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 36
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The Ladies' Mandolin and Guitar Club was organized in September 1893, and the first public appearance of the organization was at a con- cert given under the direction of Miss Mary Espy Thompson in January, 1894, at the home of Mrs. George H. Harris, for the benefit of the First Methodist Episcopal church. The purpose of the club, aside from im- proving in playing, was to assist charitable and religious undertakings, and during its existence it played for nearly every church in Kenton, and some outside the city, without receiving any share of the profits. At first the club was merely a group of congenial friends, but in time entered into a formal organization, with Mrs. Jesse Snodgrass as pres- ident and Mrs. Reyn McConnell, secretary. On May 22, 1894, a concert was given for the benefit of the public library, which was a decided success both in a musical way and as a money-making venture, and a number of new volumes were added to the shelves as a result of the hard work of the ladies. Mr. Chas. Fink was director at that time and con- tinned until the organization disbanded. During its short existence this club had three presidents: Mrs. Snodgrass, Mrs. Reyn McConnell and Mrs. A. Woodward. The list of members is given below: Mrs. A. Woodward, Miss Eleanor Stimmel, Mrs. Chas. Fink, Mrs. T. B. Black, Miss Jessie Beckman, Mrs. W. A. Belt, Mrs. F. L. Damon, Mrs. Geral- dine V. Eberly, Mrs. B. Garrettson, Miss Francis Hoge, Mrs. Reyn McConnell, Mrs. G. B. Moore, Mrs. Jesse Snodgrass, Miss Lute Stimmel, Mrs. M. D. Swartz, Mrs. William Wendt, Miss Mary Walker, Miss Mary Thompson and Mrs. Chas. Fink, director. The club disbanded in 1896.
The Minerva Club was organized September 25, 1899, in response to a call from ten intellectual women of Kenton, who invited ten other women to meet with them, and the first regular meeting with program was held October 16 of that year, with Mrs. Fitzwater as president. There were twenty-one members, of whom cleven are still in the club as active members. The charter members are: Mesdames Damon, Gramlich, Phillips, Steiner, Snodgrass and Woodward and the Misses Dougherty, Hoge, Stimmel and Edna Wise. The second year there were twenty-five members and one associate member. The first year's study was "Our Ain Countrie" and the members responded to their names at roll call with quotations from the Bible.
The club was federated in 1900, but did not send a delegate to the state conventions until 1901. Since that time one of the pleasant features of the year is the report of the delegate who comes home from the convention brimming with enthusiasm and zeal. In 1900 the program was "France" and the members responded with original stories,
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poems or songs at roll call. For 1901 the study was "The Netherlands" and for 1902 and 1903 "England." During the year 1903 Dr. R. D. Hollington lectured before the club on "Westminster Abbey" and in 1904 on "Lembaeh," the celebrated painter. These lectures were illus- trated. In 1904 the club studied "Russia" and for the next two years "Germany ;" then "Italy" and at present "Spain and Portugal."
The Minerva Club entertained all the other women's clubs in town on the oeeasion of the visit of Mrs. Charles Kummeler who spoke on "The Industrial and Child Labor Problem," and they also gave to the citizens of Kenton a rare treat in exhibiting a number of pictures free. In addition to this they have presented a book plate to the public library, and have kept up for some time a Children's Story Hour on Saturdays, at the library.
The club has lost by death the following members: Mrs. Daisy Hipple Mahon, May 1, 1902; Mrs. Pyrena Carter, 1903; Mrs. Mame Kerr Emery, October 6, 1904; Mrs. Effie Squier Black, April, 1906; and Mrs. Eleanor Armstrong Bain, July, 1909.
The Minerva Club has had but four presidents: Mrs. Mary Clark Fitzwater, Mrs. Maude Snodgrass Moore, Mrs. Aliee Powell Robinson and Miss Flora D. Price.
