A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 138

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 138

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In 1883, he was elected Treasurer of Scioto county, by a majority of 485 votes, and upon the expiration of his term, was chosen as his own successor,- this time by the very flattering majority of 1,347. Upon the expiration of his second term as County Treasurer, he accepted the position of Chief Assistant to Hon. Daniel J. Ryan, Secretary of State, at Columbus. Ohio, and served from 1889 to 1892. In that year he served as secretary of the Board of Ohio Commissioners at the World's Columbian Exposition. He was also chief clerk under the Hon. S. M. Taylor, Ryan's successor, as Secretary of State till 1896, at which time he was elected to that office by a handsome majority. He was re-elected in 1898,

In June, 1901, he formed a law partnership with George H. Jones, under the firm name of Jones & Kinney, at Columbus, Ohio. He was chairman of his county committee in 1888, and has been a delegate to numerous state con- ventions. In his fraternal relations he is identified with the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, having attained the Knight Templar degree in the former.

He was married October 8, 1879, to Letitia H. Yoakley, daughter of John Yoakley, of Portsmouth, Ohio. In all his public stations Mr. Kinney has de- ported himself as becomes a public servant. He has been faithful, capable and upright. His actions have merited the approval of all people, irrespective of party affiliations.

Captain Thomas Waller Kinney,

son of Washington Kinney and Mary Waller, his wife, was born March 14, 1842, the youngest child of a family of nine children. He grew up in Ports- mouth, left the Portsmouth schools at the age of sixteen and went into the State Bank of Ohio, as an errand boy. He was there until he was nineteen years of age, when he enlisted in Company G, 56th O. V. I., October 30, 1861, for three years. He was promoted to Sergeant-Major the same day. He was made Second Lieutenant of Company H, June 11, 1862. He was made First Lieuten- ant December 27, 1862, and Captain February 14, 1863. He was mustered out May 15, 1864, at New Orleans, La., on expiration of his term of service.

On his return from the army, he went into the W. Kinney & Co. bank, and was in that bank and its successors, until the bank failed in November, 1877. Directly afterwards he became the first agent of the Scioto Valley railroad at Portsmouth, and served one year. Then in 1879, he moved to Kan- sas, located near Council Grove and engaged in farming, for a period of three years; but he concluded that his old home was the best place for him, and in 1882, came back and engaged with the Portsmouth Fire Brick Company, in sup- plying fire clay for the company. The company merged into the Kentucky Fire Brick Co., in 1901, and he has been with the two companies ever since 1882, in the same capacity. In April, 1873, he was married to Miss Lida Adams. They have one daughter, Julia. He is a Blue Lodge Mason, and holds his member- ship in Pogue Lodge, Ashland, Ky.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Mr. Kinney is a great collector of curios and old relics. His collection is referred to, and a part of it mentioned, elsewhere. He is a gentleman who despises notoriety in any form. His tastes are quiet and he prefers the social enjoyment of his own immediate circle. He is fond of history and historical reminiscence, and would have made an excellent historian. He is an amateur geologist. He has studied the subjects theoretically and practically all his life, and the editor of this work is indebted to him for a contribution on that sub- ject, which wil be found herein properly accredited to him. He is content to be simply inscribed on the good citizen roll and otherwise to follow his own in- clinations. Like Diogenes, all he asks is, that no one shall stand in his sun- shine. He will take care of the rest.

Wellington R. Kinney,

son of Henry Richie Kinney and Mary McNairn, his wife, was born November 30, 1847, on Font street. in Portsmouth, where Hibbs' hardware store was. His mother was born in Scotland and was the daughter of Joseph McNairn, who conducted a hardware business in Portsmouth for many years. Mr. Kin- ney was educated in the public schools of Portsmouth and first entered business with Frank L. Gilbert in the wholesale grocery business in 1868, as a clerk. He remained here only a year and then went into the hardware business with his father on Chillicothe street as H. R. Kinney & Son. He retired in 1875 on account of ill health and traveled in Nevada and California for two years. In 1877, he returned to Ohio and since then has been engaged in raising small fruits.

On October 9, 1889, he was united in marriage with Miss L. Epworth Briggs, daughter of Samuel C. Briggs. Two children were born to them: Wells Pearl, born December 19, 1890, died October, 1898; Briggs Richie, born February 17, 1891 Mr. Kinney lines up with the principles of the Democrat party, and is a communicant of All Saints church in Portsmouth. He takes the part of a good citizen in the play of Human Life and fills out the character.

