Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 70

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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official duties and is held in high esteem by his co-laborers in their exciting and danger- ous work.

Mr. Dowty was married on the 7th of June, 1876, the lady of his choice being Ella, a daughter of Jacob and Isabel Rutter, of Princeton, Butler county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Dowty are the parents of four daugh- ters, three of whom are popular young la- dies in society, while the fourth is yet a student in the city high school. Their names are Bessie, Pearl, Mina and Josephine. The three first named are graduates of the high school, while the younger one is entering upon her second year's work in that institu- tion. The mother and daughters are much interested in religious work, and are worthy members of the Reformed church. The only secret society with which Mr. Dowty is connected is Butler Court, Tribe of Ben Hur. In political affiliations he is a Demo- crat, though not aggressive in politics. He supports the candidates of his party, as best representing his views on the political issues, and leaves the selection of candidates to the machinations of party manipulators.

DAVID C. BRATE.

In reviewing the life and achievements of the enterprising farmer whose name ap- pears above it is learned that he is a credita- ble representative of the large and eminently honorable class of men whose influence is al- ways potent for good and whose ambition and persevering industry invariably lead to the goal of success. David C. Brate, the ninth in a family of twelve children whose parents were John and Eliza (Brumbarger)

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DAVID C. BRATE.

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MRS. DAVID C. BRATE.

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Brate, is a native of Ohio, and dates his birth from March 30, 1856. He first saw the light of day on the family homestead in Union township and like the majority of country lads his early life was comparatively uneventful, having been spent among the stirring scenes of the farm, varied at inter- vals by attendance at the district schools. From his seventh year until a youth of eleven his yearly school term amounted to about nine months, but from the latter age until twenty years old the terms were much shorter, the majority of them being reduced to three months a year. Young Brate pos- sessed a naturally active mind and his fond- ness for reading and study enabled him to make such rapid progress that he found it easy to keep pace with pupils much older than himself. His educational training terminating at the age of twenty, he began making his own way by working for monthly wages and he continued in this ca- pacity until attaining his majority, the meantime being employed by various parties, among whom was his brother, a progressive and well-to-do young farmer of Union township.

On reaching manhood's estate Mr. Brate engaged in the pursuit of agriculture upon his own responsibility and from that time to the present he has continued the same with most gratifying results, being today one of the enterprising and prosperous farmers of Union township, as well as one of its most energetic and public-spirited men of affairs. His place, which consists of one hundred and eight acres of fine land lying in sections 8 and 9, is in a high state of cultivation and otherwise well improved, its productiveness being as great perhaps as that of any other farm of its size in the county, as is also its

value. Mr. Brate began farming as a renter, and his present beautiful and attractive farm, together with the most of its improvements and the large amount of valuable personal property in the way of implements, live stock, etc., besides a liberal share of private capital, represents the labor of his own hands, directed by sound business manage- ment. A modern farmer in all the term im- plies, he keeps fully abreast the times in every thing pertaining to agricultural science and methods of tillage, reads the best farm literature and by practical experience demon- strates the relative. value of the various theories which writers advance. He is fa- miliar with the nature of soils and their adaptability to the different crops, in conse- quence of which he is never mistaken as to what he should grow and seldom fails to realize abundantly from the time and labor expended in his fields.

Mr. Brate, on the 19th day of February, 1880, was happily married to Miss Laura B. Morris, whose birth occurred in Fairfield township, Butler county, September 15. 1859, being a daughter of Joseph K. and Mary Morris, the father a prosperous farmer of Union township, dying some years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Brate have one child, Arthur M., who was born September 6, 1883. Af- ter finishing the common-school course he was graduated, at the age of eighteen, from the Barthlett Commercial College, in Cin- cinnati, and a little later accepted the po- sition of stenographer and account clerk with Black, Clawson & Company, of Hamil- ton, Ohio, which responsible place he still holds.

Mr. Brate is one of the leading Demo- crats of Union township and a local poliți- cian of considerable note. While he has

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labored diligently for his party's interests live in the present and make the world better and done much to insure its success, he has by his conduct and influence, in both of which respects he has admirably succeeded, as his high standing among his fellow citi- zens abundantly attests .. never asked any favors in the way of office or public station, being content with the life he is now leading and satisfied with the simple title of a private citizen. A firm be- liever in the holy Scriptures, he has strong religious convictions and for a number of years his life has exemplified the great MARY ALMA SAWYER. beauty and worth of practical Christianity. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Port Union and a zeal- ous worker in the same, being especially active in the Sunday school, which he served at different times as superintendent, besides rendering efficient service for many years as a teacher. At this time he is steward and trustee of the congregation to which he and his wife belong, one of the trustees of the parsonage and it is but just to state that his contributions to the church and to all its lines of work are frequent and liberal. Mr. Brate is now captain of Springdale Mutual Protective Society, of Butler county, and has been zealous in maintaining the same and promoting its interests ever since its organ- ization. He served nine years as school di- rector, during which time he did much for the cause of education in his township and his deep interest in the schools has never been allowed to subside. In his relations with his fellow men Mr. Brate has ever been actuated by correct motives and his dealings at all times have been eminently honorable. His character will bear the closest and strict- est scrutiny, his integrity is above adverse criticism and from his youth to the present time his life has been directed and controlled by those lofty principles which satisfy the most critical and exacting. In brief, he is essentially an upright man whose aim is to