Champion Corners and vicinity have long been noted for the energy and hospitality of the people, and some twenty years ago it had a flour- ishing literary society. For various reasons this society eeased to exist, and friends and neighbors saw but little of each other exeept in winter. When sleighing was good there would be a series of bob-sled rides and each family would be visited in turn, but there was nothing like a formal organization. While on the bob-sled rides it was suggested that a club for the ladies be organized-a real eounty club-and a meeting was appointed at the home of Mrs. T. P. Evans on February 11, 1904, for the purpose of effecting the organization.
Suggestions were made at this meeting and it was agreed to ask all the ladies of the neighborhood to join. At a later meeting, February 18, 1904, the organization was completed and named the Friendship Club. This meeting was also held at the home of Mrs. Evans. The constitution and by-laws were presented by the committee appointed for the purpose of framing them, and adopted at this meeting. Mrs. Ella Rish was chosen president ; Mrs. Laura Evans, viee president; Miss Laura Stevenson, seeretary ; Mrs. Naney MeQuowan, chaplain ; and Miss Alta Evans, chorister. The club colors are green and white. It was further agreed that each mem- ber at roll eall should answer to her name with a quotation from a well known author, and that each retiring president should, at the expiration of her term of office, open her home to the members and their families for an entertainment and banquet.
The order of the meetings is as follows: Opening Song; Scripture
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Reading; The Lord's Prayer; Roll Call; Reading Minutes; Unfinished Business ; New Business; Queries ; Literary Program; Place of Meeting; Closing Song.
Members derive much benefit and amusement from the query box, for in it are tested recipes, conundrums, items of general interest and other household topics. The members discuss these and other questions relating to literature, education, current events and anything that will help the others. The literary program is composed of music, recitations by members and discussion of general topics of interest in literature. Some months have been spent studying standard authors, one member preparing a biographical sketch, and the others contributing items of interest, and in this way much pleasure and profit have been obtained.
The club's first banquet was given May 20, 1904, at the home of Mrs. Ella Rish and was a complete success. The ladies entertain their families four times annually, and at each time a different supper is served. On some of these occasions a literary program is given and others are given over to music and games. The object of the club is to promote good feeling and entertain the members. The club has also given showers to several persons, entertained those who were leaving the neighborhood, had pienies and other good times together. The best of feelings prevail and Friendship Club bids fair to last many years. The members are: Mrs. Ella Rish, Miss Bertha McQuown, Mrs. Mary Myers, Miss Mary Reffer, Miss Edith Myers, Mrs. Laura Evans, Mrs. Alta Evans Wilson, Mrs. Vina Cook, Mrs. Laura Stevenson Starner, Miss Jessie Smith, Mrs. Belle Zuck, Mrs. Addie Zuck Sieg, Miss Sadie McQuowan, Mrs. Myrta Blue, Mrs. Josie MeElree, Miss Annie Minich, Mrs. Avice Evans, Mrs. Fannie Myers, Mrs. Mamie McQuowan Coats, Mrs. Soma Hanna, Mrs. Fanny McFarland, Mrs. Maude Reffer, Mrs. R. L. Miller, Mrs. Cessna, Mabel Swartz, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Vance, Mrs. Kate S. Pickering, Mrs. Minnie Evans, Mrs. Hopkins and Mrs. Nancy McQuowan and Miss Minnie Myers. Friendship Club meets every two weeks on Thursday afternoon. The present officers are Miss Jessie Smith, president; Miss Bertha McQuown, vice president; and Miss Minnie Myers, secretary.
Basket Ball took possession of Kenton about the year 1897 and Companies G and I, O. N. G. organized teams, J. G. Demming, H. A. Dorn, Jas. Pool, Will Deakin and Earnest Howe being very active in getting up the teams and drilling the men. These two rival companies fought for the home championship in the armory before a large crowd and Company I won. The other company then disbanded. Under various names the enthusiasts of the town played all over the state and in 1899 were the acknowledged champions of Ohio. At this time Ralph V. Couts was manager. In 1900, with F. S. Ansley as manager the, team won the championship of the United States, and since then has had
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many vietories with all sorts of craek teams from all over the country.
