USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 67
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children, Minnie and Harley, and (second) * pany, was organized, and a large and con-
In 1887, Mr. Tuttle was married to Flor- ence Otstot, who is a daughter of Will- iam Otstot, a member of an old pioneer family of this section. Mr. and Mrs. Tut- tle have one son, Carl.
JAMES H. RABBITTS, postmaster, oldest son of the late Charles and Mar- garet (Robison) Rabbitts, was born at Springfield, Ohio, April 1, 1853. He com- pleted his public school course in his na- tive city, and then entered the University of Wooster, Ohio, from which institution he was graduated in 1874. He then took up the study of the law under the super- vision of General J. Warren Keifer and Hon. Charles R. White. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar, and later entered into partnership with his preceptors. In this engagement he continued until 1881, when he was elected clerk of the courts of Clark County.
W. F. TUTTLE, secretary, treasurer and manager of The W. F. Tuttle Hard- ware Company, has been a resident of Springfield for the past twenty-six years During the seventeen years following he was actively engaged in political life. He was chosen chairman of the Repub- lican County Central Committee in 1883, and 1884, and again in 1889 he served in the same position. In 1884 he was re- elected to the office of clerk of the courts, and was born in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio, in 1863. His father, John J. Tuttle, was a leading farmer in the township. At the age of seventeen years, W. F. Tuttle came from his coun- try home to Springfield, where he became a clerk in the hardware store of W. W. and was again re-elected in 1887, and
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served in that position until January 1, 1890, when he resigned to take the posi- tion of managing editor of the Daily Re- public-Times, the leading Republican journal of Clark County.
In this engagement he continued for eight years, when he resigned his editor- ship to serve as postmaster of Spring- field, to which office he was appointed by President Mckinley, May 1, 1898. In 1902 and again in 1906 Mr. Rabbitts was reappointed by President Roosevelt. During Mr. Rabbitts' incumbency the rural delivery service was established, and the volume of the business of the Springfield post office, its gross receipts and the number of its employes have all increased more than one hundred and twenty-five per cent.
Mr. Rabbitts was married December 7, 1882, at Indianapolis, Ind., to Miss Cor- nelia Burt, who is a daughter of Rev. N. C. Burt, D. D., who was formerly pas- tor of the First Presbyterian Church, at Springfield. Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Rabbitts, a son and a daughter survive, viz: Burt and Frances. The family home is at 652 North Lime- stone Street.
In 1898 Mr. Rabbitts was elected a member of the Board of Directors of the Merchants' and Mechanics' Building and Loan Association and served continu- ously in that position. Following the death of the late Edward C. Gwyn, Mr. Rabbitts was elected president of the as- sociation January 1, 1908. Mr. Rabbitts is an active member of the Springfield Commercial Club and contributes his will- ing effort in the discharge of all the duties incident to public-spirited citizenship.
MARTIN FRANTZ, who is engaged in general farming on a fine farm of 336 located about ten miles west of Spring- field, in Bethel Township, Clark County, Ohio, was born October 2, 1857, near his present farm, and is a son of Benjamin and Mary Ann (Leedy) Frantz.
Daniel Frantz, great-grandfather of our subject, came from Virginia to Ohio at a very early period and settled west of Springfield, where his death occurred some years later. His son, Benjamin Frantz, Sr., came to Ohio at the same time, but settled in the wilds of Bethel Township, on a large tract of land; re- siding in that locality for over fifty years, and passing out of this life at the age of seventy-seven.
Benjamin Frantz, Jr., father of the subject of this sketeh, with the exception of two years spent on a farm in Wabash, Indiana, has passed his entire life up to this time in Bethel Township on the old homestead, to which he has at times add- ed more land, having acquired about 600 acres. He was first married to Mary Ann Leedy, of Wabash County, Ohio, who died in 1897, aged fifty-seven years. Eight children were born of this union, namely: Martin, whose name appears at the head of this article; Joseph; Eliza- beth, wife of A. Detrick; Emma, who died aged seventeen years; Charles, and three children, who died in infancy. He subsequently married Mattie Binkley and they are at present spending the winter in California.
Martin Frantz was born in the old stone house on the farm where his brother Charles now lives, and there grew to man- hood, occupying his time with farm duties and attending the district schools
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of the township. Being the eldest son, a large part of the work fell to him, and he cleared about thirty acres of land, re- maining at home until after his marriage. He then bought the John Garver farm, which he carried on for two years, when he returned to his present farm, buying the land from his father. Here he has since been engaged in general agriculture, and has spent considerable time and money in improving the land, remodeling the old brick house and other buildings on the farm.
