USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 75
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of Frederick Oehler. Mr. Oehler was born in Germany but his daughter is a native of Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. Burk- hardt have seven children, namely: Lula, Emma, who married Stewart Gower, re- siding in Cincinnati; Elma, Alice, Ernest, Bertha, and Ruth, all residing at home. Another daughter, Clara, died at the age of two years. Mr. Burkhardt is consid- ered one of Springfield Township's pros- perous citizens. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is In- dependent.
MICHAEL B. WILSON, a representa- tive citizen of Harmony Township, where he owns one hundred and twelve acres of valuable land which he devotes to gen- eral farming, was born in 1845, in Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Michael and Lavina (Henry) Wilson.
The Wilson family is an old one in Harmony Township, the grandparents, Michael and Temperance Wilson, having had their home here and reared a large family. One son, Michael, was born in the same township and when he attained man- hood, he married Lavina Henry. They had a family of thirteen children born to them, to whom they gave the following names: Jasper, James T., Temperance, Elizabeth, Jefferson, Johnson, Michael B., Lavina, Washington, Emma, Anna, Fre- mont and Skillman. Jasper married Ellen Prugh and they had four children : Wilburt H., Charles, Samuel and Elesta. Jasper Wilson served in the Civil War. James T. married (first) Abigail Turner and they had five children: Temperance, Nora, Samuel, Ada and Anna T. He married (second) Ida Tingley, and they
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had one daughter, Bessie. Temperance, daughter of James T., married Edgar Sweete, and they have one son, Chandler. Nora Wilson is deceased. Samuel mar- ried Dollie Tingley and they have five children, namely: William, Carl, Delma, Horace and Glenna. Ada married Chance Mahoney and they have three children: Maud, Nellie and Edna. Anna died aged fifteen years.
Temperance Wilson, eldest daughter of Michael and Lavina Wilson, died aged two years. Jefferson, the next son, was killed while serving as a soldier in the Civil War. Johnson married Julia West and they have the following children: How- ard, Effie, Alta, Walter, Mary and Floyd. Johnson Wilson served in the Civil War. The three brothers were brave soldiers, but only two lived to reach home. Lavina married Edmund West and at death left one child, Lillie. Washington Wilson married Frances Porter and they have four children : Porter, Charles, Nina and Washington. Both Emma and Anna are deceased. Fremont Wilson married Minerva Sharp and they have the follow- ing children : Mary, Lavina, Clara, Ross, Wealthy and Methia. Skillman, the youngest of the family, married Lida Sidebottom.
Michael B. Wilson has lived in Clark County all his life and since boyhood has followed agricultural pursuits. His land was purchased from his father by himself and wife and is divided into two tracts, one containing fifty-five acres and the other fifty-seven acres. It is as good land as can be found in Harmony Township. Mr. Wilson was married in 1871, to Es- tella Roberts, who was born in Madison County, Ohio, but who has lived in Clark
County for thirty-seven years. She is a daughter of Charles and Harriet (Mc- Cann) Roberts, the former of whom was born in 1805 and died in 1853. The latter was born in 1814 and died in 1890. They were married in 1832 and had nine chil- dren, namely: John, Henry, Benjamin F., Catherine, Charles, Harriet, Peter, Mary E., and Estelle, five of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have. two children, namely : Nellie F. and Frank R. Nellie F. was born October 14, 1876, married Ralph Christ'and they have two children, Glen W. and Katherine E. Frank R. was born January 20, 1882, married Myrtle Neer and they live in Harmony Town- ship.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Christian Church and he is serving as a deacon in Wilson Chapel. He belongs to Lodge No. 345, Odd Fellows, at Vienna Corners.
ROBERT M. LEFEVRE, superintend- ent of the Ohio Pythian Home and one of Springfield's well known and highly respected citizens, was born in York Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, in 1857.
Mr. LeFevre was seven years old when his parents moved to Union City, Indiana, where he spent his boyhood days. When sixteen years old his mother died, after which he returned to Ohio, locating at Troy, where for some time he worked on the farm. He was later employed as a body maker in a carriage works of Troy. He then engaged in the grocery business as a salesman, after which he returned to the farm, remaining there for about four years. In April, 1896, he came to Spring- field as superintendent of the Ohio
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Pythian Home in which capacity he is still serving, Mrs. LeFevre occupying the posi- tion of matron.
