USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 102
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In 1896, Mr. Stackhouse came to Springfield and accepted the position of assistant manager of The Bettendorf
He is also identified with various pub- lic enterprises, his fellow-citizens having long since learned that he is a man of sound sense and unusual business capac- ity. He is one of the three members form- ing an advisory board appointed to look after the investment of the endowment fund of the Springfield City Hospital. For the past year he has been president of the Springfield commercial club, and he belongs also to the Ohio State board of commerce and is a member of the commit- tee on business corporate law.
On July 16, 1890, Mr. Stackhouse was married to Elizabeth Lenihan, of Du- buque, Iowa, and they have a family of four sons and four daughters. Mr. Stackhouse and family belong to St. Raphael's Catholic church.
WILLIAM H. OVERHOLSER, a much esteemed resident of Lawrenceville, and owner of a farm of fifty acres in German Township, was born two miles northwest of Lawrenceville on the farm which he owns, October 20, 1853, and is a son of Moses and Eva (Rust) Overholser.
Moses Overholser, a native of Virginia, came to Ohio when six years old with his father, Christian Overholser, who first settled at Newark, Ohio, moving from there to Terre Haute, Champaign Coun- ty, and thence to German Township, Clark County, where he purchased a tract of 200 acres, of which the subject of this sketch owns fifty acres. Moses assisted his father in clearing this land and made
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM H. OVERHOLSER AND FAMILY
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his home on the place all his life. He Junior Order of American Mechanics, and married Eva Rust, who was born in Clark Mrs. Overholser belongs to the Daughters of America. The former is a member of the Reformed Church, of which he has been deacon since 1900. County, a daughter of Abraham Rust, a native of Virginia. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Overholser, namely : Abraham; Susan, who married James Reckner; Elizabeth, who married Will- iam Roach; Sarah Jane, the wife of Fred- erick Michael; William H., whose name begins this article; Martha, who married Daniel Myers; and Moses. Mrs. Over- holser died November 19, 1900, and her husband on May 7, 1904, aged seventy- eight years.
William H. Overholser grew to man- hood on the old homestead in German Township and has always been a farmer by occupation. Although a resident of Lawrenceville since November 1, 1906, he still continues to manage his farm. Mr. Overholser owns a fine residence in Law- renceville, and also erected a large barn when the house was built.
Mr. Overholser was married October . 20, 1875, to Mary Davis, who was born and reared in German Township, Clark County, and is a daughter of Elkanah and Rachel (Baker) Davis, who were promi- nent farmers of German Township. Mr. and Mrs. Davis had six children, five of whom are living - Edward, Samuel, Smith, Sylvester, who died aged eleven years; Mary (Mrs. Overholser), and Dr. Elisha B. Davis of Troy, Ohio. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Over- holser, namely: Minnie, who married John Marshall and has the following children: William, Stewart, Everett, Howard, Carroll, Adrian; Florentine, who married John Hallstine, and Roger Eu- gene, who still attends school.
Mr. Overholser has membership in the
ADOLPHUS H. SMITH, Jr., an enter- prising and progressive citizen of Mad River Township, has been a continuous resident of Clark County since 1864, and throughout his entire business career has devoted his attention to agricultural pur- suits in this community. He was born October 1, 1850, in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the first fourteen years of his life were spent.
After Mr. Smith's father became pos- sessed of land in Clark County, the fam- ily spent the summer months on the farm here, returning to the city for the win- ters. His early education was obtained in his native city, and this was supple- mented by a two years' course in a mili- tary college at Springfield, conducted by Chandler Robins, and later he attended Notre Dame University, South Bend, In- diana, for two years. In 1864 Mr. Smith came to Clark County and resided on his father's farm until after his marriage, when he rented a farm of one hundred and sixty acres located two and one-half miles west of Enon. This he cultivated with much success and was enabled to lay aside sufficient capital to purchase a farm for himself in 1877. He also became manager of his father's large interests in this local- ity and at his father's death inherited an equal share with the other children in the estate.
On October 17, 1871, shortly after at-
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taining his majority, Mr. Smith was joined in marriage with Sarah J. Shella- barger, a native of Mad River Township, Clark County, Ohio, and a life-long resi- dent of this community. She is a daugh- ter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Baker) Shellabarger, the former of whom passed out of this life in 1889. His wife died in 1873. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Amelia, who is the wife of L. Baylor of Springfield, has three children; Maria L., who is the wife of P. Johnson, has one child; May K., who is the wife of Clarence W. Engledue of Springfield, Ohio, has four children; Rilla J., who is the wife of J. E. Drake, has one child; Justin B., who married Amelia Smith, has had six children, and follows farming in Mad River Township; Ger- trude E .; and Helen V.
