USA > Ohio > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of Wayne County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families > Part 22
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not good for man to be alone," he mar- ried Miss Martha J. Davies, of Granville, Ohio, daughter of Deacon and Mrs. Davies, who came to Granville from Wales in 1840. Mrs. Swartz is a lady of refine- ment and education, having graduated at the Young Ladies' Institute, at Granville in 1869, being then but seventeen years old. At the age of fifteen years she be- gan teaching in connection with her studies, and later she became a teacher in the Granville public schools, where she continued until 1878. She cheerfully accepted the lot of sharing the life of a poor young attorney, and through the early years of her husband's practice, when fees were few and far between, it was her influence that held the husband steadily to his chosen work against the temptations held ont by more Inerative employments. She is a woman of great commanding powers, "a helpmeet in- deed," and makes her influence felt at home and in the church, she being pres- ident of the ladies missionary societies of the Baptist Church of Wooster. Five children have come of this union, viz. : Mary D., born in 1874; Josephine A., in 1576, died at the age of one year; Wayne W., born in 1878; Paul A., in 1884, and Esther L., in 1887. The eldest chikl, Mary D., has learned the art of typewrit- ing and short-hand, and is a student in the Wooster High School.
In 1866 Judge Swartz united with the Baptist Church at Granville, Ohio, since which time he has been without intermis- sion a Sunday-school superintendent- first at Sterling, then at Newark, and for the past twelve years at Wooster, during a portion of which time he had in his charge more than one school, and for twelve years at Ann Arbor, Mich., and Wooster, he was leader of the choir. The present Baptist Church at Sterling, this county, is largely the outgrowth of a Sunday- school which the Judge established there, und led from 1866 to 1872. Ilis religious sentiments may be told in a word, viz .: " The exaltation of the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice, and an entire belief in its inspiration." He is a pro- found believer in the sovereignty of God, and in the security of believers, and pos- sesses in consequence no doubts. He re- gards his religious obligations as of a more binding nature than those of his business, and during the last twenty-three years he has been absent from scarcely a dozen meetings of his church. He was chosen deacon of the Baptist Church of Wooster in 1876, and is still serving in that capacity, being now the senior deacon of this church.
The Judge is a man of marked individ- ualities, which some would call peculiar- ities. For example, at the beginning of each year he adopte mottoes for the en-
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sning twelve months, and writes them at the head of his cash book, so they might exert their influence in leading his life into conformity. The following may be given as a few examples of Judge Swartz's rules of life:
Hard work, well done, a nice wife, and a family of children, that's life .- Be kind to everybody .- Speak evil of nobody, but against evil everywhere. -Be terribly down on wrong .- Don't laugh at any sin .- Keep to your work .- Use no trickery .- Al- ways be honest with the court, and never misquote nor conceal the law .- Never argue a cause you do not believe in .- Make God's cause always first .- Be n member of no fraternity except the church .- Be a faithful Baptist, but know why .- God's com- mands first, man's reason afterward .- Push and pluck are a strong team .- An ounce of prompt- ness is worth a pound of late work .- Business promptly and successfully done, a few honest causes well won, is better than a multitude of clients and a full purse .- Charge well, but deserve it.
At the close of each year he writes in a . diary the results of the year, pointing out the line of thought to which he most closely conformed. His quiet, even tem- perament is due, he thinks, to his close. observance of these rules, and to his un- qualified temperance in all things, phys- ical as well as mental. He has never en- tered a saloon, theater nor opera-house, neither has he spoken a profane word, nor tasted tobacco nor liquor. He believes man should have absolutely no bad habits, and none can charge him with a viola- ; has been largely his own making.
tion of this stern rule of life: and in his life he gives proof by his even and genial temper of the value of such a course- the temptations usually incident to office and office-seeking being no temptation to him whatever. He knows very little of the ways of the world, and never had a desire in that direction. No man has ever heard an unkind or abusive word from him, and he has a good word for everybody.
In his law practice the Judge has given considerable time to the study of the pat- ent right laws, and has secured many patents, not only for others, but also for himself, he being, also, an inventor; one of his inventions, a window-sash lock, having proved of considerable valne to him, financially. In the temperance cause the Judge became an earnest worker at the age of seventeen, at which time he began lecturing. He is opposed to the principle of license as undemocratic and monopolistic and evil in its tendencies. He believes in the largest freedom con- sistent with the publie good.
