USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 13
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To William P. and Anna (Curran) Glendenning five children have been born, namely: Hazel, wife of Harry Earl Cranston, a telegraph oper- ator for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Westville; Ralph, who is home, assisting his father in the management of the farm; Helen and Ruth, twins, the former of whom died in infancy and the latter of whom is the wife of W. T. Augar, of Urbana, and Paul, at home, who was graduated from the North Lewisburg high school with the class of 1917. The Glenden- nings have a very pleasant home and have ever taken a proper part in the general social affairs of the community in which they live. They are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an interested part in church work, as well as in other neighborhood good works.
CYLE BRIGHT HANNA.
Cyle Bright Hanna, a well-to-do retired farmer and former trustee of Concord township, now living at Urbana, is a native of Virginia, but has been a resident of this county since he was thirteen years of age. He was born on a farm in Nicholas county, Virginia, in April, 1854, son of Moses and Sarah ( Kellison) Hanna, both also natives of the Old Dominion, the former born in Nicholas county and the latter in Pocahontas county.
Moses Hanna was a farmer and stock dealer and died at his home in Virginia not long after the close of the Civil War. He was twice married. By his first wife, Sarah Kellison, he was the father of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the last-born, the others being as follow : Nathan, deceased; Elijah J., a retired merchant of Urbana, a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume; David, who died dur- ing the Civil War, and Elizabeth, of Kanawha county, West Virginia. Upon
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the death of the mother of these children Moses Hanna married Martha Hinkle, of Nicholas county, Virginia, and to that union one child was born, a son, Abraham L., who is living on the old home place in Nicholas county.
Cyle B. Hanna had small opportunities for schooling in his boyhood, there being at that time no organized schools in the vicinity of his home in Nicholas county, now a part of West Virginia. When he was thirteen years of age he came over into Ohio to make his home with his elder brother. Elijah J. Hanna, mentioned above, who was engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in Concord township, and until his marriage when twenty-one years of age was engaged working as a farm hand in that vicinity. After his marriage Mrs. Hanna began farming on his own account and was thus engaged in the townships of Salem, Concord and Mad River until his retire- ment from the farm in April, 1916, and removal to Urbana, where he and his wife are now living and where they are very comfortably situated. Mr. Hanna is the owner of two hundred acres of valuable land and during his long residence on the farm did very well, in addition to his general farming having given considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock. During his residence in Concord township he served for some time as trus- tee of that township and in other ways gave his intelligent attention to local public affairs.
It was on March 3, 1875. that Cyle B. Hanna was united in marriage to Margaret Nichols, of Westville, this county, a daughter of Augustus and Mary Ann ( Hoak) Nicholas, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in this county, a member of one of the old families in the Westville neighborhood. Augustus Nichols grew up in his native Virginia and when a young man walked over into this part of Ohio and settled in Champaign county, locating at Westville, where he opened a shoe store and was engaged there as a shoemaker until he later bought a farm in Concord township, where he remained engaged in farming the rest of his life. Angus- tus Nichols and wife were the parents of five children, of whom Mrs. Hanna was the second in order of birth, the others being Laura A., deceased; Mrs. Mary L. Bowman, of Edna, Kansas; John Henry, deceased, and E. E. Nichols, of Columbus, this state. To Mr. and Mrs. Hanna two children have been born, Emmet C., who died in 1900, at the age of twenty-six years. and Pearl S., wife of Vatia Offenbacher, who is now farming Mr. Hanna's. farm in Mad River township. Mr. and Mrs. Hanna are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a proper interest in church work and other good works.
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WILLIAM B. DALLAS.
