History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 38

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 38
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 38

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).

April 29, 1875, marked the marriage of Mr. Palmer to Miss Jennie E. Fowler, who was born and reared in Stock Township, and who was a daughter of James W. and Elizabeth (Craw- ford) Fowler, who passed the closing years of their lives on their farm in Stock Township, near Scio. Mr. Fowler was born in Monroe Township, this county, October 12, 1829, and was a son of Benjamin and Jane ( Whittaker) Fowler, whose marriage was solemnized in this county. Benjamin Fowler was born in Penn- sylvania October 31, 1802, and was a boy at the time of the removal of the family to Harrison County, Ohio, where his father, John Fowler, became a pioneer farmer and where he himself passed the remainder of his life, in Monroe Township. James W. Fowler married Miss Elizabeth Crawford on the 7th of June, 1852, and in 1861 they settled on the farm in Stock Township which continued to be their place of residence during the remainder of their lives, both having been earnest members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Palmer became the parents of two children : Nellie I. is the wife of Loyd M. Nixon, of North Township, and they have one son, Clyde; Mary E. is the wife of Rev. Robert M. Albaugh, a clergyman of the Baptist Church, and they reside in Portsmouth, Ohio, their two children being Roberta M. and William Carroll.

EDWARD L. GARNER has achieved marked popularity and success as a teacher in the pub- lic schools of his native county, served two terms as clerk of the court at Cadiz, the judicial center of the county, and is now one of the representative exponents of agricultural and live-stock industry in Cadiz Township, where he owns the old James K. Ourant farm of 115 acres, a property which he purchased In 1908, the place being well improved and constituting one of the valuable farms of Harrison County.

Mr. Garner was born in Nottingham Town- ship, this county, August 6, 1872, and is a rep- resentative of one of the sterling pioneer fami- lies of that township, where his grandfather, Hezekiah Garner, settled about the year 1818 and reclaimed a farm from the forest, only ten acres of the tract of 160 acres having been cleared when the property came into his posses- sion, and the original domicile of the family having been a log cabin, which soon gave place to a house that was far superior to the average dwellings of the locality and period. Hezekiah Garner developed a productive farm, and here he continued to reside until his death in 1866. He was born in Maryland about 1780, was there reared to manhood and thence went forth as a gallant young soldier in the War of 1812. By his first marriage he became the father of three children-James, John and Julia (Mrs. Hugh Rose), Julia having been the last to sur- vive and having been a resident of Harrison County at the time of her death. For his second wife Mr. Garner married Sophia Tippitt, and they became the parents of eight children : Elizabeth, Mary Bell, Susanna, Sarah (Mrs. Titus), Nelson, Amanda (Mrs. Beall), Edward (father of the subject of this sketch), and Thomas. All of these children are now de- ceased.

Edward Garner was born in Nottingham Township, Harrison County, March 18, 1823, and there he was reared under the conditions of the pioneer days. In his native township he gave his entire active life to agricultural industry as one of the substantial farmers and honored citizens of the county, and he died in February, 1910, only a short time prior to the eighty-seventh anniversary of his birth. He was always a stanch republican in politics. and he and his wife were zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In the autumn of 1866 was solemnized the marriage of Edward Garner to Miss Julia A. Merryman, who was born in Cadiz Township. Harrsion County, April 3, 1831, a member of another of the representative pioneer families of the county. She passed to the life eternal on the 19th of December, 1886, and of the eleven children the subject of this review is the young- est; Elizabeth and Amos died in childhood; Sophia Rose became the wife of J. S. Rose, of Washington Township; Lucy married J. B. Beall, and they established their home on a farm in Nottingham Township; Merryman and Oliver located on farms in Nottingham Town- ship; Amanda J. married A. W. Yarnall, of Freeport Township; Lavina became the wife of Allen Moore, of Moorefield Township; Emma A. became the wife of R. A. Mckibben, of Moore- field Township; Mary B. became the wife of Albert B. Fulton and continued to reside in her native county until her death, in October, 1918.

