USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 31
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Of the eight children born to James Glendenning, the pioneer, and wife. William Glendenning was the second in order of birth. He was born in Vir- ginia on July 8, 1817, and died at his home in this county on March 2, 1897. All his life he was a farmer and came to be the owner of more than seven hundred acres of land. William Glendenning was twice married and by his
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM GLENDENNING
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first wife was the father of five children and by his second wife, eight, as set out in the general history of the Glendennings presented elsewhere in this volume. The second wife of William Glendenning was Mary Hawkins, who was born in the state of New Hampshire on January 23, 1825, and who survived her husband more than six years, her death occurring on September 16, 1903.
Abraham L. Glendenning, sixth in order of birth of the eight children born to William and Mary Ann ( Hawkins) Glendenning, was born on the old home farm in Rush township, this county, July 16, 1860, and there grew to manhood. He received his elementary schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home and in 1880 attended the Woodstock schools. In 1881-82 he attended the North Lewisburg schools and during 1883-84 was in attendance at Antioch College. With a view to taking up the law as a profession, he then read law for fifteen months in the office of Lew Johnson, but later decided that the medical profession would be more to his liking and for eleven months read medicine in the office of Dr. W. G. Wagstaff. Then turning from the professions, Mr. Glendenning took up practical farming and has ever since been engaged in farming, in which vocation he has done very well. After his marriage in 1890 he received from his father the Johnson farin of one hundred and twenty acres two and one-half miles north of Woodstock, in Rush township, and has ever since made his home there. Since taking possession of that place Mr. Glendenning has made many sub- stantial improvements on the same and has a fine home and one of the best- equipped farm plants in the neighborhood. In addition to his general farm- ing, Mr. Glendenning has for years given considerable attention to dairy farming and the raising of high-grade live stock, being recognized as one of the most progressive and up-to-date farmers in that section of the county. Politically, he is a Republican and has ever given close attention to local civic affairs, but has not been included in the office-seeking class.
On February 22. 1890, Abraham L. Glendenning was united in mar- riage to Charlotte E. Burnham, who also was born in Rush township, this county, daughter of Capt. Philo and Charlotte (Perkins) Burnham, the former of whom was born in that same township and the latter in the state of Massachusetts. Capt. Philo Burnham, who was a substantial farmer of Rush township, was a son of Erastus and Elizabeth Burnham, natives of Massachusetts, who drove through from that state and settled in Champaign county in pioneer days. During the Civil War Captain Burnham commanded a company in one of the Ohio regiments. His wife originally was a member (20a)
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of the Methodist Episcopal church, but later became a member of the Chris- tian church. They were the parents of five children, of whom Mrs. Glen- denning was the fourth in order of birth, the other being, Annette, who mar- ried Adolphus Horn and is now deceased : William P., for many years a well- known farmer and grain dealer in Rush township, who died in 1913; Mary O., who married James M. MeMahill and who, as well as her husband, is now deceased, and the Hon. Philo G. Burnham, a prominent attorney of Dayton, this state, who for some time represented the Dayton district in the Ohio state Senate. Philo G. Burnham received his early schooling in the Woodstock schools and later attended Antioch College and the law depart- ment of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. For two years he taught school at Covington, this state, and then, twenty years or more ago, entered upon the practice of law at Dayton and has ever since been located there. He is a stanch Republican and in addition to serving as a member of the state Senate, has served as city solicitor for the city of Dayton. His wife, before her marriage, was Erli C. Baer.
To Abraham L. and Charlotte E. ( Burnham) Glendenning one child has been born, a daughter, Martha Mary, who died at the age of two years. Mr. and Mrs. Glendening are members of the Christian Science church.
JOHN F. LINVILLE.
