USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 63
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Joseph M. Waddle was reared in Vir- ginia and there obtained his educational training. In 1865 he came with his par- ents to Clark County, Ohio, and remained at home until 1870, after which he spent the greater part of twelve years in Greene County, Ohio. Upon his return to Clark County he located upon his present farm, which was purchased by his father on coming to Ohio. Here Mr. Waddle has since resided, engaged in general farm- ing, and is one of the substantial and highly respected farmers of Green Town- ship.
Mr. Waddle was joined in the bonds of matrimony with Martha Belle Taylor, a daughter of John Taylor of Clark County, and to them have been born five sons and three daughters, as follows: Nellie May ; Luella F .; William T .; Mary Jessica ; John Elmer; Forrest K .; Harry A .; and Roy M. Roy and Nellie reside at home. In politics Mr. Waddle is an ardent Re- publican, and is religiously a member of the United Presbyterian Church.
HON. OLIVER S. KELLY. The late Oliver S. Kelly was one of the citizens of Springfield whose energy, foresight and enterprise contributed very largely to the upbuilding of this city, of which he was a continuous resident from 1856 until his
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death, April 9, 1904. He was born in Fassler & Kelly, a business firm which for Clark County, Ohio, December 23, 1824, years was noted for its high-class prod- ucts and honorable business methods. Prior to his withdrawal from this firm in 1881, in order to enter the independent manufacturing field, it had commenced the building of the Champion line of agricult- ural implements, a very extensive plant having been built on East Street. . and was a son of John and Margaret (Mc- Beth) Kelly. The Kelly family probably originated in Ireland and it is known to have been established in Virginia prior to the Revolutionary War, in which strug- gle James Kelly, the grandfather of the late Oliver S., took part, fighting for the independence of the colonies.
John Kelly, one of his family of twelve children, was born in Virginia and ac- companied his father to Ohio in 1808, set- tling in what is now Clark County. He participated in the War of 1812. Later he engaged in farming and so continued until his death, which occurred Septem- ber 25, 1825, at the age of thirty-six years. He married Margaret McBeth, a daughter of Alexander McBeth, who survived ber first husband and contracted a second marriage.
At the age of fourteen years, the late Oliver S. Kelly became entirely dependent on his own resources. From 1838 until 1842 he was engaged in farming for Will- iam T. McIntire, after which he served a three-year apprenticeship to the car- penter's trade. According to the custom of the times, he then worked for one year as a journeyman, after which he formed a partnership with J. A. Anderson and to- gether they carried on a large business until 1852, when Mr. Kelly decided to visit the mining regions of California. He was so successful in his efforts there that when he returned to Ohio, in 1856, he had capital enough with which to enter into business. In the fall of 1857 he invested his money in the purchase of an interest in the manufacturing business of Whitely & Fassler, which then became Whitely,
In 1882 Mr. Kelly purchased the Rhine- hart & Ballard Threshing Machine Works, after which he organized The Springfield Engine & Thresher Company, which was incorporated with O. S. Kelly as president and O. W. Kelly as superintendent. At a later date the capital stock was in- creased and the business became known as The O. S. Kelly Company, its purpose being the manufacturing of threshing ma- chines and engines, with separators, feed- mills and other similar products. An ex- tensive plant was subsequently built at Iowa City, Iowa, where the feed-mills and separators were constructed. For the past ten years the company has also been engaged in the manufacture of piano plates and it now stands at the head of this industry in the United States. An- other of their active lines is the manu- facture and exporting of all kinds of rol- lers.
At one time Oliver S. Kelly was also connected with the banking interests of Springfield, and he built the Arcade Hotel and Nelson's Commercial College, a business block which remains one of the finest in Springfield. He was especially prominent in the city's public life. In 1863 he was chosen a member of the city council and served in that body for six consecutive years. He was one of the most zealous promoters of the city's im-
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portant public utilities. When the water- by trade. They had the following chil- works was established here, John H. dren: Joseph, William, Abraham, Ches- ley, deceased, Catherine, Margaret, Louise, Alice, deceased, George, and Ben- jamin. Edmund Wray died about 1853, when still in the prime of life. His widow survived him but eleven months. A fam- ily of small children were thus left or- phans, and necessarily they became sep- arated, going to live with different rel- atives. Three of the sons were drafted into the Southern Army, all of whom de- serted. One of these, Chesley, was re- captured and condemned to death, but be- fore the sentence was carried out was taken prisoner by the Union forces and imprisoned in New York, where his death occurred. Since the Civil War the chil- dren have become scattered in various parts of the country, and two have been completely lost trace of."
