USA > Ohio > Belmont County > Centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 46
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The Gaston family is a long established one in Belmont County, where it located as carly as 1800. Dr. Alexander Gaston, the great- grandfather of Judge Gaston, and a native of Pennsylvania, came at that time to a farm situated in the vicinity of St. Clairs- ville, and died in 1825 at Morristown, Ohio. His son, Dr. Ephraim Gaston, was for the 40 years succeeding 1828 one of the most distinguished physicians of Belmont County. The parents of Judge Gaston were Samuel W. and Margaret F. (Hazlett) Gaston. Samuel WV. Gaston was born in Morristown, in 1831. At an early age he engaged in teaching and also in the study of the law. In 1855 he located in St. Clairsville for practice. In 1856, he was elected clerk of the county courts, became well known in political life, and died in 1862. He married Margaret F. Hazlett, of Morristown, in 1857.
The birth of Judge Isaac 11. Gaston took place July 6, 1858, in St. Clairsville. Ile attended the schools of Morristown, entered Washington and Jefferson College in 1876, and was graduated in the class of 1879. Soon afterward he began to study in the law office of the late Hon. L. Danford, and was admitted to the bar in 1882. His ability and thorough and complete knowledge of law made his election as judge of the Pro- bate Court, in 1884, a very satisfactory se- lection to all parties, and his administration of the office was such as to insure a re-elec- tion in 1887. Since his retirement from the bench, Judge Gaston has given his attention to the practice of his profession in St. Clairs- ville and the vicinity, where he is widely and favorably known. The Judge is in active affiliation with the Republican party, of which he is considered a useful and influential mem- ber. The subject of this sketch is a member of the Masonic order, having been made a Mason in Tonic Lodge, No. 438, F. & A. M. He is also a member of St. Clairsville Chap- ter, No. 17, R. A. M .; Belmont Council, No. 54. R. & S. M .; Hope Commandery. No. 26, K. T .: Syrian Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S .; and Ohio Consistory, S. P. R. S.
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JOSEPH WATT, who for a number of years was a leading manufacturer and promi- nent business man of Barnesville, Belmont County, Ohio, was born December 25, 1809, and died January 29, 1879. He was reared and schooled in Belmont County, and after 1862 his business interests were centered here.
In association with his son, the late James H. Watt, Joseph Watt entered upon a foun- dry business, on a small scale, which in later years developed into the great industry known all over the world as the Watt Min- ing Car Wheel Company. In 1868, a foun- dry was started at the southeast corner of South street and Broadway, Barnesville, in what was then known as the old hominy mill, the property of W. R. Moore. The proprietors of the concern were McKewen & Crozier. The plant was later transferred to a building situated on lot 86. After sev- eral changes, this plant was purchased by Allen Alexander, who operated it for a short time, and then sold it to J. H. Watt & Brothers. The Watt foundry was situated on the site of the present Eli Moore Opera House. As trade increased, it was enlarged, and after the company began the manufac- ture of a patent, self-oiling car wheel, larger accommodations became necessary. Ac- cordingly, in 1890 and 1891, arose the great steel, stone and brick structure now known as the plant of the Watt Mining Car Wheel Company, that being the corporate title of the company. This plant employs 130 men, locally, and 20 others are constantly en- gaged on the outside, in the preparation of lumber. It is an establishment of great im- portance, not only to Belmont County, but also to the State, its products being in active demand all over the industrial world.
Joseph Watt married Maria Slack, and eight children were born to their union, namely: Mrs. M. W. Edgar; James H., de- ceased: John W .; Stewart R .; R. Ross: Rose: Jennie; and Mrs. B. F. Stewart, who passed from this life in May, 1899. The three surviving sons of this family are, prac-
tically, the owners of the Watt Mining Car Wheel Company. Mr. Watt's death was generally lamented, as he was held in high esteem in his community. Ile was known as an honorable business man and an upright and exemplary citizen, while his personal loss was deeply mourned by many devoted relatives and friends.
WILLIAM L. JUDKINS, M. D., a prominent physician of Barnesville, Ohio, who is asociated in practice with his father, Dr. J. A. Judkins, was born in Barnesville. His mother, Marietta (Lewis) Judkins, was also born there. The medical profession has been an attractive one to the Judkins family, and the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Dr. Carolus Judkins, was a pio- neer settler in Barnesville, in 1809.
