USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 62
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James Blaine Mitchell, father of Ross, was born at Carlisle, in Cumberland County, and removed from there to Day- ton, Ohio, May 7, 1836. His first work was on the Third Street Canal in Dayton, after which he operated the Patterson saw-mills for almost two years. He was a carpenter and builder and also under- stood practical mill work, and on Feb- ruary 7th, 1838, he rented the Woodbury Mills, then known as the Schartle Mills, located on Mad River, which he operated until February 7th, 1840, when he re- moved to Medway. After a residence of nine years at the latter point, he removed to Hertzler's Mills, where both he and his wife died. They had eight children, of whom Ross was the eldest and is now the only surviving member of the family. The children all died young but three, Ross, James and Margaret-James and Margaret died in Paris, Illinois.
Mr. Mitchell has spent almost his whole life in the State of Ohio, being eleven years
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of age when the family settled at Dayton. During his father's lifetime he assisted him in the saw-mills, and later filled the double position of mill operator and clerk in a general store adjacent to and owned by the proprietor of the mills. When the latter (Mr. Hertzler) disposed of his interests there and removed to Springfield, Mr. Mitchell accompanied him and probably through his good offices obtained clerical work in the strange town. In November, 1854, he became as- sistant bookkeeper for the firm of Ward- er, Brokaw & Childs, and in the following year, chief bookkeeper for the firm. In 1865 he was admitted to partnership, when the firm became Warder, Mitchell & Company, Mr. Childs retiring. The busi- ness of this firm was the manufacture of farm implements, especially reapers and mowers. In 1866 additional capital and influence came into the business with the admission of General A. S. Bushnell as a partner. In 1881 Mr. Mitchell withdrew, disposing of his interests, and, as his health, especially his eyesight, was poor, he took a season of restful travel.
Mr. Mitchell, however, was not ready to permanently retire from business, where he had met with so much success, and in which field he had become so influential and so largely concerned. For some years he dealt extensively in real estate and subsequently became interested with the firm of Welsh & Dodson in the manu- facture of linseed oil, but this enterprise was absorbed by the National Linseed Oil Company. Mr. Mitchell has been con- nected either as a stockholder or director, often as both, with the following impor- tant business organizations :
Springfield Metallic Casket Company, the Mast Manufacturing Company, the Philip Wiseman Hardware Company, the Gas Light and Coke Company, the Kansas Kanapolis Land Company, the Royal Salt Company, of Kanapolis; the First Na- tional Bank, of Springfield; the Fire- man's Insurance Company, of Dayton, and the Citizens' Street Railway Com- pany, of which last mentioned company he was president.
Mr. Mitchell, in 1882-3, erected the five- story Mitchell Block on the corner of High and Limestone Streets, Springfield, which is one of the most substantial and imposing business blocks of the city. He owns somewhere approaching 2,600 acres of fine land in Clark County, 2,100 acres in Champaign County, Ohio, and a large acreage in Central Kansas. A monument to Mr. Mitchell's philanthropy and public spirit is found in the great charity known as the Mitchell and Thomas Hos- pital, which was a gift to the city of Springfield, made by Mr. Mitchell in as- sociation with the late J. H. Thomas.
Mr. Mitchell was married, first, in 1851, to Catherine Ann Miller, who died Sep- tember 12, 1878. She was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, February 20, 1827, and was a daughter of Caspar and Susan (Wirtz) Miller. To this mar- riage were born five children, the sur- vivors being: Effie J., who married Prof. E. L. Shuey; Fannie, who married Rev. G. P. Raup, and Anna Mary, who became the wife of Rev. S. E. Greenawalt. In 1881 Mr. Mitchell married for his second wife Sarah A. Keller, who was born in Maryland, September 16, 1845, and who is a daughter of the late Rev. Ezra and The Caroline (Routzahn) Keller, the former
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of whom was the founder and first presi- dent of Wittenberg College.
As a public man of broad scope, Mr. Mitchell always has taken an interest in civic affairs, and served two years as a member of the City Council, from the Eighth Ward. Both he and wife are members of the Second Lutheran Church, in which he is an elder.
LAFAYETTE R. LUTZ, township trustee and owner of fifty acres of land in Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio, is numbered with the representative men of this section. He was born on the old home farm, in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, April 29, 1862, and is a son of John and Eliza (Morris) Lutz, and a grandson of Michael and Mary (Bowman) Lutz.