Thomas, George H. Frey and Oliver S. Kelly were appointed trustees to inau- gurate and put the system in operation. In 1887 he was elected mayor of Spring- field, by the Republican voters, and dur- ing his administration the City Hall was built and the City Hospital was completed. During this period also the city built the esplanade, of which it is justly proud, but the beautiful fountain in the vicinity was the gift of Mayor Kelly. He subsequent- ly served in many civic offices and on many business and charitable boards, lending his influence to all that was cal- culated to advance the public weal, and to add to the sum of human happiness in his city. While thus occupied and interested, up to the close of his life performing a daily round of duties, the great company that he had founded was always the ob- ject of his first care and most engrossing thought. Since his death the same busi- ness policy has been continued and its of- ficers are all of his name and kindred. Its president is Oliver Warren Kelly, its vice-president, Edward S. Kelly, and its secretary and treasurer, A. L. Kelly, two of the above officers being Mr. Kelly's surviving sons.
WILLIAM WRAY, who has been a resident of Bethel Township, Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, since 1868, where he has been successfully engaged in general farming, was born July 4, 1839, on a farm in Frank- lin County, Virginia, and is a son of Ed- mund and Betsy (Kensey) Wray.
Edmund Wray and wife were both na- tives of Virginia. He was a wool carder
William Wray was fourteen years old when his parents died, after which he made his home with his uncle, Christopher Kensey, a farmer of Virginia, with whom he remained until twenty-one years of age, when he went to Indiana and worked by the month on different farms for about two years. He then came to Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, and worked for four months on John C. Beckner's farm, after which he worked for Mr. Stewart several months. After his marriage, in December, 1863, to Catherine Snyder, a daughter of Feltz and Christina Snyder, he rented a small farm in Pike Township, Clark County. Here Mr. Wray and wife lived in a two- room log house, and experienced the coldest winter of their lives, the snow often blowing in through the cracks of the old house. Many times, however, that hard winter, they gave shelter and food
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to soldiers returning from the war, will- fied with the business interests of this ingly sharing what little they had, with city, and for almost a quarter of a century was connected with the industry men- tioned, which was founded by his late father. He was born at Springfield, Ohio, in 1850, and is a son of Gustavus S. and Elizabeth (Houston) Foos. true Virginia hospitality. After living for eighteen months on this farm, Mr. Wray removed to a better improved farm in Pike Township, where he remained one vear, after which he rented the Stude- baker farm in Miami County for two years, and in 1868 he bought sixty acres of his present farm in Bethel Township, from William Gordon. An old log house and other buildings were on the land at the time of his purchase, but have been re- placed by more substantial and modern buildings. Mr. Wray later added thirty acres to his original purchase and his farm, which is about five miles west of Springfield, is situated on both sides of the old Troy road. Mr. Wray has been very successful as a general farmer and fruit grower, and disposes of his fruit in the Springfield market.
Mrs. Wray passed out of this life Au- gust 9, 1906, aged sixty-eight years, the mother of nine children, namely: For- rest, who is an electrical inventor, lives at Boston; Ella, who lives at home; Mary E., who is the wife of F. Cooksey; Theresa, who married William Prentz, has two children, Wilbur and Omer; Will- iam Jason, who married Pearl Brown, has one child, Donald; Nora, who is the wife of Moses Peterson; Anna; and John A. and one unnamed child, died infants. Religiously Mr. Wray is a member of the German Baptist Church, as was his father.
ROBERT H. FOOS, formerly presi- dent of the The Foos Manufacturing Com- pany, at Springfield, has long been identi-
Robert H. Foos prepared for college in the Springfield schools, and in 1872 was graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity, at Delaware, Ohio. Following his university career came a visit to Europe, where he not only became proficient in the German and French languages, but also devoted a large amount of attention to the study of agricultural and industrial con- ditions and also to foreign methods of do- ing business. Upon his return to his na- tive city, he became teller of the Second National Bank at Springfield, where he remained until he joined his father when the latter organized The Foos Manu- facturing Company, on January 1, 1884. This company began business with a cap- ital stock of $115,000, with Gustavus Foos as president, Robert H. Foos as vice president, and William F. Foos as treas- urer. On the death of Gustavus S. Foos, which occurred July 11, 1900, Robert H. Foos became president, and William F. Foos vice president and treasurer, the brothers thus serving until they sold out. the business. The Foos Manufacturing Company gave employment to 300 men and their manufactured product included special grinding machinery, scientific grinding-mills, portable forges, farmers' tools, corn harvesters, corn shellers and other implements of a like character.
