USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 79
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William M. Drake attended the district schools and later spent one year at col- lege at Ada, Ohio, that being the only period which he has passed away from the farm on which he was born. The original tract of 164 acres his grandfather purchased for $500. Both his father and Mr. Drake have made many improvements here, the former building the commodious brick residence in 1850. William M. Drake carries on general farming and stock-raising and is one of the township's most substantial men.
On December 15, 1898, William M. Drake was married to Sarah A. Keifer, who is a daughter of Benjamin and Amelia F. (Hinkle) Keifer. They have had four children, namely: Marie Ione, William Russell, Warren and an infant, who, with William Russell, are de- ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Drake are members of the Presbyterian Church at Yellow Springs. He belongs to the organization known as the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. In politics he is a Republican.
FRANK M. KRAPP, attorney, a lead- ing member of the Springfield bar, was born at Springfield, Ohio, in 1877, and is a son of Martin Krapp, who came from
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Germany to Springfield in 1850. For was born April 21, 1848, at Millerstown, many years Martin Krapp was a promi- Pennsylvania, and is a son of Joseph and nent business man here, where he now lives retired. Mary Jane (Boyd) Miller. His grand- father, Ezekial Miller, was prominent among the early settlers of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, being the founder of the village of Millerstown, where he owned a large tract of land, and where he died at the advanced age of ninety-six years.
Frank M. Krapp was reared at Spring- field, and after graduating from the Springfield High School, in 1895, he taught school for one year and then en- tered the law department of the Univers- ity of Cincinnati, where he was graduated with the class of 1899. He immediately entered into practice at Springfield, be- ing the junior member of the law firm of Tatum & Krapp, until Mr. Tatum was . elected city solicitor, since which time Mr. · Krapp has practiced alone. Professional men in these modern days must be pre- pared to meet with strong competition, and in spite of this Mr. Krapp has won a recognized place on the Springfield bar and has been elected treasurer of the Clark County Bar Association. For the past five years he has also held the office of referee in bankruptcy for the Spring- field District. He is an active Republican and is chairman of the Republican Cen- tral and Executive Committees. He is in- terested in the Yieldable Gear Company, of Springfield, being its vice president.
In 1900 Mr. Krapp was married to Bessie Wade, a resident of Springfield. They attend the First Lutheran Church. He is connected fraternally with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Owls, and he is one of the directors of the Young Men's Christian Association.
DR. E. CALVIN MILLER, postmas- ter at New Carlisle, Ohio, is also a well known druggist of this village, of which he has been a resident since 1883. He
Joseph Miller, father of the doctor, was born in Pennsylvania, his parents' family numbering four children, namely: Mary, McConnel, Joseph and Thomas. Joseph was reared on his father's farm and later engaged in mercantile business at Millers- town, where he was married to Mary Jane Boyd, also a native of Pennsylvania. They subsequently moved to North Da- kota, where they remained but one year, then coming to New Carlisle, Clark Coun- ty, Ohio. After residing here one year they sold their property and moved to Callery, Pennsylvania, where they passed the remainder of their lives, Mr. Miller dying at the age of seventy-eight years and his wife at that of seventy-two. They were the parents of the following chil- dren: Ellen, who died young; Robert, who lives in the state of Washington; E. Calvin, subject of this article; Melissa Jane, residing at Brady's Bend, Pennsy !- vania; James, who died at the age of thirty-eight, and was prominent in the oil business; Thomas, who was killed on his first day's run as conductor on the Penn- sylvania Railroad; Mary, a resident of Brady's Bend, Pennsylvania; and Benja- min, who is superintendent for the Standard Oil Company in Washington State.