Such has been the publie, private and religious life of the subject of thissketch, a man whose inherent tendencies to np- rightness, honesty and integrity early asserted themselves, and whose snecess
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W ILBUR D. MCCLURE. This rising young business man of Wooster, of the firm of MeClure & Craighead, is a native of that city, born September 12, 1834. His father, Jona- than MeClure, a uative of Lancaster Conn- ty, Penn., came in 1825 to Wayne County, and here remained some time on land be- louging to his father, who had bought a large tract near where Wooster now stands. His father being a tinuer, Jona- than learned that trade, having acquired which, be established himself in business in partnership with his brother Charles. Ile began business for himself about 1834 in Wooster, and continued until after the close of the war, when he went West, and purchased a farm in Missouri, remaining there, however, but one year, when he re- turned to Wooster, and, having repur- chased his old business, carried it on uu- til his death, which occurred in May, 1868, when he was fifty-seven years of age. In 1835 Jonathan MeClure was united in marriage with Martha, daughter of Elisha Yorum, and a nativo of Lancas- ter County, Pen. Both her parents died in Wayne County, the Father in 1866, at the age of eighty-nine, and the mother in 1852. Jonathan and Martha MeClure had eleven children, of whom eight still live (six in Wayne County), viz .: Mary A., widow of William J. Craighead, in Wayne County; Catherine, wife of Isaac
Johnson, of Wooster; Emma, wife of L. P. Ohliger, also of Wooster; Charles W., Wilbur D. and Lewis Y., all in Wooster; Lucetta, now Mrs. W. L. Burr, in Rock- ford, Ill., and Albert, in Toledo, Ohio. Since her husband's decease Mrs. McClure has resided-in Wooster, and although sev- enty-three years of age, enjoys good health. Jonathan MeClure was a man of large acquaintance; he attended strictly to his own business, and was universally esteemed. He and his wife were members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Wooster.
W. D. MeClaire, the subject proper of this commemorative record, received his education in the public schools of Woos- ter, and at the age of sixteen began learn- ing the tiuning trade with a brother, his father having been dead some two years. He spent eight years in a large stove manufactory in Cleveland, one year in Chicago, and in 1583 returned to Wooster, where he formed a partnership with his nephew, Edward W. Craighead, which he has since continued. Their business in- elades plumbing, slating and stoves, and is one of the largest in the county. They give particular attention to large jobs of roofing and plumbing. and do much in that line in the city of Wooster. Febru- ary 18. 1885, our subject was united in marriage with Sarah E., daughter of Jo. soph Marshall, born in Plain Township,
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whose parents came from Pennsylvania at an early day. Mr. Marshall has for a number of years been director of the in- firmary. Mr. and Mrs. McClure have one child, Joseph. Mr. McClure is a member of the K. of M. and of the Iron Hall, and for five years was a member of the Woos- ter City Guards. He is one of Wooster's rising young business men, esteemed by all who know him, and has probably a bright future before him.
D AVID THOMAS, a well-known citizen of Wayne County, was born November 27, 1827, in that por- tion of the county which was afterward made a part of Ashland County. He is a son of John and Catherine (Baker) Thomas, the former of whom was of German descent, and both were born in Pennsylvania. In search of a home, John migrated across the mountains by team, with his wife and the children then born to them. The journey was tedious and dangerous, and was made doubly sad to them by an accident. An infant daughter fell from the wagon, was run over and killed, and the bereaved parents were compelled to bury her body by the road- Hide. One year after arriving in Wayne County, Mr. Thomas bought the farm where David was born. Like so many
of the early settlers of the county, Mr. Thomas did not live many years after coming to it. The hardships incident to the life of the pioneer and the ex- tremely arduous labor necessary were not favorable to a long life. Another cause which undoubtedly hastened Mr. Thomas' death was the amputation of a leg, which he had crushed in the first horse-power threshing machine ever brought into the county. He died in 1837, at the age of fifty-two, and until 1880 his widow continued to live upon the farm, awaiting the summons to join hmm, which came when she was eighty- three years of age. They had eight children, and David Thomas has now two brothers and two sisters living, viz. : Michael and John, both residents of Ash- land County, Ohio; Mrs. William Piper, of Chester Township, this county, and Mrs. George Grindle, of Ashland City.
