History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 102

Author: H. J. Eckley, William T. Perry
Publication date: 1921
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 678

USA > Ohio > Harrison County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 102
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 102

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).

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long numbered among the leading exponents of agricultural and live-stock industry in the county, the while he was a citizen whose civic loyalty was shown in action as well as senti- ment, in definite liberality and progressiveness. He was born December 6, 1841, and remained on his ancestral farmstead, in Loudon Town- ship, until his death, May 10, 1919.

James Shepherd, father of him to whom this memoir is dedicated, was born in County Ca- van, Ireland, September 4, 1790, a son of Will- iam and Mary (Morton) Shepherd. He was reared and educated in his native land and there, on the 27th of February, 1815, a clergy- man of the Church of England solemnized his marriage to Miss Mary Reynolds, whose birth occurred in County Fermanagh, February 27. 1797, and who was a daughter of Joseph and Alice (Dowler) Reynolds. In August following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd severed ties that bound them to Emerald Isle and en- barked on the sailing vessel that. after a long and weary voyage, landed them in the country of their adoption. They passed two weeks in Philadelphia, where Mr. Shepherd made ar- rangements for the shipping of his household goods and other effects to Steubenville. Ohio. On arriving at Pittsburgh he sold a part of his goods, in order to gain the funds for the trans- portation of the remainder of the effects down the Ohio River to the destination. Late in the autumn they arrived at the home of Mrs. Shep- herd's uncle, George Reynolds, who later served on the bench of the county court of Carroll County. Their financial resources were re- duced to the sum of eighteen cents at the time of their arrival, and in order to augment his depleted exchequer the young husband left his wife with her uncle and returned to Pennsyl- vania, where he employed himself during the winter in the threshing of wheat by means of the old-time flail. By indefatigable industry and utmost frugality Mr. Shepherd finally ar- cumulated sufficient money to justify hin: in en- tering claim to eighty acres of land in what is now Loudon Township. Carroll County. He erected on the land a primitive log cabin, and of this modest domicile he and his wife took possession on the 31st of March, 1817. In the construction of the house not a nail, an iron hinge or a pane of glass was used. In his native land Mr. Shepherd had learned the trade of weaver. and he utilized his technical knowl- edge and facility to good effect in the pioneer locality in which he had established his home. Of special interest is the following extract con- cerning his work as a weaver: "He raised flax, which he and his wife wove into linen and then sold. One fine web of forty yards he carried on his shoulder to Canton. where he received forty dollars for the fabric. He then paid one dollar for two yards of calico, and the remainder of the forty dollars he used in entering an additional tract of land. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd encountered their full share of the hardships and vicissitudes that fell to the lot of the pioneers of this now favored section of Ohio, but they were prosperous in their la- bors with the passing years and reared their large family of children to lives of usefulness

and honor, the home having been one of happi- ness and refined influences." This honored pio- neer couple became the parents of fourteen children, all but one of whom attained to years of maturity, and of the number two are living at the time of this writing: Alice, who is the widow of Rev. Theophilus Kneen, a Presbyte- rian minister, and resides at Harlem Springs, Carroll County ; and Joseph C., who is a resi- dent of Tacoma, Washington. James Shepherd passed to eternal rest on the 2d of June, 1872. and his devoted wife survived him by less than three years, her death having occurred March 14, 1875. They were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and their lives were guided and governed by the gracious faith which they thus professed and in which they carefully reared their children. all of whom be- came active members of the same church body. In politics Mr. Shepherd was a loyal democrat. and in community affairs he wielded large and benignant influence, though he had no desire for official preferment. He developed a large and valuable farm property and his name, as well as that of his wife, merits high place on the roll of the honored pioneers of Carroll County.

Of the fourteen children Wesley H., was the youngest. In addition to receiving the advan- tages of the common schools of the locality and period he pursued higher academic studies in Mount Union College, and while he became a man of broad information and mature judg- ment, he never had any desire to deflect his course from the line of farm enterprise. in con- nection with which he gained substantial and worthy success. He became the owner of the old homestead, of 320 acres, and here he con- tinued his well ordered activities as an agricul- turist and stock-raiser until the close of his long and useful life, which was crowned with honor and unequivocal material prosperity. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and he took loyal interest in those things that concern the communal welfare. He was a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Amsterdam, as is also his widow. who remains on the old home place, and he filled various official positions in this church. He was a good man, a useful citizen and a gen- erous and kindly friend and neighbor.