Edward L. Garner passed the period of his childhood and early youth on the home farm, and that he profited fully by the advantages afforded in the public schools is indicated by the fact that when eighteen years of age he became a successful teacher in the district schools. After thus following the pedagogic profession a few years he entered Valparaiso

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University at Valparaiso, Indiana, in which celebrated institution he completed a course in the normal department. He then resumed teaching in the schools of his native state, and to this important work he continued to devote the greater part of his time until he purchased and established his home on his present farm in 1908, save that four years of service were given by him as clerk of the courts of his native county, a position to which he was first elected in 1910 and of which he continued the incum- bent two successive terms.

Mr. Garner is found loyally aligned in the ranks of the republican party, is affiliated with the lodge of Knights of Pythias in the village of Adena, and both he and his wife hold mem- bership in the Rankin Methodist Episcopal Church in Moorefield Township.

In 1896 Mr. Garner was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Josephine Easter, who like- wise was born and reared in Harrison County and who is the only child of Joseph M. and Elizabeth (Barclay) Easter, the former of whom was born in Cadiz Township February 12, 1841, and the latter of whom was born in Nottingham Township, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Kissick) Barclay, who were born in County Kerry, Ireland, where their marriage occurred and whence they came to America in 1826, becoming early settlers of Harrison County, Ohio, where they passed the remainder of their lives in Nottingham Township. Mrs. Elizabeth (Barclay) Easter was born February 18, 1841, and her marriage was solemnized March 6, 1871. Her husband passed to eternal rest on the 31st of the following December. and she survived him by many years. She fin- ally purchased a farm in Moorefield Township. She was an earnest member of the United Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Garner have but one child, Esther Glenn, who is the wife of Francis M. Rea, of Cadiz, Oblo, and they have one son, John Edward. It should be stated that Mr. Garner still pays allegiance to the profession which he adopted in his youth. and is still engaged in teaching during the winter terms of school.

JOSEPH H. MYERS. It is claimed that a man reared on a farm never loses his love for the soll, and certain it is that many of the sons of farmers who for a period left rural sur- roundings for those more urban have returned to their first calling and are now to be found among the most dependable of the agricultural- ists of the country. When such men return to the farm they make a success of their work, for they know just what the requirements are and how to engage in the cultivation of the soil in a thoroughly practical and efficient manner. Such has been the case with Joseph H. Myers of Rumley Township, who after some years spent in different occupations returned to his original calling and now owns a finely culti- vated farm of 107 acres in Rumley Township.

Joseph H. Myers was born in Lee Township, Carroll County, Ohio, February 10, 1877. a son of Orlonzo and Nancy (Slates) Myers. Or- lonzo Myers was born in Vinton County, Ohio, and his wife was born in Loudon Township,

Carroll County, a daughter of John and Abbie (Harner) Slates.

Growing up in Ohio, Orlonzo Myers came to Carroll County in young manhood and for a time worked for different farmers. About 1883 he moved to Jefferson, German Township, Har- rison County, and after a brief stay there lo- cated at Jewett. where he was employed on railroad construction work and operated a saw- mill until 1905. In the latter year he bought 100 acres of land in Rumley Township, and has since been engaged in conducting this property. He and his wife became the parents of the following children : John W., Joseph H., Mary Bell, Eliza Pearl, Samuel C., Burton P., Nellie V., an unnamed infant son deceased, Rennison. Jessie, Hazel, Della, Harry (who died when three years old) and Byrle. Mrs. Myers is a consistent member of the Lutheran Church.

Joseph H. Myers attended the public schools of Jewett. While still a boy he began working for farmers, and continued this practice for some years, during which period he learned to be an excellent farmer. Later he went into railroading, and still later was employed in work on the telephone lines. In 1902, however, he decided to return to Jewett, and for six years was engaged in operating a draying business. Selling It, he bought his present farm in Rum- ley Township, and is making a great success of his venture, carrying on general farming and stock-raising in an effective and paying manner.

On October 20, 1898, Mr. Myers was united in marriage with Grace Hilbert, a daughter of Amos and Amanda (Reid) Hilbert. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have had the following children born to them: Harry F., Arthur H., William Joseph and Myrle Allen and Marian Agnes, the last two being twins. Little Myrle Allen dled when seven months old, but the other children are living. Mr. and Mrs. Myers are valued members of the Lutheran Church of Jewett.