Michael Lutz and wife were both of Ger- man descent and at a very early period came from Virginia to Ohio with their little family, and settled in the woods of German Township, Clark County, where they passed the remainder of their lives, both passing away at an advanced age. They were the parents of five children: Sarah (Mrs. A. Neese), deceased; Mary (Mrs. R. Zirkle), deceased; Amanda (Mrs. D. Zirkle) ; John; Isaac, deceased, and Mrs. C. Patterson.
John Lutz was born in Virginia and when a boy of four years came to Ohio with his parents, who settled on a tract of timberland in German Township. There he was reared and he assisted his father in clearing up 208 acres of land. He followed farming throughout his act- ive career, remaining on the home place, which he subsequently inherited, until late in life. He married Eliza Morris, who
was born and reared near Tremont, Ger- man Township, where her parents had lo- cated at an early period. She died in 1888 and is survived by her husband, who lives with their son, Lafayette R. John Lutz and wife were the parents of eleven children, five of whom died young. Those living are as follows: Frances, wife of Frank Ziegler; Lafayette; Alice, wife of Martin Baker; Charles; Clara, wife of William Blumbershine; and Sidney.
Lafayette R. Lutz grew to man's estate in his native section and received his edu- cational training in the district schools of the township. He has always followed farming, and following his marriage he rented the Samuel Freeze farm in Ger- man Township for seven years, then bought his present farm of fifty acres from Aaron Rust. The land consists of two tracts, forty acres upon which he lives, and ten acres lying just south of the residence property. Here he has en- gaged in general farming ever since, and he also deals extensively in tile for ditch- ing.
On October 25, 1885, Mr. Lutz was mar- ried to Mary E. Rust, who is a daughter of David and Phoebe (Cost) Rust. Mrs. Rust died when Mrs. Lutz was but seven years old, but Mr. Rust survives. He was born in 1834 near Mr. Lutz' present farm. Mrs. Lutz is the eldest of three children, and the only daughter. She has two brothers: Albert and William. Mr. and Mrs. Lutz became the parents of three children : Orris, who died aged two years; Blanche, and Robert.
In politics Mr. Lutz is a Democrat and has served in the office of township trus- tee continuously since 1899. He is a mem- ber of the Reformed Church at Dialton,
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in which he is both deacon and treasurer. He has been a member of the Knights of Pythias order of Northampton for the old patients and the citizens in general, past eighteen years. and here he has engaged in practice ever since. He belongs to the Ohio State Med- ical Society and through medical litera- ture keeps closely in touch with all ad- vances made in medical science.
JOHN H. REYNOLDS, M. D., physi- cian and surgeon at Lawrenceville, is a prominent citizen of German Township and is well known all over Clark County. He was born August 8, 1848, in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Henry and Julia Ann (Mckinney) Reynolds.
Henry Reynolds, father of Dr. Rey- nolds, was born in Montgomery County, Virginia, in 1816, and in 1827 accompanied his parents to Clark County, Ohio, where he was reared. He married Julia Ann Mckinney and they continued to reside in Green Township until 1850, when they re- moved to a farm in Springfield Township. On that farm Dr. Reynolds grew to man- hood, and obtained his education in the country schools. Profiting by the advan- tages afforded, he became an acceptable teacher, teaching six years in Springfield and Harmony Townships and one term in Delaware County, Indiana. In 1872 he began the study of medicine, with Dr. H. F. Wildasin, at Plattsburg, Clark Coun- ty, and after two years with him, Dr. Rey- nolds entered the Eclectic Medical Insti- tute, at Cincinnati, where he was gradu- ated in 1876.
