USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 63
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 63
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
Cofield thus grew up in the business, and after coming to Piqua, in 1887, he con- tinned in this line and shortly afterward began the manufacture of marble dust, being the pioneer in this industry in this section. Subsequently he sold his plant to the Ohio Marble Company, but he has continned the manufacture of lime and does a large business also in handling lime, cement and all kinds of contractors' supplies.
Ground is now being broken for the erec- tion of a plant for the manufacture of all stone products, from flues for steel fur- naces to the finest marble floor, the com- pany to be known as The Stone Product Company, and the works to be under the management of Mr. Cofield. The new com- pany is incorporated for $50,000, the prin- cipal stockholders being prominent busi- ness men of Findlay and Piqua. The company will control at least three modern crushers for the crushing plant, and for their marble flour department will estab- lish enough machines to give them pos- sibly the largest capacity of any like plant in the country. Several thousand dollars' worth of railroad switch work will be put in and accommodations provided for about forty cars. The main building for the manufacture of marble flour will be 50x200
feet; that of the crushing plant, 55x75 feet. The buildings will be frame, with the ex- ception of the engine-room, which will be of concrete. The quarries cover sixty-five acres and the material is available for many uses. The new concern will be one of the big manufacturing enterprises of Piqua.
As a good citizen Mr. Cofield has never ignored the calls made on his time or purse and has willingly done his part to advance the general welfare. In 1882 he was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth Davis, of Shelby County, Ohio, and they have three chil- dren: L. M .; Rowena Elmira, who is the wife of W. R. Snyder, of Troy; and Bon- nie Ethel, who resides at home. Mr. Co- field and family are members of the Church of Christ.
GEORGE MCCULLOUGH, deceased. In depicting the career of him who is the subject of this sketch, one has not to deal with a life spent in vain strivings after riches or fame-the two principal goals of the ambitious-but rather with a life that was a negation of self, a daily sacrifice to the Lord, and a benediction to all others that came into contact with it, even though but casually.
The late George Mccullough came of a hardy family. His paternal grandfather was born in Ireland and learned the trade of tanner in the city of Cork, after which, when still a young man, he came to this country, making his home in a little town just in sight of Philadelphia. This town was destroyed in the Revolutionary War, by the British troops, Grandfather Mc- Cullongh losing all his property. He had early enlisted on the American side, taking part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga,
579
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
under Ethan Allen; then reaching Bunker Hill, near Boston, in time to take part in the memorable battle there; and after- wards serving with Washington when he crossed the Delaware, and in the engage- ments at Trenton and Princeton, and in the closing operations of the war at York- town, where he witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He lived many years after the war, and died at the age of eiglity-eight, having never been sick a day in his life until then. He was a Free Mason and his funeral services were con- ducted by members of the order. He mar- ried a Miss Mary Elliott, who was of Welsh origin, and their family numbered nine children.
William McCullough, son of the forego- ing and father of the subject of this sketch, was the third son of his parents, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1793. He was reared amid pioneer surroundings and, like most of his contemporaries in this section, sought his living in the subduing of the forest and the conquest of the soil. About the year 1813 he married Susan Shidler, a sister of the Hon. Tom Shidler, who represented Miami County in the leg- islature in 1839. In October, 1823, when George McCullough was six years old, the family came to Ohio, crossing the moun- tains in wagons, the journey taking sev- eral weeks. Reaching Miami County, they settled on a tract of land in Lost Creek Township that has since been known as the MeCullough farm. But little of the land was then cleared in this vicinity, wild game of all kind abounded, and panthers and bears were still occasionelly seen. The first residence of the family was a little log cabin, 20x24 feet, and they also erected a small stable, where their little dun mare
found shelter. Their food was plain, con- sisting principally of mush and milk, corn bread, pumpkins and game. The milk was strongly flavored most of the time with the wild onion, upon which the cattle fed. Once a week, on Sundays, the family had coffee, and that was a day that all looked forward to with joyons anticipations.