The "song of the forge" has long been pleasant in the ears of John F. Linville, retired blacksmith of Kennard, Champaign county. He was born in Wayne township, this county, September 16, 1856. He is a son of Ellis and Rachael A. (Middleton) Linville. The father was a native of Lancas- ter county, Pennsylvania, and the mother was born in Champaign county. Ohio. The father was brought to Ohio when three years old by his parents, Solomon and Louise Linville, who first located at Springfield, where they lived about ten years, then moved to Champaign county, locating on a farm in Wayne township, where he also worked as a carpenter, following the two occupations the rest of his life. Ellis Linville grew up on the farm and attended the common schools in Champaign and Clark counties. After leav- ing school he took up the carpenter's trade which he learned under his father, also followed farming in Wayne township, this county, until 1873, when he moved to Salem township and continued farming, renting land until 1876. when he took charge of the Cowgill farm of three hundred acres, which he
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conducted until 1897, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Ken- nard, enjoying a good trade, and continued in that line until 1910. He then sold out and retired from active life, but remained at Kennard until his death, June 15, 1914. He was a soldier in the Civil War, having enlisted in Company H, Forty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served faithfully for nearly three years. The fact that he came home carrying thirteen bullet marks on his body would indicate that he did not spend those three years on a pleasure excursion. The fact is, he was in the midst of some of the leading battles of the war, and, according to his comrades and officers, was a brave and efficient soldier. He was mustered into the service at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, and served with that command until he was mustered out and honorably discharged. Among the engagements in which he participated were those of Resaca, Dallac, Kenesaw Mountain, Pine Mountain and Lovejoy Station. One of the first engagements in which he took part was the battle of Dutton Hill, Kentucky, and he also took part in the pursuit of General Morgan, the Confederate cavalry raider, through Indiana and Ohio. On October 20, 1863, he was at the battle of Philadel- phia, Tennessee, in which his regiment lost sixty-eight men, killed, wounded and missing. Later the regiment served in the campaign in eastern Tennes- see, and on November 15th of that year at Holston River, lost one hundred and one men, including five officers. In an engagement two days later. November 17th, they had a brisk encounter with the forces of General Long- street. From Tazewell, Tennessee, the regiment went to Cumberland Gap and thence to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, and finally on into Georgia to take part in the Atlanta campaign, and was present at the siege of Atlanta.
After his military service Ellis Linville returned to his home in Cham- paign county and resumed farming and carpentering, but owing to his many wounds he was never a robust man thereafter. His family consisted of the following children, namely : John, of this sketch; Louise, Sherman, Fannie. William, Augustus, Louis, Margaret, Charles and Edward.
John F. Linville, of this sketch, grew up on the farm in Wayne town- ship, and he attended the rural schools. When a young man he took up farming and carpentering under his father, continuing at these occupations in his home community until 1883, when he took up the blacksmith's trade, at which he became highly skilled, and continued the work until 1917, when he retired; however, he still does a little wood work. He was married in 1879 to Rebecca F. Sheppard, a native of Belmont county, Ohio. She is a daughter of Jeremiah and Anna Mary (Ball) Sheppard.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Linville, two of whom
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are deceased ; Richard, who married Ada Clark, lives in St. Paris, Ohio, and they have two children, Ethel Pacola and Alice.
Politically, Mr. Linville is a Republican, and he belongs to the Friends church.
JOHN M. TRITT.
John M. Tritt, a well-known hardware employee of North Lewisburg. this county, member of the Buckwalter Hardware Company, former marshal of that vilage and whoe wife is postmistress there, is a native son of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life, a resident of Champaign county since he was twenty-two years of age. He was born in Scioto county on November 7, 1861, son of Jacob and Margaret (Rickey) Tritt, also natives of this state. the former born in Columbiana county and the latter in Scioto county.