LEWIS D. LATHAM. One of the best known names at Freeport Is that of Latham, and it is borne by some of the best citizens and pro- gressive business men of this part of the state. The family is an old American one, and dates back in Harrison County, Ohio, to John Latham, a soldier of the War of 1812, who, in 1816, came with his family to Moorefield Town- ship, Harrison County, and bought some school land. He lived but a few years longer, but his children. grandchildren and great-grand- children have lived up to his own high stand- ards. The children born to Jobn Latham and his wife, Lucy, were as follows: Robert A., John, George, Sarah, Mary, Anna, Fannie, Betsy and Lucy. All of his mature years be worshipped according to the faith of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and upon coming to Harrison County immediately transferred his membership to the local congregation.

Robert A. Latham, eldest son of John Latham, was born in Virginia, and came to Harrison County with his parents. Here be was married to Susan Davidson, born in Freeport Township. a daughter of Lewis Davidson, a pioneer farmer of Freeport Township, who entered land from the Government and became a prosperous

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farmer. The children of Lewis Davidson were as follows: William, John, Lewis, Mordecai, Thomas, Joseph, Jesse, Jonathan, Susannah and Mary. Like his father, Robert A. Latham was a devout Methodist.

Robert A. Latham lived in Moorefield Town- ship until his marriage, and then moved to Freeport Township, where he lived until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-eight years of age, from typhoid fever. The children of Robert A. Latham and his wife were as . follows: William, James, Lewis D., Mary Lucy, Eunice, Selma and Sarah Frances.

Lewis D. Latham, whose name heads this re- view, son of Robert A. Latham, and father of the five sons who compose the firm of L. D. Latham's Sons, was during his young manhood occupied with conducting a farm in Freeport Township, and later he bought the family homestead. In addition to his farming he dealt extensively In live stock and bought wool, and continued to be one of the active factors of his neighborhood until 1908, when he retired, moved to Freeport, and has made it his place of residence ever since.

On October 18, 1866, Lewis D. Latham was married to Louisa Heffing, born in Washington Township, Harrison County, Ohio, December 29, 1842, a daughter of Noah and Martha ( Herron) Hefling. Mr. and Mrs. Latham became the par- ents of the following children : Olive, who mar- ried Rev. W. B. Maughman and has two chil- dren, Dean and Floy; Frank M., who is men- tioned below; Susannah, who married Endsley Adams, lives at Marshalltown, Iowa, and has two children, Lucile, now Mrs. Frank Eversole, and Pearl; John N., who is mentioned below ; M. Eunice, who is at home; Lewis W., who is mentioned below; Robert Albert, who is men- tioned below ; Minnie V., who is at home; and James V., who is also mentioned below. Like all the other members of their families Mr. and Mrs. Lewis D. Latham are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

FRANK M. LATHAM, eldest son of L. D. Latham and his wife, was born in Freeport Township August 21, 1870, and was educated in the schools of his district. On June 21, 1906, he was united in marriage with Arminda Asher, a daughter of Henry and Arminda (Stewart) Asher, and they have two children, Asher Frank and Paul Lewis. Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Latham belong to the Freeport Methodist Epis- copal Church. Since the firm of L. D. Latham's Sons was organized Frank M. Latham has been a member of it.

JOHN N. LATHAM, second son of L. D. Latham and his wife, was born In Freeport Township, Harrison County, Ohio, May 25, 1872, and lived at home until his marriage, alternating farm work with attendance at the district schools. On November 21, 1908, he was united in mar- riage with Edith Spencer, a daughter of Wil- liam and Elizabeth (Davidson) Spencer. There are no children. After his marriage John N. Latham began farming on a rented farm in Freeport Township, and still is interested in general farming and stock raising. The first

Mrs. Latham died in January, 1910, and Decem- ber 25, 1917, Mr. Latham was married to Miss Irene Parker, a daughter of George W. and Daisy (Dean) Parker. By his second marriage John N. Latham has a daughter, Vivian Irene. Mr. Latham belongs to the Presbyterian Church of Freeport, although he was reared a Methodist.

LEWIS W. LATHAM, third son of Lewis D.' Latham and his wife, was born in Freeport Township October 16, 1875. Like his brothers he remained at home until he was married, and he attended the district schools. On September 21. 1904, Lewis W. Latham was married to Miss Clio F. Shontz, a daughter of James O. and Ada Shontz, and they have two children. Ethel Olive and Frances Marie. Both he and his wife belong to the Freeport Methodist Episcopal Church. Since 1905 Lewis W. Latham has been a resident of Freeport.

