History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 13

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 13
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 13

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John M. Hanna was a farmer and lived all his life in Green Township. His children are: Sarah, wife of George A. Crew; Samantha E., wife of Ebeneezer Gray; William P. Hanna ; Alice, the wife of John A. Copeland; and John A. Hanna. They all had common school advan- tages, and as a young man W. P. Hanna engaged in farming, continuing in that business in Green Township until in 1917 he sold the farm of 160 acres and removed to Cadiz.

In 1894 Mr. Hanna married Susannah Laugh- rige, a daughter of Edward and Susannah (Conoway) Laughrige. Edward Laughrige way married twice, his first wife being Marjorie McConnell, and the children of that marriage were Jane, Joseph, Margaret, Thomas, Robert. Edward, Elizabeth, Nancy, John, William and Samuel. The mother died, and on April 1, 1869, Mr. Laughrige married Susannah Cono- way, who became the mother of two children, John H. and Susannah. Edward Laughrige was a son of Edward Laughrige. who came from County Tyrone. Ireland, in 1809, living for a time in Wilmington, Delaware, before locating

in Brooke County, Virginia, and later in Jef- ferson County, Ohio. The children born to William P. and Susannah (Laughrige) Hanna are: Virginia, wife of Donald Baker; and John Edward Hanna, who married Lydia Meizer.

On January 2, 1918, John Edward Hanna en- listed in the Sixth Cavalry, and on March 16th, he sailed from New York, landing at South Hampton, England, on March 28, and after a few days in England he went on to France, where he remained "Somewhere in France" for fifteen months. On the return voyage he landed at Newport News June 29, 1919, and on July 12 he was discharged from Camp Lee. His over- seas service will be something he will remember to the end of his life, although it convinced him that there is no country like America.

While a resident of Green Township Mr. Hanna filled different political offices, being a township assessor and for eleven years serving as trustee of the township. The Hanna family belongs to the Methodist Church at Cadiz. For more than one hundred years the Hanna family story has been part of the history of Harrison county.

CLARENCE G. HILLIGAS, one of the enterprising and progressive young farmers of Short Creek Township. Harrison County, was born in this township on the 5th of March, 1881, and is a son of Francis A. Hilligas, of whom individual mention is made on other pages so that a repe- tition of the family record is not required in the present connection. He whose name introduces this paragraph gained his early education in the public schools of Short Creek and Green townships, and his alliance with farm industry has continued without interruption since his early youth. Since his marriage he has resided upon and had the general supervision of the fine old homestead farm of the late William Spicer Fox, whose daughter he wedded on the 21st of October, 1911. The marriage was sol- emnized by the Short Creek monthly meeting of the Society of Friends, known as the Hick- site Branch, of which the Fox family have been affiliated for many generations: it being one of the oldest and most influential in Harrison County, an account of which is found elsewhere in this publication. The farm of 100 acres on which Mrs. Hilligas was born and raised and which is yet her home was received as a heritage from her honored father. It is of historic inter- est. located on the Cadiz and Wheeling "pike" and besides being well improved and under a high state of cultivation it was one of the first rural homes in Harrison County to be equipped with a water system (1906) and with an elec- tric lighting plant (December. 1916).

Mr. Hilligas shows marked energy and pro- gressiveness in the management of both the ag- ricultural and livestock departments of his farm enterprise, being a successful breeder of regis tered Percheron horses and Scotch Shorthorns. He is a director of the Peoples National Bank of Adena, Ohio, and also of the Pittsburgh and Ohio Investment Company of Pittsburgh. Penn- sylvania. His political alliance is given to the republican party. and he served one term as township trustee. He aims to ever be on the side of moral and reform issues.

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William Spicer Fox, father of Mrs. Hilligas and son of Charles James and Esther Cooper Fox, was the second of four children. He was born in Short Creek Township, September 22, 1839, and his death occurred January 28, 1908. In 1876 he married Miss Esther G. Moore, daughter of Jeremiah Moore and Sarah (Evans) Moore, of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, who departed this life May 23, 1913. They were members of the Society of Friends, as were their parents for several generations.