David Thomas spent his early years upon the place of his birth, getting such education as was afforded by the schools of that day. When abont twenty years old he began clerking in a store in New Pittsburgh, continuing in that occupation until his marriage, which took place in 1856, his bride being Miss Lizzie A. Norton, a native of Wayne County, and daughter of Benjamin and Catherine Norton, former of whom died in Chester Township. After his marriage Mr.
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Thomas established himself in business at Reedsburgh, Wayne County, in a gen- eral store, and there remained twelve years. Later he bought a farm in Ches- ter Township, which he worked for twelve years more, and then retired from theactive labors of life. In 1883 he, with his family, removed to the comfortable house in Wooster which has since been his home. The marriage of our subject and wife has been blessed by the birth of three children: Alice Isadore, now Mrs. C. M. Tawney, of Wooster, Ohio; Nor- ton Emmett (deceased) and Daisy, living | with her parents.
Mr. Thomas is a highly respected citi- zen of the city and county, and has always been a hearty supporter of all right proj- ects for its upbuilding. He is an ardent !
advocate of the cause of temperance, and several times has been the candidate of the Prohibition party for county offices. He is an affiliate of the Masonic fraternity and a member of the English Lutheran Church of Wooster.
S AMUEL MITCHELL. This old resident of Wayne County is a son of one of its early pioneers, and was born in Franklin Township, Septem- ber 20, 1820. His grandfather, Jesse Mitchell, was a resident of Franklin
County, Penn., and was of Irish extrac- tion. In this latter county our subject's father, Samuel Mitchell, was born, and was there married to Miss Mary Me- Gugen, by whom he had four children: Jesse, who died in February, 1839: Cyn- thia, who passed from earth in 1518; Maria, wife of John McClellan, of Woos- ter, and Samuel.
In 1812 Samuel Mitchell, Sr., came to Wayne County, to make a home in the then new West. The Indians proved so hostile, however, that, after burying his farming tools, etc., he returned to Penn- sylvania. In 1813 he came back to Wooster, where at that time but three families were living. He had left his : cows to run wild on going away, and it was with great difficulty they were found. The land was wild and totally inim- proved, but, building a log cabin, the brave pioneers foiled to make a home and rear a family. Both the parents lived to an old age, each being eighty- seven years old at time of death. The father passed away in 1961, and the mother in 1569. These grand and brave old pioneers were of the right material for this new and wild country, and did the work necessary to develop its re- sources, and to lay the foundation of its present prosperity, which is due to such as they. Mr. Mitchell was trusted and relied upon by his fellow-pioneers, and
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was by them elected a number of times township trustee. For a number of years, also, he held a commission as justice of the peace. He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church, and his wife of the Presbyterian Church, and both were well known and greatly respected by their compeers.
Samuel Mitchell, our subject, was born a pioneer's child, and in his youth had to endure the hardships and trials of those early days. His only educational facili- ties were such as were to be obtained in the log school-house of the day, so famil- iar to the children of the early settlers. But these old cabins turned out a sturdy race of men and women, well fitted to cope with the difficulties of life in a new country. In 1849 Mr. Mitchell was united in marriage with Miss Mary A., daughter of John and Naney MeClellan, whose his- tory is given on another page in this volume. She was born in Wooster, but when a child her parents removed to a farm six miles from that place. later go- ing to Xenia, Ohio, where she met and married Mr. Mitchell. After their mar- D AVID N. SMITH is a son of James and Keziah ( MeCollough ) Smith. uatives of Washington County. Pem., who came to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1520, and entered a quarter section and a one-half section of land near Jackson. in Canaan Township. The father of riage they came to his father's old home- stead in this connty, and there made their home until 1868, when they removed to Wooster, where they have since lived. They have no children, but in the Mitchell family lives Miss Sarah Preston, who has been a member of the family since 1921. James Smith, a native of Ireland, settled
when she was a girl of ten years of age. Her grandfather, William Nixon, was one of the first residents of Franklin Town- ship, and her father, William Preston, and her mother, nee Ruth Nixon, both died when the daughter was a little girl, the father in 1820, the mother in 1827.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church. They have during their lives witnessed many changes in this part of the country. He has often heard his mother tell of being alone in their cabin with her two little children while the Indians were prowling around, and no fastening on their door: but by keeping quiet and concealed, the red-skins supposed the cabin to be empty and passed on. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are to-day among the oldest settlers in the county, in which they have hosts of friends whose good wishes attend them through life, and none are more deserving than they of a place in this work.