Mr. Frantz was married October 14, 1879, to Dora Markey, of Preble County, Ohio, and thirteen children have been born of this union, namely: Verna, wife of J. Aukerman, who has one child --- Forest; Benjamin A., who married Dora Brubaker; Edith, who married James Shoup; Maude, wife of E. Onkst; Markey, Anna, Emma, Evelyn, Martin, Pauline, and three others who died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Frantz are members of the old German Baptist Brethren Church, in which Mr. Frantz's father is an elder and preaches in the Honey Creek Church.
MICHAEL RADER, township trustee and owner of a farm of ninety-five and three-quarters acres, located about six miles northwest of Springfield, on the Eureka Road, just off the Troy Turn- pike, is one of the enterprising and influ- ential agriculturists of German Town- ship. He was born December 9, 1868, on a farm in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Philip and Margaret (Sultz) Rader.
Philip Rader was born and reared to manhood in Germany and after coming
to Clark County worked for a time on the farm now owned by William W. Hyslop. While visiting his sister in St. Louis, Mis- souri, he met and married Margaret Sultz, who was born in Germany and came to America with her parents, who settled in St. Louis. Mr. Rader and wife began housekeeping on a farm just op- posite the Hyslop farm, which was then owned by Michael Shafer, an uncle of Mrs. Rader, and they have resided on farms in Clark County ever since. For a number of years Mr. Rader rented land and operated the Sintz farm in Spring- field Township for six years ; then became a resident of Pike Township for seven years, after which he returned to Spring- field township and rented for two years, when he bought a little farm there which he conducted for nine years, then sold and bought a tract of sixty acres in Mad River Township, which he also sold, after which he bought the farm on which he and his wife began housekeeping, where he has since continued to reside. Ten chil- dren were born to Philip and Margaret Rader, nine of whom are living: Michael, Philip, who lives with his brother Michael; Henry, who died aged twenty- eight years, left one child, Augusta; Mary, who is the wife of John German; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Louis Fos- ter; Adam, who lives on the farm of sixty acres in Pike Township, which was formerly owned by Philip Morningstar; Minnie, who is the wife of Charles Lehnard; Kate, who is the wife of Em- mard Lehnard; and Maggie, who married Ralph Saunders.
Michael Rader was born on the old Sintz farm in Springfield Township and remained at home until the time of his
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marriage. With the exception of two Leffel Company, of this city, has been a years spent in working in the quarries, he has always followed farming, and after his marriage located on the Cold Spring's Farm in Mad River Township. One year later he moved to the Susan Sintz farm, which he conducted for seven years with much success, then bought and located on his present farm of ninety-five and three quarter acres in German Township. Here he is successfully engaged in gen- eral farming and has made numerous im- provements. There are two barns on the place, one of which was built by Mr. Rader in 1903.
On February 26, 1895, Mr. Rader mar- ried Kate Kaffenberger, who is a daugh- ter of Conrad and Barbara (Schafer) Kaffenberger. Mrs. Rader's mother died when she was but four years old, and she was reared until eleven years of age by her step-mother, after which she went to live with her grandparents, Adam Schafer and wife, both of whom were na- tives of Germany, but residents of Ger- man Township, Clark County, for many years. The grandmother died January 31, 1908, aged seventy-five years, and the grandfather's death occurred in July, 1905. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rader, namely: Harry, Will- iam, Bertha, Albert, Paul and Gertrude.
Politically Mr. Rader is a Democrat, and was elected trustee of German Township on the Democratic ticket. He. is a member of the Knights of Pythias, of Northampton.
resident here for the past forty-two years, and was born in 1837, near Rob Roy, In- diana, where he was reared and educated. Early in life he engaged in milling and farming, which occupation he followed until 1866, when he came to Springfield and was here engaged in milling for one year. In 1867 he entered the employ, as clerk, of the James Leffel Company, of this city, and has gradually advanced to his present position as vice president and treasurer of that company. Mr. Book- walter is also a director in the Citizens' National Bank, of this city.