It was in this stern school of life that George Met'ullough received his early training, but it was condneive to the up- building of a strong and vigorons man- hood. The district school which he at- tended in his boyhood days was tanght by Mr. John Hutton and was in a log cabin. Here he was tanght reading, writing and arithmetic to the single rule of three. In 1825 the first meetinghouse was built in Lost Creek Township. It was built of logs and was put together at a cost of just $6, which was spent for nails, glass, and sashes for three small windows, the labor being voluntarily contributed by the neigh- bors. At first a large quilt was used for a door, and the floor consisted entirely of "Mother Earth." The dimensions of this primitive place of worship were 26x30 feet. The first Sunday School in Miami County was organized and taught in this log building soon after its erection, by Thomas Long, the enterprise, however. not being regarded favorably by everybody, as it was not thought the right way to teach the Bible.
Mr. Mccullough grew up in this neigh- borhood and saw it grow into beauty. The log structures that we have herein de- scribed he saw change into a commodious brick school house and a handsome conn- try church. When still a lad he helped with his team to build the canal, and came to Troy on horseback to see General Har-
580
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
rison when the latter came with great pomp and show on a canal boat to that little city. In 1851 he went into the gen- eral dry goods business with C. R. Quick, at Addison, and so continued until 1860. He was afterwards engaged in the grocery business until he retired from active life.
Mr. MeCullough was converted in 1843, under the labors of Mark D. Briney, in the old log meeting-house near the present beautiful brick structure of the Lost Creek Church. His conversion was thorough, comprehending soul and body, time and talents. It has been said of him by one who was ten years his pastor: "From the time of his Spirit-birth he was Spirit- filled, and till death he carried with him that often overflowing measure. Endowed by nature with mind, thought, song, a musical voice, a winning face, fluent, fit- ting speech and forceful personality, his consecration of these, intensified by a glow- ing Christian experience, meant much for the church, for the community, for all re- forms, for the souls of men, and for his long and grand career as the Lord's serv- ant. No exense of the sinner or subter- fuge of the skeptic could stand before his array of Holy Writ, his burning love for the doubter, and his unique forms of un- answerable arguments. Meeting by acci- dent or introduction with a stranger, he left him not till learning of him whether or not he loved Christ. Nor was this in- formation gained offensively, but in a happy, tactful, winning way. From the time of his conversion lie was an active worker for Christ, praying, speaking and exhorting in public, and this with peculiar impressiveness, edification and power." The same writer further says:
"When in his usual health he attended
and actively participated in the sessions of the Ohio Miami Conference. On com- mittes he was a wise counsellor; on the floor his speeches were short, terse, and telling in the flavor of sincerity and the flaslı of earnestness. In exhortation but few preachers were his equal. In prayer he seemed to come very close into the di- vine presence, pleading with a Jacob-like importunity, and seizing promises with the uncorrupted confidence of a child. It was his delight to pray with the sick, and his more than half a century of praying life built Bethels and altars by most of the sick beds and in most of the woods and fields in the vicinity of his home. Riding to church alone or in company, often did he pause at some suitable place by the wayside to wrestle with God in behalf of the service and the saving of souls. Per- haps I have never known a man who seemed so constantly to dwell in the secret of his presence and in his very pavilion. He carried everywhere the joy of his Christian experience, but never was he happier than in protracted meetings and when souls were being born into the king- dom. He was a persistent Bible student. He drew his theology from the Word, and had a fund of doctrinal and practical quo- tations at his tongue's end. He was friend- ly to ministerial education and culture, and believed that these were helpful to the spiritual power, without which all preach- ing is in vain."
He was an earnest friend of the young minister, whom he aided with his advice. A good student of human nature, lie did not often err in forecasting the success or failure of the youthful Timothy. Many thought he himself called to the ministry, but on this subject he once said to his
581
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
pastor-the same from whom we have al- ready quoted: "Brother Rush, I feel it is mainly my mission to lighten and broaden our people's ideas of lay rela- tions." Mr. Mccullough was an ardent reader of religious literature, especially that published by the Christian denomina- tion, to which he belonged, and of which he accumulated a large- collection. His brother Peter, of Dayton, was a minister of the denomination-earnest and snecess- ful in bringing souls to Christ-and it was Mr. McCullough's belief that his brother sufficiently represented the family in that department of Christian effort, his own ambitions lying solely in the direction of lay usefulness.
Much eould be said of his brotherly kind- ness and helpfulness to his fellow men. Especially was he the friend of the poor. His wagons, his farming utensils or gar- den tools were freely at the command of his neighbors, especially those who were unable to purchase for themselves, and it was wonderful what amount of wear they were subjected to in the universal service. Everybody's friend, everybody's helper was he. The life of this good man was prolonged far beyond the scriptural three score years and ten, for he passed tri- umphantly to the Eternal Mansions on Monday, June 30, 1902, at the age of eighty-five years and twenty-five days. Well it might be said of him, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord."