William Kinney,

son of Washington Kinney, was born October 26, 1835, at the old home on Sec- ond street, Portsmouth, Ohio. He went to school to Miss Birge in the Fourth street building. He attended Kenyon College and was a member of the class of 1854, but did not remain to graduate. He left Gambier and went first as a clerk for S. R. Ross and then into his father's bank. He was First Lieutenant of Company E, 140th O. V. I., from May 2, to September 3, 1864. Directly after the war, he made the tour of Europe. He remained in the bank until his father's death in 1871, and then conducted the bank under the same name until it was merged into the Iron National Bank in 1872. He was cashier of that bank until January 23, 1876, when it surrendered its charter. The Iron National Bank was succeeded by W. Kinney & Company, composed of our sub- ject and his brother. That continued until November 17, 1877, when it made an assignment. Afterwards all the claims against the bank were settled and re- leased. From 1871 to 1874, Mr. William Kinney was one of the County Com- missioners and made a most excellent officer. Since 1877, Mr. Kinney has re- sided most of the time in West Virginia. He is a gentleman of rare literary culture and taste and could grace any circle in the land. All his friends who know him best regret his determination to live in retirement.

Captain Isaac Kirby

was born at New Bedford, Massachusetts, November 19, 1802. He attended school there and at the age of twenty-three years, he went to sea as a common sailor in the coasting trade. He arose in the service until he became master and owner of a vessel. His vessel, a freighter, struck an iceberg on the New Foundland banks, and sunk in twenty minutes. He saved only his spy-glass. His vessel was bound from New Bedford to Glasgow, Scotland. He was seven days in an open boat and was brought back to the United States. His snip- wreck determined him to be a landsman. He started west and went to Ciu- cinnati, and there he met Dr. McDowell, who persuaded him to locate at Ports- mouth. He had two daughters with him, Isabel and Catharine. Isabel mar-

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ried John Renshaw, and Catharine died single. He started in the grocery bus- iness at Portsmouth, and in the making of brick with Eben Dole. He had mar- ried in New Bedford, and had three children, George and the two daughters mentioned above.

On December 14, 1841, he married Rosina Dole, daughter of Eben Dole, born March 2, 1825. Their children were as follows: John Renshaw, who re- sides at Watseka, Ill., a farmer; Henry, died at the age of thirty-three. He had been a soldier in the civil war; William, died at the age of thirty-eight, and left a family; James A., in the marble business at Portsmouth, with the Bode Granite Company; Edward J., a grocer, and Ida May, who died at the age of eighteen years. Capt. Kirby died May 9, 1865, and his wife January 29, 1888. He was a whig and a republican. He was a member of the Methodist church, and was a Justice of the Peace in Washington township a number of years. He was highly esteemed as a good citizen by all who knew him.

James Albert Kirby

is the son of Captain Isaac Kirby, a native of New Bedord, Massachusetts, and Rosina Dole, the daughter of Eben Dole, one of the pioneers of Portsmouth. He was born September 3, 1852, on his father's farm in Washington township, and attended school there. He started out for himself in 1865, in the employment of George W. Cole. There he worked on a farm for three years. He then went to Watseka, Illinois, and was a farmer's boy there for three years. In 1871, he returned to Portsmouth, and became an apprentice with Charles C. Bode, in the marble business. He learned the business in three years, and then he and his brother-in-law, Joseph Bowman, set up in the marble business as Bowman and Kirby, and continued it for twenty years.

In 1894, Mr. Kirby tried the confectionery business and continued in it for four years. In 1898, he re-entered the employment of Charles C. Bode in the marble trade and continued it till the latter's death. Since the last mentioned event, Mr. Kirby and Mr. Charles J. Bode formed the Bode Granite Company, which they conduct. Mr. Kirby married Leona, the daughter of Joseph Bow- man, September 29, 1874, and has had five children: Katie, the wife of Thomas Crooks, of Portsmouth; William, Grace, Edward and Lloyd, shoe cutters at Heer's. Mr. Kirby was a democrat till 1884, when he became a republican He never held any political office, but that of councilman.

