Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 60

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 60


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).


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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY


JOHN A. YEAZEL, who was one of Moorefield's leading citizens for many years, was born on the old Jacob Yeazel farm, in Moorefield Township, October 10, 1837, and died August 3, 1907. He was a son of Jacob and Ellen (Foley) Yeazel.


Jacob Yeazel was born November 10, 1809, near Todd's Fork, Clinton County, Ohio, and was a son of Abraham and Mary (Curl) Yeazel. He married Ellen Foley, who was born January 14, 1810, a daugh- ter of John and Jane (Reiser) Foley. The Foleys were very early settlers of Moore- field Township, locating here when the country was a wilderness and Indians were numerous. The paternal grand- father of John A. Yeazel, Abraham Yea- zel, was born in Virginia, April 29, 1774, and in October, 1794, was married to Mary Curl, who was born October 30, 1776. It will be seen that this family can be easily traced for several generations, and its members have always been people of high character and useful lives.


The late John A. Yeazel followed agri- cultural pursuits, a large portion of his life having been spent in Moorefield Town- ship. After his first marriage he settled in Madison County, Ohio, but after the death of his wife, several years later, he sold his farm in Madison County and re- turned to Moorefield Township, where he lived for the remainder of his life with the exception of about four years spent in Harmony Township. There he owned 283 acres.


John A. Yeazel was married (first) to Mary A. Baird, who died in Madison County, leaving three children, namely : Sarah, who is the wife of Joseph W. Page; Walter D., who married Lura Snaufer; and Fannie, who married Henry Otstot.


Mr. Yeazel was married (second) to An- geline Hodge, March 14, 1872. Mrs. Yea- zel was born and reared in Pleasant Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is à daughter of Samuel E. and Sevina (Spen- cer) Hodge. Samuel E. Hodge was born in Virginia and was a son of Andrew Hodge, who was the pioneer who came at an early date to Clark County and settled on the farm which has never since been owned by other than a Hodge, it now being the property of Matthew Hodge, the brother of Mrs. Yeazel. When the grandfather came to this section of coun- try and selected the land he wished to enter, he started back to Virginia to bring his money in order to make a payment. He placed the wallet in his saddle-bags, on the back of his trusty horse. When he reached the Ohio River it was in a swollen condition and when Mr. Hodge attempted to swim his horse across, the rapidly flowing current overturned the saddle-bags and the heavy wallet went to the bottom. Many experiences had be- fore this tested the traveler's bravery and ingenuity, and without the loss of a moment he was equal to this call on his powers, and diving to the bottom he se- cured the precious purse which repre- sented, probably, the savings of years.


Mr. and Mrs. Yeazel had one child, Claret B., who married Walter Snaufer. Mr. and Mrs. Snaufer have six children, namely : Blanche B., Ruth E., Sevina E., Edith M., Carl D. and Hazel M.


Sevina (Spencer) Hodge, the mother of Mrs. Yeazel, was a daughter of Matthew Spencer, who was a native of New York. He came with his family to Clark County before any divisions of land had been made and settled before the building of


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the old National Turnpike road. Mrs. Hodge remembers it being constructed when she was a girl.


ROBERT JOHNSON, the subject of this sketch, was born January 20, 1832, in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of James and Helen (Johnston) Johnson.


James Johnson was born in County Donegal, Ireland, and in 1824 he emi- grated to America, bringing with him his family. His objective point was Clark County, where he bought a farm of 100 acres of wild land, south of Springfield. The remainder of his life was taken up with clearing, developing and improving this farm, on which his wife died in 1869 and his death occurred in 1872. They were the parents of eight children.


Robert Johnson attended the district schools of Springfield Township until 1849, when he came to Springfield, leav- ing his brothers to assist his father in operating the farm. He had a natural aptitude for carpenter's and joiner's work, to which he served an apprentice- ship, and later he engaged with his brother in building and contracting at Spring- field until 1865. The oil industry was then springing up in Pennsylvania and he went to that state and became finan- cially interested in the oil fields there. In 1867, Mr. Johnson returned to Spring- field, where he became associated with Amos Whiteley, J. W. Taylor, W. W. Wilson, Walter Craig and others in the organization of The Champion Machine Company, which with added capital and wider trade relations, was to succeed the Whiteley, Fassler and Kelly firm, which


was then manufacturing the Champion reapers and mowers.


