A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 166

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 166

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When Sumpter was fired on, he enlisted in Company D, 22nd O. V. I. as a three-months man. On April 22, 1861, five days after his enlistment, he was made First Lieutenant. He served in this company until August 19, 1861. On the 21st of August 1861, he was mustered in Co. B. 22nd O. V. I. as Captain for three years. He was promoted to Major, May 9, 1862. He was made Colonel, September 16, 1862, and was mustered out with the regiment. Novem- ber 18, 1864. The regiment was originally known as the 13th Missouri, but on May 29, 1862, its designation was changed to the 22nd O. V. I. as it had seven companies from Ohio, one from Illinois and two from Missouri. On December

GENERAL OLIVER WOOD.

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9, 1864, he was appointed Colonel of the Fourth United States Veteran Volun- teers by Secretary Stanton, attached to the First Army corps, was ordered to Virginia, and served as colonel until March 1, 1866. On March 5, 1865, he was brevetted Brigadier-General for gallant and meritorious service on the field of battle.

On January 23, 1867, the first Grand Army Post was formed in Ports- mouth. Colonel Wood was Post Commander and N. W. Evans was Adjutant.

On March 1, 1867, he was appointed Postmaster at Portsmouth and served as such until December 10, 1873. On March 27, 1869, S. P. Drake stole a march on him and secured the appointment as Postmaster at Portsmouth from Pres- ident Grant who sent Drake's name to the Senate. General Wood's friends rallied to his support and protested so strongly against the appointment of Drake, that his appointment was withdrawn. On March 1, 1871, there was another effort made to secure the appointment of a different Postmaster, and an election to indicate the sentiments of the patrons of the office was held. The vote resulted as follows: Oliver Wood 428, Milton Kennedy 385, B. P. Holmes 69, J. P. Jack 49, Mrs. E. E. Glidden 42, and C. P. Lloyd 19. General Wood held the office, until 1873, when he was succeeded by Mrs. L. Adair.

In 1873 and 1874, he conducted a hotel in Ironton, Ohio. In 1876 and 1877, he conducted what is now the Arlington Hotel, in Portsmouth. On Sep- tember 15, 1877, he sold his hotel to A. C. Emory. In March, 1878, he was ap- pointed Indian agent at the Quiniault reservation, Washington Territory, and afterwards held a like appointment at Neah Bay three years, until he was succeeded by Mr. Cleveland's appointee in 1885. He then removed to Port Townsend, where he was Probate Judge from 1888-1890 and Police Judge from 1890-1893. In 1890, he was appointed a Circuit Commissioner. In 1883, he as- sisted in organizing Farragut Post, No. 15, G. A. R., of Port Tonwsend, Wash- ington, and was one of its first commanders. He was a member of Port Townsend lodge, F. & A. M. He was also a Scottish Rite Mason and an Odd Fellow.

In politics, he was always a republican. He was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church and a vestryman at the time of his death. He left a wife and five children: Lester E. Wood of New York city, Mrs. Isaac D. O'Neill, Mrs. Robert Lyall, Charles B. and James A. Wood, who reside in Port Townsend, Washington. James A. is now an assistant city editor of the Seattle "Post."

In 1891, General Wood was admitted to the bar in Washington State. He was very highly esteemed as a citizen and the protest against his removal as Postmaster in 1871, was a remarkable tribute to his character and worth. He was a true patriot. As a soldier and officer, he was enthusiastic, brave and wonderfully efficient. He was a most agreeable companion and was the life of the circle in which he moved. He was a man of great sympathies and es- pecially was his sympathy extended to those in distress. He took a great in- terest in the G. A. R. not only in Portsmouth, but in Port Townsend, Wash- ington. He died on June 25, 1893. His memory is affectionately cherished by all who knew him and especially by his old friends in Scioto county.

Charles Elmore Worley

was born February 3, 1857 at Portsmouth, Ohio. His parents were William C. and Mary (Willitt) Worley. His father enlisted in Company I, 140th O. V. I. May 2, 1864, for 100 days and was mustered out with his company September 3, 1864. He spent his boyhood and youth at Friendship, Ohio. He received a common school education. He worked for some time at the cooper's trade. He has always been a republican. He is a member of the M. E. church. He was married February 5, 1878 to Rose Angele, daughter of Andrew Angele, a carriage-maker of Portsmouth, Ohio, who came from Wurtemberg, Germany in 1850. They have six children: William Andrew, Frank, Karl, Marie, Pauline, and Louise.

