A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 160

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 160

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LAFAYETTE: TAYLOR.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Winter, Pa. William K. resides at Ottawa, Kansas. Volney E. is a lumberman at Doane, West Virginia.

During the early years of our subject's boyhood, he worked on a farm and attended the district school. He very early developed the propensity and desire to make money. This is evidenced by the fact that when he had reached the age of sixteen, he had accumulated the sum of $400 or what would be con- sidered a good fortune for a bcy of that age. But with this desire for money came an overwhelming desire for a better education than he could obtain at home. In company with a boy friend of his age and against the will of his parents, he came to Oberlin, Ohio, to attend school. But a term there some- what discouraged him; he thought an education should be obtained in a more rapid manner so he left this school intending to take up study again in some other school. In the meantime, he went to work chopping wood and sawing logs for a saw mill until school should open again. This was his first experience in the lumber business. When the time for entering school again came around, he did not go; but continued to work and save, Month after month passed away and all the time the desire to make money was overcoming and crowding out the desire for an education, until at the end of three years, he gave up his intention of educating himself and embarked upon his money mak- ing career which has been somewhat phenomenal and characteristic of all sim- 'ilar careers. In a short time he had saved sufficient money to buy several yoke of cattle and began taking logging contracts in Pike county. Success crowned his undertakings and soon he began to buy timber in tracts and to have it sawed, doing the logging himself.

In 1880, he came to Rarden, which has been the scene of his activities since, and which owes its growth and prosperity in large part to him. In 1885, he gave up logging and took up his residence in Rarden, having married the previous year. Here he opened a small store and engaged in the buying and shipping of lumber and at the same time owning and operating several saw- mills. He became a partner with Guilford Marr in the cooperage business in 1887. From this year until 1891, he had on hands at all times the enormous quantity of 2,000,000 feet of sawed lumber and his ontput each year during this time was 2,500,000 feet. Besides this quantity of sawed lumber, he handled railroad ties, tanbark and all kinds of lumber products. His trade gradually branched out until he had practical control of the lumber business in this section and nine-tenths of all the lumber shipped from Rarden in the last fif- teen years has passed through his hands and has added thousands to his cof- fers. From 1887 to the present time he has reaped the harvest from something like 50,000,000 feet of lumber.

In 1895, he became the chief stockholder in the Rarden Stone Company, incorporated that year. He is exclusive owner of the Rarden Stone Mill. He owns a controlling interest in the Taylor Cooperage company. He is an equal partner with Charles S. Brown in the Taylor-Brown Timber Company. He owns and operates a large general store at Rarden, In 1900, he bought several thousand acres of valuable timber in Wayne county, West Virginia, and has since been engaged in sawing and marketing it.

Mr. Taylor is a republican and has always been such. He takes a deep interest in the management of local and national affairs, but is not a politician in any sense. His whole time is devoted to his numerous interests.

He was married July 4, 1884, to Almeda McNeal, a daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Watrous) McNeal of Pike county, Ohio. They have one child liv- ing, Volney S., born March 27, 1886. He is now in school at Valparaiso, Ind. Another child, Lynn, was born May 8, 1888 and died in infancy. His first wife died November 22, 1888, and he was again married to Lucinda McNeal, a sis- ter to his former wife, January 27, 1890.

Mr. Taylor is a man of strong and rugged build and has exceptional powers of physical endurance. He is always active and pushes his work and never lets it push him. The one great secret of his success is his exhaustless, tireless energy. Coupled with this his admirable ability to keep well in hand and manage his diverse business interests, He has exceptional business judg- ment and tact and during the years of his rapid advancement in the business world it has been employed to wonderful advantage. He is the embodiment

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

of honor and integrity-honest with himself, with his neighbor, with his em- ployes and with those with whom he has business transactions. Some have a deep religious nature and a total lacking of the moral nature and vice versa; others have both in varying degrees, though one predominates. In our subject we find but a moderate degree of the religious but an unusually sensitive moral nature which answers the purpose which the religious nature does in others. Consequently we have a man liberal in thought about things supernatural but radical in questions of right and justice. He should be a shining example for the young man who has nothing but his hands and a sound mind and body for capital to start on.