Mr. Johnson was made secretary and superintendent of the Champion Machine Company and served as such for fifteen years. When the Champion Malleable Iron Company was formed in 1873, Mr. Johnson became its secretary and a mem- ber of its directing board. In the follow- ing year the Bar and Knife Company was organized by the above concerns, which continued successfully to carry on busi- ness until 1884, and until 1881 Mr. John- son was a member of its board of directors and its secretary. In 1882 Mr. Johnson built a fine block on West Main Street, which has ever since borne his name.


In 1883 Mr. Johnson again became con- nected with large industrial enterprises, acquiring an interest in the manufactur- ing concern of Mast, Foos and Company, of which he was chosen vice-president, and he also later associated himself with the capitalists who organized the Superior Drill Company. This company was in- corporated with a capital stock of $250,000, and Mr. Johnson has served during its existence as its vice-president. The first board of directors of this com- pany were: E. L. Buchwalter, Robert Johnson, C. E. Patric, Thomas F. Mc- Grew and Charles S. Kay. This corpora- tion was a few years ago taken into the American Seeding Company, and forms the Superior Drill division of that com- bination of manufacturing plants, Mr. Johnson retiring from active service therein. In 1892 he acquired an interest in the Hoppes Manufacturing Company, of which he is vice-president, and is also a large stockholder in the Foos Gas En- gine Company, of which he was formerly


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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY


vice-president. He has been more or less concerned in the growth and success of many other lesser concerns. He is a di- rector and stockholder in the Springfield Coal and Ice Company, which manufact- ured the first artificial ice used here. Mr. Johnson owns a large amount of real es- tate and he has done much to improve the city and add to its business facilities. In 1902 he built the first steel skeleton struct- ure in Springfield, a magnificent brick structure on High Street, between Lime- stone and Fountain Avenue, five stories high, with a frontage of 100 feet and a depth of 145 feet, which is utilized as the Edward Wren department store. He owns a beautiful home at No. 580 East High Street.


Mr. Johnson was married to Adelaide T. Humphreys, and they have the follow- ing children: Effie, who married K. M. Burton; Nellie, who became the wife of Randolph Coleman; Frank C., who is vice- president of the American Seeding Com- pany; Clara, who married A. M. Mc- Knight; Jessie, who married Luther L. Buchwalter; and Benjamin P., who is con- nected with the American Seeding Com- pany. The family belong to the High Street Methodist Episcopal Church. For many years Mr. Johnson has been a trus- tee of the church and of Ferncliff Ceme- tery. He has always been prominent in the city's benevolent work and in spite of his absorbing business interests, has never neglected civic duties or evaded a citizen's responsibilities.


GEORGE DEAN, one of Harmony Township's best-known citizens, residing on his well-cultivated farm of twenty-one


and a half acres, was born in New Jersey, April 11, 1847, and is a son of Alexander and Ellen (Robbins) Dean, and a grand- son of Alexander and Lydia Dean.


The Dean family came to Clark County in 1859. There were nine children born to the parents of George Dean, as fol- lows: Clorinda, Lydia, William, Mary, Charlotta, Rachel, George, Alice and Emeline. Clorinda married Edward Shreeves and they had five children. Lydia married Thomas Way and they had three children. William married Sarah Hahnley, who at death left a family of children. Charlotta is the widow of John Smith and the mother of seven chil- dren. Rachel, deceased, is survived by her husband, Bruce Reese, and several children. Mary married Harry Walker and they have twelve children. Alice married James Todd. Emeline married John Thompson and they have five chil- dren.


George Dean was twelve years old when his parents came to Clark County and here he obtained his education. In 1906 he purchased his present property. In 1874 he was married in Clark County to Phebe Hatfield and they have two chil- dren, namely: John H., who was born October 12, 1876, resides in Oregon; and E. Luella, who was born in 1880. In 1904 she was married to Thomas N. Jones.


Mrs. Dean was born in Clark County, Ohio, August 11, 1843, and is a daughter of John and Eva (Garlough) Hatfield. John Hatfield was born April 3, 1798, and died June 16, 1883. His wife was born January 24, 1801, and died June 25, 1881. They were married in 1821 and had the following children: John G., Samuel C.,


