Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 110

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

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the above fraternal insurance orders, be- sides several of the leading life insurance associations represented in Hamilton.

The marriage of Dr. Hermann occurred on the 5th of September, 1889, the lady of his choice being Miss Christina Vierheller, a native of Pittsburg. where she was born in 1864. She is a daughter of Philip and Margaret Vierheller. a prominent and well- known family in the Smoky City. Her fa- ther amassed a fortune in mercantile pur- suits, and retired with his family to a hand- some suburban home near Pittsburg. where he died August 12, 1899, at the age of sixty- seven years. The mother is still living at the home where her husband left her. They were natives of Germany, but married in Pittsburg. Mrs. Hermann was the third child in a family of six. She was educated in the public schools of her native city and spent her girlhood years in her father's mer- cantile business. The eldest of the family is Lizzie, now the wife of W. C. Gundelfin- ger: Albert is an undertaker by profession ; Mrs. Hermann is next; Edward is a real- estate dealer and public official; Bertha is the wife of Philip Vierheller; Lewis is a civil engineer. All of the above except Mrs. Hermann are residents of their native city. Amanda. the only one of the family who is not married, completes the family circle. She is worthy of more than passing notice. After completing a most elaborate musical training in her own country, she went abroad to cultivate her magnificent voice under the tutorship of foreign masters. She has been in Europe for five years. With headquarters in Berlin, she is touring the continent of Europe as a concert singer. Previous to leaving this country, her voice thrilled the audiences of many of the lead-

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ing churches and private assemblages in the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Hermann have but one child, an idolized daughter named Gretchen, who was born in Pitts- burg, July 5, 1890.

The family are members of St. John's German Evangelical church, and Mrs. Her- mann is an active and zealous worker in the ladies' societies of the same. Dr. Her- mann is an accomplished musician by natu- ral inheritance, as his father enjoyed a similar distinction, which in his early years distinguished him from the common labor- ers with whom he was then associated. On several occasions our subject has been em- ployed as organist in churches, notably at Steubenville. Ohio, and Pittsburg. He is master of the gamut of musical instruments and is perfectly at home in the use of any. This talent is somewhat obscured by the sterner duties of professional life, but his leisure moments are pleasantly employed in amusing himself and in entertaining his friends with this most charming accom- plishment.

The pleasant family home is located at No. 202 South Second street, in a handsome and valuable property recently purchased and remodeled into a modern residence. The Doctor's offices are in the same build- ing. Dr. Hermann and his family sustain a high station in the society of Hamilton, a recognition most worthly bestowed.

DAN MILLIKIN, M. D.

The subject of this brief review is one of the representative physicians and sur- geons of Butler county, has been a mem-

ber of the faculty of Miami Medical College for the past twenty years, while his genial personality and deep appreciation of all that is true and good in humanity has made him in a significant sense humanity's friend and gained to him unequivocal popularity among old and young. His is the buoyant, gracious spirit of perennial youth, and by temperament and mental power he is an optimist.

Dr. Millikin is a native of Fairfield township, where he was born on the 17th of April. 1845, being a son of John M. and Mary G. (Hough) Millikin, the former of whom was a lawyer by profession and en- gaged in practice until he had attained the age of forty years, when he withdrew from his professional work and devoted the resi- due of his active life to agricultural pur- suits. He died in April. 1884. and his de- voted wife survived him a little more than fifteen years. The Millikin genealogy is traced back to Scotch-Irish origin, but the paternal grandmother of the Doctor was of stanch old New England stock. she having been a Minor and a representative of ances- tors who came from England soon after the arrival of the Mayflower and settled in New England.