The birth of Dr. William L. Judkins took place November 9, 1868. He acquired his primary education in the common schools of his native city, and then entered Oberlin College, from which he graduated in 1891. His medical reading had been done under the tutorship of his father, who is a leading physician of Belmont County. After quit- ting Oberlin, he entered the medical de- partment of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1894. He en- tered into partnership with his father, the firm name being J. A. Judkins & Son, and has shown every indication of becoming as noted in the profession as his father. Politi- cally, he is one of the leading young Repub- licans of the city. Fraternaly, he is con- nected with the Knights of Pythias.
On September 12, 1899, Dr. Judkins mar- ried Blanche Mckeever, a daughter of El- liot Mckeever, of Moline, Illinois. One daughter, Esther, resulted from this union. Dr. Judkins takes an active interest in civic affairs, and since the spring of 1901 has been a member of the City Council. Both he and his wife are highly connected, and are leaders in the city's social life. Both are
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valned members of the Methodist Episcopal Chirch.
JOHN W. WATT, vice-president and treasurer of the Watt Mining Car Wheel Company, of Barnesville, Ohio, a position of prominence and responsibility, was born in Louisville, Ohio, in December, 1843. Until the age of 13 years he resided with his parents in Harrietsville, at which time the family located at Malaga, Ohio, where the greater part of his education was se- cured. In 1864 he located in Barnesville, and engaged in teaming for a year in this city, entering the army for service in the Civil War in the spring of 1865. ITe enlisted in Company D, 185th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and served until the latter part of Septem- ber of the same year. After his honorable discharge, he returned to Barnesville.
In 1862 his father, the late Joseph Watt, with our subject's brother, the late James II. Watt, had started a foundry business, and after our subject's return from the army he also became a partner; in 1867 another brother, the well-known Stewart Watt, who is now the efficient general superintendent of the company, entered the firm, which then became J. II. Watt & Brothers. For 18 years this foundry engaged in the manufac- ture of stoves and castings, but in 1880 James H. and Stewart Watt introduced their patent self-oiling mining car wheel, which proved so great a success that two years later the company was formed which has since enlarged and expanded until its goods are of world-wide use. Upon the death of James H. Watt, in 1002, the Watt Mining C'ar Wheel Company was reorganized, with officers as follows: R. Ross Watt, president and general manager; John W. Watt, vice- president and treasurer; P. H. Laughlin, secretary; and Stewart Watt, superintend- ent. The above officers represent the larg- est manufacturing plant of its kind in the United States, one whose high standard of goods and business methods have invaded
every country. From time to time the build- ings have ben enlarged to accommodate the growing demands, and now occupy a large space in one section of the city.
The first marriage of Mr. Watt took place in December, 1871, to Euretta Stewart, who died in July, 1880, leaving two children, Alma and Charles. The second marriage was celebrated in July, 1883, to Belle M. Blakemore, daughter of James Blakemore, one of Belmont County's leading citizens. Two children were born to this union, the one surviving being Earl B. Mrs. Watt is a valued member of the Methodist Church. Our subject's fraternal association is with the Knights of Pythias, and he is politically identified with the Republican party. The family moves in the best social life of the city, and Mr. Watt is regarded as one of its representative and useful men.
WV. R. KING, one of the well-known farmers of Wayne township, Belmont County, and a citizen of prominence and public spirit, was born October 2, 1861, in Wayne township, a son of Ambrose G. King, one of the leading citizens of Belmont County.
WV. R. King was reared to agricultural pursuits, and acquired an excellent common- school education. llis services were given to his father on the home farm, until he reached his legal majority, when he took a trip to the West, and located in Bureau County, Illinois, for six years, being em- ployed during this time among the Illinois farmers, who contracted for his services by the year. In 1890 he returned to his native State, and a short time later purchased a farm of 80 acres east of Newcastle, but later sold that property and bought his present farm in section 20. Wayne township, near the village of Pilcher. This was considered a very desirable farin, being known as the Philip King farm, and was owned by Wil- liam G. Budd. It comprises 160 acres and
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is well adapted to both general farming and also stock raising, Mr. King making a spe- cialty of sheep. Formerly he raised quanti- ties of tobacco, but does not now make that a leading crop. The excellent improvements have been placed here by our subject, and he now owns one of the attractive as well as very valuable farms of the township. In method he is practical, and he has been emi- nently successful.
