Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 93

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 93

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

897

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

more than ready to acknowledge every manly obligation, and has been generous in the contribution of time, advice and money. For many years he served as president of the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, while the Young Men's Christian Association has continually been an object of his benefi- cence. He is a member of the Springfield Commercial Club, and recently has been chosen president of the Ohio Shippers' Association.

WILLIAM N. SCARFF, proprietor of the "White Oaks" farm and nursery, which is jointly located in Bethel Town- ship, Clark County, Ohio, and partly across the line in Miami County, is an ex- tensive landowner and fruit grower. He was born in Miami County, Ohio, Decem- ber 19, 1863, and is a son of John J. and Mary E. (Neff) Scarff.

The Scarff family has been long estab- lished in America, running back to the Colonial days. Joshua Scarff, grand- father of William N., was born in Mary- land, and when a young man moved to Rockingham County, Virginia, where he subsequently was married to Lydia Stoutemeyer. There he followed farming along the banks of the Shenandoah River until 1830, when he moved, with his wife and children, to Ohio, using three four- horse teams in making the journey. After four weeks of privation and hardship, during which time their food was mainly secured from the game then plentiful in the forests through which they journeyed, they arrived at Dayton, Ohio. During that winter they lived in a rented house on Wolf Creek, and the following spring

purchased a farm in Bethel Township, Clark County, where Joshua and Lydia Scarff lived the remainder of their days. They had the following children: Eman- uel, Mary Ann, John J., Sarah, James, a minister, who lives in New York State; Bernard, who lives at Tippecanoe, Ohio; William, who is a resident of New Car- lisle, Ohio; Diana, and Elizabeth. The survivors are: John J., James, Bernard and William.

John J. Scarff was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, January 5, 1825, and was five years of age when he was brought by his parents to Bethel Town- ship, Clark County. He purchased the farm on 'which his son, William N., was born, of Abraham Rall, who had obtained the patent from the government, a part of the land lying in Miami County. Mr. Scarff cleared the larger portion of the land and erected substantial buildings, and here followed farming with uniform success throughout his active career. He and his estimable wife still reside on the old home place, in a community where they are surrounded by friends of long years standing. John J. Scarff was mar- ried May 23, 1848, to Mary Elizabeth Neff, who was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was brought to Ohio when eight or ten years of age. Five children were born to this union: Flor- ence; Mark T., of Michigan City, North Dakota; William N .; Grace, wife of Ed- ward Reeder; and James T., of New Car- lisle, Ohio. John J. Scarff is a man of self-acquired education, and in his young- er days he served as a teacher for twelve school years. He is an ardent Repub- lican, politically, and was twice elected county commissioner, serving in that

898

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

capacity at the time the new court-house was built. Fraternally, he is a Mason.

William N. Scarff, born in Miami Coun- ty, was practically reared in Clark Coun- ty, although he lived on the same farm. After completing the district school course, he attended the Ohio State Uni- versity for two years. In 1887 he em- barked in the fruit growing and nursery business which his father had previously followed with good results, and he has met with equal success and now ships ex- tensively to all parts of the country. In 1893 he purchased 300 acres in Miami County; in 1905 a farm north of Dayton; later another tract of 144 acres in Miami County, and in 1900 he and his brother came into possession of the home place, giving him an acreage of 792 acres, all de- voted to growing fruit.

On September 16, 1890, Mr. Scarff mar- ried Mary Ella Miller, daughter of Dr. E. C. and Mary Jane Miller, and they have three children: Max Miller, Howard Neff, and Lucille. He is a Republican in politics and for four years has served as a member of the School Board. His residence, which is located one mile south of New Carlisle, on the Bellefontaine road, is a fine modern structure, erected in 1903, and presents a very attractive ap- pearance with its large stone pillars in front. A magnificent lawn surrounds the house, adorned with fine trees, shrubs and flowers.

DAVID WILMOT STEWART, scion of one of Clark County's oldest and most prominent families, was born on his pres- ent farm in Green Township, December 19, 1848. He is a son of Perry and Rhoda

Ann (Wheeler) Stewart, and grandson of John Templeton and Ann (Elder) Stew- art.

