History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 34

Author: Middleton, Evan P., ed
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1338

USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 34

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

334

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

1813, who married a McFerrin and made her home in Salem township. The mother of these children died not many years after the family took up their residence in Salem township and the father married, secondly, a Ward and by that marriage had two children, Maria, born on September 2, 1821. who married James Funk, and Hester Ann, March 2. 1825, who died unmarried.

John Hunter was twelve or thirteen years of age when the family took up their residence in this county and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Salem township and continued farming there all his life. He married Jane Humphries, member of one of the pioneer families in that neighbor- hood, and to that union three children were born, Nathaniel, Washington C. and William H. Hunter. Washington C. Hunter was born on Septem- ber 15, 1827, and grew to manhood on the home farm in Salem township. He married Agnes Duel and after spending some years farming in this county went to Pasadena, California, where he engaged in the lumber busi- ness and where he is still living. He and his wife were the parents of two sons, both of whom are now deecased. Major William H. Hunter. who gained his title while serving as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, was born on September 29, 1840, and also grew to manhood in this county. He married a McDonald and made his home in Salem town- ship and in West Liberty until late in life, when he went to Birmingham, Alabama, where he engaged in the real-estate business and where he spent his last days, his death occurring there on July 31, 1904.

Nathaniel C. Hunter was reared on the farm which his grandfather had opened in Salem township and completed his schooling at Delaware, this state. For a time he was engaged in the mercantile business at Urbana and at West Liberty, but later returned to the old home farm in Salem township and there established his home, engaging in farming there until 1885, in which year he retired from the active labors of the farm and moved to Urbana, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there on Febru- ary 18, 1908. During his many years of residence on the farm Mr. Hunter was one of the most active and influential farmers in that part of the county. He was a stanch Republican and held various township offices, giving to his public service his most earnest thought. He was a great reader and kept fully informed on matters of current interest and was particularly interested in matters of local historical interest. In this connection he wrote a history of the Mt. Tabor Methodist Episcopal church, which to this day is regarded as the most authoritative history of that church and the greater part of which is reproduced in the historical section of this work. For sixty-

335

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

five years Mr. Hunter was a member of that church and during fifty years of that time was the superintendent of the Sunday school, the last eight years being superintendent in Urbana. He also held all other offices in the church at one time and another and took great pleasure in the work of the church. He was a busy man, energetic and practical and his farming and other interests prospered under his prudent management, so that he came to be recognized as one of the Champaign county's most substantial citi- zens.

Mr. Hunter was twice married. It was on May 17, 1849, that he was united in marriage to Helen M. Purdy, who was born at Erie City, Pennsylvania, and who died on April 20, 1880. To that union three sons were born, John G., Albert L. and William P. Albert L. Hunter was born on August 4, 1852, and remained a farmer on the old home place in Salem township, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there in August. 1909. He married Mary Frances North and to that union four children were born, namely : Grace, who married Quincy Yocum, of Concord town- ship, this county; Edna, wife of Alva Kiser, of Troy, this state; Fern P., who married the Rev. Milton Swisher and died in Iowa, and Elsie, who mar- ried Daniel Leamman, a farmer living near St. Paris, this county. William P. Hunter was born on March 12, 1855, and died at San Antonio, Texas, January 5, 1882. John G. Hunter, who was born on June 17, 1850, moved to Michigan, where he became a farmer and where he spent his last days, his death occurring there on January 9, 1916. He married Eva Crookston and was the father of two children, Maud, wife of John Clapper, of Bay City, Michigan, and Charles W., who married Marybelle Wilcox and is now living at Toledo, Ohio.

On January 20, 1883, Nathaniel C. Hunter married, secondly, Mrs. Anna Eliza (Seaman) Enoch, widow of Henry Enoch, of West Liberty, who died in 1858. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Hunter has con- tinued to make her home in Urbana, where she is very comfortably situa- ted. She reared two nieces, Cora and Lavinia Seaman, who continue to make their home with her. Mrs. Hunter was born at Xenia, this state, Sep- tember 2, 1832, a daughter of Lewis and Lavinia ( Smith) Seaman, the former of whom was born in Frederick county, Virginia, in 1805, son of Jonas and Catherine (Sheets) Seaman, natives of that same county, who came to Ohio with their family in 1810 and located at Chillicothe, a year later moving to Clinton county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, Jonas Sea- man dying there in 1836. Jonas Seaman and wife were the parents of eight children, Jonathan, Philip, George, Lewis, Jonah, Eliza, Joseph and Miles.