On May 4th, 1882, Mr. LeFevre was united in marriage with Clara Ida Ear- hart of Miami County, Ohio. Fraternally Mr. LeFevre is past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of the Domain of Ohio; also is a York Rite Mason, a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen; and a past Grand of the I. O. O. F. Mr. and Mrs. LeFevre are members of the Christian Church of Springfield.
MRS. MARY ANN ULERY, widow of George Ulery, who was one of the promi- nent farmers of Pike Township for many years, is a well known and highly es- teemed resident of this township, where she was born, not far from her present home, on August 3, 1832.
The parents of Mrs. Ulery were John and Elizabeth (Leffel) Funderburg. They had two children, Mary Ann and Samuel, the latter of whom is deceased. Both par- ents died when she was a child and she was reared by her maternal grandfather, Samuel Leffel, who was an early settler of Pike Township. Her brother was . reared by the Funderbergs and he became a school teacher and a Dunkard preacher.
Mary Ann Funderburg attended the old log schoolhouse near that old landmark, the Black Horse tavern. On October 5, 1848, she was married to George Ulery, who was born in Lancaster County, Penn- sylvania, December 3, 1826, and died in Clark County, Ohio, February 13, 1878. He was a son of John and Elizabeth Ulery and a grandson of Daniel Ulery, who was born in Wertemberg, Germany. George
Ulery became a large farmer and acquired three hundred acres of land which he left to his family and his widow continues to reside on the old homestead. He later became a minister in the Brethren in Christ Church. There were nine children born to George and Mary Ann Ulery, as follows: Elizabeth, who was born Novem- ber 20, 1849, died aged eleven years ; Sam- uel, who was born January 21, 1851; Will- iam, who was born June 4, 1854; John B., who was born December 6, 1856, died No- vember 3, 1884; Mary, deceased, who was born May 8, 1860; Isaac, who was born April 3, 1862, is proprietor of the leading hardware store at New Carlisle, Ohio; Ezra, who was born March 30, 1864; Lucinda, who was born May 20, 1867, died aged two years ; and George W., who was born February 22, 1871, and is a promi- nent farmer of Pike Township.
Mrs. Ulery is a valued member of the Brethren in Christ Church. She has lived a long and useful life and has a wide cir- cle of warm friends and hearty well- wishers.
JOHN F. TROUT, residing on his valu- able farm of forty acres of land situated in Section 5, Springfield Township, was born in German Township, Clark County, Ohio, February 14, 1856, and is a son of Philip and Sarah (Baker) Trout.
Philip Trout was a son of David Trout, and in his boyhood accompanied his father from Virginia to Clark County, Ohio. He was reared in German Township, where he later became a successful farmer and at the time of his death in 1902 he owned one hundred acres of land. He married Sarah Baker, who was a daughter of
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Jacob Baker, of Clark County. She died November 11, 1892. Philip Trout and his wife had fourteen children, nine of whom still survive.
John F. Trout grew up on his father's farm in German Township and attended the district schools, the township high school and the National Normal Uni- versity, at Lebanon, Ohio. For several years following he taught school in Ger- man and Harmony Township and then be- gan to farm in partnership with his brother Jacob. They owned the home farm together and continued to operate it until 1905, when the subject of this sketch desired to move to his present farm in Springfield Township. They then sold the property in German Township and Mr. John F. Trout has been established here since November 14, 1905. His land is a very productive property under his care- ful methods and he raises grain and stock. On June 25, 1902, Mr. Trout was married to Elizabeth Hixon, who was born in Highland County, Ohio.
ADAM BAKER, one of German Town- ship's leading citizens and large land- owners, whose three farms, aggregating three hundred and twenty-five acres, all lie in this township, with the exception of eight acres in Moorefield Township, was born on the farm on which he lives, near Eagle City, Clark County, Ohio, April 26, 1841. His parents were Adam and Susan- nah (Klinefelter) Baker.
The father of Mr. Baker probably grew to manhood in York County, Pennsyl- vania, but in 1835 he came to Clark Coun- ty with his wife, from Maryland. For six
months after reaching Springfield, they conducted a hotel there. Adam Baker, the elder, then bought the farm on which his son Adam resides and also a mill and distillery which stood on the place. He operated the mill for some ten years, after which he gave his attention to gen- eral farming and stock-raising, feeding many hogs. He lived on this farm until his death, which took place in 1863. His widow then removed to Springfield, where she died in 1879. They were the parents of twelve children, nine of whom reached maturity, the four survivors being : Elnora ; Johanna, who is the wife of Alex- ander Baker and lives at Springfield; John W., who resides at Topeka, Kansas ; and Adam. Those deceased were: Mrs. Elizabeth Ferree, William, Cornelius, Sarah Ann, George Washington, and three infants.