Frank Kleffner

was born in Niedermashberg, Province Westphalia, Germany, May 9, 1832. His father died when he was a child and his step-father's name was Anton Willike. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Brange. He attended the elementary schools until he arrived at the age of fifteen years. Having left school, he went to Paderhorn, Westphalia, where he went into the business of baking, and served in that for three years, and then for this purpose he went through other parts of Germany and several countries of Europe. In about a year after this, he established a bakery for himself at Neidermashberg, where he conducted it until September, 1854, and from there he went to Buffalo, New York, where he found employment in a brewery for about four months. Then he went to Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and was employed in the bakery business for five months. He heard of Portsmouth and went there and engaged in business. In 1857, he visited Germany and remained a year. On December 29, 1861, he was mar- ried to Miss Barbara Adams, widow of Thomas H. Muehl. He then went into the brewery business in Portsmouth and was engaged in it for twenty years. He served as a councilman for two years. His wife died August 11, 1871, leav- ing three children: Lizzie, Frank and Anna. He was married a second time to Anna Hatman, of Indiana. January 25, 1872, and the children of that mar- riage are: Otto, Josephine, Edward and Catharine. From this time till 1896, he followed his trade successively in Cincinnati, Sciotoville ,Hamden and Col- umbus, O. He again returned to Hamden, where he has since been engaged in the liquor business. He is a democrat in his political views, and a communi- cant of the Roman Catholic church. He has always conducted himself as a good citizen, obedient to the laws, and faithful in the performance of all his civic duties.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Frank Anthony Kleffner

was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, January 2, 1868. His father was Frank Kleffner, and his mother was Barbara Adams. He went to school in Ports- mouth till 1881, when he finished up in the A Grammar, and then went to the Saint Francis Gymnasium in Cincinnati, with the idea of becoming a priest ot the Roman Catholic church, but after remainng there for one year, he came to the conclusion that he was not fitted for the work. He says he was in jail four days and nights, in 1884, on account of the Cincinnati Court House riots, but was discharged after examination, as an innocent man. He was clerk in the Galt House at Cincinnati, for two years. He then worked for the Western Union Telephone Company, in Kentucky. In 1887 and 1888, he worked for his father in Sciotoville. From there he went to Hamden and was employed, with his father, for four years. He was in Columbus for a while in 1894, and visited New Orleans, but finally concluded that Portsmouth was the best place. He is engaged in the liquor business at 16 West Sixth street. He was married to Catharine C. Eal, of Columbus, Ohio, July 28, 1897. He has three children: Francis Gregory, Sylvester Emmett, and Helen Cecilia. He is a communicant of the church of the Holy Redeemer.

William S. Klink

was born December 13, 1871, at Piketon, Ohio. His parents were John and . Amelia Klink, natives of Germany. His father was a bridge contractor and worked with Philip Kelley, in Pike county. Our subject attended the Pike- ton schools in winter and did farm work in summer. He worked for James English until he was ten years of age. From 1886 to 1892, he was engaged in Portsmouth at Moeller's butcher shop. He then worked as a shoe cutter for about a year in Portsmouth. Then he labored at a packing house, Tokee & Son, in Dayton, Ohio. He conducted a butcher shop here one year, came back to Portsmouth in 1896, and commenced working again for Moeller. He con- tinued with him two years and in 1898, he commenced business for himself in Portsmouth, and continued for three years. In June, 1901, he took a partner- ship with Edward Moeller in the meat business, as Moeller & Klink. On Feb- ruary 16, 1898, he was married to Emma Voelker, daughter of Lewis and Eliza Voelker. He is a republican. He is a member of the United Brethren church. He is active, industrious, energetic and does the best he can to honorably fill the position in life in which he finds himself.

Louis Knapp

was born in Hanover, Germany, September 8, 1840. His father's name was Henry Knapp, and his mother's maiden name was Caroline Schukky. He came to this country with his parents in 1845, who located near Chillicothe on the old Adams farm, where they remained two years. In June, 1847, they moved to Clinton Furnace, where his father dug ore at the furnace. They re- mained there seven years, and in 1853, moved to Center Furnace, in Lawrence county, where his father engaged in digging and mining ore. In the fall of 1855, the family moved to Clinton Furnace, where they remained until 1859, in the spring of which year they moved to Empire Furnace. His father resided there until his death in January, 1884, and his mother died in 1888. At Em- pire Furnace our subject began ore contracting, and continued this until 1860. He also took contracts of hanling charcoal.