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in Washington County, Penn., where James was born in 1791. The latter came to Wayne County poor, and experienced all the hardships of the early pioneer. Through perseverance and economy, how- ever, he accumulated a large property, and was in every sense a self-made man, recognized as one of the prominent farmers of Canaan Township. In politics he was a Democrat, in which party he always took an active interest, and was identified with the Presbyterian Church of Jackson for many years. He died in 1875, his wife iu 1563. They reared a family of
William Foot (deceased) was born in Connectient, November 17, 1807, and died October 4, 1888. About 1844 he came to Wayne County, and entered a store at Jackson as clerk. He afterward purchased the business, which he conducted for many years. He was a Republican in polities, nine children, viz .: Elizabeth, William, , and postmaster of Jackson for several Adam and Samuel (all deceased) ; Mar- years. In 1863 he married Miss Mar- garet, widow of William Foot; Mary Ann, wife of O. A. Frary, of Canaan Township, Wayne County; David N .; Rebecca, wife of Samuel Stemmons, of Milton Township, Wayne County; Martha, a maiden lady.
The subject of this memoir was born on the homestead in Canaan Township, Wayne County, February 17, 1830, and received his education at the schools of the township. He has always followed farming for his life's vocation. Io 1563 he married Miss Mary A., daughter of Emanuel Northrup, of Medina County,
leaving two children: De Forest, who lives on the homestead farm, married to Fila, daughter of George Mathes, of Canaan Township, Wayne County, and Clyde, at
home. Mr. Smith has always been a Democrat in politics, and has served as school director of the township for eight years. He is a member of Canaan Grange No. 1280, P. of H., and is a prominent member of the Jackson Presbyterian Church, of which he is trustee.
garet Smith, and by her had four children : Joseph MeIntire in Missouri; Amanda. now Mrs. William Wallace. in Iowa; Will- iam, in Knox County, Ohio, and Alice, now Mrs. Harry Covert. in Nebraska.
E EDWARD M. GRANT was born on the homestead in Sugar Creek Township, Stark Co., Ohio. May 31, 1931, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret ( Crawford) Grant. George Ohio, and she died in January, 1879, 1 Grant, the grandfather of Edward 31., was a native of New Jersey, where Joseph Grant was born. The latter was brought when two yearsold to Washington County. Penn., where he was reared. and where
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his parents died. In April, 1834, he came to the western part of Stark County, and located on a tract of one-fourth section of land adjoining Wayne County, where he lived until his death, he being seventy-six years of age. His wife was born in 1800, and died in 1578. Fifteen children were born to them, of whom those who grew to maturity were William C., of Stark Coun- ty, Ohio; Jeremiah, late of Emporia, Kas., and who died June 17, 1889; Rebecca, widow of William N. Lash, of Stark County, Ohio; Kaziah (deceased) ; Cassie Jane (deceased) ; Jesse, of Stark County; John Austin, of Afton, Union Co., Iowa; Malissa, of Osceola, Clarke Co., Iowa; Alonzo, on the homestead, and Edward M.
On November 25, 1857, the subject of this memoir married Miss Parmelia, daughter of Christopher Harrold. of Holmes County, Ohio, and in 1863 they moved onto their present farm in East Union Township, Wayne County. Mr. Grant votes the Republican ticket, and is an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Apple Creek. He has always followed farming.
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inherited from his father, William H. Keys, and his grandfather, James Keys. For several years he was owner and man- ager of the Shreve Roller Mills, which, during the last year, he sold, and is uow looking after the interests of his farms. He is a young man of good business habits and a blameless life, and is a much esteemed citizen. He was married, Octo- ber 9, 1883, to Sadie, daughter of the late Albert Richardson, a successful merchant of Shreve, and they have two children- William Albert and James Brown.
