Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 114

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

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 114

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ELMORE T. ELLIOTT.

The record of the subject of this review is that of an enterprising gentleman who worthily upholds an honorable family name and whose life has been very inti- mately associated with the material pros- perity and moral advancement of Liberty township during the most progressive period of its history. E. T. Elliott, the youngest son of Arthur and Emmeline Elliott, is a native of Butler county, Ohio, and was born on his father's homestead in the above town- ship, January 24, 1852. During his boy- hood and early youth he manifested a lively interest in the work of the farm and while

keeping pace with much older and more ex- perienced person in all kinds of manual labor in the fields. At the proper age he entered the district school, where his young and naturally strong and inquiring mind be- gan to unfold and to give promise of the in- tellectual advancement which he subse- quently made under more favorable circum- stances in higher institutions of learning. Finishing the elementary branches in the country schools, he spent the sessions of 1869-70 in the Seven Mile Academy, after which he yielded to a laudable desire to in- crease his scholastic training by entering Miami University at Oxford, where he pur- sued his studies from 1871 to 1873 inclusive. during which time he acquitted himself creditably and earned an honorable reputa- tion as a diligent, enterprising student. His father having large landed interests which held out flattering inducements to one de- sirous of living an independent life and achieving a useful career, young Elliott chose agriculture in preference to the honors and emoluments of a learned profession and, leaving the above institution at the time noted, he returned to the farm and assumed the duty and responsibility of its manage- ment. On November 10, 1875, he con- tracted a matrimonial alliance with Miss Margaret M. Withrow, the accomplished daughter of John L. Withrow, a prominent farmer and influential citizen of Wayne township and a descendant of one of Butler county's oldest and most highly esteemed families. Mrs. Elliott was born in the town- ship of Wayne, March 16, 1856, received a liberal education in the public schools and the high school of Jacksonboro and intel- lectually as well as in other respects is ad-

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mirably fitted to be the companion and help- meet of the husband of her choice. The Withrows have figured quite prominently in the affairs of Butler county and the name is also widely and favorably known in other parts of the state, a brother of Mrs. Elliott, Dr. John M. Withrow, being a man of com- manding influence in the medical circles of the city of Cincinnati.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Elliott has been blessed with two children, Mabel, born July 11, 1877, and Edith, whose birth occurred on August 9, 1879. The former. after finishing the public-school course, en- tered the Hamilton high school and was on her second year's work in that institution when prematurely stricken by the cruel hand of death in 1891. Edith attended the public schools, spent one year in the Western Col- lege, Oxford, Ohio, and the same length of time at Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, after which she became the wife of Eugene Hunter. She is still an inmate of her father's beau- tiful home and the happy mother of a bright and promising son by the name of Elliott Hunter, who was born on the 21st day of December, 1898, and who is the pride and delight of his grandparents and the sun- shine of the household.

For a number of years following his marriage Mr. Elliott devoted his attention very closely to agricultural pursuits and in due time became one of the leading farmers and representative citizens of his township. His farm, consisting of two hundred and fifty acres of fine tillable land, is in an ex- cellent state of cultivation and, being ad- mirably situated for agricultural and live- stock purposes, it returns him the handsome income, which, with his earnings from several other enterprises in which he has

been and is still interested, has made him not only independent but one of the financially strong and reliable men of Butler county. While still residing on his farm, where he has one of the most beautiful and attractive rural homes in the county, Mr. Eliott has retired from active life, though he still re- tains his interests in the Black & Clawson Company, of Hamilton, and the Sidney Steel Scraper Company, of Sidney. this state, with both of which concerns he has long been identified and from which, as already indi- cated, no small share of his liberal income is derived. Mr. Elliott is an optimist and has always looked on the bright side of life and received therefrom all the pleasure obtain- able as well as a goodly share of profit. He has been judicious in expending his means for wise and useful purposes; has not been sparing in beautifying his home and sup- plying it with needed improvements and comforts, and in a much wider scope he has aided and encouraged all worthy enterprises. besides lending his influence and financial assistance to measures and movements hav- ing for their object the educational and moral welfare of the people among whom he lives.

Like his father before him. Mr. Elliott is first of all an American and the love he bears his country is second only to that of the strong and abiding religious convictions which have ever been among his most pro- nounced characteristics. A firm believer in Christianity and the church, he gives to each an earnest and intense devotion. being a Methodist in belief and an active member of the congregation and one of its most liberal contributors. A\ Republican in the full sense of the word, an uncompromising supporter of the principles upon which the party is

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founded and a believer in the great mission which called it into existence, he has per- sistently refused to enter the political arena as an office seeker, nor has he ever permitted his quiet to be disturbed by dreams of public honors or aggrandizement. His chief aims have been to dignify and make successful his chosen calling and to live so that the title of citizen may mean something higher and nobler than a mere empty sound. Mr. El- liott is a clever gentleman, popular with a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and he embodies in his make-up the sterling qualities and sturdy characteristics of the broad-minded, enterprising American who hopes for the best and strives with might and main to make these hopes vital and real. Of pleasing personality and dignified pres- ence, he is easily accessible and the high es- teem in which he is held proves that the universal confidence with which he is re- garded has been worthily bestowed.