Since retiring from the above men- tioned company, Robert H. Foos has been interested in mining and in a number of
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other industries. He is identified polit- ically with the Republican party, but his life is that of a business man and not of a politician. He belongs to the Lagonda Club, and was the organizer of the Country Club and has been its president from its inception. His home is in a beautiful resi- dence situated at No. 560 East High Street, Springfield.
JOHN E. HELFRICH, proprietor of the Green Lawn Farm, consisting of sixty acres of well-improved land, situated in German Township, on the Flick Turnpike Road, about one-half mile west of Law- renceville, was born on this farm, Feb- ruary 27, 1851. His parents were Mich- ael and Anna Barbara (Shafer) Hel- frich.
Michael Helfrich and his wife were both born in Germany, where they mar- ried and were the parents of five chil- dren when they emigrated to America and took up their residence in Clark County. For seven years they rented a farm sit- uated one-half mile south of Lawrence- ville, and then purchased and moved onto the farm now owned by their son, John. There they lived until the close of their lives, the father dying January 26, 1881, and the mother in March, 1900. They had eight children, five of whom were born in Germany, where two died, the other three being born in Clark County, Ohio.
John E. Helfrich secured his education in the district schools. He learned prac- tical farming under his father and has always resided on the homestead, where he carries on general agriculture. The first house on the present farm stood
back about one-fourth of a mile from the road, but in the summer and fall of 1901 Mr. Helfrich built his present commodi- ous residence on the highway and moved his barn and other buildings conveniently near.
Mr. Helfrich married Emma Ellen Meranda, daughter of Jefferson and Mary (Dillahunt) Meranda. Mrs. Helfrich was born and reared in German Township, as was also her father. Her grandfather, too, George Meranda, was a pioneer set- tler here. After their marriage on March 29, 1876, Mr. and Mrs. Helfrich settled down on their present farm, where they have since continued. They have reared a happy family of four children, the two younger sons, Clarence Michael and John Russell, still remaining under the home roof. The eldest son, Walter Jefferson, married Della Rust and they live at Law- renceville. The second son, Harry Ed- gar, married Catherine Xanders, and they reside in German Township. In politics, Mr. Helfrich is a Democrat. He is a member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics at Tremont City.
ADAM WESLEY FERREE, owner and operator of Grand View Farm, a tract of eighty-one acres, situated about six miles north of Springfield on the Ur- bana Turnpike, was born December 31, 1847, in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Baker) Ferree.
Peter Ferree was born in York County, Pennsylvania, a son of Jacob Ferree, who died when his son Peter was about four- teen years old. Peter was reared on a farm in York County, and when about
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twenty-two years old came to Ohio and located in German Township, Clark County, near Lawrenceville, where he and his cousin, George Lautz, purchased a small farm. Shortly after his marriage he removed to Tremont, where he con- ducted a hotel for several years. About 1852 he removed to a farm one mile north of Tremont, on the Valley Turnpike, re- maining there until 1865, when he re- moved to the farm now owned by his son, Adam W. Peter Ferree became a very prosperous and well-known farmer, and at one time owned three farms, but pre- vious to his death he sold two of these, one of 114 acres in German Township, and another of seventy-six acres, north of his son's present home. In 1896 he erected the comfortable frame house which is on the farm and died here three years later. Peter Ferree married Eliz- abeth Baker, who was also born in York County, Pennsylvania, and died in 1889. She came to Clark County, Ohio, when fifteen years of age with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Baker, who settled near Eagle City, in German Township. There were four children born to Peter Ferree and wife, namely: Susan, who died, aged seventeen years; Adam Wesley; Mary, who married Edward Fish, of Springfield, and Annie, who is the wife of Paul Grindell, of Springfield.
