USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 83
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Federal Life Insurance Company of Chi- cago, having under his control Cham- paign, Greene, Miami and Clark Counties, which position he still retains.
Mr. Wraight has always taken an active interest in politics and in November, 1905, was elected a member of the Board of County Commissioners of Clark County, assuming the duties of that office in Sep- tember, 1906. Since September, 1907, he has served as president of the board and was for about sixteen years a member of the Republican Central Committee. He was also for a number of years a member of the Executive Committee and served three years as a trustee of the Board of Water Works.
Mr. Wraight was married first in 1878 to Susie Koepge, who died in 1895. He was married second in 1897 to Lilly M. Hensler of Springfield and of this union has been born one son, Henry L. Wraight. Fraternally Mr. Wraight is a member of the Anthony Lodge, F. & A. M .; Red Star Lodge No. 205, K. of P., of which he is a charter member, and is also a member of the Uniform Rank No. 44.
J. WILLIAM HICKS, a general farm- er in Springfield Township, cultivating 150 acres of land situated in Section 2, was born in Ogle County, Illinois, April 6, 1864, and is a son of Joseph and Emily (Sheaff) Hicks.
Joseph Hicks was born at Reading, Pennsylvania, and is a son of William Hicks, who died when Joseph was about seven years of age. His mother came to Clark County with her children and later became a resident of Dayton. The ma- ternal grandfather was John Sheaff, who
formerly engaged in farming in the north- ern part of Clark County and later bought land in Illinois. He had eleven children. Joseph Hicks and wife went to Ogle Coun- ty, Illinois, but returned to Ohio during the infancy of their son, and when he was three years old, came to the present farm in Springfield Township. This has been the home of J. William Hicks ever since, with the exception of three years spent in Springfield. The children of Joseph Hicks and wife were: Ella, deceased at thirteen years ; Carrie, also deceased, who married William Rock; J. William; and Joseph Edward, residing in Springfield.
In August, 1887, Mr. Hicks was mar- ried to Fannie May Lefever, who is a daughter of Daniel Lefever, and they have two children: Wilbur Russell and Harry Sheaff. In addition to general farming Mr. Hicks keeps from sixteen to eighteen cows and sells his milk whole- sale. For about eight years he ran a wagon, but finds it more profitable to adopt modern methods of disposing of the milk. He is a practical, enterprising busi- ness man, and personally stands very high in the regard of his community.
JOHN A. WILKINSON, a well known citizen and prosperous farmer of Madison Township, Clark County, Ohio, has a val- uable farm of 200 acres lying just south- west of South Charleston. He was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, June 1st, 1847, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Mitch- ell) Wilkinson. The Wilkinson family is of the English nobility, and but two gen- erations of this branch of the family have been located in America. The grandfath- er of the subject of this sketch was Lord
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Harry Wilkinson, who lived in England all his life.
Henry Wilkinson, father of John A., was born in England and spent his early manhood there. Before his marriage he came to America and engaged in farming near Ashtabula, Ohio, where he became an extensive landowner. He married Eliza- beth Mitchell, also a native of England, and they became parents of seven chil- dren, four of whom are living, namely: Joseph, Richard, John A. and Martha Jane. Those deceased are Henry, Eliza- beth and Margaret.
John A. Wilkinson grew to maturity at Ashtabula, Ohio, and lived at home until he was twenty years of age, when the fam- ily was broken up by the demise of both parents. After a time he purchased and moved to his present farm of 200 acres near South Charleston and has followed farming and stock-raising here since. He is a man of ability and has attained a high degree of success in his chosen occupa- tion.
Mr. Wilkinson was joined in marriage with Elizabeth, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Haley, and they have had three children born to them, John R., Minnie E. and Thomas Henry, the last mentioned being now deceased. In pol- itics Mr. Wilkinson is unswerving in his support of Democratic principles. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, while his wife is a consistent member of the Presbyterian.
J. MILTON RUNYAN, one of the leading citizens of Pleasant Township, carries on general farming and raises horses and mules extensively on his farm
of 440 acres, which is all in one body. He was born in Clark County, Ohio, June 20, 1841, and is a son of Henry and Rachel (Jones) Runyan.
The grandparents of Mr. Runyan, Abraham and Sophia Runyan, were among the Virginia pioneers who settled in Clark County in 1815. The burial of Sophia Runyan in 1823 was the second interment in the Asbury Cemetery.
