USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 82
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Ephraim F. Harshman was reared and educated in Greene County and from there moved to Springfield, where he was engaged in the hay and feed business for about eighteen years. He employed from five to six men and ran five two- horse teams during this time. In 1895 Mr. Harshman bought and moved to his present farm, which he had rented for two years previously. He raises corn, wheat, oats and hay and keeps enough stock for his own use.
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Mr. Harshman was married (first) to Caroline Kossler and they had two chil- dren: Walter, residing at Dayton; and John Lewis, who died aged three months. Mrs. Caroline Harshman died at Spring- field in 1881. Mr. Harshman was mar- ried, secondly, to Mirtie Sipe and they have had three children: Carrie, Gladys and Elmer, the last mentioned of whom lived only eight months. Mr. Harshman has been bereaved of his second wife, her death taking place in July, 1906.
JOHN M. PERRIN, who is a repre- sentative of one of the prominent old families of Clark County, has always lived on the old Perrin farm in Springfield Township, on which he has been engaged in general farming since 1903. He was born on this farm August 30, 1859, and is a son of John and Mary (Dunnroush) Perrin.
The father of Mr. Perrin was born on the present home farm, where he died June 27, 1888. He was a son of John Perrin, who was born in Maryland and made his first visit to Clark County on horseback in 1803. At that time he re- turned to Maryland, but he came back in 1806 and invested in a section of land, this farm being a part of the same. His son, John Perrin, also owned a number of valuable tracts of land in different sec- tions and for a number of years entrusted all of his business to his son, John M. He married Mary Dunnroush, who died August 14, 1907, aged eighty-two years. They had the following children: Mar- garet Amelia; Elnora, who married Dr. Edgar Studebaker; John M .; Mary Belle ; Mina; and Lavinia and Katherine, who
are now deceased. In 1902 John M. Per- rin was married to Minnie Cox, who is a daughter of David Cox, and they have one son, to whom has been given the family name of John. Mrs. Perrin died January 20, 1908. Mr. Perrin is identified with the Knights of Pythias.
ROBERT A. TINDALL, who resides on a part of the old Tindall homestead in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, comes of a prominent old family of this section. He was born February 7, 1875, and is a son of Robert and Abia (Hart- well) Tindall and grandson of Thomas and Sarah (Waller) Tindall.
Thomas Tindall and wife were both natives of Yorkshire, England, and after their marriage came to the United States about 1816. After landing in New York they made their way to Cincinnati, also visited in Cleveland a short time, then came on to Clark County, Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their days. They were parents of nine children, as follows: George, who was accidentally killed by a horse at the age of twenty years; Charles; John; Nancy; Susan; Robert; Margaret (Bates), of Louisa County, Iowa; Mary (Holloway), of Greene County, Ohio; and Ella (Miller), of York County, Nebraska. All of this family grew to maturity.
Robert Tindall was born in Green Township June 25, 1825, and as a youth had few educational advantages. At the age of fifteen years he began working out by the day or month, making it a point to save what he could of his wages. At the age of thirty he rented a farm and also engaged in buying and shipping stock, and
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by economical living was, at the age of is a son of Lewis and Anna (Gordon) thirty-five years, able to purchase 175 West. acres of land in Green Township. He ยท farmed extensively and raised a great deal of stock, and as his business affairs prospered he added to his farm until he was possessed of 641 acres of valuable land. In 1879 he built a large and com- modious home, in which he lived until his death, which resulted from an accident in which he was trampled upon by a horse, November 21, 1907.
Robert Tindall was married April 12, 1865, to Miss Abia Hartwell, who was born in Madison Township, Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, and was a daughter of William and Abia Hartwell, who originally came from Cincinnati. They were parents of the following children: Herbert D., who was born January 5, 1866, lives on the home farm; Carrie A., born July 7, 1867, died August 16, 1905. She married Joseph Conable, of Memphis, Tennessee, and left two children: Olive, born July 2, 1894, and Abbie, who was born August 16, 1896; Olive, born April 13, 1869, died May 25, 1886; Lucy, born January 18, 1871, died August 11, 1882; William, born November 16, 1873, is an electrician, residing in Memphis, Tennessee; and Robert A. Robert Tindall cast his first vote for Zachary Taylor in 1848, and voted for John C. Fremont in 1856, and thereafter was unswerving in his support of the Republican party.
DAVID EDWARD WEST, owner of seventy-two acres of well improved farm- ing land, situated in Mad River Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, was born in Springfield, Ohio, September 2, 1877, and O. E.