On the 7th of October. 1873. was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Shepherd to Miss Helen France, who was born at Harlem Springs, this county, and who is a daughter of the late Dr. J. B. and Margaret (Donnan) France, the for- mer a native of Washington County. Ohio, and the latter of Butler County. Pennsylvania, a daughter of Rev. Alexander and Helen ( Han- nay) Donnan, her father having been born in Scotland and having come to Washington County. Ohio, in 1799. Rev. John France, who was educated in the city of Edinburgh, Scot- land. and became a clergyman of the United Presbyterian Church, was the father of Dr. J. B. France, and the latter long held precedence as one of the able and honored physicians and surgeons engaged in practice in Carroll County. Mrs. Shepherd attended Harlem College. at Harlem Springs, and is a gracious woman who

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has long held secure place in connection with the representative social life and other activi- ties of her home community, where her circle of friends is limited only by that of her ac- quaintances. Mr. Shepherd is survived also by three children: Edgard married Miss Mary James and they now reside in the city of Cleve- land; Grace .is the wife of Benjamin F. James, of Canton, Stark County; and Paul, who re- mains with his widowed mother, has the active management of the fine old homestead farm, which now comprises 240 acres.

JOHN EVANGELIST KIRSCH. After a wide and valued experience which is of value to him in his present undertaking, John Evangelist Kirsch is now engaged in conducting his farm of sixty- five acres of land in Rose Township. He was born in Barr Township, Cambria County, Penn- sylvania, September 15, 1860, a son of Simon and Anna ( Bromanspager) Kirsch. The pater- nal grandfather, a weaver by trade, was born in Alsace, France, from whence he came to the United States in an early day. He first settled in Barr Township, Cambria County, Pennsyl- vania, and married Catherine Bear, but after her demise, he moved to Westmoreland County, and became a lay brother at St. Vincent's monastery, where he died. He and his wife had five children of whom Simon Kirsch was the eldest. His life was spent on his father's home- stead. and there he died in 1916, and his wife died that same year. By a former marriage to Mary Sheran, Simon Kirsch had two children, namely : Simon and Philomena, both of whom are still living. By his second marriage he had five sons and two daughters, and John E. Kirsch belongs to the second family.

During the winter terms until he was fifteen years old John E. Kirsch attended the country schools, but after that devoted all of his time to the homestead on which he remained until he was thirty years of age. At that time he married and went to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where for eight years he was in a dairy busi- ness, and then came to Rose Township, where for a year he worked as a farm hand. Re- turning to the dairy business he carried it on at Canton, Ohio, for seven years, and then in 1911 returned to Carroll County and bought his present farm, where he has since remained, carrying on general farming. He is a stock- holder in the Auto Transportation Company of Buffalo, New York, and has other interests, be- ing a man of ample means.

Mr. Kirsch was married first to Magdelena Hoffee, a daughter of Simon and Cathrine (Sheran) Hoffee, and she died in May, 1913, leaving no children. In 1915 Mr. Kirsch was married to Ella Klise, a daughter of Francis and Gertrude (Schott) Klise of San Diego, California. There are no children by this mar- riage. Mrs. Kirsch was born in Rose Township, and was third in a family of four children. She attended district school Number 6 and the Waynesburg High School, and then lived in different parts of the country, being employed in a private capacity, in this way seeing a good deal of the United States and Canada. and was in California at the time of her marriage.

Mr. Kirsch is a republican. He belongs to the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Marges. A hard worker Mr. Kirsch has earned all be possesses, and has acquired something else of value, the confidence and esteem of all with whom he is associated. While he is somewhat conservative with reference to public improve- ments, he is in favor of those which will add to the value of the property and prestige of the community, and is a friend of the public schools and the good roads movement.