ROBERT ALBERT LATHAM, the fourth son in the above mentioned family, was born in Freeport Township June 5, 1880. After attending the local schools he took a course in the Interna- tional Business College at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Until 1903 he continued to live on the home- stead, but in that year came to Freeport, and since that date has been associated with his brothers in the firm of L. D. Latham's Sons. He, too, belongs to the Freeport Methodist Church.

JAMES V. LATHAM, youngest son of L. D. Latham and his wife, was born in Freeport Township April 21. 1886. He attended the dis- trict schools, the Freeport High School and Scio College at Scio, Ohio. Subsequently he was a student at the university at Valparaiso, In- diana. during 1908 and 1909. From 1905 to 1906 he was sales manager for the Cadiz Elec- tric Company of Cadiz. Ohio, and since 1904 he has also been connected with the firm of L. D. Latham's Sons. Mr. Latham has also been actively interested in the insurance business for the past thirteen years, and for ten years has been a notary public. On December 21, 1910, James V. Latham was united in marriage with Ada Byron Dunlap, a daughter of Lycurgus M. and Ellen ( Brokaw) Dunlap, and they have one daughter, Dorothy Elouise. They are mem- bers of the Freeport Methodist Episcopal Church.

The firm of L. D. Latham's Sons is one of the best known organizations in the county and handles hardwood lumber, live stock, poultry, wool, hay. straw, grain, hardware. salt, fertil- izers and building materials. It would be difficult to find finer or more representative men than the Lathams anywhere in the country, and the father and sons hold the confidence of the public and the respect of all with whom they come in contact.

HARRY B. MCCONNELL. To have a hobby, if it be a useful one, is commendable, but an ex- amination of this book would lead one to believe that Harry B. McConnell has a "whole stable full," since he contributes to this publication

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the "Harrison County Bird List," "Notes on Unusual Weather Phenomena," and also the list of books he has collected that relate in some way to Harrison County. As editor of the Cadiz Republican he is in control of one of the leading country newspapers of Ohio, but now the publication of it curtails the time he might otherwise devote to enlarging on his interest in birds and nature, as well as other things.

Harry Burns McConnell was born in Cadiz on Saturday, September 14, 1867, to William and Eliza Burns McConnell. He started to school in September of 1873, Miss Jennie Arnold being the teacher of the primary room of the Cadiz Public Schools at that time, and she was also his Sunday school teacher for a number of years. He graduated as a member of the high school class of 1885, at the age of seven- teen years, and the next day he entered the office of the Cadiz Republican to learn the printing trade, Wesley B. Hearn being the editor and proprietor at that time. He had previously served as "carrier boy," delivering the paper to town subscribers every Thursday morning. He was able to "set" over a galley of type the first day he was in the office, having previously printed an amateur paper. In print- ing this small sheet during his spare time in the years 1882 and 1883 he exchanged with boys who were similarly engaged all over the coun- try, and on one occasion, to attract attention, purposely dated the miniature sheet, which he called "No Name," as having been issued in 1782, so that the mistake would call attention to his efforts in embryonic journalism.

After being in the Republican office for four- teen months the foreman, Charles B. Davis, left Mr. Hearn's employ to start an office of his own, and since the entire force at that time consisted of the foreman and two apprentices, Harry McConnell and Harry Kinsey, the sub- ject of this sketch then had his first experience on job work and in making up newspaper forms. The first named apprentice was soon in full charge of the mechanical work of the office, and continued as foreman and assistant to Mr. Hearn in the work of editing the : paper and keeping the books until a severe attack of neuritis in November of 1911 led the former proprietor to sell the paper to Mr. McConnell, the transfer of ownership taking place on Feb- ruary 12, 1912.

As editor of the Republican Mr. McConnell has kept the paper up to its high standard, and under his management the circulation, advertis- ing patronage and job work turned out have considerably increased.

The McConnell family is one of the old families of Cadiz, Michael McConnell, the grandfather of Harry B. McConnell, having come to Cadiz from Steubenville in 1820, after serving as deputy sheriff in that county.