Little of interest can be said to biograph- ical lovers of a woman wholly devoted to the noble and humane work of teaching, and whose life is a continuous consecration to duty faithfully and efficiently performed. Only through the results of her labors as they affect others, may glimpses here and there be obtained of the . mind's struggles, of the heart's desires, and of the soul's hopes, and it is to the future alone that must de- cide her true worth and fix her proper place among the noble and self-sacrificing, whose efforts and influence have blessed the world and made humanity wiser and better. Among the successful and popular teachers of Butler county, Miss Mary Alma Sawyer, of Oxford, occupies a conspicuous place and it is with no little satisfaction that the biog- rapher is permitted to present a brief out- line of her career in this connection and to pay a just tribute to her professional and womanly worth. In the veins of Miss Saw- yer flows the blood of a long line of sterling New England ancestor's, and it was in the old historic commonwealth of Vermont that her birth occurred on November 26, 1854. Her father, O. S. Sawyer, also a native of the Green Mountain state, was of English extraction and a creditable representative of the sturdy Puritan element which figured so prominently in the settlement and history

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of New England and bore such an influential part in giving the people of that section of the union the moral and intellectual fiber for which they have so long been distinguished. The early life of Miss Sawyer was spent among the beautiful and romantic scenery of her native place and during her childhood and youth she attended the public schools, the training thus received being afterwards supplemented by a course in a village academy not far from the family homestead. In the latter institution she prosecuted her studies with the object in view of still more thorough intellectual discipline, and in searching the same she entered Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she was graduated with the class of 1879. Meanwhile, when- but sixteen years of age, she began teaching in the public schools and from that time to the present her life has been devoted to educational work, either as a student or teacher. She has always been actuated by a laudable am- bition to excel in her profession and to this end has spared neither time nor expense in availing herself of the best means at hand for her improvement. A close and critical student, she has taken advantage of every opportunity to add to her knowledge and broaden her mind, and as a teacher she has been keenly alive to the exacting demands of the times by keeping in touch with the trend of modern educational thought, and by making every other consideration subor- dinate to the one object of utilizing her at- tainments skillfully and efficiently in her pro- fession.

Miss Sawyer began her professional career in her own state, but since that time has taught in various parts of the union and in Canada. From 1882 to 1887, in-

clusive, she held a chair in Demill College. Oshawa, Ontario, and from the latter year to the present time has filled an important position in the Western College, at Oxford. Ohio, being one of the most efficient and popular teachers in the latter institution.

Miss Sawyer is a fine type of New Eng- land womanhood and embodies many of the sterling qualities which characterize the people of the Green Mountain state. By energy and consecutive industry, as well as by long and thorough intellectual and pro- fessional discipline, she has steadily forged to the front in her chosen calling and now holds an honored position among Ohio's suc- cessful educators. While perhaps best known in the field of endeavor to which her abili- ties have been devoted, she is also popular in social circles of the city in which she re- sides, possessing as she does a sweet and beautiful moral nature and the happy faculty of winning and retaining the warm personal friendships of her companions, and associ- ates. Reared in the Congregational church, she has always remained loyal to the faith, and since coming to Oxford has been in- terested in the different lines of religious and charitable work under the auspices of the local church.

HARRY W. HOWARD.

Among the thriving farmers and stock raisers of Butler county the gentleman whose name introduces this article is es- pecially conspicuous. Few men of his ex- perience have achieved such marked results, none occupy a more prominent place in the confidence and esteem of his fellow men

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and it is safe to presume that his example and influence have done as much if not more than any other agency to promote the in- terests of agriculture in the township of his residence. Harry W. Howard is proud to claim Butler county as the place of his na- tivity and that he has honored it by a life of enterprise and successful endeavor is freely conceded by all who know him. He was born in Union township on May 4, 1864, and is the fourth in a family of five children whose parents, George W. and Lauretta (Krouskopf) Howard. were for many years well known and respected residents of this part of the Buckeye state. Reared under the wholesome discipline of the farm and receiving his first vivid im- pression from nature, young Howard grew up strong, sturdy and independent and hav- ing been early instructed in the virtues of in- dustry, honesty and thrift, it was not long until their influence was manifest in the formation of a character which in due time developed into a well-rounded, symmetrical manhood. After attending the public schools until finishing the common branches, he received a sound mental discipline in the National Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, where he was graduated from the inter- mediate department with an honorable record, after which he returned home and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits.