Martyn Taylor, M. D.,

of Sciotoville, Ohio, was born in the town of Lewis, Essex county, New York, in 1828. His father Theodore Taylor was the son of Eliphalet Taylor, a sol- dier of the Revolution who was conspicuous for bravery at the battle of Ben- nington. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Lucy Jane Bal- lou, was a descendent of Maturin Ballou who came from Devonshire, England in 1640 to the province of Rhode Island and was largely influential in shaping the policy of this province. Hosea Ballou, the mother of President Garfield, and she, are of the same branch of the Ballou family. The boyhood and youth of Doctor Taylor, to the age of young manhood, were passed in his native state, where he received an academic education. At the age of eighteen years, the death of his father threw him upon his own resources, and he began, sin- gle handed to strike out for himself, making his home in Adrian, Michigan. Enrolling himself as a student in the Medical College of the University of Michigan, he worked his way through that institution by teaching in the in- tervals of lectures and received a degree of Doctor of Medicine in the spring of 1852.

March 27, 1853, he married Miss Lydia Jane Draper and began the prac- tice of his profession at Danby, Dupage county, Illinois. He located in Scioto county, Ohio, in 1860. His three children are: Ella, born April 15, 1854, mar- ried A. H. Stephenson, M. D., a resident of Fort Recovery, Ohio; Addison Tay- lor, born March 17, 1866, a commercial traveler and head of the sales depart- ment of the Scioto Star Fire Brick Works of Sciotoville, Ohio; Martyn Taylor, Jr., born January 28, 1869, a physician and surgeon residing in Fort Recovery, Ohio.

On September 12, 1861 he enlisted in Company E, 33rd O. V. I. and took part in the campaign on Big Sandy and in the battles of Perryville and Stone River. He was discharged May 28, 1863, by order of the department, to accept the position of Acting Assistant Surgeon. Returning home in 1864, he served as enrolling officer during the summer of that year, and after completing the draft of Harrison township on September 2, enlisted in Company F, 1st O. V. H. A. After his re-enlistment in September, 1864, he was detailed as Acting Assistant Surgeon for a detachment of four companies of his regiment, sta- tioned at Chickamauga Junction, six miles south of Chattanooga and at sta- tions between that point and Grayville, Georgia, on the railroad south of the Junction. His surgical duties ceased when these four companies rejoined their regiment, with which he remained until June 20, 1865, when he was dis- charged.

He has always been a republican but has never sought office. His high- est ambition has been to attain the greatest excellence in his profession. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. After thirty years of labori- ous practice, he is disabled from further work, by disabilities resulting from military service, and is simply waiting for his summons.

Wells Teachnor, M. D.,

son of Henry W. Teachnor and Laura B. (Wells) Teachnor, was born Septem- ber 5, 1869. His paternal grandparents Isaac and Susan Teachnor, born re- spectively in 1801 and 1814, were among the early pioneers of Adams county. Isaac Teachnor was a man of more than ordinary ability and was possessed of a good judgment. Both were of German descent. The maternal ancestors of 'Doctor Teachnor were Jacob M. Wells, born June 8, 1821, and Elizabeth J.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Wells, born May 30. 1826. Jacob M. Wells was for a long time one of the leading attorneys at the Adams county bar and was once a candidate for Common Pleas Judge in that district. He was a man of great force of charac- ter and a forcible speaker when thoroughly enthused.

Doctor Teachnor was raised on a farm until he was fifteen years of age and attended the district school. In 1885 and 1886 he attended the Presbyterian Academy at North Liberty in his native county. In 1888 he attended the Na- tional Norman University at Lebanon, Ohio, and completed the scientific course. He then began reading medicine with Doctor R. A. Stephenson, at Manches- ter, in 1889, and attended the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati from 1889 to April 7, 1892, when he was graduated with honor and distinction. He located at Portsmouth in May, 1892 but removed to Sciotoville, June 1, 1893. He was president of the Hempstead Academy in 1897. He received the appointment of physician of the Ohio Penitentiary, May 1, 1900 and entered upon his duties im- mediately and is still serving in this capacity. He is a republican and has taken an active part in politics since old enough. He was a delegate to the State Convention at Toledo, in 1897 and at Columbus in 1898.

He was married May 17, 1893 to Martha Anne Fox, daughter of John W. Fox, of Moundsville, W. Va. They have four children: Wells H. Jr .. Margaret V., Galen and Martha A.