Perry Stewart, for many years a . prominent figure in Clark County affairs, was born on the bank of the Little Miami in Green Township, June 6, 1818, shortly after the county was organized. He re- mained in the home of his parents until his marriage, then began farming a part of the home farm for himself. In July, 1862, he organized Company A, Ninety- fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, and went to the front as its cap- tain. He took part in numerous skir- mishes and engagements, and in the battle of Chickamauga was struck by a spent ball. He served until November, 1863, when, owing to ill-health, he was forced to resign. Returning home he resumed farming and continued it as an occupa- tion during the remainder of his active career. He identified himself with many business enterprises, among them the Farmers Mutual Aid and Protective So- ciety, an insurance order which he as- sisted in organizing, and was a director of that company, and he was one of the men who organized a company to build the turnpike from Springfield to Selma, which, excepting the National Pike, was the first one built in the county. He cast his first vote for William Henry Harri- son in 1840, and continued a Whig until the organization of the Republican party, with which he was thereafter affiliated. He served as township trustee and school director a number of years, and as justice of the peace, resigning the latter office at the time he went into the service. After his return from the army he was elected county commissioner, but after a service

899

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

of eighteen months resigned to accept the nomination of his party for state repre- sentative. He was elected to that office in 1867, and served his district one term in a most conscientious and capable man- ner. In 1872 he was sent as a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Philadelphia and aided in the nomination of President Grant for a second term. He was a man of great capabilities, pros- pered in business, and was of that class which gives tone and standing to a com- munity.

Perry Stewart was joined in marriage October 15, 1844, with Rhoda Ann Wheeler, who was born in Green Town- ship, December 30, 1824, and was a daugh- ter of Ebenezer and Joanna (Miller) Wheeler. The following children were born to them: Harriet, wife of James Hatfield: Julia Ann, wife of Robert N. Elder; David Wilmot; John T .; Mary E., widow of S. H. Kerr, lives in Washington, D. C .; Charles F .; Jane Ellen, wife of George Nicholson; Jessie Isabelle, who died at the age of four years; Perry, ex- treasurer of Clark County ; and Ebenezer Wheeler of Green Township.

David Wilmot Stewart was reared on the home place and attended the district school at Pitchin. When fifteen years of age he enlisted in 1864, in Company D, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being the youngest to enter the service from this county. He was in the 100-day service, being at the front from May 2nd until the 7th of September. He began farming for himself at the age of twenty years, tilling a part of his father's farm. He lived on the old Stewart homestead until his marriage, then purchased one hundred

acres where he is now located and on which he erected a good substantial resi- dence and buildings. He cleared the farm to a large extent and has operated it with good results.

February 12, 1874, Mr. Stewart was united in marriage with Amanda Mc- Clintick, a native of Springfield Town- ship, Clark County, and a daughter of John and Roxy (Melvin) McClintick. They became parents of six children, as follows: Perry McClintick; Edna, who died at the age of ten months; Myrtle; Delmer; Ruth; and Harry. Politically, Mr. Stewart has been unswerving in his allegiance to the Republican party, which he has represented as delegate to numer- ous conventions, but he has never held nor sought for public office. He is a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic, and religiously is an attendant of the Christian Church.

CHARLES RABBITTS. The late Charles Rabbitts was a pioneer citizen of Springfield who long bore an important part in its commercial life, and was identi- fied with a large number of its success- ful business enterprises. Mr. Rabbitts was born September 7, 1820, near the vil- lage of Bath, in Wiltshire, England, and was twelve years of age when he accom- panied his parents to America.

The father of Mr. Rabbitts settled on a farm near Cleveland, Ohio, and the son completed his education in the schools of that section. In 1843 he went to Newark, and was there engaged in a woolen manu- facturing business for three years, then coming to Springfield, in search of a better location. In 1847, in partnership

900

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

with his brother-in-law, L. H. Olds, he built a woolen mill on Warder Street, fitting it up with machinery which, on ac- count of the lack of other means of trans- portation, had to be hauled by wagon. Here Mr. Rabbitts embarked in a large woolen manufacturing business, making a specialty of "Rabbitts jeans and yarns," which business he carried on for over a quarter of a century, his products becoming widely known and in great de-' mand all through Ohio and neighboring states. At various times he was asso- ciated with those other well-known manu- facturers, G. S. and John Foos and Marshfield Steele. In 1875 Mr. Rabbitts retired from the manufacturing business and, in association with William S. Thompson and Amaziah Winger, old and well-known business men, erected the Commercial Building. For a number of years Mr. Rabbitts was a large owner and operator in real estate and several of the most desirable additions to the city were platted by him. He was one of the orig- inal incorporators, and was much inter- ested in the selection and improvement of the grounds of Ferncliff Cemetery. He was a member of the first board of di- rectors of the Second National Bank of Springfield and was active in the move- ment which resulted in the erection of the Lagonda Hotel. He was a citizen who took a large measure of pride in his home city and was indefatigable in pushing en- terprises which he believed would add to her prestige. On every side, remain monuments to his business capacity and his publie spirit.

