USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 101
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Emma and Hope, of Illinois; Joseph, of Ohio; Effie, Angelina and William, both of Kansas. The family came to Champaign county in 1854, locating at Woodstock. Joseph enlisted in the Sixty-sixth Ohio Regimental Band and served until 1862. He was a member of the Army of the Potomac in Virginia. He was elected sheriff of this county in 1880. The chil- dren of this union were: Charles, born on October 2, 1859. who died on October 14, 1860; Sarah, August 24, 1861, who married Lincoln Burnham, of Goshen township, Champaign county, and has two children. Ralph and Helen. Helen is married to George Lincoln, son of William and Mary (Martin) Lincoln, of Rush township. Helen and George have one son, Richard, and one daughter, Lincoln Burnham's father was Andrew Burnham. He has a brother, Grant, and a sister, Lida; Jessie Helen, born on June 4, 1865, died on August 10, 1865; Harriet. Maude, December 9, 1874, married C. Kent Lincoln, son of and Mar- garet Lincoln. Kent has one sister, Edna (Mrs. Mac McMullin), Maude and Kent have two children, William and George, all now living at Wood- stock; Bell, born on June 3, 1881, died on July 21, 1881. Joseph Chamber- lin was a charter member of Champaign Lodge No. 525, Free and Accepted Masons, of Urbana; of Woodstock Lodge No. 167, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a charter member of the W. A. Brand Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Urbana. He was a Republican. He died
Stephen K. Smith, the son of Samuel Smith, and brother to Jesse, was born in Champaign county on January 30, 1822. He married Rebecca Baldwin, daughter of Jeremiah Baldwin, of Scotch-Irish descent, in 1842. Stephen enlisted in Company G, Ninety-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, on August, 1862, and twenty days afterward participated in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, and was a prisoner in Andersonville prison a short time, then was paroled and sent home; was exchanged in five months : then participated in the siege of Vicksburg. His regiment went to Mis- souri, but on account of sickness he remained at Memphis until his regiment . returned. They raided through Tennessee and Mississippi. He was in the battles of Guntown, Tupelo and Franklin, Tennessee; thence to Mobile. siege of Spanish Fort and finally, at Mobile, Alabama, were apprised of Lee's surrender. He was also in several skirmishes, being wounded several times. He was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, August 19, 1865, after seeing just three years of service. He was regimental quartermaster ser- geant. After the war he put up a tile factory at North Lewisburg. He was a Universalist in religion and a Republican in politics. He belonged to Lodge No. 167, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The children of
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this marriage are as follow: John M., Lora E., Timothy D., Emma O., Velma, deceased; Frank W. and Elizabeth, deceased.
John married Phoebe Elvira Smith Darrow, who was a sister to Alan- drus and Sylvanus Darrow, deceased. John and Phoebe had a daughter, Iva, who married Bruce Craig of this county. The Craig family had two daugh- ters, Alice and Ethel. John entered the Civil War at the age of nineteen years, serving in the same regiment as his father. Timothy married Josie Smith. They have one daughter, Helen, who married William Zimmer. and they, in turn, have one daughter, Lora, who married John M. Hatfield, of this county. Their children were: Charles, deceased; Hattie, deceased; Frank and Burley, who lost their health while at Tampa, Florida, during the Spanish-American War of 1898, and died a short time after they came home. They are buried at Jenkins Chapel. Frank was a sergeant, and both belonged to Company D. Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry ; Martha, who married Ross Dix, of this county, a brother to Mrs. Warren Lincoln. of Woodstock. They now live at Greeley, a short distance from Denver,
Colorado. They have five children: Emma, who married Sylvanus Darrow, and Velam, who married Alandrus Darrow, a brother to Sylvanus. Emma and Sylvanus have one daughter, Nellie, who married Eugene Varley. of Los Angeles, California, where they and their mother, Emma, live with their one daughter, Dorothy, Sylvanus having died there. Velma and Alandrus have two daughters, Florence and Eva Lois. Florence, who mar- ried Lewis Spain, of North Lewisburg, and they have one daughter, Cliff. They are all living.
