Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 107

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 107

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WILLIAM H. BURTON, a general farmer, stock raiser, and dairyman of Bethel Township, Clark County, Ohio, re- siding on a well improved farm of 189 acres, situated about seven miles west of Springfield, was born July 6, 1856, on his father's farm in Gallia County, Ohio, and is a son of James and Armenta (Blank- enship) Burton.

James Burton and his wife were both natives of Virginia, where they were mar-

cupation he followed for the greater part of his life. He came to Scioto County, Ohio, in his later years, and settled on a small farm, where he resided until his death, at thed age of seventy-eight. Eleven children were born to James Bur- ton and wife, namely: Janette, Sally Jane, James Harvey, Ruth L., Isaac Mil- ton, Amanda, wife of Asa Cander; Na- thaniel, George Riley, Eliza Jane, wife of Thomas McGilvery; Harvey M., and Wil- liam H., the subject of this sketch. The five first mentioned are now deceased, as also is Harvey M.

William Burton was reared on his fath- er's farm in Scioto County, and for a short time attended the district schools. At the age of twenty he went west, to Hastings, Minnesota, and worked for some time in a wheat elevator and at vari- ous other odd jobs, remaining there for twenty-two months. Then he returned to Scioto County, Ohio, for a short time, after which he came to Clark County and worked by the month on various farms in the county. He continued thus occupied for some time after his marriage, and then rented the Charles Thomas farm in German Township for three years, after which he rented the Demormandie farm for one year, moving thence to the Peter Ebersole farm, which he operated for five years. He then lived for one year on the Sipes farm, near Urbana, and in Novem- ber, 1906, bought his present farm of 189 acres from the Wittenberg College estate, where he has since been engaged in gen- eral farming, stock-raising and dairying, and is recognized as one of Bethel Town- ship's most enterprising and successful farmers.

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Mr. Burton was united in marriage De- cember 27, 1883, to Clara Belle Callison, who was born October 5, 1841, in German Township, and who is a daughter of Ja- cob and Margaret Jane (Argabright) Cal- lison, who came to this county from Vir- ginia. Mrs. Burton was the eldest of a family of five children, namely: Clara Belle, Lucinda Jane, widow of Fred Wert; Charles A., John M., and George, the three last mentioned being now de- ceased. Her mother is still living. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bur- ton, as follows : Lawrence E., Ira A., Clifford J., Joseph D., William Russell, who died aged fourteen months; James Dwight, George H., Elsie M., and Nellie I.

Politically Mr. Burton is a Prohibition- ist, but was formerly a Republican. Both he and his wife are members of the Ger- man Baptist Brethren Church.

ROBERT ELDER, owner of a large general store in the village of Selma, and president of the Miami Deposit Bank, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, was born in this vicinity January 16, 1872, and is a son of Robert and Julia Ann (Stewart) Elder. The old Elder homestead in Green Town- ship was established by Robert Elder, grandfather of our subject, and a native of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio when eleven years of age, locating in Clark County. He married Nancy Elder, a native of Clark County, and reared a family of nine children, three sons and six daughters, of whom five are still living.

Robert N. Elder, father of the present Robert, was born and reared on the home

farm in Green Township and there spent his entire life, engaged in farming. He married Julia Ann Stewart, a daughter of Perry and Rhoda Stewart, of Green Township, Clark County, and they be- came the parents of eleven children, of whom six still survive, the subject of this sketch being the eldest of those living. Robert N. Elder's death, which occurred July 18, 1907, was caused by his sustain- ing a fall in the barn of the home farm.

Robert Elder, subject of this sketch, was reared on the home farm and re- ceived his educational training in the dis- trict schools of the township, after which he assisted with the work at home until twenty-three years old. He then engaged as clerk in the store then operated by Wildman & Company and two years later bought a half interest in the store, of which he took entire charge the year fol- lowing, and has conducted same ever since. Mr. Elder is also financially inter- ested in the Miami Deposit Bank, of Yel- low Springs. In 1895 he and his uncle, P. M. Stewart, bought the defunct Citi- zens' Bank of that town, and again put it in operation, it now being known as the Miami Deposit Bank, Mr. Elder acting as president and P. M. Stewart as cashier.

