USA > Ohio > Delaware County > Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th > Part 49
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 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123
After the campaign of 1900, Judge Wick- ham returned to the practice of his profession. and in July of the year 1901, he became a member of the firm of Marriott, Freshwater and Wickham. During his practice in this firm Judge Wickham became identified with two cases which involved the constitutionality of the "Valentine Anti-trust Law" and "The County Road Improvement Act," both of which cases went to the Supreme Court of Ohio. The former grew out of the indictment of several coal dealers for a violation of the Valentine Anti-trust Law. The Common Pleas courts throughout the State had been declaring this act unconstitutional. Judge Wickham was appointed by the county com- missioners to assist the prosecuting attorney to carry one of these cases to the Supreme Court to make a test case out of it. Judge Wickham's contention was that this anti-trust law was constitutional and the Supreme Court of Ohio upheld his views and the act was de- clared by the court of last resort to be not within the inhibitions of the constitution of Ohio. The other case involved the constitu- tionality of the act known as "The County Road Improvement Act." Judge Wickham was again employed to assist the prosecuting attorney to take this case up and after hav- ing been heard in the Common Pleas and Cir- cuit Courts, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this act and settled the law on that subject.
Judge Wickham, on the thirty-first day of December, A. D., 1906, retired from the firm of Marriott, Freshwater and Wickham, and on the seventh day of February, 1907, he again took up the judicial ermine which he had always worn with dignity to the office and credit to himself. Judge Wickham is a
strong man mentally and physically and of pronounced and positive views. He has al- ways been a close and hard student of the law. In his analysis of a case he is clear and conclusive. Though one of the younger judges of this district, his decisions have been sustained by the higher courts in as great pro- portion as any of the judges who have held the position in this district.
JUDGE GEORGE COYNER, the eighth son of David H. and Eliza C. Coyner, was born at Lexington, Richland County, Ohio, on the fifth day of June, 1858. His early childhood was spent in Virginia, which was the native state of his parents. During the Civil war. after the death of his mother, he with the rest of his family, except four of his brothers who were in the Union Army, returned to Vir. ginia. Owing to his father's sympathy with the Union and the Union Army, the family was compelled to flee to the North. They came to Columbus, Ohio, where the father en- listed in the Union army and became chaplain of the Eighty-eighth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After the close of the war, Mr. Coyner removed to Eden, Delaware County, Ohio, where he became the minister of the Presbyterian Church of that place. Rev. Coyner was a graduate of Washington and Lee University, Virginia, and of Prince- ton Theological Seminary. He was a man of fine literary attainments and paid particular attention to the education of his family.
George, the subject of this sketch. received his early education from his father's instruc- tion and in the public schools of the village of Eden, and from private teachers. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in the year 1879. He then returned to his home in Brown Township where he was elected township clerk in the spring of the year 1880. which position he held for five consecutive terms. He was then appointed superintendent of the Deleware County Infirmary, which po- sition he held from 1882 to 1892. During the time he was superintendent of the In- firmary he began the study of law, and after his retirement from said office, he entered
335
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
the Law School of Cincinnati, from which institution he graduated in the spring of 1893. He was soon afterward admitted to the Bar and located in Delaware, Ohio, where he began the practice.
In the summer of 1895. he was nominated by the Republican party for prosecuting at- torney for Delaware County, and was elected in the autumn of the same year. He was re- nominated to succeed himself in 1898, and was re-elected, having served two full terms. He continued in the practice and in the year 1902 he was nominated by the Republican party for the office of Common Pleas Judge in the First Subdivision of the Sixth Judicial District of Ohio, to which position he was duly elected in the autumn of the same year, and which he held until February, 1907. After his retirement from his official position, he removed to Mt. Vernon, Knox County, Ohio, where he is now successfully engaged in the practice of his chosen profession. *
EDWIN G. LYBRAND was born November 2. 1863. in Lafayette, Allen County, Ohio, and died in Delaware, Ohio, August 8, 1906. He was the son of Sammuel and Isabella ( Mowery) Lybrand. His parents came to Delaware while he was quite young, and he was educated in the public schools of Delaware and attended the Ohio Wesleyan University for a time. He began the study of law with Franklin A. Owen about the year 1889, and was admitted to the Bar in the year 1892. He only practiced his profession for a few years. when, owing to the failing health of his father, he quit the practice to take charge of his fa- ther's business.