Frank W. Smith was born February 19, 1854. In 1886 he married Anna M. Hewitt, who was born on December 18, 1863. They moved to Grey Center county, Kansas, where they lived for six years, returning thence to Woodstock. Anna M. Hewitt was the daughter of Nicholas Pease Hewitt (born on May 5, 1832, in Washington county, Pennsylvania ) and Lucy L. (Cushman ) Hewitt (born on September 17, 1842, in Woodstock, Ohio, dying January 16, 1893), Nicholas P. was the son of George Hewitt, born on Feb- ruary 15, 1805. in Pennsylvania, dying on August 9, 1870, in Wayne county, Ohio, at the age of sixty-five, and Anna Engle Hewitt, born on July 23, 1807. in Washington county, Pennsylvania. She died in Wayne county, in 1901. aged ninety-two years. Her mother's name was Pease. They came to Ohio and settled in Wayne county when Nicholas P. was only six months of age. in 1832. He had the following brothers, he being the fourth youngest : John -married Nett Myers; James, Samuel, David and Elizabeth Nicholas took 11p the trade of making all kinds of wheel vehicles and located in Woodstock
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in 1853, building there a shop in conjunction with a man named Welsh. He later went into business for himself until machine-made vehicles put him out of business. In 1862 he enlisted in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental Band, to which he belonged during his term of service. He was in an en- gagement at Ft. Republic, in which his regiment lost heavily. He was dis- charged in July, 1863, and returned home, but soon after, in 1864, re-enlisted in Company D of the same regiment and saw much active service in the vicinity of Richmond and Petersburg. He engaged in the grocery business in conjunction with his manufacturing business. He later became postmaster. His wife, Lucy, was the daughter of Frank and Susan (Gifford) Cushman. Their children were: Annie, Warren, Lucy, Nellie, Georgie, and Lina and Susie (both deceased).
Warren married May Felton, an English woman. He has been the resident physician at the Ohio Sailors and Soldiers' Orphans Home, at Xenia, ' for years. Lucy married William E. Lattimer, of Columbus, Ohio, who moved to Woodstock and started a general merchandise store. They have two children, Funtobelle and Wilbur. Funtobelle is a graduate of the Ohio Uni- versity, in music. Nellie married Pearl Clark, of North Lewisburg, son of Shepherd Clark. They have two children-Harold and Roger. Harold is married and has one child and they are all living at Albany, New York; Roger is a student at the United States Naval Academy, at Annapolis. Pearl is the editor of a newspaper at Norwich, New York. Georgia married Nel- son H. McClellan, son of- -McClellan, of Cable. They have two sons-Robert and George-and live at Marysville, Ohio, where he is a whole- sale candy and tobacco merchant.
Frank and Anna (Hewett) Smith have two children-Raymond H .. born on March 9, 1886, and Lillian A., April 18, 1887. Raymond is a grad- uate of Ohio State University in civil engineering. He was captain of Com- pany B, Field Battalion, Ohio Signal Corps. On September 22, 1915, he married Mary Francis Robison (born on August 17, 1886, daughter of James S. Robison and Lyda (Hedges) Robison). James S. was the son of Samuel L. Robison, (born on July 31, 1817, who died on December 26, 1910. aged ninety-four years) and Mary Ann Myers (born on April 27. 1827, who died on December 3, 1914, aged eighty-eight years). Samuel L. was the son of Davis Robison (born on March 17, 1775, in Honeybrook, Pennsylvania. who died on January 29, 1849. aged seventy-three years and ten months ) and Nancy Hunter (born on May 4, 1778, at Honeybrook, Pennsylvania, who died on January 13, 1849, aged seventy years and ten months). They were married in December, 1800, and had the following children: Jane, Esther,
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William, Eliza, Hunter, John and Samuel. Esther married James, son of David and Mary (Anderson) Simpson, (who came to America in 1792) in the year 1845. To this union, two children-James and John-were born.
Mary Ann Myers was the daughter of John Myers, (born on May 5. 1871, who died in October, 1871, aged ninety years and five months), and Catharine Bear (born on August 23, 1791, who died on September 13, 1875, aged eighty-four years and twenty days). They had the following children : Eliza, Harriet, Susan, Abner, John, Catherine, Jacob, Mary Ann and Sarah. Samuel L. and Mary Ann Robison had the following children: Wil- liam H., David T., Catherine E., Sarah J., John A., Anna Mary and James S. William H. Robison, born on October 25 1846 married Rebecca E. Dunlap, November II, 1874. She died on February 21, 1899. Their child- ren were: Maude, Pearl, William, Mary and Waldo. Maude married O. J. F. Anderson. She died on October 7, 1902, aged twenty-seven years. Their children are Ruth and Donald. Pearl married Elvie Engles and the follow- ing children were born to them: Anna (deceased) aged thirteen; Frank, Helen, Mary; William, married to Margaret Kulp, whose children were Thaddeus, Richard, Hazel (deceased) two years; and Crystal.