The first marriage of Mr. King was to Josephine Titlow, a daughter of John Tit- low. She died in 1899, leaving two daugh- ters, viz .: Dora Maud and Lettie Pearl. Mr. King married for his second wife Amanda Phillips, a daughter of John Strick- ling, of Monroe County, Ohio, and one child has been born to this union,-Lura May.
Mr. King is a stanch Republican, and in the spring of 1806 was elected township trustee, and served most acceptably for two terms, or six years. Fraternally he is a pop- ular member of the Knights of Pythias of Jerusalem, Ohio. Mrs. King is a consistent member of the Christian Church and Mr. King contributes to its support and attends the services.
CONRAD RUMBACH has for the past 30 years been a business man of Bellaire, and has also exerted no small influence in the conduct of its public affairs, serving for some time as president of the City Commeil. About a year ago he severed his connection with the large wholesale wine house with which he had for some time been connected, and is now living practically retired.
Mr. Rumbach was born in Switzerland and there resided until he was 16 years of age. Preparatory to a business in life he learned during this period the printer's and typeset- ter's trade, which, by the way, he had but lit- tle occasion for use in later years. Upon leaving his native land hecame directly to this country and located at Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia. After a short resi-
dence there, however, he secured a lucrative position with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and moved to Grafton, in the same State. Though succeeding in his work, he decided after some time to engage in business by himself, and opened a hotel and barroom in Grafton. Ile continued in this line for some years. Finally, disposing of this busi- ness, in 1872 he moved to Bellaire, Ohio, and there about a year later opened a billiard room and cafe. A knowledge of men and shrewd financial management enabled him to make this new enterprise a success in every way, and for 19 years he continued it. Then, in 1892, in company with S. Wimmer, he pur- chased the large building at No. 3219 Union street and engaged in the wholesale wine and liquor business. This enterprise was the largest and most profitable one he ever un- dertook, but in spite of this fact in June, 1901, he discontinued it, and retired from active participation in business. He has in- vested in real estate, which he rents to good advantage to various concerns, and is inter- ested in other enterprises.
Some years ago Mr. Rumbach married Mercy Ryfe, of Switzerland. She died in 1901, and he has since married Mrs. Kittie Maul, a widow, who has one son-Jolin B. Maul, now a clerk in the employ of the Cleve- land & Pittsburg Railroad Company. The family reside at No. 222 33rd street.
As a man of marked business ability and decision of character, Mr. Rumbach has won the confidence of all who know him. He is also popular with his fellow citizens, and has served the Third Ward in the City Council for four years, being made president of that body in 1001. Fraternally he belongs to the K. of P .. the B. P. O. E. and the Turners, and has been a prominent member of the I. O. O. F. for the past 22 years.
MATTHEW MCDERMOTT, who is part owner and general manager of the MeDer- mott Tool Works of Martin's Ferry, Ohio, is
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a practical machinist as well as a very suc- cessful man of business. Mr. McDermott was born in Ireland, March 2, 1849, and in August of the same year was taken to Canada by his parents, who located at Brantford, On- tario, 75 miles from Buffalo, New York.
From his earliest childhood our subject has been interested in machinery. His father, Peter McDermott, was a wheelwright by trade, and Matthew has doubtless inherited much of his father's skill. One brother of our subject is a miner in Australia, and another, Patrick, is a molder employed in Canada. In 1866 the family moved to Eric, Pennsylvania, and there our subject went to work in the locomotive shops, although pre- vious to this he had been employed in Canada on the Grand Trunk Railway. Since he was 18 years old he has resided in the United States, and for the past 35 years has followed the forging business, a portion of the time being also interested in the oil business. In 1800, associating himself with his brother-in- law, E. Il. McDermott, of Mckean County, Pennsylvania, the present works were estab- lished for the manufacture of oil-drilling tools and forgings of every description, and for the making of dies for enamel work, etc., their output covering everything in their line. E. IT. MeDermott is no blood relative of our subject, although bearing the same family name. The building occupied was originally intended for the construction of threshing machines, but the whole property is now equally owned by the two McDer- motts. It is located in very favorable quar- ters, with excellent railroad facilities, on First street, opposite the ferry landing, and it requires some 30 workmen, one-half of these being skilled forgers and machinists.