His home life was true and beautiful. He was married November 18, 1849, to Amanda S. Warner, of Addison, Cham- paign County, Ohio, and for more than fifty-two years they pursued life's journey happily together. Until the father's death the family circle remained unbroken. Of
its members we may briefly say that De- rostus M. McCullough, the eldest son, is now one of the leading eitizens and busi- ness men of Troy, Ohio, a prominent mer- chant, vice-president of the Troy National Bank, and an active lay worker in the Christian Church. George Mccullough, the younger son and his father's name-
sake, is a respected resident of Dayton, Ohio. Of the two daughters, Emma is the wife of Dr. II. E. Smith, of Kansas City, Missouri ; the other daughter is Mrs. John M. Thomas, whose husband is a successful business man in Columbus, Ohio.
For some years before his death Mr. MeC'ullough was unable to attend church, but his son, D. M. Mccullough, put a tele- phone in his father's house in Addison, the wires reaching to the pulpit and choir seats of the Christian Church in Troy, and being skilfully aranged to cateh every sound. Thus, through his son's love, the aged Christian, in his declining years, had the sweet consolation of the services of the sanetnary brought to his very bedside or to liis invalid ehair, and his hours of weariness and pain were lightened there- by, and his heart made glad by the songs of Zion and the words of gospel eheer, every Sabbath, though the songs were sung and the Word preached ten miles away.
Mr. MeCullough was survived by his wife, in addition to the children above mentioned. She was ever his faithful and well suited help-mate, sharing his joys and sorrows with a kind womanly sym- pathy and love. She, too, commanded the love of her children and of a wide eircle of friends. Mrs. MeCullough died May 24, 1905, aged seventy-five years.
.
582
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
CHARLES M. FINFROCK, president of the Stillwater Valley Bank Company of Covington, Ohio, was one of the founders of that institution and has been closely identified with other interests of the city during his residence of a quarter of a cen- tury or more there. He has been agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad and of the Adams Express Company at Covington since May 1, 1883, and has been in the employ of the former company since 1872. Mr. Finfrock was born in Piqua, Ohio, May 24, 1850, and is a son of William and Mary Ann (Routson) Finfrock. His father, who died in 1882, was for a time proprietor of the Miami House at Piqua and later conducted a mercantile estab- lishment in that city.
Charles M. Finfrock was six years of age when his mother died. Two years later he became an inmate of the home of an uncle, Jacob Reesor, at Versailles, Ohio, by whom he was reared until four- teen years old. He then went to work on a farm for Samuel Fetters in Newberry Township, Miami County, with whom he continued for five years. He next worked at carpentering, following that trade sev- eral years in Newberry Township and in Piqna. In that city he worked for O'Fer- rell & Daniels, manufacturers of thresh- ing machines, and later for Hardesty & Speelman at house carpentering. During this time he also worked in the Western Union Telegraph office at night, under C. E. Macher, who still is in Piqua, and from there went to Richmond, Indiana, as mes- senger in the train dispatcher's office; that was in 1872 and it was his first posi- tion with the company. In February, 1873, he became night operator for the Pennsylvania Company at Greenfield, In-
diana, and from there went to Knights- town, Indiana, where he was operator and agent's clerk. In 1874 he was made op- erator and agent's clerk at Piqua, where he continued two or three years, then went to New Paris, Preble County, Ohio, as agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In May, 1883, he became agent of the Penn- sylvania Company and the Adams Express Company, at Covington, in which capacity he has since continued. A man of exem- plary habits and a conscientious employee, his advancement in the business world was steady and he now takes rank among the substantial men of the place. When the Stillwater Valley Bank was incorpo- rated in 1900, he was one of the prime movers and became a stockholder and di- rector. In January, 1909, he was advanced to the presidency of that institution.
Charles M. Finfrock was united in mar- riage with Miss Mary A. Cable, daughter of the late John Cable, of Newberry Town- ship, and they have one son, Clarence M. The last named is a lawyer by professional training and an instructor in Western Re- serve Law School, of Cleveland, of which institution he is a graduate. He also is a graduate of Covington High School and Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. Religiously the subject of this record is a member of the Christian Church, of which he is one of the deacons.
