Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 108

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 108

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Mr. Diffendal was united in marriage October 30, 1907, with Miss Anna Myrtle Walker, a daughter of R. P. Walker, a re- spected citizen of South Charleston. Po- litically, he is a stalwart Democrat, and although his party is very much in the minority, he was elected mayor of the vil- lage by a large majority, and this in spite of the fact that he made no effort to win votes. He was the first man of his party

to hold that office, and although strongly urged to make the race a second time, he declined for business reasons. He also ran for county commissioner, receiving a large vote that evidenced the esteem in which he is held, but the odds against him were too great to be overcome. Frater- nally, he is an Odd Fellow, serving as dis- trict deputy one year; a member of Blue Lodge, F. & A. M., at South Charles- ton; Adorian Chapter at London, and the Knights Templar Commandery at Spring- field. Religiously he belongs is the Meth- odist Church.

JOHN L. BOWLUS,* postmaster of Bowlusville and proprietor of the largest general store in the town, is a leading citizen of this section of Clark County. He was born in Moorefield Township, Clark County, Ohio, September 9, 1858, and is a son of Samuel H. and Lucinda (Michael) Bowlus.

The Bowlus family came to Ohio from Maryland. Samuel H. Bowlus was born near Middletown, Frederick County, Maryland, grew to manhood on his father's farm, and was married in that neighborhood, and when he came to Clark County in 1853, he already had a family of seven children. He settled on what is now known as the Rupsum farm, on which his son John L. was subsequently born, and engaged in farming that prop- erty until 1865. He then built a grain warehouse on the Erie Railroad, at the point now known as Bowlusville, giving the name to the place. He was a man of great business enterprise and in addition to dealing in grain and later in coal, he started a general store. His son, John

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L., succeeded to all his interests. Sam- uel H. Bowlus invested largely in land and as his judgment was good, his various purchases were intelligently made and he became a man of large fortune. He died November 26, 1897.

Samuel H. Bowlus married Lucinda Michael and they had the following chil- dren: George C., who resides at Spring- field; Samuel W., who lives at Bowlus- ville; Charles F., who died in Michigan, in 1906; Mary A. C., who lives at Bow- lusville; Maria Nettie, who is the wife of T. C. M. Shindler, who is private sec- retary to United States Commissioner Garfield; Millard McCauley, who resides at Kansas City; Warren L., who is a high official with the Wabash Railroad, at Springfield ; John L .; Henry C., who lives at Springfield; and Clement L., who died in 1891. Two children died in infancy, in Maryland. The mother of the above mentioned family survived her husband but seven weeks.

John L. Bowlus was reared in Moore- field Township, where he attended the dis- trict schools. Before he had reached his majority he entered into the mercantile business which his father had established and in the same year, 1878, he was ap- pointed postmaster, an office he has con- tinuously filled until the present time, with the exception of some ten months during the administration of President Hayes. Mr. Bowlus conducts a large business and he is well and favorably known over a large territory, enjoying the high regard of his fellow-citizens as public official, business man and as private citizen.

Mr. Bowlus was married (first) in May, 1893, to Emily Dunlap, who died May 25, 1904. She was a daughter of George R.

and Columbia (Jennings) Dunlap, and was born and reared near Urbana. Mr. Dunlap was born at Lexington, Kentucky, He assists Mr. Bowlus in the store. The three children born to the above marriage were: Anna Dunlap, Gwendolyn M. and Edward Jennings, the last mentioned of whom died in 1898, at the age of fourteen months. Mr .. Bowlus was married (sec- ondly) in May, 1905, to Mrs. Adeline Laughrey.

CHARLES T. RIDGELY,* a well- known resident and highly respected busi- ness man of Springfield, was born here in February, 1856, and is a son of J. F. Ridgely, one of the leading business men of the city, who came here in 1852 from Maryland, where he was born.