Henry Runyan was born in Clark County, in 1809, and died in August, 1891. He married Rachel Jones, who was born in 1821, and died October 21, 1853. They had ten children born to them, seven of whom survived infancy, namely: J. W., deceased, who was married to Fidelia Wilson, had the following children-Clay, Lillian, Frank, Hattie; M. L., deceased, was married (first) to Sarah J. Mc- Conkey, and they had one child-Willie, deceased-was married (second) to Eliza Valentine, who survives, with their daugh- ter, Irene ; J. Milton; Esther A., who mar- ried J. W. Hendricks, has two children, Frank and Alfonso; Frank, who was a youthful victim of the Civil War, being killed at the battle of Louisburg, May 23, 1862, was the second soldier of Pleasant Township to fall; Mahala, who married Jesse Tarbutton, has five children, Jessie, Earl, Mertie, Claude and Carl; and Emma, who married Irwin Graham, has two children, Floy and Foster. Henry Runyan was married (second) to Maria Chapman and they had three children: Charles H., Maria and Cora. Charles H. Runyan, who is postmaster at Catawba, married Malissa Melvine and they had five children. Maria married S. H. Neer and they had one child, Ross. Cora married
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Frank McConkey and they have one child, Ruskin.
J. Milton Runyan was educated in the public schools and from boyhood has been acquainted with agricultural pursuits. In August, 1861, he left his peaceful life on his father's farm and enlisted for service in the Federal Army, becoming a member of the Sixteenth Ohio Battery, and after being on the field for a year was taken sick and was honorably discharged in 1862 at Columbus. He re-enlisted, enter- ing Company D, One Hundred and Forty- sixth Regiment, Ohio National Guards, and served the full 100 days and was honorably discharged in 1864 at Camp · Dennison. He has resided on his present farm for the past thirty years, engaged in a general agricultural line, but paying particular attention to raising fine horses and mules. By trade Mr. Runyan is a miller and for eighteen years he operated the old mill which is still standing in this section. He remembers that during the first year he paid $2.50 and $3.20 for wheat per bushel, and even then was able to profit by grinding it. This mill was one of the first built in Pleasant Town- ship.
On March 4, 1866, Mr. Runyan married Mary McClennen, who was born May 22, 1843, and is a daughter of John and Eliza- beth (Ropp) McClennen, of Virginia. The McClennen children were: Mary J .; Eliz- abeth, who married Milton Arbogast, has on child, Creston; Charles, who married Malissa Runyan, has ten children ; George, who married Dorcas Hodge, has two sons, William and Harry; Emma, deceased, who married William Longbrake, had four children.
Mr. and Mrs. Runyan have had seven
children : Arthur, Clarence, Edward, Percy, Charles, Maud and Walter, the latter of whom was born in 1881 and died aged four months. Arthur Runyan, re- sides at Fairfield, Greene County, Ohio. He married Ola Sholty and they have two children, Helen and Hazel. Mr. Runyan is a graduate of the Ohio Normal Uni- versity at Ada, and it was while attending there that he met the lady, a teacher, who became his wife. Mr. Runyan holds a life certificate from both the common and high schools of the state. Clarence Runyan, who was also educated at the university at Ada, married Millie Tav- enner and they have two children, Marcus and Emma. They reside at Catawba. Edward Runyan was also educated at the university at Ada and is a school teacher in Pleasant Township. Percy Runyan also enjoyed university advantages and is a teacher. He married Mabel Keesecker and they have three children, McK., Philip and Marjorie. Charles Runyan was edu- cated at Columbus. He married Zelda Bumgardner and they have one child, Marion. Charles is a teacher in the schools at Moorefield. Maud resides at home.
Mr. Runyan is one of the leading Re- publicans of Pleasant Township. He has served in the office of justice of the peace for ten years and has just been re-elected to another term of four years. For twen- ty-one years he has been a school director and at various times he has served in the offices of trustee and road supervisor. His membership with the Odd Fellows at Catawba dates very far back and he has held all the offices in the local lodge. Both he and wife belong to the Methodist Epis- copal Church, of which he is a trustee.
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JESSE TARBUTTON, one of Pleas- ant Township's leading citizens and suc- cessful farmers, resides on his valuable farm of 132 acres, which is all in one body and which is devoted to general argicul- ture. Mr. Tarbutton was born in Clark County, Ohio, October 22, 1844, and is a son of Jesse and Abigail (Mowery) Tar- button.
