USA > Ohio > Hardin County > A twentieth century history of Hardin County, Ohio : a narrative account of its historical progress its people and principal interests, Vol. I > Part 24
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Eli J. Stickle was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 13, 1854. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1880, in the same class with President Taft. He practiced law at Coshocton from 1880 until 1884. He afterward removed to California and engaged in business for three years, returning to Mansfield where he practiced law from 1887 until 1890. He opened a law office in Marion, but in 1891 came to Kenton, where he
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resides and practices law as the senior member of the firm of Stickle & Cessna.
Henry J. May moved from Roundhead to Kenton in the year 1892 and commenced the practice of the law. He soon obtained a large prac- tice, but abandoned it in 1898 and entered the army as captain and quar- termaster. Ile was afterward appointed captain and quartermaster in the regular army, in which service he remained until his death at Roundhead in 1905.
T. J. Remington was in partnership with E. J. Stickle in 1895 and 1896, afterward went to Dakota and is now living in Arkansas.
Cedric E. Johnson was born at Kenton, Ohio, March 14, 1868, and is a son of A. B. Johnson and Louise M. Crane Johnson. He attended the public schools at Kenton and graduated from the classical course at Oberlin College in 1890. He read law with George E. Crane, at Kenton, and attended the Law School of Harvard College. He was admitted to the bar in 1892, and at once entered into the practice of his profess- ion at Kenton, where he continued till 1906, when he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he still resides engaged in the practice of his profession.
A. M. Tidd was born April 14, 1852; was admitted to the bar and commenced to practice at Marion, Ohio, in 1877; came to Kenton in 1890 and has been practicing law here since that time.
Wright M. Cooney was admitted to the bar in 1895, practiced in Kenton until 1904, and is now in business at Santa Monica, California.
Asa C. Cooney was admitted to the bar in 1897 and practiced law in partnership with his brother, Wright M. Cooney, until 1904, when he went to California ; was engaged in business in that state until the pres- ent year and has now returned and established a law office in Kenton.
Kent P. Johnson was born at Kenton, July 20, 1876, and is a son of A. B. Johnson and Louise M. Crane Johnson. He attended the public schools at Kenton and later at Oberlin College and Buchtel Col- lege at Akron, Ohio. He took the Law School Course at the Ohio Northern University, Ada, graduating from the same in 1897, and was admitted to the bar in December, 1897. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Kenton, where he has since resided.
Carlos W. Faulkner was born in Union county, Ohio, April 3, 1864. He was educated at the Ohio Northern University and taught school for many years, both in country schools and in the city schools of Kenton. He was admitted to the bar in 1898 and has been actively engaged in the practice of the law ever since.
F. U. Jones was born June 25, 1868; was admitted to the bar in the year 1900, and has lived in Kenton ever since, but has devoted his time principally to the insurance business.
Clarence M. Cessna was born June 29, 1872, and was educated at the Ohio Normal University; was graduated from its law department
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and admitted to the bar in June, 1899. He practiced law at Toledo for three years, and in 1902 returned to Kenton and formed a partner- ship with E. J. Stickle under the firm name of Stickle & Cessna. He has served one term as mayor of the city of Kenton, from 1906 to 1908. greatly to the credit of himself and his fellow citizens who elected him. Nelson R. Cooney was admitted to the bar in 1904. He practiced law at Kenton for two years. He engaged in legal editorial work at Norwalk, Ohio, and at St. Paul, Minnesota, and is now mayor of Dalton, Ohio.
Herman D. Lease was admitted to the bar and commenced to prac- tice at Kenton in the year 1904.
B. A. Holland was one of the early lawyers at Ada, and practiced law and held many official positions there until his death.
K. E. Shuster practiced at Ada about 1876 to 1880.
Robert F. Black has practiced law at Ada since his admission to the bar about the year 1880, and has been connected with numerous cases from that part of the county.
George Jameson practiced law for many years at Lima, Ohio, and retired from a leading position at the bar of Allen county, in order to manage his farm of a thousand acres in Washington township. After the death of his beloved wife, he removed to Ada to resume the practice of the law, and has been connected with many important cases before the courts of this county. He has been especially prominent in the litigation of ditch and drainage matters before all the courts.
Henry A. Clark has practiced law at Ada for nearly twenty years. He was formerly county recorder in Michigan. He has recently re- tired to some extent from the more active practice of the law, because of his large and increasing interests in the telephone business, but is still engaged in much important litigation. He is a lawyer of substantial integrity and honorable record.