David West, the grandfather of David Edward, came to Springfield from Old- town, Greene County, Ohio, in 1837, where he opened a carriage shop. In 1885 he built the present twelve-room house now owned by his son, and died there in 1901, aged eighty-six years. He was married to Mary McClure, who was born in 1829, and died in 1898, and to them were born five children: Louis, deceased, Jeffer- son, deceased; William, a resident of Springfield; Edward, deceased. Jeffer- son McClure was a large landowner, hav- ing at one time a tract of 1,000 acres in Clark County.
Louis West, father of David Edward, was born in 1857, on High Street, Spring- field, Ohio, when that place was little more than a village. He was married there to Anna Gordon, who was an adopt- ed daughter of Phillip Wooleston, and three children were born of this union: Rose, who married William Rich, resides in Cincinnati; Ray, deceased; and David E. Louis West died in 1879, when only twenty-two years of age, and his wife died in the same year, aged twenty-one years. After the death of his father, David E. West went to live with his Grandfather West, and at the age of seven years they moved to his present farm, which he sub- sequently inherited.
Mr. West was married July 4, 1899, to Anna Leffel, a daughter of Fred and Maggie (Ludlow) Leffel. Mr. and Mrs. West have had three children: Lucille, Doris and David. Politically Mr. West is an adherent of the Republican party, and is fraternally associated with the F.
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The late Fred Leffel, father of Mrs. West, was born May 14, 1845, near Springfield, Ohio. His grandfather, An- thony Leffel, came to Ohio from Pennsyl- vania, in early days, and finally located in Springfield, where he died, aged eighty- six years. He had seven children, a num- ber of whom came with him from Penn- sylvania. Samuel, grandfather of Mrs. West, was a boy of seven years when he came to Springfield, which was then a small village, and he often told of pulling corn out of the mud, in what is now the Square. He subsequently became a farm- er and also worked as a carpenter. Samuel Leffel married Elizabeth Baker, who was born near Enon, and to them were born the following children: Fred; Daniel, deceased; Agnes, who married William Mort, deceased; Abigail, who married Samuel Nye; Samuel; and Josephine, who married J. R. McClure.
Fred Leffel married Maggie Ludlow, who is a daughter of George and Eliza- beth (Hammond) Ludlow. They have had seven children: Nellie, who married James Huckins; Edith, deceased, was the wife of Charles Snyder ; George; Charles; Maud, deceased; Anna; and Abraham. Mrs. Leffel makes her home with D. E. West and wife. Mr. Leffel was a member of the order of Foresters, and was a Re- publican in politics.
was for a great many years emigrant agent for the Atchison & Topeka Railroad Company. He died in Springfield in 1890.
James A. Linn was reared and educated in Springfield and early in life engaged in the coal and ice business, beginning at the age of nineteen. In 1894 he became associated with the Hosterman Publish- ing Company as manager of the advertis- ing department, acting in that capacity un- til 1898, when he organized the Spring- field Publishing Company and bought the Hosterman Publishing Company. He published the Press & Republic and did a job printing business until 1903, when he sold the newspaper end of the business and has since continued the printing busi- ness, his firm having been for six years the State printers. Mr. Linn was united in marriage in January, 1893, to Harriet Hosterman, of Springfield, and they have four daughters, namely-Margaret, Har- riet, Ruth, and Patti.
Mr. Linn has always taken an active in- terest in politics and has been on the Re- publican executive committee for a num- ber of years. He was elected auditor in November, 1905, assuming the office in October, 1906. Fraternally he is a mem- ber of the Masonic order, and is religious- ly affiliated with the Third Presbyterian Church of Springfield.
JAMES A. LINN, auditor of Clark County and a resident of Springfield since 1872, was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1864 and is a son of the late William R. Linn.
JACOB D. NEFF, trustee of Bethel Township and owner of sixty acres of farm land situated about twelve miles west of Springfield on the Valley Pike, is one of the township's enterprising and substantial farmers. He was born Decem- ber 20, 1864, on the old home farm in
William R. Linn, who was also a native of. Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Wayne Township, Montgomery County,
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Ohio, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Harnish) Neff.