Waldo married Susan Kulp, sister to Margaret. They have the follow- ing children: Kenneth, Esther, James and Martha. All are living near Urbana.
David T. Robison, born on October 27, 1843, died on February 27. 1875; attended Hanover College in 1875, receiving his Bachelor of Arts de- gree there. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He never mar- ried. Catherine E. was born on January 1, 1851, and died on September II, 1851; Sarah J. was born on November 15, 1852, dying on March 1, 1853; John A., December 31, 1854; Anna Mary, August 1, 1857. John and Anna are living on the old home place, "The Catalpas," on the Pretty Prairie pike. in Urbana township.
James S., born on October 10, 1859, married Lida Hedges in 1882. They had three children, the first dying. The two remaining are: Harry and Mary F. Harry was born on July 27, 1884, in Salem township. Lyda was the daughter of Harrison and Mary (Soverigns) Hedges. Harrison was a Civil War veteran. He and Mary had seven children; William, Lyda, Viola, Eva, Emma and two dying in infancy. William Hedges married Mrs. Ward and they have no children; Viola Hedges married John Wierman. Both of their children are dead; Eva Hedges married Walter Phillips and they have one daughter, Sarah Jane; Emma married J. S. Sidders, their two children being Roy and William.
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HENRY D. HODGE.
Elsewhere in this volume of biography there is set out at considerable length something of the history of the Hodge family in Champaign county and of the great farm plant created by the late Samuel M. Hodge in Union township, long operated by the senior Hodge and his sons, under the firm name of S. M. Hodge & Sons, the business now being carried on by the firm of Hodge Brothers, of which the subject of this sketch is a member.
Henry D. Hodge, member of the firm of Hodge Brothers, farmers and stockmen, of Union township, and one of the best-known residents of that township, was born in that township on February 15, 1855, son of Samuel M. and Amanda M. (Roberts) Hodges, natives of the neighboring county of Clark, the former of whom died in September, 1898, and the latter of whom is still living at her old home in Union township. It was in the spring of 1856 that Samuel M. Hodge came to Champaign county and settled in Union township. He was not only an excellent farmer, but a very capable manager and in time became the owner of a fine farm of eleven hundred acres in this county, which, after his sons grew up, he operated under the firm name of S. M. Hodge & Sons, continuing actively engaged in the man- agement of that great farm until his death, one of the most substantial citi- zens of Champaign county. Samuel M. Hodge and wife were the parents of ten children, of whom seven are still living, Edgar W., Samuel E., James R., Henry D., Sarah, Agnes and Catherine; the deceased being Elizabeth, John and Francis I.
Reared on the home farm in Union township, Henry D. Hodge received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and upon growing to man- hood was taken into the firm of S. M. Hodge & Sons and has ever since been actively identified with the work of the great farm, which since 1903 has been carried on under the firm name of Hodge Brothers; which firm is now operating a farm plant covering seventeen hundred acres of excellent land. producing five or six hundred acres of corn and the same acreage of small grain annually, besides five or six hundred head of sheep and hogs and sev- eral carloads of cattle. Henry D. Hodge is a Republican and was for a number of years a member of the local school board. He is a member of the Goshen Township Grange and has for years taken an earnest interest in the affairs of the same. He also gives his close attention to the general busi- ness affairs of the community and is a member of the board of directors of the Mutual Insurance Company of Mechanicsburg.
In October, 1884, Henry D. Hodge was united in marriage to Emma
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G. Kennedy, daughter of Dr. George and Emma (Swain) Kennedy, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Rowland, deceased ; Howard, who married Ethyle Gardner and has one child, a son, Edgar; Agnes E., who married Roy McAdams and has one child, a daughter, Mary Jane, and James D., who is unmarried and at home. The Hodges have a very pleasant home and have ever given their interested attention to the gen- eral social activities of the community in which they live.
HENRY S. PRESTON, M. D.