Adam W. Ferree was about five years old when his parents located on a farm north of Tremont, where he was reared and was instructed in practical farming. Since his marriage he has followed gen- eral farming on his present place, known as Grand View Farm, and is also exten- sively engaged in stock-raising, including horses, cattle, hogs and sheep. With the
exception of three years, during which he resided one mile farther north, he has spent all of the past thirty-five years on his present farm. Mr. Ferree owns, in partnership with Edward Holman and James Caldwell, a corn husker and shredder, which they operate principally for themselves.
Mr. Ferree was married February 10, 1875, to Ella Brannaman, a daughter of Joseph Brannaman, and to this union have been born six children, namely : Glenna, Carrol, Lizzie, Oram, Anna Belle and Royal. Glenna is the widow of George C. Neff, who was employed on the railroad and was accidentally killed in 1906. She has two children, Howard and Virgil. Carrol is married and is em- ployed in an automobile shop· in Dayton, Ohio. Lizzie lives at home. Oram, a plumber of Springfield, Ohio, is married and has two children, Pauline and Clara Belle. Mr. Ferree is a member of the First Lutheran Church at Springfield.
WILLIAM F. FOOS, president of the Springfield National Bank, and a leading citizen of Springfield, has long been iden- tified with large business interests here. He was born in Springfield, Ohio, March 5, 1852, and is a son of the late Gustavus S. and Elizabeth (Houston) Foos. For many years the late Gustavus S. Foos was closely connected with Springfield's busi- ness prosperity and was rightly consid- ered as a representative citizen. He was the founder of The Foos Manufacturing Company, with which he continued to be associated as its president until his death in 1900.
After graduating at the Ohio Wesleyan
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University in 1873, William F. Foos be- came associated with his father and only brother, Robert H. Foos, in building up an enterprise which subsequently devel- oped into The Foos Manufacturing Com- pany. Of this he served as treasurer un- til the death of his father, when he also assumed the duties of vice president, his brother at that time becoming president. After a number of years spent in this branch of manufacturing, both brothers acquired other interests and, in 1905, sold out their holdings in the Foos Company. The business was one of large propor- tions, employment being afforded to some 300 workmen. William F. Foos was made receiver for the Springfield Malleable Iron Company.
Mr. Foos married Mary Stewart, who is a daughter of Col. James Stewart, of Springfield, and they have two children- Elizabeth and Gustavus Stewart. Mr. and Mrs. Foos are attendants at the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. They enjoy a beautiful home at No. 560 East High Street, Springfield. Politically, William F. Foos is a Republican. He belongs to the Lagonda Club, of which he was a char- ter member and served as president for several years. Mr. Foos and his brother have a country residence of 500 acres, known as "Twin Oaks Farm," on the South Charleston Pike, where he spends a good portion of his time.
JESSE E. GARLOUGH, owner of seventy-five and one-half acres of farm land in Green Township, comes of one of Ohio's old and well-known pioneer fam- ilies. He was born on the old home place one mile south of Pitchin, Clark County,
Ohio, February 25, 1869, and is a son of James Todd and Sarah Jane (Hause) Garlough.
James T. Garlough was born on the Jacob Garlough place, north of Pitchin, his parents, who were natives of Mary- land, having come to Ohio at an early period and settled on the farm now owned by B. F. Garlough. His parents died on this farm and were buried in the old cem- etery just across the road from the home place. James T. Garlough was one of seven sons born to' his parents and re- mained at home until after his marriage to Sarah Jane Hause, who was born in Virginia and who, when four years old, came to Ohio with her parents, who lo- cated in the Buff settlement. James T. Garlough, who always followed farming, died in March, 1904. He is survived by his widow and by the following children: Mrs. C. F. Stewart, with whom the mother of our subject resides ; A. T. Garlough; S. G. Garlough; Jesse E., the subject of this article; W. F. Garlough, and R. C. Gar- lough.
Jesse E. Garlough grew to manhood on his father's farm and after attaining his majority worked out on various farms for five years. Subsequent to his marriage he farmed the home place for six years. He then purchased and located on his present farm, which was previously owned by John Otstot, and here he has since followed general farming and dairy- ing.
Mr. Garlough was joined in marriage with Cora May Hess, a daughter of T. M. Hess, who resides on the farm adjoining our subject's. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Garlough, namely : Nellie and Robert, who are attending
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school, and Fern and Owen, who are still at home.