Dr. Millikin received his early education in the public schols of Hamilton. this county, being graduated as a member of the class of 1862, and in 1863-4-5 he was a student in the Sheffield School, of Yale Col- lege. He was then matriculated in the Mi- ami Medical College, in Cincinnati, and was graduated in 1875. receiving the degree of Doctor of Medicine. In his youthful days he set up a small laboratory in his home and gave private study to chemical work and in- vestigation. this being in a measure a

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preparation for his collegiate studies. Im- mediately after his graduation Dr. Millikin established himself in the practice of his profession in Hamilton, and his devotion to his work has been unflagging, while his success has come as the result of his ability and assiduous application. He has taught in his alma mater, Miami Medical College, since 1884. He first held the chair of medi- cal chemistry, and after two years of service in this capacity he assumed the chair of materia medica, while since 1893 he gives only a short course each year on medical jurisprudence. The Doctor is not only es- sentially a man of science and of high pro- fessional attainments, but is also a man of letters, having a recondite knowledge along general lines of literary thought. His serv- ices are much in demand in connection with lecturing on topics far removed from medical science. His greatest delight aside from professional work is the elaboration of a popular lecture and its subsequent deliv- ery. No better idea of the genial and kindly nature of the Doctor can be given than that expressed in his own cheery words : "I 'train' with young people for the most part, and I trust that the new crop, now ten-year-olds, will love me when we are all ten years older." In politics Dr. Milli- kin is not partisan, and in state and national affairs he usually exercises his franchise in support of the nominees of the Republican party.

On the 9th of October, 1866, Dr. Milli- kin was united in marriage to Miss Amanda . Hunter, of Hamilton. They have two chil- dren : Dr. Mark Millikin, who was born on the 23d of March, 1868, and who is now engaged in the practice of his profession in Hamilton, and Mary, who was born on the

19th of October, 1870, and who is now the wife of Thomas Beckett, a respected citizen of Hamilton.

WALDO F. BROWN.

Among those who have honored and dignified the great basic art of agriculture through personal interposition and able con- tributions to the literature of the great science as touching theoretical and applied phases, is the subject of this review, who is one of the leading farmers and influential citizens of the county and the editor of that valuable little brochure, "Experiments in Farming." which has reached its fourth edition and attained a circulation of thirteen thousand copies.

Waldo F. Brown is a native of the old Bay state, having been born in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, on the 24th of October, 1832. He is a son of Lewis and Mary Elenor (Knowlton) Brown, both of whom were born and reared in Massachu- setts, the former being of Scotch-Irish lin- eage and the latter of Welsh, while both families were represented in the early set- tlement of New England. The genealogy of the Knowlton family is clearly defined for more than four centuries, and the valu- able and interesting family record covering this long period is in the possession of the subject of this sketch, three brothers of the name having come from Wales to America in the early colonial epoch of our national history, while their descendants are now dis- seminated throughout divers sections of the Union. Waldo F. Brown initiated his edu- cational work at a very tender age, entering

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the infant class in the schools of his native city when but four years old, while at the age of five he could read with no little facil- ity, being at this time appointed to read aloud to the school twice each week. In 1838 he accompanied his parents on their immigra- tion to the West, and the family settled on a farm near Brownsville, Indiana, and here the educational advantages were limited and he was not able to avail himself to a full ex . tent of the opportunities afforded, since he was needed at home, to assist in the work of the farm. When he was sixteen years of age his parents removed to Butler county. Ohio, and located near Oxford, in which vicinity he has ever since continued to make his home. Here he prosecuted his studies in the country schools for four years during the winter terms and supplemented this dis- cipline by attending the graded school in Oxford for one term. That he made the best use of the advantages thus afforded is evident when we revert to the fact that he made himself eligible for pedagogic work, being a successful teacher in the district schools of the county for several terms, while in the fall of 1854 he entered Miami University, where he continued his studies for one term. Thereafter he was employed as a teacher in the Oxford schools for one term, at the expiration of which he took charge of the school at Millville, this county, retaining this position for part of one term. In 1859, at the age of twenty-seven years, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Hyla J. Sample, a cousin of the late David Sample. well-known in this county, and she died in 1868, after an illness of very brief duration. On the 13th of February. 1871, Mr. Brown wedded Miss Laura A. Cross. Of the first union were born five children and