JOHN T. ARMISTEAD.

The buildings and grounds of the West- ern College. at Oxford, have as superintend- ent the subject of this sketch, and on every side are to be found gratifying evidences of the discrimination which he has brought to bear in lending attractiveness to the insti- tution. Mr. Armistead is a native of But- ler county. having been born in Wayne township. on the Ist of March, 1854. and being a son of Jonathan B. and Elizabeth (Taylor) Armistead. the paternal ancestry being of English origin and the maternal of German, while both families early became

identified with the annals of Ohio history, the parents of the subject having been born and reared in Hamilton county.

John T. Armistead passed his boyhood days on the farm and early began to contrib- ute his quota to its improvement and culti- vation. while his educational advantages were such as were afforded in the common schools of the locality and period. He con- tinued to be actively identified with farming until he had attained his legal majority and then secured employment in the machine shops of Gaar, Scott & Company, at Rich- mond, Indiana, where he remained three years, after which he passed a number of years in the west. In 1885 the board of trus- tees of the Western Female Seminary, as Western College was then known, ap- pointed him to his present position, and he has remained incumbent of the same during all the intervening years, ever taking the deepest interest in the work assigned to his charge and rendering so effective service as to gain to him unqualified commendation. With the growth and advancement of the institution his duties have been augmented. and he has made a particular study of land- scape gardening and the results of his dis- criminating taste are practically shown in the beautiful appearance of the college grounds today, while he also has the entire supervision of the various buildings. In politics Mr. Armistead is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Democratic party and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Oxford, while he is also a member of its board of trustees. He is an appreciative member of the Masonic fraternity, being identified with Oxford Lodge, No. 67. Free and Accepted

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Masons; the Chapter of Royal Arch Ma- sons, and Hamilton Commandery, Knights Templar.

On the 29th of June, 1898, Mr. Armi- stead was united in marriage to Miss Bessie Fay Jones, who was born in Oxford, this county, and they have one child, George Donald, who was born on the 10th of Janu- ary, 1900.

J. MARTIN CLARK, M. D.

Successfully established in the practice of his profession in the city of Hamilton, Dr. Clark is one of the representative phy- sicians and surgeons of this section and is also a scion of honored pioneer families of Butler county. The Doctor was born in the village of Seven Mile, St. Clair town- ship, on the 2d of November, 1869, being a son of Wilson S. and Hannah ( Pottinger) Clark, both of whom were likewise natives of Butler county and both of whom are now deceased, the father having been a merchant, broker and commercial traveler at different periods. He died in 1895, as the result of an accident. being in his fifty-fifth year at the time. The mother of Dr. Clark passed away when he was an infant, and his father later consummated a second marriage. of which two children were born. One is liv- ing. Bert, who is an expert bond man, lo- cated in Chicago, Illinois, as the western representative of the National City Bank of New York. He was educated in Chicago and his initial business experience was in connection with insurance lines, in which he was very successful.

When Dr. Clark was a lad his parents removed to the West. In the year 1890 he

began the study of medicine and later was matriculated in Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1894. Thereafter he served for a time as house physician and surgeon in the Hahnemann Hospital, with which the college is connected, and he con- tinued to be a member of the hospital staff until 1899, when he came to Hamilton and established himself in the active practice of his profession, while he has gained prece- dence and success in his chosen work and is recognized as one of the able and discrim- inating practitioners of the county. The Doctor defrayed the expenses of his colle- giate education through his own efforts. He taught school in the west for a number of years before taking up the study of medi- cine. He is held in high regard in profes- sional, business and social circles and is still a bachelor.

Reverting to the genealogy of the sub- ject, we may say that the Clark family has been identified with the annals of American history from the colonial epoch. and the paternal grandparents of the Doctor came to Ohio and settled in Wayne township, this county, in the early part of the last century, being numbered among the sterling pio- neers of this section, which was then prac- tically a forest wild. Representatives of the family were participants in the war of the Revolution, and the grandfather of our sub- ject took part in the war of 1812. The ma- ternal grandparents came to this county from Kentucky, about the same time as did the Clarks. Samuel Pottinger, great-grand- father of the Doctor, died here in 1820, at the patriarchal age of one hundred and two years. Both families were numbered among the first settlers in the county and their de-

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scendants are numerous in southern Ohio, while many members of later generations have been identified with various profes- sions. The Pottinger family traces its line- age back to stanch English origin, and the first representatives in America settled in Maryland, probably at the time when Lord Baltimore was at the head of its gov- ernment.