Jacob Tritt was a son of Joshua Tritt and wife, the latter of whom was a Deselom. Joshua Tritt also was born in Columbiana county, this state. and lived there all his life, a substantial farmer. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, those besides Jacob having been John, Joseph, Daniel, Elizabeth, Mary, Esther, Lucy and Matilda. At the age of twelve years Jacob Tritt went to Scioto county and there grew to manhood, becoming a carpenter and farmer. There he married Margaret Rickey, who was born in that county, daughter of Isaac and Mary (Beck) Rickey, early settlers of that county, whose last days were spent there. Mrs. Margaret Tritt died in Scioto county in 1879, at the age of thirty-nine years, leaving six chil- dren, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow: James, who died at the age of twenty-eight ; Rachael, who married Edward McGowan and lives in West Virginia; Isaac, who is a land dealer at Spokane, Washington; Phoebe, who married Edward Mault and also lives at Spokane, and Margaret, who died unmarried. Some time after the death of his first wife Jacob Tritt married Elizabeth Braine and continued to make his home in Scioto county until 1897, when he moved to Spokane, Washington, where he died on October 19, 1915, and where his widow is still living. Jacob Tritt was a Democrat in his political affilia- tion and by religious persuasion was a Methodist.
John M. Tritt received his schooling in the schools of his home county . and remained at home there until he was twenty-two years of ago, when he came up into Champaign county and began farming in the neighborhood of Woodstock. in Rush township, continuing thus engaged until 1897, when
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he became employed in the hardware business at North Lewisburg, in that same township, in association with Creviston & Dominy, and later, with Buckwalter & Jordan. By reason of a reorganization of this latter concern the firm name later became the Buckwalter Hardware Company and Mr. Tritt has been a stockholder in the same for the past three years or more. Ever since locating at North Lewisburg he has given his earnest attention to the general business affairs of that thriving little city. Mr. Tritt is a Democrat and served for one year as marshal of North Lewisburg. While thus serving he was shot by a yeggman who had broken into the postoffice on the night of November 16, 1908, and received a bullet wound in the left knee which incapacitated him for more than two years.
On November 27, 1903, at North Lewisburg, John M. Tritt was united in marriage to Elizabeth L. D. Inskeep, who was born in that village, a daughter of Isaiah G. and Rachel (Tallman) Inskeep, both of whom were born in the neighboring county of Logan. Isaiah G. Inskeep was an honored veteran of the Civil War, having gone to the front as a member of Company C, Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served as corporal until the fall of 1862, being discharged on account of disability incurred by reason of a severe attack of measles suffered while in the service. He re-enlisted September 26, 1863, and served until the close of the war. At the time of his discharge he was first corporal of his com- pany. Mr. Inskeep was for some time the proprietor of a general store in Logan county and later became engaged in the saw-mill business and became a building contractor, many years ago taking up his residence at North Lewisburg, where he lived for forty years, his death occurring in 1915, he then being eighty years of age. His widow is still living there. Isaiah G. Inseep was a Republican and was for years an active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and local post of the Grand Army of the Republic, in the affairs of which patriotic organization he took a warm interest. He and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Tritt was the last born, the others being as follow : Ella, who married Michael Dehaven and is now deceased; Thomas, who died in infancy ; Charles. who also died in infancy ; Clyde, who died as an infant, and Anna, who died at the age of twenty-three years.
In 1909 Mrs. Tritt was appointed postmistress of North Lewisburg. under civil service, and has since been serving in that important public capacity. She grew up at North Lewisburg and upon completing the course in the high school at that place took a supplementary course in the college at Ada and for four years thereafter was engaged in teaching school, teach-
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ing two years at Mingo and two years in her home town. She is a mem- ber of the local branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Mr. Tritt is a Democrat and takes an active part in local political affairs. He is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias and takes a warm interest in the affairs of the same.
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JOHN HENRY ELSEN DIMOND.