Our subject was married in Pennsylvania to Charlotte Saulsgiver, a lady of German de- scent. The seven children born to this union were as follows: Peter, who is the bookkeeper for the firm; Edward, who is en- gaged in the shops of the MeDermott Tool Works: Henry, Emmett, Gerald, Reginald and Winnifred, the one daughter of the fam-
ily. The beautiful family home is situated at Tiltonville, a suburb of Martin's Ferry. The religious connection of the family is with the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. McDermott belongs to the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. He is known as a man of integrity and reliability, and his business success may be in a great measure attributed to these qualities. Since he has become manager of the works the trade has increased in a wonderful degree, making almost immediate enlargement a necessity. Hle is self-made and offers an example of what may be accomplished by the persistent effort of an industrious, self-respecting and energetic man.
JACOB RIDER of Martin's Ferry, Ohio, his antecedents, descendants and a short sketch of his life. George Rider, his great- grandfather, was born on the Rhine in Ger- many and died at the age of 106 years. Our subject's grandfather, John Rider, was born in Germany. He came to the colony of the infant United States before the Revolution- ary War and settled on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He removed to Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, where he wooed and married Margaret Engle. From Northum- berland County they removed by wagon to Red Stone, now Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on the Monongahela River. Here they sold their horses and wagons and purchased a flatboat, on which they stored their goods and started to float down the Monongahela to the Ohio. The first stop they made was at Steubenville, where they remained a short time, while the husband went out through the country to select a home. Not being sat- isfied, they continued their way as far as Wheeling Creek, where they sold the boat and shipped their goods back to Steuben- ville, securing land near where the town of Richmond, Jefferson County, now stands. They remained there several years, then re- moved to Athens County, Ohio, where they
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both died, the husband at 97 years and the wife at 96 years of age.
George Rider, the father of the subject of our sketch, was the third son of John and Margaret (Engle) Rider. He was born Oc- tober 6, 1793, in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and was 13 years of age when his parents settled in Jefferson County, Ohio. He became an expert blacksmith and made edged tools of all kinds. At the age of 21 he married Catherine Culp, whose age was 20 years. Miss Culp was born July 19, 1794, in Preston County, (West) Virginia, and they began married life near Richmond, Jefferson County, Ohio. Mr. Rider served in the War of 1812 under General Harrison. He died in Jewett, Ohio, in his 87th year, and his wife died in her 86th year in Jefferson, Ohio. This couple were parents of 10 children, as follows: John, born March 13, 1815, who moved to California in 1852 and died in Sac- ramento in 1901; Jacob, the subject of this sketch, who was born July 25, 1816, in New Richmond, Jefferson County, Ohio, and was the first male child born in the village; Sarah, born November 25, 1819, died September 10, 1858; Margaret, born July 30, 1822, died January 16, 1901; David, born December 19, 1824, who is now a retired merchant at Jef- ferson, Harrison County, Ohio; Emanuel, born March 16. 1827, who is now a retired farmer living at Des Moines, Iowa; Thomas, born October 8, 1829, who is a farmer near Cadiz, Ohio; George, born November 24, 1832, who is now living in De Witt, Iowa; Andrew, born February 10, 1837, who is manager of the Ohio Cultivator Works at Bellevue, Ohio; and Lewis, born November 14, 1839, who is now living in Kirkville, Mis- souri,-one of his daughters is the wife of Dr. Still, a son of Dr. Still, the father of osteopathy.
Baltzer Culp, the maternal grandfather of Jacob Rider, was born in Germany and came to the United States before the Revolution- ary War, during which struggle he served for several months as teamster under General
Washington. He died in Jefferson County. Ohio, at the age of 93 years.
Jacob Rider began his apprenticeship at carpenter work when a lad of 15 and followed the trade in Steubenville and Wellsville until lie moved to Martinsville (now known as Martin's Ferry), on Saturday, July 29, 1836, having come from Steubenville on the steamer "Post Boy." It was a boat about 20 feet wide, 60 feet long and one deck high. It was a side-wheeler and was at that time considered a very nice passenger boat. Mar- tinsville was then a village consisting of First and Second streets, from Washington street to Walnut street. Thirty-six families consti- tuted the population. Hle first began work- ing for William J. Lewis, making furniture and coffins. He next worked for John Har- ris at the furniture business.