Jacob Neff, Sr., was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1815, and was one of the eldest of a family of eight chil- dren, four sons and four daughters. His boyhood days were spent in Pennsylvania and in 1835 he accompanied his father, John Neff, across the mountains to Ohio, where the family settled in the wilds of Wayne Township, Montgomery County. Here he assisted in clearing and cultivat- ing the farm which is still in the posses- sion of the Neff family. The father's death occurred in Clark County at the home of his son David. When a young man Jacob Neff spent much of his time during the winter months in teaming, hauling flour from the old Harris Mills to Cincinnati. He married Mary Harnish, a native of Pennsylvania, and to them were born twelve children, as follows: John, who died in infancy; Amos, who died aged sixteen years; Albert, who died aged twenty-eight years; Hetty, who is the wife of C. K. Brenner; Elizabeth; Frank; Mollie, the wife of Dr. C. A. Herr; Jacob D, subject of this sketch; Emma, who married Jacob Tippy; Henry ; Chris- topher; and one unnamed, who died in in- fancy. Mr. and Mrs. Neff both died on the old home place in Montgomery Coun- ty, the latter passing away first, at the age of sixty-five years, the former surviv- ing her one year, his death occurring at the age of eighty-one years.
Jacob D. Neff was reared on the old home farm in Wayne Township, Mont- gomery County, and his primary educa- tion, which was received in the district schools, was supplemented by a course of study at the Miami Business College of
Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Neff remained at home until attaining his majority, when he spent some eighteen months in Osborn, Ohio, working in various stores. In 1890 he went to Columbus, Ohio, where he spent seven years in the employ of J. B. Hartman & Son, who operated a grocery and market. Since March, 1898, he has been residing on his present farm of six- ty acres, which he inherited from his fa- ther, and where he is successfully en- gaged in general farming. Mr. Neff grows six acres of tobacco every year.
He was united in marriage June 20, 1897, with Blanche Huffman, a daughter of Charles and Barbara (Flick) Huffman, of Hancock County, Ohio, and to them have been born two children-Helen and Orran. Politically, Mr. Neff is a Repub- lican and he was elected trustee of Beth- el Township in the spring of 1903, to which office he was re-elected in the fall of 1907. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Osborn Lodge No. 379.
LEWIS J. LAYBOURN, residing on his valuable farm of 157 acres, which is situated in Section 7, Springfield Town- ship, was born in Clark County, Ohio, September 15, 1846, and is a son of James and Mary (Skillings) Laybourn.
The great-grandfather, Christopher Laybourn, came to America with his fam- ily, from England, settling in Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, in 1820, and establishing the first nursery in the county. He lived to the age of ninety-seven years, three months and twenty-three days. Joel Lay- bourn, grandfather to Lewis J., was a young man when his father settled in
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM R. GORDON
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Clark County. He engaged in farming in Green Township and there James Lay- bourn was born and reared and was sub- sequently married to Mary Skillings. They had four children, namely: Will- iam H., who is deceased; Lewis J .; Zeru- iah (deceased), who was the wife of Dr. W. P. Madden; and Sarah, who married Thomas Nave, who resides at Springfield.
Lewis J. Laybourn has carried on farm- ing ever since he grew to manhood. He began to farm on his own land when he bought 240 acres lying in Madison and Green Townships, where he lived for twelve years, then moving to his present farm in Springfield Township. He re- tains his other land and is one of the ex- tensive farmers of the country. He pays considerable attention to the growing of corn and wheat, rotating those cereals with clover and grass. Mr. Laybourn has a thorough understanding of the princi- ples of agriculture and has an equipment that enables him to carry it on according to the most approved and successful methods.
Mr. Laybourn married Jennie Bird, who was reared in Springfield Township and is a daughter of Herbert H. Bird. They had one daughter, Mary B., who is the wife of Myron Beckman, residing at Hamilton, Ohio. Mrs. Laybourn died December 24, 1886.
WILLIAM R. GORDON, a prominent citizen and farmer of Bethel Township, Clark County, Ohio, has a valuable farm of 184 acres located on both sides of the National Pike about two and a half miles west of Springfield. He was born on his father's farm in that township, in a rude
log cabin of the pioneer type, on Febru- ary 14, 1850, and is a son of William and Delilah (Miller) Gordon. William Gor- don, Sr., was born in Virginia and was quite young when his parents moved to Ohio, making the trip in wagons. He was one of seventeen children born to Rich- ard and Anna (Garst) Gordon, of which large family each member grew to ma- turity and reared a family except one, a daughter who died at the age of seventeen years. Mrs. Gordon died when the sub- ject of this sketch was a child.