Several years ago Dr. G. J. Carter was given the privilege of re- naming the organization, because each year he fitted them out with new uniforms, and he called it "The Champion Iron Company Basket Ball Team," by which it has been known ever since. Among the notable vietories won by this elub were those with the Yale College team, Fre- mont, Cleveland, Springfield, Columbus, New York, Buffalo, Ohio State University, Fon-dee-lae and Stevens Point.
The Champion team was composed of Al Ackerman, Ora Eddy, Will Ellis, Arthur Stahl and Claude Zenders. Warren Rutledge and Gale Warren were the subs. This team went out of existenee in 1906.
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CHAPTER VI.
AGRICULTURAL WEALTH, AND INDUSTRIAL LIFE
THE COUNTY BY TOWNSHIPS-BLANCHARD, BUCK, CESSNA, DUDLEY, GOSHEN, IIALE, JACKSON, LYNN, LIBERTY, MCDONALD, MARION, PLEASANT, ROUNDHEAD, TAYLOR CREEK AND WASHIINGTON.
Since the whole of Blanchard township is easily accessible to market the chief occupation is farming, there being but one small saw mill within its boundaries, a portable one owned by Jos. MeElree. The soil is fertile and level in most places, and is cut up into farms of convenient size, which nearly all are well supplied with good fences, buildings and improvements of all sorts. There are ten miles of pike in the township with six and one-half more on the boundaries, and three and one-half miles now being constructed, making Blanchard township really in possession of nearly twenty miles of well constructed roads.
The Blanchard township assessor returned the following statements concerning farm values in the spring of 1909: Horses 461, valued at $31,105 ; cattle 1,291, valued at $20,635; mules 6, valued at $505; sheep 4,082, valued at $14,015 ; hogs 1,470, valued at $4,845; carriages 7, valued at $135; and pianos 31, valued at $1,895.
Among the prominent farmers are : John W. Crooks, T. J. Harvey, W. II. Wilson, Chase Wilson, Enos MeElree, Chris. Schope, B. L. Arimer, Kelton Mitchell, Samuel Woods, Jehu Wilson, John Yonng and Hiram Grat. The population of the township is about 1100.
South Kenton, which lies in Buck township, has many industries, but they are considered in connection with the city, so only those enter- prises outside the limits of Kenton will be mentioned here. The most important of these is the Mentzer Clay Works, situated at the little sid- ing of Mentzers on the T. & O. C. railroad about four miles south of Ken- ton. Calhoun Park, in which is located the city well that supplies Kenton with drinking water, is located on the Taylor Creek pike, one mile south of the city limits.
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Buck township has two flourishing greenhouses, both of which do a large business winter and summer. HI. E. Rosenberger operates one on the Mt. Victory pike, about one-half mile from the corporation hine, and employs from three to five men in taking care of vegetables and hot house plants. Gerhold & Katterjohn own the other, which is on Fair Ground street and Bellefontaine pike, and is devoted exclusively to the growing of vegetables, winter and summer. From five to twenty men are employed, and winter-grown vegetables, such as encumbers, lettuce, onions and other products, are shipped to near by cities, as well as re- tailed in groceries. This plant is heated by gas from the pipe line which crosses the township and is artificially watered by means of the company's own engine.
The Hardin County Fair grounds are located in Buck township and the necessary repairs on buildings and fences, the work of caring for the grounds and keeping them clean furnish much employment to laborers. The Kenton Reduction Plant, a concern engaged in making fertilizers, has its plant near the Scioto river in this township, and does much business.
Another important industry is located on the farm of Daniel Teeters, two miles west of town. A large stone quarry furnishes em- ployment to from six to eight men most of the year, and quantities of crushed stone for building and repairing pikes are produced each season. So much stone has been removed that a beautiful little lake has formed in the depression, which Mr. Teeters has stocked with fish.