Jacob Rider and Lois E. Dunn were mar- ried September 7. 1837, and began house- keeping in a small frame house which stood on the west side of Second street, a short distance below where the Cleveland & Pitts- burg Railroad passenger station now stands and across the street from the residence of Joseph L. Stephens, at present occupied by Samuel Heaton as a blacksmith shop. His home adjoined the residence of W. C. How- ells, the birth place of the famous author, William Dean Howells. The Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad Company purchased all the property on the west side of Second street from Locust street to Walnut street, and the buildings above mentioned were re- moved. Mr. Rider then purchased the prop- erty on which he now resides at the corner of Third and Locust streets. [le built a work- shop on part of the lot and followed his trade. making patterns, furniture and coffins until the beginning of the War of the Rebellion, when he removed with his family to Wheel- ing. There he engaged in the foundry busi- ness, and in 1862 made the pattern for the famous Burnside Heating Stove, which is now used in every State in the Union. Near the close of the war he returned to Martin's
ISAAC R. LANE.
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Ferry, and in 1866 located at New Martins- ville, West Virginia, where he engaged in the manufacture of shingles. Ile later re- turned to his old home in Martin's Ferry, where he has since resided. Mr. Rider with his wife in 1836 united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has since been a faithful member. He has been trustee of the church for more than 40 years and now enjoys the honor of being the only honorary member of the board the church ever created in Martin's Ferry. He has always been strictly temperate in his habits and is now enjoying the fruits of a perfect and clean life.
Lois E. (Dunn) Rider, the wife of Jacob Rider, was the daughter of Robert and Sarah Dunn, who came from Stamford, Connecti- cut, during the Revolutionary War and set- tled in Hancock County, (West) Virginia. Iler father died at the age of 37 years and her mother at the age of 73 years. Mrs. Rider was born November 18, 1817, in Han- cock County, Virginia, and died in Martin's Ferry, Ohio, December 14, 1896. She was the first child in her neighborhood to yield to the temptation of eating a tomato, then known as the "Jerusalem apple," and consid- ered to be poisonous. Her parents were so badly frightened they sent for a physician, fearing she would die. The result of her ex- perience soon spread abroad and others be- came bold enough to risk their lives in the same way. Tomatoes soon became one of the standard vegetables. Mrs. Rider was a woman of sterling qualities. She united with the Methodist Episcopal Church at an early age and was a very pious Christian woman. She was a great sufferer during the last 20 years of her life, and the last 15 years was a helpless paralytic, but bore her trouble with Christian fortitude. Mr. and Mrs. Rider were parents of five children, all living. as follows: John Stephen, born May 21, 1840, who is now engaged in the real estate busi- ness in Sterling, Rice County, Kansas; George Edwin, born December 14, 1847, who is engaged in the foundry business at Kan-
sas City, Missouri; Rev. William Harper, born February 3, 1853, who is pastor of a Methodist Episcopal Church at Minneapolis Minnesota; Sarah K., born July 11, 1855, who is the wife of Rev. C. B. Ilenthorne, pre- siding elder of the West Philadelphia District of the East Ohio Conference, and Eugene Henry, born November 18, 1858, who is sec- retary and treasurer of the Stanton Heater Company of Martin's Ferry, Ohio. Jacob and Lois E. (Dunn) Rider were grandparents of 19 children and great-grandparents of eight children.
ISAAC R. LANE, who represents the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company's inter- ests in Barnesville, Ohio, is one of the city's representative men. Hle was born October 20, 1842, and is a son of Harrison and Re- becca (Cox) Lane. His great-grandfather was Thomas Lane, who died December 10, 1819, at the advanced age of 107 years, and his grandfather, Richard Lane, died in the same year, at the age of 42 years. llis father was born in Maryland, July 14, 1812, and died October 1, 1875. In 1833, he was a citizen of Belmont County. On December 25, 1834, he married Rebecca Cox, the daughter of a widow, whose husband died in 1833. After the death of Mr. Cox, his widow with her son and four daughters moved to Barnesville and their first night spent in Warren township was one of misfortune. They stopped over night with Thomas Tan- nyhill, in a house west of the city, and there the son, Isaac, fell down stairs and was in- stantly killed.
The primary education of Mr. Lane was obtained in a little, old, brick school house in Barnesville. At the age of 16 years he entered the printing office of the "Barnes- ville Intelligencer," as a compositor, under George B. MeClellan, who was a son-in-law of the late Jesse Judkins. On August 5. 1862, the young printer enlisted as a pri- vate in Company 11, 94th Reg., Ohio Vol.
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