3,36

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

Lewis Seaman became a blacksmith and left Clinton county to locate at Nenia, where he remained engaged in that vocation until 1836, when he bought a farm in Logan county, established his home there and there spent the remainder of his life. He was an active worker in the Mt. Tabor Methodist Episcopal church and helped to build two churches. He and his wife, Lavinia Smith, were the parents of six children, those besides Mrs. Hunter being as follow: Josiah, who died at the age of four years; Will- iam, who for some time farmed in Illinois, but later returned to the old home place in Logan county, where he died, leaving a widow, Frances Bebee, and one child, a daughter, Josephine: Elisha, a veteran of the Civil War, who served as a member of Company A, Sixty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, formerly and for years a farmer and now living at Columbus, this state, who had been twice married, his first wife, Nettie Votaw, a native of Indiana, having died on February 7, 1881, leaving three daughters, Nettie, Cora and Lavinia, after which he married Nellie Fisher. also of Indiana, and by that union has three children, Anna, Bertha and Lewis; Maria Louise, who married James Stanton and is now deceased, and Martha, who married William Winder and died in 1894 at Urbana, this county, leaving one daughter, Florence.

JAMES A. POWELL.

It is a fine thing to be permitted to spend one's life at the old home- stead, about which cluster memories and associations which cannot be found elsewhere. Such has been the privilege of James A. Powell, farmer, of Urbana township, Champaign county, who was born on the same farm where he now resides on November 27, 1856. He is a son of Samuel Smith Powell and Eliza A. (Showers) Powell, the mother a native of Urbana township, this county. The father was a son of Abram Powell, who was born March 2, 1791, in Kentucky, and in early pioneer days he came to Champaign county, Ohio, and established the family home in Urbana town- ship, where he devoted his life to farming, developing a farm from the virgin soil. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. He died at the unusual . age of ninety-one years. His wife was a Miss Osborn. They were parents of the following children: Samuel Smith, father of the subject of this sketch; James, Clay, Miller and Flanders, all of whom lived and died in

FLOYD S. POWELL

337

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

Urbana township; Nancy died unmarried; John is still living in Urbana township.

Samuel S. Powell, mentioned above, was reared on the home farm in Urbana township and he attended the rural schools there. He burned the brick that went into the present substantial dwelling on his farm, and he made all other necessary improvements. He was a Republican and he served as school director of his district for some time. He gave the ground on which to found Hickory Grove church, which he also helped build. He was always very active in church affairs, his home being a favorite meeting place for church people. It was his delight to lavish old-time hospitality and he frequently entertained at dinner as many as one hundred guests at a time. He was very well known throughout the county and a friend to all who knew him. His death occurred in 1886, at the age of sixty-seven years. He was born on July 4, 1819. His wife was born on October 22, 1827, and died in September, 1876. They were married, October 22, 1846, and their children were named as follows: George W., born July 20, 1848, is farm- ing at Rosewood, Ohio: David W., born December 27, 1849, was a soldier in the regular army and died in California; Daniel W., born March 27, 1851, died in early life; John Andrews, born May 13. 1853, is deceased ; Charles Franklin, born December 18, 1854, is deceased; James A., of this sketch ; Mary Elizabeth, born April 27, 1858, is deceased; Martha Jane, born January 6, 1860, is deceased; William Lincoln, born December 30, 1860, died in February, 1917, at Huntington, Iowa, where he was foreman in the railroad shops: Clara Bell, born March II, 1863, is deceased: Emma Jane, born November 30, 1864, is deceased; Fannie Ellen, born August 7. 1866, is single and living at Rosewood, Ohio; Amanda Jane, born May 7, 1868, married Ben Sandy, and she is now deceased.