Robert S. Wynn

Robert S. Wynn was born July 2, 1814, near Chillicothe, Ohio. His father was William Wynn, a native of Bath county, Virginia. His grandfather, Robert Wynn, was from England and was a graduate of Oxford Uni-

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versity. He came to Virginia and married a Miss Williams who owned the Warm Springs and had a large estate. His son, William Wynn, located in Ross county soon after the opening of the century. Our subject's mother died when he was ten years of age, leaving Robert and one son William, his brother. At fourteen, he ran away from home and apprenticed himself to the cooper's trade. Contrary to the experience of most boys who ran away from home, he prospered, learned the cooper's trade and afterwards bought out a shop and store in Dayton. He came to Scioto and Pike counties and worked. On the 13th of December, 1841, he married Eliza Reynolds, a daughter of Doctor Albert Reynolds, of Jasper. In 1842, he started a cooper shop in the west end of Portsmouth and became a cooper.

In 1847, Robert Wynn quit the cooper business and went to contracting. He built the Portsmouth grade in front of the city in 1848. He was one of the principal stone contractors in Southern Ohio. He built four bridges across the Scioto river, two at Waverly and two at Chillicothe, Ohio. He built the George Davis distillery, locks and dams for the Ohio Canal and superintended the placing in of the foundations of the bridge across the Ohio at Point Pleas- ant. He built two of the piers for the same bridge on the West Virginia side. He had the reputation of being one of the best stone foundation builders on the Ohio river. He built and owned the St. Charles Restaurant, in Portsmouth. He did much stone work in West Virginia and Kentucky and trestled and piled the Norfolk & Western railroad from Chillicothe to Ironton. He met great losses in West Virginia but stood up under the burden of debts and paid every dollar in full with interest. He was a brave and strong man under adversity. He was a good and useful citizen and has many monuments of stone standing to his memory.

He has had six children, three of whom died in childhood. Their sur- viving children are: Eldecka, married first to Leonard Wishon and afterwards to William Turner of the West Side; Eliza, married Emil Revare, now a widow; Albert, living in Piketon, Pike county. Robert Wynn was a well known citi- zen of Portsmouth. He was jolly and cheery at all times. Adversity never discouraged him, the worse the times, the more cheerful he was. He believed in letting the other man do the worrying. He was a pleasant companion and could do his part in every company in which he found himself. At one time he was a candidate for Commissioner in Pike county on the Democratic ticket and was defeated by only two votes. He was always a democrat and his Dem- ocracy was time tried and fire tested. He died December 19, 1885 in Pike county. His widow still survives.

Thomas Thornton Yeager

was born in 1836, in Meigs county, Ohio. His father was Peter Yeager and his mother was Emeline Glover Thornton, a daughter of John H. Thornton. He was the eldest of ten children. His father was a native of Mason county, Virginia, and was a farmer. John H. Thornton had moved to Meigs county with his father and there Peter Yeager met his wife and married her. When our subject was two years old, his father moved to Kentucky, twelve miles above Portsmouth, and lived there until he was seven years of age, when he moved to Portsmouth. Thomas first attended school in Kentucky, going to Jerome B. Valodin. He also went to school in Portsmouth, first to Mrs. Carr and afterwards to A. J. Rikoff.

He left school when fifteen years of age, and went into Doctor Hemp- stead's office to study medicine. He remained there nine months and then gave up the idea. He then went into Stephenson's book-store and clerked there about one year. From there he went to Patterson's book-bindery and worked there for five years. In 1857, he went to Keokuk, Iowa, and started a book-bindery. The panic of that year broke up everything in Keokuk, includ- ing Yeager. Then he worked at bricklaying for a year and a half in Keokuk. From there he went to Jefferson City, Missouri and laid brick there for about a year. He then tried Fulton, Missouri and took a three million brick contract for the season. He completed the contract and made $500 and returned home in the winter of 1860, with the money, the first he ever saved. In the spring of 1860, he returned to Jefferson City to go to work.

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The war fever broke up business and he could get nothing to do. Gov- ernor Stewart was drunk and made a speech on the steps of the capitol advising that every Northern man be driven out of the state. Tom concluded to go home as he appeared to have no other alternative. He started a book-bindery in Portsmouth and then the war broke out. Yeager played a game of checkers with John D. Wilhelm to determine whether both should go to war, or both stay at home. The game turned out that both should go to war. Both of them en- listed in Company G, First O. V. I. as three months men. Tom got sick in Philadelphia but would not go to the hospital. Doctor Bailey, Captain of the Company, prescribed for him in a barn in the Suffolk Park race course, He advised Tom not to re-enlist as his health was insufficient and he followed this advice.