The grandparents of Mr. Tarbutton went from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, where Jesse Tarbutton, the elder, was born in 1819. He died in 1860, His wife, Abigail Mowery, was born in 1817 and died in 1900. They were married in 1837 and they had six children, namely: Sarah A., John E., James H., Jesse, Eli and Mary E. Sarah died in infancy. John E. served through the Civil War and died in 1865. James H., who died in 1893, mar- ried Sarah Given in 1866, and they had eleven children: Frank, John, Laura, Charles, Lewis, Mary, Norah, Harry, Mabel, Willard and one who died in in- fancy. Eli, who died in 1899, married Ellen Saums and they have three chil- dren, Harry, Pearl and Ollie, all of whom are married. Mary Ellen, the youngest sister of Mr. Tarbutton, was married (first) in 1875 to John Sperling and (sec- ond) March 11, 1903, to Eli Silvers, and died December 6, 1907.
Jesse Tarbutton, of the above family, was reared in Clark County and attended the country schools during his boyhood. His business has been farming. Since 1893 he has resided on his present place, coming here from another farm after his house had been destroyed by fire. He saw three years of hard service in the Civil War, enlisting in 1862, at Catawba, Ohio, in the Ninety-fourth Regiment,
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private, but was soon detailed as a musician. He was only a boy of seventeen years at the time and fought through two hard battles, those of Kentucky River and Perrysville, before he had reached his eighteenth birthday. He was also in the battle of Stone River, was at Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain and was one of the brave men who helped to gain victory so often for General George H. Thomas. During a large part of the time he was a drummer and on many occasions his in- spiring music put courage into the dis- heartened soldiers. On one occasion his drum was used for a purpose perhaps never before thought of, being converted into a ballot box, proving a safe recept- acle. This was when the Ohio troops were returning from Atlanta, where they had marched under General Sherman's command, and the election was for the of- fice of Governor of Ohio.
Mr. Tarbutton went through the haz- ards and hardships of three years of war without being either wounded or taken prisoner, but he contracted measles and the disease settled in his eyes and finally resulted in destroying the sight of the left optic. He was under treatment in a hospital at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it was during that time that he lost com- mand also of his vocal chords to such an extent that he could only whisper. He finally escaped the discipline of the hos- pital and joined his regiment at Ander- son Station, Tennessee. He is justly proud of the fact that he was one of the picked veterans chosen to march with General Sherman, being a drummer at that time. In that memorable march there were 62,000 men, a wagon train of
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MR. AND MRS. JESSE TARBUTTON
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2,500 six-mule team wagons and 600 am- bulances. Mr. Tarbutton enjoyed the honors paid to the victorious soldiers at the grand review at Washington City. He received his honorable discharge papers at Columbus June 5, 1865, after which he returned home and has been a quiet, peaceful, useful member of his com- munity ever since, proving as capable a farmer as he had been courageous as a soldier. He has taken an active part in public affairs in this section, served one term as a township trustee, has been school director for eighteen years and has served a number of terms as road super- visor.
On March 3, 1870, Mr. Tarbutton was married in Clark County to Mahala Florence Runyan, who is a daughter of Henry and Rachel (Jones) Runyan. She was born in Clark County, Ohio, May 16, 1848. Her full brothers and sisters are: Wesley, Luther M., James M., Esther Ann, Francis M. and Emeline, and her half brother and sisters are: Charles H., Lucretia L. and Cora E.
Mr. and Mrs. Tarbutton have had seven children, namely: Jessie, Buddie, Eustice, Osco Earl, Myrtle, Claud H. and Carl. Both Buddie and Eustice died in infancy. Jessie was born October 21, 1871, married Laurence E. Davisson and they have four children: Edwin, born in 1895; Florence, born in 1897; Eustice, born in 1899, and Emily, born 1904. Osco Earl, born November 10, 1875, mar- ried Emeline Rupert, a daughter of Adam and Malinda Rupert, of Champaign County, and they have two children: Lillian Opal, born December 11, 1898, and Rupert Earl, born July 18, 1903. Myrtle was born February 3, 1878, was married
to Howard Wolf in 1904 and they reside at Springfield. They have one child, Jesse Tarbutton, who was born December 8, 1906. Claud H., born July 16, 1882, in 1902 married Ella Lellis. They have had two children, and their surviving son, Mitchel, was born May 16, 1906. Carl, born in January, 1888, was married in 1906 to Sarah Brown.
Mr. Tarbutton did not recover his speech until some time after his return from the army. His family and neigh- bors had become accustomed to his con- versing in a whisper and when he sud- denly discovered his ability to talk as loudly as any one, he was overwhelmed with congratulations, and since that mem- orable day he has had no return of the . paralysis of the vocal chords. He is a member of the N. M. McConkey Post No. 391, Grand Army of the Republic. He at- tends the Methodist Episcopal Church at Catawba.