Louis Waller Terry

was born September 16, 1843, at Portsmouth, Ohio, on the lot where Irving Drew now lives. His father was John Pease Terry and his mother was Susannah Waller. He went through the Portsmouth schools before the age of sixteen and was in the first graduating class from the Portsmouth High School. He entered college in the fall of 1859. He remained in Kenyon College until December 1, 1861, when he enlisted in Company A, 33rd O. V. I. He was promo- ted from private to Sergeant of his company January 1, 1862. He was made Quartermaster Sergeant of the Regiment on the same day, a double honor. He was mustered out December 4, 1864. He went into the County Treasurer's office as a clerk and was there until he was married December 17, 1866.

His wife was Florence Tillow, daughter of John Tillow, a former merchant of Portsmouth. After his marriage he was book-keeper at Buckeye furnace, Jackson county, for three months. He then went to Hamilton fur- nace, Missouri and was book-keeper there for a year. From there he went to La Grange and Clark furnaces, Tennessee, where he was book-keper. He was there one year and after that spent three years as book-keeper at Talladega furnace, Alabama. He returned to Portsmouth, in 1880, and became book- keeper in the First National Bank of Portsmouth and was there in that capacity and as Cashier until 1897, when he went to Seattle, Washington.

May 1, 1889 he was appointed City Collector at Portsmouth and was re- appointed on April 17, 1890. At Seattle, he engaged in the wholesale cigar business and continued in it till his death. He died November 15, 1899, of par- alysis. He is interred in Greenlawn and his widow resides in Portsmouth, Ohio. He was an Odd Fellow, an Elk and a member of the Grand Army. He was a communicant of Christ Episcopal church. Mr. Terry was one of the best business men of his time. As a book-keeper, he had no superior. Wherever his father was interested, he kept the books. He was not a man to make ac- quaintances readily, but when he once made a friend, he retained him.

Samuel Thatcher.

merchant at McGaw, Ohio, was born November 4, 1843, in Adams county. Ohio. His parents were Richard Thatcher born May 28, 1811 in the same county, died at the age of eighty-seven years. and Christina (Rader) Thatcher, daughter of John and Catharine Rader, natives of Pennsylvania and among the early set- tlers in Adams county. Our subject enlisted October 14, 1861 in Company C. 70th O. V. I. for three years; reenlisted January 4, 1864; appointed Corporal April 20, 1864; wounded May 27, 1864 in the battle of Dallas, Georgia; ap- pointed Sergeant October 19, 1864; mustered out with company August 14, 1865. He participated in the following battles: Shiloh, Corinth, Siege of Vicks- burg, Jackson, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Dalton, Lookout Mountain, Kene- saw Mountain, Atlanta and the charge at Ft. McAllister,

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Mr. Thatcher has been a republican since he cast his first vote and is an active member in the Methodist church at McGaw known as "McKendree Chapel." At different times he has served as steward, trustee and Sabbath school superintendent.

He was married February 28, 1864 to Martha Wilmoth, daughter of John and Mahala Wilmoth, late of Adams county, Ohio. They have six children: John, Sarah J., William Wesley, Mary C., Ida B. and Charles. His wife died October 9, 1899 at the age of fifty-seven. Mr. Thatcher was married again December 23, 1901 to Mrs. Julia Harrigan of Portsmouth, Ohio. Mr. Thatcher is an honest and upright business man, a good citizen and a consistent Chris- tian.

Miles Plummer Thompson

was born on the place where he now resides, near Young, O., August 5, 1838. His father was J. T. Thompson, and his mother's maiden name was Ellen Thompson. His grandfather was Thomas Thompson, born in Pennsylvania, but located on Brush creek. His grandmother Thompson's maiden name was Elizabeth Isaminger, from Pennsylvania. Our subject was raised a farmer, and always lived in the Brush creek valley, except when he was in the military service. He enlisted in Company H, Sist O. V. I., August 30, 1862, as a private for three years. He was appointed Corporal July 1, 1864, Sergeant May 1, 1865, and mustered out with the company July 13, 1865. He was not wounded in any of the battles, though in all of them. He was with his regiment in the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's march to the sea. When he came home he resumed his life as a farmer, and has been engaged in it ever since. He married Cath- arine Jane McCann, daughter of Isaac Rose McCann. Their children are as follows: Truman Evart, a farmer; Carey Marshall, a teacher; Olive, Minnie and Miles Homer, who died at the age of five years. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has always been a democrat, and is a first- class citizen in every respect, and is so regarded by all who know him.