T. OTHO RICHARDS has been a resident of Car- roll County from the time of his birth, has here made for himself a high reputation as a man of probity and ability and as a successful ex- ponent of farm industry. He still gives his close personal supervision to his home place. which is one of the valuable farm properties of Loudon Township. and is known as a progres- sive and thoroughgoing representative of agri- cultural and live-stock enterprise in his native county. He was born in Lee Township, on the 31st of August. 1854. and is the youngest in a family of eleven children. of whom only one other is now living-Mary, who is the wife of William Groves, of Rice County. Kansas. Mr. Richards is a son of Otho and Rachel (Little) Richards, the former a native of Car- roll County, where his parents were pioneer set- tlers. and the latter a native of Pennsylvania. she having been born near Burgettstown, that state. The marriage of the parents was solemn- ized in Carroll County and they settled on a farm in Lee Township. where they passed the remainder of their lives. the father having died in April, 1855. when his son T. Otho. of this sketch, was less than one year old, and the mother passed away several years later.

T. Otho Richards was still a boy when he became doubly orphaned. but he was not denied consistent education advantages. The discipline which he gained in the district school locally known as the Frog Hollow school was supple- mented by his attending for one term the semi- nary at Harlem Springs, but he was only fifteen years old when he found employment at farm work, by the month. He continued to be thus engaged, as an industrious and valued employe. until the time of his marriage, in February. 1880, when Miss Sarah Jane Colar became his wife. she having been born and reared in Lou- don Township, a daughter of William and Cath- erine (Slates) Colar. After his marriage Mr. Richards resided for a time on the farm of his father-in-law, in Loudon Township. and for two years he was engaged in the operation of a saw mill, in which enterprise he was associated with two sons of his eldest sister. Mrs. Boop. Dur- ing this period he and his wife resided at Har- lem Springs, and they then returned to the Colar farm. By the will of Mrs. Richards' fa- ther she and her husband became the owners of 100 acres of his fine old homestead farm. a provision by deed having given to Mr. Richards a half-interest in the valuable property. which has been kept up to a high standard under bis control and management. He has made nnmer- ous improvements on the farm, and the same is a model of thrift and good management.

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Mr. Richards is a republican and his stand- Ing in his home community is shown in the fact that he has been called upon to serve several terms in the office of township trustee, in which he did much to further the civic and material advancement of his constituent township. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Kilgore and he is serving as a member of its board of trustees. In con- clusion is entered brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Richards: Charles E. and John C. reside in the city of Cleveland; William Albert is a resident of Los Angeles, California ; Paul G. lives at Amsterdam, Jef- ferson County; James L., who is now a resi- dent of Cleveland, this state, served in the United States Marine Corps in the great World war, his training having been received at Paris Island, South Carolina, and he having accom- panied his command to France, where he re- mained on active duty about six months, princi- pally at Brest, where he held the rank of quar- termaster's sergeant. His service in army was about two years. Arthur M .. who likewise re- sides in the city of Cleveland, was another of the gallant young men who represented Carroll County in the nation's service in the World war, bis assignment having been to a motor-truck company and his training having been gained at Camp Benjamin Harrison, in Indiana, whence he went to France and was in active service at Dijon, having served about two years. He re- iturned to his native land and received his hon- .orable discharge, with the rank of sergeant; Helen, next older than Arthur M., is the wife .of Jay E. Brandt, of Loudon Township; and Catti erine, the youngest of the children, re- mains at the parental home and is a successful and popular teacher in the public schools of her native county.

CHARLES SMITH, who is one of the representa- tive agriculturists and stock-growers of North Township, Harrison County, is a scion of one of the honored pioneer families of this county. He is of the fourth generation in descent from John Smith, who immigrated from Ireland to America in 1818 and who in that year secured from Governor Hare a tract of wild land in Nottingham Township, Harrison County, Ohio. where he instituted the reclamation of a farm from the forest. Here he passed the remainder of his life and at Deersville, this county. his widow died at the remarkable age of ninety years. They became the parents of five chil- dren, one of whom died in infancy. Those who attained to maturity were Thomas, Robert, William. John and Sarah (Mrs. F. T. Simon- ton). The son Thomas, grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in Ireland and was reared on the pioneer farm in Harrison County, Ohio. As a youth he learned the print- er's trade in the office of the Cadiz Republican, and in 1838 he returned to his native land. where in the city of Dublin was solemnized his marriage to Miss Mary Hopkins, their parents having been old-time friends in Ireland. On his return to Harrison County Mr. Smith en- gaged in the mercantile business at Cadiz, and later he was for twenty-five years engaged in