In 1867 Mr. Bookwalter was joined in marriage with Mary E. Croft, and to them have been born two children-John A., who is secretary of the James Leffel Company, and May L., wife of George Richmond Prout, who is associated with the American Seeding Company. Social- ly, Mr. Bookwalter is a member of the Commercial Club and the Lagonda Club, of this city, and is fraternally a thirty- second degree Mason, a member of the Scottish Rite, of Dayton, and of the Shrine, of Cincinnati.
PERRY HERBERT STEWART, re- siding on a farm of 135 acres, located eight miles southeast of the city of Springfield, in Green Township, comes of one of the oldest and most representative Clark County families. He was born in Green Township, one-half miles south of his present home, December 12, 1862, and is a son of Oscar Nesbitt and Rachel (Nicholson) Stewart.
F. M. BOOKWALTER, a highly re- spected citizen of Springfield, and vice Oscar N. Stewart was born in Green president and treasurer of the James Township, Clark County, Ohio, February
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5, 1833, and was one of ten children born to John Templeton and Ann (Elder) Stewart. He was reared on the old Stew- art home place, and when twenty-two years of age began life on his own ac- count, having inherited one hundred and forty acres upon his father's death. This he set about improving and devoted his attention exclusively to farming until the outbreak of the Civil War. Upon the first call to arms he responded, enlisting April 23, 1861, in Company E, Sixteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, un- der Captain Philip Kershner. He was in the army about four months with the division that was at Phillippi and Car- 'rick's Ford. After his return from the front, he was soon married, and with his wife lived on the farm in Green Township until 1884, when he removed to his farm in Harmony Township, where he erected a fine home. A successful farmer and business man in every way, with the as- sistance of his faithful wife, he accumu- lated some eight hundred acres of land.
Oscar N. Stewart was married Janu- ary 28, 1862, to Miss Rachel Nicholson, who was born in Harmony Township, and is a daughter of Andrew and Rachel (Hammond) Nicholson. They became parents of three children: Perry. Herb- ert; Ralph Nicholson, who is secretary of the Mutual Aid Society, and lives in Springfield; and Frank, who lives on the home farm. Fraternally he is a member of Wilson Post No. 602, G. A. R., at Vienna. He is a member of the Christian Church, at Plattsburg, of which he is a deacon. Politically he is a Republican.
Perry Herbert Stewart was reared on the farm and attended the district schools, afterward attending Antioch College one
year and Lebanon College a few terms. Returning home he took up farming as his life work, operating the home place until 1895, when he moved upon his pres- ent farm, which he had purchased the previous year from the David Elder as- signees. He erected outbuildings and made other substantial improvements, and in 1899 built a commodious house, which, with the fine lawn and shade trees, makes one of the most attractive country homes in this section of the county.
January 24, 1889, Mr. Stewart was joined in the bonds of matrimony with Miss Ermina Tuttle, who was born in Green Township, December 29, 1862, and is a daughter of Isaac and Fannie (Eich- elbarger) Tuttle. - Four children were born to them: Ira E., born August 14, 1891; Roy Levon, October 5, 1893; Walter Nesbitt, October 26, 1895; and Elmer Arthur, born November 28, 1900. Polit- ically our subject is a Republican, casting his first presidential vote for James G. Blaine. He has served fourteen years on the school board, but has never been an office seeker. With his family he attends the Methodist Episcopal Church.
F. O. JONES, head of the firm of F. O. Jones & Company, which is extensively engaged in sheet metal work, roofing, etc., has been a prominent citizen and business man of Springfield, Ohio, since 1894.
Mr. Jones was born in Darke County, Ohio, in 1868, and was six years old when his parents moved to Indiana, where he was reared and educated. When twenty- one years of age he went South, locating at Harriman, Tennessee, where he spent three years in the hardware and tinware
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business. He was thereafter engaged in Frank E. Herbert Stewart was born De- the same line of business in various towns cember 12, 1862, and is a resident of Green Township. He married Ermina Tuttle and they have four sons: Ira E., Roy, Walter and Elmer. Effie, born in 1865, died aged eighteen months. Ralph, born in 1868, resides at Springfield. He married Grace Carlton and they have two children, Oscar Carlton and Rachel May. Oscar N. Stewart served 100 days in the Civil War, answering the first call for troops in 1861. He was a member of Com- pany F of the Sixteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. in Indiana and Kentucky until 1894, when he came to Springfield. The following nine years were spent with the Peet & Schuster Company, the last six years of which he served in the capacity of fore- man. In September, 1904, in connection with Mr. W. E. Tuttle, he formed the firm of F. O. Jones & Company, which since has become one of the leading firms of the city. He is a man of ability and standing in the community, and has a host of acquaintances and friends throughout this section of the state.