S. P. Axline is the Dean of the Law Department of the Ohio North- ern University at Ada and occasionally appears in trials in our courts.
Samuel D. Fess was some years a teacher in the Law Department of the University at Ada; was a member of the firm of Clark, Axline & Fess and occasionally appeared in the court room about the year 1896. Hle is now president of Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio.
W. W. Runser is one of the most learned lawyers in Hardin county and for some years was an instructor in the law school at Ada, Ohio, where he resides and has his office.
Frank B. Willis has for some years been a teacher in the law depart- ment of the University at Ada; is scholarly and of rare literary and legal attainments and an orator of more than local renown. He has been prominent as a Republican politician, was a member of the Ohio legislature for two terms, and in three successive campaigns his friends urged him for a Congressional nomination. His knowledge of legal
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principles is very extensive ; he is said to have received the highest marks ever given on the examination before the Supreme Court for admission to the bar. No one in the county is more widely known, or more highly loved and respected.
Guernsey B. Dewitt was born June 21, 1866, and was educated in the public schools and at the Ohio Northern University, Ada. He taught school for five years in district schools and five years in the pub- lie schools of Dunkirk. In 1898 he was graduated from the Law De- partment of the Ohio Northern University and was admitted to the bar and began to practice law at Dunkirk. Since that time, he has been engaged in the practice of law in that city and at Kenton; has been mayor of Dunkirk for two terms and is now deputy in the Probate Court of this county.
Charles M. Reigel was born February 25, 1869, was admitted to the bar March 9, 1893. Ile enjoys a large and lucrative law praetiee and has his office at Forest.
Leonard Cox has for some years engaged in the practice of law at Mount Victory and has been justice of the peace.
F. M. Ramsdell was admitted to the bar about the year 1895; has been engaged in the practice of his profession in Ada and the western part of the county, and has been mayor of that eity.
Grant Rose is a resident of Allen county, but practices law and has an office at Alger, in this county.
L. A. Smith is engaged in the practice of the law at Ridgeway.
Edwin E. Edge practiced for some time at Ada, from about 1900 to 1908, and then removed to Toledo.
The most recent acquisition of the bar of Hardin county is Mr. Harry L. Hopwood who was born February 24, 1882, at Columbus, Ohio. He moved to Kenton in 1889, with his parents, and was grad- uated from the Kenton High School in 1901. He received the degree of Bachelor of Law from the Ohio State University, in 1907, and was admitted to the bar in June of the same year. He is an able, honorable and conscientious lawyer, and is held in the highest esteem by all the other members of the bar.
CHAPTER II.
MEDICAL PROFESSION OF HARDIN COUNTY.
BY JESSE SNODGRASS, M. D., KENTON, OHIO.
When the pioneer fathers and mothers of Hardin county located along the Seioto, the Blanchard, Hog creek, Tymochtee and smaller tributaries, physicians were almost "as rare as Angels visits;" and though malarial diseases and " milk sickness" reigned supreme through- out the Scioto valley, yet the pioneer was compelled to apply his own remedies, or ride for miles through an unbroken forest to some small hamlet where a doctor might be found. Soon after the site of Kenton was selected for the county seat of Hardin county, in 1833, we find two physicians, named Clark and Blodgett, locating in the town, the former coming in 1833 and the latter in 1834. Neither remained very long, but Dr. Clark is remembered as one of the pioneer school teachers, to which profession he had to resort for his support, as the practice of medicine was not "a gold mine" in those early days. Dr. Blodgett was a native of Massachusetts and, in 1834 erected a small frame house immediately north of where Mrs. D. W. Sullivan's house now stands, but stayed only about a year, and then left for a more congenial clime, as he was a man of delicate constitution.
