USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 72
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109
MR. AND MRS. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WEIGEL
687
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Mr. and Mrs. Kissell lived in Mad River Township for three years following their marriage, coming to their present farm in the fall of 1906. Mr. Rice had lost his wife and desired to have his daughter near him. He lived but a few months longer, his last hours being soothed by the tender care of his daugh- ter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Kissell. The latter have two children, Ruth Lamora and Esther Lorena. In politics Mr. Kissell is a Republican.
JOHN R. ELVIN, rural mail carrier, and the owner of 106 acres of fine farming land in German Township, was born in Hardin County, Ohio, November 7, 1850, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Copeland) Elvin.
John Elvin was born in England, where he lived until he was forty years of age. His first wife died there, leaving no chil- dren. He was married a second time, in Richland County, Ohio, to Elizabeth Cope- land, who was of English ancestry, but of American birth. John Elvin settled permanently in Hardin County, and there both he and wife died. Their four chil- dren all survive, namely : John R .; Sarah A., who resides in Hardin County; Mary Elizabeth, who married George Hafer, re- siding in Hardin County; and James W., who is also a resident of Hardin County.
John R. Elvin was reared and attended school in Hardin County. He followed farming there until he was thirty years of age, but in 1881 he came to Clark County and purchased a farm in German Township, on which he resided until Oc- tober 17, 1902, when he moved to Tre- mont, having taken the rural mail route
out from Tremont some six months pre- viously. He found it more advantageous to rent out his farm and remove to Tremont. Mrs. Elvin for the past two years has been compiling an exhaustive history of the Methodist Episcopal Church of this section.
Mr. Elvin has been married twice, first on August 10, 1872, to Mary E. Pence, who died in Hardin County, and secondly to Eva J. Pence. Both ladies were daughters of the late Samuel and Lucy (Swearingen) Pence, old and re- spected farming people of Clark County for many years. Mr. Elvin is prominent in the order of Knights of Pythias in this section, having passed all the chairs in the Tremont lodge, and at present filling the office of prophet and also serving as one of the trustees.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WEIGEL, justice of the peace and prominent citi- zen of Moorefield Township, residing on his valuable farm of fifty acres, and en- gaged in general agriculture, is a veteran of the Civil War. He was born in Ur- bana Township, Champaign County, Ohio, Sptember 23, 1842, and is a son of Peter and Louisa Jane (Nitchman) Wei- gel.
On both sides of the family the grand- fathers of Mr. Weigel were born in Ger- many, Grandfather Weigel near the storied Rhine. Many of the name live in York County, Pennsylvania, where they gave the name of Weigeltown to a vil- lage of some importance. The parents of Mr. Weigel were both born in Pennsyl- vania and came to Ohio prior to their mar- riage.
688
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
Benjamin F. Weigel has practically taken care of himself since he was nine years old. For two years he worked for a Mr. Pierce, near Taylortown, and for two more years for the widow of Captain Lindell, who resided on the corner of Limestone and Rice Streets, which then marked the corporation limits of Spring- field. Mrs. Lindell owned thirty acres of land, which she used as a garden farm. After Mr. Weigel left that place he en- gaged with J. S. Kitchen, in Green Town- ship, and he continued to work for the Kitchen family until September, 1861. He then enlisted for service in the Civil War, becoming a member of Company F, Forty- fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infan- try. He engaged for three years, but was discharged in August, 1862, on account of trouble with his throat, which caused him to lose his voice. Dur- ing his term of service he was with the army under General Rosecrans, in Virginia. Mr. Weigel did not recover the use of his vocal chords until April, 1863, and in the following June he re- entered the army, enlisting in Company C, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, to serve six months. He was honorably discharged March 4, 1864.
While still in the army, Mr. Weigel rented a farm of 240 acres from J. S. Kitchen, but after his return Mr. Kitchen was called out on the 100-day service as a member of the National Guard, and Mr. Weigel volunteered to take his place, while Mr. Kitchen started operations on the farm. Thus, for the third time, Mr. Wei- gel's name was enrolled on the roster of his country's defenders, this time in Com- pany D, One Hundred and Forty-sixth
Regiment, Ohio National Guards, and he was again honorably discharged, in Sep- tember, 1864. When he enlisted the sec- ond time, the regiment started out with Captain Howard D. John in command of his company, who was later made colonel of the regiment, and Richard Montjoy, later treasurer of Clark County, was pro- moted to be captain. During this enlist- ment, Mr. Weigel marched with his regi- ment through Kentucky, then on to Cum- berland Gap, where, in September, 1863, the Confederate commander, General Fra- zier, surrendered the Gap to the Union forces under General Burnsides, with 2,250 prisoners. As a treasured trophy of the occasion, Mr. Weigel displays the sword that General Frazier carried on that day. Mr. Weigel participated in sev- eral battles, more or less severe, and en- countered all the hazards of war, on all occasions doing his full duty, but he es- caped all injury except the trouble with his throat above mentioned.