William Gordon grew up on his father's farm in the woods of Bethel Township, and after arriving at maturity bought a tract of timberland adjoining the home place, from which he took hundreds of dollars worth of timber, although it was of little value in those days. He became a prosperous farmer and owned at the time of his death some 216 acres of land. He died in 1890, at the age of eighty-five years, and was preceded to the grave many years by his wife, who died during the war at the age of fifty-two years. In maidenhood Delilah Miller, she was born in Pennsylvania and was a small girl when her father, Daniel Miller, moved to Ohio with his family, locating in Bethel Township. She became the mother of twelve children, namely: Henry, who served in the One Hundred and Fifty- third Regiment, O. V. I., during the Civil War; Harrison, who was a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-third Regiment, O. V. I .; Ezra, also a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-third Regiment, O. V. I .; Oliver, a member of the Ninety-fourth Regiment, O. V. I., who was killed at Chattanooga, Tennessee; Allen, who is now deceased; William Ross, subject of
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this article; David Scott; Phoebe (Hens- lee) ; Sarah, widow of Charles Kline, who married, secondly, U. J. Tavorite; Eliz- abeth; Eliza; and Rosetta. The three last named died in infancy.
William Ross Gordon was reared on the home farm and attended the old log school-house in the home district, and af- terwards the brick school-house which re- placed it. When about twenty years of age he started out in the world for him- self, and it is to his credit that the com- petency he now enjoys was earned by the sweat of his brow. He first worked in a stone quarry for Albert Holcomb for four years, and by saving his money was able at the end of that time to purchase a tract of seven acres, the foundation of his pres- ent fine farm in Bethel Township. He erected a small residence, which has since been replaced by a larger and more com- modious one, and as he prospered in his business he added from time to time small tracts of six and seven acres until he had a good-sized farm. In his earlier days he followed truck gardening,selling his produce at the old market in Spring- field, and it proved a remunerative bus- iness. Early in the eighties he began dairying and has continued it since with good results, for many years running a wagon in Springfield. He is a successful business man and enjoys the respect and confidence of his neighbors and acquaint- ances to a marked degree.
On April 15, 1873, Mr. Gordon was united in marriage with Sarah Ann Gris- so, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Grisso of Springfield Township, and they have four children: Alma Jane, wife of William Pfeifer, who has two children- Harrold and Martha; Ina J., who is in
Chicago being trained for missionary work; George, who married Myrtle Bod- kin, and Clinton, who married Sadie Hard- acre. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon belong to the Baptist church, of which the former has been deacon and treasurer for eighteen years. He is a Republican in politics.
SIDNEY GRANT BAKER, who in partnership with his brother operates the Baker Brothers' general store of Dialton, is one of the leading business men of the village and was born June 22, 1872, on his father's farm in Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio. He is a son of Samuel and Melinda (Jenkins) Baker.
Samuel Baker was born December 10, 1830, near Lawrenceville, German Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, and when about six weeks old his father, Martin Baker, who came from Virginia at a very early period and located in German Township, Clark County, removed to near Dialton, where the remainder of his life was spent. Here Samuel followed threshing for a number of years, using a horse-power ma- chine, and was also engaged in making tile for some years. He served four years in the army, enlisting in the Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and also in the Eighth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and par- ticipated in numerous important engage- ments, among them the battles of Gettys- burg and Martin's Ferry. Samuel Bak- er was married September 26, 1871, to Melinda Jenkins, a native of German Township and a daughter of David and Elizabeth Jenkins, the former of whom died at the age of forty-six years, the lat- ter living to the advanced age of eighty years. Four children were born to Sam-
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uel and Melinda Baker, namely: Viola (Mrs. Clinton Huffman), and Sidney Grant, who were twins; and Asa M. and Charles O., who were also twins. Samuel Baker was always a very successful farm- er and at the time of his death, which oc- curred September 26, 1903, was the own- er of over 300 acres of fine farming land. He is survived by his widow.
Sidney Grant Baker was reared on his father's farm and received his education- al training at the district schools of the township, later attending Nelson's Busi- ness College for two winters. On March 1, 1898, he purchased his present business from Baisinger and Smith and conducted it for one year, when he formed a partner- ship with his brother Asa M., and has since operated the business under the firm name of Baker Brothers. Baker Broth- ers' general store is recognized as one of the leading business enterprises of the village of Dialton and enjoys an extensive patronage from the residents in this lo- cality.
Mr. Sidney G. Baker was married Sep- tember 26, 1900, to Olive O. Overholtz, a daughter of Jonas and Laura (Hupp) Overholtz, who reside near Lawrence- ville, German Township. Mrs. Baker has one sister, Lena, who married W. Circle. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have one child, Lu- cille Irene, born July 19, 1902.