John Henry Elsen Dimond, a well-to-do retired carriage manufacturer and landowner, of Urbana, former member of the city council and for years one of the most active figures in the business life of that city, is a native of England, but has lived on this side of the water since he was fourteen years of age and has been a resident of Urbana since the year 1872. He was born in the town of Chudleigh, in Devonshire, son of Samuel and Ann W. (Elsen) Dimond, also natives of that place, who spent all their lives there. Samuel Dimond, who was the overseer of a large estate, died at the age of forty-two years. His widow married William Chaffe and lived to the advanced age of eighty years. By her first marriage she was the mother of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the last-born, the others being as follow: William, who is a farmer in Canada : Mary Ann, who died in England; Eliza, who also died in England; Jack- son, who as a boy joined the British navy, in 1850 joined the new Argo- nauts in the search for gold in California, made and lost several fortunes in the West and is now in a Lutheran home on Puget Sound; Elizabeth, who died in 1916; Samuel R., who served in the British army and is now living retired at Manitoba, Canada, and Fannie, who married William Chaffe and is living in Canada.
John H. E. Dimond received his early schooling in his native town of Chudleigh and in 1863, he then being fourteen years of age, crossed the water and joined his elder brother at Mitchell, Canada, where he completed his schooling in a night school and where he lived until 1868, learning there the rudiments of the carriage-making trade. In the year last named, he then being nineteen years of age, he went to Detroit, Michigan, and in that city worked at his trade until 1871, in which year he went to Chicago and was there engaged working at his trade for a year, at the end of which time he went to Indianapolis and after a short stay there, in 1872, he came over into Ohio and located at Urbana, where he ever since has made his
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home. Upon Mr. Dimond's arrival in Urbana he secured employment in the carriage factory of Warren & Gaumer and was for four years engaged in that establishment. He then transferred his services to the like estab- lishment of Auginbauch & McComb and remained thus connected for four years, at the end of which time he bought a carriage factory on South Main street, later erected there a three-story brick factory building and was there engaged in business on his own account for twenty-eight years, or until he rented his factory in 1916 and retired from active business. During all, the years of his connection with the carriage manufacturing business Mry Dimond made a point of the strictly hand-made character of his output and his buggies and carriages thus came to have a distinctive character and quality which strongly recommended them to the trade and he built up an extensive market for the output of his factory, becoming one of the best-known car- riage manufacturers in Ohio.
From the time he arrived in Urbana in 1872 Mr. Dimond has taken a warm interest in local affairs and as his business interests there began to expand, took a gradually increasing interest in the development of the city's industrial and commercial life, until he presently came to be accounted one of the most active and influential figures in the business life of the com- munity. When the telephone became a practical adjunct to business and social intercourse, he took an active part in the organization of the local telephone company, helped to establish the plant and has been a member of the board of directors of the local telephone company and chairman of the executive committee of the same ever since the company was organized. He also is a stockholder in the Champaign National Bank of Urbana and the National Bank of Urbana, a stockholder in the Howard Paper Com- pany, the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and twenty-seven acres south of Urbana and has other important interests. Mr. Dimond is a Republican and for fifteen years served as trustee of Urbana township. He also gave valuable service to the public as a member of the Urbana city council and was for some time chairman of the finance committee of that body. In all movements having as their object the betterment of local con- ditions he has contributed of his time and influence and for some time served as the president of the local health league organized for the purpose of ameliorating the living conditions of the poor.
On November 30, 1875, about three years after taking up his residence in Urbana, John H. E. Dimond was united in marriage to Susan A. Dill- inger, who was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Joseph M. and Catherine Dillinger, natives of that same county, who came
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over into Ohio, first settling in Hancock county and in 1861 coming to Champaign county, where they established their home. Mrs. Dimond died on April 2.4. 1917. Joseph M. Dillinger was a carpenter and farmer and his last days were spent in this county. His widow later moved to Spring- field, this state, where her last days were spent. They were the parents of six children, of whom Isabel, of Springfield, is the only survivor, the others having been Nathan, Mary, Kittie and Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Dimond had one son, William E. Dimond, who formerly was engaged in the car- riage manufacturing business with his father, acting as a salesman, and who is now engaged in the live-stock business at Urbana. William E. Dimond married Geneva Lohr and has three children, Lee E., Richard D. and Will- iam I. The Dimonds are members of the Baptist church, of the board of trustees of which Mr. Dimond has for years been a member, and is now president of the board and chairman of the building committee. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, affiliated with the blue lodge (Champaign Lodge No. 525) at Urbana and with the consistory, Ancient Accepted Scot- tish Rite, at Dayton. He also is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a past noble grand of the lodge of that order at Urbana.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS ROSS.