Dr. Henry S. Preston, for many years a well-known physician of Mutual, this county, now retired from active practice and devoting his attention to his general mercantile business in that village, former president of the Champaign County .Medical Society, former postmaster of Mutual and former treasurer of Union township, is a native Hoosier, but has been a resident of Ohio ever since the days of his early childhood. He was born in the city of Indianapolis on February 14, 1844, son of Willard B. and Angeline Preston, natives of the state of Vermont, who were married in their native state and later, in 1838, came to Ohio, locating in Columbus, where for several years Willard B. Preston was engaged in the dry-goods business. In 1842 he moved to Indianapolis, where he was engaged in the mercantile business for several years, at the end of which time he returned to Ohio, bought a farm in the vicinity of Columbus, in Franklin county, and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this biog- raphical sketch was the first-born, the others being Adeline, Francenia, Ida, Rose, Prentice and Corrella.
Having been but a child when his parents returned from his native Indianapolis to Ohio and settled on a farm in the vicinity of Columbus, in Franklin county, Henry S. Preston grew to manhood on that farm and received his elementary schooling in the schools of Franklin county. He early turned his attention to the study of medicine and in due time entered Columbus Medical College, from which institution he was graduated in 1876, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor Preston came to Champaign county and opened an office for the practice of his profession at Mutual, where he ever since has made his resi- dence, for many years one of the best-known and most influential residents
DR. AND MRS. HENRY S. PRESTON
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of that section of the county. Doctor Preston continued actively engaged in the practice of his profession until 1905, when he retired from practice and has since been devoting his attention to his mercantile interests in the vil- lage, he being the proprietor of a well-stocked general store there. Until his retirement from practice, Doctor Preston was an active member of the Champaign County Medical Society and had served that body as its presi- dent. He is a Republican and has ever given his earnest attention to local civic affairs, having served the public as township treasurer and for nine terms as postmaster at Mutual in the days before that thriving village lost its postoffice and became a part of rural mail route No. 5 out of Urbana. In addition to his mercantile interests the Doctor is the owner of consider- able real estate in and about Mutual. He is affiliated with the Masonic lodge at Mechanicsburg.
In 1867 Dr. H. S. Preston was united in marriage to Charity Hush- ower, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Catherine, wife of J. R. Todd, of Urbana; Willard, who died at the age of thirty- eight; Adeline, wife of Frank M. Stone, of Springfield, Ohio, and Charity, wife of Edwin A. Baker, also of Springfield. The Doctor and Mrs. Pres- ton have a very pleasant home at Mutual and have ever taken a proper inter- est in the general social and cultural affairs of the village.
JAMES D. RAWLINGS.
James D. Rawlings, of Urbana, one of Champaign county's most suc- cessful farmers and stockmen, now living retired from the active labors of the farm, but still actively engaged in the buying and selling of live stock, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Urbana township on February 26, 1866, son of William J. W. and Elcetta (Mumpher) Rawlings, prominent residents of that part of the county, the former of whom was born in that same township and the latter, who is still living, in the state of Illinois.
William J. W. Rawlings, who died at his home in this county in 1896 and a memorial sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume, was born on a farm on Pretty Prairie on April 29, 1830, son of James and Susanna (McRoberts) Rawlings, prominent pioneers of that part of the county. James Rawlings was a Kentuckian, who had come to this county
(64a)
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with his parents when but a child, the family settling on Pretty Prairie, and his wife was born in this county, daughter of pioneer parents. After their marriage they located on a farm on Pretty Prairie and there spent the remainder of their lives, useful and influential residents of that sterling community. Of their six children, further mention of whom is made else- where in this volume, William J. W. Rawlings was the first-born. He grew up on the home farm on Pretty Prairie and after his marriage in the summer of 1863, he began farming for himself in that same neighbor- hood and became one of the most substantial farmers in that part of the county. There he spent the remainder of his life, his death occuring on March 29, 1898, he then being just one month under sixty-eight years of age. His widow is now living at Urbana. She was born, Elcetta Mumpher. in Macomb, Illinois, a daughter of Jacob and Ann ( Wagner) Mumpher. natives of Pennsylvania, who were married in that state and in .1839 located at Macomb, Illinois, where they remained for some years, at the end of which time they came to Ohio and after a sometime residence in the neigh- boring county of Miami came to this county and here spent their last days. Jacob Mumpher dying on his farm on Pretty Prairie in the seventy-fourth year of his age. His widow afterward moved to Urbana, where she died at the age of eighty-three. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Mrs. Rawlings was the second in order of birth. To William J. W. and Elcetta (Mumpher) Rawlings six children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth and all of whom are still living, further mention of them being made elsewhere in this volume.