Of course the chief occupation of the people of this township is farming, including the raising of domestic animals, and there are some fine farms located here. The valley of the Scioto and many other portions of the township produce fine crops of corn, and from the meadows thousands of tons of fine hay are cut annually. While no one is actively engaged in rearing pure bred stock except Mr. W. A. Norton, who has a fine herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle at his farm one and one half miles south of Kenton on the Ridgeway pike. vet nearly every farmer is improving his stock and employing up to date methods in caring for his farm animals.
Among the leading farmers are: Robert L. Miller, D. R. Spar, Nicholas Dorn. James Spar. S. A. Mccullough, T. P. Evans, Fred Tee- ters, A. P. Hord, L. A. Ansley, M. D. L. Mentzer, George Dorn, W. A. Norton, Lewis Bridenback, John Paver, Charles A. and Horace Steven- son. J. L. Clark, I. E. Wilson, J. C. Shiderer and Fulton Bros.
The Buck township assessor for the spring of 1909 gave in the fol- lowing property : Horses 598, value $38.990 ; cattle 1,342, $25,870; mules 8. $600; sheep 3,486, $12,220 ; hogs 1,500. $5.650.
Cessna township has no villages and is purely an agricultural com- munity, some of the richest farm lands of the county being located
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within its borders. It has twenty-three miles of pike, and the dirt roads are kept in fairly good repair, so that getting about is never a difficult matter in this township, even in bad weather.
Clarence Steiner owns and operates a portable saw mill, which is quite a convenience to the citizens in getting out lumber, and A. H. Fulton on the Lima pike about six miles west of Kenton has a cider press and also grinds feed. There is also in this township a blacksmith shop and general repair establishment kept up by D. E. Ward.
Many farmers breed Rambouillet sheep for their own farms and for market. Many of these Cessna township high-grade sheep have won premiums at exhibitions, and they have also found their way to distant countries, some of them being shipped out of the United States and to all parts of this country. In the summer of 1909, W. J. Mathews and Alex. Orth sold a bunch of sheep that eventually were shipped to South Afriea. Some of the animals weighed 280 pounds each and were ex- reptionally fine specimens. Besides Mr. W. J. Mathews the following farmers also raise this breed of sheep: Orth Brothers, W. G. Upmeyer & Son. J. F. Highslip. M. C. Mathews and J. M. Hively. R. R. Bish raises Berkshire swine and N. S. Martin & Son breed Duroc-Jersey swine.
Among the prominent farmers of Cessna township may be mentioned A. HI. Fulton, M. C. Mathews, E. S. Kaylor, Jacob Ault, W. J. Mathews, Alex. Orth, L. C. Orth, N. S. Martin, Will A. Martin, R. R. Bish, J. J. Foit, F. B. Griffis, J. F. Highslip, J. M. Hively, F. N. Kraft, Ralph W. Rarey, Jos. Mathews and A. T. Sponsler.
Geo. D. Heil, who owns a farm in the eastern part of Cessna town- ship-the farm on which the old Ft. McArthur cemetery is located- raises Shetland ponies for sale. Mr. Heil has been quite sneeessful in this business.
Dudley township, which is one of the oldest in the county, has the village of Hepburn and Pfeiffer situated on the Scioto river, but the citizens are mostly engaged in farming. There are about twenty miles of pike in the township, and this is one of the reasons for the high priees of land and the general air of prosperity in this section.
A number of farmers are engaged in breeding thoroughbred farm animals for their own use and for sale. G. H. Dodds raises pure bred Tamworth hogs; J. M. Wood, Delaine sheep ; Ben Morris, Merino sheep ; John MeCullough and Hosea Davis, Poland China hogs; J. V. Kelly & Son, Hereford cattle and A. G. Wessling, Holstein Fresian cattle.
The returns of the township assessor for this spring place the num- ber of farm animals and their values as follows: Horses, 528, $32,980; cattle 979. $18,005; sheep 2,760, $9,370 ; hogs, 1,644, $5,750.