Politically Mr. Elder is a Republican and has served as a delegate to County, District and Congressional Conventions, is clerk of the School Board, and cashier of the Ohio State Fair. The school dis- trict of this vicinity was the second or- ganized under the New Special School District Law of 1904, and it was through the efforts of Mr. Elder and others who have always taken an active interest in all affairs which tend toward the advance- ment of the community that this fine

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school with its excellent facilities was made possible.

Mr. Elder was joined in marriage Sep- tember 14, 1898, with Rachel T. Wildman, a daughter of William and Eliza Wild- man, now residents of Springfield. They are the parents of four children, Robert Newell, Lois, Malcolm and Julia, two of whom are attending school. Religiously Mr. Elder is a member of the Methodist Church and his wife is a Friend.

SILAS BAKER, a well known resi- dent of the pleasant village of Lawrence- ville, and the owner of 103 acres of valu- able farming land in German Township, was born in Clark County, Ohio, on land he still owns, February 16, 1824. His parents were Samuel and Mary (Naw- man) Baker.

Samuel Baker was born in Virginia and in young manhood, in 1811, came to Springfield, Ohio, and participated in the War of 1812. He was a blacksmith by trade and after he returned to civil life he built a shop in the woods, in German Township, Clark County, where he had ac- quired a small farm. He married Mary Nawman, who had accompanied her par- ents to German Township from Virginia, and they lived out their quiet, useful lives on their farm in this township. Samuel Baker died at the age of seventy- one years, and his wife at that of seventy- nine.

Silas Baker grew to manhood on the home farm, attending the district schools for three months during the winter sea- sons in his boyhood, but from youth as- sisting in the duties pertaining to the raising of stock and cultivating the land. For many years he gave his whole atten-

tion to his farming interests and has owned his present property since the death of his parents. In the spring of 1906 he bought his comfortable cottage in Lawrenceville, where he and wife are passing their declining years.

In 1849 Mr. Baker was married to Elizabeth Friermood, who was born in German Township, a daughter of Reuben Friermood, who came to Clark County from Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have four children living, four others be- ing deceased. The former are: Alice, who is the widow of Harry Ryman; Will- iam Wesley, who is in the optical business at Troy, Ohio; Emory, who resides at Springfield; and Martha Ellen, who mar- ried Thomas B. Ream, a leading grocery merchant at Springfield. Politically Mr. Baker is a Democrat. During his resi- dence in the county he served fourteen successive years as clerk of German Township and frequently as township trustee.

JOSEPH ULERY, who is engaged in farming on a tract of eighty-two acres in Pike Township, comes of one of Clark County's well known pioneer families. He was born September 12, 1851, on his fath- er's farm near Liberty, Pike Township, and is a son of John R. and Mary (Zieg- ler) Ulery, and a grandson of John and Elizabeth Ulery.

His great grandparents were the first of the Ulery family to come to this coun- try, their native home being Germany. John Ulery, the grandfather of Joseph, was born in Franklin County, Pennsylva- nia, where also he was reared and mar- ried. He subsequently came to Ohio to

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enter land, walking the entire distance of 500 miles, both ways. In 1842 he brought his family and household goods overland to Ohio in wagons and located on a tract of 200 acres near Liberty (two and one- half miles northeast of New Carlisle), the family living for some time in a log cabin which stood on the land. Here John and his wife Elizabeth spent the rest of their lives, dying each at an advanced age. They were the parents of five children, of whom but two are now living-Jacob, and Nancy, the widow of David Nysewander.

John R. Ulery, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in 1825, and at the age of seventeen years came to Clark County, Ohio, with his parents, who, as above noted, located at Liberty. Here he mar- ried Mary Ziegler, a native of Maryland, also of German descent, whose parents came to Logan County, Ohio, at an early period, when the Indians still inhabited this section. She saw the last of the tribes leave, and well remembered them stopping at her father's house to trade their bead-work for food. After his mar- riage John and his wife located on a farm adjoining that of his father, and there spent the remainder of their lives, en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. Mrs. John R. Ulery died in 1897 when she was seventy-one years of age, and she was survived by her husband until April 2, 1907. They were the parents of ten chil- dren, as follows: Sarah, Anna, Joseph, whose name begins this article; Lydia, David, Elizabeth, Mary Catherine, George, Daniel and Emery. Of these chil- dren the following are deceased: David aged three, Sarah aged thirteen, Anna aged ten, Lydia aged twelve, Catherine

aged three and Daniel aged twenty-three. Five of these died with diphtheria.