William B. Dallas has been' satisfied to spend his life on the home- stead. "under the roof that heard his earliest cry," rather than seek un- certain fortune elsewhere. He was born on the farm he now lives on, May 4, 1854. He is a son of William S. and Elizabeth W. (Boyd) Dallas, both natives of Big Springs, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, the father born in 1809 and the mother in 1808. His parents brought him to Greene county, Ohio, in 1810, but the family remained there only a short time. William S. Dallas was a son of Judge James and Isabelle ( Sprote) Dallas, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania, respectively. James Dallas immigrated to Amer- ica when a young man and located in Pennsylvania, where he married and engaged in farming until 1810, in which year he moved to Greene county. Ohio, later removing to Champaign county, locating on a farm on the state road. He was industrious and a good manager and became owner of over four hundred acres. He was one of the leading farmers of the county in pioneer times. In 1847 he was appointed by the state Legislature as an associate judge of Champaign county. He also served as county commis- sioner, holding that office when the present court house was built. He also helped build the state road, which connects Cincinnati with Cleveland. He took an active part in public affairs and did much for the early development of the county.
To Judge James Dallas and wife nine children were born, namely: William S., father of the subject of this sketch; Nancy J., Isabelle, Wilson, Samuel, James, Lemuel, Elizabeth and Rachael.
William S. Dallas grew to manhood on the home farm and he attended the early-day schools here. He devoted his life to farming in Urbana town- ship, becoming owner of a fine farm of four hundred and thirty-two acres. He was one of the progressive and influential citizens of the township. His family consisted of five children, namely: Belle married Rev. Rufus John- son : Martha is deceased; James lives in Springfield, Ohio; Jennie, who is deceased, was the wife of Ben Blair; and William B. of this sketch.
William B. Dallas grew to manhood on the home farm and attended the district schools. After his marriage, he took up farming for himself, remaining on the home place. which he rented, but he later bought fifty-two acres of the same, which he has kept well improved and well tilled.
Mr. Dallas was married, on December 5. 1889, to Lottie M. Hutchin- son, and to their union four children have been born, named as follows:
WILLIAM B. DALLAS
MRS. LOTTIE M. DALLAS
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM S. DALLAS.
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Russell, Boyd, Hazel and Ross. The daughter is the wife of Frank Nichols and they have one child, Virginia Margaret Nichols.
Politically. Mr. Dallas is a Republican, and he is a member of the United Presbyterian church. The Dallas family has been one of the best known in Champaign county since pioneer days and have been influential in local affairs.
FRED B. SMITH.
Fred B. Smith, treasurer of the village of Woodstock, formerly engaged in the mercantile business there and a substantial landowner of Rush town- ship, now living retired at Woodstock, was born in that village on April 5. 1860, son of Curtis and Mary R. (Bennett ) Smith, the former of whom also was born at Woodstock and the latter in the state of Vermont.
Curtis Smith was a son of Elias and Huldah Smith, natives of Vermont, the former of whom was a son of Philip Smith and wife, Fairzona, who came to this county from Vermont and settled on what is now the site of the village of Woodstock, where they established their home. Elias Smith and wife had three sons, of whom Curtis Smith was the first-born, the others being Philip A. and Erastus Smith, who became substantial farmers of the Woodstock neighborhood and there spent their last days. Reared on the home farm at Woodstock, Curtis Smith received his schooling in the village school and at Antioch College and remained on the home farm, an industrious and energetic farmer, all his life. During the progress of the Civil War he served as a member of the Home Guards. He was a stanch Republican, but was not an office seeker. Elias Smith was one of the organizers of the Christian church at Woodstock and took an active interest in the various beneficences of the same, as well as in the general good works and social affairs of the community. Curtis was an active member of the old Wood- stock Cornet Band. Curtis Smith died in 1864, leaving a widow and two sons, the subject of this sketch having had a brother, Orvis Smith, who died in 1900. Orvis Smith was for years a well-known music teacher in this county. He married Florence Bryan. Some time after his husband's death the Widow Smith married George W. Hutchinson and moved to Missouri, later going to Kansas, but later returned to Woodstock, where she spent her last days, her death occurring there at the age of seventy-six years.
Fred B. Smith was but four years of age when his father died and he (9a)
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was reared in the home of his Grandfather Smith on the old Smith home place, where he remained until he was twenty-one years of age, when he mar- ried Winnie Standish, of Woodstock, a member of one of the old families of Champaign county, further and fitting mention of which family is made elsewhere in this volume. After his marriage Mr. Smith began farming on lais own account at Fountain Park and there remained, actively engaged in farming, until 1903, when he became engaged in the mercantile business at Woodstock in partnership with Frank W. Smith: continuing thus engaged until his retirement from business in 1916. Mr. Smith is the owner of a fine home in Woodstock and an excellent farm of one hundred and forty acres in Rush township. He is a Republican and has served as a member of the local school board and is the present treasurer of the village.