William H. Keys, father of James Baker Koys, was born in Beallsville, Washington Co., Penn., October 19, 1820, and died in Shreve, Wayne Co., Ohio, July 15, 1571. No other man who ever lived in Clinton Township filled with more dignity his place, or played with better grace the role of a Christian gentleman, good neighbor and faithful citizen, than did this plain, ingenuous farmer. It was the privilege of the writer to have been associated with him as schoolfellow. then as his teacher, and for many years thereafter as neigh- bor, patron and intimate friend, and in all these relations he found him the same quiet, companionable, trustworthy man. Though of positive opinions, such was his deference toward the feelings of others to those with whom he differed in opinion. At one of his winter schools, which the
JAMES BAKER KEYS, now a resi- dent of Shreve, was born on the Keys farm, one-half mile west of the ' that he was never known to give offense village, March 6, 1862. He owns and manages a large landed estate, which he
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writer attended, he found some of the boys remaining at home because they had no pants, except patched ones, to wear. Mr. Keys visited them, and agreed with the boys that if they would attend school in their old clothes he would wear a pair of patched pantaloons too, which, though the only son of one of the wealthiest men of the neighborhood, he did for the entire term. We mention this incident as illus- trative of the character of the man. Throughout his life he sympathized with the struggling poor. Though at no time did he own much property in Shreve, yet he and his father, James Keys, were essentially the founders of the town. Their first donation was $450, for the pur- chase of ground for a road directly west from the town. Then they gave some- thing near $500 for the first church. During the war they paid out about $1,200 to save the township from excessive draft, and almost the last act of their lives was a generous donation of $1,700 for the building of the present Methodist Church ; and many wore their minor gifts to almost every enterprise started in the then strug- gling village. The chief source of their accumulations was from sheep husbandry. For more than thirty years they followed their quiet flocks, and from them they reaped the reward that usually follows constant, well-directed effort in a single direction. William H. Keys was married,
May 5, 18-12, to Eliza Ann Baker, daugh- ter of William and Margaret Baker, of Millbrook. The late Dr. T. H. Baker, of Wooster, was a brother of Mrs. William Keys. Mrs. Keys was born in Hunterdon County, N. J., October 5, 1825. She is still living, a resident of Shreve.
James Keys, grandfather of James Baker Keys, was born in County Ferman- agh, Ireland, June 7, 1797, and was brought to this country when a child, his people settling in Washington County, Penn. He was married September 30, 1819, at Beallsville, Penn., to Mary Beall, niece of the late Gen. Zephaniah Beall, of Wooster, and soon after their marriage they immigrated to Stark County, Ohio, but soon after exchanged their Stark County land for a half section of land in Clinton Township, Wayne County, whither they moved about 1825. James Keys died August 10, 1869, on the homestead farm. His wife survived him seven years, dying in the same house, August 25, 1876. In all the pioneer operations of the township James Keys was an active participant. At the log rollings and cabin raisings of those primitive days his pleasant face and cheerful voice added their full influence to these rough but interesting entertainments. His last years were pleasantly spent on the farm made valuable and comfortable by the labor of his own hands. He lived and
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died an honorable citizen, and will long be remembered as a warm-hearted, beney- olent and generous man.
G HARLES W. MCCLURE, of Woos- ter, is a son of Jonathan MeClure, one of the pioneers of Wayne County (of whom mention is made in sketch of Wilbur D. McClure), and was born in Wooster Township, December 27, 1841. His early education was received in the schools of that township, and in the winters from 1856 to 1861 he taught school there. He afterward attended school in Wooster, intending to finish his educa- tion in the Ohio Wesleyan College, of Delaware, but the outbreak of the Rebell- ion changed his plans. On April 16, 1861, he responded to the first call for volunteers, and enlisted in Company E, Fourth Ohio Infantry, and was speedily at the front. The first call being only for three-months men, he re-enlisted in June of that year for three years, and served the full time. He participated in many of the great battles of the war -- was at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and in many minor en- gagements. He was fortunate enough to escape wounds, and never had any serions illness while in the service, being
always able for duty. He was honorably discharged in June, 1864, and returned to Wayne County.
Before going to the war he had learned the stove and tinware business. and worked at that with his father until the latter's death, in 1868. He then contimed for himself until 1872, when he engaged as a commercial traveler for a Cleveland and Cincinnati firm, with whom he re- mained until 1879. He then returned to Wooster, and until 1887 carried ou busi- ness for himself on South Market Street. In the latter year he formed a partnership with A. G. Coover, the firm dealing in stoves, tinware and house furnishing goods, and doing the largest business in that line of any house in the county. In 1864, soon after his return from the army, he was united in marriage with Rebecca, daughter of A. and Rebecca Saybolt, na- tives of Pennsylvania, who still reside in Wooster. This union was blessed by the birth of six children. The second child, Charles D. died in childhood, in 1865. The others are all yet under the parental roof, and are Emma T., George M., John S., Florence E. and Glenn E.
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