Charles James Fox was a son of Josiah Fox, who was born in Falmouth, England, October 9, 1763, and who after receiving a good educa- tion, served three years as an apprentice to the shipbuilding business at Plymouth, England. He entered a seafaring life and visited many foreign ports. In 1793 he was employed by the United States Government to plan and super- vise the building of ships to be used in the navy of the yet new republic. He designed several that became famous in the War of 1812, and for this he was "disowned" by the Friends, who ever opposed warfare. Early in the second decade of the eighteenth century he came with his family to Colerain, Belmont County, Ohio, and there he died at the age of eighty-four years. Charles James Fox was born in Wash- ington, D. C., October 17. 1805, and developed and improved one of the fine farm properties of Harrison County, Ohio, which was his place of residence from his marriage until his death, June 21, 1895.

William Fox gave his political support to the republican party. He served in various local offices and did a large amount of important work as civil engineer and general surveyor, was a justice of the peace, a notary public and a township trustee. He was one of the honored and influential citizens of the county and a member of the directorate of the First National Bank of Cadiz for two decades.

Of his three children, Mary Moore was the first born. John Francis was drowned in 1897 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he was attending the George School. Erie Esther is the wife of William Wilson MeLaughlin. subject of individual mention on other pages of this work.

Mr. and Mrs. Hilligas have three children, whose names and respective dates of birth are recorded as follows: Harold Fox, February 18. 1913; John Kenneth, May 5, 1915; and Rachel Esther, June 3, 1917.

WALLACE L. HANDLEY has been engaged in the active practice of law at Carrollton, judicial center of Carroll County, for thirty-six years, and in both a professional and civic sense has kept pace with the splendid development and progress of his home city, whose bar numbered seventeen members at the time he here initiated practice. He has long maintained precedence as one of the leading lawyers of this section of his native state and his professional activities have not been confined to Carroll County. He has appeared in connection with much of the import- ant litigation in the courts of Ohio during the course of many years, and his clientage has been at all times of representative order. Aside from his professional service he has been most en- thusiastic and liberal in furthering the various

agencies and enterprises which have made Car- rollton a flourishing industrial center and attrac- tive place of residence. His efforts have been for right, and with his combative spirit backed by unusual good judgment his influence in the community has been on a parity with his un- qualified personal esteem.

Wallace LaMoine Handley was born in Green Township, Harrison County, Ohio, January 13, 1856, and is a son of David and Lydia (Fogle) Handley, who likewise were born in that town- ship, where their parents were early settlers. The childhood and early youth of Wallace L. Handley were compassed largely by the in- fluences of the farm, and in the meanwhile he gained his initial cultural discipline by attend- ing the district schools. He was twelve years of age at the time of the family removal to Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County, where he con- tinued his studies in the public schools. After several years of residence in that county the family returned to Harrison County, where the subject of this review attended the Normal Col- lege at Hopedale, and where he was favored in receiving special consideration and assistance from the late Cyrus McNeely, founder of that college and known as an educator of high at- tainments. While attending this college Mr. Handley also gave close attention to the read- . ing of law. He continued his law studies under the effective perceptorship of Samuel M. Crain, then one of the strongest legal minds of the Carroll County bar. In 1881 he was admitted to the bar, upon examination before the Su- preme Court of Ohio, being one of seventeen of a class of thirty-six who passed the examina- tion, and he forthwith began his novitiate as a member of the bar of Carrollton. His were the personal qualities and the technical knowledge that make for success in the exacting profession of his choice, and he soon gained his share of the law business centered at Carrollton, which at that time had a population little in excess of 1.000 persons. It is but a matter of justice to state that at no period in the history of Carroll County has there been a lawyer who has here developed and maintained a larger and more important practice than has Mr. Handley, and such success bears its own significance, with no need for analysis or laudatory indulgence. More than twenty-years ago Mr. Handley was retained as local legal representative of the old Cleveland, Canton & Southern Railroad, now the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad, and he is now counsel for this road. He is also at- torney for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, one of the New York Central lines. He has always had an extensive corporation clientele and in addition to his railroad connec- tions represents the Bergholtz Telephone Com- pany of Jefferson County, Ohio; The Eastern Ohio Telephone Company of Columbiana County. and the Metropolitan Paving Brick Company. Canton and Minerva, Ohio. He is also legal representative of a number of the most impor- tant industrial and financial corporations of Carrollton, among which is the Sebright China Company, with plants at Carrollton and Scio, Ohio, and his general law business has long been one of broad scope and importance. With full appreciation of the responsibilities which