In 1860, he took a contract of ore for Empire furnace, which in 1861, he turned over to his father, and enlisted in the army July 20, 1861, with a re- cruiting officer, at Empire furnace. The organization first intended was abandoned. On August 10, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, 5th Virginia regi- ment, but was not mustered in until September 2, 1861. He was in the battles of Trout's Hill and Cross Keys, where one color bearer was shot on his right side and a soldier on his left. Two men were wounded near him, and he had several holes shot through his clothes, but he was not touched. There were thirty-seven men killed and wounded out of his regiment in this battle. He was promoted to corporal in 1862, and was made Sergeant in July, 1863. He was in the battles near Culpepper, C. H., and Cedar Mountain, Virginia, and was under fire for thirty days. The members of his company were the sharp-

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shooters of the brigade and were with the advance guard at the beginning of the second battle of Bull Run. He took part in the battle at Lynchburg, Va., and shortly after at Winchester, Va. He was with General Crook and later under General Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley. He took part in the bat- tle of Berryville, September 2, 1864, and was mustered out October 15, 1864, at Wheeling, W. Va.

After he came home he engaged in teaming at Empire furnace, con- tracting and delivering ore, and in 1868, he went to Buckhorn furnace and took a contract hauling iron and ore, where he remained until 1870, when he went to Center furnace, and took a contract hauling charcoal.

On January 1, 1871, he bought a tract of Empire furnace, consisting of 107 acres of land. He has improved it extensively and added about 370 acres to it, and has now over 400 acres in one body. He engaged in general farm- ing until about 1890, when he turned his attention to raising fine stock and cat- tle. He raises black Aberdeen Angus cattle, and has about fifty head of full stock and grades.

Mr. Knapp was married January 25, 1865, to Miss Mary Fitzsimmons, at Empire furnace. She lived until December, 1881. There were seven children of this marriage: Lizzie, married Vinton Andre, died at the age of twenty- seven; May, the wife of Frank E. Hudson, traveling salesman for the Murphy Shoe Company, of Portsmouth, O .; Anna, died at the age of twenty-four; Joseph, died at the age of twenty-eight, married; Charles, died at the age of one year; Ruby, aged twenty-four, at home; James L., now teaching school, was in the Spanish-American war, 2nd United States Infantry in Company L. Mr. Knapp was married the second time in August, 1882, to Miss Hannah C. Fitzer. To this union two boys were born: John L., and Oliver W. He has always been a republican, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Henry Chapel, M. E., from 1874 to 1898, since then he has held his membership at Wheelersburg. He has been class leader and steward since 1875. He is a member of the Grand Army. In the county generally, Mr. Knapp has long been recognized as one of the most substantial, successful and progressive farm-

ers. He belongs to that wing of agriculturists who seem to know instinctively how to dig money out of the ground. This implies accurate perceptions-good judgment, industry, caution and the ability to manage well. He is one of those men who would have succeeded in any vocation. He is skillful in adapting means to ends, is a shrewd dealer, plans carefully and usually accomplishes what he undertakes. He is correct in all his habits and has a military record during the civil war of which he has a right to be proud. His moral and re- ligious life is exemplary.

Frank Vincent Knauss

was born December 22, 1850 in Monroe county, Pennsylvania. His father was Joseph Knauss, and his mother's maiden name was Katharine Ann Mansfield. His father was born December 22, 1823, and was a country merchant. He was a member of the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry during the whole war. He was Sergeant Major of the regiment. He died December 23 1901. Our subject re- ceived a common school education in the vicinity where he was born at White Haven, Pennsylvania. In 1869 he became a moulder in the shops of the Penn- sylvania railroad at Altoona, where he remained but a few months. From there he went to the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad shops at Zaleski, Ohio, as a moulder. He did the principal part of the work there. In 1873 he came to Portsmouth and worked a short time with Murray, Moore & Co., but was invi- ted to go to Jackson, by Peter Pickeral, to work in the foundry there. In that place he did most of the heavy work. While in Jackson he built a home; as a result of the panic of 1873 he sold his property in Jackson and bought a half interest in the foundry in Hamden. Not satisfied with that arrangement, he bought a flour mill in Zaleski, trading his interest in the Hamden foundry to H. S. Bundy. He remained in Zaleski in charge of this mill from 1879 to 1881. In the latter year he took charge of the Staiger Stamped Ware Factory at Washington, C. H .. and remained there two years.