Mr. Rabbitts was married May 3, 1848, to Margaret Robison, who was born in Wayne County, Ohio, and they became the

parents of six children, the five survivors being: James H., who is postmaster at Springfield; W. S., who is cashier of the Springfield National Bank; Charles, who is a Springfield merchant, and Mary and Anna, residing at home. The death of Mr. Rabbitts occurred at the old family home in Sleepy Hollow, December 16, 1900.

In political sentiment, Mr. Rabbitts was thoroughly identified with the Republican party from its organization. He believed in its principles and supported its can- didates, but he never desired office for himself. He was a member of educational and charitable boards and was noted for his liberality. In religious connection he was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was very active in building up the Second Church of this body at Springfield. Few citizens of Springfield more def- initely impressed themselves on the city as promoters of all its best interests.

ALVIN E. WILDMAN, a representa- tive citizen of Madison Township, who owns 235 acres of fine land adjoining the farm on which he lives, was born in Clark County, Ohio, in 1864.

John Wildman, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was the first of the Wildman name to settle in Clark County, Ohio, which he did in 1814, bring- ing his family with him from Virginia, and being one of the pioneer settlers in this section. He secured the land which now constitutes the farm on which his great-grandson, Alvin E. Wildman, lives, and this land has never since left the family. He was twice married, first to

N. H. FAIRBANKS

903

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

Elizabeth Bond, afterwards to Margaret Fox.

Edward Wildman, grandfather of Alvin E. Wildman, was born in Clark County. He began industrial life in Greene Coun- ty, and later came into possession of the home farm, on which in addition to agri- culture he carried on stock raising. He met an accidental death, being gored by one of his own animals. He married Han- nah Thorn, who was born in Greene Coun- ty, and they had four children, of whom a son and a daughter still survive, viz .: William and Rachel (Hollingsworth).

William Wildman, father of Alvin E., was born in Greene County, and was reared and educated in Clark County, where he has made farming and stock- raising his life occupation. His wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, was in maidenhood Eliza Harrison, a daughter of John Fairlamb and Eliza- beth Harrison. She was born in Penn- sylvania, and came with her parents to the vicinity of Springfield, Ohio, about 1838. The parents of Mr. Wildman had six children, four of whom survive, namely : Bertha (Hickman) ; Walter J .; Alvin E .; and Rachel (Elder). Wm. Wildman is still living making his home in Springfield. The mother died April 27,1907.

Many of the earliest settlers in this section belong to the Society of Friends, and the great-grandfather, John Wild- man, together with Seth Smith, and oth- ers, established the first meeting here, re- ceiving a grant of land from Amaziah Beeson in 1816. The latter died in 1820 and left property for the benefit of the Society. In 1828, owing to certain dif- ferences, the Friends in this vicinity sep-

arated, the Hicksites removing to one lo- cation, and the Orthodox purchasing other property. For a time the Orthodox meet- ings were held in the home of John Wild- man, Mr. Wildman's great-grandfather. Anti-Slavery meetings were also held in this meeting house, and great-grandfather Thorn's home was one of the stations of the Underground Railway.

Alvin E. Wildman has always resided in Madison Township, with the exception of the time he spent at school at Rich- mond, Indiana. He is engaged in operat- ing his father's farm, in connection with his own property. He has a beautiful home here and very pleasant surround- ings. This community is a great educa- tional center, and Mr. Wildman was large- ly instrumental in bringing about the Cen- tralized School District, which has been a pattern for other sections.

Mr. Wildman married Anna White, who is a daughter of Edmund and Emily White, of Indiana, and they have seven children, all now living, namely: Edith Emily, Edna Eliza, William Wendell, Walter Edmund, Winifred Adda, Philip Embree and Austin. Mr. Wildman and' family belong to the Society of Friends. Politically, he is an independent voter.