Mr. Howard's career since beginning life for himself presents a series of successes which speak well for his energy and well- directed industry and today he easily ranks with the most progressive farmers and stock raisers of Butler county, while his enviable standing as 'a citizen has won him a repu- tation of which his family and many friends feel proud. His financial circumstances are

such as to render him independent, as is attested by his beautiful farm of four hun- dred and thirty acres, a portion of which he leases, his valuable personal property and ample private capital, the whole constituting a fortune of sufficient magnitude to insure a liberal competency for the remainder of his days. Mr. Howard's farm contains one hundred and thirty acres of tillable land and the improvements on the same are among the most valuable in Union township. He displays good taste as well as commendable industry in the cultivation and management of his place, everything being kept in ex- cellent order and it goes without the say- ing that he is thoroughly conversant with every branch of agricultural science and is a master of the art of advanced farming. In addition to cultivating the soil, he de- votes considerable attention to live stock, especially cattle, in the breeding and raising of which he has a well established reputa- tion. His other domestic animals are of the finest kinds obtainable and the sum annually realized from their sale constitutes no small share of his income.

On the 14th day of February, 1890, Mr. Howard was united in marriage with Miss Carrie Vettel, of Hamilton county, Ohio, the union resulting in the birth of two chil- dren, Odelia, born in December, 1892, and John, who first saw the light of day in the month of September, 1894.

In his political faith Mr. Howard is a Republican, but not a partisan in the sense of seeking office. He manifests an abiding interest, however, in the leading questions of the times, keeps in touch with current events and is well informed concerning pub- lic affairs, being a wide reader, an intelligent observer and a man with the courage of his

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convictions upon every subject which he in- vestigates. For the last six years he has been a member of the Union township school board and during that time has la- bored untiringly to advance the cause of education and promote the efficiency of the schools in his jurisdiction. He is also actively concerned in the general welfare of his township and county, and gives his in- fluence and support to all laudable enter- prises for their growth and development. Mr. Howard believes in making proper use of the good things of this world and to this end he endeavors to get all the comfort and pleasure out of life there is in it. He has been liberal in the expenditure of his means to add to the convenience and beauty of his home, among the most pleasing features of which is the commodious and attractive modern dwelling the family now occupies, an imposing brick structure admitted to be one of the finest residences in the township of Union.

ANDREW D. HEPBURN.

professor of English language and literature, 1868-1873, and from 1885 to present time.

DAVID PIERCE.

David Pierce, a talented and successful attorney of Hamilton, was born near Cam- den, Preble county, Ohio, on the 18th of October, . 1857. He was reared on a farm. and grew to manhood amid the environ- ments of country life, his early years being spent in the district schools of the neighbor-

hood and in working upon the farm. This elementary education was supplemented by a course in the normal school at Danville, Indiana, where he prepared for teaching, and engaged in that honorable avocation. Mr. Pierce came to Hamilton as principal of the Fifth ward school in this city, and there achieved an enviable reputation as an edu- cator and teacher and gave universal satis- faction. But his disposition led to the legal profession and he entered upon the study of law under the tutorship of Messrs. Ban- ning & Davidson, of Cincinnati. After the necessary preliminary work in this direction, he entered the Cincinnati Law School, and was graduated therefrom in 1882. In the succeeding year Mr. Pierce was the Demo- cratic nominee for representative of Preble county, in the lower house of the state legis- lature, but was defeated by a small margin at the polls. In 1885 he declined a unani- mous renomination, which was tendered him by the nominating convention. Soon after this Mr. Pierce took up a permanent resi- dence in Hamilton and has since been promi- nently identified with the legal profession in this city. He is a careful, methodical law- yer. well-versed in legal lore, and a wise and safe counsellor. He soon became prominently identified with Butler county Democracy and has been several times a member of the county central committee, serving two years as the treasurer of the same. He has been a member of the board of trustees of the Lane Free Library for a number of years.

The national campaign, following a period of great financial depression, led Mr. Pierce to the consideration of the money question as he had never before considered it. The more he studied, the more firmly

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he became convinced that the contention of William J. Bryan and his followers was the proper solution of the vexing problem, and he began the preparation of a volume en- titled "Money Brief," which has created a perceptible stir in the financial world. It has been recommended by many prominent Democrats all over the United States, among whom may be mentioned W. J. Bryan, and Senator James K. Jones, chairman of the national Democratic committee. It contains the full text of all coinage laws from 1792 to 1898, with copious notes and comments thereon, from the view-point of a bimetal- list. "Money Brief" is a masterly defense of the principles of free coinage of both gold and silver, at the ratio of sixteen to one. The work is replete with interesting details, copious references and elaborate tables. Quotations from prominent men of all par- ties are freely given, some of which they very gallantly (?) repudiated when the sub- ject of finance became a national issue. It is only just to say that "Money Brief" has been recognized as an authority by Demo- cratic leaders, speakers and writers, and very generally indorsed by them. Had this work appeared and been generally circulated dur- ing the campaign of 1896, it would have proven a great educator of which the people were in sore need. It would have been a source of great profit to its author and pos- sibly might have changed the result in that closely contested election. The volume com- prises two hundred and fifty pages, quarto, carefully indexed, and written in a pleasing and convincing style, which at once places its author among the strong. forcible and capable writers of the day.