Joseph Ulery was reared on his father's farm near Liberty and received his educational training in the common schools of that locality. Much of his time was devoted to work on the farm and his entire industrial career since has been devoted to agriculture. For five years subsequent to his marriage he farmed the home place and then, in 1878, moved to his present farm of eighty-two acres, pur- chasing the land from George Cramer, it having been originally entered by the grandfather of Mrs. Ulery. Mr. Ulery erected the large house which the family occupy, and also made other important improvements. He was engaged in oper- ating a cane factory and hydraulic cider- press in connection with his farming oper- ations and has met with success in both lines of activity.

February 2, 1873, Mr. Ulery was joined in marriage with Mary Evelyn Mock, a daughter of Samuel and Mary A. (Bod- kin) Mock. Her father was a native of Pike Township and was born, lived and died on the same farm., His death oc- curred in 1877, when he was fifty-seven years old. He is survived by his wife, also a native of Ohio, who makes her home on the old place and is now about eighty years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Mock were the parents of eight children, name- ly: Melissa, Lucinda, Evelyn (now Mrs. Joseph Ulery), Ella, John, Julia, George, and Vesper. Of these children, Melissa, George, Vesper and John P., who was the husband of Crilla (Mitchell) Mock, are now deceased.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ulery, namely: Glenn M., a

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resident of Springfield, Ohio, who mar- ried Florence Jenkins, June 17, 1907; Aldo, who died in infancy; and Ilo V.,- who is a pupil in the Springfield High School. In politics a stanch Democrat, Mr. Ulery has served his township as trustee for five years and as justice of the peace for one term. The religious connection of the family is with the Honey Creek Christian Church, of which Mr. Ulery is a deacon, trustee and the treasurer.

SAMUEL S. ZERKLE, who owns al- most one hundred and one acres of fine farming land in German Township, was born on a farm lying on the line between Clark and Champaign Counties, Ohio, Oc- tober 29, 1835, and is a son of Jonathan and Regina (Zerkle) Zerkle.

Jonathan Zerkle, who was a son of Jacob Zerkle, married a daughter of Abraham Zerkle, who was a brother of Jacob Zerkle. Jonathan Zerkle was born and reared in Virginia. His wife was born in what is now West Virginia and she was brought to Clark County, Ohio, in girlhood. Jacob Zerkle owned a part of the farm now occupied by Samuel S. Zerkle, and Abraham Zerkle owned a farm that lay in both Clark and Cham- paign Counties, his residence standing on the county line. Jonathan and Regina Zerkle had eight children, all of whom grew to maturity and married, but there are now only three survivors: Samuel S .; Michael, residing in Indiana; and Mary. who is the widow of John Tshan. The father of the family died in Clark County, Ohio, but the mother died in Illinois.

Samuel S. Zerkle had the advantage of living in two counties during his boyhood and attended the schools situated nearest to his home. Farming has been his main occupation in life, but not the exclusive one, as he ran a sawmill for eight years at Terre Haute, in Champaign County. Prior to coming to his present place he resided on a farm on the Valley turnpike, south of Tremont. On March 16, 1892, he took possession of his present farm, which, to be exact, contains one hundred and seven-tenths acres of land and is sit- uated about nine miles northwest of Springfield and two miles northwest of Tremont, on the road that runs from Law- renceville to Terre Haute. He carries on general farming, grows fruit and raises a considerable amount of good stock.

Mr. Zerkle married Catherine Michael, who died in 1890, leaving one son, Walter. The latter married Clara Belle Swartz- baugh, who is a daughter of Philip Swartzbaugh, and they have two children : Ernest and Mertie. Walter Zerkle assists his father on the farm. Both are highly respected citizens and are widely known through both Clark and Champaign Counties.

A. C. HARRAMAN,* who is vice presi- dent of the Springfield Planing Mill and Lumber Company, and is also interested in a general insurance business, with offi- ces in the New Zimmerman Building, Springfield, was born in 1869 in Preble County, Ohio. Mr. Harraman was reared and educated in his native county. In 1888 he came to Springfield and for ten ten years was interested in a general in- surance business, representing the Cooper

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Fire Insurance; the German, of Pitts- Ohio. David Steinbarger was five years burg; the Concordia, of Milwaukee; the Cincinnati Underwriters; the Philadel- phia Casualty and the United Surety of Baltimore, during his twenty years of residence here becoming very prominently identified with insurance matters. As vice president of one of the city's large indus- tries, he occupies a prominent place among her business men. He has also borne an active part in political life in Clark County, having served as a mem- ber of the Republican Central Commit- tee, a very influential organization. From January 1, 1903, until 1908, he held the office of justice of the peace.