Mr. Weigel then began farming opera- tions on the Kitchen farm. In February, 1872, he moved to Springfield and went to work in the old Champion shop, which stood on the present site of the Arcade, where he remained until the first Monday in April, 1881, after which he served for two years as constable of Springfield Township. In 1884 he began work at the East Street shop, which was conducted by Mr. Whiteley, and he remained there as an employe until the business went into the hands of a receiver, some years later. For several years afterward, Mr. Weigel was variously employed-at laying street car tracks, at driving a car on the old Green line, and afterward, for five years and two months, he worked as a motorman.
689
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
During the last year of service he had the relief run, working every day on a dif- ferent line, his duties being to take note that the regular motorman kept his car appliances in first-class shape. In March, 1898, he came to his present farm, which he had purchased from his father-in-law in the previous month. He does general farming and also raises horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. Seemingly, Mr. Weigel possesses the capacity to bring success out of almost everything to which he turns his attention. In March, 1906, he was ap- pointed a justice of the peace, and in the fall of the year he was elected to the office for a term of four years, on the Repub- lican ticket.
On November 10, 1864, Mr. Weigel was first married to Ann Jane Elder, who died April 30, 1871. She was a daughter of John and Phoebe Elder. They had three children, namely : Samuel E., John C. and Finley E., the last mentioned of whom died in infancy, two months before the death of his mother. Samuel E. Weigel, the eldest son, developed a liking for the sea, and left home when fourteen years of age and shipped on a vessel on which he sailed to many parts of the world. He lost his life in the shipwreck of the "Neva," in East Indian waters, when he was almost twenty-one years old. The second son, John Charles, grew to man- hood and married, but developed con- sumption and went to Prescott, Arizona, in hope that the climate would restore him to health. He died there and is sur- vived by a daughter, Effie Mabel, who re- sides in Springfield.
On September 8, 1872, Mr. Weigel was married, secondly, to Elizabeth Wolfe, who is a daughter of John R. and Anna
(Riegel) Wolfe. Both parents were born and reared in Pennsylvania, came as chil- dren to Clark County, Ohio, and later set- tled near Springfield. The old Wolfe homestead farm is now Calvary Ceme- tery. In March, 1881, John R. Wolfe pur- chased and settled on the farm on which Mr. and Mrs. Weigel reside. The latter have had four children, namely : Annie J., Matilda F., Mary Josephine, and Nicholas R. K. Annie J. resides at home, Matilda Frances Weigel was married November 27, 1907, to Ira M. Mumper. She is a lady of superior education, and from the age of seventeen years has enthusiastic- ally devoted herself to teaching, fre- quently taking schools eight miles from home and driving back and forth each day, her final day of school work being the very one on which she was married. Mary
Josephine, the third daughter, died aged twenty-two months. Nicholas R. K. Weigel, in 1901, married Ida May Isa- belle Hazlett, and they have three chil- dren-Ruth Esther, Ida Frances and Katherine Margaret. Mr. Weigel's fam- ily belong to the Moorefield Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a trus- tee. He belongs to the Moorefield Town- ship Soldiers' Burial, and also to the Sol- diers' Relief Associations. Until within the past three years, the township had no Memorial Day services, although Mr. ยท Weigel and many others belong to Mitch- ell Post, Grand Army of the Republic; but since then he, in association with Captain McConkey, have provided for this sacred day ceremonial and each occasion has been more enjoyed than the previous one. These veterans receive the honor to which they are entitled from their fellow-citi- zens.
690
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
JOHN H. GOWER, a general farmer who owns fifty acres of very fine land in Harmony and Springfield Townships, be- longs to a family that was established in Clark County in 1850. Mr. Gower was born in Pleasant Township, Clark County, Ohio, May 23, 1852, and is a son of James Z. and Eliza C. (Yeazel) Gower.
James Z. Gower was born in Maryland and was a son of George Gower. In 1850 he came to Clark County and taught school and studied medicine, remaining until after the birth of his son, when he moved to Michigan, where he lived one year, and from there to Indiana, where he con- tinued to practice medicine until his death, October 9, 1875, at the age of forty-five years. He married Eliza C. Yeazel, who was born in Moorefield Township, Clark County, April 24, 1834. They had two children: John H. and Elizabeth. The latter died in infancy.