David Pierce, the subject of this review. is descended from historic stock, being a

relative of Franklin Pierce, who was elected President of the United States in 1852. His ancestors, paternal and maternal, were closely associated with the colonial and Revolutionary history of America. The emi- grant ancestor, Thomas Pierce, came from England in 1633, and settled at Charles- town, Massachusetts, where he became prominently identified with the history of his adopted country. Sergt. Thomas Pierce was of the committee for dividing the common lands in Woburn, and also of the general courts committee. Timothy Pierce, next in line, was one of the most prominent men in Plainfield, Connecticut, served as a mem- ber of the governor's council. a colonel of militia and a judge. David Pierce's great- grandfather, Ephraim Ladd. marched in the "Lexington alarm," and John Railsback, who was a great-great-grandfather. was one of the farmers who came at the call of Ben- jamin Franklin, with teams, to assist in the moving of Braddock's army, was with Braddock in his defeat, and assisted at his burial. John Railsback came to Preble county in the beginning of the nineteenth century, and entered land which is still owned by Mr. Pierce. who also owns the land entered by another ancestor, John Pot- tenger. The Pottengers and Railsbacks were assisted by the Indians in clearing their lands and building their cabins. Other an- cestors, the Enochs and Barnets. came to Butler county in 1800. They were millers, distillers, and fine mechanics. One of the first mills ever built on the Miami was built by the Enochs, in Lemon township. It con- sisted of a gristmill, a sawmill, and a woolen factory. They also built a distillery.

David Pierce's maternal grandfather. Hon. David Barnet, was one of the pioneers

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of Preble county and was closely identified with affairs of state during a long and useful life. He was twice a member of the con- stitutional conventions, and aided in framing the present constitution of the state. He had a voice in determining the great question of human slavery, being a strong abolition- ist. Mr. Barnet was president of the Cin- cinnati, Hamilton & Richmond Railway Company, and held other official positions, all of which he discharged with ability and fidelity.

Mr. Pierce is prominently identified with the Masonic order, having attained to the thirty-second degree in that time- honored fraternity. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and other beneficial societies. He is an able lawyer, a clean and companionable gentleman, highly esteemed for his geniality, high social standing and his fearlessness and frankness of opinion. His methods are honorable and upright, his motives pure and unselfish. This "certificate of character" is universal in the minds of his co-laborers in professional life and in the social circle. Backed by a degree of exalted intelligence and high moral in- stincts, it is not strange that he is popular with all.

Mr. Pierce chose for his life companion Miss Nettie Chadwick, on the 31st day of July, 1895.

SAMUEL H. ALLEN.

A business man of respectable standing and wide influence, a leader in the industrial circles of his city and a forceful factor in its public affairs, Samuel H. Allen enjoys worthy prestige among the representative

citizens of Butler county and it is with no little satisfaction that a brief review of his life and achievements is presented in this connection. Mr. Allen comes of good old colonial stock and is proud of the fact that his grandfather bore a brave and gallant part in the struggle for independence. Col. Ethan Allen, a member of the same family and one of the most daring and intrepid leaders of the above trying period, rendered such distinguished service that his name has become a household word and the records of his deeds forms one of the brightest pages of American history. For many years the Allens lived in Washington county, Penn- sylvania, and it was about the beginning of the nineteenth century that the subject's grandfather emigrated to the territory of Indiana, settling in Franklin county, where he entered land, improved a farm and spent the remainder of his life as an industrious and thrifty tiller of the soil. Among his children was a son by the name of Eliphalet Allen, whose birth occurred in the county of Franklin and who devoted his life to ag- ricultural pursuits ; he married in his native state and became the father of five children, one of whom died in infancy. the subject of this review being the third of the family.

Samuel H. Allen was born in Franklin county, near where his grandfather origin- ally settled, August 12, 1853, and spent his early life on the farm, attending at inter- vals during his childhood and youth the dis- trict schools of the neighborhood. After ac- quiring a good practical education he took up the study of telegraphy and in due time became quite proficient therein, after which he entered the employ of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, at Oxford, Ohio, in the twofold capacity of operator and

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 70

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