USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 32
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GEORGE JORDAN.
George Jordan, an honored veteran of the Civil War, former recorder of the neighboring county of Union, but for the past ten years or more engaged in the grain, coal and hay business at North Lewisburg, this county, head of the firm of Jordan & Sons, and owner of the grain elevator at that place, is a native of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life. He was born in the neighboring county of Union March 14, 1844, son of William and Nancy (Westlake) Jordan, the former of whom was born in Scotland and the latter in this state.
William Jordan was well grown when he left his native Scotland and came to this country. For a time after his arrival here he was located in New York state and then he came to Ohio and located in Union county, where he presently married and where he spent the remainder of his life, following his vocation of stonemason, a trade he had learned in his youth before coming to this country. His widow survived him for some years, her last days being spent in the home of her son, the subject of this sketch, at North Lewisburg. William Jordan and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. There were nine of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the last-born, the others being as follow: Samuel, now deceased, who was a farmer in Union county; John, who went to California in the days of the gold rush and there died; William, now deceased, who served as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, a member of Company C, Sev- enteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for four
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years, and was later successfully engaged in farming in Union and Cham- paign counties; Isaiah, deceased: Mary A., who married Calbert Bergen- tine and who, as well as her husband, is dead; Elizabeth, who married John Corbett, a veteran of the Civil War, a member of Company C, Seventeenth: Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry: Christine, who married Joel Burrows and who, as well as her husband, is dead, and Nancy Jane, now deceased, who was the wife of Adam Wilford, a carpenter.
George Jordan supplemented the schooling he received in the common schools of his home county by a course in a commercial college at Columbus and in March, 1862, just after passing his eighteenth birthday, enlisted for service in the Union army and went to the front as a private in Company C. Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being sent to Spring Hill. Tennessee. The month after his enlistment he took part in the battle of Shiloh and was in the later battles at Corinth, Mississippi: Perryville, Ken- tucky ; Hoover's Gap, Stone's River and Chickamauga. In the latter battle, September 20, 1863, Mr. Jordan was shot through the left forearm, just below the elbow, the bullet making a very aggravated wound. Crude first- aid attention was given the wound when Mr. Jordan was taken back to the field hospital and he then was taken in a government wagon across the mountains to a railway station and thence by rail to Nashville, where he was placed in government hospital No. 19, it being nine days after receiv- ing his wound before it was given proper medical and surgical attention. For about five weeks thereafter Mr. Jordan was confined in the hospital and he then was furloughed home on convalescent leave. Upon the termi- nation of his furlough he reported at Camp Denison and after about two months there received his final discharge and returned home.
Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Jordan engaged iu farming in Union county and after his marriage in the fall of 1865 estab- lished his home on a farm there, remaining engaged in farming there for twenty years, or until his election to the office of recorder of Union county. He served six years in that office and upon the completion of his term of public service came over into Champaign county, in 1906, and located at North Lewisburg, where he since has been engaged in the grain, hay and coal business, owner of the grain elevator at that place, doing business under the firm name of Jordan & Sons, three of his sons being engaged in busi- ness with him, and is doing a fine business.
It was in November, 1865, in Union county, that George Jordan was united in marriage to Nancy C. Holycross, of that county, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Delmar N., who married Clara
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Brown and is now living at Marysville: Samuel W., who married Edith Ballinger and is engaged in business with his father; Frank A., who mar- ried Gertrude Ballinger and is also in business with his father, and William F., who married Lulu Gray and is in business with his father and brothers. Samuel A. and Frank A. Jordan are members of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at North Lewisburg and William F. Jordan is a mem- ber of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The Jordans are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a proper part in church work, as well as in the general good works of the community and the general social activities of their home town, helpful in promoting all proper agencies for the advancement of the common welfare thereabout. Mr. Jordan is an active member of John Burney Post No. 193, Grand Army of the Republic, at North Lewisburg, and has held various offices in that patriotic organization. He is an excellent business man and has done much to promote the general business activities of the town since taking up his residence there in 1906.
GEORGE MCCONNELL.
George McConnell, president of the Desmond-Stephan Manufacturing Company. of Urbana, a member of the board of directors of the Citizens' National Bank of that city, former secretary of the Urbana Waterworks Company, and in other ways interested in the general business and indus- trial life of his home city, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on January 1, 1875, son and only child of Major Thomas and Margaret (McDonald) McConnell, both of whom were born in this state and the latter of whom is still living at Urbana.