John H. Gower has lived in Clark County almost all his life, and has fol- lowed agricultural pursuits. In 1878 he purchased his present farm, on which he has continued to make excellent improve- ments. He carries on general farming and handles thorough-bred stock. For about twenty years he dealt in imported stal- lions. On February 16, 1871, he was mar- ried in Clark County, to Mary E. Mc- Clellan, and they had the follow- ing children: Maurice H., Lottie A., Orrie L., Richard, Stuart M., Mary A., and James L. Maurice H., born October 26, 1873, married (first) Lillian E. Poffenberger, and they had three chil- dren: John M., Isabel and Harriet. He married (second) Ella Eaton, and they reside at Springfield. Lottie A., born October 11, 1875, married John L. Tuttle,
and they have two children, John H. and Helen, and they live at Mansfield, Ohio. Richard, born April 1, 1883, died Decem- ber 6, 1888. Orrie was born May 5, 1877. Stuart M., born December 12, 1884, mar- ried Emma Burkhardt, and they have one child, John Ernest, and they reside on the homestead. Mary A., born April 4, 1887, married Harry Nicklen, and they live at Springfield. James L., born October 17, 1889, is a student in the High School at Plattsburg, class of 1908.
Mrs. Gower is a member, on the ma- ternal side, of the prominent Tuttle fam- ily. Her father, Jacob Mcclellan, was born May 4, 1830, and died in 1892. He married Rachel Tuttle, who still survives. She was born September 29, 1832. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan had five chil- dren, namely: Isabel, Mary E., Emma, Alice and William L.
Mr. Gower and family belong to the Universalist Church at Springfield.
.
NATHANIEL M. CARTMELL, mem- ber of the Board of County Commission- ers, is one of the leading citizens of Clark County, and represents one of its oldest pioneer families. He was born on a farm in Pleasant Township, Clark County, Ohio, in 1848, and is a son of Thomas J. Cartmell.
Thomas J. Cartmell (now deceased) was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and came to Clark County, Ohio, in 1805, with his parents, Nathaniel and Eliza Cart- mell, who made the entire trip on horse- back and located in Pleasant Township.
Nathaniel M. Cartmell was reared and educated in Pleasant Township, where he has practically spent his entire life, en-
691
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
gaged in farming. He is at present a res- ident of the village of Catawba, but con- tinues to carry on his farming interests in Pleasant Township. He was first married in 1871 to Sally L. Ropp, who came from Loudon County, Virginia, with her par- ents, and they had one child, which died an infant. Mr. Cartmell's second mar- riage took place in September, 1906, to Louise Borger.
Mr. Cartmell is a man of public spirit and has always taken an active interest in politics. He has served on the Board of Agriculture of Clark County for about twenty-one years, and was elected a mem- ber of the Board of County Commission- ers of Clark County in November, 1905. He is a member of the order of the Knights of the Golden Eagle.
ORSON D. ESTLE, one of the trustees of Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, is located on a farm of 197 acres one mile north of Clifton and is extensively en- gaged in farming and stock-raising. He was born three miles east of Clifton, March 4, 1857, and is a son of William H. and Rachel Ann (Farrow) Estle. Will- iam Estle, his paternal grandfather, was born in New Jersey, living near Shrews- bury until he was grown. Upon coming west to Clark County, Ohio, at an early date, he located east of Clifton on a part of the farm now owned by his son. He fol- lowed farming here until his death.
William H. Estle, father of our sub- ject, was born September 3, 1828, on the place he now owns, three miles east of Clifton, and there grew to manhood. He attended the early district schools and then took to agricultural pursuits, farm- and died in that county in 1855.
ing the home place until 1880, when he re- tired from business activity and moved to Clifton. He and his wife are surrounded by many friends of life-long standing, and are held in the highest esteem by all who know them. He was united in wedlock with Rachel Ann Farrow, who was born near Maysville, Kentucky, May 15, 1832, and came to Clark County at an early age. Six children blessed their union, four of whom are now living.
O. D. Estle was reared on the home place and during his boyhood days attend- ed the district schools. He remained at home and assisted in the farm work until the spring of 1878, when he rented the Peter Knott's place, farming it for two years. Then he returned to the home place, remaining there until the spring of 1888, when he moved to his present farm in Green Township, occupying this as a renter until 1906, when his wife acquired the property as a devisee under the will of her deceased Uncle, James Anderson. He has been active and energetic in his farm work, following modern methods of agriculture and has been more than ordi- narily successful. He followed general farming and stock-raising, making a spe- cialty of Aberdeen Angus cattle, and hav- ing a herd of registered stock.