After receiving his diploma, Dr. Rey- nolds soon entered into practice at Law- renceville, where he remained for five years. In 1881 he removed to Springfield, where he practiced for four years, going from there to West Jefferson, Madison County, where he remained four years
more. In the spring of 1890 he returned to Lawrenceville, warmly welcomed by his
During the summer of 1876, Dr. Rey- nolds was married to Sarah Jane Ballen- tine, who is a daughter of James V. Bal- lentine, an old pioneer of Lawrenceville. James V. Ballentine was born in Cumber- land County, Pennsylvania, October 15, 1823, and is a son of William and Nancy (Nail) Ballentine. In 1831, the parents of Mr. Ballentine left their old home in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio, journey- ing over the mountains and fording the streams in huge wagons. The family drove through what was then the village of Springfield and settled on a farm which is now included in the corporate limits of Dayton, Ohio. They resided on that farm until the fall of 1832, when they came into Clark County. The first of the Bal- lentine family to venture into Ohio was Robert Ballentine, an older brother of James V., who settled at Dayton in 1828. It was through his urgent messages that the other members of the family came to this State. Other old neighbors had also settled in Montgomery County and one, Henry Snyder, had located in Clark Coun- ty. The Ballentines came first to Clark County on a visit to Henry Snyder and they were so well pleased with the climate and soil that Mr. Ballentine needed little urging from their old neighbor to decide to invest near him in Clark County, and for the first year lived on a part of Mr. Snyder's farm at Snyder's Mills. He
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then bought a farm of 160 acres, which was situated about one mile northwest of Lawrenceville, on what is now the Bal- lentine road. John Ballentine, a brother of James V., kept a hotel and store at Tremont, and a brother-in-law, a Mr. Dar- nell, kept a large store at the same point and was also a school-teacher.
For two years James V. Ballentine went to school at Tremont, living there from 1856 until 1858. His father built a large brick house on his farm about this time and James V. went home to assist in its construction. Shortly afterward his father bought forty additional acres. Mr. Ballentine had been married in 1853 and some time afterward he bought a farm adjoining that of his father, on which he lived until 1876, when he moved to Law- renceville. For nine years he taught school and still takes a deep interest in educational matters in German Township. For twenty-eight years he was a member of the German Township School Board, and is one of the three survivors of the earnest body of men who founded the German Township High School in 1874. The two other members are Isaac Greist and George Johnston. During many years Mr. Ballentine dealt largely in live-stock. During his active years he took a deep interest in local political movements, be- ing a stanch Democrat, and frequently was elected to township offices. For three years he was collector of revenue for Moorefield, German and Pike Townships and for ten years was assessor. He has been one of the leading public-spirited citizens of this section, taking an interest in improving the highways, in developing the country and in promoting educational enterprises.
On August 20, 1853, Mr. Ballentine was married to Rosanna Domer, who was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, of Maryland parentage. They had five children, namely: Edwin Porter, who died aged six months; Charles Forrest, who is engaged in teaching in Green Coun- ty; Sarah Jane, who married Dr. John H. Reynolds; Nancy Ann, who married Enos Xander, a prominent farmer of Law- renceville and a member of the Clark County Agricultural Board; and Marion Seymour, who is a grocery merchant in Champaign County. Mr. and Mrs. Bal- lentine have been married for fifty-five years. They both are in the enjoyment of good health. They reside with Dr. and Mrs. Reynolds, honored and beloved mem- bers of the family.
Dr. and Mrs. Reynolds have two chil- dren, namely: Edgar L., a telegraph op- erator by profession, who is now con- nected with the office force of the superin- tendent of the James Leffel Company, at Springfield, married Ada Cook; and Julia Ann, who is stenographer and cashier for the Bay City Land Company, at Bay City, Texas.
Dr. Reynolds is identified with the Dem- ocratic party. In 1891 he was elected township clerk, was re-elected in 1892 and again in 1900, and has served continuously ever since, in 1907 being again re-elected for a term of two years. For twenty- seven years he has been an Odd Fellow and is past grand of the Springfield lodge.
WILLIAM FOOS, formerly president of the Second National Bank at Spring- field, the founder of the village of Foos- land, Illinois, and a citizen of enterprise
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who devoted time and capital to many William Foos became a member of the public-spirited movements both in this and other localities, was born in 1814, in Franklin, now West Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, and is a son of General Jo- seph and Margaret (Phifer) Foos.
From the age of fourteen years, Will- iam Foos displayed business capacity. About that time he rented land from his grandfather and successfully engaged for a time in its cultivation, and although other interests and occupations concerned him through many years of his subsequent life, he always kept in touch with agricul- tural pursuits and retained farming lands which it was his delight to improve. Dur- ing early manhood he embarked in mer- cantile enterprises both at Springfield and in Logan and Madison Counties, and dur- ing his time of residence in the latter county, he improved a farm. From 1846 until 1854 he was interested in a mercan- tile business at Springfield, but during this time he was also concerned in other enterprises. He was a man of great fore- sight and most excellent commercial com- prehension, and as he saw other avenues where investments of capital promised favorable returns, he knew how to use his means and reap certain advantages. In association with his brother, the late Gus- tavus Foos, he bought a large tract of land for a merely nominal sum, and this is now one of the most valuable additions to Springfield. It was but one of many successful enterprises.