William Jefferson Thompson

was born in Scioto county, Ohio, on October 10, 1847. His father was John Thompson and his mother Catherine Williams. His mother's father, Matthew Williams was born near Charleston, Virginia. Our subject has always lived in Scioto county and owns two fine farms about a mile below Rarden. As a boy he learned the blacksmith trade but followed it only occasionally. He is a Democrat. On November 23, 1869 he married Jane Freeman, daughter of Michael Freeman, a former well known citizen of Rarden. He has ten chil- dren, three of whom are deceased. John B., Ida, the wife of James Lanthom, living in Rarden township, Cora Ann, the wife of Marcus Hibbs, resides in Adams county, Enza Ethel, a boy at home, Harley, Jesse Earl, Dolly Olive, William Elden and Hartzell Everett.

Mr. Thompson is highly respected for his excellent qualities and is re- garded as one of the best citizens of the township.

William Kennedy Thompson

was born at Brookville, Pa., June 25, 1834, the eldest son of Judge J. Y. Thomp- son, and Agnes his wife. The Thompson family was a large one. The brothers were, beside himself, John J. and Robert M., both of New York, Hon. A. C .. Federal Judge, of Cincinnati, and the sisters were Mrs. J. N. Garrison of New York and Mrs. John L. McNeil of Denver, Col.

Our subject obtained his education in the town of Brookville and on January 4, 1857 was married to Miss Catharine Jane Porterfield of Emlenton, Pa. In 1859 he came to Portsmouth where he resided during the remainder of his life. He engaged in the saw-mill business on the river front and fol- lowed it for many years. He was a democrat, in his political faith, when all the remaining members of his family were republicans, but in 1867 he and the Hon. Wells A. Hutchins were the only two democrats in the county who advo- cated and voted for the State Constitutional amendment conferring negro suffrage. Thompson was one of the best natured of men, always obliging to his party, his church, his neighbors and his friends. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church and a trustee for many years,

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

He was tall and of agreeable presence. When he was at his best, he was a faster walker than any other man in Portsmouth. No one could overtake him on foot. It was a proverb in Portsmouth, "Don't follow Thompson, and expect to overtake him." The only way to meet him when he was out in the city afoot, was to intercept him. He was a liberal and generous man. He would give his last dollar to a good cause. His willingness to oblige everybody was often taken advantage of. and among others who took advantage of him in that respect were his party friends. He knew everybody and was on good terms with all he knew, and never refused any demands made on him by his party. He ran for council several times to help his party. He was a candidate for Water Works Trustee four times, not that he cared for the office, or wanted it, or that it would be of any help to him, but simply because he was a good man to be on the ticket, and because, if he was on, he would work for himself and for the ticket.

In 1871, he was a candidate for this office and the vote stood J. F. Towell 851, Thompson 611, majority 240. In 1873, he run again and was suc- cessful. The vote stood Thompson 1,065, Thomas W. Carre 815, majority 250. He held the office three years, and in 1876 was a candidate for a second term. The vote stood J. P. A. Cramer, 1,032, Thompson 987, majority 45. In 1879, he was again a candidate against Cramer and the vote stood Cramer 1,210, Thomp- son 855, majority 325. He was Postmaster at Portsmouth, Ohio, from May 5, 1886 until February 25, 1890, appointed by President Cleveland, and he pleased everyone by his administration of the office.

In May, 1890, he was appointed by the Commissioners of Scioto county, a trustee of the County Children's Home and was reappointed and served continually thereafter until his death. In making these appointments, the Commissioners appointed those whom they believed had the greatest sympathy for the unfortunate. It was on this idea that Thompson was appointed and re- appointed while he lived. If Mr. Thompson took any interest in any subject, he took a great interest. This is true of his church and Oddfellowship. As a church worker he could always be depended upon. In Oddfellowship he was also a great worker. He was always fond of children and interested in their welfare. For several years he served as Truant Officer for the public schools. If any of his friends took sick, he was the first man to know it and the first one to visit them. He had his faults. Who has not? But they were strictly per- sonal and were buried with him. His virtues shone during his life; they endeared his friends to him and their sweet incense survives him. Noble hearted, great souled Thompson, "vale mi frater."

Elijah Warwick Tidd, M. D.,

was born September 8, 1869, in Scioto township, Jackson county, Ohio. He received his name for Dr. John B. Warwick, of Lucasville, Ohio. His father was Elijah Tidd, born September 18, 1823, who enlisted January 28, 1865 for one year in Company H, 194th O, V. I., was appointed Sergeant and was mustered out October 24, 1865. He died January 22, 1902. Our subject's mother was Rachel Stockham, a daughter of David Stockham, who was a son of Col. Aaron Stockham, born August 3, 1787, in Pennsylvania.