In May, 1904, Mr. Harraman was mar- ried to Anna E. Johnson, who is a daugh- ter of Albert Johnson, one of the pioneer settlers of Clark County. They have one child, Blanche L. Mr. Harraman is a member of the fraternal order of Eagles, of the Junior Order of American Mechan- ics, of the Odd Fellows and of Camp Ben Hur, Red Men.

GEORGE S. STEINBARGER,* one of Moorefield Township's prominent citizens and large farmers, owning 206 acres of valuable land, was born in Urbana Town- ship, Champaign County, Ohio, August 10, 1830, and is a son of David and Eliza- beth (Pence) Steinbarger. The Stein- barger family came from Germany to America and settled in Virginia, in the person of the great-grandfather of George S. Steinbarger.

David Steinbarger was born in Virginia in 1800, and was a son of John Stein- barger, who was also a native of Virginia and was the founder of the family in

old when his parents settled near Millers- town, Champaign County, Ohio, the father securing a farm on Nettle Creek. He re- mained on that farm until 1819, when he removed to Taylorsville, about thirty miles south of Indianapolis, Indiana, where he secured a very valuable farm in the bottom land along the White River. On that farm John Steinbarger died, his son, David, subsequently leaving Indiana and returning to Champaign County, Ohio, where he became a leading citizen and successful farmer of Urbana Town- ship. In Champaign County, David Stein- barger was married to Elizabeth Pence, who was born in that county and was a daughter of John Pence. The Pence fam- ily was also of German extraction, and John Pence was born in Virginia. After the death of his first wife, David Stein- barger was married to Lucy Gains and he was the father of fifteen children.

George S. Steinbarger was reared in Urbana Township and attended the dis- trict schools. He assisted on the home farm until he was twenty years of age, when he went into the mill and distillery business with his father and thus con- tinued for ten years. In 1862 he moved to Springfield, where he lived for three years, during which period he was en- gaged in a wholesale liquor business, after which he removed to a farm south of Springfield, just north of the Spring Grove Park. On this farm Mr. Steinbar- ger resided until 1876, when he settled on his present farm, where he carries on gen- eral agriculture and raises Shorthorn cat- tle. He has made many improvements on his property, completely remodeling the house and erecting farm buildings. He

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has a very valuable property in which he takes justifiable pride.

On March 11, 1856, Mr. Steinbarger was married to Barbara Elizabeth Funk, who was born in Pennsylvania and who is a daughter of John Funk. She was six months old when her parents brought her to Ohio. She was reared in Clark Coun- ty and was married in Springfield. Their three living children are : David R .; Mary Elizabeth, who is the widow of A. D. Hol- man, and has one child, John Roy; and John Brutus, who was married (first) to Clara Benedict and (secondly) to Lou Peters. A child survives from both mar- riages, both wives being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Steinbarger have three deceased children-an infant; James Edward, who died aged nineteen months; and George Christy, who died aged twenty-two years.

CHARLES P. DUNN,* a well-known citizen, whose public-spirited efforts while serving as a member of the City Council from the Second Ward, have resulted in great advantage to Springfield, was born at Springfield, Ohio, in August, 1870, and is a son of the late Charles Dunn. Charles Dunn was born in Ireland and came to America and settled at Springfield as early as 1849, which city remained his home until his death in 1896.

Charles P. Dunn was reared and edu- cated in his native place and after leav- ing school worked for some years in var- ious factories. He then embarked in a laundry business which he conducted un- til 1903, when he became identified with the Central Union Telephone Company. He is one of Springfield's leading Demo- crats, is a member of the Democratic Ex-

ecutive Committee and has been a useful member of the City Council. He worked hard for the measure which has resulted in the draining of Buck Creek, which will add materially to the sanitary condition of the city. He is an earnest, progressive and reliable citizen.

In 1900 Mr. Dunn was married to Jane F. Kelly, who was born and reared at Springfield and who is a daughter of Will- iam Kelly. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn have four children-Charles, Frances, Louise and William. Mr. Dunn and family belong to St. Raphael's Catholic Church. His fra- ternal connections are with the Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of Hiber- nians and the National Union.