The banking house which was estab- lished by William and Gustavus Foos, in 1859, in 1863 became the Second National Bank of Springfield. Of this institution, William Foos was president and his son, Fergus W. Foos, was cashier. In 1866
manufacturing firm of James Leffel & Company, with which he remained con- nected for a period of ten years. At the time of his death, Mr. Foos was inter- ested in the development of a magnificent estate of 4,000 acres of land, which he owned in Champaign County, Illinois. The prosperous village of Foosland, in that county, was named in his honor and he laid it out and generously endowed it.
In 1837 William Foos married Sarah Mark, who was a daughter of James and Nancy (Van Kirk) Mark, of Madison County, Ohio.
Mr. Foos died in February, 1892, at his home in Springfield, Ohio.
EMANUEL JACOB MARTIN, resid- ing on a farm of seventy-five and one-half acres situated about five miles south of Springfield, Ohio, is one of the best known residents of Green Township. He was born in Maryland, September 12, 1867, is a son of Christian and Sarah E. (Bowers) Martin, and a grandson of Emanuel and Anna (Doyle) Martin. His grandparents both died in Maryland, the grandfather at the age of eighty-one years and his wife at sixty-six.
Christian Martin, the father, was born in Washington County, Maryland, Octo- ber 20, 1836, and was there reared, and educated in the common schools. He worked on the home farm until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he was married, and his father, who had granted him remuneration from the time he reached majority, at that time handed him over five hundred dollars accumulated wages. With this sum for a start he set
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up housekeeping and for a period of five years rented a farm, with what success may be judged from the fact that at the time he moved to Clark County, Ohio, in 1869 he was possessed of five thousand dollars. He purchased eighty acres in Green Township, on which he lived six- teen years, then purchased an additional eighty acres in that township, which there- after was his home until he retired from active business and moved to the city of Springfield, to enjoy the fruits of an in- dustrious and well spent life. He has a comfortable home at 1322 South Lime- stone Street, and in addition to the prop- erties named above has 160 acres lying between the Springfield pikes in Green Township.
On December 10, 1843, Christian Martin was united in marriage with Sarah E. Bowers, who also was born in Washing- ton County, Maryland, and who is a daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Ber- gesser) Bowers. The following children blessed their home: Harvey Grant, Silas Clinton, Emanuel Jacob, John Henry, Charles Lewis, who died in infancy, Mary Catherine, Albert Lewis, and Jessie Lulu. Mr. Martin is a Republican in politics, whilst in religious attachment he is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Emanuel Jacob Martin was about two years of age when his parents came to Green Township and'here he was reared to maturity, receiving his educational training in the school at Clifton. Upon leaving school he engaged in farming near Springfield for sixteen years, then pur- chased his present place in Green Town- ship. He has a finely improved property, which he farms according to modern and
approved methods, and has met with un- qualified success.
Mr. Martin was united in marriage with Miss Anna German, a daughter of B. German, who was formerly the owner of the farm now owned by Mr. Martin. Five children were born to them-Ernest F., Lola, Walter, Jennie, and Lewis. Polit- ically, he is a Prohibitionist. Religiously, he is a member of the Third Lutheran Church.
JAMES F. RANKIN, a highly re- spected citizen and influential business man of South Charleston, who has been prominently identified with the banking interests of this locality for a number of years, was born here November 24, 1861, and is a son of John and Charity A. (Full- erton) Rankin, and a grandson of James Rankin.
James Rankin, the grandfather, was born in 1780 in Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland, and came to Madison County, Ohio, in 1815, and here was accidentally killed by a train in 1857. He married Margaret Truitt and they reared a fam- ily of eight children, of whom John, father of James F., was the second eldest. John Rankin was born December 18, 1811, in Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland, and in 1815 accompanied his parents to Clark County, Ohio, and located seven miles east of South Charleston, in Madi- son County, residing there until 1845, when he came to South Charleston. He was united in marriage with Charity Full- erton, a daughter of James Fullerton, and they reared a family of three children- Stacy B., James F., and Ella M., who died in 1887.