To Fred B. and Winnie ( Standish ) Smith three children have been born. Ella M., wife of William L. Morse, of Columbus, Ohio: Ruby W., wife of Herbert Clark, of Woodstock. and Huldah, who is at home with her parents. The Smiths are members of the Universalist church and take an interested part in the affairs of the same. Mr. Smith is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Woodstock and has long taken a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
JONATHAN S. NEER.
Jonathan S. Neer, mayor of Mechanicsburg and one of the best-known dairy farmers in Champaign county, was born in Pleasant township, in the neighboring county of Clark, March 25. 1851, son of Joseph Coffey and Dorothy ( Smith ) Neer, natives of that same county and members of pioneer families in this section, the former of whom, an honored veteran of the Civil War. spent his last days in this county and the latter of whom died in Kentucky.
Joseph Coffey Neer also was born in Clark county, February 7. 1829. son of Enos and Sarah (Coffey) Neer, the latter of whom was the first white child born in Pleasant township, that county. Enos Neer was a Vir- ginian, born in Loudoun county, who came to this section of Ohio with his parents when a boy and grew up in Clark county, where he married. estab- lished his home in Pleasant township, that county, became a substantial farmer of that neighborhood and there spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy-five years. His widow did not long survive him, her
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death occurring in the seventy-ninth year of her age. They were earnest members of the Methodist Protestant church and took a prominent part in the work of creating proper social conditions in the early days of the settlement of the community in which they had their home. They were the parents of three children, Joseph Coffey Neer having had a brother, Nathan, who was a farmer in Clark and Champaign counties, and a sister, Jane, who was the wife of Newton Lemmon, of Clark county, and who died in Indiana.
Being the eldest of the children in his family, Joseph C. Neer was kept pretty busy on the home farm in the days of his boyhood, the task of clearing the place being no inconsiderable one, and he received but a limited education. During the progress of the Civil War he enlisted, in 1864, and went to the front as a member of the Sixteenth Ohio, with which command he served for nine months, the greater part of which time was spent on guard duty in the city of New Orleans. He had married when little more than twenty years of age and he continued to make his home in Clark county until 1868, when he came up into Champaign county and settled on a farm in Goshen township, about three miles from Mechanicsburg, where he lived for nine years, at the end of which time he went to Kentucky, where he bought a farm and where he lived until some little time after his wife died there, when he disposed of his interests in that state and returned to this county, locating at Mechanicsburg, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring there in May, 1902, he then being seventy-two years of age. He was a member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and he and his wife were earnest members of the Methodist Epis- copal church. They were the parents of six children, those besides the sub- ject of this sketch being as follow: Sarah Margaret, who died unmarried : Albert K., who is connected with the offices of the International Harvester Company at Columbus: Fred, who is engaged in the creamery business at Milford Center, in the neighboring county of Union ; Maude, wife of Clinton Hunter, a farmer living near Mechanicsburg, and Nettie, wife of Elmer Whit- more, now living in California.
Reared on the home farm in Goshen township, Jonathan S. Neer received his early schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and supplemented the same by a course in the Ohio Normal College at Lebanon, Ohio. At the age of twenty-two, after his marriage, he began farming on his own account, renting a farm in Goshen township, where he made his home for eighteen years, at the end of which time he bought a farm in that township and there resided until the time of his appointment, in roto, as a member of the board of land appraisers, when he moved to Mechanicsburg, where
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he ever since has made his home and where he and his family are very com- fortably situated. Despite his retirement from the active labors of the farm, Mr. Neer Continues to maintain one of the finest herds of dairy cattle in the state, having more than sixty head of fine Jersey stock, and also gives considerable attention to the raising of hogs. It was in 1896 that he began to pay special attention to dairying and he ever since has devoted close attention to that phase of farming, long having had an excellent dairy on his place near Mechanicsburg. In addition to his service as land appraiser Mr. Neer has given considerable attention to public affairs in other directions, having served for some years as a member of the school board, and is now serving as mayor of Mechanicsburg, to which important executive position he was elected in November, 1915.