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James T., Margaret, Nathaniel, William, Nancy, Mary E., Martin, Augustus, Michael and Phebe. John G. Hatfield was born in 1821 and died February 15, 1908. He married Anna Strong and they had the following children: William, George, Martin, Jefferson, Malissa and Sarah E. Samuel, deceased, married Elizabeth Hause and they had children as follows: John, Frank, Scott, James, Sarah, Ida and Ella. Augustus Hatfield enlisted as a sharpshooter, in 1861, in the Sixty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the service until he was mustered out at Springfield, Illinois, in 1865. He participated in many important battles, including Fort Donelson, Chatta- nooga, Shiloh, Lovejoy Station, and was with General Sherman's forces in the March on Atlanta and participated in the grand review at Washington City. Mar- tin Hatfield married Delilah Webb and they have two children, Frank and Charles. Michael Hatfield was also a soldier in the Civil War. He married Mary E. Carroll and they have two chil- dren, Nancy Eva and Minnie. The other members of the family, with the exception of Mrs. Dean, died when young.


In 1864 Mr. Dean enlisted for service in the Civil War as a member of the Seven- ty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, and before he was discharged, in 1865, at San Antonio, Texas, he saw some very hard fighting, taking part in the bat- tles of Nashville and Franklin. He and his wife are members of the M. P. Church in Pitchin.


SAMUEL H. PENQUITE, proprietor of the Hill Top Stock Farm in Pike Town-


ship, Clark County, Ohio, is a well known resident of Dialton, where he has lived for the past thirteen years. He comes of an old established family in America, both paternal and maternal ancestors having come to this country during Colo- nial days. He was born on the home farm in Warren County, Ohio, July 4, 1856, and is a son of William and Julia Ann (Ford) Penquite, and a grandson of James and Elizabeth (Urton) Penquite.


James Penquite was born October 7, 1782, in Virginia, to which place his father had come from England at a very early day. In the fall of 1816 he moved with his wife and two children to Warren County, Ohio, where he settled in the woods. He died there December 15, 1835. He was married to Elizabeth Urton, who was born in Virginia, January 9, 1787, and died in Warren County, Ohio, July 2, 1871. They had the following children : William, an unnamed infant, Nancy, John, Thomas, Andrew Jackson, Eliza- beth, James and Alexander, all now de- ceased.


William Penquite was born in Shenan- doah County, Virginia, October 12, 1811, and was about five years of age when brought to Ohio by his parents, who lo- cated in Warren County at a time when the country was still wild. Deer and other wild game abounded, and were often seen from their cabin, which was erected in the woods. Being the eldest of the children, and left fatherless while still young, the burdens of the head of the house fell on his shoulders. He worked hard to clear up the farm, which he de- veloped into a good property, and resided in Warren County the remainder of his life, except the last two years, which were


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spent in Clarksville, Clinton County. He who was born in Virginia and was a was married April 18, 1839, to Julia Ann Ford, who was born February 24, 1817, and was a daughter of Elijah and Jerusha (Kibby) Ford. Her mother was a daugh- ter of Captain Ephriam Kibby, the noted Indian fighter about Cincinnati, who was located at Ft. Washington during the war with the British. Mrs. Penquite died December 20, 1888, and was survived a few years by her husband, who died No- vember 4, 1891. Eleven children blessed their union: Frank, Jerusha, Nancy E., one who died in infancy, John W., Nathaniel P. and Mary M., twins, Elijah F., Alexander M., Samuel H. and Anna M. The survivors are: Jerusha, John TV., Samuel H. and Anna M.


Samuel H. Penquite was born on the home farm in Warren County and re- ceived a liberal education in the district school and through night study at home. He afterward taught school for nine years in his home county. He then turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, at which he has made a success. In 1895 he moved to Dialton, Pike Township, where he and wife have twenty-five acres, which place is known as the Hill Top Stock Farm. Together they own 225 acres sit- uated in Pike Township, Clark County, and in Jackson Township, Champaign County. Mr. Penquite has raised stock extensively in the past, making a special- ty of Poland China hogs. He is a man with numerous other interests, being a notary public, a representative of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and agent for monuments for D. M. Bunnell & Company, of Urbana.


On November 24, 1883, Mr. Penquite was married (first) to Matilda Orndorff,


daughter of Elisha F. and Margaret (Mc- Elwee) Orndorff, both of Virginia. She died July 5, 1892, leaving a son, Pearl, who is a graduate of the Lawrenceville High School. Mr. Penquite was married (second) December 1, 1895, to Mrs. Emma Frances (Michael) Callison. She was born in Dialton and is a daughter of William and Catherine (Friermood) Michael, both natives of Clark County. William Michael was born October 2, 1828, and spent all but four and one-half years here, that time being passed in In- diana, and died in Clark County in 1885. He was married June 22, 1851, to Cathe- rine Friermood, who was born near Tre- mont City, Clark County, Ohio, and died at Dialton in 1900. They had but one child, Emma Frances. The latter was first married October 4, 1881, to George Callison, who died January 1, 1889, leav- ing two children: William C., who died at eighteen months, and Glenna C., wife of Earl D. Covell, a civil engineer in the service of the United States Government, who is stationed at Ft. Thomas, Ken- tucky.