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personal success imposes, Mr. Handley has shown the utmost civic loyalty and progressive- ness and has gladly paid his full quota of taxes, with no desire to minimize his resources. He has been in the forefront in the progressive movements that have inured to the growth and commercial and industrial importance of Carroll- ton, and was chairman of the citizens' committee through the splendid service of which $65,000 was raised at Carrollton for the purpose of securing the first pottery established here. He personally contributed $1,000 to this fund, and his liberality has been equally noteworthy in connection with other enterprises projected for the advancement of his home city and county. Mr. Handley is a staunch advocate of the prin- ciples and policies for which the republican party has ever stood sponsor and he always has given loyal and effective service in behalf of the party cause and been influential in formu- lating and directing public sentiment and action in his county. He is the owner of numerous pieces of real estate at Carrollton, including his attractive home on Oak Hill, in which section of the city he has resided during the entire period of his professional life in Carrollton. He also owns interests in farms and some oil pro- ductions in Carroll County. He is an active church worker, supports all denominations and has a class of forty-two members in the Presby- terian Sunday School and takes great interest in this work.

In 1877 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Handley to Miss Anna J. Wathey, who was born and reared in Carroll County and who was the only child of the late Zachary and Mary Wathey, early settlers of this county, where Mr. Wathey served as county commissioner and was otherwise influential in community affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Handley became the parents of three children : Winfield H. was born December 9, 1878; the second son was born April 23, 1882, and died on that date; and Zachary Archibald, who was born December 13, 1886, died June 12, 1888. Winfield H., the one surviving son, is now residing on the Wathey farm. In August, 1908, Mrs. Handley was called by death, and since then Mr. Handley has maintained his home on Oak Hill and kept "the home fires burning." He has with him his two grandchildren, Lamoine and Irene, whose companionship has counted for much in the maintenance of their old home. and the loss of any one of the three means to Mr. Handley the dissolution of the family home.

JOHN S. ROSE is another of the substantial citizens who is contributing a generous quota to the furtherance of the agricultural and live- stock prestige of Washington Township, Harri- son County, where he owns the old family home- stead of ninety-nine acres, to which he has added until the place now comprises 185 acres in Washington Township, with an adjoining tract of fifty-two and nine-twentieths acres in Nottingham Township. Through his own ability and well directed endeavors Mr. Rose has gained secure place as one of the successful and repre- sentative exponents of farm enterprise in his native county. and he is a sterling citizen who is well entitled to recognition In this history.

John Stanley Rose was born in Washington Township on the 14th of April, 1854, and is a son of John S. and Betsey (Ford) Rose, both likewise natives of Harrison County and the latter a daughter of the late Clayton and Amy Ann (Alton) Ford, of whose eight children she was the seventh in order of birth, the names of the others being here recorded : Erasmus, John M., William B., Stephen D., Prudence, Emily and Julia Ann. John S. Rose, Sr .. not only became a prosperous farmer in Washington Township, but for a number of years he gave no little attention to work at the trade of stone- mason, in which he was a skilled artisan. He was still a comparatively young man at the time of his death, in 1864, and his widow survived him by more than forty years, her death having occurred August 31, 1909. They became the parents of twelve children-Francis Marion (re- sides near Thornville, Perry County), Sarah Elizabeth (deceased), Ruth Amanda, Arminta M., James (died at the age of eight years), Julia Ann (deceased), John Stanley, Amos O., Hiram S., Martin L. (died in young manhood), Mcclellan B. and Clement L.