The late Major Thomas McConnell, an honored veteran of the Civil War, was a native of Warren county. born on a farm in the vicinity of Lebanon on January 18, 1839, son of James M. and Eleanor (Murray) McConnell, both of whom were born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, of Scot- tish descent, and who came to Ohio shortly after their marriage and settled in Warren county, later removing to Champaign county, where they settled on a farm and where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the Major was the second in order of birth. The latter was reared on the home farm in this county and received his schooling in the local schools. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War he
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responded to President Lincoln's first call for troops in April, 1861, and went to the front as a private in Company K. Thirteenth Regiment, Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, with which command he served until the end of his initial term of enlistment, after which, in 1862, he re-enlisted for service and returned to the front as first lieutenant of Company \, Sixty-sixth Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, later being promoted to the captaincy of his company and then to major of the regiment, with which rank he was mus- tered out at the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge on July 15, 1865. During his long service, Major McConnell participated in some of the most important engagements of the war. He was in charge of his command at the battle of Lookout Mountain and served all through the Atlanta campaign. At the battle of Chancellorsville he received a serious wound and for some time thereafter was confined to the hospital. Upon the completion of his military service, Major McConnell returned home and in 1868 was elected sheriff of Champaign county. After four years of service in that important capacity he engaged in the livery business at Urbana and was thus engaged the rest of his life, one of the best known and most pro- gressive citizens of that place. The Major was an active member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in the affairs of both of those organ- izations took a warm interest. Major McConnell died at his home in Urbana on September 30, 1901. His widow is still living at Urbana. She was born in this county on January 26, 1843, Margaret McDonald, dangh- ter of Colin and Nancy ( McColloch) McDonald, also natives of this state. the former born in Ross county and the latter in Logan county, and was married to Major McConnell on June 28, 1866. To that union but one child was born, a son, George McConnell, subject of this biographical sketch.
George McConnell was reared at Urbana and upon completing the course in the schools of that city took a further course in Urbana Univer- sity, after which he entered the Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie. New York. In 1898, he was made secretary of the Urbana Waterworks Company, and for about four years thereafter was manager of the water- works plant. He then became manager of the Mammoth Furnishing Com- pany and was thus engaged for three years, at the end of which time, in 1907, he bought the plant of the Desmond-Stephan Manufacturing Com- pany and has been president of that company and manager of the manufac- turing plant controlled by the same ever since, long having been regarded as one of the leading manufacturers and business men of Urbana. In addi- tion to his manufacturing interests, Mr. McConnell has other important
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connections in Urbana, is a member of the board of directors of the Citi- zens' National Bank of that city, a member of the board of directors of the Urbana Canning Company and a director of the Mammoth Furnishing Company, and a director of the Perpetual Building and Savings Associa- tion, to the affairs of all of which concerns he gives his earnest personal attention. Mr. McConnell is an ardent Republican, as was his father, and has ever taken an active interest in local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office.
In May, 1900, George McConnell was united in marriage to Ida M. Stone, of Urbana, daughter of S. L. P. and Julia (Geiger) Stone, and to this union two children have been born, a son and a daughter, Robert and Margaret Frances. Mr. and Mrs. McConnell are members of the Presby- terian church, in the various beneficences of which they take an active inter- est, Mr. McConnell being one of the deacons of the local congregation. He is a Knight Templar and Royal Arch Mason, president of the board of trustees of the Urbana Masonic Temple Association, and is a noble of the Ancient Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with Antioch Tem- ple at Dayton, and has for years taken a warm interest in Masonic affairs.
UTAH S. MILLER.
Utah S. Miller, one of Salem township's most progressive and substan- tial farmers, was born on the farm in that township on which he now lives and which he owns, and which was owned in turn by his grandfather and his father, and has lived there all his life, one of the best-known residents of that part of the county. He was born on April 23, 1861, a son of Joseph and Fannie (Herr) Miller, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Pennsylvania, for many years prominent residents of the Kings Creek neighborhood and the latter of whom is still living, now a resident of Urbana.
Joseph Miller was born in Page county, Virginia, March 2, 1822, and when a young man came to Ohio and helped in the construction work at the time of the building of the Sandusky division of the Big Four railroad. In Salem township, this county, he married Fannie Herr, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1832, daughter of Abraham and Fannie Herr, also natives of Pennsylvania, who came to this county in the early forties and settled on a farm on the state road in Salem township, four miles north of Urbana, where they established their home and where they spent the remainder of
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their lives. Abraham Herr and wife were the parents of seven children, those besides Mrs. Miller having been Abraham, David. Benjamin, Jacob, Eliza- beth and Barbara. After his marriage Joseph Miller located on the William Long place and after a sometime residence there moved to a farm near West Liberty, but a year later came back to this county and bought the old Herr home place on the state road in Salem township and there established his home. He built a new house and made other substantial improvements to the place and continued actively engaged in farming there the rest of his life, his death occurring on December 6, 1901. He was a Democrat and served for some time as township trustee. He was a member of the Kings Creek Baptist church, as is his widow, and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, those besides the subject of this sketch, the fifth in order of birth, being as follow: Benjamin F., who was accidentally killed at Urbana; Albert S., now a resident of Columbus, this state, where he is engaged in the real estate business; Abraham H., a hard- ware merchant at Urbana; William H., of Detroit, Michigan : Charles Grant, who has long been engaged in the newspaper business and who is now living in New York City, the metropolitan correspondent of the Cleveland Leader, and Effie, wife of J. W. Ambrose, a hardware merchant at Urbana.