Charles T. Ridgely was reared and edu- cated in Springfield and early in life be- gan learning the painter's and paper hanger's trade, at which he worked for about seven years when he was obliged to give up painting on account of ill health. He then devoted his time wholly to decorating for eleven years, during which time he was employed by C. H. Pierce, and in 1885 invented the first trim- mer. In 1890 he took charge of the wall paper department for another firm in Springfield, remaining there one year, when he organized the Ridgely Decorat- ing Company, later selling his interest in the business and also his trimmer patent. On August 15, 1903, he became one of the incorporators of the Bookwalter Hotel and also operated a news and cigar stand until 1906. In July of that same year he organized the Standard Trimmers Com- pany for the manufacturing of wall paper

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trimmers, straight edge folding pile tables institution of learning celebrated its six hundredth anniversary. and boards, seam rollers, smoothing rolls, base and casing cutters, and plumbs and level combination tools, in fact a full line Hirons located at Chattanooga, Mercer

of paper hanger's tools. Mr. Ridgely is president and general manager of the Standard Trimmers Company, which is incorporated and has a capital stock of $50,000. He is also financially interested in the United States Nursery of Rich, Mis- sissippi. Mr. Ridgely was united in mar- riage to Nellie Sharp of Troy, Ohio, and to them have been born two sons-Charles Verrey, and Roderick Leigh. Fraternally Mr. Ridgely is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen, and the B. P. O. E.

JOHN B. HIRONS, M. D.,* a promi- nent physician engaged in the practice of his profession at Tremont City, was born in Highland County, Ohio, May 18, 1862, and is a son of Joseph C. and Melissa J. (Gardner) Hirons.

Dr. Hirons was reared mainly on his father's farm in Highland County and at- tended the country schools. After his . father became a merchant at Buford, he assisted both on the farm and in the store and also taught one term of school. When twenty-one years of age he began the study of dentistry and remained under the instruction of Dr. J. R. Callahan, at Hills- boro, Ohio, for one year, after which he studied medicine there for a year. He then accompanied his brother, Dr. Joseph Gardner Hirons, now of New York City, to Europe and studied medicine and sur- gery at Heidelberg University and at Leipsic. The brothers were students at Heidelberg in 1886, when that famous old

Upon his return to his native state, Dr. County, until 1889, when he came to Tre- mont City and easily took a leading place among the medical men of Clark County. Dr. Hirons was married at Tremont, Jan- uary 1, 1893, to Iora Augusta Hinton, who is a daughter of Edgar B. Hinton, post- master at Tremont. Mrs. Hirons had been a successful school teacher for three years previously, at Terra Haute, Champaign County, Ohio.

CHARLES E. MICKLE,* general foreman of the Machine Department of the International Harvester Company of Springfield, with which concern he has been associated for the past thirty years, was born March 27, 1858, at Delaware, Ohio.

Mr. Mickle was reared and educated at Delaware and early in life learned the ma- chinist's trade at which he worked there until 1879. He then came to Springfield and entered the employ of the old firm Warder, Mitchell & Company, with whom he continued when the firm was changed to Warder, Bushnell and Glessner, who were later succeeded by the International Harvester Company, with which concern he has been identified ever since. He be- came foreman in the shops in 1880 and for the past five years has been general foreman of the Machine Department.

Mr. Mickle married May Harrison, a daughter of Edward Harrison of Spring- field, and they have two sons, namely : Edward H., a student at the Ohio State University of Columbus and Frank, who

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will graduate from the Springfield High School in the spring of 1908. In politics Mr. Mickle is a Republican and his reli- gious connection is with the United Breth- ren Church.

WILLIAM BALLENTINE,* general farmer and stockraiser, whose valuable farm of ninety-four acres is situated on the Terre Haute Road, about ten miles northwest of Springfield and three miles from Tremont, was born at Lawrence- ville, Clark County, Ohio, November 28, 1836. He is a son of Robert and Kather- ine (Berry) Ballentine.

William Ballentine was reared in Ger- man Township and attended the country schools in his boyhood. His business has been farming ever since he started out to make his own way in the world. On Jan- uary 5, 1850, Mr. Ballentine married Mary Clark, who is a daughter of Thomas and Susannah (Cox) Clark. Mrs. Ballen- tine was born and reared in Randolph County, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Ballen- tine have reared a fine family of nine chil- dren and thus far there has been no break in the circle. They are as follows : John, residing in Lagonda, is married and has four children: Emma married Moses Overholser and they have one child; Rose married William Baker and they have seven children; Mary Etta married Ralph Snyder and they have one child; Lenore is married and has eight children; Thomas is married and has one child; Clifford is also married; Albert, the farm- er on the home place, is married and has three children, and Alpha, the youngest, still resides at home. Thus it will be seen that Mr. and Mrs. Ballentine have

plenty of young life about them and have every reason to be proud of their twenty- five grandchildren.