REV. GEORGE Z. MECHLING, A. M.

Rev. G. A. Mechling, the pastor of the First Congregational church in Hamilton, is a man of broad experience in his chosen calling and is universally esteemed for his many excellent traits of character. No man in Hamilton is better known than Rev. Mechling, who has labored unceasingly for the salvation of souls among the people of Butler county since 1857, when he began his ministerial career. He was born near the town of Glenford, in Perry county, Ohio, on the 19th of February, 1829, was reared to young manhood on the parental farm, and there became inured to habits of rural life. His elementary education was acquired in the common schools of Perry county. At the age of eighteen he engaged in teaching, continuing for a period of three terms. But his professional career had already been out- lined in his youthful mind, and he entered Heidelberg University, at Tiffin, Ohio, in 1851, to prepare for the ministry, and was graduated in the class of 1854 with the de- gree of Bachelor of Arts. Soon thereafter he entered upon a course in theology at the same institution and was graduated March I, 1857. Three days later, that being the as a religious home. While he recognizes

day when James Buchanan entered upon his career as President of the United States, Mr. Mechling was licensed and ordained to the ministry of the Reformed church. He transferred his residence to his field of labor, which then embraced four congregations in Butler county, and from that day to the present he has been prominently identified with religious affairs in this county. His first charge involved great labor and self- sacrifice, but he was young then and full of energy and zeal for his Master's cause. The Elk Creek congregation was two miles west of Middletown; he had another preaching point at Seven Mile, a third one at Hickory Flat and the fourth was located at Millville. He served the four congregations regularly for two years, when the Elk Creek congre- gation was detached, to be connected with the Germantown charge, which was never consummated, and he continued his labors with the other three congregations for twelve years. Two years previous to sever- ing his connection with these charges Mr. Mechling had organized the First Reformed church in Hamilton, thus materially increas- ing his labors. In 1869 he moved his fam- ily to Hamilton and was installed as pastor of the newly organized congregation. A church building was soon erected and Mr. Mechling remained the pastor in charge for twenty-six years, resigning that high office in 1893. This completed thirty-eight years of active pastoral labors, during which time Mr. Mechling had taken but little recreation other than as it came in connection with his work. Profound research and thorough in- vestigation during more than forty years of Christian life led Mr. Mechling to look with great favor upon the Congregational church

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all Christian churches as by-paths leading ling donated his first year's labors as pas- to the great highway to holiness, and ulti- tor, thus placing the newly formed organiza- tion upon a solid basis. The growth of the church has not been rapid, but it has been substantial and of the best class of citizen- ship. One hundred and twelve members have been taken into the church altogether. mately to the Christian's portion in the world to come, he does not regard any par- ticular one of them as any more essential than the others; hence a person can be a devout Christian in any religious organiza- tion: yet all Christian people have prefer- A prosperous Sunday school, with one hundred and fifty members, with the attend- ant social organizations, gives evidence of prosperity and unity of sentiment. Not con- tent with this noble work, Mr. Mechling has been instrumental in organizing a Sunday school at Coke Otto, a suburb of Hamilton, embracing laboring people mostly, and will soon organize a church there. Though five years past the "three score and ten years al- lotted to man," he preaches three sermons every Sunday. teaches in two Sunday schools, attends to his pastoral visiting, con- ducts funeral services as required, and en- tertains his friends with the true cordiality of a gentleman of the olden time. Mr. Mechling has always taken an active inter- est in public affairs and is a firm adherent to the principles of social purity and mu- nicipal reform. He was reared a Democrat, but has allied himself to the Republican party during all of his mature years. ences as to their church affiliations and feel more at home in one than in another. Hav- ing severed his connection with pastoral duties, he soon saw a field of useful labor in the church whose tenets, discipline and history met his ideas gained during years of careful reading and investigation. He therefore withdrew from the Reformed church soon after resigning his pastorate and united with the Miami conference of the Congregational church. At that time there was not a member of this church in Hamil- ton except himself. But he immediately be- gan a series of missionary labors in the fourth ward in Hamilton, and on the 14th of April, 1895, the church was organized, with seven members, Mr. Mechling and wife being two of these. The church was re- ceived into the conference on May 3d fol- lowing its organization. There was not 3 cent of money with which to build a church or even to hire a building or room for church services. But the missionary spirit with which Mr. Mechling and his estimable wife were imbued was sufficient for the emer- gency. From their own means they pur- chased a lot at the southeast corner of Syca- more streets, and held it in trust to the new organization. They also contributed liber- ally of their means to the church erection fund and soon a unique and handsome chapel adorned the lot. The building was dedicated on the 12th of April, 1896, and Mr. Mech -