Reared on the home farm in Salem township, Utah S. Miller received his schooling in the local schools. He early devoted himself to farming and has always remained on the home farm, a fine place of one hundred and nine acres, which he now owns and where he is quite successfully engaged in gen- eral farming. His farm plant is well equipped and his farming is carried on in accordance with modern methods of agriculture. He pays considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock and in this latter line also has done quite well. In his political affiliation, Mr. Miller is a stanch Dent- ocrat and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not sought public office.
On September 9, 1902, Utah S. Miller was united in marriage to Bertha Harvey, who also was born in Salem township, a daughter of John and Martha Harvey, the former of whom was a son of Rev. James P. Harvey, a pioneer minister of the Kings Creek Baptist church. John Harvey, an honored veteran of the Civil War, was a farmer all his life and his last days were spent on his farm in Salem town- ship, where his death occurred in February, 1908. His widow is now making her home with Mr. and Mrs. Miller. During the war John Harvey served the Union as a member of Company E, Sixty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, with which command he served all through the war. He and
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his wife were the parents of five children, those besides Mrs. Miller, the third in order of birth, being as follow: Grant Harvey, who lives in Salem township; William Harvey, who lives in the neighboring county of Logan ; Susan, wife of M. D. Fox, of Wayne township, this county, and Edna, wife of S. E. Zook, of Logan county.
To Utah S. and Bertha (Harvey) Miller one child has been born, a son, Robert, born on May 18, 1909. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Kings Creek Baptist church.
C. H. MARVIN.
C. H. Marvin, president of the W. H. Marvin Company, of Urbana, president of the Champaign National Bank of that city, president of the McCoy Canning Company, president of the Urbana Telephone Company, formerly and for years a member of the local school board and in other ways actively identified with the growing interests of the city in which he has made his home for the past thirty years or more, is a native son of Ohio and lias lived in this state all his life, a resident of Urbana since the middle eighties. He was born at Cardington, in Morrow county, September 11, 1860, son of William H. and Loretta F. (Wolcott) Marvin, both of whom were born in Genesee county, New York, the former at Leroy and the latter at Oakville, whose last days were spent at Urbana, where the elder Marvin established the flourishing business which still bears his name and of which his son, the subject of this biographical sketch is now the head.
William H. Marvin was born on December 15. 1829, and was but a lad when he moved with his parents from Genesee county, New York, to Mor- row county, this state, where he grew to manhood. When fifteen years of age he began his successful mercantile career as a clerk in the store of J. S. Trumble at Mt. Gilead, in that county, and was thus engaged for three years, at the end of which time, he having meantime saved eight dollars, he opened a small store of his own in the neighboring hamlet of Sparta and was thus engaged in the latter place for three years, during which time he did so well that he determined to embark in business on a somewhat more extensive scale and, with that end in view, moved to Cardington, where he opened a dry-goods store which proved to be a very successful enterprise. Mr. Marvin married and established his home in Cardington, early in his business career there becoming recognized as one of the leading figures in the commercial life of that town. In 1876 he aided in the organization of the First National
WILLIAM H. MARVIN.
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Bank of Cardington and was elected president of the same. He also became interested in banking concerns at Shelby, at Galion and at Columbus and con- tinued to make his home at Cardington until 1886. in which year he moved to Urbana, where he engaged in the wholesale grocery business, under the firm name of W. H. Marvin & Company, and was thus actively engaged until in 1896, when the company discontinued the grocery end of the business and gave its full attention to the manufacture of mince-meat, the canning of fruit and the importing of currants from Greece and in this line Mr. Marvin con- tinned actively and very successfully engaged until his death, which occurred at Urbana on May II, 1898. He was an active member of the Episcopal church and was a Royal Arch Mason.