Adam Baker, bearing his father's name, was reared on the old home farm, on which he has lived continuously, with the exception of fifteen months spent at Snyderville. He has followed farming and stock-raising, buying, selling and feeding many cattle and hogs. Mr. Baker is a good business man-industrious and practical-and he has accumulated a com- fortable fortune. Although other mem- bers of his family have filled public of- fices in German Township and Clark County, his inclinations never lay in that direction and he has kept out of politics.
Mr. Baker married Amanda Wilson, in October, 1869. They have no children. He is prominent in Masonry, being a "Shriner" and has attained the thirty- second degree. He belongs also to the Knights of Pythias.
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IRA W. WALLACE, president of the Wallace Company, who has been identi- fied with Springfield business interests for the past thirty-three years, was born in 1844, in Mahoning County, Ohio. Mr. Wallace was reared in his native county and was mainly educated at Poland Semi- nary, having as a classmate, the late Presi- dent William McKinley.
In 1862 Mr. Wallace entered the Fed- eral army, in which he continued as a soldier until the close of the Civil War. He was a member of the Ninth Independ- ent Company of Ohio Sharpshooters and served as orderly sergeant, was commis- sioned second lieutenant and later first lieutenant, and was mustered out of the service at Cleveland, in September, 1865. He returned to Mahoning County and from there in the fall of that year went to Missouri, where he was engaged for seven years in an insurance and real estate business. Upon his return to Ohio, he was occupied in the same line of in- dustry at Cleveland, until 1875, when he opened up an insurance business in Springfield, where he has his two sons associated with him. He represents the leading insurance companies of the coun- try, including, the Royal, the North Brit- ish Mercantile, the Liverpool and London, the Niagara and New York, the Connecti- cut, of Hartford, the Hanover, of New York, and the Aetna Life, together with a number of other organizations. In 1879, Mr. Wallace was married to Lizzie C. Cornwell, and they have two sons, Gail C. and Fred M.
Politically, Mr. Wallace is a Republican and for a number of years has been a member of the Republican Executive com- mittee. He is a valued member of
Mitchell Post, Grand Army of the Repub- lic. He was chairman of the committee of this post that called the meeting that resulted in the organization of the Clark County Historical Society, and he has been a member of its board of directors ever since. He is a very active member of the Lagonda Club and at present is its vice president. He is in close sympathy with all movements of a public-spirited nature which promise to be of substantial benefit to the city.
R. G. CALVERT, postmaster of Selma and proprietor of the Selma Grain Ele- vator is one of the leading citizens and in- fluential business men of the village and was born in Pennsylvania, in 1856, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Paist) Calvert, and a grandson of Reese and Deborah (Piatt) Calvert, life-long residents of Pennsylvania.
Thomas Calvert was one of a family of seven children. He was reared and edu- cated in Montgomery County, Pennsyl- vania, later engaging in farming which oc -. cupation he followed there until his death. He married Elizabeth Paist, a daughter of James Paist, also a resident of Penn- sylvania, and to them were born eight children, six of whom are living.
R. G. Calvert, spent his early boyhood days on his father's farm in Montgomery County, and in 1868 came alone to Selma, Clark County, Ohio and here obtained his education in the district schools and also a private school, in the meanwhile living with his uncle until 1875. He then ob- tained a position as clerk for Hollings- worth & Company with whom he remained until 1880, when he went west to Iowa for
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RESIDENCE AND BARN OF ASA W. HODGE, MOOREFIELD TOWNSHIP
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a period of three years. Upon his return to Selma in 1883, he and his brother be- came associated with William Wildman, in operating a store, and a grain and coal business, under the firm name of Calvert Brothers & Company, until 1894, when they dissolved partnership, Mr. Wildman taking charge of the store, and Mr. Cal- vert retaining the grain and coal busi- ness. With the exception of two years which he spent in California, on a pleasure trip, Mr. Calvert has continued in the grain and coal line, establishing the business upon his return to the East in 1904. Mr. Calvert has served continuous- ly as postmaster of Selma with the ex- ception of three years, 1894 to 1897 in- clusive, and is the present incumbent. . Politically he is a Republican. His re- ligious connection is with the Society of Friends.
Mr. Calvert was united in marriage with Ethel Kirk, a daughter of Charles and Rachel Kirk of Richmond, Indiana, and they have three children.