the general merchandise business at Freeport, this county. In 1863 he sold this business and removed to Leesville, Carroll County, in which county he remained several years, within which he was associated with mercantile and farm en- terprise. On his return to Harrison County he purchased a farm in North Township, and here he remained until his death, February 23, 1881, at the age of seventy-two years, his birth having occurred May 6, 1809. His wife was born Au- gust 27, 1813, and died June 5, 1882, she having been a woman of culture and most gracious personality and her early education having been received in the city of Dublin, Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of six chil- dren: Joseph J., who established his home in the city of Cleveland; Robert H., who was a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the time of his death, in 1885; Edward A., who was killed by lightning on the old home farm in North Township; Theodore W., who was the father of the subject of this sketch; Alice J., who died at Leesville, Carroll County ; and Sa- rah E., who became the wife of M. B. Fierbaugh.

Theodore William Smith was born in Free- port, Harrison County, March 17, 1846, and he passed the closing years of his life on his fine farm in North Township, where he died on the 9th of November, 1908. He received the advan- tages of the common schools of Harrison County, and early began to assist in his father's store. In 1870 he married, and in the following year he became associated with his brother Robert H., in the general merchandise business at Leesville, Carroll County, where he remained four years. Thereafter he resided continuously on his farm in North Township, Harrison County, until the close of his long, useful and worthy life, his farm having comprised 160 acres, adjacent to the village of Conotton. At the time of the Civil war he served in the home guard organized to repel the raids of General John Morgan. He was affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and gave liberal support to the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he and his wife were zealous adherents.

On the 8th of December, 1870, was recorded the marriage of Theodore W. Smith to Miss Malila M. English, who was born in North Township, Harrison County, a daughter of James and Ann (McCarroll) English, and whose death occurred in her native township July 10, 1914, she having survived her husband by about six years. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of three children : Alice C., who died on the 22d of September, 1908; Charles. of this sketch, and Anna, the wife of Cassius E. More- land, who is employed in the steel rolling-mills at New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, their one child being Alice G. In the home of Mr. and Mrs. Smith was reared also James Wilfred Smith, who was doubly orphaned when his fa- ther. Edward A. Smith, was killed by lightning, as noted in the preceding paragraph, and who was taken into the home of his uncle when nine years of age, and there he remained until his death, June 25, 1890, shortly before his twentieth birthday anniversary.

Charles Smith was born at Leesville, in Orange Township, Carroll County, Ohio, on the

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2d of September, 1874, and was a child at the time when his parents established their resi- dence on the farm in North Township, Har- rison County, where he profited by the advan- tages offered by the district schools and where he remained on the home farm until the death of his father. In the following year he mar- ried, and he has since remained on the home farm, of which he has had full charge since the death of his father, and of which he is now the owner. This place, as before stated, is con- veniently situated adjacent to the village of Conotton and comprises 160 acres. Mr. Smith is far-sighted and enterprising in all departments of farm industry, and is one of the successful agriculturists and stock-growers of North Town- ship. He is a republican in politics, and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Conotton. Mr. Smith is a mem- ber of General Custer Lodge No. 106, Knights of Pythias, at Scio.

On the 6th of October, 1909, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Smith to Miss Margaret Simkins, daughter of Willis L. and Martha Jane ( Masters) Simkins, both natives of Harrison County. where the former was born January 25, 1832, and the latter on the 12th of Febru- ary, 1836. Mr. Simkins, who maintained his home at Conotton, was for more than thirty- five years in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the first few years as a bridge builder, and thereafter as a master car- penter. His death occurred May 10, 1910, his wife having passed away April 30, 1879, and having been a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the children the eldest is Miss Stella, who resides in Conotton; Anna is the wife of E. Carson Rogers, of Columbus, Ohio, and they have two children-Frances Louise and Estelle Faye; Mrs. Smith was the third child; and George died on the 9th of July, 1919. William and Catherine (Gould) Simkins, grandparents of Mrs. Smith, were pio- neer settlers of Harrison County. William Simkins was a native of Cumberland, Mary- land, and his wife was born in the state of West Virginia.