Dr. E. Calvin Miller was reared in Mil-
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lerstown, Pennsylvania, and received his education in the common schools of that village, later attending Mount Union Co !- lege, where he was a student at the time of President Lincoln's assassination. He worked as clerk in his father's store un- . dent of the cemetery board, was for sev- til he was twenty years of age, at the age of seventeen beginning the study of medi- cine under Dr. C. H. Lee, of Tarentum, a village five miles from Millerstown. After remaining in Dr. Lee's office for three years, he attended a course of lec- tures at Philadelphia, where he received his diploma. He shortly after embarked in the practice of medicine at Moravia, Pennsylvania, going thence in a short time, however, to West Middlesex, Mer- cer County, that state, where he was en- Dr. Miller was married in 1869 to Nancy Jane Humes, a daughter of James and Mary Humes, of Pennsylvania, and he and his wife have been the parents of three children : Ella, who married W. N. Scarff, and has three children-Max, Howard and Lucille; C. Bertram, a drug- gist, of Dayton, Ohio; and Thomas, who is assistant postmaster at New Carlisle. gaged in the drug business for one year. Then, owing to ill health, he removed to Springdale, Pennsylvania, and for nine years operated a drug store in connection with his medical practice. He was also postmaster of that village, the office being one of the fourth class. Dr. Miller then went to Fargo, North Dakota, but not lik- ing that locality returned immediately to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, where he left his family while he made a tour through many states in search of a desir- able location. He finally came to New Carlisle and purchased an interest in the Neff & Son Drug Company, of this vil- lage, and operated the business from 1883 until 1895 under the firm name of Neff & Miller. Dr. Miller subsequently carried on the business alone for one year, and then sold out to W. A. Higgins, who has since conducted it.
Dr. Miller was appointed postmaster of New Carlisle June 19, 1900, during Pres- ident McKinley's administration, and is
still serving in that capacity. He is in- terested in various business enterprises of this locality, is president of the New Carlisle Telephone Company, a stock- holder in the First National Bank, presi- eral years secretary of the New Carlisle Building and Loan Association and was also engaged in life insurance for a time. Fraternally Dr. Miller is a Mason, being a member of New Carlisle Lodge No. 100, F. & A. M., the Chapter at New Carlisle, and Palestine Commandery at Spring- field. He also belongs to the I. O. O. F., of which he was financial secretary for seventeen years. Politically he is a Re- publican.
SIMON MICHAEL, a well known and highly respected retired farmer of the vil- lage of North Hampton, and owner of a fine farm of 105 acres in German Town- ship, also owns property in the village of North Hampton, and has residence prop- erty which is located just at the edge of the village. He has been a resident of Clark County for practically all his life and was born on his father's farm in Ger- man Township, January 11, 1839, a son of Adam and Mary (Wones) Michael.
Adam Michael, who was born in Vir- ginia, was of German extraction, and
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when a boy came to Ohio with his par- Michael's farm and who has two chil- ents, who settled in the wilds of Pike dren-Myrtle Beatrice and Clark Roscoe. Mr. Michael purchased a tract of fifty acres before his marriage from George Getz, and having added to this from time to time, now has 105 acres all in one tract. Mr. Michael followed farming in German Township until 1896, when he retired from agricultural pursuits and has since been a resident of North Hampton. Po- litically he is a Prohibitionist. He is a member and elder of the Reformed Church. Township, Clark County. Here he was reared and became a farmer by' occupa- tion. He was united in marriage with Mary Wones, a native of England, who came to this country with her parents when a girl. Eight children were born of this union, namely: Catherine, Elizabeth, William, Lucinda, Frederick, Ellen, Simon, our subject, and George, who lives in Indiana. The two last mentioned are the only ones now living, Ellen dying in infancy. Mrs. Michael died in 1845 at the age of thirty-five years, and in 1847 Adam Michael married Catherine Welchans, widow of Griffith Welchans, and a daugh- ter of Mr. Overs. She was an aunt of ex- Judge Overs. Two children were born of the second union-David and Emma. Adam Michael died in 1851 and was sur- vived by his widow until 1902, passing away at the age of seventy-five years.
Simon Michael was a mere boy when his parents moved to Indiana and pur- chased a farm near Muncie, in Delaware County. His father died there six weeks later, and after remaining in Indiana about five or six years, Mr. Michael re- turned to Clark County, Ohio, and worked for his brother-in-law, David Jenkins, who had purchased the old home farm from his father. He remained in German Township with his brother-in-law until after his marriage, September 30, 1862, with Elizabeth Freeze, a daughter of John Freeze. She was born in 1842 and died May 10, 1904. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Michael, namely : George Marion, who died at the age of two years and six months, and Cora Irene, wife of Charles F. Ryman, who operates Mr.