N. H. FAIRBANKS, vice-pesident and treasurer of the Fairbanks Company, president of the American Trust & Sav- ings Company, president of the Indianap- olis Switch & Frog Company and presi- dent of the Fairbanks Building Company, occupies a very high position in the busi- ness circles of Springfield. He was born in Union County, Ohio.

Graduating in the class of 1884, at the

904

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

Ohio Wesleyan University and from the Cincinnati Law School, in 1880, Mr. Fair- banks was well equipped for professional life and for ten years thereafter he prac- ticed law at Chicago, Illinois. In 1901 he came to Springfield and when the Spring- field Foundry Company became the Fair- banks Company, he assumed its head and he has ever since been prominently iden- tified with the vast manufacturing inter- ests of this city. In addition to the im- portant organizations above mentioned, he is also president of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Springfield. His large interests appear to be easily han- dled, this being owing to his almost per- fect system of management.

In 1887 Mr. Fairbanks was married to Lucy Cruikshank, a lady born at Dela- ware, Ohio, who graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1883. They have five children, namely: Nellie, George C., Newton H., Marceline and Isabel. Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks belong to the First Presbyterian Church. He has member- ship with the Lagonda, the Country and the Springfield Commercial clubs.

WILBERT S. JENKINS, township clerk and owner of the Brookside Stock Farm, consisting of one hundred and one acres of fine farm land, located on the Springfield and Troy Pike, two miles west of North Hampton, in Pike Township, is one of the most extensive farmers of this section of the county. He not only over- sees the work on his own place, but on that of his father as well, and of other tracts which he rents. He was born in Addison, or Christiansburg, in Champaign County, Ohio, February 12, 1868, is a son

of Frederick and Rebecca (Sturgeon) Jen- kins, and grandson of Wiley Jenkins.

Wiley Jenkins was nine years old when his parents started from their home in North Carolina in wagons, during the year 1819, destined for Ohio. They stopped at Cincinnati, which was then a small village of but few houses and a log fort, then came on to the northwest part of German Township. There they acquired a tract of land, built a log cabin, cleared and im- proved what is now known as the Clay Bank farm. There Wiley grew to man- hood, experiencing many hardships of pio- neer life. He often worked from sunrise to sunset for a paltry twenty-five cents, and remembered the time when a bushel of wheat varied in price from twenty-five to thirty-five cents. He frequently made trips to Cincinnati with produce, and after a time drifted into the live stock business, buying and raising, feeding and selling. After he was forty years old he followed the profession of a veterinary surgeon, and met with the same success that attended his efforts along other lines. After his marriage he located in Pike Township, and at the time of his death, at the age of ninety-two years and ten months, was owner of four hundred and sixty-five acres of land. He married Charlotte Michael, who died aged about seventy years. They reared eleven chil- dren, all of whom grew to maturity, as follows: William; Catherine, who mar- ried John Maurice; John; Frederick ; Ann, who is the widow of John Ream; Eliza, deceased, who was the wife of Da- vid Shroyer; George; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Samuel H. Deaton; Samuel; Charlotte, who is the wife of William Gundolph; and Jesse.

905

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. -

Frederick Jenkins, father of Wilbert S., was born in Pike Township, Novem- ber 2, 1839, and spent most of his days in this township. He has always followed agricultural pursuits and has two farms in this township, one of twenty acres where he lives, and another of eighty acres farther west. He also owns property in North Hampton. He was united in mar- riage with Rebecca Sturgeon, a daughter of David and Johanna (Wise) Sturgeon, who came here from Pennsylvania at an early date. Three children were born of this union: Wilbert Sturgeon, Laura (Fisher), and Orrin Clifford. Mrs. Jen- kins died when Wilbert S. was six years of age, and Mr. Jenkins was subsequently married to Mrs. Delilah Rinker, widow of John Rinker, and a daughter of Sutton Maxson. She was reared on the farm now owned by Wilbert S. Jenkins, and lived all her life in this township, where she died in 1897. She had no children.