Mr. Smith has always been a man of public spirit and enterprise, giving his support to all measures which tend to- ward the advancement of his community. He cast his first presidential vote for Horace Greeley and is a staunch advocate of the Democratic party. Although never seeking political preferment, he has filled the office of township trustee of Mad River Township for about twenty-two years and has taken an active part in securing and maintaining good roads. He is fraternally affiliated with the Yellow Springs Lodge No. 441, F. & A. M., and New Carlisle Chapter No. 57, R. A. M. He is also a member of the subordinate lodge and encampment of Odd Fellows at Fairfield, Greene County, Ohio, and holds membership in the Knights of Pythias order at Enon, having filled all the chairs and served as a representative to the Grand Lodge.
JACOB LESLIE MCCLELLAN, who died on his farm in Springfield Township April 30, 1892, was one of the highly es- teemed citizens of this section, in which a large part of his useful life had been spent. He was born May 2, 1821, in Penn- sylvania, and was a son of George and Isabella (Leslie) McClellan.
In his infancy Mr. McClellan was brought by his parents to Richland County, Ohio, where his father followed shoemaking. He was educated in the coun- try schools and at Wittenberg College, at Springfield, after which he began to teach school. He became very popular as a teacher, first in Springfield Township and later in other sections. He was the teacher at the Sinking Creek School for several years, also at the Reid School, and during a part of this time he was a boarder at the home of Caleb Tuttle, the leading farmer of the community, whose daughter Rachel he subsequently married. He continued teaching for sev- eral years after marriage, and then turned his attention to farming and moved to the farm of one hundred and four acres on which Mrs. McClellan resides. It was formerly the property of her father, Caleb Tuttle, who owned about a thousand acres of land in Clark County. Mr. Mc- Clellan resided on this farm and carried on a general line of agriculture. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.
On April 8, 1852, Jacob L. McClellan was married to Rachel Tuttle, who is a daughter of Caleb and Mary (Prickett) Tuttle. Caleb Tuttle was born in Vir- ginia in 1799 and was a son of Sylvanus Tuttle, who came to Clark County in 1806 and settled on a farm in Moorefield Town- ship, near the present home of Mrs. Mc-
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Clellan. Caleb Tuttle married Mary Prickett, who was a daughter of Nicholas Prickett, who came from Claremont County to Clark County, Ohio, and ran the first flour mill at Lagonda. Of Caleb Tuttle's large family but two survive- Mrs. McClellan and Miss Laura Tuttle. In her girlhood Mrs. McClellan taught one term of school, but otherwise her atten- tion has always been directed to looking after her domestic affairs and to provid- ing for the happiness and comfort of her family. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan had five children born to them, as follows: Mary Isabella, who married John H. Gower, re- sides in Harmony Township; Eliza Jane, who married G. W. Yeazell, resides in Springfield Township; Emma, who mar- ried W. B. Curtis, resides at Springfield; Alice, who married M. D. Doyle; and William Leslie, who died February 18, 1903. For eight years he was money order clerk at the Springfield postoffice. He married Maud Leuty and she survives with two sons, John Leuty and James Henry.
Mrs. McClellan attended school in the building that is now utilized for a relig- ious edifice and is known as the Union Sinking Creek Church. Mrs. McClellan belongs to the Presbyterian faith. She has resided on her present farm since 1857.
NATHAN GRIEST, residing on his well-improved farm of seventy-nine acres, which lies in Sections 19 and 20, German Township, was born on this farm, Novem- ber 25, 1839, and is a son of Willing and Hannah (Thomas) Griest.
The parents of Mr. Griest were born
and reared in York County Pennsylvania, where they were married in 1828, im- mediately coming to Clark County, Ohio, and settling in German Township, but they occupied two other farms before lo- cating on the one which Nathan Griest now owns. They were people known for their worth and they lived in peace and good fellowship with their neighbors for many years, and finally died on this farm. They had seven children, five of whom grew to maturity, the two survivors be- ing: Nathan and Isaac.
Nathan Griest obtained his education in the district schools and from boyhood has been accustomed to an agricultural life. With his two sons he is engaged in general farming and in truck gardening.