EUGENE S. OWEN was born near Rich Hill, Knox County, Ohio, March 9. 1860. He is the son of Franklin M. Owen and Pauline ( Boughton) Owen. His parents removed to Delaware County, Ohio. in April. 1860, hence the subject of this sketch has lived in Dela- ware County practically all his life. The par - ents located on a farm in Kingston Town- ship. Delaware County, where Mr. Owen re- ceived his early education in the public
schools. He worked on his father's farm dur- ing the summer season, and attended school in the winter. While at home he began the study of law under the tutorship of his brother, Franklin A. Owen, who was at the time a practitioner in Delaware. He came to Delaware about the year 1892, and com- pleted his course of study and was admitted to the Bar on the ninth day of March, 1893, the day he was thirty-three years of age. He began the practice in the office of his brother, Franklin A. Owen, and was elected justice of the peace by the Republican party in the spring of 1895. which office he held for two successive terms of three years each.
In the year 1902 he formed a partnership for the practice of his profession with his brother, Franklin A. Owen, the style of the firm being F. A. and E. S. Owen. He was elected city solicitor of Delaware, Ohio, in the autumn of 1904, and was re-elected to suc- ceed himself in November. 1907. and he is the present incumbent of that office. -x- -* *
ARTHUR J. WHITE is the son of Johnson and Catherine P. White, of Brown Township, Delaware County, Ohio. The subject of this sketch was born near the village of Eden, Delaware County, Ohio, on the seventh day of January, 1871. He received his early edu- cation in the public schools of Brown Town- ship. He attended the Northwestern Univer- sity at Ada, Ohio, during the years 1889 and 1890, and the Ohio Wesleyan University dur- ing the years 1891 and 1892. In the fall of the year 1892 he began the study of law in the office of B. F. Freshwater and remained with him until Mr. Freshwater was elected probate judge. He then entered the office of Messrs. Carpenter and MeElroy, where he finished his course and was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio in the month of June, 1894. In the antum of the same year he opened an office in the city of Toledo, Ohio, and entered upon the practice of his chosen profession.
He continued the practice with very grati- fying success for about five years, when by reason of the failing health of his father he
336
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
felt it his duty to return to his home and take charge of the latter's farm, in order to re- lieve him of the responsibility. He managed the farm for a number of years, and in the meanwhile travelled for the Spaulding Buggy Company, until the autumn of 1906, when his father died. After the settlement of his father's estate he opened an office in the city of Delaware, in the spring of 1907, and began again the practice of his profession with bright prospects for future success. He has recently been appointed justice of the peace of Dela- ware Township, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of J. T. Hutchisson. * *
CARROLL H. JONES is the younger son of General John S. Jones. He was born October 29, 1871, in Delaware, Ohio. He was edu- cated in the public schools of Delaware and graduated from the high school in the year 1887. He immediately entered the Ohio Wes- leyan University, where he studied for four years and graduated with the class of 1891, taking his degree in June of that year. He spent some time in newspaper work on the Delaware Gasette and as correspondent for other papers. He then began the study of the law with the firm of Jones, Lytle & Jones, and was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio, in the spring of 1895.
The firm of Jones, Lytle & Jones having been dissolved, he formed a partnership with his father and brother. The new firm was known as J. S. Jones & Sons. He con- tinued in the practice until the winter of 1897, when he became secretary to Hon. Archibald Lybrand, who had been elected Congressman from the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio. He ably filled this position during Mr. Lybrand's first term in Cingress, but early in the year 1899 he resigned his position as secretary and removed to Chicago, Illinois, where he entered upon the practice of his chosen profession, and where he soon became a successful practitioner. He is now occupy- ing a position in the legal department of the Northwestern Elevated Railway Company. * *
JAMES REVERDY SELOVER is the son of Isaac Selover and Catherine ( Fallin) Selover.
He was born November 3, 1862. in Morrow County, Ohio. His parents came to Delaware County when he was but six years old. and located on a farm north of Delaware in Troy Township. His father was born near Ithaca, in the State of New York. His grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier and was with Washington at Valley Forge. His grand- father on his mother's side was also a Revo- lutionary soldier and endured the hardships of prison life on the prison ship Jersey, having been captured by the British at the battle of Long Island, with about a thousand men and he and one other were the only soldiers who escaped. The Fallins came from Fairfax County, Virginia.