CLARENCE W. ARBOGAST, treasur- er of Clark County, was born in Spring- field, Ohio, April, 1875, and is a son of William H. and Elizabeth A. (Willard) Arbogast.
William H. Arbogast was born in 1840 in Moorefield Township, Clark County, ·Ohio, and spent his entire life in Spring- field, where he was engaged with much success in the general contracting busi- ness. He was united in marriage with Elizabeth A. Willard, who died in June, 1905, and they reared a family of four children, namely: Victor R., who lives in Schoenebeck-Elbe, Germany, and has charge of the American Radiator Plant; Genevieve M., wife of F. M. Timmins of
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Indianapolis; Gertrude M., who teaches in the public schools of Springfield; and Clarence W., subject of this article. Mr. W. H. Arbogast died in 1903 at the age of sixty-three years. In politics he was a Republican and took an active interest in the affairs of his party, serving in 1895 as a member of the Board of Education.
Clarence W. Arbogast was reared in Springfield and received his educational training in the common schools. Early in life he entered the Springfield Planing Mill as wood turner, remaining there un- · til 1898, when he became associated with C. A. Little in the Hardwood Lumber business, operating with considerable suc- cess several saw-mills. In September, 1901, he became assistant treasurer un- der P. M. Stewart, acting as such for four years, and in November, 1904, was elected treasurer of Clark County. He was re- elected to that office in November, 1906, and is now serving his second term, which expires September 1, 1909. Mr. Arbo- gast is also treasurer of Springfield Town- ship, being the only Republican elected to office at that election, and is a teller in the American Trust & Savings Company. In August, 1904, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Marie B. Davies of Springfield. Fraternally Mr. Arbogast is a member of the Masonic order, and has attained the degree of Knight Templar .. He is a member of the High Street Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and the Y. M. C. A.
JOHN GOODFELLOW, one of the sub- stantial and progressive business men of Vienna, sole owner of the Enterprise Man- ufacturing Company at this point, owns
also a valuable tract of farming land near the village, in Harmony Township. He was born in Clark County, Ohio, Septem- . ber 10, 1851, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Sexton) Goodfellow.
Moore Goodfellow, the grandfather of John Goodfellow, was the founder of this family in Clark County. He was born in Ireland, in 1786, and came to America in 1808, shortly afterward settling in Har- mony Township, Clark County, which con- tinued to be his home during the remain- der of his life. He married Mary Nichol- son and they had a large family.
Thomas Goodfellow, son of Moore and Mary Goodfellow and father of John Goodfellow, was born in Harmony Town- ship, in 1817. In 1842 he married Mary Sexton, who was born April 26, 1825, and is still living. Thomas Goodfellow died in 1893. They had nine children and all but the youngest survived infancy. Man- ly, the eldest, has never married. John was the second in order of birth. Scott died, aged forty-two years. Andrew mar- ried Amanda Hodge and they have one son, Elliott. George was accidentally killed by a horse at the age of seven years. Alice married William Shoray and they have two daughters, Mary and Hattie. Dora married D. H. Snaveley and they have three children, Mary, Glenna and Thomas. Clara married William H. Rob- erts and they have two sons, Homer and Frank.
John Goodfellow was reared in Har- mony Township and this section has al- ways been his home, with the exception of four years spent in Kansas. In 1898 he went west and engaged in a grain and feed business at Topeka, Kansas, until June, 1902, when he returned to Clark
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County and resumed farming. In the 13, 1855, on a farm in Berks County, Penn- spring of 1904, he entered into partner- sylvania, and is a son of Erastus and Ju- lian (Shaffer) Lindenmuth. ship with Dr. E. H. Smith and John Mc- Coy, in the organization of a business which they carried on under the name of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company. The partnership continued for three years, when Mr. Goodfellow bought Dr. Smith's interest, and on December 11, 1907, he purchased Mr. McCoy's inter- est, since which time he has conducted the concern very successfully alone. He em- ploys twenty-five girls in the manufactur- ing of comforts and produces so excellent an article that the demand comes from all parts of the country. Prior to entering into this industry, while keeping a general store, Mr. Goodfellow was impressed with the conviction that such a factory might be made very remunerative, and has proved it to be so.
On March 1, 1889, Mr. Goodfellow was married in Kansas to Helen Sexton, who is a daughter of Jonathan and Angeline (Dickerson) Sexton, natives of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Goodfellow have one son, Thomas, who was born April 22, 1895.