JAMES L. CLUTZ, whose attractive and well- regulated farm of sixty-six acres is situated in section 4, Loudon Township. Carroll County, was born on the adjacent homestead farm which is still the home of his parents, and the date of his nativity was December 12, 1876. He is a son of John C. and Mary A. (Burrier) Olutz, both likewise natives of Carroll County, where they have always maintained their residence. Mrs. Clutz is a daughter of Levi and Elizabeth Burrier, who were pioneer settlers in Loudon . Township, where they remained until their deaths, the Burrier family, from Pennsylvania, having been founded in what is now Carroll County, Ohio, more than a century ago. Con- cerning the children of John and Mary (Bur- rier) Clutz the following brief data may con- sistently be entered: Eliza Ann remains at the parental home; Sarah Jane is the wife .of Ellwood Albaugh. of Dennison, Tuscarawas County ; Edward Philip likewise resides at Den- nison ; Mimer D. is. a resident of Jefferson

County ; James Louis, of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Elizabeth Belle is the wife of J. Milton Albaugh, of Loudon Township; Francis Burton resides in the village of Am- sterdam, this county ; and Margaret Mae lives at Scio, Harrison County.

James Louis Clutz gained in his boyhood and youth a gradually cumulative experience in connection with the work of the home farm and continued his association with its work until his marriage and the initiation of his indepen- dent career as a farmer in his native town- ship, where his success as an agriculturist and stock-grower has been on a parity with this Zealous application and progressive policies. His early education was obtained principally in the district school at Dutch Corner, and has been effectively supplemented by the discipline of a vigorous and well-ordered career in connection with the practical affairs of life. He is known as one of the reliable, straightforward and en- terprising citizens of his community, and that he has secure place in popular esteem needs no further voucher than the fact that he is serv- ing as trustee of Loudon Township, an office to which he was elected in November, 1919, as can- didate on the democratic ticket. He and his wife are active members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Germano, Ohio.

In April, 1903, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Clutz to Miss Estella D. Cox, who was born at Mingo Junction, Jefferson County, Ohio, a daughter of Michael A. Cox. It was shortly after his marriage that Mr. Clutz purchased and established his home on his present farm, which he has maintained at a high standard in all particulars and which is one of the excel- lent farms of Loudon Township. Since 1895 Mr. Clutz has given more or less attention also to sawmill work, principally during the winter seasons. Mr. and Mrs. Clutz have one child, Jessie Marie, who was born March 16, 1906.

JOHN M. DUNLAP is a popular representative, in the younger generation, of a family whose name has been most prominently and worthily linked with the annals of Harrison County since the early pioneer days, and he is one of the enterprising and progressive farmers of Moore- field Township, where he is the owner of a well-improved place of 158 acres and where,-in the live-stock department of his farm enter- prise, he gives special attention to the breeding and raising of the best type of short-horn cattle.

John M. Dunlap was born in Athens Town- ship, Harrison County, on the 81st of July, 1883. and is a son of Adam C. and Alice (Moore) Dunlap, the former of whom was born in Athens Township, this county, on the 3d of June, 1851, and the latter in Moorefield Township, June 21, 1863. their marriage having been solemnized in September. 1882, and Mr. Dunlap having died in April. 1884. Mrs. Alice (Moore) Dunlap long survived the young husband of her youth and was fifty-three years of age at the time of her death. October 19, 1919. To this marriage two sons were born, John M. and Adam Chester, the latter dying at. the age of eleven months. Mrs. Dunlap was a daughter of Johnson and Emilie

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History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 102

Author: H. J. Eckley, William T. Perry Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Number of Pages: 678

Author: H. J. Eckley, William T. Perry
Publication date: 1921
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 678