For one year after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Ballentine lived in Indiana, moving then to Clark County, Ohio, but two years later they returned to Indiana. After four more years in Mrs. Ballen- tine's native state, in August, 1866, they moved to the farm on which they reside, Mr. Ballentine buying sixty acres of it at that time. To the first purchase he added until he owned one hundred and twelve acres, but they have sold some eighteen acres. The property is an excellent one and the D. T. & I. Railroad runs through the farm. Mr. Ballentine built the sub- stantial house and barn and made many other improvements. Both he and wife belong to the Reformed Church at Tremont.

GEORGE S. COTTER,* superintend- ent of the Springfield Water Works, was born at Springfield, Ohio, in 1862, and is a son of the late James L. Cotter, who was born in Ireland, emigrated to Canada when thirteen years of age, and came to Springfield in 1847, where the rest of his life was passed.

George S. Cotter attended school until he was thirteen years old and then entered the machine shops of Warder, Mitchell and Company and remained until he had learned the trade. When he was eighteen years old he went to Aurora, Illinois, and worked in the railroad shops at that city for three years, after which he returned to Springfield and continued work as a machinist until 1884, when he became en- gineer of the city water works at the

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pumping station. He continued in that capacity for ten years and for four years more was superintendent there. In 1898 he left the city's employ and accepted a position as foreman of the machine shops of the Warder-Bushnell Company. When the International Harvester Company came into possession, he became mechan- ical engineer for a time and then re- signed to accept the superintendency of the city water works again, and has had charge of this important municipal utility ever since. He takes an interest in poli- tics, but only to the extent of promoting good government.

In 1891 Mr. Cotter was married to Jennie Bryant, who died October 16, 1906, leaving four children, namely : Paul Bry- ant, Helen, Ruth, and George, Jr. Mr. Cotter is a member of the Elks.

CHARLES L. NISLEY,* proprietor of the leading wholesale and retail shoe store at Springfield, was born at Lan- caster, Ohio, in 1847, and he was quite young when his parents moved to Spring- field, where he was reared and educated. His first work was done while he was little more than a school boy, he being em- ployed for eight months in the grocery store of S. B. Stiles & Company, after which he entered the shoe store of Starkey & Scowden. With that firm he remained for ten years and then went into business for himself, taking a partner, and for eight years they carried on a successful enterprise under the style of Young & Nisley. When this partnership was dis- solved, Mr. Nisley purchased the Arcade Shoe Store and established the Nisley Arcade Shoe Company, which is one of

the largest shoe stores in this section of the state. Mr. Nisley occupies three rooms, 80 by 35 feet in dimensions. This is the building in which Mr. Nisley began work, September 14, 1888, and just seven- teen years later he purchased the build- ing as the proprietor of the prosperous business. Twenty workmen find constant employment and a business of $120,000 is done annually. In 1896, Mr. Nisley was married to Minnie Flora. They are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Nisley is a Knight Templar Mason, a Knight of Pythias, and he belongs to the Springfield Commercial Club and the Lagonda Club.

DANIEL RUST,* owner of sixty-nine acres in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, has been a resident on his present place some seventeen years. He was born near Lawrenceville, German Township, March 4, 1845, and is a son of Abraham and Sarah (Cooper) Rust. His father was twice married, having five children by each union, and of these our subject was the youngest.

Daniel Rust was five years old at the time of his father's death. He was reared on the farm and lived there with his mother until 1864, when in March of that year he enlisted in Company I, Eighth Ohio Cavalry, for three years' service. While in the army he was called upon to mourn the loss of his mother. He was discharged from the cavalry in July, 1864, because of injuries received by his being thrown from a horse, and returned to his home in German Township. He soon re- enlisted however in Company B, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Regiment, O.V. I., in which he served until the war closed.

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He then returned home and took up farm- ing on the home place, and this has since been his sole occupation, and more than ordinary success has attended his efforts. In the early nineties he purchased his present farm in German Township, con- sisting of fifty acres, and has an additional tract of nineteen acres one-half mile east of his home.

Mr. Rust was united in marriage with Catherine Freeze and they became the parents of nine children, five of whom are living, namely: Lawrence I., David S., Charles F., Carrie E. (wife of William Thackery), and Harrison B. Those de- ceased are Rosie, who was the wife of Albert Bowers; Noah Abraham, Lily May, and Minnie Myrtle. Mrs. Catherine Rust died May 20, 1887, and Mr. Rust was mar- ried, secondly to Miss Lois Dorner, daugh- ter of Adam Dorner. They have two chil- dren-Beulah B. and Eva G. Fraternal- ly, Mr. Rust is a member of the Grand Army Post. He belongs to the German Reformed Church.