In politics Mr. Goodfellow is a Republi- can. For fifteen years he served as treas- urer of Harmony Township, for three terms as trustee and for a long period was a member of the School Board. He be- longs to Lodge No. 660, Knights of Pythi- as, at Vienna, in which he has passed all the chairs and is at present holding the office of chancellor commander.
JOHN H. LINDENMUTH, president of the Board of Education and trustee of Mad River Township, residing on the Michael Spangler farm, was born March
Erastus Lindenmuth was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Michael Lindenmuth, who was born in Schuylkill County, in the same state, where his parents settled upon coming to this country from Germany, their native land. Erastus followed farming in Penn- sylvania for many years, and in 1874 he and his wife, Julian (Shaffer) Linden- muth, came to Ohio and settled on a farm south of Dayton, where the latter died in 1876. Erastus Lindenmuth served in the Federal army throughout the Civil War, and was made corporal of the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. He and his wife were the parents of five children -Sarah, who married David Heister, and lives in Dayton; Lewis, who is now de- ceased; Wilson and Eliza, who are also deceased; and John, who is the subject of this sketch.
John H. Lindenmuth was born and reared on his father's farm in Berks County, receiving his education in the dis- trict schools. He had two uncles living in Ohio, and having always had a desire to visit the west, left home at the age of fifteen and went to live with his uncle Hi- ram, after whom he was named, and who had a farm four miles south of Dayton. Two years later he began working out by the month on various farms, and he con- tinued thus occupied until his marriage, December 31, 1879, to Louisa Ochsa. His wife was born in New York City, a daugh- ter of John and Catherine Ochsa, who came from Germany. After his marriage Mr. Lindenmuth rented a farm in Mont- gomery County, Ohio, remaining there un-
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til March, 1891, when he rented the Ben- them were born the following children: Elizabeth, Pressley, Susan, Miles, Rachel, Martha, Cyrus, Robert, John and Will- iam. inger farm in Mad River Township, Clark County, which property adjoins his pres- ent farm. In 1898 Mr. Lindenmuth moved to the Michael Spangler farm, where he Cyrus Mckinney was born in 1814 on has since been engaged in general farm- the home farm one mile west of Capt. ing and stock-raising and is one of the most successful and prosperous farmers of the township. McKinney's present residence, where also he spent his entire life. He married Me- linda Elizabeth Lamme, who was born on an adjoining farm, in 1817, and who died in 1881, aged sixty-four years. Mr. Mc- Kinney's death occurred in 1870, while he was in his fifty-fifth year. Of this union were born four children: James L., the subject of this sketch; William S .; Mar- tha, who married a Mr. Wise, and Frank E.
Mr. and Mrs. Lindenmuth have reared a family of seven children: Walter, who married Nellie Grube, and is in the em- ploy of the Electric Railroad at Dayton, Ohio; Julia, William, Harry, Gertrude, John, and Mabel. Gertrude will graduate from the Enon High School in the spring of 1908, and Harry graduated from that school in 1905.
Politically Mr. Lindenmuth is a Re- publican. He served as road supervisor for six years, was elected a member of the school board in 1893, serving in the same capacity since, and was made president of that body in 1903. He was elected township trustee in November, 1907. Fraternally Mr. Lindenmuth is associated with the Knights of Pythias No. 374 of Mad River Township.
CAPT. JAMES LAMME MCKINNEY, a life-long resident of this county, resid- ing on his finely improved farm of eighty acres, located in Bethel Township, Clark County, was born on the old home place April 29, 1839, and is a son of Cyrus and Melinda Elizabeth (Lamme) Mckinney.
Samuel Mckinney, his grandfather, came to Clark County with his parents from Scotland, locating on the National Road two miles west of Donellsville. . Here he married Sarah Forgey and to
James L. McKinney, being the eldest child of his parents, much of the hard work connected with the clearing of the farm fell upon him. His educational ad- vantages were of a limited nature, he at- tending the old log district school before the days of modern school buildings and improved methods of instruction. In 1861 he enlisted in the Sixteenth Ohio Light Artillery under Capt. James Mitchell and served nearly two years, when he was dis- charged owing to sickness. During this period he participated in many engage- ments, including that of Champion Hills, in which his captain was killed. After being discharged Mr. Mckinney organ- ized the Home Guard, of which he was elected captain, and when the president issued the call for soldiers he again en- tered the service, participating in Im- boden's and Johnson's Raids in Virginia and serving until the fall of 1864. Upon his return to Clark County, Capt. McKin- ney was married, November 28, 1865, to Elizabeth J. Lowry, a daughter of David
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