James A. Powell grew up on the home farm and attended the common schools. He lived with his parents until his marriage on October 14, 1879, to Sarah Ellen Dye, a native of Miami county, Ohio, and a daughter of James and Mary ( Evilsizer ) Dye, both natives of Ohio, he of Miami county. and she of Champaign county. To James A. Powell and wife one son was born, Floyd Smith Powell, whose birth occurred on February 2, 1881. His death occurred on February 26. 1913. He married Elma May Range, and one son was born to them, James Wesley Powell, whose birth occurred on October 10, 1908. Floyd S. Powell grew up on the home place where he spent his life. He received a good education and was a young man of much promise, well known and popular all over the county. He served as deputy (22a)

3,38

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

sheriff and was finally elected to the responsible office of sheriff, the duties of which he was ably and faithfully discharging when he died ... Frater- ally, he belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. N

After his marriage, the subject of this sketch: lived on the' home farm a short time, then built his present home on the state road, known as "East View Farm," his place containing fifty-seven and one-half acres. He makes a specialty of belted Hampshire hogs in connection with general farming. He also farms other land in his vicinity which . he rents. He votes the Republican ticket. His wife is a Baptist.

JACOB E. RHODES.

Jacob E. Rhodes is a farmer, living on rural route number four, Urbana. Ohio, one mile north of Terre Haute, Ohio. He was born in Strasburg, Shenandoah county, Virginia, November 20, 1859, a son of Noah and Cath- erine (Stover) Rhodes. Noah Rhodes was a son of John and Mary (Cra- bill) Rhodes, who were natives of Virginia, and spent their entire lives in that state.

Noah Rhodes was reared in Virginia and lived in that state until after his marriage. He came to Champaign county, September, 1856, coming with his wife and all his belongings conveyed in a covered wagon. The distance of this journey was about five hundred miles and it took them twenty-two days to make the trip. They slept in the wagon and cooked their meals by the roadside. He had purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in this county, nearly all in the woods. Here he established a home and began the work of clearing timber from his land and getting it in shape for cultivation. He afterwards made an additional purchase of land, making in all one hundred and eighty acres in the farm. He and his wife were members of the Baptist church and active in all church affairs. Politi- cally, he was a Democrat for the most of his life, but later affiliated with the Greenback party. He died, June, 1897; his wife died June, 1916. The children of this family born in Virginia, were: Jacob E., Joseph ( living ). and John E. (deceased). .. One child, Joshua, was born in Champaign county, Ohio.

Jacob E. Rhodes was nearly five years old when he came with his par- ents to this county. He was reared on the farm and attended the public

339

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

school during the winter season. He was married to Mary Cook, November 15, 1877. She was born in Mad River township, near Terre Haute, Ohio. April 3, 1855, a daughter of Calvin and Elizabeth (Hupp) Cook. Her par- ents were both natives of Virginia. Her father was born April 12, 1819, and died in 1909; her mother was. born April 23, 1819, and died in 1905. They had eleven children, six of whom are living: William, of Mad River township; Raper, of Rice county, Kansas; Louis, of Urbana township: George, of Clark county, Ohio; Samuel, of Auglaize county, Ohio, and Mrs. Rhodes.

To Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes four boys have been born: Wilber, married Addie Neese; Ona C., married Cora Morris, of Clark county, Ohio; War- ren J., married Mary Blue, Mad River township; Carl P., at home. Mrs. Rhodes is a member of the Harmony Baptist church. Mr. Rhodes affiliates with the Democratic party. He has been a member of the school board for twelve years, and one of the trustees for six years. He moved to the farm where he now lives in the summer of 1878, and has turned his attention to general farming and stock raising.

JAMES L. FUNK.

While James L. Funk, a retired grain dealer of Liberty, Ohio, lives just across the line in Logan county; nevertheless, he has long been inter- ested in the affairs of Champaign county and his biography is not out of place in a history of the latter. He was born on the old Funk homestead in Salem township, Champaign county, June 3, 1861. He is a son of Jacob S. and Sarah (Long) Funk, the father a native of Fredericks city, Mary- land, where he was born in 1815. The mother was a native of Salem town- ship, born on August 24, 1822. When a small boy, Jacob S. Funk moved from the Oriole state with his parents to Pennsylvania, and when he was fifteen years old he accompanied the family to Champaign county, Ohio. locating in Salem township on the state road, in 1830, thus being one of the pioneer families in this locality. His parents were Joel and Elizabeth (Kanagy) Funk. Joel Funk became a leading citizen of his vicinity. He purchased land here, which he cleared, improved and added to, until at the time of his death he owned between four hundred and five hundred acres of land. His family consisted of the following children, namely : Jacob S., father of the subject of this sketch; Emily, who married Jacob Myers:

340

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

Caroline, who married Levi Share; Augusta, who died during the Civil War of a fever which she contracted while nursing a Union soldier, and Aaron Benson Funk (deceased), who was a farmer in Salem township.

