USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 17
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On September 19, 1888, Will T. Hess was married to Myrtle Tetrick. who was born and reared in Harrison county, West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Hess are the parents of two children, Hardy W., who is a graduate of the high school at North Lewisburg, was a student at the Ohio Wesleyan
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College at Delaware, Ohio, and is now teaching in the schools at Westville, and Amy Berenice, also a graduate of the high school at North Lewisburg, is a talented musician, and is living at home with her parents. The family are earnest and devoted members of the Baptist church at Urbana, and pop- ular in the social and religious life of the community.
Mr. Hess is a Republican in politics, and while warmly supporting all measures having for their object the welfare and betterment of his home community, yet is not a partisan or seeker after public office.
HIRAM G. DUNN.
Hiram G. Dunn, a farmer of Rush township, Champaign county, was born in the house he now lives in, November 23, 1851. He has fully appre- ciated the opportunity of spending his life on the home acres, a privilege not granted to many. He is a son of Nelson and Mary A. (Garwood) Dunn. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1816. The mother was born in Logan county, Ohio. When a child Nelson Dunn was brought by his par- ents to Hampshire county, Virginia, and about 1840 he moved to Rush township, Champaign county, buying land where the subject of this sketch now resides. He cleared and improved about two hundred and thirty-five acres himself. He was very industrious, managed well and became a lead- ing farmer of Rush township. He was a Democrat, and belonged to the Presbyterian church. His death occurred August 25, 1896, at the age of eighty years. His wife died April 24, 1876, at the early age of forty-six years. He subsequently married for his second wife Angeline Warren Gar- wood, a native of Champaign county, Ohio. Her death occurred a number of years ago. Two children were born to the first union, namely: Hiram G., of this sketch, and Virginia A., who married Wilton Bales, first, and later William Winder, of North Louisburg, this county; her death occurred on February 22, 1917.
Hiram G. Dunn worked on the homestead when he was a boy, and he received a common school education. He has remained on the home farm and has kept it under a fine state of cultivation and improvement. He car- ries on general farming and stock raising. He owns one hundred and eighty acres.
Mr. Dunn was married on June 17, 1878, to Susie B. Cockrell, who was born in Berkley county, West Virginia. To Hiram G. Dunn and wife
1
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one child, a daughter, Mary E., was born. She is the wife of LeClare Dukes, and they live on a farm in Hancock county, Ohio. They have one daughter, Helen Dukes.
Politically, Mr. Dunn is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias at North Lewisburg. He attends the Methodist Epis- copal church.
The Dunn emigrant came to America from England with William Penn and helped found the colony at what is now Philadelphia. Members of the family served in the Revolutionary War and descendants have been promi- nent in various walks of life throughout the United States.
WILLIAM E. KINGSBURY.
Believing that Salem township, Champaign county, furnished all the opportunities for happiness, William E. Kingsbury, a farmer of that town- ship, has been content to spend his life here. His birth occurred on June 8, 1846, on the old homestead in the above named locality. He is a son of Samuel and Lucinda (Graves) Kingsbury. The father was born in Penn- sylvania. The mother was a daughter of Asa Graves, who came to Cham- paign county in an early day, locating on a farm in the southeastern part of Salem township. He also burned lime and operated a stone quarry during his latter years. The subject of this review now occupies the farm he owned here. His family consisted of two children, Lucinda, mother of the subject of this sketch, and William, who established his home in the state of New York.
In early life Samuel Kingsbury was a pilot on the Susquehanna river in Pennsylvania. He came to Ohio with Asa Graves and they continued to live in the same house, in 1850 locating on the farm now owned by William E. Kingsbury in Salem township, Champaign county, the place consisting of one hundred and ten acres. The land was at that time heavily timbered. but they cleared it up and placed it under cultivation by hard work. Their first residence was a rude log house, which later gave place to a more com- fortable frame dwelling. Samuel Kingsbury continued to live on the place until his death, in 1868, at the age of sixty-five years, his widow surviving until 1882, dying at the age of sixty-nine years. They were members of Kings Creek Baptist church, and he was a Republican. They were parents of seven children, named as follows: Emily, Harriet, Lucinda, Maria and
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Eunice, all died single; Irene lives with the subject of this sketch: William E., the youngest of the family.