Mr. Griest is a veteran of the Civil War, enlisting in February, 1864, in Com- pany F, Eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. The larger part of his service was in West Virginia and he was made a prisoner at Beverly, in that state, and confined for a month in Libby Prison. He was fortunately then exchanged, rejoined his company and was mustered out at the close of the war, at Clarksburg, Virginia. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Mr. Griest was married (first) to Har- riet Amelia Callison, who died six months later, in the spring of 1860. He was mar- ried (secondly), in November, 1867, to Emeline Getz and they have had nine chil- dren, namely: Edward C., who is de- ceased; Mary Belle, deceased, who mar- ried David M. Haulman and left two chil- dren, Alma and Orrin W., both of whom live with their grandfather, Mr. Griest; Cora, who married Samuel E. Callison ; Effie Ellen, who married Silas Horton;
1
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Forrest; Clarence D., who married Pearl Ballentine and resides in German Town- ship; Minnie, who married Charles Kib- linger; Esther Blanche, who married Scott Kiblinger; and Cyrus, who is a student in the Lawrenceville High School.
WILLIAM J. GRAM, a well known general farmer and dairyman of Spring- field Township, Clark County, Ohio, re- siding on a farm of fifty acres, situated about three miles south of the city, on the Possum road, was born November 13, 1855, on the old Gram farm just south of Leffel Lane, and is a son of Jacob and Isabella (Dory) Gram.
who is a resident of Springfield, Ohio. Jacob Gram and wife first went to house- keeping on the old Gram farm, moving in 1857 to the farm on which William J. now resides, which then contained eighty acres. They subsequently removed to Springfield and built a home on Grand Avenue, where the mother died in Janu- ary, 1890. Jacob then came to live with his son William J. He died April 3, 1894, while on a visit at the home of his son Charles, who then resided in Green Township.
William Gram was reared on his pres- ent farm and received his schooling at the Possum school. He has always fol- lowed farming and for twelve years also operated a dairy, recently having sold his route to his son George. He usually keeps about fifteen head of cattle.
Jacob Gram was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Cornelius Gram. When about seventeen Mr. Gram was married October 28, 1880, to Mattie Otstot, who was reared in Springfield, Ohio, and is a daughter of Adam Hunter and Sarah (Parsons) Otstot. Adam Hunter Otstot, who is now deceased, was born in March, 1827, in Pennsylvania, and was a carpenter by trade. His widow and one son, L. Burt Otstot, reside in Santa Ana, California. years old, Jacob Gram came to Clark County with his father, who bought a farm of three hundred and twenty acres running a mile north and south, and a half a mile east and west. Cornelius oper- ated a distillery for some time. The fam- ity lived first in a log house, but later a brick house was erected, which has been torn down. Jacob Gram married Isabella Mr. and Mrs. Gram have had eight chil- dren, seven of whom are still living, name- ly: Robert C., resides in Santa Ana, California, where he is employed in a drug store; Dola, married Walter Min- nich of Springfield Township, and has two children, Ralph, and Robert; George W., married Emma Deeter of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, and has one child, William; Lewis Jacob, married Mabel E. Patten and resides in Springfield; Burt, married Ethel Celeste Woosley, on November 20, Dory, who was born in Cincinnati, a daughter of James Dory, who was a na- tive of England, and a gardner by occupa- tion. When a babe her parents moved to Springfield, where her father ran a garden on Grand Avenue, that section now being known as the Dory Addition. Jacob and Isabella Gram had four children: Will- iam J .; Harriet Elizabeth, who married S. C. Rebert of Springfield; Martha C., who married Oliver H. Leffel of Green Township, Clark County ; and Charles J., 1907; Isabella, who attends High School
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at Springfield; and Marian, who attends the Possom school of this Township.
Mr. Gram and family are members of the Third Lutheran Church.
WILLIAM W. REYNOLDS, residing in Section 1, Springfield Township, where he operates a fine farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres, is a representative citizen of this neighborhood. He was born in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, August 20, 1846, and is a son of Henry and Julia Ann (Mckinney) Reynolds.
The first member of the Reynolds fam- ily that appears to have come to Clark County, from Virginia, was James Reyn- olds, who was a brother of William Reyn- olds, the latter being the grandfather of William W. James Reynolds settled in Harmony Township, not far from Platts- burg, probably some years prior to Christmas Day, 1826, when William Reynolds reached the same place. He lived for one year in Harmony Township and then moved to Green Township, where he bought the farm on which his grand- son, William W., was born. His family consisted of his wife and children, to- gether with his aged mother.