ASA W. HODGE, residing on his ex- tensive farm of 261 acres, which is situ- ated in Sections 33 and 34, Moorefield Township, was born in this township Oc- tober 3, 1873, and is a son of J. Milton and Mary Ann (Hunter) Hodge.
The founder of the Hodge family in Clark County was Andrew Hodge, who came here from Kentucky. He was a na- tive of Virginia, but had accompanied Daniel Boone to Kentucky, and subse- quently tiring of the dangers of pioneer- ing in that state, known in early days as the "Dark and Bloody Ground," came on
into Ohio and entered a section of land in Pleasant Township, Clark County. James Hodge, his son, was born in Clark County and the latter's son, J. Milton, was also born on the old farm. The lat- ter married the daughter of a neighbor, Lemuel Hunter, also an early settler in this section. Of their seven children three reached maturity, namely: Asa W .; Ida M., who married Harry S. Andrew, of Dayton, Ohio; and Anna, who resides on the home farm, a part of which lies in Moorefield and a part in Pleasant Town- ship, the residence being in the former and the farm in the latter. After their marriage, J. Milton Hodge and his wife settled on this farm, on which he carried on agriculture, becoming also an exten- sive stock-raiser. He acquired 900 acres of land in the two townships. He erected the comfortable brick residence, where he died in April, 1901. His widow survived him until October, 1904.
Asa W. Hodge was reared in his native township and attended the country schools through boyhood. From choice and environment he has always been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. After his marriage he moved to the present farm, which was originally the old James Foley place. Here he has made many improve- ments, which include the building of two barns and the modernizing of the resi- dence. He is actively engaged in raising Shorthorn cattle, Delaine sheep and Po- land China hogs.
On October 3, 1901, Mr. Hodge was married to Bertha Page, who is a daugh- ter of Charles and Melissa Page, residents of Pleasant Township. The family is a prominent one in this section and is one of the most substantial. Mr. Hodge is not
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
an active politician, but he takes the in- in business of this nature that his death terest of an intelligent citizen in local af- fairs.
EDWARD C. GWYN, formerly pres- ident of the Merchants' and Mechanics' Loan Company, also formerly manager and treasurer of the Safety Emery Wheel Company, as well as president of the board of trustees of the Springfield Water Works and a director in the First National Bank of Springfield, occupied an assured position among the leading citizens and responsible men of this sec- tion. He was born in Springfield, Ohio, August 12, 1851, and died at his beautiful home in this city November 1, 1907.
The Gwyn family can be traced to John Gwyn, of London, England. Edward Gwyn, son of John and father of our sub- ject, was born in London, May 12, 1816. He there married Isabella Turnbull and they came to America in 1847. They set- tled first in Wood County, but subse- quently moved to Cincinnati, where he be- came a builder and contractor of gas and water works. He came to Springfield from Dayton and established the first gas plant here, which he operated for a num- ber of years. He was engaged in other enterprises, notably the manufacture of small arms during the Civil War, and still later he was associated, as agent in for- eign lands, with the Champion Reeper and Mower Company, of Springfield. Accompanied by his wife, the father of the late Edward C. Gwyn visited various expositions in his own and other coun- tries, and pushed the sale of the products of the great concerns he represented to the fullest extent. It was while engaged
took place in Rotterdam, Holland, May 25, 1879. His remains were brought to Springfield and laid to rest in Ferncliff Cemetery. His widow survived him un- til 1899. Their living children are: Amelia (Spencer), who resides in Spring- field; Rosa (Driscoll), also residing in Springfield; Mary (Sheibley), of Tiffin, Ohio, and Violet (Hyde), who is at pres- ent residing at Santa Anna, California.
Edward C. Gwyn acquired his educa- tion in private schools in his native city of Springfield, and at Hamilton, Ohio, where the family spent their winter months. Upon completing his literary studies he became his father's assistant and worked with him in various gas and. water plants located both in Ohio and in Pennsylvania. After coming to Spring- field he was interested for a time in the wood and lumber industry. Later, in the interests of a gas company, he resided for a time at Upper Sandusky, coming back to Springfield in 1881, where for six months following he served as superin- tendent of the construction of the water works and then was made secretary and assistant superintendent of the Spring- field Gas Light Company, serving as such for four years. In June, 1885, he was elected president of the board of trustees of the Springfield Water Works. As indicated, he had many important business interests in this city and was a large property owner. In politics he was a Republican, and, religiously, a member of the First Congregational Church.
