouth, Ohio; Lewis H., who married Caroline Messer and resides on "Dog-

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wood Ridge," in Porter township; Henry H., who married Hattie Stewart, and resides at Sciotoville, Ohio; Mary, who married William Reif, and resides at Wheelersburg, Ohio.

Mr. Gerding was a republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He died January 5. 1897. aged seventy-eight years. eight months and twenty-three days. His widow still survives and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. William Reif. Mr. Gerding was an honest man, a law abiding citizen, a pleasant and obliging neighbor and a consistent christian. He ac- cumulated a modest fortune, all by the toil of his hands. He brought up his children according to Solomon's ideas and they are a credit to his training. His dealings with his fellow men were all according to the Golden Rule. He left a memory, a comfort to his children, and a pleasant retrospect to his friends.

George Edward Gibbs

was born at Portsmouth, Ohio, September 5, 1853. His parents were Dr. George W. and Susan (Gilbert) Gibbs. His mother's people came from New York. His father's people were of German ancestry and came from Pennsylvania. His mother was the daughter of Giles Gilbert, Sr. Edward's boyhood was spent in Portsmouth, where he attended the public schools. From 1870 to 1875 he was clerk in the Marietta and Cincinnati freight offices. He was deputy recorder of Scioto county from 1873 to 1875. From 1875 to 1878 he worked in a railroad office at Chicago, Illinois. He was postal clerk of Ports- mouth from 1878 to 1881. He was in the railroad service from 1881 to 1902. except during Cleveland's first term. He is a republican and a member of the First Presbyterian church. of Portsmouth.

He married Miss Ella Dircks, daughter of Augustus Dircks, October 27, 1891. They have two children: Susan Louise and Jessie. Mr. Gibbs is wonder- fully proficient in his occupation as railway mail clerk. He has traveled over the Portsmouth branch of the B. & O. railroad, the fifty-six miles between Hamden and Portsmouth, till he knows almost every man, woman and child on the line. He travels 112 miles every day, 3.756 miles in a year and in the seventeen years of his service has traveled 63,852 miles, or as much as twice around the world and half way around the third time. He enjoys excellent health and tries to do the duty nearest him.

John Adam Giesler

was born January 22, 1845, in Westheim, Bavaria. His father was Andrew Gies- ler. There were six children of whom our subject was the eldest. From the time he was six until he was fourteen, he attended school in Germany, and then he was apprenticed to the butcher's trade until he wastwenty-one yearsof age when he came to the United States. The same year he came to Portsmouth and worked with George Daum at his trade. In February, 1869, he went into the business for himself on Market street. and continued in it successfully all his life.

He was married March 4. to Elizabeth Rauter. daughter of Fred- erick Rauter. Their children are: Anna Maria, wife of Jacob Hetzel, engaged in the butcher business with Adam Geisler; Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Findeis; Adam, in business for himself at 221 Market street, as a butcher, and Lena. Frederick and Catharine died in infancy. Rosa died in 1895. at the age of seventeen. Mr. Giesler was a republican and a member of the Evangelical church at the corner of Fifth and Washington streets. He died February 19, 1901.

John Gilgen

was born in Ross county, near Kingston, in 1849. In 1866, he came to Ports- mouth with his parents, and for awhile was employed at his father's liquor store, located in the house now occupied by the Portsmouth Steam Laundry. Later he worked at the Johnson Hub & Spoke Works, and while there had his right hand nearly cut off. In 1875. Mr. Gilgen was in the grocery business on Eighth and Chillicothe streets, but failed. He then engaged in the liquor busi- ness and was very successful, amassing quite a competency. He had a beau- tiful home and only recently began the erection of a business house. He was married in 1878 to Miss Lizzie Hook. They had two sons, Joseph, of Chicago,

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and George of Portsmouth. He died September 26, 1901. He was a member of of the Royal Arch Masons. Mr. Gilgen was an honorable and upright citizen; fair, just and honest in his dealings with his fellow men.

Captain Coleman Gillilan

was born in Jackson county, Ohio, November 19, 1837. His parents were Jesse Gillilan, a native of Greenbrier county, West Virginia, and Elizabeth (Cole- man) Gillilan, a native of Ireland. His grandfather, James Gillilan, was a na- tive of Greenbrier county, West Virginia.