His father and mother had six children, of whom he was the fifth. He had a common school education. He began the study of medicine in 1890 with Dr. Orin C. Andre, of Piketon, Ohio, now Waverly. He attended the Colum- bus Medical College in 1891 and 1892, the Ohio Medical University in 1892 and 1893, and graduated in the latter year. He located at Wakefield, in the spring of 1893, and remained there till 1899, when he located at Stockdale, Ohio, where he has been ever since. He is not married, but his friends say that he has reasonable prospects of being married soon. He is a republican, and a member of the Alhambra Lodge, 554, of the Knights of Pythias, and a member of the Pike County Medical Association.

Winfield Scott Todd

was born November 6, 1861, at Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio. He was a son of John E. and Mary Jane (Mumper) Todd. His grandparents on both sides were from Pennsylvania. He received a common school education and

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

was two years in the Urbana High School after which, he took a complete course at the Miami Commercial College, Dayton, Ohio. He first entered busi- ness in the tobacco house of Lines, Roush & Co., of Cincinnati, where he had charge of their office. He located in Portsmouth, August 29, 1882, and took the position of time-keeper and bill-clerk in the Portsmouth Foundry & Machine Works. He became secretary and treasurer of that company in 1885, and remained with them until January 1, 1890, when he resigned to become the secretary and treasurer of the Portsmouth Stove & Range Co., with which he remained until March 1, 1899, when he disposed of all his interests in that company. Upon the re-organization of the old and well known firm of Wil- liam Resor & Co. in Cincinnati, manufacturers of the celebrated line of "Moni- tor" stoves and ranges on September 19, 1899 he became identified with that corporation, and took the responsible position of vice-president and treasurer. the company then having a paid up capital of $225,000.

Mr. Todd is a republican in politics. At one time, he was a candidate for member of the school board of Portsmouth, but was defeated. He was brought up under the influence of the Presbyterian church, but is not a member. He was married October 13, 1886 to Miss Cosette Calvert of Portsmouth, daughter of Judge R. A. Calvert and he has two children Helen and Harold. The former graduated from the grammar department of the Mt. Auburn Public Schools, and was presented with a membership in the Mercantile Library under the Day bequest, having obtained that prize as one among 1,100 contestants. During Mr. Todd's residence in Portsmouth, he stood first among the business men, and was in every respect a first-class citizen. His abilities earned the pro- motion he received in obtaining the position he holds in Cincinnati.

Charles Oscar Tracy,

son of Uri Tracy and Harriet Ellen (Lloyd) Tracy, and grandson of Charles Os- car Tracy, was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Arpil 13, 1857. He was graduated from the High School in this city in June, 1875, and after spending several months in the West, returned to Portsmouth and was associated in the shoe business with his father and grandfather, Richard Lloyd.

September 25, 1884, he was married to Mary Ida Patton, at Columbus, Ohio. They resided in Portsmouth until June, 1885, when they moved to Co- lumbus where he engaged in the wholesale notion business, afterward organ- izing The Tracy-Wells Co., of which he is president at this time.

Charles Packer Tracy,

son of Uri and Persis (Packer) Tracy, was born in Oxford, Chenango county, New York, December 5, 1829. He was educated at the famous old Oxford Aca- demy of which his great-grandfather, Gen. Benjamin Hovey, was one of the founders in 1794.

Having spent his youth in the place of his birth, he removed to Ports- mouth, Ohio, in 1851, where two brothers of his father were then living. After a few years of clerkship with the jobbing shoe-house of Richard Lloyd & Co. he left that firm in 1855 and started the firm of C. P. Tracy & Co. in the same line of business, with F. J. Oakes as partner. A year later, the firm name was changed to Oakes & Tracy for a brief period.

In 1858, his brother, Henry R. Tracy, then a clerk in the house, bought out the interest of F. J. Oakes, and the firm name again became C. P. Tracy & Co., and thus continued for many years.

On December 20, 1858, Mr. Tracy was married, to Isabella McClain daughter of Capt. William McClain, who was long connected with steam- boating interests on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. They had only one child, a daughter, named Persis McClain, who was born in 1861. She graduated in 1880 from the Bartholomew English and Classical School in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was married August 31, 1893 to Frank Burr Mallory, A. M., M. D., at pres- ent associate Professor of Pathology in the Harvard University Medical School. She has two sons, Tracy Burr, born October 26, 1896 and George Ken- neth, born February 14, 1900.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 160

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