It was on October 28, 1875, that Jonathan S. Neer was united in mar- riage to Emma Darling, a school teacher of this county, who was born in Goshen township, city of Mechanicsburg, a daughter of Sanford and Sarah ( Riddle) Darling, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of this county, who were well-to-do farming people of Goshen township. Sanford Darling and his wife were the parents of four children, those besides Mrs. Neer being Charles, deceased: Harry Darling, former mayor of Mechanics- burg, who is engaged in the blacksmith business in that city, and James, who was killed in a railway wreck in the South.
To Jonathan S. and Emma (Darling) Neer six children have been born, namely : Ethel, who was class instructor in the Miami Valley Hos- pital at Dayton and who died at the age of thirty-four years; Dorothy. who also was trained in hospital work and is now superintendent of the Robin Hood Hospital at Toledo, having had a varied service in hospital work, including four years in the City Hospital at Cincinnati, head nurse in the hospital at Springfield for ten years, one year as superintendent of a hospital at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a period as assistant superin- tendent of the New Haven Hospital at New Haven, Connecticut ; Frank, who died at the age of seven years; Charles, who took a course in the State Agricultural College and is now operating his father's dairy farm in Goshen township, who married Willora Pratt and has two children, Elizabeth and Virginia; Alice, a former student of the Ohio State University, who mar- ried Wilbur Morgan, of Marysville, this state, and has one child, a daughter, Margaret, and Dorris, a graduate of Ohio State University, who is now engaged as a teacher of domestic science in the schools of Columbus. The Neers are members of the Methodist Protestant church, in the various bene- ficences of which they take a proper interest. Mr. Neer is a member of
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the Grange and has long taken an active interest in the affairs of that organi- zation. His son, Charles Neer, also is a member of the Grange and is like- wise a member of the Mechanicsburg lodge of Masons, taking an active inter- est in the affairs of both of these organizations; he also is a member of the school board. Mr. Neer is a public-spirited and energetic business man and his service as mayor of Mechanicsburg has proved very satisfactory to the people of that progressive and hustling little city.
HENRY P. GAVER.
Henry P. Gaver, former trustee of Union township and the proprietor of a farm of ninety-six acres on which he is now living retired, in that town- ship, is a native of the state of Maryland, but has been a resident of Ohio since 1883. He was born in Fredericks county, Maryland, August II, 1853. son of John P. and Elizabeth ( Kleine) Gaver, both natives of that same county, who spent all their lives there. John P. Gaver, who was a farmer, was a son of Peter Gaver, a native of Germany, who located in Fredericks county, Maryland, upon coming to this country and there became an exten- sive landholder, owner at one time, it is said, of all the northern half of that county. Peter Gaver was a man of unbounded hospitality and generosity and it is said that he gave away all but a small portion of his land to deserv- ing families of the community in which he lived. John P. Gaver and wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom eight are still living, John T .. George T., Elias, James L., Charles L .. Henry P., Louisa and Rebecca.
Reared on the home farm in Fredericks county, Maryland, Henry P. Gaver received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and early learned the cooper's trade, following that trade during the winters and farn- ing during the summers and was married there in 1877. In 1883 he came to Ohio and began working as a cooper at Dayton, later starting as a tobacco farmer in that vicinity, and remained there until 1887, when he moved to a farm in Miami county. Four years later he moved to Parke county and was there engaged in truck gardening for several years, at the end of which time he came to Champaign county and rented a farm in Salem township, making his home there for five years. He then bought the farm of ninety-six acres in Union township on which he is now living and continued engaged there in general farming until after the death of his wife in the spring of 1916. since which time he has been living retired from the active labors of the farm,
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though continuing to make his home there. Mr. Gaver has a well-improved farm, having two sets of buildings on the place, and is one of the substantial citizens of that section of the county. He is a Democrat and has taken an interested part in the civic affairs of the community and served for some time as trustee of Union township.