HERMAN VOGES, manager and sec- retary of the Springfield Coal and Ice Company, has been a resident of Spring- field since 1875, and is one of the fore- most business men of the city. He was born April, 1844, in Germany, and came to America at the age of twenty-one, first locating in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was engaged in the hardware business for five years. He then moved to College Cor- ners, Butler County, Ohio, and there also was engaged in the hardware business, continuing in the same for five years, when he came to Springfield, in 1875. He was for seven years engaged as shipping clerk for, the Champion Bar Knife Com- pany, of this city, and in 1882, in partner- ship with Mr. M. M. Hedges, entered the ice and coal business under the firm name of Voges & Hedges. In June, 1883, in connection with E. S. Kelly, they estab- lished the Champion Coal & Ice Company, which was incorporated with a capital stock of $50,000, with E. S. Kelly, presi- dent; Mr. Hedges, secretary, and Mr. Voges, as manager of the company. The Champion Coal and Ice Company con-
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tinued successfully in business until 1888, when it was succeeded by the Springfield Coal and Ice Company, with the capital stock increased to $100,000. In June, 1890, they began the manufacturing of ice, being the first ice plant to operate in this section of the country. The present of- ficers of the company are: W. S. Wilson, president and treasurer ; George Glessner, vice president; Herman Voges, manager and secretary.
Mr. Voges was married in 1868 to Ida Sattler, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and of their union were born the following children : Herman, now a member of the Webster & Perks Manufacturing Company, of Springfield, Ohio; Olga, widow of Joseph Beck, residing in Springfield; Ida, who is the wife of Edward Letzler, of Denver, Colorado; William F., who is traveling auditor for the Diamond Rubber Com- pany, of Akron, Ohio; Albert, who is em- ployed by the Springfield Coal and Ice Company ; and Flora, who lives at home. Fraternally Mr. Voges is a member of the B. P. O. E., and also of the Lagonda Club.
PETER GERON, general farmer, re- siding on his well improved property con- sisting of 16714 acres, known as “Prairie View Farm," which is situated in Moore- field Township, was born in this township May 14, 1857, and is a son of Adam and Elizabeth (Reddick) Geron.
Adam Geron was born in Germany and came to American in early manhood, set- tling in Ohio prior to his marriage. In 1858 he settled with his family in Spring- field Township, where he resided for about ten years and then moved to a farm
on the National Turnpike east of Spring- field. Peter Geron was a boy of some eleven years at this time and he recalls the family changes of the next few years and remembers the farm in Bethel Town- ship on which his father remained for the following ten years. From that farm Adam Geron moved to Urbana Township, in Champaign County, and there his death occurred in September, 1907. His widow still survives.
When Peter Geron was sixteen years of age he went to work for Henry Snyder, in Mad River Township, and labored as a farm hand for eight years, and also farmed Mr. Snyder's place for six years following his marriage. In 1886 he was married to Elizabeth Kropp, and they have five bright, intelligent children, namely : Mamie, Harry, Effie, A. J. and Ralph.
In 1900 Mr. Geron bought his present fine farm and he has been improving the property ever since, in 1904 building his commodious and comfortable frame dwelling and in 1906 putting up his sub- stantial barn. His surroundings indicate thrift and good management. Mr. Geron is a man of social instincts and he belongs to the Knights of Pythias and to the Mac- cabees. Religiously he belongs to St. John's Lutheran Church in Springfield. In politics he is a Democrat.
WILLIAM B. TODD, one of Spring- field Township's representative citizens and excellent agriculturists, residing on the I. Ward Frey farm of 365 acres, lo- cated about two miles east of Springfield, was born in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, January 7, 1859, and is a
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son of Samuel A. and Marietta (Wood) Roy, Bessie, Warren, Edwin Augustus, Todd.
James Todd, the grandfather, came to Morrowtown, Ohio, from Pennsylvania and was the first of the name to settle at Todd's Forks. Later he came to Green Township and settled on what became known as the Todd farm, where he died. He was of Irish extraction. He married a lady at Hagerstown, Maryland, who was of German descent.
Samuel A. Todd was born on the old Todd farm and prior to enlisting for serv- ice in the Civil War taught a term of school in Harmony Township. He was commissioned a lieutenant by Governor David Todd and served three years in the army. After he returned he worked a short time as a blacksmith and also con- ducted a small grocery business and then traveled for some years as a representa- tive of a business house. He became very prominent politically and for nine years served as county recorder on the Repub- lican ticket. After retiring from office he made his residence at Springfield, and for a time carried on a clothing business at No. 31 West Main Street. He was a man of excellent business faculty and had a wide circle of friends. His death took place December 19, 1899. His widow still survives and lives at Springfield.