Jacob S. Funk attended school in Pennsylvania, also in Salem township, Champaign county, also attended a college in the state of Kentucky. After leaving school he took up farming in Salem township, locating on the farm that his son, James L., and daughter, Rovilla, now own, and here he spent the rest of his life engaged in general farming, his death occurring on March 18, 1897. His widow survived until March 25, 1909. He was well known and influential in his township and county. He served as road supervisor and school director of Salem township. His family consisted of five children, namely : Lee W., who lives in Washington, D. C .; Theodore K., an attorney, living in Portsmouth, Ohio; Rovilla lives on the old home place; Eugene resides in Valparaiso, Indiana, and James L. of this sketch. Rovilla Funk attended Delaware College, Ohio, and is a cultured lady. She has always lived on the home place in Salem township.

James L. Funk grew up on the farm and was educated in the common schools of Salem township and the high school at Urbana, from which he was graduated. Upon leaving school he returned home for a short time, and received an appointment in the railway mail service which position he held for over one year, then returned home and managed the farm until 1906, when he moved to West Liberty, Logan county, where he engaged in the grain business for a period of nine years, when he sold out. He has since devoted his attention to looking after his farms in Champaign and Logan counties. He is a member of the board of directors for the Peoples Building and Loan Association of West Liberty.

Mr. Funk was married in June, 1910, to Nellie Elliott, a daughter of Benjamin and Martha Elliott. Their union has been without issue. Politi- cally, Mr. Funk is a Republican. He belongs to the Masonic order, embracing the blue lodge of West Liberty and the Knights Templar of Urbana. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is a member of the official board of the same.

Mr. Funk's mother, Sarah (Long) Funk, was born in Salem town- ship, two and one-half miles southeast of Kings creek. She was a daughter of James and Martha (Turner) Long. He was born in Kentucky, she. in Logan county, Ohio. James Long as a boy came with his parents from Kentucky to Champaign county and bought a farm in Salem township. They were of Scotch-Irish descent. They built a stone house, and there James Long grew to maturity. James Long became a farmer and very well-to-do,

WILLIAM E. BROWN'S STORE, URBANA.

S.NMOH8

SIOHS

YHVI

BROWN'S

341

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHHIQ.

finally owning seven hundred acres of land. They belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church and he was a real Christian man. He owned a stone quarry on his farm. He built a large brick house and had it well finished with fine mantels, woodwork, etc. James Long was married twice, first, to Martha Turner. and she died, leaving twin daughters three months old. One was Sarah (Long) Funk. The other girl, Mary, died aged twenty-five. Then James Long married Susannah Cheney.

WILLIAM E. BROWN.

William E. Brown, one of Urbana's best-known and most. substantial business men, actively identified with the commercial and industrial affairs of his home town, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born in this county. December 29, 1861, son of Harvey and Lucy ( Harper) Brown, also natives of this county and members of pioneer families, the former a son of Emanuel and Christine ( Henkins ) Brown, and the latter a daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Wilson) Harper. Virginians, who came to this county about 1820 and became substantial and useful pioneers of the Pisgah neighborhood. Both the Browns and the Har- pers are of Scotch-Irish descent and of Colonial stock, and both families were honorably represented in the struggle of the colonies for independence during the Revolutionary War.

Bereft of his father in the days of his boyhood, William E. Brown early had his own way to make and he was but a boy when he entered upon his successful mercantile career as a clerk in a store at Urbana. From the very beginning of that career Mr. Brown has given his most earnest thought to the business, and it was not long until he found his way clear to enter busi- ness on his own account. As he prospered he gradually enlarged his stock and his establishment grew in importance until it has long been recognized as one of the leading clothing and men's furnishing establishments in this part of the state. Mr. Brown now being the oldest clothing merchant in continuous service in Champaign county. In addition to his extensive mer- cantile interests, Mr. Brown has other important commercial connections in Urbana, and has for years been regarded as one of the real "live wires" of that flourishing city. For several years he was secretary and treasurer of the Urbana Mills Company, manufacturers of worsted cloth, is a member of the board of directors of the Champaign National Bank, vice-president of the

342

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

People's Savings and Loan Company of Urbana, a member of the board of directors of the Ohio Oil and Refining Company, and has other interests, all combining to make him one of the important personal factors in the business life of this community.