Mr. Selover received his early education in the public schools of Troy Township, and he graduated from the Delaware high school in the class of 1881. He attended the Ohio Wesleyan University for two years and then began the study of law under the tutorship of Judge Emmett M. Wickham, supporting him- self by teaching school at various times while he completed his studies. He attended the Law School of the Ohio State University for one year, and was admitted to the Bar in the year 1895. Hle taught school for some time to replenish his exchequer and then opened an office in Delaware and began the practice of his profession from which he has maintained him- self and family ever since.
Mr. Selover has been chosen President of the City Council of Delaware, Ohio, his po- sition being that of vice-mayor. It would de- volve upon him to fill the office of mayor in case of that official's death or disability.
HARRY W. JEWELL was born in Porter Township, Delaware County, Ohio. November 19, 1872. He is the son of Warren S. Jewell and Laura A. ( Moody) Jewell. He received his early education in the public schools of Porter Township. When he was fourteen years of age he entered the high school at Centerburg, Knox County, Ohio, from which he graduated. He then entered Hiram Col- lege, Portage County, Ohio, from which he graduated in the year 1895. He began the study of law in the office of Messrs. McElroy
337
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
and Carpenter in the same year of his gradu- ation and was admitted to the Bar in 1897. He immediately opened an office in the city of Delaware, and began the practice of his pro- fession alone. He soon achieved a success which was very gratifying to himself and friends. March 12, 1907, he entered into a partnership for the practice of his profession with Bert P. Benton, the style of the firm be- ing Jewell & Benton. Fraternally Mr. Jewell is affiliated with the Masonic Order, being an active member of Hiram Lodge, No. 18, F. & A. M., and an official of said lodge.
EDWARD THOMPSON HUMES was born March 7, 1872, on a farm in Brown Town- ship. Delaware County, Ohio. Ile is the sou of Isaac N. Humes and Mary ( Overturf ) Humes. The father was born in Ohio County, West Virginia, and the mother was born in Delaware County, Ohio. The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Delaware County and the National Business College of Logansport, Indiana. He began the study of law with Messrs. Overturf and Coyner in Delaware and was graduated at the Law School of Cincinnati, Ohio, completing his course with the class of 1898. He was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio on the eleventh day of June, 1898, and immediately opened an office in Delaware. Ohio, and began the practice of his profession, achieving a gratifying success.
He was nominated for the office of prose- cuting attorney of Delaware County in the summer of 1900, and was duly elected in No- vember of the same year, assuming the duties of the office on the sixth day of January, 1901. He was re-elected to the same office in No- vember, 1903, and retired on the seventh of January, 1907, having completed his two terms, which is the limit allotted to that office by a time-honored custom and tradition in this county. During the time of Mr. Hume's incumbency of office, two noted cases were commenced by him, which involved the con- stitutionality of the Valentine Anti-trust Law and the County Road Improvement Act, which suits both terminated in the Supreme Court
of Ohio. The first was a case in which Mr. Humes had a number of the coal dealers in Delaware indicted for a violation of the Valen- tine Anti-trust Law. They were fined by the Common Pleas Court and they had their cases taken to the Circuit Court, which court held the act to be unconstitutional. A test case was then made and it was taken to the Su- preme Court of Ohio, which court sustained the law and that case has become one of the leading authorities in the United States in sustaining the anti-trust acts. The other case involved the constitutionality of the County Road Improvement Act. This case was brought in the Common Pleas Court and taken to the Supreme Court of Ohio, which court also held this act not to be within the in- hibition of the Constitution of the State of Ohio.
Immediately upon his retirement from his office of prosecuting attorney, Mr. Humes again opened an office in Delaware and is now actively engaged in the practice of his chosen profession. Fraternally Mr. Humes is affili- ated with the B. P. O. E., No. 76, Delaware. He was married October 12, 1898, to Miss Oro Belle Perfect, of Delaware, Ohio, and he is a member of the Presbyterian Church of this city.