Prior to 1840, only three physicians located at Kenton viz., Drs. Usher P. Leighton, Samuel Watt and Koomtz-but of the last mentioned little is known further than that he came in 1838-39, practiced medicine about four years and then moved from this vicinity. Taking into con- sideration the brief periods that Drs. Clark and Blodgett remained iu Kenton, and that they founded no practice or left little if any impress upon the institutions of the town, it will be only justice to accord to Dr. Leighton whatever honor belongs to being called the "father of medical practice in Hardin county." He was a native of Maine, came to Ohio in 1831, and read medicine with Dr. Sampson of McCutehen- ville. In the winter of 1833-1834, he attended lectures at Bowdoin Medical College, Brunswick, Maine, and in the spring of 1835 graduated from Brown's University, Providence, Rhode Island. He then came
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west and in March, 1836, located in Kenton, where he praetieed his profession until his death, August 26, 1878-a period of more than forty-two years. Few men were so well known as Dr. Leighton ; his field of practice during the pioneer days extending throughout this and adjoin- ing counties. He was a good finaneier, and accumulated a large estate, to which he principally devoted the latter years of his life, though still clinging to his profession, and taking a deep interest in the progress and development of medical science. One can hardly know or appre- ciate the hardships that this old pioneer experienced. One little ineident he related to me was that he was called one day to see the siek ehild of a "squatter," who once lived on the farm that the writer now owns; said farm is four miles south of Kenton, but at that time the Doetor said it was seven miles by the way he had to go, through the woods. On his return darkness eame on so that he could not see the blazes on the trees, and for fear of getting lost, he stopped, tied his horse (known as "Old Rock") to a sapling, took off his saddle and blanket, and lay down at the foot of a tree to wait until morning. During the night the wild cats kept up such a squalling and noise that he became afraid, got up, put his saddle on his horse, sat there until morning, and then proceeded home.
Some three years after Dr. Leighton's location in Kenton, or in the fall of 1839, Dr. Samuel Watt opened an office in the village. HIe was born in Harrison county, Ohio; read medicine with Dr. Wilson of Cadiz, Ohio, and began practice about 1828. During his residenee in Kenton, he was recognized as a good physician, and continued in practice until within a few years of his death, which occurred in October, 1876. He, like Dr. Leighton, reared a family, some of whom are yet prominently identified with the interests of the town.
In the decade between 1840 to 1850, inelusive, many physicians came and went-some remaining during their lives, while others soon removed to other fields. Of these, we find that Dr. W. W. Durbin came to this county in 1840-41, locating east of Patterson in Jaekson township. About 1842 he removed to Kenton, where he practiced many years. He at one time resided in a small house on Carroll street, where the grammar school building now stands. It is said by old settlers who knew him well, that he was a very good doctor. On one oeeasion he had a eholera patient at his house, whom he had brought there for treatment, and when night came on the doetor lay down beside his patient and woke up in the morning to find the man had been dead some hours. Sub- sequently he went back to Columbiana eounty, Ohio, where he had read medicine, and also spent a portion of his time traveling, but about 1872-73 he returned to Kenton, where he died a few years later.
The next three physicians to open offiees in Kenton were Drs. G. W. Kishler, J. A. Rogers and A. W. Munson. Dr. Kishler eame about
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1844, from Perry county, Ohio, but in 1846-47 he went as a surgeon to the Mexican war, and never returned to this county.
Dr. J. A. Rogers, a native of Greene county, Ohio, entered the Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1842, and in May, 1843, came on horseback from Champaign county, Ohio, and located in Kenton. He continued in the practice of his profession until 1856, when he engaged in the drug business, but still remained in practice for a few years, though gradually abandoning the active duties thereof. Dr. Rogers has ever since followed the druggist's trade, and after his death in 1909, his son, Eugene Rogers, succeeded him.
Dr. A. W. Munson came with his parents to Hardin county in 1838; subsequently read medicine with Dr. O. Ferris of Marion county, Ohio, and during the summer of 1844 began practice in Kenton. In the fall of the same year, he removed to Wyandot, Ohio, where he remained until 1850, in which year he returned to Kenton, where he follower the practice of medicine. Dr. Munson graduated at Cleveland Medical College in the class of 1853-54. Drs. Rogers and Munson were among the oldest physicians of Kenton, their medical experience in this town going back to 1843 and 1844, respectively ; but Dr. Munson has doubtless spent a greater number of years in active practice than any other physician living in this portion of Ohio. He was assistant surgeon of the Eighty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry from December, 1861, until April, 1863, and surgeon of the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry from March, 1865, until mnstered out in the following September. He died March 7, 1904.