John Stanley Rose gained his early educa- tion in the district schools of Washington Town- ship, and at the age of sixteen years he began working by the month as a farm hand, besides which his early experience included work at the trade of stone-mason. In initiating his inde- pendent career as a farm workman his cash capital was represented in the sum of one dollar and fifty cents, and he did not possess even a pocketbook in which to place this modest capital. He continued three years in the employ of one man, and thereafter was employed by the month or by the job or by the day until he attained to the age of twenty-three years, when, in 1878, he married Miss Sophia Garner, daughter of Ed- ward Garner and a sister of Edward L. Garner, in whose personal sketch, on other pages of this volume, is given adequate record of the Garner family. After his marriage Mr. Rose engaged in farming on his father's old homestead. and by gradually buying the interests of the other heirs he eventually came into full ownership of the property, to which he has added materially, as noted in the opening paragraph of this article. His entire farm property, well im- proved and under effective cultivation. is in one body and constitutes one of the valuable places of the county. Mr. Rose has won independence and prosperity entirely through his own efforts, with the earnest and valued co-operation of his wife, who has been a true helpmeet, and he is one of the successful agriculturists and stock- raisers of his native county, as well as one of its well known and highly esteemed citizens. He is a republican in politics, and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Deersville. They have two children : Albert Edward, the elder son, married Miss Nellie Edith McConnell and they now re- side at Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County. Law- rence V., who farms a part of his father's landed estate, married Miss Audry V. Mallernee and they have four children-Verna Viola, Helen Irene, Olive Pauline and Frances Lucile. Into their home Mr. and Mrs. Rose took Ora Allen Rose when he was a child of three months, and

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they have reared him as a son, he being seven- teen years of age at the time of this writing, in 1920. He is a son of M. B. Rose, brother of the subject of this sketch, and was an infant at the time of his mother's death.

JAMES A. CUMMINS has been engaged in farming enterprise in Freeport Township, Harri- son County, since the year 1889, and his success as a vigorous and forward-looking agriculturist and stock-raiser has been such as to mark him as a leading exponent of these industries in the county. His farm estate comprises 285 acres and is one of the well improved and valuable properties of Freeport Township. Of the family record of Mr. Cummins adequate information may be gained by reference to the personal sketch of his brother, David W. Cummins of Cadiz, on other pages of this volume.

James A. Cummins was born and reared in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and the date of his nativity was January 1, 1864, so that he was a right welcome New Year's arrival in the home of his parents, David and Elizabeth (Alli- son) Cummins. He received the advantages of the public schools of his native county and there remained on the parental farm until the time of his marriage, which incidentally led to his estab- lishing his residence in Harrison County, Ohio, in the following year. On the 6th of February, 1888, he wedded Miss Addie L. Sproul, who was born and reared in Freeport Township, this county, and who is a daughter of the late Hugh and Jane (Shaw) Sproul. The old homestead farm of Hugh Sproul is that now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Cummins, who main- tained their residence in Washington County, Pennsylvania, for a period of about one year after their marriage and who then, in 1850, established their home on their present fine farm. Hugh Sproul was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, on February 27, 1819, and died February 12, 1874. His wife was a native of the same county and state, born January 8, 1826, and died October 29, 1880. Her mother was a native of Ireland. Hugh Sproul was a son of Francis and Elizabeth (Edgar) Sproul, who were pioneer settlers in Moorefield Township. Harrison County, and whose chil- dren were eight in number-Francis, Adam, William. Margaret, James, Hugh, John and Mary. Mrs. Jane ( Shaw) Sproul was a daugh- ter of James and Elizabeth Shaw, whose only other child was likewise a daughter, Margaret. After the death of his first wife James Shaw married a second time, the family name of this wife having been Wilson, and they were resi- dents of Harrison County at the time of their deaths. He married for his third wife Hen- rietta Ross.

Mr. and Mrs. Cummins are the parents of four childern-Lena Belle, Harold Sproul, Mary Elizabeth and Laura Emily. Lena Belle is now the wife of Seth L. Snyder, a farmer in Free- port Township, and they have one daughter, Ruth Marian.

In addition to his farming interests Mr. Cum- mins has been for the past score of years the president of the Eastern Ohio Mutual Fire & Tornado Insurance Company. He has been known for his distinctive progressiveness and

civic liberality as well as for his business acumen, and has been influential in public affairs in Freeport Township, of which he served ten years as a trustee. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, and both he and his wife are zealous and representative members of the Presbyterian Church of Freeport, in which he has served about twenty years as a deacon and for practically a similar period as superintendent of the Sunday School, and at the present time (1921) is filling that position. His musical talent has made him further promi- nent in the affairs of this church, in which he has given more than twenty years of effective service as leader of the choir.

JOSEPH H. MCELROY owns and conducts the Rexall Drug Store in the city of Carrollton, and in its appointments, completeness of stock and effective service the establishment is maintained at a metropolitan standard. In addition to the customary lines of drugs, proprietory remedies, sundries, toilet goods, etc., Mr. McElroy has a fine sodawater fountain, which caters to a large and appreciative patronage, and handles the celebrated Columbia Graphanola and records and the Ansco Cameras, with requisite photo- graphic supplies for same.