HARRY LEONARD is a native of Delaware County, Ohio. He was born in Brown Town- ship. December 17, 1865, and is the son of Jonathan Leonard and Elizabeth Leonard. Nr. and Mrs. Leonard were the parents of four children. Dr. W. N. Leonard was an elder brother of the subject of this sketch. He lived and practiced medicine in this city for many years. Harry Leonard spent his boyhood on his father's farm in Brown Town- ship, where he received his early education in the public schools in the Eden School District. After he had completed his course in the pub- lic schools he attended college at Ada, Ohio, and afterward the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. He began the study of law under the tutorship of Frank A. Owen of Delaware, Ohio, and completed his course under Judge C. H. McElroy, and was admitted
338
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
to the Bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio, June 6, 1899. August 1, 1899, he opened an office in Delaware, where he has continued the practice of his profession with flattering prospects for success. He was elected to the office of justice of the peace in the year 1901 for Delaware Township, and was re-elected to succeed himself in 1904. and has just com- pleted his second term. During the six years Mr. Leonard held this office of justice lie tried seven hundred and sixty-four cases, many of which were taken to the Common Pleas Court on appeal or error and only six cases which were carried up were modified and but two were reversed. Mr. Leonard was also ad- mitted to practice in the Federal Courts of the United States on examination by the Circuit Court for the Southern District of Ohio, on December 4. 1906, at its session held in Co- lumbus, Ohio.
BENSON WALKER HOUGH is the eldest son of Leonard Samuel Hough and Mary ( Linn) Hough. He was born in Berkshire Town- ship. Delaware County, Ohio, March 3. 1875. He received his early education in the public schools of Delaware and graduated from the high school in the year 1892. He attended the Ohio Wesleyan University for three years and the Ohio State University, from which he graduated in the law department in the year 1899. He began the study of law in 1897 with Messrs. Overturf and Coyner and was admitted to the Bar in the month of March, 1899. He immediately began the practice of his chosen profession with flattering prospects for success.
In the year 1902 he formed a partnership for the practice of law with Judge N. F. Overturf, the style of the firm being Over- turf and Ilough, which partnership has con- tinned ever since. In the spring of the year 1902, Mr. Hough was nominated by the Republican Party for city solicitor of Dela- ware, to which he was duly elected in April of that year. He was re-nominated to succeed himself in the spring of the year 1904. and was again elected and served his second term. retiring from office in the spring 'of 1906.
Since that time he has continued in the prac- tice of his profession with the firm of Overturf and Hough.
HON. HARRY W. CRIST is the only son of Rev. A. C. Crist and Lavina P. Crist. He was born in Eden, Brown Township. Dela- ware County, Ohio. November 19, 1875. While he was less than a year old, his parents moved to Iberia, Morrow County, Ohio, where he received his early education. When he was about thirteen years of age his parents re- moved to Ostrander. Delaware County, Ohio, where young Crist entered the public schools. He graduated from the Ostrander high school in the year 1892. He taught in the public schools of Scioto Township for one year, and in the autumn of 1893. he entered the Wooster University, from which institution he gradu- ated with honors in the month of June, 1897. He entered the law office of James R. Lytle. of Delaware, Ohio, with whom he read law and he was admitted to the Bar by the Su- preme Court of Ohio in December, 1900.
About the first of January, 1901. Mr. Crist entered into a partnership for the prac- tice of law with Wells K. Stanley, of Dela- ware, Ohio, who had also just been admitted to the Bar. The new firm opened an office in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and began the practice which they continued for about a year with very satisfactory results. But the severe climate of the lake shore did not agree with Mr. Crist and he retired from the firm and returned to Delaware. Here he again entered the office with James R. Lytle and began the practice of law, and while they are not partners, they have much business together and assist each other in the practice.
In the year 1904, after the death of Judge McElroy, Mr. Crist was appointed referee in bankruptcy, to fill the place of Judge McElroy. who had held that position for a number of years. In the year 1905 Mr. Crist resigned the office of referee in bankruptcy for the pur- pose of accepting the office of representative of Delaware County, to which position he had been elected by the Republican party in No- vember, 1905. and which position he now
339
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
holds and has so creditably filled since his election.