William E. Kingsbury grew up on the home farm, and he attended the public schools in his vicinity. On November 8, 1877, he married Ann Hop- pock, who was born in New Jersey. She is a daughter of George and Eliza- beth (Snyder) Hoppock, natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, respect- ively. They came to Greene county, Ohio, in 1852, and lived there during the Civil War, then settled near Mount Tabor, Salem township, Champaign county, living at different places in that locality until they bought a farm near Mingo and were there four years, then moved to the village of Mingo, where Mr. Hoppock died in 1900, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1874. They were parents of seven children, named as follows: Matilda is the widow of John Harvey and she lives in Champaign county ; John lives in Illinois; Ann, wife of Mr. Kingsbury of this sketch; George lives in San Diego, California; William died at Mingo, Ohio: James died in Nebraska : Amanda, who remained unmarried, died April 12, 1917.
Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury : Charles Edward, who died in infancy ; and Eva Mary, who is the wife of Charles Linville, of Bellefontaine, Ohio.
Mr. Kingsbury has always carried on general farming on the old home place. Politically, he is a Republican and he belongs to the Baptist church at Kings Creek.
MARION GUTHRIDGE.
Marion Guthridge, a well-known merchant at Mingo, an honored vet- eran of the Civil War, for many years treasurer of Wayne township and for a half century owner and operator of the saw-mill at Mingo, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm one mile south of Cable, in Wayne township, September 20, 18448. son and only child of William and Polly ( Answorth) Guthridge, both of whom also were natives of this county and here spent all their lives.
William Guthridge was also born in Wayne township, a son of the Rev. John Guthridge, a farmer and pioneer preacher of the Baptist church and one of the earliest and most influential settlers in the northern part of this county, further and fitting mention of whom is made in the historical section of this work in the chapter relating to the church history of the county. Reared on a farm, William Guthridge became a farmer in turn
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and thus remained all his life, becoming one of the sturdy and well-to-do farmers of Wayne township. Several years after his marriage he moved to Cable and there lived the rest of his life, operating his farm from that village.
Marion Guthridge, only son of his parents, was but three years of age when his parents moved to Cable and he received his schooling in the schools of that pleasant village. Though but a boy during the progress of the Civil War, he enlisted for the hundred-day service as a member of Company F. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and upon the completion of that service began working in the E. C. Williams saw-mill at Mingo. A few years later he bought that mill and for fifty years continued as owner of the same, during forty-two years of which period he operated the saw personally, never missing a day while the mill was in operation. In 1916 Mr. Guthridge sold the mill and has since been engaged in the general merchandise business at. Mingo. The saw-mill he owned and operated for a half century was established in 1864 and is the first and only saw-mill ever operated at Mingo. Upon selling his mill Mr. Guthridge erected a store building at Mingo and stocked the same with a line of general merchandise, now conducting there one of the neatest and most up-to-date village stores in this part of the state, and is doing very well in his business venture. Mr. Guthridge is a stanch Republican, an undeviating supporter of the principles of that party, and for seventeen years and six months served his home township as township trustee. He also for some years was a member of the local school board and in other ways has unselfishly contributed of his time and energies to the public service.
In 1873 Marion Guthridge was united in marriage to Agnes Hunter, daughter of Thomas and Nancy Hunter, and to that union were born three children, two of whom are still living, Edgar, who married Edith Callahan and is living at Dayton, Ohio, and Walter, a member of the United States Signal Corps. now stationed at Seattle, Washington. Upon the death of the mother of these children. Mr. Guthridge married Ella Z. Robinson, daughter of Jesse and Mary Robinson, which union has been without issue. Mr. and Mrs. Guthridge are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Mingo and take an active part in church affairs, as well as in other local good works, Mr. Guthridge having been a member of the board of stewards of the church for more than a quarter of a century. There is no man in the northern part of the county who has a wider acquaintance than he and he has ever stood for progress and good government in that community.
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THOMAS IRVIN TAYLOR.