Among the prominent farmers are: Joseph Bookmeyer, Paul Casper. Samuel Raber, John Dusang, John R. Morison, Clarence Mori- son, Nicholas Bloom, Kanel Brothers, Warren Smith, John Pfeister,
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Carl Wolf, Edward Clara, J. V. Kelly, Kuert Morris, Ben Morris, A. L. Shaw, James M. Wood, J. D. Virden, George Johnson, Milton Davis, Charley Davis, A. Lingo and Robert H. Morrison.
Goshen township has twenty-six miles of good pike, which is one of the factors in making this township what it is in wealth, intelligence and industry, since good roads enable the citizens to reach market. school, churches and railroads with case. It is purely a farming community, though there is one saw mill located near the central part of the town- ship owned by F. E. Barrett.
All of the citizens of this section are engaged in agriculture, many of them raising and dealing in thoroughbred stock in connection with farming. Among the men who have thus raised the standard of live stock in Goshen may be mentioned: F. L. Harmon & Sons who raise fine Merino sheep, both for their own use and for sale; II. M. Rubins, who has a herd of Short Horn cattle; D. Wetherill, E. James and I. S. Baker & Son, who also raise Merino sheep; and W. II. Cummins & Son and F. Johnson, who deal in Poland China hogs.
The returns of the assessor for this year were: Horses 616, $12.260; cattle 1.035. $17.050; mules 13, $810; sheep 5,645, $16.770; hogs 1,367. $5,660; pianos. 36, $2.080.
Among the successful farmers are the following : J. F. Barrett, Fred Wolf, H. Hastings, T. J. Yauger, William King, J. B. Pumphrey, H. B. Hommel. J. Althauser. Park Baker. D. H. Baker, Harry Barrett, J. W. Burnside, W. C. Cooke, W. H. Cummins, John Druschel, John IIaley, F. L. Harmon, Jerry Hastings, J. J. Hastings. G. Hastings. Jas. J. Hastings, Will Hastings, D. B. Hileman. T. Hollinger. A. E. Keckler. John Kneisley, Reed Latham, E. P. Latham, J. F. Morris, John Paul, U. J. Pfeiffer. Adam Pfeiffer, George Pfeiffer, Geo. W. Pfeiffer, Louis Pfeiffer. L. N. Pfeiffer. Lewis Ramge, W. F. Ramge, O. J. Redding. Fred Rider, C. H. Rubins, John Siler, F. S. Spitzer, J. F. Wolf. and S. C. Wolf.
In connection with the raising of fine stock and the general work of their farm Henry and Jerry Hastings are the largest honey producers in the county. Henry Hastings owns about 300 colonies and his brother 60. Last year Henry Hastings harvested 10,000 pounds of honey and Jerry Hastings one ton. Goshen was said to abound in wild bees at the time the first settlers came, and now it produces more honey than any other township of the county, so it still deserves its name.
Hale township, which is one of the smallest in the county, was for many years held back by the fact that hundreds of acres of land were held by persons not residing in the county who allowed them to go uncultivated. Consequently agriculture was held back, and the town- ship suffered. It is only within the past twenty years that the great
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traets of wild land have been cut up into farms, and fine barns and good farm houses have begun to make their appearance. However, it is rapidly making up for lost time, and coming to the front as a farming and grazing section. Mr. Geo. W. Gill of Columbus owns a fine dairy farm just east of Mount Victory, where a fine herd of pure bred Jersey cattle are kept. Many of these cows were imported from the island of Jersey by Mr. Gill.
Hale township has no manufactories, owing to the fact that it has two thriving towns easy of access. The whole ocenpation outside of Ridgeway and Mount Victory is farming. Hale township has about nineteen miles of pike. The township halls for the east and west pre- cinets of Hale township are located respectively in Mount Victory and Ridgeway.
The returns of the township assessor for the spring of 1909 gave this township 448 horses, valued at $30,800; cattle 904, $16,320; mules 6, $500; sheep 2,810, $10,320; hogs 1,576, $6,660.