Politically Mr. Baker is a Republican and has served a year as central commit- teeman. He and his wife are both mem- bers of the Reformed Church, of which he is a deacon, being also superintendent of the Sunday-school.
Mr. A. M. Baker was married Febru- ary 17, 1904, to Mary E. Spence, daugh- ter of G. A. and Mary Spence, whose
sketch appears in this work. Mr. Baker and wife have two children-Corene, born January 25, 1905, and Willard, born June 8, 1907.
STEVEN D. SNYDER, who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a fine farm of 1871/2 acres located on the Jordon Pike in German Township, was born on a farm April 27, 1865, and is a son of Eli and Sophia (Maxon) Snyder.
Felty Snyder, grandfather of Steven D., came from Pennsylvania at a very early period and entered a quarter section of land, which is now owned by our sub- ject. He was married after coming to German Township and followed farming the rest of his life. He has two surviv- ing children, Mrs. Rebecca McMillen and Peter Snyder.
Eli Snyder was born in the house that is now occupied by his son, Steven D. Sny- der, and which has since been moved near- er the road. He lived at home until com- ing of age, and then went to the gold fields of California, remaining there for six years. Upon his return home he was mar- ried to Sophia Maxon, who was born and reared west of Northampton, Clark Coun- ty, Ohio. They became the parents of eight children, whose records in brief are : Lydia (Mrs. McCuddy) ; Mrs. Sarah Do- mer; Steven D., subject of this article; Felty Valentine, who died in early man- hood; Rebecca (Mrs. Unverzagt) of Ger- man Township; Clarke, who died in in- fancy; Ida (Mrs. Purtt) ; George, who is a resident of Chicago, Ill .; and John, who died in infancy. Eli Snyder died about 1876 and his wife in 1874.
Steven D. Snyder was an infant when
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his parents came to his present farm, and he has always lived here, with the excep- tion of five years, when his father moved to the vicinity of Northampton. His mother died when he was nine years old, and two years later his father's death oc- curred, after which he came to live with his uncle, Valentine Snyder, who died De- cember 5, 1904. Mr. Snyder has lived here ever since and has followed farming and stock-raising with much success. He was joined in marriage October 1, 1895, with Mrs. Otilda (Helman) Laird, a widow and a daughter of Ernest Helman. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have two children -- Mary Sophia, and Edgar Louis. Mr. Snyder is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and the White Star Lodge No. 292.
JOHN H. WISE is a prosperous agri- culturist, residing on his well developed farm of 212 acres, which is situated in Section 7, Springfield Township, and Sec- tion 12, Green Township, on the dividing line between Springfield and Green Town- ships. Mr. Wise was born August 18, 1872, on the farm on which he lives, and is a son of Lewis and Melinda (Hatfield) Wise.
Lewis Wise was born on his father's farm, in Madison Township, near Selina, Clark County, Ohio, and was a son of Jesse Wise, who was born in Virginia and was an early settler in Madison Town- ship. Lewis Wise married Melinda Hat- field, who was a daughter of James Hat- field. Her grandfather settled on the farm John H. Wise now owns, in 1807, and it remained in the Hatfield family un- til it was purchased by Lewis Wise. He
moved on the farm in 1856 and resided here until his death, which took place February 20, 1906, when he was seventy- seven years old. His wife passed away September 26, 1892. They had six chil- dren, namely: Charles F., residing in Green Township; James H., deceased; Minnie E., who married J. A. Tucker; John H .; and Alice and Joseph, the eld- est two, who died young.
John H. Wise was reared on the farm he has always resided on, with the excep- tion of from 1901 to 1906, when he lived on his Green Township land. He attend- ed the country schools and has devoted his attention exclusively to agricultural pursuits. Mr. Wise married Edna Morn- ingstar, who is a daughter of Christopher and Margaret Morningstar, residents of Harmony Township. They have four children, namely, Alice, Olive, Mildred and Dorothy.
HARRY G. WRAIGHT, president of the Board of County Commissioners of Clark County, and one of Springfield's highly respected citizens, was born in Do- ver, England, in 1856, and at the age of six years came to America and settled at Westfield, Chautauqua County, New York. Here he was reared to manhood and edu- cated in the common schools, after which he went to Corry, Pennsylvania, and learned the painter's trade, remaining there four years. In 1874 he came to Springfield and worked for seven years in the Lagonda Agricultural Shops, after which he engaged in business for himself, as a general painting contractor. He continued at this occupation until 1900, when he became district manager for the
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