The years 1845, 1846 and 1847 brought to Kenton Doctors Latham, Thomas S. Mills, J. F. Ankeny, J. C. Wiseman and William McKean. The first mentioned came from Columbus, Ohio, in 1845, and only stayed about a year. Dr. Mills came from Iberia, Ohio, in 1845, and laid out an addition to Kenton in June of that year. But he, also, remained about a year. Dr. Ankeny was from Millersburg, Holmes county, Ohio, and located in Kenton in 1845. Soon after coming he formed a partnership with Dr. J. A. Rogers, in the practice of medicine, and in the spring of 1849 went to California. Dr. Wiseman was a Thompsonian, or "Botanic Doctor," who settled in Kenton about 1846, where he practiced his peculiar school of medicine until his death in 1851. Dr. McKean came from Richland county, Ohio, in 1847, and con- tinued in the practice of his profession until his death, November 3, 1852. Many of our readers will doubtless remember these pioneer physicians, though some of them remained here but a very brief period.
From 1847 up to and including 1850, there were Doctors Michael Holmes, J. S. Dimmitt, Henry Russell, William Jones, J. Y. Cantwell, George Watt, W. W. Moore, J. M. Chesney and Delong. About 1848, Dr. Holmes located in Kenton, coming hither from Highland county, Ohio. He practiced in this vicinity until his death, which occurred on his farm, a short distance east of Kenton, whither he had removed some time prior to this event. Dr. Dimmitt came to Kenton from Clermont
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county, Ohio, about 1848. IIe was a young single man, and subsequently married a daughter of David Goodin's. After two years practice he moved to Iowa.
Dr. Russell read medicine in the office of Dr. Driesback, of Tiffin, Ohio, and in 1848-49 came to Kenton. He was a young man of con- siderable ability, and after practicing here about five years, went to Cincinnati, and there died.
Dr. Jones was a native of southern Ohio, who first began practice at West Liberty, Logan county, Ohio; thence removed to the village of Roundhead, and about 1848-49 came to Kenton. He was a man of eccentric habits and religious turn of mind, and finally abandoned his profession to preach the gospel. This not proving sufficiently remuner- ative, he abandoned preaching and returned to the practice of medicine in Kenton, where he died.
Dr. Cantwell came from Mansfield, Ohio, in 1848-49, but stayed here only a short time; then returned to Mansfield.
Dr. George Watt came to Kenton from Xenia, Ohio, in 1849, and practiced his profession at this point about two years. He then returned to Xenia, subsequently took up dentistry and became prominent in that calling.
Dr. W. W. Moore remained but a brief period in 1850.
Dr. J. M. Chesney was a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania ; studied medicine with his brother, William M., at Marseilles, Wyandot connty, Ohio, and about 1849 began practice at Huntersville, this county. Ile soon removed to Kenton, formed a partnership with Dr. McKcan and about 1854 moved to Marseilles, Ohio.
There were three brothers named DeLong who practiced medicine in Hardin county. H. P. and Allen DeLong lived in Kenton a short time, but were first at Wheelers' Crossing as early as 1844-45, and subsequently at Roundhead. The Dr. DeLong who lived in Kenton, and was a partner of Dr. Leighton, went to California in the spring of 1849.
During the succeeding six years, from 1850 to 1856, the following physicians opened offices in Kenton, viz .: Drs. Edwin Ashton, G. W. Kemp, O. L. Rider, Horace Lawrence, Solomon Kraner, I. E. Nagle, W. H. Philips, J. F. Hance, A. S. Cowden, Charles Steyer, C. I. Neff, Frederick Segebiel and M. M. Stimmel. Some time in 1851-52 Dr. Ashton came from Mansfield, Ohio, to Kenton. He practiced med- icine here several years; then removed to Lima, Ohio, where he carried on a drug store.
Dr. Kemp succeeded Dr. Wiseman in the Thompsonian or Botanic system of practice. Upon the breaking out of the Civil war, he went into the army as surgeon, and after its close he located at Marseilles, Ohio, and now belongs to the Allopathic school.
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Dr. Rider, an Eclectic physician, came to Kenton about 1852, but remained only a brief period.
Dr. Lawrence came to Kenton from Green county, Ohio, in 1852. On the 13th day of May, 1854, while on a visit to a patient, he met with an accident from which he never recovered consciousness, and died on the 19th of June following. It is not positively known how he met his death, whether from being thrown from his horse, or from a falling limb that struck him while riding through the forest. He was found lying in the roadway with his skull fractured, but unable to speak, and lived for more than a month, dying without being able to give any account of the affair.
Dr. Kraner read medicine with William MeKean; attended lectures at Starling Medical College in 1852-53, and began practice in Kenton during the latter year. In 1855 he moved to Roundhead, where he con- tinued in the practice of his profession until his election to the office of probate judge, in 1872. He has not since followed the practice of medicine.