Mr. and Mrs. Penquite are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which her father was a local preacher for many years, and of which Mr. Penquite is sec- retary, treasurer and trustee. She is an active worker in the W. C. T. U. Fra- ternally, Mr. Penquite is a member of the Urbana Lodge No. 764, I. O. O. F .; Mad River Council No. 56, Junior Order United American Mechanics; Logan Castle No. 1, K. of G. E., at Springfield.


In his views on public matters, he is a Prohibitionist.


-


HEZEKIAH R. GEIGER, PH. D., D. D.


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HEZEKIAH R. GEIGER, Ph. D., D. D., was one of the founders of Wit- tenberg College, at Springfield, a member of its first faculty, and for many years he was recognized not only as a power in the Lutheran Church, but as one of the leading men of literary and scientific at- tainment in Ohio.


Dr. Geiger was born January 10, 1820, at Greencastle, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Henry and Julia (Rheubush) Geiger. Charles Geiger, the paternal grandfather of Dr. Geiger, was born in Germany and became a resident of Montgomery County, Penn- sylvania, in 1772. He served, from Phila- delphia, in the Revolutionary War.


Henry Geiger, father of Dr. Geiger, was born in 1789, in Montgomery County, where he resided until the War of 1812, when he joined General Scott's division, and participated in the battles of Chip- pewa Plains and Lundy's Lane. He was with Commodore Perry on Lake Erie, being aboard one of the ships which an- chored at Put-in-Bay, and assisted in burying the dead whose dust lies there. After an honorable discharge, Henry Gei- ger settled in Franklin County, Pennsyl- vania, where he remained until 1833, when he removed with his family to Columbiana County, Ohio. In 1834 he migrated to Holmes County, and in 1851 to Cham- paign County. He died at the home of his son in Springfield, in 1861.


In 1815 Henry Geiger married Julia Rheubush, who was born and reared at Hagerstown, Maryland, and died in Cham- paign County, August 31, 1854. They had twelve children, eleven of whom were sons. Seven of the latter became eminent in professional life, the last survivor of


these being Rev. Andrew Geiger, who died on Palm Sunday, 1905, at Kansas City, Missouri.


Dr. Hezekiah R. Geiger accompanied his parents to Ohio but completed his col- legiate course in the Pennsylvania Col- lege, in 1846. After coming to Spring- field, he became associated with Rev. Ezra Keller, D. D., and Michael Diehl, and they founded that institution of learning, Wit- tenberg College, which has since been an important adjunct of the Lutheran Church. He filled the chairs of Latin, natural science and mathematics in the new college during its earlier years, but subsequently confined his instruction to natural science alone, and from 1873 until his death, which occurred July 18, 1899, he remained interested in scientific inves- tigations. In 1882 he resigned his posi- tion as a member of the faculty at Witten- berg College, so as to have more time in which to pursue his favorite work. In 1874 he had visited the Pacific coast and the Sandwich Islands, as a scientist, and after accepting a position on the United States Geological Survey, in charge of the Blue Ridge Division, in 1883, he pursued his investigations through Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia, and through his careful, painstaking, thorough work, prepared data which have been the basis for subsequent geological work in these regions. He made many important liter- ary contributions to the secular, as well as religious press and ably edited the Lutheran Evangelist for a protracted period.


Dr. Geiger was married December 14, 1854, to Nancy Melvina Hartford, who was born in West Virginia, and who died September 30, 1900. She was a lady of


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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY


high mental attainments and was well qualified to be the companion of her learned husband. They had seven chil- dren, namely : Alice M., who was the first woman graduated at Wittenberg College, completing the course in 1879; Charles A., who is manager of the Troy Wagon Works, at Troy, Ohio; Lizzie G., whose husband, A. D. Hosterman, is president and general manager of the Poultry Suc- cess Company and also conducts an in- surance business at Room 39, on the north- west corner of Main and Limestone Streets, residing at No. 312 Woodlawn Avenue; Anna L., who is the wife of J. N. Garver, who is engaged in a real estate business at Springfield, residing at No. 206 Ferncliff avenue; Harry M., residing at Canton, Ohio; Ella L., who occupies the old family home, with her sister Alice, which was built in 1853 by their father, at No. 3 Ferncliff Avenue; and Hon. Frank W., who is serving in his sec- ond term as probate judge of Clark County.