When he returned from Company G, he engaged for McDowell & McColm on the wharfboat for two years. He was elected wharfmaster April 13, 1863 and served until April. 1866, when he was succeeded by David Gates. Gates only served six months, and Yeager was re-elected until 1872. He owned and conducted a wharfboat purchased from Captain John N. Lodwick, from 1863 to 1866. He had no money to buy but Tom Dugan loaned him $400 and he bought out Lodwick. In 1866, he took Mr. McCofm in the business and the firm was McColm & Yeager. This firm continued to do business till 1871, when Yeager bought a third interest with John Dice and Peter Shafer in Maklem's livery stable. They conducted the business from 1872 to 1875. In 1872, he sold out his interest in the wharfboat to James O. Murfin. In 1875, he sold out his interest in the livery business to John W. Lewis. He then went into the mill business on Fifth street with Augustus R. Turley. Yeager & Turley run the mill one year and Turley sold out his half interest to Marshall Anderson. Yeager & Anderson built a roller process mill and it burned down on September 24, 1883. They then purchased the lot where the Frick Mill now stands.

In 1886, he was elected Sheriff of Scioto county. He received 3,151 votes to 2,676 for his competitor, James Skelton, majority 475. In 1886, he was re- elected, receiving 4,042 votes to 3,139 for John C. Bauer, majority 903. In 1840, his grandfather John H. Thornton was Sheriff when William H. Harrison was President. In 1886, our subject was Sheriff when Benjamin Harrison was Pres- ident. In 1892, he was appointed District Factory Inspector and served three years. In 1898 and 1899, he was a member of the City Council of Ports- mouth.

He was married in July, 1869, to Mrs. Ella Fritts, widow of Thomas J. Fritts, who was a daughter of James Simpson. They have one son Thomas Hyatt, aged twenty-two years. He is a Rural Free Delivery mail-carrier, on the route north of Portsmouth and down Munn's Runn. Mr. Yeager is a republi- can. For ten years, he was chairman of the County Republican Central Com- mittee.

James Henry Yingling

son of Christian Yingling and Martha (Lee) Yingling was born on the old Ying- ling homestead below Hanging Rock, Ohio, December 31, 1831. (See sketch of Christian Yingling.) He was one of twelve children. He received only a common school education with a course at Bartlett's Commercial College at Cincinnati, Ohio. Though not a public man he takes a great interest in pub- lic matters. When the town of Hanging Rock was incorporated, he was elected Clerk of Council and served two years. He has served on the local Board of Education several terms and is much interested in education and is willing to make sacrifices in the cause. He was one of four men to guarantee the ex- pense of a private high school in Green township, in 1899, when the Board of Education refused to establish same and he was the prime mover in the or- ganization. He has advanced ideas on educational matters and is very enthu- siastic in his support of them. He regards his work toward founding the first High School in Green township as the crowning act of his public life.

Though rocked in a democratic cradle, he is very liberal in his political views. He is still a democrat but a strong prohibitionist and some times votes that way.

On November 17, 1864 he was married to Eliza C. Bumgarner, a daughter of Daniel Bumgarner, and moved to Scioto county to the place where he now

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resides. They had three children Thane D., died January 13, 1896, Amy A., married to Joseph McNeil July 26, 1899 and resides near Peebles, Ohio, and Mattie L., died March 28, 1887. His wife died November 22, 1881. On September 5, 1883, he was married to Ruby M. Feurt, daughter of Henry Feurt. By this marriage there were two children: Henry Lloyd and Mary. This wife died April 17, 1890 and he was again married to Mrs. Mary E. Heid, daughter of Thomas and Margaret Rogers of Portsmouth, Ohio, June 17, 1891. By this mar- riage only one child was born: Margaret, died in infancy. Linnie P. Heid, daughter of Mrs. Yingling by her first marriage, lives with them. Our subject united with the Storm's Creek (now the Ironton) Baptist church when only twelve years old and has never departed from the faith. He is now an active and earnest worker in the Ohio Baptist church and Sunday school.

Mr. Yingling is a man of exemplary habits, kindly disposed towards all men, affectionate in his family relations and endowed with a religious instinct which manifests itself in all his dealings. He is a careful and successful busi- ness man and an intensely patriotic citizen. He is a firm believer in the right and belongs to that class of men who will not surrender a principle for the sake of policy.