Mr. McElroy was born in Harrison County, Ohio, May 31, 1881, and is a son of Joseph M. and Irene (Winnings) McElroy, of whom men- tion is made in ample detail on other pages of this work. The founder of this family in America was James McElroy, who was born and reared in Ireland, of Scottish lineage, and who settled in the City of Baltimore, Maryland, upon coming to America. Later he removed to Wash- ington County, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1820. His son James came from Washington County, Pennsylvania, to Steubenville, Ohio, in an early day, and there he died in the year 1858. His son Joseph, grandfather of Joseph H. of this review, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and was a pioneer settler in Jefferson County, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life. His widow, whose maiden name was Mary Jane Lee, was a resident of Harrison County at the time of her death. Family records show that the McElroy family was founded in America as early as 1700- probably some little time prior to the opening of the eighteenth century.

Joseph H. McElroy was reared in Harrison County, and his early educational discipline in- cluded that of the high school in the village of Jewett, that county. Thereafter he was gradu- ated in the school of pharmacy of Scio College at Scio, Harrison County, and he then took a clerical position in a drug store at Wellsville, Columbiana County. Later he was similarly employed at Steubenville and East Liverpool, this state, and in one of the leading drug stores of the north side section of the City of Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania.

In 1904 Mr. McElroy came to Carrollton and purchased the drug store and business of L. D. Stockon, and he has since conducted this store, in which he has made numerous improvements, besides making the establishment distinctly modern in equipment and all details of service. He has designated his establishment the Rexall

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Drug Store, in consonance with his policy of handling the celebrated Rexall preparations and drug supplies, and he has made his store one of the most attractive and popular in the city. Mr. McElroy is serving as a member of the Board of Education and takes lively interest in all things touching the welfare and advance- ment of his home city. In politics he maintains an independent rather than a partisan attitude.

In 1903 was recorded the marriage of Mr. McElroy to Miss Maud Baird, of Scio, Harrison County, and of this union have been born six children, all of whom are living except the firstborn, Flora, who was born in 1904 and died in January, 1914. The names and respec- tive birth dates of the surviving children are here recorded : Joseph, September, 1905; Harold, October, 1910; Mary, October, 1912; Lee, August, 1915; and Ruth, November 28, 1919.

J. GRAHAM MURDOOK, now one of the vener- able and highly honored retired citizens of Malvern, Carroll County, was here actively en- gaged in the drug business from 1863 until 1907, and during this long interval he held distinct prestige as one of the representative business men and loyal and progressive citizens of the village, which was one of most unpretentious type at the time when he here established his residence.

Mr. Murdock was born at Wellsville, Colum- biana County, Ohio, November 4, 1836, and was there reared and educated. He is a son of William G. and Nancy (Mcclintock ) Murdock, both natives of Pennsylvania, where their mar- riage was solemnized, though in the meanwhile Mr. Murdock had come to Ohio and established his residence at Wellsville, as one of its pioneer business men. He was born at Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1804, and was reared and educated in Washington County. At the age of eighteen years he came to Ohio and located at Steubenville, Jefferson County, where he served an apprenticeship to the trade of harnessmaker and saddler. After completing his apprentice- ship he became associated with his brother in establishing and conducting a harness shop at Wellsville, Columbiana County, and it was in the year 1832 that he returned to the old Key- stone state to claim his young bride, who accom- panied him to the new home at Wellsville, their overland journey having been marked by a hazardous cross of the Ohio River, which was highly flooding at the time. This engaging young couple was destined to live in devoted and gracious companionship for nearly sixty years, and the bonds were severed only when the loved wife and mother was summoned to eternal rest August 9, 1890, at the age of eighty- four years. At the time of her death she was one of the most venerable and loved pioneer women of Wellsville, where her gentle influence during the long period of years had been benig- nant in community life and gained to her the affectionate regard of all who knew her. She was born at Washington, Washington County. Pennsylvania, and her marriage was solemnized at West Middletown, that state, in 1832. She was one of the charter members of the Presby- terian Church at Wellsville, and she and her husband continued as zealous and influential

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History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 13

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