J. S. HARSHMAN,* one of Spring- field's capitalists and most prominent business men, who has been closely identi- fied with many successful enterprises in this section of Ohio, is perhaps best known in connection with the establish- ment, control and management of electric railroads. To name these is to designate the most important lines in which Spring- field capital is interested. Mr. Harsh- man is the president of the Dayton, Springfield and Urbana Electric, presi- dent of the Columbus, London and Spring- field Electric, president of the Springfield and Western Electric, also of the Urbana, Bellefontaine and Northern Railway Company and of the Columbus, Delaware and Marion Electric Railway. Other large interests with which he has been asso- ciated are: the Citizens' National Bank of Springfield, of which he was formerly vice president; the Victor Rubber Tire Company, the Kyle Art Glass Company,

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and the Harshman Shoe Manufacturing Company, of Harshman, Ohio.

Mr. Harshman was born at Harshman, Montgomery County, Ohio, January 26, 1863, and is a son of George W. and Anna V. (Rohor) Harshman. The family is of German extraction and its founder in Ohio came from Maryland. The father of J. S. Harshman was born in Ohio and died at the village named in his honor, where he had been manufacturer, farmer, merchant and prominent man for many years, in 1898.

J. S. Harshman completed his educa- tion in the public and select schools of his native locality and then spent one year in the employ in the office of the Amer- ican Express Company at Dayton. After returning home he became interested with his father in many of the latter's busi- ness enterprises and subsequently became buyer and seller of grain and farm prod- ucts for his father's mills and farms. He continued thus engaged until 1886, when he became associated with his brothers in the business of buying and shipping grain. Subsequently he sold out his interests to his partners and located at Enon, Clark County, where he entered into the grain business on an extensive scale. His ele- vator was once destroyed by fire and was rebuilt, but since 1893 he has been mainly interested in electric railway lines. His office is at Room No. 128 Bushnell Build- ing, Springfield.

Mr. Harshman was married in 1887, to Mary Snyder, who is a daughter of Henry and Anna (Hertzler) Snyder. The late Henry Snyder and a brother were promi- nent citizens of Clark County and the name is perpetuated not only in the vil- lage of Snyderville, but also in Snyder's

Park, which was a gift to the city. Mr. and Mrs. Harshman have three children, namely: Anna S., George W. and Vir- ginia V. The family home is in the en- virons of Springfield.

JOHN W. SULLIVAN,* president of the City Board of Review of Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, was born in Cham- paign County, Ohio, in 1856. Mr. Sullivan was reared and educated in Champaign County and early in life learned the mold- er's trade at Mechanicsburg, Ohio, after which he spent about twenty years en- gaged in following that business. He has been a resident of Springfield since 1882 and a member of the Board of Review since the time of the organization of that body. In 1880 Mr. Sullivan was married to Mary Dolan and to this union have been born five children, namely: Mattie, James, Josephine, John, and Maurice. Mr. Sullivan is a member of the St. Raphael Catholic Church of Springfield, and is fraternally a member of the Knights of Columbus.

L. F. DIFFENDAL,* a prominent citi- zen of South Charleston, Clark County, Ohio, has for many years been extensively engaged in buying and shipping stock. He is a successful business man and a sub- stantial citizen, and has a wide circle of acquaintances and friends throughout this section of the county. He is a native of Frederick County, Maryland, the date of his birth being January 11, 1860. He is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Eyler) Diffendal, and on both sides of the house comes of old Maryland families.

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Samuel Diffendal was born and reared in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where his father had for many years been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. In early life he moved to Maryland, and was there joined in marriage with Elizabeth Eyler, whose father was a farmer in Frederick County. They later lived in Washington County, Maryland, and in the spring of 1877 Samuel moved west with his family, locating near South Charleston, in Clark County, Ohio. Here he continued to farm until his death. He and his wife were par- ents of nine children, six of whom are now living, and of these our subject is the youngest.

L. F. Diffendal was but one and a half years old when his mother died. He was reared and educated in Washington Coun- ty, Maryland, and in 1877 came to Clark County with his father. He also took to agriculture and upon leaving the home place was for ten years engaged in farm- ing for himself. He has always been an expert judge of stock and stock values, following his inclinations along that line even in his younger days. Since locating in South Charleston, he has operated on an extensive scale and success has crowned his efforts. For fifteen years prior to his marriage he made his home at the Ackley House in South Charleston.

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Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 107

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 1086

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086