In 1892, Mr. Jones was united in mar- riage with Emma Collins, a native of In- diana, and they have two children, Harley and Grace. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic Order. He and his wife are members of the First Baptist Church, of which he is a deacon.
FRANK E. STEWART, manager of a farm of 380 acres belonging to his pa- rents and operating also his own farm of fifty acres, is one of Harmony Township's leading agriculturists. He was born in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, April 15, 1870, and is a son of Oscar N. and Rachel (Nichelson) Stewart.
The grandparents of Mr. Stewart, John T. and Anna E. Stewart, came to Clark County about 1818 and settled in Green Township. There Oscar N. Stewart was born, February 5, 1833, he being the sev- enth son in a family of nine children. He was married January 28, 1862, to Rachel Nichelson, who was born June 3, 1842, and still survives. They had four children : Herbert P., Effie, Ralph, and
Frank E. Stewart was educated in the schools of Green and Harmony Town- ships. His occupation has always been farming and for some years he has had charge of his father's interests as well as his own. At Columbus, Ohio, January 7, 1904, Mr. Stewart was married to Kath- erine Franklin, who was born June 14, 1884, and is a daughter of Patterson and Ann (Widdicombe) Franklin, the former of whom was born in 1851 and the latter in 1852, and they reside at Plattsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Franklin had four children, namely: Edna, who was born in 1879, married Charles Haering, resides at Co- lumbus, and they have one child, Kather- 'ine; Estella, who was born in 1882, re- sides at Columbus ; Katherine ; and Grace, who was born in 1887, resides with her parents at Plattsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have one daughter, Edna Car- men, who was born September 26, 1905. Mr. Stewart is a member of the Christian Church at Plattsburg, of which he is treas- urer.
In politics, Mr. Stewart is a Repub- lican and has served as a member of the Republican Central County Committee.
SMITH SIDNEY TWICHELL
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On May 15, 1894, he was initiated into Vi- place from March 11, 1904, until October enna Lodge No. 660, Knights of Pythias, since when he has passed through all the chairs and was a delegate to the Grand Lodge at Toledo, in 1897. He formerly belonged also to the organization of patri- otic character, the Sons of Veterans.
HARRISON L. DETRICK, proprietor of the Eagle City mills, owns other prop- erty in German Township, consisting of two residences and twenty-two acres of land, and is a well-known and substantial citizen. He was born in Springfield Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, December 27, 1855, and is a son of Philip and Susan (Leffel) Detrick.
The Detrick family was established in Clark County, Ohio, by the grandfather, Daniel Detrick, who brought his family from Virginia when his son Philip was a boy of eight years. Both father and son were farmers. Philip Detrick owned a farm that was situated in both Bethel and Springfield Townships, the residence standing on the Bethel Township section, and the barn on the Springfield section.
Harrison L. Detrick was small when his father located on the above farm and there grew to manhood. In 1883 he mar- ried Mary Kollfrath, after which he moved to a farm of his own. Later he sold his property to the Freemason fraternity, and on it the beautiful Masonic Home has since been erected. The farm contained 155 55-100 acres and Mr. Detrick lived on it for nine years. He then moved to the old home place in Bethel Township, where he resided for nine years, after which he bought the Olds farm of 141 acres, situ- ated west of Tremont, and resided on that
23, 1906, at which time he moved to Eagle City, taking charge of the Eagle City mills at that time. Ever since he went into busi- ness he has done a certain amount of farm- ing and has also engaged in dairying. For eighteen years he operated a dairy and for nine years of this period he ran a milk wagon without missing one day in all this time, a somewhat remarkable record. Mr. Detrick's flour specialties are "Bismark" and "Kitchen Queen."
Mr. and Mrs. Detrick have two children : Jessie and Marguerite Elizabeth. The former graduated at the Rockaway School, spent two years at Wittenberg College and then graduated from the Nel- son Business College at Springfield. She is her father's bookkeeper.
Mr. Detrick is an Odd Fellow. He takes no very active interest in politics.