of the second, two, and all are living. For a number of years after giving up the work of teaching Mr. Brown devoted his attention to market gardening and general farming, and for more than half a century he has re- sided on his present fine farm, which has the best improvements and which is looked upon as a model in its line, the same com- prising ninety acres and being located two miles northwest of the attractive village of Oxford. He has been very successful in connection with the horticultural industry, not depending upon the raising of grain and live stock, and his careful study and investi- gation and his progressive methods have not only brought him marked success but have also gained him a wide reputation, which has been greatly augmented by his many and val- uable articles published in the newspaper press and issued in book and pamphlet form. In 1863 Mr. Brown began the propagation of various products for seed purposes, and in this line built up a satisfactory business. In this year. it may be appropriately noted, he secured a seed goard and from the same grew some prodigious speciments, one of the number holding eleven gallons and three pints. This was placed on exhibition at the fair of the American Agricultural Associa- tion, in New York, and attracted much at- tention, while there was a large concomitant demand for seeds from the stock. In con- nection with the raising of the various seed products Mr. Brown eventually built up a business amounting to an average of three thousand dollars a year. His success and prominence in this line led to his being chosen as editor of the agricultural depart- ment of the Cincinnati Enquirer, in 1872, five years later was offered much better sal- ary and accepted the position as associate

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editor of the Ohio Farmer, which position he held for a number of years, and in the spring of 1897 became agricultural editor of the Cincinnati Gazette. He has thus been en- gaged in editorial work along this line for more than thirty years, and he has done much to further the interests and success of the farming community and has gained prestige as a vigorous and able writer, hand- ling his subjects with marked discrimination and intelligence and presenting his views and the results of his experience and experi- ments in such a way as to prove of great practical value. He is one of the staff con- tributors of the New York Tribune, the Country Gentleman, and Home and Farm, while he has contributed for many other papers along the special line to which he has so long given his attention. Among his more notable published works may be mentioned the following: "Home on the Farm," "Farm and Stock Encyclopedia," and "Nineteenth Century Progress in Agriculture," besides a number of smaller works which have been widely circulated. He is known as one of the most able and practical writers on agri- cultural topics in the Union, and his prestige has continued to increase from year to year. Realizing most fully the dignity and the possibilities offered by the farm industry, he is an enthusiastic advocate of its claims, and has advised many young men to "stick to the farm," knowing that industry and wise man- agement would here give as good returns as in any other field of business enterprise. In 1864 the militia company to which Mr. Brown belonged was ordered into active service and was attached to the One Hun- dred and Sixty-seventh Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, the subject receiving an honorable

discharge at the expiration of his term. He is a man of great public spirit and advanced ideas, and has wielded much influence in public affairs of a local nature. He has given a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, having voted for its first presidential candidate, John C. Fremont, but he has never sought official preferment. He be- came a member of the Presbyterian church at the age of eighteen years and has ever since been a zealous worker in the same, being now a ruling elder in the church at Millville, of which Mrs. Brown likewise is a member. He was one of the first to sug- gest the holding of farmers' institutes, and was personally engaged as a lecturer in in- stitute work for many years. In this con- nection he has traveled more than sixty-four thousand miles, having visited all the coun- ties in Ohio except five. He is a man of in- flexible integrity and is one of the valued and honored citizens of Butler county, where his friends are in number as his acquaint- ances. Mr. Brown is a member of Milligan Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Ox- ford.

WILBUR B. CALDWELL, D. D. S.