HENRY FREE, one of Staunton Town- ship's representative citizens and substan- tial farmers, resides on his well improved estate of eighty acres, which he owns jointly with his wife. Mr. Free was born on the old Knoop farm in Staunton Town- ship, Miami County, on which his parents first settled after coming to Ohio, Angust
583
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
26, 1844, and is a son of Philip and Sarah (Helsel) Free.
The father of Mr. Free was born in France and was twenty years of age when he accompanied his parents to America, settling in Pennsylvania. There he mar- ried Sarah Helsel and there were ten chil- dren born to them, namely: George, who is deceased; Jacob, who lives in Califor- nia; Barbara, now deceased, who was the wife of G. Struble; Daniel, who is de- ceased; Caroline, who is the wife of Henry McDowell, of Casstown; Elizabeth, who is the wife of S. Ferr, of Indiana; Philip, who died young; Lavina, now deceased, who was the wife of M. Small, also de- ceased; John, who died while serving his country in the Civil War; and Henry. With his wife and four children, Philip Free came to Ohio, and both he and wife passed the rest of their days in this State. Their first home was on the Knoop farm, on Lost Creek, which Philip Free rented for a number of years. Later he pur- chased a farm of 100 acres not far from the farm now owned by his youngest son, and there he died in 1877, when aged sev- enty-eight years. On that farm his first wife died, and he married Nancy Konkel, who survived him but a few years. Al- though he encountered much misfortune and had a great deal of sickness in his family, which entailed much expense, lie had good children, and with the help of his sons cleared up his farm, acquired other property, and at the time of the Civil War not only gave one son, but con- tributed some $500 in money to aid in its prosecution.
Henry Free was the youngest of the family and was an infant when his pa- rents moved to the farm near his own. He
has been a continuous resident of Staun- ton Township, with the exception of eleven months, when he lived in Brown Town- ship, and during the periods covered by several trips to California, Oregon and Washington. He had but meager educa- tional opportunities in his youth, but travel, reading and association with many people have all contributed to making him one of the best informed men of his sec- tion. He lived at home until his marriage, after which he engaged in farming for his father-in-law for thirty-six years. In 1905 he bought his present farm from Mrs. John Cavault, a sister of his wife, residing in Mercer County, Ohio. It is a productive tract of land and lies in Stann- ton Township, where the Troy, the Spring Creek and Peterson Turnpikes corner.
On September 6, 1866, Mr. Free was married to Miss Margaret Ann Smalley, who is a daughter of John and Sarah (Cullen) Smalley, the former of whom was born in Butler County, Ohio, and the lat- ter in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Free had two sisters: Mary Ellen, who married John Cavault, and Eliza Jane, who died young. Mr. and Mrs. Free have had four children, namely: John, who married Martha Marr, has three children-Murray, Bertha, and Everett-and is a farmer in Spring Creek Township; Flora, who married Bert Cavault, of Piqua, and has four children -Blanche, Iva, Ralph and Margaret ; Charles, who married May Demman, now deceased, and had three children-Elden, Arthur and Opal, the youngest deceased and the other two living with their grand- parents ; and Harry Allen, who died aged six years. Mr. and Mrs. Free are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is an official. He is a Repub-
58-4
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
lican and has served as township super- visor for many years.
MARTIN A. CURTIS, residing on Boone Hill, two and one-half miles south of Troy, in Concord Township, along the in- terurban electric railway, is the owner of a fine farm of ninety aeres and follows general farming. He was born on the home farm in that vicinity, on Easter Sun- day, April 5. 1856, and is a son of William and Anna (Fiese) Curtis, and grandson of Hiraza Curtis. The grandfather came from the east and settled near Frederiek- town, Miami County, when the country was in a wild and undeveloped state. He lived there until his death.
William Curtis was among the younger of a large family of children, and was born near Fredericktown. He helped clear the place, and while still a young man started ont for himself ; he started without means or assistance, but was always a hard worker and his snecess was beyond the average. After his marriage he farmed for a few years on shares, and then bought what at present is the Mrs. De Weese farm, in Concord Township. He lived on this place until his death, in 1904. at the age of eighty years, he surviving his wife some years. His marriage to Anna Fiese, who also was born near Fredericktown, re- sulted in the following issue: Sarah, de- ceased; Mary Jane; Francis; Davis W., deceased ; Martin A .; Ellwood; Peter, de- ceased; Lydia; Belle; Minnie; Burnet ; and Charles.