C. H. Marvin was reared at Cardington, the place of his birth, and was early inducted into the details of his father's business. Upon completing the course in the schools of his home town he took a course at Kenyon College and upon leaving college was given a place in his father's bank at Cardington, later transferring his services to the Morrow County National Bank, at Mt. Gilead, the county seat, and was thus engaged at that place until in 1886, when he moved with his father to Urbana and there engaged with his father in the grocery business. Later he became one of the most important fac- tors in the concern of W. H. Marvin Company, canners, manufacturers of mince-meat and importers of currants, and while thus engaged with his father became secretary and treasurer of the company, a position he held until his election to the presidency of the company in 1915, which position he now occupies. It is perhaps not too much to say that the firm of W. H. Marvin Company has done more to "put Urbana on the map" than any other single agency in that city. During the busy season it employs more than one hun- dred and twenty-five persons in its big plant and its products are shipped all over the country, the goods bearing the Marvin stamp being widely known and in great demand on account of their uniform excellence. In addition to the extensive interests he represents as head of W. H. Marvin Company, Mr. Marvin also has for years taken an active and influential part in the general business affairs of the city and has long been regarded as one of the city's most forceful "boosters" and "live wires." Since the year 1907 he has been the president of the Champaign National Bank of Urbana, and is also presi- dent of the Urbana Telephone Company and of the McCoy Canning Com- pany. He is an ardent Republican and has ever taken an earnest interest in the general civic affairs of the city and county, but the only public office which has had any personal appeal to him was a place on the local board of
(21a)
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education, his warm interest in educational affairs prompting him to accept a place on that board and to retain the same for ten or twelve years, during which term of service he was able to do much in the way of advancing the interests of the schools. Mr. Marvin has always been an advocate of public progress and in many ways has done his part toward placing Urbana in the front rank of Ohio municipalities of its class.
On January 30, 1889. C. H. Marvin was united in marriage to Amelia Talbott, daughter of J. G. Talbott, and to this union two children have been born, C. H., Jr., and Kathryn C. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin are members of the Episcopal church and have ever taken an earnest part in church affairs, as well as in the general social and cultural activities of their home town, and have been helpful in many ways in promoting the common welfare. Mr. Marvin is a Scottish Rite (thirty-second degree) Mason, a member of the consistory at Dayton, and is also a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with Antioch Temple. at Dayton, and takes a warm interest in Masonic affairs.
FERNANDO WARD.
Fernando Ward, a farmer living on route nine, Urbana, Ohio, was born in Mad River township, June 17, 1856, a son of Sylvester and Louisa A. (Smith) Ward. Sylvester Ward, father of Fernando Ward, was born on December 12, 1826, on the old Ward farm, and he died December 30, 1892. He was a son of George and Barbara (Strickler ) Ward. Both he and his wife were natives of Virginia and lived there until after their marriage. They came to Ohio in 1816 and settled in what is now Mad River township. He entered land here and built a cabin in which he began life in the woods. They lived here the rest of their days. The children of George and Barbara Ward were: Maria, Barbara, Jerusha, Sabra, Gideon, Joseph, Noah, Syl- vester and Sylvenius (twins), and Edemon.
Sylvester Ward grew to manhood in this county. His marriage to Louisa Smith occurred November 30, 1851. They settled on a farm where they continued to live the rest of their days. Their children were: Phil- ander, Fernando, Lauretta, Rennetta. Philander is deceased, Lauretta be- came the wife of Monroe Frank, Rennetta was the wife of Milton C. Harter.
Fernando Ward, our subject, was reared on the old home farm and received his education by attending the district schools in the winter season
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when work on the farm was not pressing. He had no time to attend school during the spring and summer season. He was married to Emma E. Pence, January II, 1881. She was born in Mad River township, April 6, 1860, a daughter of Amos and Clarinda ( Browning) Pence. Amos Pence was born in Mad River township, May 24, 1822: his wife was born in Delaware county. Ohio, March 20, 1838. She is still living in St. Paris, Ohio. Her husband died January 24. 1904. They settled on a farm and spent their active years in farming in Mad River township.
Fernando Ward owns seventy-five acres of land, a part of the old Ward farm. He is a Democrat in politics, but has never been active in party affairs. Mrs. Ward is a member of the Myrtle Tree Baptist church. They have no family.
WILLIAM J. W. RAWLINGS.
The late William J. W. Rawlings, for years one of Champaign coun- ty's best-known and most substantial farmers, who died at his home in Urbana township in the spring of 1898, was a native of this county and spent all his life here. He was born on a farm on Pretty Prairie, in Urbana township, April 29, 1830, son of James and Susanna ( McRoberts) Rawl- ings, the former a native of the state of Kentucky and the latter of this county, whose last days were spent on their farm on Pretty Prairie.
James Rawlings was but a child when his parents came to this county from Kentucky and he rode ahead of his father on horseback on the jour- ney up. The family settled on Pretty Prairie and there James Rawlings grew to manhood and married Susanna McRoberts, who was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families in the southern part of the county. After his marriage he established his home in that same section and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, useful and influen- tial farming people. They were active members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. There were six of these children, of whom the subject of this memorial sketch was the first-born, the others being as follow : Mary, who married Mitchell Todd, a farmer, of Ur- bana township, and who late in life retired to Urbana, where both died: Jane. who married John Knight and occupied the old home farm in Urbana town- ship: Thomas, also a farmer in Urbana township, who married Emily Humes and died at his home in Urbana township, his widow spending her last days in Urbana: James Harrison, also a farmer in Urbana township, who died
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