Henry Reynolds was born in Virginia and was almost eleven years old when the family came to Clark County, December 25, 1826, his birth having been in Janu- ary, 1816. He married Julia Ann Mc- Kinney, who was born and reared in Clark County, where she died September 24, 1878. Her father, John McKinney, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylva- nia, and came to Ohio in young manhood. He was married near Dayton, where he lived for a time, and then bought a farm
in Green Township, Clark County, which he owned at the time of his death. Henry Reynolds and wife had the following chil- dren: Nancy, deceased, was the wife of John Warren; Olive is the widow of Thomas Hill and lives in Kansas; William W .; John H. resides in German Town- ship, Clark County; Elizabeth, residing with her brother, William W., owns a part of the home farm; and Rachel Jane, who married James P. Titus, resides in Springfield Township.
In October, 1850, Henry Reynolds and family moved to the farm Mr. Reynolds now occupies, having purchased it in 1845, from Dr. Samuel Canada, who had entered the land. In 1865 Henry Reynolds built the large, handsome brick house, making the brick on his own farm with his own hands. He died July 6, 1884.
William W. Reynolds was four years old when his parents came to the present farm and he remained on the home place until the year 1869, when he made a trip to Illinois, where he spent one year. He then returned to Clark County, and on March 30, 1876, he was married to Mary A. Pilcher, who was reared in Green Township and is a daughter of Jonathan and Margaret Ann (Elwell) Pilcher. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have had seven chil- dren, all of whom survive except the old- est, William, who died aged seven months. The others are: Ralph Carey, residing in Springfield, a moulder, married Grace Zimmerman, and they have two children, Mary Elizabeth and Margaret Jeanette; and John Henry, Hortense, Laura Eliza- beth, Rachel Evelyn and James Olin El- well, all residing at home.
After marriage, William W. Reynolds and wife lived for two years in Harmony
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Township and then moved for one year to Green Township, and from there to Marion County, where they remained for two years, at the end of which time they came back to Clark County. They lived in this county for the following six years and then moved to Logan County in 1888, and in the following year to Putnam County, Ohio, for a short time, but No- vember, 1889, found them in Minnesota, where they resided until April, 1894, when they returned to Clark County and spent two years in Green Township, two years in Moorefield Township and two years in Mad River Township, and settled on the present farm in 1900.
JAMES N. HAUK, residing on his fine farm which contains 500 acres, situated in Madison Township, is one of the rep- resentative men of this section. He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 22, 1845, and is a son of Columbus B. and Johanna (Norton) Hauk. The maternal grand- father, Elijah Norton, was one of the earliest settlers at Cincinnati, a cotem- porary and friend of the first Nicholas Longworth. Mr. Norton was a progres- sive man. He built one of the first ice cel- lars at Cincinnati, and engaged in the ice industry.
Columbus B. Hauk, father of James N., was born at Athens, Ohio, and was reared on the farm which is now the site of the Children's Home. He spent thirty years of his life on the river and was known to river men from Pittsburg to New Orleans. In 1865 he bought a farm near South Charleston, Clark County. He married Johanna Norton, who was born at Cincinnati, and they had three sons and
one daughter, namely : James N .; Charles D., who is a university graduate, formerly was in business at Springfield, but is now residing on a farm at Bemis Point, New York; Mary Ella, who married Gomer E. Hiley, resides at Chicago; and Harry, who is in business at Jackson, Michigan.
James N. Hauk was seventeen years of age when he entered the Federal Army in which he served through the war and was honorably discharged in 1865. He was a member of the Seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and took part in many of the most important battles of the war, fighting at Nashville and Franklin and participating in the whole Atlanta cam- paign. After his return from the army, Mr. Hauk was married to Catherine Com- rie and they settled on a farm of 160 acres given Mrs. Hauk by her father, this being the nucleus of the large property they now own, having gradually added to it by hard work and good management. The father of Mrs. Hauk was William Comrie, who was born in Scotland. When Mr. and Mrs. Hauk came to this farm the only cleared part was the spot on which the old house, still standing, not far from the present commodious residence, had been erected. Mr. Hauk cleared the whole place and has made all the improvements. Mr. and Mrs. Hauk have had four chil- dren, the two survivors being, William Comrie and Elizabeth S., both residing at home. They belong to the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Hauk is a Republican.