On October 15, 1890, in the vicinity of Monticello, in White county. Indiana, William E. Brown was united in marriage to Marietta Burns daughter of William and Etna (McIntyre) Burns, of Scottish ancestry and prominent and substantial pioneers of that county, and to this union two children have been born, daughters, Lucy Burns, who was married to J. Ivan Murphy on October 28, 1916, and Christine Etna, who is now a stu- dent at the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Brown has a delightful home at Urbana and has ever taken an earnest interest in the general social and cul- tural activities of his home town. He is a member of the Baptist church and for thirty years Mr. Brown has been the teacher of a class of young men in the Sunday school of that church. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Christian Science church and at one time was second reader. Mr. Brown is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite (thirty-second degree) Mason and a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with the blue lodge, the chapter. the council and the commandery at Urbana and with the consistory and the shrine ( Antioch Temple) at Dayton, and has for years given his earnest and active attention to Masonic affairs.

JOHN LEONARD.

John Leonard, a farmer, living on rural route number four, Urbana, Ohio, was born on the farm he now owns, September 12, 1864, a son of J. P. and Elizabeth (Kesler) Leonard. The father was born in Jackson township. John Leonard is the oldest of a family of four children. The others are, Wilson, Elmer and Charles.

John Leonard spent his boyhood days on the old home farm and received his education in the district schools. He was sufficiently educated to engage in teaching and he followed that vocation for eighteen years, teaching in the schools of the county. He was married, April 22, 1890, to · Alvirta Fitzpatrick, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Lemmon) Fitzpatrick. After marriage they settled down on the farm where they now live. He bought thirty-seven acres and has made all the improvements on the farm. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard: Wilbur

343

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

F., died at the age of eight months, born in 1891; Emery C., born Jantiary 9, 1892, graduate of the schools at Thackery and Lawrenceville high school. He is also a graduate of the Wittenberg agricultural school, and of the State University, receiving the degree of Master of Arts in the latter institu- tion, and is at present one of the instructors in the university. He is a member of the St. Paris Lodge No. 355, Free and Accepted Masons; a member of St. Paris Chapter No. 132, Royal Arch Masons, and a past high priest of the Raper Commandery No. 19, Urbana, Ohio.

John Leonard is a Democrat in his political belief. He served for five years as justice of the peace in his township. He is a stockholder in the Springfield Building and Loan Company. He is a mason by trade and does'some work in that line in addition to his farming work.

LORENZO D. WARD.

On November 15, 1879, Lorenzo D. Ward was born on a farm adjoin- ing the one on which he now lives, in Mad River township, Ohio. He is a son of Philander and Mary E. (Stradling) Ward, both of whom are natives of Champaign county, the former born in Mad River township, March 10. 1852; the latter born in Jackson township, September, 1852. Mary E. Ward is a sister of Silas Stradling and is still living.

Philander Ward and Mary E. Stradling were married in Jackson town- ship and settled down on a farm in Mad River township, where Mr. Ward continued to live the remainder of his life. He died July 16, 1904. He was a member of the Universalist church in Westville. In politics he was a Democrat. He was the father of three children, one of whom died in infancy. Lottie, a sister of Lorenzo D. Ward, is the wife of C. F. Louden- back, of Sidney, Ohio.

Lorenzo D. Ward was reared on a farm near where he now lives, and was educated in the district schools of which he is a graduate. He also attended the Westville high school. On October 5, 1904, he was married to Mary B. Middleton, daughter of Arthur and Allie L. (Taylor) Middle- ton. She was born February 16, 1883, and was educated in the Westville schools, graduating from the high school. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ward settled on a farm in Mad River township and have continued to make their home in this township. They have five children: Beulah L., horn July 16, 1905: Marjorie M., born February 19, 1907; Adelaide G., born

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 34

Author: Middleton, Evan P., ed Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1338

Author: Middleton, Evan P., ed
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1338