Our subject received a good common school education, and passed through the Ewington Academy, thus qualifying himself for the noble work of teacher, but notwithstanding his attachment to his profession, he responded to the second call of President Lincoln, and during August and September of 1861, he and Captain M. Mannering recruited Company A, of the 56th O. V. I., in which regiment he was mustered in as Second Lieutenant November 8, 1861, for three years. While the regiment was on duty at Pittsburg Landing, Ten- nessee, he was taken sick with typhoid pneumonia and was sent home, with lit- tle hopes that he would ever recover, and on July 31, 1862, he resigned on sur- geon's certificate of disability. The summer and fall of 1863, he spent with the army in West Virginia. In July, 1864, he was commissioned by Governor Brough to recruit a company for the 173rd O. V. I. On July 27, 1864, he was ap- pointed Captain of Company C, 173rd O. V. I. and was discharged June 26, 1865.

After his return from the army, he went into the mercantile business at Wales, Ohio, with Emerson McMillan, now in New York. Then he taught two terms of select school at Wales. In the fall of 1866 he went into business with Richard Lloyd & Company, shoe dealers, of Portsmouth, Ohio, as sales- men, and was with them until 1870, when he became a salesman for J. L. Hibbs, in the shoe and hardware business. In 1876, he went into business in Thur- man, Ohio, with Charles Smith and was there from 1877 until 1880. In 1880, he became a partner in the firm of J. L. Hibbs & Company. From 1883 to 1889 he was with W. F. Thorne & Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1889 till 1902, he was in the shoe trade as a salesman.

On May 15, 1902, he took the management of the Murphy Shoe Company of Portsmouth; and on the first of November, 1902, when chosen President and General Manager of the Company.

He first came to Portsmouth in 1868 and has resided here ever since, except a few years at Sinking Springs on account of the health of the family. On February 14, 1890, he was appointed a member of the Board of Managers of the Ohio Penitentiary and was re-appointed for five years in April, 1902.

On August 27, 1868, he was married to Mrs. Sarah K. Fry, daughter of John Amen. His eldest child, Grace, the wife of Dan C. Jones, died at the age of twenty-five and left one daughter, Grace. The other children of Captain Gillilan are Bertha Sisson, Robert Starkey and Harry Coleman.

He is a member of Bailey Post, G. A. R., Portsmouth, Ohio; and of the Ohio Commandery Loyal Legion. He belongs to Calvary Commandery, Knights Templars, of Portsmouth. He is a Past Master of River City Council No. 11, United Commercial Travelers of America. He is a republican in poli- tics and a member of the Republican State Central Committee. He is a mem- ber of the First Presbyterian church of Portsmouth. In all the relations of life he does his part well. No man is more favorably known or more highly re- spected in southern Ohio than he.

William Jacob Gims

was born at Portsmouth, Ohio, March 5, 1867. His father was George Gims a native of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. His mother was Anna B. Miller, a native of the same place. They came to the United States in youth and were married in Portsmouth. His father was twenty-two years of age when he emigrated, and had been a weaver in Germany. They had six children, of which our subject was the second. He has two sisters in Portsmouth who married two brothers, sons of Adolph Brunner, the dry goods merchant.

Mr. Gims attended the Portsmouth schools until 1881, and then engaged as a grocery clerk for "Father" C. C. Hyatt. He was with "Pap" Hyatt for five

CAPTAIN COLEMAN GILLILAN.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

years and he attributes all his success to what he learned and to his instruc- tions during the five years he was with him. He was clerk for Charles Wil- helm for one year. In 1886, he went into the business for himself on Twelfth and Gay streets, and has been in it ever since. In 1891, he changed his location to Twelfth and Findlay streets and has been there ever since. He was Coun. cilman in the fourth ward in 1895 and 1896. From 1896 to 1899 he was a mem- ber of the Board of Health. In 1891, he was again elected Councilman for the sixth ward. He is a member of the Evangelical church, and of the D. O. H. He is a republican in his political views. He married Sadie C. Koch, daughter of Eli Koch, March 5, 1890. He has two children, Karl and Selma.

Alexander M. Glockner

was born April 9, 1866, in Portsmouth, Ohio, the son of Bernard Glockner and Magdalene (Beck) Glockner. His father came to America in 1847 and his mother in 1853. They were married in 1854. He received his early education in St. Mary's Catholic school which he attended for six years at the end of which time, he entered his mother's hardware store to work but he did not like it, and learned the moulder's trade at which he worked for five years. He then took a course in the Portsmouth Business College and again entered the hard- ware store owned and conducted by his mother.

His father engaged in the hardware business in 1872, succeeding J. B. Rottinghaus. He died October 27, 1876, and the business was conducted in the name of his mother, Mrs. M. Glockner until October 22, 1891, when she died. The business was then purchased by our subject who has owned and managed it since. It is now one of the largest and most substantial retail businesses in Portsmouth and it is a credit to the town as well as to its young and ener- getic proprietor.

Our subject was married to Adelaide Lange, daughter of John Lange, January 11, 1892, by whom he has two children: Edward, aged seven, and Helen, aged five.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 131

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913 Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612