One of the oldest native-born citizens of Salem township, Champaign county, is Thomas Irvin Taylor, a well-known farmer of that township, who has been content to spend his life in his native locality, believing that here existed all the opportunities necessary for one's happiness and success. He was born on the old Taylor homestead at Kings Creek, Ohio, October 23, 1841. He is a son of Thomas Taylor and wife, a pioneer family of this vicinity, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this work.
Thomas I. Taylor grew up on the homestead, where, like all boys of pioneer parents, he found plenty of hard work to do. However, unlike most of them, he had the advantage of a good education, having attended school both at Urbana and Bellefontaine, Ohio. He remained on the old home place until 1875. Then he married, on March 8, 1866, Hannah Stewart, who "was born at Kings Creek, Champaign county. She is a daughter of Matthew and Lucinda ( Martin) Stewart. He was born at Kings Creek, and her birth occurred in Kentucky. The grandfather of Mrs. Taylor was also named Matthew. He was a native of Ireland, from which country he came to America with his parents, when twelve years of age, the family locating at Kings Creek, and engaged in farming in Salem township, being thus among the early settlers here. Grandfather Stewart's death occurred here at the advanced age of ninety-three years. His wife preceded him to the grave when sixty-nine years of age. They were members of the Baptist church at Kings Creek.
Nine children were born to Matthew and Lucinda Stewart, namely : Sarah married John Seaton, of Salem township, and both are now deceased; Samuel married Margaret Jones and they live in Auglaize county, Ohio: William, who followed school teaching for many years, married Addie Boone, and he died in Salem township; Hannah, who married Mr. Taylor of this sketch; Thomas is a plasterer at Zanesville, Ohio; Charles married Serepta Taylor, who lives in Kings Creek, Ohio, he being now deceased : John died when two years old; Eliza married J. K. Michael and they live in Urbana; Elizabeth, who married William Jones ( she deceased) lived in Kings Creek, Ohio.
The following children have been born to Thomas I. Taylor and wife: Barton A., a banker at St. Paris, Champaign county, married Ada Allen, and they have two children, Burton A. and Martha E .; Cora G. married O. K. West and they live in the city of Columbus; their daughter, Madge,
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
married Floyd Hoffman, and they have one child, Elizabeth : Effie M., the child of the subject of this sketch, died when nineteen years of age; Frank S., who operates a garage at Springfield, Ohio, married Iva Herr, and they have one child, Neoma V .; Nellie M. married Clifford Beatley, of Columbus, and they have three children, Cleo, Carroll and Louise: Blanche B. is at home; Floyd married Winifred Shrigley and lives at Youngstown, Ohio. The Taylor children all received good educational advantages, attending the schools at Kings Creek. Urbana and Columbus.
Mr. Taylor lived in Clark county, Ohio, five years, and north of Urbana two years, then spent six years in Madison county, this state. He lived on the old home place nine years, then purchased his present farm in Salem township, known as the J. Gerard place. It consisted of one hundred and forty-nine acres, but has since added fifteen acres, and has been very suc- cessful as a general farmer and stock raiser, making sheep raising a specialty for many years.
Politically, Mr. Taylor is a Republican. He is active in the affairs of his community and for some time served as school director, also as super- visor. He is a member of Kings Creek Baptist church.