In 1877, in Maryland, Henry P. Gaver was united in marriage to Cath- erine Hurley, daughter of Moses and Mahala ( Stottlemeyer ) Hurley, and to this union eleven children were born, namely: Charles, who married Myrtle Geyton and has four children, Melvia, Bernice, Cecil and Thelma ; Luther, who married Margaret Moody and has one child. a son, Kenneth ; Minta, wife of Frank Woods; Della, who married Dr. David Bowen and has four children, Catherine, Rollin, Ruth and Carris; Maud, who married Howard Mumma and has four children, Mildred, Margaret, Richard and Edgar: Grover, who married Glenna Eiselstein and has one child, a son, Donald; Bert, who married Nellie Williams and has three children, Christina. Leona and a son; Walter, who married Mabel Faulk and has two children, Mary and a daughter, and Clarence, Gladys and Marjorie. The mother of these children died in April, 1916.
THOMAS B. OWEN.
Thomas B. Owen, head of the law firm of Owen, Ware & Owen at Urbana and former probate judge of Champaign county, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born in the village of Mechanicsburg on July 13, 1867, son of William B. and Sarah P. ( Bond) Owen, the former of whom was born in Ohio and the latter in the state of Virginia. William B. Owen located at Mechanicsburg, where he became engaged in the mercantile business and where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there in 1897, he then being eighty-one years of age. He was a leader in the Republican party in this county and held several public offices at one time and another. He and his wife were mem- bers of the Methodist church and were ever active in local good works. They were the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fifth in order of birth, the others being Mrs. Callie Bond, Q. V., A. P. (deceased), O. T., of Indianapolis; W. B., of Mechanicsburg, and Mrs. Lillian Matt. The mother of these children is still living at her home in Mechanicsburg.
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L'pon completing the course in the high school at Mechanicsburg, Thomas B. Owen began teaching school in Union and Wayne townships and was thus engaged for seven years, meanwhile giving his leisure to the study of law under the able preceptorship of Judge E. P. Middleton at Urbana, and in 1896 was admitted to the bar. In that same year he opened an office for the practice of his profession at Mechanicsburg and in 1901 formed a partnership with T. B. Ware, of that place, which mutually agreeable arrangements continues to this day, and he remained in practice until in February, 1903, when he moved to Urbana to enter upon the duties of the office of probate judge of this county, to which he has been elected as the nominee of the Republicans of Champaign county and he ever since has remained a resident of that city. For six years Judge Owen served as judge of probate and he since has been engaged in general practice. In June, 1915. the old established law firm of Owen & Ware received an addi- tion in the person of Judge Owen's son, Marion Owen, a graduate of the law school of Ohio State University, who was admitted to the bar in that month, and the firm has since been known as Owen, Ware & Owen. Judge Owen is an ardent Republican and has for years been an active campaigner in behalf of the principles of his party, one of the best-known and most effective "stump" speakers in the state, his services as a speaker being in wide demand. He is a member of the board of directors of the National Bank of Urbana and has long given his close attention to the general busi- ness affairs of the city and of the county at large. For years Judge Owen has been one of the most active promoters of the interests of the Champaign County Fair Association and is now serving as president of that associa- tion. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant church in the general good works of their home town. Fraternally, Judge Owen is a Mason, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias and in the affairs of these several fraternal organiza- tions takes a warm interest.
On January 1, 1888, Judge Owen was united in marriage to Dollie McAdams, daughter of Samuel and Winnie ( Thompson) McAdams, and to this union six children have been born, namely: William C., who died at the age of eighteen years; Marion, who is associated with his father and Mr. Ware in the practice of law, as noted above; Amelia, who married B. F. Miller, a well-known attorney-at-law at Urbana, and has one child, a son, Thomas Owen, and Benjamin F., Alice Irene and Dorothy. Marion Owen, junior member of the law firm of Owen, Ware & Owen, was born at Mechanicsburg and received his early schooling in the schools of that city.
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