While Dr. Geiger accepted no political office, he served on many civic and edu- cational boards. Education, charity, re- ligion, all found a place in his heart and life.


ENOS WILLIAM XANDERS, resid- ing in the village of Lawrenceville, Clark County, Ohio, has been identified with the farming interests of German Township during the greater part of his life and for twenty years has been a member of Clark County Board of Agriculture, during two years of which he was president of that body. He was born August 8, 1861, on his father's farm in German Township,


south of Lawrenceville, and is a son of William and Susanna (Baker) Xanders.


William Xanders was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, May 7, 1824, and was a son of John and Magda- lena (Baker) Xanders, his father having come to Clark County at a very early period. Amid the hardships and trials of pioneer life, he grew to maturity, re- ceiving but a meager educational train- ing in the primitive schools of that period. After his marriage he rented a farm for a few years, and then, with the capital which had been acquired through the labors of himself and wife, 130 acres of land, upon which he thereafter made his home until his death, on January 4, 1878. A man of ability and good judgment, he acquired other properties, some of which he afterward sold, and at the time of his death owned 320 acres in Carter County, Missouri, which still remains in the fam- ily name.


On August 9, 1849, William Xanders was joined in marriage with Susanna Baker, who was born in German Town- ship June 18, 1828, and was a daughter of John and Susanna (Nawman) Baker, early settlers here. They became parents of the following children: Sarah, wife of Taylor Seifert of Springfield; Isabella C., wife of Edward M. Patterson of Spring- field; Mary E., wife of Daniel F. Shafer; Enos William; Emma A., wife of John H. Foreman of Springfield; and Susanna J., wife of O. W. Flick of German Township. Mr. Xanders was always a Democrat in politics, but never held nor sought office. His death was mourned as a sad loss to the community where he had always lived.


Enos W. Xanders was reared on the old homestead and attended the common


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schools of his home district. At the age of eighteen years he began teaching school in District No. 7, German Township, and continued for three years. After his mar- riage, in 1882, he engaged in farming the home place until 1887, then moved to Law- renceville, where he conducted a general store for ten years. During the adminis- tration of President Cleveland he was ap- pointed postmaster of that village, serv- ing in that capacity until the office was abandoned to make way for the rural free delivery which had been established. Finding his health was failing because of too close confinement, he sold out his store and for a period of five years traveled in the interests of a fertilizer company, after which he returned to the farm. He farmed in a most successful manner until 1907, when he again moved to Lawrence- ville, where he now lives.


Mr. Xanders was married September 21, 1882, to Anna C. Ballentine, daughter of James V. and Rosanna (Domer) Bal- lentine, and they have five children: Blanche, born August 19, 1883, married Jerome Michael and has two children: Mabel and Edith; Clyde, who graduated from Wittenberg College in 1906, was born March 21, 1885, and is teaching Ger- man and Latin in German Township High School; Claude, born June 1, 1887, re- sides in Bay City, Texas ; Ruth, born April 20, 1893; and Cleon, born March 7, 1889. Mr. Xanders is a Democrat in politics and has served eight years as a member of the Board of Education. In 1888 he was elected a member of the Clark County Board of Agriculture, and has been re- elected each succeeding year. He has done much to advance the agricultural interests of this section of the State, and to im-


prove the condition of farm life. He is a man of recognized ability and enjoys the highest respect and esteem of his fellow citizens, among whom he has lived for so long a time. Fraternally he is a member of Springfield Lodge No. 33, I. O. O. F., and Donnell's Creek Council No. 121, J. O. U. A. M.


P. P. CRABILL, president of the Cen- tral Brass and Fixture Company, one of the prominent manufacturing concerns of Springfield, has been a resident of Clark County, Ohio, all his life. He was born in Springfield Township, in 1879, and is a son of John Crabill.


John Crabill, an influential farmer and landowner of Springfield Township, was also born in Clark County, in 1848, and is a son of Thomas V. Crabill. The lat- ter was born in Virginia and in 1816, dur- ing his boyhood days, came west to Clark County, Ohio. He farmed and dealt ex- tensively in stock, becoming one of the largest landowners in the county and a man of prominence.




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