He was radical in his views on slavery, tem- perance and the use of tobacco, and was pos- sibly the first man in Harrison County to vote the prohibition ticket. An incident that hap- pened during the time he was conducting a grocery at Cadiz will show how he abhorred the traffic in intoxicating liquors. The dray- man had brought some groceries up from the

depot and was unloading them in front of his store when Mr. McConnell noticed a barrel of whiskey on the same dray. "Take those goods back to the depot," was Michael McConnell's orders, "and haul them back without bringing any whiskey along with them," he added. And he never sold any tobacco in his store, since he did not wish to encourage a practice that he did not believe in.

Harry McConnell has in his collection of old relics and souvenirs six books which are bound in strawboard, containing every mention made in the Bible, giving the chapter and verse, that refers to intoxicating liquors and slavery. These books are in manuscript and were written by Michael McConnell. Along with these books is the "Constitution and By-Laws of the Order of Cadiz Templars of Honor and Temperance," printed in 1856.

The foregoing facts undoubtedly have some- thing to do with the hatred of the liquor traffic entertained by his grandson, Harry B. McCon- nell, although the example set by his father, William McConnell, would have likewise greatly influenced him to refrain from the use of strong drink, since he also shunned the use of liquor and tobacco. There is something of a tradition, however, that William McConnell, as a boy, was once helping a farmer to harvest when hard cider was passed around and young William, without being aware of the possibilities of the beverage, indulged a little too freely, and in the midst of the resulting spree he managed somehow to mount on the back of a steer (some say it was a bull) and ride it through the streets of Cadiz. If this be true, it can be truthfully said it was his first and only indulgence in in- toxicating liquor. He was a charter member of the Sons of Temperance, the first temper- ance order ever organized at Cadiz, and was also a member of the Cadiz Templars.

William McConnell also had an experience with the use of tobacco when a young boy. He was once with a few companions who had some cigars, and they were divided among them. William put his ."smokes" under his hat and forgot all about them until they fell from under his headgear as he took it off to take his place at the supper table, and of course his father saw what happened, and William received a stern rebuke and emphatic lecture on the use of tobacco.

Rev. John Burns, D. D., the maternal grand- father of Harry B. McConnell, was the Metho- dist Protestant minister at Cadiz in 1850-1854. He was married twice, his first wife being Mary Jewett Pearson, who was the grandmother of the subject of this sketch. Jesse Pearson was the name of her father, and his wife's name was Mehitable Plummer, the Pearsons and Plum- mers being old and honored New England families, there being a record of the marriage of a Pearson and Plummer shortly after the settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Doctor Burns took a prominent part in the General Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church, and presided over the deliberations of that body on one or two occasions. He served as chaplain of the Ohio penitentiary during the term of governorship of Richard M. Bishop, and his son,

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J. J. Burns, a prominent Ohio educator, was state commissioner of schools at the same time. Doctor Burns was a charter member of Harri- son Lodge, F. & A. M., of Cadiz. The branch of the Burns family to which Doctor Burns belonged was descended from the Scotch family of the same name to which the immortal singer Robert Burns belonged.

It is the policy of the present editor of the Cadiz Republican to give ardent support to any movement that has for its object the betterment and advancement of his native town. Shortly after our first Chautauqua was held he wrote an article on artificial lakes and pointed out the possibility of the construction of a lake on the Chautauqua grounds. This project was subject to ridicule and adverse criticism at first. He also wrote an article before the removal of the County Fair Grounds from the McMechan site to the Chautauqua grounds and was the first to advocate such action being taken.

Mr. McConnell served for a short time as member of the Cadiz School Board, and in re- cent years has been president of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library. He has also served as both treasurer and vice president . of the Buckeye Press Association, and takes a prominent part in the meetings of the associa- tion. He has written articles on nature study for the magazine section of Sunday newspapers, and also for New York magazines. He is a member of several ornithological clubs.

On October 15, 1891, Mr. McConnell married Miss Eva M. Dickerson, daughter of Samuel C. and Mary McCoy Dickerson. The Dickerson family is one of the pioneer families of Harri- son County, and for over 100 years the name has been associated with the most progressive and representative people of this section. They have one daughter, Mrs. Isabel Ronsheim, Mr. Ronsheim now being associated with Mr. McCon- nell in the publication of the Cadiz Republican.

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History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 38

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