Wilbert S. Jenkins was born in Cham- paign County, where his father was then located, engaging in the manufacture of shingles. Wilbert S. was but one year old when the family returned to Pike Town- ship, and here he was reared to maturity and has since lived. He attended the com- mon schools, and later completed a course in Nelson's Business College at Spring- field, Ohio, and also a normal course at Ada, Ohio. Upon leaving school he en- gaged in teaching for ten years, then turned his attention to farming, stock- raising and dealing. In December, 1890, he purchased the farm he now owns, the Brookside Stock Farm, and resided on it for eight years, but now lives at the home of his father. He keeps from forty to sixty head of cattle through the winter,

and carries on farming on an extensive scale. He oversees all the work, and finds this personal attention to details a very necessary adjunct to the high degree of success at which he aims.

On December 25, 1890, Mr. Jenkins mar- ried Clara Ida Getz, a daughter of George and Mary (Bowers) Getz, the former of whom died in 1901. Mrs. Jenkins was one of the following children born to her parents : Elizabeth A. (Lannert) ; Amelia, wife of James Furrow; Jacob; William; Mary Etta (Ryman) ; Clara Ida; and Lydia, wife of John Ryman. Five chil- dren have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, as follows: Ruth B., Nellie B., Warder B., Glendon H., and Edward R. Mr. Jenkins is a Democrat in politics and has served as clerk of Pike Township since April, 1894. He is a member of White Star Lodge No. 292, K. P., at North Hampton, and has served as master of finance and as keeper of the record and seals for the past eighteen years. The family belong to the Reformed Church, of which Mr. Jenkins is a deacon.

DAVID KING, SR., who was one of the progressive and enterprising men who carried on business enterprises and fostered many of Springfield's early in- dustries, was born at Baltimore, Mary- land, and after completing his education and serving as a clerk in several mer- cantile establishments, settled at Tarle- ton, Pickaway County, Ohio. There he remained until 1841, when he became a resident of Springfield.

Prior to selecting Springfield as his home, Mr. King had been a successful merchant and in the flourishing and grow-

90€

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

ing village to which he had come, he had every reason to believe prosperity awaited him. His forecast was a right one and he was soon in the enjoyment of a profitable business on the southeast corner of Main and Limestone Streets, which is the present site of the Gotwald Block. Mr. King invested in property and erected both business and residence buildings. His life at Springfield was one of great activity, but he was not permitted to wit- ness to any adequate degree the results of his public spirit or private effort. When the scourge of cholera visited Springfield in 1849, through his humane desire to assist the sick, he was himself stricken, in August of that year, and did not recover from that attack.

On November 9, 1826, Mr. King was married to Almena Caldwell, of Ports- mouth, Ohio, who is a daughter of Alex- ander and Hannah (Hamlin) Caldwell. On the maternal side, Mrs. King came from the distinguished Hamlin family of New England. Giles Hamlin came to America from England as early as 1639. The great-grandfather of Mrs. King, Eleaser Hamlin, married Lydia Bonney, of scarce- ly less distinguished ancestry, and one of their sons served as an officer in the Rev- olutionary War, later dying at Water- ford, Maine, leaving to a son his member- ship in the Cincinnati Society. Two other sons had prominent children, one, Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, becoming vice presi- dent of the United States, and the other being the celebrated Rev. Dr. Cyrus Ham- lin, who was the representative of the American Missionary Board as president of Roberts College, Constantinople,

After the death of David King, his widow erected the present beautiful resi-

dence on North Fountain Avenue, where she resided until her death in 1878. The nine children of David King and wife did not all reach maturity, but the survivors are: Mrs. Mary E. K. Gotwald, widow of Luther A. Gotwald; S. Jennie, Robert Quigley, Samuel Noble and David, Jr. The two daughters reside in the old home- stead.

Robert Quigley King is a prominent business citizen of Springfield, giving the most of his attention to handling real estate. In 1857 he married Harriet A. Danforth, and they had the following chil- dren: D. Ward, residing on a farm in Missouri; Thomas D., who died in 1889, was an active medical practitioner; Al- mena, who married H. J. Warrick, resid- ing on a farm in California; and R. Lef- fier, who carries on agricultural pursuits in Hancock County, Ohio.

· Samuel Noble King, residing near Bloomington, Illinois, served for three years as an officer of the Twenty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He owns property in Illinois and has been interested in raising fine horses. He mar- ried Mary Reid, of Ottawa, Illinois.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 93

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 1086

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086