William B. Todd attended school in Springfield and when eighteen years of age began to farm, and, with the excep- tion of two years spent in the grocery business, at Springfield, he has given his attention ever since exclusively to agri- culture. In 1884 Mr. Todd was married to Armenia Nave, who is a daughter of John G. Nave, and they have had eight children, namely: Daisy E., Samuel Le-
Eula, Frances and Florence. Daisy E. died at the age of eleven years and Samuel LeRoy at that of six. Mr. Todd has an interesting family and is giving them many advantages. Politically he is a prominent Republican, and fraternally he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Junior Order of American Mechanics and to the Eagles.
ANDREW JACKSON BAKER, gen- eral farmer and stock-raiser, resides on his well improved farm of eighty acres, lying about three miles northwest of Springfield, on the Valley Turnpike, was born on this farm March 3, 1833. He is a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Flick) Baker.
Daniel Baker was born about 1800, in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, whence his father, Rudolph Baker removed to Clark County, settling about 1820 in Ger- man Township, where he died in 1823. Rudolph Baker had then scarcely begun to clear his farm from the forest, a task his sons subsequently completed. Daniel Baker succeeded to a part of the farm and there spent his life. He married Elizabeth Flick, who was born and reared near Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio.
Andrew J. Baker was thirteen years of age when his father died. He remained on the home farm until he was eighteen, when he went to Springfield, where he learned the carpenter's trade. For fif- teen years he worked at his trade, but shortly after his marriage he returned to the home farm and resumed farming. He has the larger part of his land rented out. He made many improvements on the
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place after coming here and it ranks with the best improved farms of the township.
In 1857 Mr. Baker was married to Margaret I. Jones, who is a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Weaver) Jones. She was reared in Mad River Township, Champaign County, near the Clark Coun- ty line. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have had three children: Dora, Effie and Minnie, the latter of whom died aged four months. Mr. Baker and family belong to St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church. He takes an active interest in the educational advancement of his community and for eight years has been a member of the school board.
STEPHEN KITCHEN, owner of a fine farm of 136 acres in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, was born June 12, 1877, near his present farm, which is part of the old homestead, and is a son of Erasmus Jones and Matilda (Hatfield) Kitchen.
Abraham L. Kitchen, grandfather of Stephen, was a native of Warren County, Ohio, and a son of Stephen Kitchen, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio at a very early period. Abraham followed farming all his life, and in 1830 came to Clark County and settled on the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch, building and residing in for the remainder of his life the old log house which is now occupied by our subject's tenant. He married Matilda Jones, who was born near Selma, Madison Township, Clark County, Ohio, and to them were born four daughters and three sons.
Erasmus Kitchen, father of Stephen, was born August 11, 1837, in the old log
house and spent his entire life on the farm adjoining our subject's. He spent four years in the army, enlisting in June, 1861, and serving until the close of the war, after which he returned home and engaged in-farming until the time of his death. He married Matilda Hatfield, who was a native of Springfield Township, and to them were born six sons, all of whom are engaged in farming.
Stephen Kitchen was reared on the home farm and after completing his edu- cation, which was obtained in the district schools of the township, he worked for his father until his marriage with Josie Alice Stewart, a daughter of Charles F. Stew- art, of Green Township. Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen have three children-Rhoda Alice, Erasmus Jones and Frances. In politics Mr. Kitchen is a Republican. He is a member of the Grange, and the re- ligious connection of the family is with the Presbyterian Church.
PHILIP E. PEMBERTON, a well known citizen and agriculturist of Har- mony Township, where he owns an excel- lent farm of fifty-three acres, which is sit- uated on the Wilson Road, about one-half mile from Brighton, Ohio, was born in Madison County, Ohio, in 1857, and is a son of William and Nancy (Markley) Pemberton.
William Pemberton was born in 1821 and in 1846 he married Nancy Markley and they had eight children, namely : Samuel, born in 1847, married Mary Reed and they live in Kansas and have ten chil- dren; John, born in 1849, married Susan Watson and has one child; Mary E., born in 1851, was accidentally burned to death
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at the age of seven years; Martha J., 1883, in 1905 married Lucinda Melvin and born in 1853, married Walter Bennett they live in Champaign County; Eva, born in 1886, married Elmer Stits, has two children, Ruth M. and Edna P., and lives at Vienna, Ohio; and Ethel, born in 1888, Harry, born in 1891, and Ruth, born in 1896, all live at home. and they have two children; Frances M., born in 1855, married John Thomas Evans and they live in Indiana and have four children; Philip E .; Emma L., born in 1859, died aged four years; and Will- iam A., born in 1862, married Mary A. Miller and they have one child.