John Yoakley

the son of John and Susan Ralph (St. John) Yoakley was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, May 27, 1860. His father was organist at All Saints in Portsmouth for thirty-two years and was a composer of music. His grandfather, William Yoakley, was a musician and composer. The Presbyterian Hymnal contains one of his compositions named for himself "Yoakley."

Our subject received his academic training in the Portsmouth public schools. Springing from a musically inclined ancestry, he naturally took to music and his father gave him private instruction until he was eighteen. In 1878, he went to Cincinnati, where he studied under the best professors and reached a high degree of proficiency. He has achieved a wide reputation as a teacher of music and his compositions have the hearty approval of the public. They have been recognized to such an extent that a "Te Deum" in F received its initial rendition at a service for the consecration of a Bishop of the Episco- pal church at Richmond, Virginia, and his tune "All Souls" was chosen for the "American Missionary Hymn" for insertion in the Church of England Hymnal. He is regarded as one of the most proficient organists west of the Alleghany Mountains. He is the organist at Christ Church, Cincinnati, and is continually engaged in important musical events occurring in Cincinnati from time to time. The following are some of his published compositions which have re- ceived public recognition: For the piano, "Spring," "Polacca," "Gypsy Scene," and "Ideal." For the voice, "Longing," "Beyond the Stars," "Lord forever at thy side." Anthems, "Te Deum" in F, "Jubilate" in F, "Bonum Est" in B flat, "Deus Misereatur" in B flat, "Benedicite" in G and "Te Deum" in B flat.

Our subject is a member of the Episcopal Church. He is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason. He was married May 17, 1890 to Josephine S. Royse, daughter of Capt. T. S. and Mrs. P. S. Royse. She died September 5, 1892, leaving one son, John Noble.

Levi D. York

was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, December 20, 1847. His father was Levi York, a stationary engineer, and Mary Ann Dee was the maiden name of his mother. His father died at the age of sixty-three, in England, and his mother in her eightieth year in 1889. He went to an Episcopal church school until he was twelve years old, and after that he attended school from time to time of evenings. He began to learn a trade at the age of twelve years, running a stationary engine. He followed that one year and went into a black- smith's shop four years. He then went to roll-turning, in the employ of the Patent Shaft & Axle-tree Company, and worked there until he was twenty- six years of age. His brother Thomas, had gone to the United States before the Civil war. He had been in the Navy in that war, and returned home at its close. He gave such a glowing description of this country that our subject determined to come to the United States. His brother James G, had preceded

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him a few months. In 1868, he came alone, and located at Akron, Ohio. He went into employment there as assistant roll-turner to his brother James G. York for a few months. He then fired a battery of boilers in the Akron roll- ing mill for three months. After that he had a position as machinist with the Seiberling Company, manufacturers of Agricultural Implements.

In April, 1869, he went to Patterson, N. J. as a roll-turner in the Passiac Rolling Mill Company, and remained there until September, 1878. In 1870 he was made superintendent of the plant, and continued until 1878. In Septem- ber, 1878, he went to United States of Columbia, South America, and was gone for thirteen months. He went there to undertake to erect a blast-furnace and rolling-mill for the Government, but returned before it was completed.

He first landed in Portsmouth the day preceding Thanksgiving in 1879, and continued to reside there until March, 1901, when he transferred his resi- dence to Los Angeles, California. He became the superintendent of the Burgess Steel & Iron Works in the year 1879. At the end of two years he became vice-president; he became presidentin 1895. He obtained a con- trolling interest in the business in about 1890. The mill was burned on the sixth of June, 1896, an account of which is given elsewhere. He proposed to build a new mill at Yorktown, and completed it shortly after May, 1899. On July 15, 1900 he disposed of it to a combination of mills. He is president of the Portsmouth Street Railway and Electric Light Company, and has been since 1898.

He married in January, 1870 Miss Ester E. Banker, of Patterson N. J. They had one child, Lilian E., now the wife of Milton Longfellow. His wife died in December, 1870, and he was married September 23, 1872 to Miss Alice L. Watkins, daughter of Jefferson L. Watkins, Esq. They have four children, three daughters and one son. Their eldest daughter, Laura, is the wife of B. Frank Vincent. Their son, Raymond, mafried a daughter of Hon. A. C. Thompson, Federal Judge, and is in business for himself. Clara, a young lady, and Mary, a little girl, are at home.

Mr. York was naturalized at Patterson, N. J. in 1870. In politics he is a republican. He is one of the largest capitalists in Portsmouth. and is disposed at all times to use his capital and talents for the upbuilding of the town. He is a public-spirited citizen, and no just appeal is ever made to him in vain, either for business or charity.