IVAN T. JOHNSON. -
Ivan T. Johnson, a farmer of Salem township, Champaign county, was born in the locality where he still makes his home, on November 27, 1858. He is a son of Hiram M. and Margaret (Brown) Johnson, the mother being a native of Virginia. The father was born in Wayne township, Cham- paign county, Ohio, August 6, 1808, and was a son of Jacob and Martha (Boggs) Johnson. Jacob was born in Maryland, July 27. 1776, and his wife was born October 20, 1774. They made the overland journey from the old Oriole state to Ohio in an early day, taking up their residence in the wilderness of what is now Salem township. Champaign county, in 1804. settling on land on the east side of King's creek, but a year later moved to the north side of the Mingo valley, there clearing and developing a farm which is still in possession of the Johnson family. He and his wife were the first white settlers in that part of the county. They endured the usual hardships of frontier people. It was in the midst of the Indian country. however, the red men disturbed them but little until they were removed from the country, in 1805, to Wayne township. It was on this farm that the great-
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grandparents of the subject of this sketch lived and died and were buried. There were no community or public cemeteries in those days and over one hundred pioneers were buried in the old burying ground on the Johnson farm. The great-grandfather Johnson died in 1820, his wife having pre- ceded him to the grave in 1817. Their son, Jacob Johnson, paternal grand- father, remained on the home place until his death in 1845, his widow surviv- ing until 1854. Only nine acres had been cleared on the original Johnson farm, which had been done by the Indians, and had been under cultivation for some time. Jacob Johnson became one of the leading farmers and influi- ential citizens of Champaign county in his day, owning a farm of four hun- dred and seventy-eight acres, of which he cleared one hundred acres himself. Owing to an accidental injury while hauling logs, he was not able to farm actively during the last twenty-two years of his life. His family consisted of nine children, only four of whom grew to maturity, namely: Mary, Hiram, Nelson B. and Alfred.
Hiram Johnson, father of the subject of this sketch, lived on the old home place, the three brothers holding the estate in common, he remaining there until he was fifty-eight years old, at which time they owned a total of nineteen hundred acres At that time the property was divided, by mutual consent, without the aid of any legal advice. The total value of the property was one hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
On May 15, 1851, Hiram Johnson married Margaret Brown, a daugh- ter of David and Hester Brown, and to their union four children were born, namely : Jacob, Marie Theresa, Nelson B. and Ivan T., of this sketchi.
Hiram Johnson was one of the progressive general farmers and stock- mien of his day in this county, operating on a large scale. He raised immense quantities of grain, a large portion of which was fed to live stock. He shipped many carloads of cattle and hogs to the markets every year. He owned over eight hundred acres of valuable land, which he brought up to a high state of improvement and cultivation. He established a commo- dions and modernly equipped home in the midst of attractive surroundings and he had a large group of substantial outbuildings. Part of his land was in Logan county. His death occurred in 1900. His widow survived until 1907. His personal reputation was always that of a man of unquestioned business ethics and integrity in all walks of life. He was public-spirited and. like his father before him, enjoyed the good will and esteem of all with whom he came in contact.
Ivan T. Johnson, the immediate subject of this sketch, grew to man-
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hood on the home farm. He received his education in the public schools of Wayne township. He remained at home, farming with his father, until he was thirty-three years old, at which time he and his brother, Nelson B .. began farming in partnership until 1911. Since then he has been operating his own land and has been very successful as a general agriculturist. He owns one of the choice and most desirable farms in the county, which con- sists of four hundred and ninety-eight acres, in Salem and Wayne town- ships. It is highly improved. the best methods of up-to-date, twentieth cen- tury farmers being adopted in all departments. He has a beautiful home. modern in every appointment. In connection with raising large crops of grain he prepares a number of carloads of live stock for the market annu- ally, always raising good grades of stock.
Ivan T. Johnson was married on October 18, 1892, to Iona Igou, a daughter of Peter and Lucretia (Bayless) Igou. She was born in Union township, Champaign county, where she grew to womanhood, and she attend- ed the local schools. Her parents were also natives of this county, her father of Wayne township and her mother of Union township. Here they grew to maturity, attended school and were married, after which they established their future home on a farm in Union township. Mr. Igou was one of the first to offer his services to the Union at the outbreak of the Civil War, and he served in an Ohio regiment four years, becoming an efficient and brave soldier, taking part in numerous important battles and campaigns in the South. After he was honorably discharged he returned to Champaign coun- ty, married and spent the rest of his life here, successfully engaged in gen- eral farming. His death occurred in 1903.
The father of Peter Igou (subject's wife's father ) was Peter Igou, Sr .. who was one of the brothers of French descent who were among the first pioneers of Champaign county, Ohio. Peter Igou was a farmer and finally owned several hundred acres of land and put up houses on his several farms. They were adherents of the Quaker church.
Ten children were born to Peter Ogou and wife. named as follows: Iona, wife of Mr. Johnson of this sketch; Hugo, Albert, Richard, Arnet, Effie, Duward, Dale, Edward and Maude.