Jaekson township has two towns, so that the country has no need of manufacturing establishments, only one being located outside Forest and Patterson-the Herzog Quarry-which is described elsewhere. Farming is the chief oeenpation. This township has twenty-five miles of fine pike, and the mud roads are not negleeted by the authorities, so that much of the prosperity of this section is due to the fact that it is easy to get to market. Two good railroads running through Jaekson township furnish its inhabitants with convenient shipping places, and business at both places depends largely upon the farmers.
The returns of the Jackson township assessors for the spring of 1909 show that the following property was owned by the farmers of this township: Horses 926, $27,120; eattle 757, $12,115; mules, 18, $1,730; sheep 2,331, $8,430; hogs 1,039, $4,097.
Among the leading farmers may be mentioned the following: John Lafferty John Harman, N. E. Wright, J. E. Beagle, A. E. Spencer, B. F. Purdy, John MeVitty, William Switzer, W. A. MeNutt, J. A. King- man, H. K. Latham, JJ. A. Grafmiller, William McKinley, Joseph Priee, Lon Price and O. E. Wier.
Lynn township has but one village and is purely an agricultural eountry. It has twenty-six miles of pike, a great deal for the latest township in the county, but is well supplied with pike building material which aecounts for the progress along this line, together with the char- acter of its citizens. The farmers in this section are intelligent and up-to-date, knowing that good roads advanee a country more than any other improvement, so the township has grown rapidly since its begin- ning as a separate organization only a few years ago, as compared with the older sub-divisions. Silver Creek, Foraker and Kenton are all
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convenient shipping places, and easy of access for supplies so there are no mills in Lynn township. The Wagner Stone Quarry along the C. and E. railroad employs a number of men in season to prepare stone for pikes, but otherwise all the citizens are engaged in agriculture.
Some of the progressive farmers in Lynn township are: William Bowman, Henry Albert, P. J. Corwin, G. W. Modd, Grover Anderson, Frank Hoppe, G. Dittns, F. Theil, W. R. Varvel, M. F. Sells, S. H. Carder, L. M. Bradley, John A. Ewing, C. C. Hoon, William Schinde- wolf, Henry Gilmore, II. G. Wolgamot, M. Gordon, Geo. Gerlach, C. B. Mitchell, Wilson Lyons, Carl Jordan, G. W. B. Faurot, J. C. Botchlett, Andrew Deihl, Harrison Vermillion, C. S. Brelsford, Lester Mitchell, W. HI. H. Wagner, E. B. Norman, J. G. Norman, M. M. Sells, Millar Douglas, F. N. Kinear, J. M. Lawrence, John Lowe, J. H. Schindewolf and W. F. Bailey.
The township assessor of Lynn township returned the following property in his report in the spring of 1909: Horses 418, $21,140; cattle 1,094, $15,250; nmules 6, $200; sheep 21,066, $6,810; hogs 1,657, $6,290; pianos 13, $730.
Ontside of Ada, the citizens of Liberty township are engaged in agricultural pursuits exclusively, as there are no mills or manufactories of any kind in the township. Farming is carried on in an intelligent manner, and there are many progressive and wealthy country residents in this section of the county. The presence of the college attracts many parents who want to educate their children, and this township is noted for the intelligence and enterprise of its citizens.
J. E. Stuart is engaged in raising thoroughbred Duroe hogs, and William Powell has a fine herd of Poland China swine.
The assessor's returns to the county auditor from Liberty township this year were: Horses 681, valued at $51,000; cattle 1.160, $16.436; mules 14. $1,055; sheep 3,610, $10,642; hogs $7,082.
Among the prominent farmers of this township are: James Mus- tard, John Shanks, L. McMillen, B. F. Spar, J. B. Stambaugh, Wallace Runser, John Motter, John Ash, John Lacey, William Guyton and Joseph Thompson. Liberty township has about twenty-five miles of good pike.
The development and growth of MeDonald township were held back many years by the large body of Marsh land, but since the dredging of the Scioto river this has turned out to be the most fertile and productive of the county. The black, rich soil of the Marsh lands produces enor- mous crops of onions, potatoes and corn, and this township is rapidly taking first rank in agriculture.
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