An able and successful representative of the dental profession in the city of Hamil- ton is Dr. Caldwell, whose office is located at 244 High street. He was born in St. Clair township, this county, on the IIth of March. 1875. and is the son of John R. and Mary C. (Underwood) Caldwell, both of whom were likewise born in Butler county. William Caldwell, the great-grand- father of the Doctor, was numbered among the earliest settlers of Butler county, having

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located here prior to the organization of the county, whither he came from the Caro- linas. His son George R., grandfather of the subject, was born on the pioneer home- stead in this county, as were also the Doctor and his father, so that the place has been in the possession of the family for four gener- ations. This ancestral farmstead is located in St. Clair township, about three and one- half miles north of the city of Hamilton, and the family name has thus been prom- inently identified with the founding and upbuilding of this favored section of the Buckeye state. John R. Caldwell continued to follow the vocation of a farmer until his death, which occurred on the 19th of Janu- ary. 1897, and his widow is now residing in the village of Oxford, this county. The family still retain the old homestead, which comprises three hundred and twenty acres, the same being highly improved and one of the most valuable farms in this section. It is now operated by tenants. John R. and Mary C. Caldwell became the parents of four children, of whom one died in infancy. George S., the eldest son, died at the age of twenty-one years, having completed his ed- ucational work and having been a young man of much ability and great promise. The younger brother of the Doctor is John C., who is a member of the class of 1904 in the Oxford high school.

Dr. Caldwell received his rudimentary educational training in the public schools of his native township, and he early began to assist in the work on the homestead farm, thus continuing during his vacations while he continued his educational work. In 1893 he began the study of the science of dentistry under the direction of Dr. H. C. Howells, of Hamilton, and remained in

the office of this able preceptor nearly two years. In 1895 Dr. Caldwell was matricu- lated in the Ohio Dental College, in Cincin nati, where he completed a three-years course, being graduated on the 3d of April, 1898, with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. After leaving school he was em- ployed by older members of his profession about two years, at the expiration of which, in 1900, he established himself in an indi- vidual practice in Hamilton, where he has since continued to meet with gratifying suc- cess, gaining prestige in his profession and securing a representative support. In poli- tics Dr. Caldwell was reared in the faith of the Democratic party, but his attitude is not that of a strict partisan and he is inde- pendent in political affairs. He and his wife are members of the United Presby- terian church and are zealous workers in the same, taking a specially active part in the work of the Sunday school.

On the 29th of April, 1902. was solem- nized the marriage of Dr. Caldwell to Miss Mary E. Stitzel, who was born and reared in Hanover township, this county. and a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families. Dr. and Mrs. Caldwell are popu- lar and prominent in the social life of the community, where their friends are in num- ber as their acquaintances.

NOAH B. YINGLING.

Among the successful, self-made men of Butler county whose efforts and influence have contributed to the material upbuilding and general business activity of their respec- tive committees, the gentleman of whom

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the biographer writes in this connection oc- cupies a conspicuous place. Thrown upon his own resources at an age when children most need a father's guidance and care, and obliged while a mere youth not only to provide for his own necessities but to con- tribute of his meager earnings to the sup- port of a widowed mother and younger children, he accepted his discouraging situ- ation without murmur and, resolutely fac- ing the future, gradually surmounted the difficulties in his way and in due time rose to a prominent position in business circles, besides winning the confidence and esteem of those with whom he was brought into contact. The family of which Mr. Ying- ling is a representative had its American origin in Maryland, and its history was long identified with the rise and progress of cer- tain parts of that commonwealth. The subject's grandfather lived and died in his native state and was a farmer by occupa- tion, as were his antecedents for several generations. Benjamin Yingling, father of Noah B., was born in Maryland and grew to maturity a tiller of the soil, marrying when a young man Miss Mary Baird, whose ancestors were also among the old families of Maryland. In the year 1849 Benjamin Yingling moved his family to Butler county, Ohio, and from that date until his death, in 1852, followed agricultural pur- suits for a livelihood, meeting with but indifferent success in the matter of accumu- lating property, though providing com- fortably for those dependent upon him. His widow is still living at an advanced age and of his family of five sons all but one survive, their names being as follows: John, Joseph, Noah B. and Alpha A .. George, the third in order of birth, dying in his youth.