The late William Reynolds Ross, who was an honored veteran of the Civil War and for years vice-president of the Champaign National Bank of Urbana, was born at Urbana and lived there all his life, with the exception of the period spent during his service as a soldier of the Union and a short time thereafter, when he was employed in a bank at Nashville, Tennessee. He was born on May 7. 1841, son of Philander B. and Jane ( Reynolds) Ross, who were the parents of two children.
Philander Ross was but a youth when he came to Champaign county with his parents and for a time after coming here he lived on a farm, but presently moved to Urbana, where he engaged in the mercantile business. one of the early merchants of that city, and followed a highly successful business career the rest of his life there. He took a very active part in the general business affairs of the city and was for years one of the most influen- tial men in this county, long serving as president of the Champaign National Bank. He was twice married, his second wife having been Julia Slater.
Reared at Urbana, William R. Ross received his schooling in the schools
WILLIAM R. ROSS.
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of that city and was clerking in his father's store there at the time the Civil War broke out. He enlisted for service as a member of Company K, Sixty- sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and with that command served for two years, at the end of which time he was discharged on a physician's certificate of physical disability. During the period of his service with the Sixty-sixth Ohio Mr. Ross participated in numerous of the most important battles of the war and also served for some time in the commissary depart- ment. Upon the completion of his military service he returned home, but shortly thereafter went to Nashville, Tennessee, where for a short time he was employed in a bank there, presently returning to Urbana to take a posi- tion in the Champaign National Bank, of which his father at that time was the president. With that sound old financial institution Mr. Ross remained connected the remainder of his life, gradually rising from a clerkship to the position of vice-president of the bank, a position he held for years and which he was holding at the time of his death, on December 23, 1915, long having been regarded as one of the most substantial and influential bankers and general business men in this part of the state. Mr. Ross was a Repub- lican and ever took a good citizen's interest in local political affairs, but was never a sceker after public office.
William R. Ross was twice married, his first wife having been Margaret Belle Brand, daughter of J. C. Brand. of Urbana, further and fitting men- tion of whom is made elsewhere in this volume. To that union one child was born, a son, John R. Ross. Some time following the death of his first wife Mr. Ross married Ella Taylor, daughter of William S. and Mary ( Hick- man) Taylor, who became residents of Champaign county about 1830. Botli William S. Taylor and his wife were born in Shepardstown, Virginia (now in West Virginia), and were married there. About 1830 they came over into Ohio and settled on a farm on Buck creek. in this county, where they remained until 1853, when they left the farm and moved to Urbana, where both spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. Taylor dying in 1858 and his widow surviving until 1871. They were the parents of five children, of whom Mrs. Ross is now the only survivor. The other children were Lucian. Virginia, Lee and Jane. Mrs. Ross is a member of the Grace Methodist Episcopal church and has for many years taken an active interest in its affairs. She is also interested in the general social activity of her town and has always helped to promote such agencies as were designed to advance the general welfare of the community in which she has spent practically all her life.
A concluding word should be said regarding the attitude of William R. Ross toward his fellow citizens. He was one of those men who stood square
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on every proposition and never advanced an opinion without carefully weigh- ing what he had to say. He was one of the most respected and at the same time one of the most public-spirited men of the county. Whether he was on the street, in a business affair, or in the church-it mattered not ; his conduct was always the same. If there was a proposition which looked doubtful to him he had nothing to do with it. In other words he tried to make his every- day life square with what he preached. He was an active worked in Grace Methodist Episcopal church and for over forty years was a member of its official board .. For twenty years of this time he was superintendent of the Sunday school. Thus, taking everything into consideration, William R. Ross may be set down as one of Champaign county's truly eminent citizens.
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