In politics, Mr. Garlough is a Repub- lican and served one term as a member of the School Board. He is a member of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield.
GEORGE W. DAVISSON, whose fine farm of one hundred and fifty-nine acres is situated in Pleasant Township, is one of the representative citizens of this section. He was born in 1843, near Nation Chapel, Pleasant Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Lemuel and Susan A. Davisson.
The Davisson family was established in Pleasant Township by thé grandparents, Isaac and Sarah (Curl) Davisson, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio on horse- back, at a time when the present beautiful city of Springfield was but a collection of log huts. Lemuel Davisson, father of George W., was born in Clark County, in 1811, and died in 1862. His wife was born in 1812, and died in 1903. They had the following children: Isaac, Elizabeth, Elijah, Mary A., George W., Daniel, Isaac (2) and Thomas W. Of the above family, the two eldest children died in infancy. Elijah, born in 1840, is a promi- nent citizen of Pleasant Township, where he resides as do his three sons, Clifford, Clarence and Harry. Mary A., born in 1842, married (first) John Hendricks, who left one son. Wilbur. She married (sec- ond) Eli Adams. Daniel, born in 1845, died September 9, 1860. Isaac (2), born December 31, 1848, died in 1860. Thomas W., born in 1851, died in 1902. He was. married (first) to Lizzie Stipp, who died
in 1891, and (second) to Mary Stateler. Both wives had one child and both died in infancy.
George W. Davisson spent the entire period of his life until 1882, on the farm on which he was born, coming then to his present place, which he purchased from J. W. Ropp for the sum of $12,000, and here he has made many improvements. Mr. Davisson has turned over the larger amount of responsibility to his son, who carries on a general agricultural line here. The property is one of the most valuable in this section.
On October 24, 1865, Mr. Davisson was married to Elizabeth J. Jones, who was born July 6, 1845, and died March 22, 1906. She was a daughter of Josiah and Sarah (Ropp) Jones. To this marriage eight children were born, namely: Ida M., Lawrence E., Minnie, Myrta, Lunetta, Elmer, Francis W. and Forest O. Ida M. Davisson was born in 1866 and married Charles Bumgardner. Their oldest child died in infancy, but they have three left, .Minor, Willard and Evlyn M. Lawrence E. Davisson was born May 10, 1869, and on December 6, 1893, married Jessie Tar- button. They have four children: Ed- win, Florence, Eustace and Emily. Minnie Davisson was born in 1874 and in 1896 was married to Charles W. Ropp. They have one son, Robert. Myrta J., who was born March 12, 1876, resides at ·home; Lunetta, who was born March 11, 1878, also resides at home; Elmer H., who was born November 5, 1879, resides in Champaign, Illinois. Francis W. Davis- son, who was born September 17, 1882, was maried, in 1901, to Millie West and they have three children, Marion L., Phylis and Marjorie. Forest O., residing at
GEORGE W. DAVISSON.
MRS. ELIZABETH J. DAVISSON.
ELIJAH G. COFFIN
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home, is an invalid. He was born Novem- quently re-elected to the same office, serv- ber 22, 1885.
Mr. Davisson has taken an active in- terest in public affairs in Pleasant Town- ship and has served in the office of road supervisor and as a member of the Board of Education. He has long been a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Catawba, a class leader and was superintendent of the Sunday-school at Nation Chapel. He united with the church when twelve years old and has been an official since 1872.
ELIJAH GODFREY COFFIN, a re- tired citizen of Springfield, who has been identified with this city and its interests for the past forty years, was born No- vember 27, 1830, in Harmony Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Phi- lander Coffin.
Philander Coffin was born in 1811, in Waterbury, Vermont, and in 1818 he ac- companied his parents to Clark County, Ohio, New England contributing largely to the early settlement of this section. Philander Coffin lived in Clark County un- til 1835, when he moved to Allen County, later to Shelby County and, in 1845, to Stark County, Indiana, where his death took place.
Elijah G. Coffin worked on the home farm in Clark County and attended the district schools until he was eighteen years of age. He then learned the shoe- maker's trade at South Charleston, which he followed there for fifteen years, be- coming a prominent citizen of the place, and serving as justice of the peace and. also as mayor. In 1868 he was elected sheriff of Clark County and was subse-
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