Philip E. Pemberton lived in his native county until he was ten years old and then came to Clark County, where he has re- sided ever since. He has engaged in farming since he reached manhood. Prior to purchasing his present farm of James Wilson, September 4, 1888, he resided at Brighton, Ohio. He carries on a general farming line and has continued to im- prove his property ever since settling on it. He takes a good citizen's interest in all that is of public note in the township and does his full share in the general line of progress and improvement through his neighborhood. He has served as school director and several terms as road super- visor.
In 1882 Mr. Pemberton was married to Mary E. Randolph, who was born in 1863 and is a daughter of William P. and Mary (Mincer) Randolph. Her father was born February 20, 1833, and died in 1889, and her mother was born September 2, 1839, and died in March, 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Randolph had the following chil- dren: Mary E .; Nancy L., married James Goings and they have three chil- dren; Eliza K., married John Rathburn and have one child; and William F., mar- ried Anna Dunn and they have three chil- dren.
DR. W. G. STEPHENS, a prominent physician of Catawba, Pleasant Township, who has been a resident of Clark County, Ohio, since 1889, was born March 27, 1863, in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of James D. and Nancy (Glassford) Stephens.
James Stephens, father of Dr. Stephens, was the eldest of a family of seven chil- dren-four boys and three girls-and during his early manhood taught school for some time. He then devoted his time to farming and milling until his death at the age of fifty-six years. He was united in marriage with Nancy Glassford, who is still living, a resident of Pennsylvania, and they reared a family of three chil- dren-W. Glassford Stephens, the subject of this sketch; Alexander, who lives in Pennsylvania; and Sadie, who married John Shillito, of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Stephens was born and reared on his father's farm in Pennsylvania and ob- tained his education in the district schools of Indiana County. When about eighteen years old he began teaching, remaining in Pennsylvania for two years. He then taught for some time in Illinois, after which he returned to Pennsylvania and again taught school, during which time he commenced the study of medicine at the Eclectic Medical College, of Cincinnati,
Mr. and Mrs. Pemberton have five chil- dren, as follows: Avie, born July 3, Ohio. He graduated in medicine in 1889
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and that same year located in Catawba, where he embarked in the practice of med- icine and now enjoys a large and lucrative practice. In 1904 Dr. Stephens purchased a farm, to which he had added at various times, now having 214 acres, in different tracts, most of it having been the old Baldwin farm. In addition to his farm the doctor also has a fine residence in Catawba, which he and his family occupy.
In June, 1894, Dr. Stephens was joined in marriage with Marion Hunter, a daughter of Dr. Milton R. Hunter, and Sarah (Skillman) Hunter, and to them have been born two children-Helen and Mildred. Fraternally Dr. Stephens is a member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 349, public, at Springfield. of Catawba.
LEWIS PHILLIPS, secretary and treasurer of the Springfield Breweries, has been a resident of this city since Feb- ruary, 1866. He was born in Jackson County, Ohio, September, 1843, where he was reared and educated and remained until 1861, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company C, Fifty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry.
Mr. Phillips remained in the army for over one year and after his honorable discharge he returned to Jackson County and then attended school at Athens, fol- lowing which he taught school for a sea- son and then took a commercial course at Cincinnati. From his time of graduation until he came to Springfield he was en- gaged as a tutor at the college and for twenty-one years following his coming he had charge of the office of Whiteley- Fassler & Killey, manufacturers of mow-
ers and reapers. In 1890 Mr. Phillips ac- cepted his present position and since January, 1907, has also been president of the Springfield Pure Milk Company.
In 1876 Mr. Phillips was married to Elizabeth Cathcart and they have one son, Lewis Walter, who has been with the Ford Motor Company, of Detroit, for the past year. With his family Mr. Phillips at- tends the High Street Methodist Episco- pal Church. Mr. Phillips is a thirty-sec- ond degree Mason and he belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Com- mandery at Springfield, and to the Mystic Shrine at Dayton. He is a member also of Mitchell Post, Grand Army of the Re-
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