Noah B. Yingling was born in Mary- land December 16, 1849, the same year in which his parents changed their abode to Butler county, Ohio. At the early age of eight years he lost his father, whose death left the family in rather straitened circum- stances, and from that time on he was obliged to labor at anything he could find to do in order to assist his mother and younger brothers. At first his wages were meager, but as he grew older and stronger and better able to work to advantage, his wages were increased in like ratio, and it was a proud time in the lad's experience when he found himself able to earn the munificent sum of eight dollars per month. He retained barely sufficient of his wages to keep himself respectably clad, the rest being contributed to the support of the family, and from this time until attaining his majority he laid aside a generous share of his earnings for his mother, whose com- fort and interests were always uppermost in his mind. Shortly after his father's death the family moved to Seven Mile, at which place the subject has made his home since the year 1856. During his youth he was variously employed, but later he went to the city of Hamilton, where he turned his attention to mechanical work, being, like his brothers, naturally adept in the use of tools and skilled in almost every kind of handicraft.

While in the above city Mr. Yingling learned to operate an engine and to this line of work he gave considerable time, his ef- ficiency as a machinist and his knowledge of the mechanism of engines causing his services to be in great demand. In the year 1875 he took to himself a wife and help- meet in the person of Miss Rebekah Mc- Clain, after which he moved to Cincinnati,

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where he spent one year manufacturing pumps. At the end of that time he re- turned to Seven Mile and engaged in the coal business, which he continued until 1895, when he began handling agricultural implements and machinery, a line of trade which he still carries on.

Since engaging in his present undertak- ing Mr. Yingling's success has been truly remarkable and today he ranks with the most enterprising and progressive business men of Butler county. From a small be- ginning, he has gradually acquired an ex- tensive patronage and in his large establish- ment is to be found every article in the way of machinery and implements needed in the successful prosecution of agriculture. His stock, which is full and complete, repre- sents all the leading manufactures of the kind in the United States, while his annual sales, amounting to considerably in excess of ten thousand dollars, show the volume of business which sound judgment, clear sagacity, and prudent forethought can build up in a comparatively short time when di- rected by honorable motives and a sincere desire for fair dealing.

In his political views Mr. Yingling is a Republican and, while exercising a strong influence in party circles, he has never been an office seeker, not at any time aspired to public recognition. Notwithstanding his aversion to official preferment. however, he has filled at different times important posi- tions, having served for eight years as a member of the school board of Seven Mile and for two years represented his ward in the common council. He has long been active and enthusiastic in secret benevolent work, being a member in high standing of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Pythian fra-

ternities, while the Presbyterian church, in which he holds the positions of elder and trustee, represents his religious creed, Mrs. Yingling being also identified with the same congregation of worshipers to which he be- longs.

The family of Mr. and Mrs. Yingling consists of three children, the oldest of whom, Maude, is now the wife of Gus Kumler; Grace, the second daughter, is a graduate of the Seven Mile high school and one of the county's successful teachers ; and George, the youngest of the number, is stenographer at the Niles Tool Works in the city of Hamilton.

THOMAS D. SHARKEY, M. D.

The physician who would succeed in his profession must possess many qualities of head and heart not included in the curric- ulum of the schools and colleges he may have attended. In analyzing the career of the successful practitioner of the healing art it will be invariably found to be true that a broad-minded sympathy with the sick and suffering and an honest, earnest desire to aid his afflicted fellow men have gone hand in hand with skill and able judgment. The gentleman to whom this brief tribute is given fortunately embodies these necessary quali- fications in a marked degree and by energy and application to his professional duties is building up an enviable reputation and draw- ing to himself a large and remunerative patronage.

Thomas Dickey Sharkey is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been born on February 16, 1866, at Excello, Butler

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 110

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149