Mr. Estle was united in marriage with Harriet A. Anderson, on February 4th, 1880. She was born in Greene County, Ohio, on November 7th, 1855, and is a daughter of the late John Anderson, who was born in Milnacraig, Scotland, in 1807, and who at the age of thirteen years emigrated with his parents, James and Elizabeth (Ogelvey) Anderson, settling on Clark Run in Greene County, Ohio,
692
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Estle, namely: Fred, who married Bertha Rife and lives in Green Township; Rachel intermarried to Fred Stewart, who also lives in Green Township; Bessie and Ellen. The two last mentioned are at home; Ellen is in attendance at school. Politically a Republican, Mr. Estle is serving as township trustee and is a mem- ber of the school board. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, whilst in religious attachment he and his family are Presbyterian.
ALF JONES, a representative citizen of Pleasant Township, who resides on his well cultivated farm of twenty acres, be- longs to one of the old settled families of this section. He was born May 27, 1860, in Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Z. B. and Mira Jane (Ferguson) Jones.
The family was established in Clark County by the great-grandparents, George and Eva Jones, who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania. They had the fol- lowing children: Mira, Nancy, Elizabeth, Catherine, Uriah, John and Josiah. John Jones, the grandfather of Alf Jones, was born in Pleasant Township, Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, February 27, 1814. On Janu- ary 1, 1835, he married Mary B. Bodkin and they had three children born to them, as follows: George F., born in 1835, mar- ried Elizabeth Neer and they had three children; Lydia, born in 1836, married Samuel Melvin, had five children and died in March, 1906; and Z. B., who survives.
Z. B. Jones, father of Alf Jones, was born December 27, 1837, in Clark County, where he owns farming land and has in his possession a deed which bears the sig-
natures of President Madison and his secretary, under the date of December 4, 1811. The first marriage of Mr. Jones was to Mira Jane Ferguson, who died February 18, 1885. She was a daughter of William and Margaret Ferguson. Of their four children the two survivors are: Alf, residing in Pleasant Township, and Bert, who was born in 1869, married Lillian Bratton and has one son, Howard. Z. B. Jones was married a second time, the lady being Ellen C. Ward, the cere- mony taking place March 14, 1895. Mrs. Jones is a daughter of Josiah and Rebecca (Veasy) Ward, natives of Maryland.
Alf Jones attended the schools of Pleasant Township through his boyhood and since then has devoted his attention to farming. He manages and operates both his own and his father's land. On November 26, 1882, he married Anna Tavenner, who was born October 9, 1860, and is a daughter of Benjamin and Emma (Cook) Tavenner, the former of whom was born in 1830 and still survives, and the latter in 1834. Mrs. Jones is one of a family of nine children, the names of the others being: Charles, Effie, Harry R., Albert S., William, Amelia, Arthur and Lillian, all of whom survive, with the ex- ception of the youngest, who died in in- fancy. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have one son, Harold F., who was born July 6, 1889. Mrs. Jones is a member of the M. P. Church at Catawba. Mr. Jones is one of the influential men of his community and has frequently been elected to office. He served three years as a justice of the peace, for a number of terms as a trustee of the township, and the excellent condi- tion which is remarked concerning some of the public highways in his neighbor-
693
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
hood may justly be attributed to his faith- ful performance of duty during the terms he has served as road supervisor.
HENRY L. SCHAEFER, funeral di- rector and prominent business man of Springfield, Ohio, enjoys the distinction of being the oldest man now resident in the city who was born here after its incor- poration. He was born in 1850, and is a son of Leonard and Rosina D. (Esslin- ger) Schaefer, both natives of Wuert- temberg, Germany.
Leonard Schaefer was reared in the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg and received a liberal education in the schools there. In June, 1849, he came to the United States to seek his fortune in the New World, locating at Springfield, Ohio, where he was married in August of the same year. He engaged in general iron work for many years and made this city his home until his death in May, 1895. He survived his wife many years, she dying in June, 1869.