Eleven children have been born to Ivan T. Johnson and wife, named as follows: Coppiela, who married Rolla Dagger; Benjamin W., Louis, Roger, Marion, Margaret, Julia is deceased; Alice, Isabelle, Alfred and Lowell.
Mr. Johnson is an independent voter, being liberal in his views on public questions. He desires to see honest and capable men in office, no mat-
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ter what their political affiliations may be. He has never sought political leadership, preferring to devote his attention to his large farming interests and to his home. His wife is a member of the Baptist church at Kings Creek.
The Johnson family has been one of the best known, most representa- tive and highly honored in Champaign county since the early pioneer days, or for one hundred and thirteen years, and their record is eminently deserv- ing of a conspicuous position in this biographical compendium.
ROLLIE REID.
Rollie Reid, farmer of Union township, Champaign county, was born in Vermillion county, Illinois, September 4, 1871. He is a son of James and Mary ( Saylor) Reid. The father was born in Union township, Champaign county, Ohio, and the mother was a native of Logan county, Ohio. He grew to manhood in his native township and attended the public schools, but left school to enlist for service in the Civil War, in Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served one hun- dred days. Upon his return home he took up farming, but later went to Illinois, locating in Vermillion county on a farm, where he spent about twenty years, then moved to Logan county, Ohio, locating at DeGraff, and remained there until he removed to Champaign county and made his home with his son, Rollie, of this sketch, until the autumn preceding his death, when he went West and spent his last days at the home of his son, Charles Reid.
Nine children were born to James Reid and wife, six of whom are still living. namely: Mabel, who married James Hodge. of Union township; Grace, Jolin, Charles, James C. and Rollie.
Rollie Reid was young when his parents brought him from Illinois to DeGraff. Ohio, where he attended school. When a young man he took up farming in the vicinity of DeGraff, with his father, continuing general farm- ing and stock raising until two years before his marriage. He then farmer as a renter for one year, after which he took up the blacksmith's trade, at which he became quite proficient and followed the same at DeGraff for eight years. He was regarded as one of the best blacksmiths in this section of the country and he drew his customers from a wide territory. Upon leav- ing DeGraff he moved to Santa Fe. Logan county, and lived there until 1907.
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when he moved to Union township, Champaign county, and rented one hun- dred and seventy acres for seven years, then moved to the Willis Hodge place of four hundred and fifty acres, which he still rents. He raises much grain, most of which he feeds to live stock, being a large feeder of sheep and hogs, sending a number of car loads to the markets every year.
In 1895 Mr. Reid married Josephine Kress, a native of Logan county. Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob and Nancy (Curl) Kress, of Logan county. Ohio. He was a farmer and butcher. She is dead. He is living in Belle- fontaine. Ohio.
Five children have been born to Rollie Reid and wife, namely: Saylor C. is the eldest: Mary and Martha are twins; James and Robert.
Politically, Mr. Reid is a Republican. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church at Catawba.
EVAN PERRY.
Evan Perry, farmer of Union township, Champaign county, was born in Wayne township, this county, August 12, 1857. He is a son of Evan and Elizabeth ( Middleton) Perry. the former of whom was born in the principality of Wales, and the latter in Highland county, Ohio. They spent their last years in Champaign county. Evan Perry, Sr., was brought to America by his parents when he was a child, the family locating in Delaware county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He finally located in Champaign county. He married in Wayne township and there established his future home on a farm. continuing actively engaged in farming there until his death, which occurred in 1872, at the age of fifty-two years. His widow survived him many years. They were the parents of the following children: George, Jane, Frances Ann, Elizabeth, James, Evan, Jr., David L., Charles and Nancy.
Evan Perry grew to manhood on the home farm and he received his education in the public schools of Wayne township, however, his education was limited, for he left home when sixteen years old and began working out as a farm hand, continuing until he was married. He then rented the Wood- ward farm of two hundred acres, which he operated for fifteen years, after which he moved to near Westville, but a year later located in Union town- ship on the Judge Warnock place, which he has been renting for twenty-one- years. He operates two hundred acres successfully, carrying on general farming and stock raising, feeding most of his grain to live stock.
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