JAMES K. WREN,* vice president and treasurer of The Edward Wren Company, the largest business house at Springfield, operating one of the most extensive de- partment stores in Ohio, was born in the city of Dublin, Ireland, and was fifteen years of age when he came to America. Mr. Wren was reared at Springfield and was educated at St. Mary's College, Em- mettsburg, Maryland, and immediately after his return, entered his father's store and has been connected with the business ever since.

The Edward Wren Company grew from small beginnings. Its venerable presi-

dent, Edward Wren, came from Ireland to Springfield in 1848, then being a young man, and has been identified with the interests of this city ever since. His earliest business venture was as junior member of the firm of Kumane & Wren, which became very prominent in the business world, for over thirty years being a leading one of the city. In 1903 Edward Wren, Mrs. Edward Wren, James K. Wren and James Johnson, Jr., established The Edward Wren Company, a concern which does the largest business in this city and one of the largest in the state. This immense de- partment store occupies 105,000 square feet of floor space. The present officers are: Edward Wren, president and treas- urer; James K. Wren, vice president and general manager, and Edward Wright, secretary. In 1905, James K. Wren was married to Minnie B. Meals, of Spring- field. The Wren family belongs to St. Raphael's Catholic Church.

HENRY OXTOBY,* who owns an ex- cellent farm of sixty-six acres, situated in Harmony Township, has resided on the same since the fall of 1907, but he has owned the property for the past sixteen years. He was born in Clark County, Ohio, February 16, 1882, and is the only son of Robert and Mary (Henry) Oxtoby.

The grandfather, Henry Oxtoby, lived out a long life in Clark County, where Robert Oxtoby was born. He followed farming until his death in 1892. He mar- ried Mary Henry, who died in 1884.

Henry Oxtoby obtained his farm train- ing with the uncle by whom he was reared. In early manhood he went into railroad

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work and prior to his marriage, was a fire- man on a railroad line in Illinois. He be- longs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman and Engineers and is connected with Riverside lodge of the same or- ganization, at Savannah, Illinois. In 1907, Mr. Oxtoby was married to Flora Chaney, who is a daughter of R. S. and Lucinda Chaney, of Clark County, and then settled on his present farm, where he has been engaged in general farming ever since.

THOMAS D. WALLACE,* senior member of the firm of Wallace & Todd, grocers, at Springfield, is one of the city's careful, conservative and successful men of business. He was born in 1849, in Madison Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of John Wallace.

John Wallace was born in England and came to Clark County, Ohio, in 1844, where he was engaged first in business in the merchant-tailoring line, and for a few years he carried on a general store at Enon. He was among the pioneer mer- chants of this section.

Thomas D. Wallace was trained in the details of mercantile life in his father's store. In 1871 he went to the northwest- ern part of Missouri, where he engaged in a mercantile business for two years and then returned to Enon, Ohio, where he was a general merchant until 1881, when he came to Springfield. Here he em- barked in a grocery business. Politically, Mr. Wallace is a Democrat and in 1890- 91, he served as city clerk. After that he was a member of the Board of Public Affairs and was concerned in the news- paper business. During the last ad-

ministration of President Cleveland he was postmaster at Springfield. Follow- ing the close of his official life he bought the Daily Democrat which he conducted until 1906, when he sold out and has been interested in the grocery line ever since under the style of Wallace and Todd. He has long been a Democratic leader in Clark County and for eight years was chairman of the Democratic County Committee, and for twenty-three years has been a delegate to the Democratic State conventions. He has been a loyal party man and has accepted few rewards.

In 1873 Mr. Wallace was married to Mary A. Shellabarger, and they have two children-Gertrude L. and Edwin S. The family belong to St. Paul's Methodist Church, Mr. Wallace being a member of its official board. For six years he has been a member of the Board of Commis- sioners of Snyder Park.

JAMES J. WOOD,* one of the wealth- iest and most prominent citizens of Springfield Township, who resides on a tract of one hundred and seventy-five acres of land located in Section 7, 1847, on the Clifton Pike, just beyond the city limits, was born September 7, 1847, in Waterford, Ireland. He is a son of James and Johanna (Sweeney) Wood, the form- er of whom died previous to the birth of the subject of this sketch, his widow later becoming the wife of James Goff.