Martin A. Curtis attended school in Dis- triet No. 2, Concord Township, but his schooling was very limited, as there was a big family of them and a farm to pay for, all of the boys being required to work
on the place. He began work very young, and frequently after working hard in the field all day would accompany his father to the old stillhouse with a load of eord wood. He eut wood and split rails on the place he now owns for Isaac Boone, who afterward became his father-in-law. After his marriage in 1877 he farmed the Thomas Sheets place, on the opposite side of the road from his present place, on the shares, and continued there for a period of nineteen years. He then bought his farm of ninety acres from the Boone heirs and has since lived upon it.
Jannary 4, 1877, Mr. Curtis was united in marriage with Miss Melinda E. Boone, a daughter of Isaac and Mary Ann (Hold- erman) Boone, and they are parents of two children: John, who lives near his parents and farms the home place; and William E., who lives at home. John Cur- tis married Gnssie Robbins. and they have two children, Mary and Edgar. Frater- nally Martin A. Curtis is a member of Froy Lodge, No. 43, K. of G. E .; and Troy Lodge, No. 222, I. O. R. M.
MARTIN L. GANTZ, who resides on his farm of eighty-eight acres, situated in Section 2, Bethel Township, was born January 8, 1855. in Bethel Township, Mi- ami County, Ohio, and is a son of Martin and Lydia Ann (Heffner) Gantz.
The parents of Mr. Gantz had a family of ten children, named, respectively: Har- riet, Margaret, Perry, Martin, Thomas, Eliza, Minnie, Ezra. George and Laura. Martin Gantz was a blacksmith and he learned his trade at Brandt and worked there all his active life. He was a Demo- crat in polities, but took no active part in publie matters.
585
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Martin L. Gantz attended school at Brandt and then learned the blacksmith's trade under his father and worked at it until his first marriage, in 1877, after which he resided one and a quarter miles west of Brandt, where he was engaged in the business of raising trees for the Ala- bangh Nursery Company. In March, 1907. he came to his present farm, which he purchased of the Black heirs. He found sufficient and substantial buildings on the place, with the exception of a barn, which he immediately put up, and he has done other improving. Mr. Gantz has proved himself as good a farmer as he was long known to be blacksmith, and he has fre- quently found it to advantage to under- stand both industries.
On December 5, 1877. Mr. Gantz was married to Miss Margaret Weaver, who died in March. 1900. She was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Wright) Weaver. To this union the following children were born: Vesta, who married Bessie, dangh- ter of Thomas Forrest ; Richard. who mar- ried Ethel, daughter of Duke Beneham; Della, who married Clinton Hendricks; Clyde, who married Effie, danghter of Charles Harris; Glenna. who resides at Dayton : Hershel, who goes to school; and Elmer, who died in infancy. On Decem- ber 10, 1902, Mr. Gantz was married (sec- ond) to Miss Lanra Belle Young, who is a daughter of John Young. Mr. Gantz and family attend the Lutheran Church. In politics he is a Demoerat.
FRANK A. CUSHWA. one of Bethel Township's substantial citizens and large farmers, owning 300 acres of valuable land in this section, was born in Washington County, Maryland, October 20, 1832, and
is a son of Benjamin and Sophia (Angle) Cushwa.
The parents of Mr. C'ushwa were both natives of Washington County, Maryland, and when they came to Ohio they had four children. Benjamin Cnshwa settled first on a farm of 160 acres on the Clifton Turn- pike, near Springfield, in Clark County, where he built a house, but finding that the land would require a great amount of fer- tilizing to make farming profitable, he moved to Harshmansville for three years, and then came to Bethel Township, Miami County, where he first bought fifty acres and then added twenty-five more. Both he and wife spent the remainder of their days on that farm, he dying in 1871 and she when aged sixty-eight years; both were buried in Bethel Cemetery. They were worthy members of the German Reformed Church. In politics he was a strong Democrat, but no persnasion would have induced him to accept any public office. Of his family of eleven children, the fol- lowing survive: Katherine, George W., Martin B .. Frank A., John, Mary Eliza- beth, James, Anna and David.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.