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James F. Rankin has spent his entire life in South Charleston, receiving his educational training in the public schools of the town and in Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity at Delaware, Ohio. At the age of twenty he entered the banking busi- ness, in which he has continued ever since, being at this time vice president of the London Exchange Bank Company, of London, Ohio, and cashier of the Bank of South Charleston, St. Charleston, Ohio.
Mr. Rankin was appointed trustee of the combined Normal and Industrial In- stitute at Wilberforce by Governor Nash, and served as such for a period of five years, when he resigned and was ap- pointed, by Governor Herrick, a member of the Ohio Fish and Game Commission. He was re-appointed to that office by Gov- ernor Harris and is still serving in that capacity. Politically, Mr. Rankin is a Re- publican. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Masonic order, in which he was inaster for two terms, and has filled all the offices of that order.
Mr. Rankin was married in 1894 to Nettie Kemper, a daughter of James S. and Frances (Gasper) Kemper, and to them have been born two children-John M., and Kemper.
Stacy B. Rankin, president of the Bank of South Charleston, was born in South Charleston and has always been a resi- dent of this city, obtaining his education in the public schools. Mr. Rankin has al- ways been interested in the banking af- fairs of this locality, and is recognized as one of the leading and substantial busi- ness men of the town. He has been sec- retary of the Ohio Bankers' Association since its organization in 1891. At the time of the St. Louis World's Fair he was
appointed executive commissioner of Ohio by Governor Nash, having charge of all the Ohio interests at the fair. Mr. Ran- kin was appointed receiver when the Washington Traction Company failed.
Politically, he supports the Republican party and represented Clark County in the Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth General Assemblies. Fraternally, he is a Mason and attends the Presbyterian Church of South Charleston. Mr. Ran- kin was joined in marriage with Miss Fan- nie Kemper, of Dayton, and they have two children-Marquis Kemper and S. Barcroft.
JOHN W. BURK, a representative business man of Springfield and one of the leading flour and mill men of the United States, is president of The Ansted & Burk Company, manufacturers at Springfield of the highest grades of flour produced. Mr. Burk was born in 1850, in Canada, but since the age of nineteen years he has been a resident of the United States.
Mr. Burk was educated in his own province in his native land and before leaving there had acquired a knowledge of milling. He followed milling for some years in Michigan, at Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Coldwater and other points, and at different places through the West. In July, 1897, he came to Springfield, pur- chasing the Warder & Barnett mill plant, which is the oldest one in this section. In 1902 the business was reorganized and was incorporated as The Ansted & Burk Com- pany. The present officers are: John W. Burk, president; E. W. Ansted, vice president; George W. Ansted, treasurer ;
HON. OLIVER S. KELLY
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capital stock is $100,000. The plant is equipped with modern machinery of the best kind and has a capacity of 1,000 bar- rels a day. It has become one of Spring- field's most prosperous industries. Mr. Burk is serving in his second term as president of the Millers' National Federa- tion. He served for two years as the able president of the Springfield Board of Trade.
In 1875, Mr. Burk was married to Ida Negus, a native of Massachusetts, and they have two daughters: Helen M. and Mabel, the latter of whom is the wife of R. D. Patton. Mr. Burk is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason.
JOSEPH M. WADDLE, one of the rep- resentative agriculturists of Green Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, and owner of a farm of 163 acres, located six miles south of Springfield, was born December 30, 1839, in Ohio County, Virginia, and is a son of William and Maria (McMecham) Waddle.
The father, William, was born July 12, 1806, in Ohio County, Virginia, within half a mile of the birthplace of the sub- ject of this sketch, and there lived until 1865, when he came to Clark County, Ohio, and settled on the farm our subject now owns, and where he died in 1877. His parents were natives of Ireland, who im- migrated to this country at a very early. period, locating in Ohio County, Virginia, where they engaged in agricultural pur- suits. The mother of Joseph M. Waddle, in maidenhood, Miss Maria McMecham, was native of Belmont County, Ohio, where she was born July 12, 1812. Her
and R. D. Patton, secretary. The parents came from Ireland to this country in 1801 and operated a hotel for many years on the National Road, in that coun- ty. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Waddle, namely: John M., a resi- dent of New York; Joseph M., our sub- ject; Mary Jane, who was drowned in 1866; Susan M .; Rachel; W. A .; an infant died unnamed; and Anna Bell, deceased.
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