In the fall of 1883, he came to Portsmouth, Ohio, and went into the em- ploy of the Ohio Stove Company. In 1889, he organized the Portsmouth Stove

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& Range Works, and has been president and general manager, since January 1890. The original capital stock was $50,000, and it now has a considerable surplus. This factory is the most steady running factory of its kind in the United States, having never closed down, except for repairs. It employs 150 men, having begun with forty. The buildings have been doubled since the start, and the concern uses up fifteen tons of iron a day, making as good goods as any factory in the United States. These facts are mentioned in connection with Mr. Knauss, simply to illustrate his wonderful business ability.

Mr. Knauss was married in September, 1872, to Miss Frances Beeching, a daughter of John Beeching of Cincinnati, in the wholesale, produce and com- mission business. He has the following children: Frank M., aged twenty- eight. John D., aged twenty-five and Harry A., aged twelve. He has been a re- publican all his life, as are all of his family. He was a member of the City Council for two years, and has been president of the Commercial Club for two years. He is now treasurer of the Gratz Lead Mining Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. He has been president of the Portsmouth Shoe Company for four years, and was first president and chairman of the Board of Trade.

A business associate says of him: "He is a man who can be depended up- on under all conditions. He is a practical, competent business man, and thoroughly familiar with all the details of the business with which he is con- nected. He is energetic, has been very successful in his ventures, and knows no such word as fail. His word is as good as his bond, and he stands high in financial circles. He is an enterprising citizen, who has always been willing to devote his time and money towards any movement that is for the best in- terests of Portsmouth."

William Knowles

was born in Swaith, East Riding of Yorkshire, August 28, 1833. His father was John Knowles, a shoemaker, and his mother's maiden name was Jane Mickleth- wait, a sister of Joseph Mickiethwait, an ancestor of the Micklethwaits of Portsmouth. His parents had ten children, five sons and five daughters. Wil . liam was the third son and child. He attended school in England, learned the shoemaker's trade with his father, beginning at the age of fourteen years, and worked until he was twenty-one, then he came to the United States. William Raynor had married his aunt and located in Portsmouth, so he determined to come to the United States. Jospeh Micklethwait was already located here, and young Knowles made the voyage. He came over in the "Robert Kelley," a sailing vessel. At that time there were only two steam vessels on the Atlan- tic Ocean, "The City of Philadelphia" and "The City of Glasgow.". The "City of Philadelphia" was lost on a voyage she was making at the same time young Knowles crossed in the "Robert Kelley." He was eight weeks on the ocean, and the vessel encountered great storms. Twenty-nine passengers were lost on the way, washed overboard or died. The Captain of the ship was a personal friend of his, and he remained in New York a month as his guest.

He went up the Hudson to Albany, and traveled by rail to Cleveland. Then he came to Cincinnati, and came up the river on the "Old Scioto," in May 1854 with Capt. Bernard Kepner. At that time Wm. Raynor was conducting a shoe business in Portsmouth, and young Knowles went to work for him for a short time. Then he went to work for Robert Bell and worked for him for several years; then for Richard Lloyd several years, then he kept a shop of his own for a number of years. He made the first shoe that was made by ma- chinery for Robert Bell, and he has been connected with the shoe business ever since. When Mr. Irving Drew first went into the manufacture of shoes, Mr. Knowles began to work under him, and has worked up to the present day. He is the oldest employe in the Drew-Selby factory, and the oldest shoe worker now living in Portsmouth. He works at any and every part of the business. He is sixty-nine years old and works every day.

He married Mary Katharine Kizer, daughter of Isaac Kizer, Sept 27, 1858. They have the following children: Iydia J., widow of Philip Iorey; Lucy, Floyd, Sallie, Laura, Mary, John, Robert, Ralph. He and his family are mem- bers of the First Presbyterian church of Portsmouth, and have been for a great many years. Mr. Knowles and his family are highly respected in Ports-

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mouth. He works hard every day, and when his Sunday and holidays come no man enjoys them more than he. He is a typical Englishman in his physical constitution and in his habits and manner of thought. He believes in doing the duties of every day on that day, and not postponing anything until the next. He lives in such a manner that if called away at any time, he would have noth- ing to regret. He keeps his conscience clear every day in the week. Mr. Knowles is a frank, candid man, and is just what he seems to be, nothing more or nothing less.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 138

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