Reared on the home farm in Urbana township, James D. Rawlings re- ceived his schooling in the schools of that township and remained at home. a valued assistant in the labors of improving and developing the home place, until after his marriage, when he established a home of his own in that same township and there became a successful farmer and stockman. Mr. Rawlings not only is a progressive and up-to-date farmer, but he has done very well in his live stock operations, having long given particular atten- tion to the raising of Percheron horses and Hereford cattle. As he prospered in his farming operations he added to his land holdings until he now is the owner of two fine farms in this county, one of two hundred acres and another of one hundred and twenty-seven acres, and is also the owner of a seven- hundred-and-sixty acre ranch in Kansas. In 1905 Mr. Rawlings moved from the farm to Urbana, in order that he might there give closer personal at- tention to his extensive live stock interests and has since made his home
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there, being actively engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock, one of the best-known and most successful stockmen in this part of the state. He continues, however, to manage his farms and has brought the same up to a high state of cultivation.
On December 25, 1889, James D. Rawlings was united in marriage to Ida Willoughby, daughter of James and Mary (Maxwell) Willoughby, of this county, and to this union four children have been born, Marie, Christine, Eloise and William, the former of whom married Dr. Arthur C. Bible,. of Urbana, and has one child, a daughter, Marie Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Raw- lings have a very pleasant home at Urbana and have ever given proper attention to the general social activities of the community, helpful in all good works. Mr. Rawlings is a Republican and has ever given a good citi- zen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office and has not held office.
EDGAR W. HODGE.
Edgar W. Hodge, of Union township, former president of the board of county commissioners of Champaign county and for twenty years a member of the board of education of Union township, who is the senior member of the firm of Hodge Brothers, farmers and stockmen and pro- prietors of perhaps the most extensive farm plant in Champaign county, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born in Union township on October 30, 1856, son of Samuel M. and Amanda M. (Roberts) Hodge, both of whom were born in the neighboring county of Clarke, members of old families there, who were married in that county and afterward came up into Champaign county, settling in Union town- ship, where they established their home. There they were accounted among the most useful and influential residents of that community. Samuel M. Hodge was a son of James H. and Elizabeth (Sailor) Hodge, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia, who were substantial pioneer residents of Clarke county. James H. Hodge was a son of Andrew and Isabelle (Mateer) Hodge, who were among the early settlers of that county. Andrew Hodge, when but a boy, joined his brother, Hamilton, in Kentucky and remained there until 1808, when he came up into Ohio and entered a haf section of land in Pleasant township, Clark county, a part of which land is still in the possession of the Hodge family. He died there in 1857.
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at the age of eighty-six years. Andrew Hodge served as a soldier during the war of 1812. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He was twice married, and by his first wife was the father of six children: William, John, Samuel, James H., Sarah A. and Jane M. His second wife was Jane McClintic, who came from Virginia to this state. That marriage was without issue. James H. Hodge grew to manhood in Clark county and there spent all his life, becoming an extensive farmer and stock raiser. He died on September 23, 1878, and his widow survived him about five years, her death occurring on August 10, 1883. They were the parents of six children, Samuel M., John H., James M., Sarah Jane and two who died in infancy.
Samuel M. Hodge was reared a farmer, and, upon coming to this county in April, 1856, engaged here in farming. In 1860 he hought a tract of one hundred and fifty acres in Union township and from the very begin- ning of his operations there, made a success of the same, gradually enlarging his land holdings until he was the owner of eleven hundred acres of excel- lent land and one of the best-improved farm plants in the county. As his sons grew up and became actively identified with the operations of the farm, he took them into partnership and thereafter the business was carried on under the firm name of S. M. Hodge & Sons, and continued so for some time after the death of the head of the firm, which occurred in September, 1898. The widow of Samuel M. Hodge is now making her home with the family of her fourth son, James R. Hodge. She and her husband were the parents of ten children. of whom seven are still living: Edgar W .. Samuel E., James R., H. Douglas ; Sarah, wife of E. C. Price, of Springfield, this state; Agnes, wife of W. H. Chaney, of Mechanicsburg; and Catherine. unmarried, who is making her home with her mother. The deceased are : Elizabeth, who died in 1869; John, who died in 1878, and Francis I., who died on July 13, 1903. Samuel M. Hodge was a Republican and served for some time as township trustee and as a member of the school board.
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