Dr. Nagle was a Pennsylvanian who came to Kenton about 1853. He clerked in a drug store, and though a physician, he never practiced in this locality.
Dr. W. H. Philips was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, beginning the practice of medicine in 1849, and in 1854 locating in Kenton. He graduated from Rush Medical College. Chicago, Illinois, in 1856, and practiced medicine for thirty-four years in this county. He became the leading physician of Kenton and vicinity and acquired a state wide reputation. He was surgeon of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry from December, 1862, until May, 1864, when he resigned the position and retired to private life. He was also surgeon general of the state during Governor Young's incum- bency, and president of the State Medical Society in the year 1882. The Doctor died in the year 1888.
Dr. Hance was an Eclectic physician, who came to Kenton in about 1854, and practiced here a few years. then removed elsewhere.
Dr. Cowden came from Greene county, Ohio. in 1855, entered into partnership with Dr. Philips and practiced medicine here two years ; thence removed to Iowa.
Dr. Steyer was a graduate of Leipsic Medical College, Germany, and in 1853 opened an office at Dunkirk. Ohio; thence about 1855 removed to Kenton, where he practiced his profession until his death in 1863.
Dr. Neff read medicine in the office of Dr. Munson, and in 1856 formed a partnership with Dr. Leighton. In 1857 he removed to Lima, Ohio, and during the war was examining surgeon of the district.
Dr. Sagebiel was a native of Germany, and began the practice of medicine in Kenton in 1856, dying here in October, 1859.
Dr. Stimmel was a graduate of the College of Physicians and
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Surgeons, New York, whence he received his diploma in 1853. In 1856 he came to Kenton, and continued in practice until 1868, when he removed from the county. In 1872 he returned to Kenton, where he practiced until his death, July 4, 1884. He was surgeon of the Twenty- sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry about two years, and of the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Ohio National Guard during its four months' term of service in 1864.
In the following years, from 1857 to 1867, inclusive, Drs. J. N. Green, William Watt, P. H. Loring, William Green, William M. Chesney, J. S. Pollock, J. W. Binckley, Henry Garver, C. H. Smith and Jesse Snodgrass began practice in Kenton. Dr. J. N. Green he- longed to the Eclectic school of medicine, and came in 1859. He went into the army, and soon after the close of the war settled in Indiana.
Dr. Watt was a native of Jefferson county, Ohio, and a son of Dr. Samuel Watt, previously mentioned. He read in the office of Dr. W. H. Philips, graduated from Starling Medical College in February, 1861, and immediately commenced his medical practice in Kenton. In April, 1863, he was appointed assistant surgeon of the Forty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until mustered out in June, 1865. Dr. Watt remained here, following the duties of his profession until his (leath, February 11, 1878.
Dr. Loring was recognized as a young man of fine mind and exten- sive knowledge of medical science. IIe located in Kenton in 1861, and soon took a leading place among the older and more prominent members of his profession. Near the elose of the war, he received an appointment as surgeon of United States Volunteers, and selling Inis effects was preparing to enter upon the duties thereof, when he was taken sick and died.
Dr. William Green was born in this county, his family being pioneers. He began the practice of medicine about the beginning of the war; remained a year or so in Kenton; then got an appointment in a Tennessee regiment as surgeon, and subsequently settled at Greenville, that state.
Dr. William M. Chesney was a native of Mercer county, Penn- sylvania; there read medicine, and graduated from Starling Medical College, Columbus, Ohio, in the class of 1848-49, subsequently locating at Marseilles, Ohio. In 1863 he opened an office in Kenton, Ohio, and followed his profession until 1880, when, on account of ill health, he retired from practice, and died in 1892.
Dr. Pollock eame from Logan county, Ohio, to Kenton in 1863; went into the army in his capacity as a physician, and after coming back, returned to Logan county, where he now resides.
Dr. Binekley, a physician of the Homeopathie school of medicine, began practice at Kenton in October, 1864. He graduated from the
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Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College in the class of 1866-67, and is still a resident of Kenton, though not in active practice.
Dr. Carver was an old man who came here in 1864, remained a short time and then removed to the West.
Dr. C. H. Smith graduated from Starling Medical College in 1865, and commenced practice in Kenton the same year. From March until July, 1865, he was assistant surgeon of the One Hundred and Sixty- eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and also surgeon at Camp Denison. He lived here until 1900; then removed to Ashtabula, Ohio.
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