, On September 1, 1887, Mr. Gwyn was married to Isabella W. Smith, who was born at Springfield and is a daughter of William R. and Mary (Ege) Smith.
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They had two children, a son and daugh- ter, Charles W. and Mary Belle, the for- mer of whom is a graduate of the Spring- field High School and a student at Wit- tenberg College, the latter being a student in the high school.
JOSEPH CRABILL, JR., member of the Springfield Township School Board, resides on a well improved farm of 128 acres in Springfield Township, where he carries on a general agricultural line. He was born in Madison Township, Clark County, Ohio, June 4, 1862, and is a son of William Jr., and Sarah (Wise) Crabill. The Crabill family is an old agricultural one of Clark County. The grandfather, Thomas V. Crabill, was born in Moore- field Township, above Lagonda, on what was then known as the old Crabill farm, and he became a large landowner.
William Crabill, Jr., was born in Springfield Township in March, 1834, on a farm now occupied by his brother, J. F. Crabill. After his marriage he moved to Madison Township, where he rented a farm for several years, then moved to Harmony Township, where he resided un- til the spring of 1874, when he bought a farm of 180 acres in Springfield Town- ship, to which he moved in the following September. He owns also the well im- proved farm of seventy-eight acres on which his son, Joseph, Jr., located Sep- tember 30, 1892.
For a time after his marriage, he con- tinued to reside with his father and then moved to the farm the latter had formerly purchased, subsequently buying his own farm of fifty acres from Dr. Laybourn. He does a large wholesale milk business in addition to general farming, and is ranked with the representative business men of this section.
Mr. Crabill married Mary Hinkle, who is a daughter of Michael Hinkle, who was a prominent pioneer settler and large farmer of Springfield Township. They have five children, namely: Lester H., Sarah Wise, Alice, Joseph Elden and William. Mr. Crabill and family belong to the Lutheran Church, and he is a mem- ber of the church council.
Mr. Crabill, as a citizen, is interested in all that concerns the general welfare of his community and he has testified to his sincerity by consenting to serve for many years on the School Board, of which he was president in 1907. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
WILLIAM BALDWIN, formerly jus- tice of the peace in Moorefield Township, and a surviving veteran officer of the great Civil War, was born at Urbana, Ohio, January 11, 1834, and is a son of Samuel V. and Catherine (Van Meter) Baldwin.
The paternal grandfather was Joseph Baldwin. He was a Virginian by birth and married in his native state. When he decided to come to Ohio he traded a tannery for 120 acres of land in Moore-
Joseph Crabill, Jr., was twelve years old when he accompanied his parents to Springfield Township, where he has re- sided ever since. He obtained his educa- field Township, Clark County, Ohio. In tion in the public schools and has ever a flat-boat he brought his family and pos- since given his best efforts to farming. sessions from Wheeling down the Ohio,
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and when they landed, he traded the boat for a wagon and they traveled overland in this to Clark County. Eventually he be- came one of the largest capitalists of the county, largely through the business sagacity of his eldest son, William Bald- win. The latter went from Virginia to. New York and there prospered in the mer- cantile business and invested a large amount of money in land in Ohio. He died unmarried and his father was his heir to 2,000 acres of land. Joseph Bald- win died on the farm which is now the home of his grandson, William Baldwin.
Samuel V. Baldwin was born in Vir- ginia and was ten years old when his father came to Ohio. He was afforded excellent educational advantages and was a man of brilliant parts. He graduated from Miami University, at Oxford, and subsequently became a leading member of the bar at Urbana, of which city he was prosecuting attorney for many years. He married Catherine Van Meter.
duty, however, during the greater part of the time, serving as brigade inspector and as aid-de-camp to General E. P. Fyffe, and also on the staff of General George B. Buell as assistant general inspector of brigade. Captain Baldwin was ever at the post of duty and he did not escape some of the terrible wages of war. At the battle of Missionary Ridge he was shot in the head while in the lead of his company charging the enemy. Before Kenesaw Mountain, June 22, 1863, he re- ceived a bullet in the leg which debarred him from field service ever after. For a period of eighteen months he served in the Veteran Reserve Corps, and he filled the position of post adjutant of the bat- talion, during the discharge of the state troops at Augusta, Maine. Captain Bald- win's executive ability was still further recognized when he was sent to take com- mand at Fort Sullivan, and after his duties were over there he was sent home on waiting orders, and subsequently re- ceived his honorable discharge.
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