Although a native of Ireland, Mr. Wood comes of an old English family, from whom he received a large legacy. His grandfather Wood was a captain in the British navy, and it was while his vessel was in harbor at Waterford, Ireland, that

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he met the lady that was to be his wife, at an entertainment, and eloped with her.

James J. Wood was just one year old when he was placed under the care of his paternal grandmother, by whom he was reared. After attending school, he learned the carpenter's trade, at which he served a five years' apprenticeship. On March 10, 1866, he was married, and on April 10th of the same year he sailed for America, on his arrival here locating at Cincinnati. Thence, after a week's stay, he went to Urbana, Ohio, where he was in the employ for one year, of the Leon- hard Plow Shop Company. In the fall of 1868, when that firm retired from busi- ness, he removed to Lagonda, which now forms a part of Springfield. Mr. Wood has since continued to reside in Spring- field, with the exception of a short period just after the great Chicago fire, when he went to Chicago, and assisted in the re- building of that city, being employed for some eight months on one building on Madison Street. He then returned to Springfield, where he engaged in contract- ing, and also entered into the real estate business in which he was very successful.

In 1894 Mr. Wood built his present fine country home, which he named Wood- ville, the property at the time of his pur- chase consisting entirely of timberland. He has now retired from business ac- tivities, his two sons continuing the real estate business, in connection with a hard- ware store, which they operate in Spring- field.

During the past seventeen years Mr. Wood has spent much time in Europe, having made thirty-four trips across the Atlantic since 1891. He is the father of seven children, of whom six are still liv-

ing. For each of them he built a fine and commodious house, this magnificent present including also in each case the lot. These children are as follows: Mary E., wife of Frank Holleran; James J., Jr., Harry E., Lily, who is the wife of William Hickens; George, Frank E., and Erin J., the last mentioned of whom died at the age of eighteen years. Mr. Wood is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, at Springfield.

HENRY LEWTON FEIRSTINE,* who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a farm of one hundred and forty-three acres, was born October 30, 1849, and is a son of George and Sarah Ann (Lewton) Feirstine.

George Feirstine was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he worked at carpentering for many years. When a young man he removed to Montgomery County, Ohio, where he worked at his trade until his sons matured, when he engaged in farming, buying our subject's present farm on March 11, 1863. After the marriage of his son, Henry Lewton, he and his wife returned to Montgomery County, where they passed the rest of their lives. He married Sarah Ann Lew- ton, a native of Maryland, and they reared a family of five children, namely: Martha, married Pelasca Fairchilds, now deceased; Dellason P .; Henry Lewton, subject of this sketch; Albert; and Alice (Mrs. J. Folkorth).

Henry L. Feirstine was born in Mont- gomery County, and passed his boyhood days on his grandfather's farm, which was carried on by his father. He sub- sequently came to Clark County with his

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father and settled in Mad River Town- and the suburban lines of Baltimore, ship, where he has since been engaged in general farming and stock-raising, mak- ing a specialty of raising fine hogs. Mr. Feirstine bought his farm, consisting of one hundred and forty-three acres, from the Feirstine heirs and is one of the most successful farmers of the township. He was married March 20, 1877, to Mary Ellen Rockefield, a daughter of John Martin and Mary (Cox) Rockefield. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Feirstine: Cora, who married Clyde Burr and lives in this vicinity; Maude, who lives at home, and Laura, who died at the age of fifteen.

Mr. Feirstine is a Democrat in politics and has served as township trustee of Mad River Township. Fraternally he is an I. O. O. F., and is also connected with the Knights of Pythias.

M. J. LOFTUS,* superintendent of the Ohio Electric Railway Company, with headquarters at Springfield, has had rail- road experience dating from his boyhood. He was born at Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1874, and is a son of the late M. J. Loftus, who was proprietor of the old horse-car street railroad at Wheeling, in 1887.

M. J. Loftus went to school until he was thirteen years of age and then en- tered his father's employ, when the old horse-cars were still valued utilities. In 1890 he went to Pittsburg and entered the employ of the Thompson-Houston Elec- trical Company for one year, after which he took charge of the Brooklyn & Coney Island Repair Shops for a year. He next had charge of the repair shops of the city

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Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 108

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