SMITH SIDNEY TWICHELL, for- merly a leading citizen of Clark County, lived a long and useful life, passing away December 13, 1907, at the age of seventy- one years, seven months and sixteen days. He was born in Oswego County, New York, May 27, 1836. In early manhood, Mr. Twichell went to Minnesota, in which state he resided for fourteen years, re- moving thence to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in 1870.
It was during the period of his residence in Minnesota that he enlisted for service in the Civil War, to which he gave three years of his life, passing through innum- erable dangers and surviving them all. His position was that of a non-commis- sioned officer of Company K, Eighth Regi- ment, Minnesota Volunteers, which at that
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time was known as a part of the Army of the Frontier. Two of the hardest fights with the Indians occurred during the first year of his enlistment. After the transfer of his regiment to the South, he partici- pated in the battles of Murfreesboro and the Pines, under command of General Sully. Subsequently he marched with Sherman's forces to the sea, and was in the closing campaign of the war, witness- ing the surrender of General Johnston to General Sherman. On more than one oc- casion he was proffered the captaincy of a company, but he declined to assume the superior rank. He was a courageous and patriotic soldier and always took pride in the fact that he had helped his beloved country in her time of need, although no doubt his death was due in some measure to the hardships he suffered while in the army.
On November 27, 1868, Mr. Twichell was united in marriage with Jennie Hedges. Two sons were born to them, namely: Clayton and Foster. In 1875, Mr. Twichell removed from Upper San- dusky to his farm in Moorefield Township, on which he resided for thirty-two years, with the exception of six years, during which period he served as superintendent of the Champaign County Infirmary, to which office he was elected in 1879. He was a man well qualified for public posi- tion. His many sterling traits of char- acter were so generally recognized by his fellow-citizens that his frequent election to public office was a natural consequence. He was for thirteen years a justice of the peace, and he twice served as decennial appraiser of Moorefield Township. In 1900 he was elected a county commissioner of Clark County, and was re-elected to
that office in 1903. During a part of his second term as commissioner his health prevented his personal attendance at some of the meetings of his colleagues. but he exert his usual beneficial influence in favor of the general welfare. He was greatly interested in securing the new county building and this fine structure stands as a monument to the efforts of Mr. Twichell and his associates.
In early life, Mr. Twichell united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and throughout his long life he was a consist- ent exemplar of the faith. He was gen- erous in his support of the church's Chris- tian activities and benevolences, and he served in its various offices. Personally he was a man of great self-control, and this was especially manifested during the closing days of his life, when his bodily afflictions were borne without a murmur. He was a devoted husband, a kind and loving father, a true friend, and an hon- est, upright man. It can be truly said of him that his life was a blessing and that his memory will ever be kept green. Dur- ing his long continued illness he was at- tended by his family with an untiring de- votion.
H. E. FREEMAN, secretary and treas- urer of the American Trust & Savings Company, at Springfield, located in this city in August, 1906. He was born at Cuyahoga Falls, Summit County, Ohio.
Mr. Freeman passed through the com- mon school course at Cuyahoga Falls and also through the High School, and then entered the Western Reserve University, where he was graduated in 1898, with his degree of A. B. Immediately afterward
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he became connected with the Garfield Savings Bank, of Cleveland, and when he left that institution in order to accept his present connection, he was assistant sec- retary and treasurer. During his period of residence at Cleveland, he was identi- fied with a number of other successful business enterprises. He thus came to the American Trust & Savings Company as an experienced financier. He is a mem- ber and treasurer of the Springfield Com- mercial Club. He belongs to Anthony Lodge, F. & A. M., the Masonic Club, the Lagonda Club and the Country Club.
JACOB SNAUFER, township trustee of Moorefield Township and one of the leading citizens of this part of Clark County, where he owns a valuable farm of seventy-one acres which is situated in section 25, on the Villa road, was born in Germany, September 23, 1835. His pa- rents were John and Magdalene (Weid- man) Snaufer.
In 1852, John Snaufer, accompanied by his wife and four children, made his way to Liverpool, England, and took passage for America on a sailing vessel that was then in the harbor. It was an unfortunate choice and doubly so on account of his be- ing the only German family on board. None of the passengers nor any of the officers were able to speak the German language and this, of itself, would have made the position of the little family one of more or less hardship. For nine days the vessel was tossed about in terrific storms, but when cholera broke out, the passengers were in a pitiable state indeed. Over 160 of them died and among these were the father and mother of Jacob Snau-
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