CLERK OF COURTS EDSON R. WILLIAMS. Edson R. Williams is the son of Charles W. and Mary J. (Sherman) Williams. He was born April 1, 1874, in Berlin Township, Delaware County, Ohio. He was educated in the public schools of that township. He pre- pared himself for a teacher and began to teach when he was but seventeen years of age. He attended the Ohio Wesleyan University for a time but he completed his course and received his degree from the Ohio Northern University in the year 1896. He continued to teach in the public schools of this county after he had received his degree, and has taught in Troy, Orange. Radnor, Berlin, Scioto and Concord Townships. He taught the high school at Bellpoint one year and the high school at Warrensburg for one year. During the time he was teaching he studied law and was ad- mitted to the Bar in the year 1902. He con- tinued to teach until the spring of 1905, when he opened an office in Delaware, Ohio, and began the practice of his chosen profession. He was nominated by the Democratic party for clerk of courts of Delaware County in the summer of the year 1905 and was elected to that office in November of that year, and he is now the efficient clerk of this county.
JUDGE E. LEE PORTERFIELD was born in Oxford Township. Delaware County, Ohio, on the thirty-first day of May, 1867. His father's name was Jarvis L. and his mother's was Mary J. (Foust) Porterfield. The father was born near Westfield, while Westfield was yet a part of Delaware County, and his mother Mary J. Foust was born in Oxford Township, her father having been one of the pioneer set- tlers of that township. The subject of this sketch attended the public schools of his native township, and when sufficiently ad. vanced, the graded schools. He also attended the Northwestern University at Ada. Ohio. and later the Ohio Wesleyan University. He became a teacher and taught in the public schools of Oxford township for six years.
He then became principal of the high school at Ashley, where he taught for seven years. During the time he had charge of the high school he was granted a life certificate to teach. This was about the year 1897.
In the summer of the year 1899 he was nominated by the Republican party for probate judge of Delaware County, and he was duly elected in the autumn of the same year, and he assumed the responsibility of his office on the ninth day of February, 1900. He was re-nominated to succeed himself in the year 1902, and was re-elected to the same office, which he held until the close of his term, February 9, 1906.
During the years that he held this office he began the study of law under the tutorship of Judge N. F. Overturf and was admitted to the Bar in the month of December, A. D., 1905. Immediately upon his retirement from the probate judge's office he entered into a partnership for the practice of law with Fred McAlester, the style of the firm being Porter- field & McAlester. The new firm opened an office in the Reid and Powell Block with bright prospects for success. Fraternally, Mr. Porterfield is allied with Ashley Lodge, No. 457, K. of P., and with Delaware Lodge. No. 76, B. P. O. E.
BURT P. BENTON was born October 11, 1872, in Scioto Township, Delaware County, Ohio. His parents' names were Thomas B. Benton and Emma L. (Crawford) Benton. T. B. Benton was for many years a member of the Bar of Union County. When the subject of this sketch was but four years old, his parents moved to Marysville, Ohio, where they resided for ten years, and during that time Mr. Benton attended the public schools and received his early education. When he was fourteen years old his parents returned to the farm in Scioto Township. Young Ben- ton attended the public schools of that town- ship. and at the age of eighteen had prepared himself for teaching. He taught for several years during the winter term and attended the Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio. where he graduated.
340
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
He took charge of the Warrensburg schools at the organization of the special school district and he established the high school of Warrensburg, which he taught for six years.
He was nominated by the Republican party for clerk of courts and was elected to thai office at the November election of the year 1899, and assumed the duties of his office in August, 1900. He was re-nominated to suc- ceed himself in 1902, and he was re-elected to the office without opposition. During the time he was serving in the capacity of clerk of courts he completed the law course at Ohio State University, where he graduated with the class in June, 1905. He was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio, at Colum- bus, on the twenty-seventh day of June, 1905. On the completion of his second term as clerk of courts, Mr. Benton formed a partnership for the general practice of law with Harry W. Jewell, of Delaware, Ohio, under the firm name of Jewell and Benton, and the firm is now engaged in a successful and lucrative practice. Mr. Benton served the honorable Ralph D. Cole, representative in Congress from the Eighth District, in the capacity of private secretary, during his first term in Congress, but declined the appointment for the second term, feeling that his duties to his profession required all his time and en- ergies.
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.