Henry L. Schaefer was reared in Springfield and after completing the pre- scribed course in the common school, went to Germany, where he attended a technical college at Stuttgart. Returning to Springfield, he worked in a machine shop until he was twenty-six years of age, then was employed as foreman and tech- nical draftsman for a period of eighteen years. Deciding to turn his energies in a new direction, in 1893 he took a course in the Chicago School of Embalming and returned to Springfield to follow that pro- fession. His undertaking establishment is located at No. 226 West Main Street, and he carries on a very successful busi-
ness. He also has been identified with other important business interests in the city, and is now a stockholder in the Clark County Building and Savings Association.
Mr. Schaefer was married July 30, 1872, to Miss Bertha C. Orthmann, a daughter of Dr. Frederick Orthmann, and they have three children, as follows: Kath- eryn S., wife of Henry S. Carpenter, of Hamilton, Ohio; Bertha C., wife of Will- iam S. Wead, of Springfield; and Theo- dore F., a graduate of Springfield High School and Wittenberg College, is asso- ciated in business with his father. Mr. Schaefer has taken an active interest in local politics, and served two terms as county coroner; he is now serving his third term as a member of the Board of Education. He is a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, and has served as pres- ident of the official board. He is a thirty- second degree Mason, a member of the Shrine, Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and other fraternal orders. Mr. Schaefer also is an active member of the Springfield Commercial Club.
EARL ELLIOTT CALLISON, a gen- eral merchant in the village of Northamp- ton, who owns a farm of forty acres in Pike Township, and also rents a tract of 112 acres, was born March 17, 1878, at New Carlisle, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of David F. and Mila (Burns) Calli- son, and a grandson of Robert Callison.
Robert Callison, who now lives retired at the home of his grandson, owns a farm of thirty acres in Pike Township, in which he has spent the greater part of his life, following farming. He was born Decem- ber 21, 1823, in Pike Township, Clark
694
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
County, Ohio, a son of Arthur Callison, a years, and then returned to the farm, native of Virginia, who came to Ohio at a where he remained until September, 1907, when he purchased the A. W. Ryman gen- eral store at Northampton. Mr. Calli- son carries a complete line of dry goods, notions, hardware, and groceries, and con- ducts his business enterprises along mod- ern lines. On October 24, 1901, Mr. Calli- son was united in marriage with Hetty B. Stephenson, a daughter of H. G. and Anna E. (Dillahaunt) Stephenson, and to them have been born two children: Robert, and Harold. In politics Mr. Callison is a Re- publican, and his fraternal connection is with the Knights of Pythias, the Junior Order of American Mechanics. very early day and settled in the woods in Pike Township, where he died, aged sixty years. Robert Callison married Alice G. North, who died November 7, 1901, aged seventy-six years, and to them were born five children, two of whom died infants. Those reared were as follows: William A., David F., and Verlem O .; Da- vid F., being the only survivor. He was born on his father's farm in Pike Town- ship, December 10, 1858, and remained at home until the age of twenty-one, when he went to Columbus and engaged in the sewing machine business, and later moved to Philadelphia, where he continued in the same line, thence to New York City for a time, and at present is engaged in the real JOHN S. SWAIDNER, a representa- tive farmer of Springfield Township, who owns sixty-five acres of valuable land sit- uated on the Columbus Road, is part owner also of another farm of 280 acres which is situated in Moorefield Township. Mr. Swaidner was born in Allen County, Indiana, November 12, 1856, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Raby) Swaidner, both of whom are now deceased. estate business at Brooklyn, New York. David Callison was married in 1876 to Mila Burns, who was born at Medway, Clark County, Ohio, and died May, 1907, aged forty-seven years. She was a daugh- ter of Jacob Burns, who was one of the early settlers of that locality. Two chil- dren were born to David and Mila Calli- son: Earl E., and Ora C., the latter of whom is a resident of Dayton, Ohio, where John S. Swaidner was reared in Allen County and remained on his father's farm until he was seventeen years of age, when he attended the township high school. When nineteen years old he began to teach, during the first year in DeKalb County, and for six years more in Allen County, Indiana. Mr. Swaidner completed his education at Adrain College, Adrain, Michigan, and it was during his college life that he met the lady who subsequently became his wife, she being a student of the college at the same time. They were mar- ried on March 23, 1882. Mrs. Swaidner she is assistant cashier in the Pan Handle Freight office. Earl Elliott Callison was an infant when his parents moved to Med- way, where they remained several years, and then located at Dayton for a short time. Earl E. then came to Pike Town- ship and made his home with his grand- father, spending most of his boyhood days on the farm. His educational training was received in the common schools of Co- lumbus, Ohio, and Philadelphia. In 1894 he entered a dry goods store at Brooklyn, New York, where he continued for three
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.