Jacob Yost

was born March 31, 1846 at Phillipsburg, Lorraine, Germany. His parents were Andrew and Louise (Bouldorf) Yost. They came to this country in 1854 and located at Portsmouth. His father was a knobbler at the Gaylord Rolling Mill and died in 1871. Jacob attended school in Germany and after coming to this country attended the schools in Portsmouth and received a common school education. He began working in the Rolling Mill when only ten years of age. At the age of seventeen. he was a puddler, which work he continued until 1887 when he became a heater. He is a republican and a member of the German Lutheran Church.

On September 20. 1868, he was married to Kate Clemens, daughter of Frederick and Mary Clemens. His wife died in July, 1897. They had seven children: Daniel F., Flora E., Emma M., Clemens A., Elnora Philippine, Carrie C., and Walter Jacob.

Mr. Yost is one of those good citizens who wears his heart on his coat sleeve. He is honest to the core, sincere and outspoken on every subject. He could not be guilty of dissimulation. He is very firm in his opinions, but is careful in making them up. If anyone wishes to know his views on any sub- ject, all one has to do is to ask him. He has a horror of debt and owes no man anything. He has accumulated a competencee and has given a college education to his two eldest sons, Daniel and Clemens. The former has been practicing law in Boston and the latter after graduating at Bowdoin College, Maine, has become a teacher in Massachusetts.

Philip Zoellner

was born November 22, 1832, at Kusel in Bavaria, Germany. His father's name was Karl Zoellner, and his mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Grimm. He

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was the youngest of a family of nine children. His parents never came to America, but died in the old country. His father was a manufacturer of stock- ings. One brother, Christian Zoellner, came to the United States, and is living in Cincinnati, a watch-maker and machinist. One sister came, Mrs. Margaret Thielman, now deceased. All his other brothers and sisters remained in Ger- many. He attended the common schools in Bavaria, and the gymnasium. He was apprenticed to a watch-maker at sixteen years of age and served as such four years. He then worked for one year at his trade, and then came to this country. He came to avoid going into the army.

He landed in New York on the 7th day of February, 1852, having been on the ocean forty-two days. He came in a sailing vessel. He remained in New York nine months and worked at his trade. In October, 1852, his sister ar- rived in New York from Bavaria with two children and her husband was al- ready in Cincinnati. Mr. Zoellner accompanied his sister to Cincinnati, and went to work at his trade and worked there two years. He came to Portsmouth July 7. 1855, in consequence of a correspondence with Daniel Clemens, who had been a neighbor in Kusel. He came on the Bostona, Capt. McLean, mas- ter, Capts. Jack and James Lusk, clerks. He went to work with John Clugsten on Market street, in the jewelry business at the old Abe. Coriell stand, and worked with him two years. On April 1, 1857, he started into business for himself, in the building, No. 135 W. Second street, where he remained until February 15, 1900, when he removed to No. 93 W. Second street.

Mr. Zoellner has always been very industrious, attending to his business and maintaining the strictest integrity. As a consequence he built up a good business and made money. He was married to Miss Mary Scott, daughter of Charles Scott, on July 9, 1857. The children of this marriage are: Albert C., now in business for himself in Portsmouth; Amelia, wife of P. S. Tritscheller; Lena, wife of George Appel of the Gilbert Grocery Co .; Mary, wife of John C. Bauer, of the same firm; Otto, now in business as Otto Zoellner & Brother; Lucy, widow of Dr. August Schliefer; Anna, wife of Otto Stephen of Cincinnati, Ohio; Charles, in partnership with his brother Otto. On May 1, 1899, Mr. Zoellner turned his business over to his two sons Otto and Charles.

August 14, 1862 he enlisted in Company C, 106th O. V. I., and served until March 29, 1863, when he was discharged for disability. He is one of the char- ter members of the German Beneficial Society of Portsmouth, organized in 1857, and has never drawn a single benefit from the society. He has always been a republican. He was reared a Protestant and is a member of the Ger- man Evangelical church. His children were all baptised and confirmed in the same church. He cast his first vote in the second ward in 1858, and has lived and voted in that ward ever since. He resided over his store for twenty-six years, and after that bought the Kehoe residence, which is just north of Dr. Cot- ton's, where he now resides. He was treasurer of the First German Building Association during its entire existence for nine and one-half years. He has been agent for foreign steamer lines since 1860. He has been a member of the Scioto County Tax Commission for three years, and in 1899 he was elected Land Appraiser for the First and Second wards.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 166

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