JESSE IRVIN MAXSON, a prominent citizen of Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio, and owner of eighty-four and one- half acres of farm land, located about fif-
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teen miles northwest of Springfield, was born December 31, 1854, in Champaign County, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph and Lovitha (Carmen) Maxson and a grand- son of Cornelius and Mattie (Sills) Max- son.
Joseph Maxson, father, was born in In- diana, in October, 1830, and after the death of his father, which occurred when he was but a lad, his mother moved with her children to Champaign County, Ohio, and lived with her father on a farm sit- uated one-half mile south of Christians- burg. Joseph Maxson was reared on this farm and followed agricultural pursuits through his subsequent life. Several years after his marriage he rented a farm in Champaign County, from which he moved to Jay County, Indiana, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres and died there aged sixty-nine years. He married Lovitha Carmen, a daughter of Benjamin Carmen and wife, who came from Mary- land to Ohio and settled in the wilds of Clark County. Lovitha was the young- est of a large family of children born to her parents and died in March, 1906, aged eighty-eight years. Three children were born to Joseph and Lovitha Maxson: Jesse Irvin; and William and Benjamin, both of whom reside in Jay County, In- diana.
Jesse I. Maxson was born on his fath- er's farm in Champaign County, in a one- room log cabin, which had a stick chim- ney covered with mud. At that time but few public improvements had been made, bridges had not even been built across the creeks, and settlers were few. Here Mr. Maxson was reared and what schooling he received was obtained at the old Honey Creek district school, which he recalls was
taught by Carry Lynn. The greater part of his time was given to farm work. After his marriage, he moved to Jay County, Indiana, where he engaged in farming for ten years, then returned to the home farm in Champaign County for two years. He next rented the Peter Studebaker farm, in Clark County, which he operated for ten years and also owned, in partnership with Mr. Studebaker, a tract of sixty acres, known as the John Bright place, which he cultivated in connection with the Studebaker farm. On July 28, 1907, he sold his interest in this land and bought his present farm of eighty-four and one- half acres, from Susan Black. All of the large buildings on the place were here at the time of his purchase.
On October 19, 1876, Mr. Maxson was united in marriage with Ada Davis, who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Ananias and Phoebe (Sutton) Davis, both of whom died in Champaign County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were the parents of nine children: Jane, who married Lewis Ray, both de- ceased; Lydia, who is the widow of A. Rust; Charity, who is the widow of David Beaty; David, deceased; Lida, deceased, who was the wife of Adam Bright; and Jasper Newton, Ada, Albert, and Jerry. Mr. and Mrs. Maxson are the parents of five children: Ernest, who lives at home; Joseph Orva, residing in Pike Township, married Daisy Etchens, and they have four children, Lewis, Glenna, Ethel, and Paul; Walter W., who lives in Pike Town- ship, married Blanche Mumphert; Harry H., residing at home, teaches school and conducts a store in partnership with Em- ery Thackery; and William, who also lives
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at home. Mr. Maxson is a Democrat in politics and has served as a school di- rector.
ELI FRANCIS MCCLINTICK, car- penter, contractor and general farmer, residing on his father's farm of fifty acres, is one of the well-known and re- spected citizens of Pleasant Township. He was born in Ohio, September 12, 1853, and is a son of William and Eliza Jane (Runyan) McClintick, and a grandson of Alexander McClintick, who came to Amer- ica from Ireland.
William McClintick, father of Eli F., was born October 11, 1827, and resides with his wife at London, Ohio. His wife, Eliza Jane Runyan, who was born Octo- ber 2, 1836, is a daughter of David Run- yan, an old resident of Clark County. They had three children, namely: Eli F., subject of this sketch; James H., who was born in 1856 and now residing in Madison County, was married, first, to Ida Mitchell, and, secondly, to Lida Bland, his two children, Lella and Carrie, being by the first union ; Isaiah C., born in 1859, who died in 1883, married Ida Miller, who survives him and resides in the West.
Eli F. McClintick learned the carpen- ter's trade with Edward Edwards, at South Charleston, beginning his appren- ticeship in March, 1876, and serving three years. He has been engaged in contract- ing for a number of years and has erected many of the best residences in Clark and Madison Counties. For the past seven- teen years he has resided on his father's farm, the latter having retired to London. He makes something of a specialty of
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