The family genealogy traces his ancestry to Germany. the first of the name to locate on American soil being Jacob Mechling. the paternal great-grandfather. who settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1728. They remained in that locality during the Revolu- tionary period and doubtless some of them took an active part in the struggle for American independence. The father of the subject. George Mechling, was born in Penn- sylvania, and came to Perry county, Ohio, with his parental family, in 1817. There he

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married Miss Sarah Zartman, also a native of the Keystone state, whose parents came to Perry county the same year that her hus- band came to this country. The father was a farmer and both parents ended their lives on the old Perry county farm where the sub- ject was born. Of a family of nine chil- dren born to George and Sarah Mechling, six are now living. George 7., of this article, being the eldest of the survivors. The others are Margaret, now Mrs. David C. King; Caroline, wife of John Hetrick ; Leah, who married David Castanian ; Isaac H .. and Harriet, wife of John C. Brown. The brother is a retired merchant at Somerset; Ohio.

The subject of this article has been twice married, first on the 30th of October, 1866, the lady being in maidenhood Miss Mary A. Jacoby, who proved a most exemplary wife and devout Christian companion. The union was a most happy one, in which two congenial spirits united their efforts for the good of mankind and endured many hard- ships and privations in the early days of the young minister's life. Mrs. Mechling passed away in Hamilton, on the 31st of December, 1801. The present companion of Reverend Mechling was Miss Sue E. Timberman, a native of Ross township. But- ler county, and a representative of an early and prominent family. The union was sol- emnized on the 10th of April. 1894. Miss Timberman was liberally educated, and was an instructor for some ten years in the West- ern Female Seminary at Oxford, this insti- tution being her alma mater. She is a zeal- ous worker in the church and a recognized leader in the social functions of religious work in the community. She is ac- tive and sprightly, vivacious and cheery, her

very presence in a sick room being like an infusion of the elixir of life to a despondent sick one. The union is a happy and con- genial one and Mr. and Mrs. Mechling have the sincere regard of all classes regardless of church or social affiliations. The family residence is at No. 318 South D street.

HIRAM CLARK.

Hiram Clark, a dealer in horses, of Mid- dletown, is a native of Butler county, Ohio. born in the township of Madison on the 20th day of December. 1858. His parents, Martin and Elizabeth Clark, were natives of New Jersey and Ohio respectively, the mother belonging to one of the old and well- known families of Madison township. The father came to Butler county in his boyhood, was reared to agricultural pursuits and when a young man married Miss Elizabeth Deem, by whom he had ten chidren, the sub- ject of this review being the second of the family. From a moderate beginning Martin Clark gradually became one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of this county and also achieved enviable repute as a fruit grower. his orchards being among the larg- est and most valuable in the southern part of the state. He was an enthusiast in the latter industry, as well as an expert, and to him belongs the credit of developing several new varieties of fruits which have since been handled quite extensively by the leading nur- series throughout the Union. In his busi- ness affairs Mr. Clark was uniformly suc- cessful and at one time he owned a beautiful farm of two hundred and forty acres of as fine land as the township of Madison could

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produce, besides other valuable property, and for a number of years he was accounted one of the representative agriculturists of Butler county, also one of its wealthy men and public-spirited citizens. In politics he wielded a strong influence for the Repub- lican party and in all that made for material advancement and honorable citizenship of the community he was a leader, having been a liberal supporter of churches and generous in his benefactions to benevolent and charitable enterprises. His life was characterized by good works and noble deeds, his influence was ever on the side of right and all who knew him were profuse in lauding his upright conduct and many estim- able qualities. The death of this excellent citizen occurred in Madison township in 1863 and was much regretted by the large circle of friends and admirers who held him in such high esteem.

Hiram Clark was reared under the bene- ficial influence of farm life and received a good education in the public schools. He early became a valuable helper on the home place and assisted in its cultivation until his twenty-fourth year, when he was united in marriage with Miss Ella Weikel, an accom- plished young lady of Lemon township and a member of one of the prominent families of that part of the county, the union result- ing in the birth of two daughters. Edna and Elsie. From his marriage until the year 1885 Mr. Clark carried on farming in Madi- son township, but at the latter date disposed of his agricultural interests and engaged in the livery business at Middletown, which vocation he followed until November. 1903. when he disposed of his business. He is es- sentially a business man, possessing first- class qualifications, enjoys in a marked de-

gree the confidence of the people with whom he comes in contact and as a citizen keeps in touch with all public measures and enter- prises calculated to promote or in any way enhance the welfare of the city of his resi- dence. Mr. Clark is not a politician, al- though a zealous supporter of the Republi- can party, and it has never occurred to him to ask for office, or to seek public honors at the hands of his fellow citizens. He holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks and, with his wife, be- longs to the Methodist Episcopal church of Middletown, both being earnest workers in the congregation and greatly respected for their activity and efficiency in the various departments of religious endeavor under the auspices of the same.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 114

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