USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 48
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Lemuel Hoak, father of our subject, was born in Champaign county. Ohio, August 28, 1826. He was a son of Jacob Hoak who came here from Virginia in an early day and entered a tract of land in Johnson township. where he established his home and where he spent the rest of his days. It was there Lemuel Hoak was born and grew to manhood in that home. working on the farm and getting such education as opportunity afforded in the public schools of the neighborhood. His wife, who was Lucretia Walker. was born in Greene county, Ohio. Her mother was a native of Boston and came to Ohio in an early day and lived here the rest of her life. After his marriage Lemuel Hoak lived for sometime in Westville, where he worked at his trade as a shoemaker and harnessmaker. In 1856 he removed to his
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farm north of Westville, where he and his wife lived the rest of their days. Lemuel Hoak was a man of energy and industry and was well to do in the way of worldly goods. The family were members of the Methodist Epis- copal church and took an active interest in church affairs, and in all other affairs that tended to the moral and educational advancement of the com- munity. Mr. Hoak was active in the order of the Grange, and a public spirited man generally. He died in 1910; his wife died in 1909. She was born. October 12. 1821. Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel Hoak only two are now living, our subject and a sister, Lavenia, the wife of L. A. McGinnis, living in Audubon, Iowa. All the other children, except one, lived to an adult age.
Noble O. Hoak was reared on the old home farm and was educated in the public schools, which he attended during the season when farm work was slack. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age and then started out for himself. He realized that one of the first essentials for success in a young man's life was to find a wife, and he addressed himself to this important duty. He found the object of his ambition and desire in the person of Miss Hattie Black, of Clark county, Ohio, to whoni he was married, September 25, 1879. Miss Black was reared and educated in Clark county, Ohio. In 1886 Mr. and Mrs. Hoak went to Kansas, where they lived for five years and then went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 1896 they returned to Champaign county, Ohio, and settled on the home farm in Mad River township, where they have since lived.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoak have four daughters: Mamie, the wife of D. O. Wiant, living in Columbus, Ohio; Elsie, graduate of the common schools, wife of O. B. Stickley, living in Concord township; Bernice, wife of J. W. Finley, living in Mad River township, Mildred, unmarried, living at home. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and active workers in church affairs. Mr. Hoak is president of the board of trustees and active in the work of the Sunday school.
Mr. Hoak is a member of Magrew Lodge No. 433, Knights of Pythias, and a past chancellor of that order. He is also a member of the Grange order. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. He has been a member of the board of education of Mad River township for eight years, and is at present clerk of that board.
The farm owned by Mr. Hoak, and on which he has his home, is composed of eighty-six acres. It is a part of the land entered by Thomas Kenton, in 1812, and was purchased by Mr. Hoak's father of the Kenton heirs, the father being the fourth owner of the land. It is now a fine body
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of land, well improved, with modern home and farm buildings. Mr. Hoak keeps good stock and everything about the place indicates that his farm is conducted according to modern farming methods. He raises Jersey cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs.
GERALD COLBERT.
Gerald Colbert, a farmer living on rural route No. 9. Urbana, Ohio. was born in the old homestead, about one-fourth of a mile from where he now resides, February 27, 1866. He is a son of Isaialı H. and Amanda (Wiant) Colbert. The father was born in Mad River township, January 31. 1821; the mother in the same township, February 18, 1827. Isaiah Colbert was the son of John and Anna (Smith) Colbert; she was born in Virginia and came with her parents to Ohio when she was twelve years of age. Isaiah Colbert was reared on the farm in Mad River township and received his education in the district schools of the neighborhood. John Colbert was one of the founders of the Nettle Creek Baptist church, of which he was a faithful and active member during his life. He was of English ancestry, his father, Jesse Colbert, being a native of that country and came to America in an early day settling near St. Paris. John Colbert served as a soldier in the American army in the War of 1812. His children were: Isaiah H .. Sarah, John, Louisa and Peter.
Isaiah H. Colbert married Amanda Wiant, April 16, 1846. They had six children, two of whom are now (1917) living: Rosanna became the wife of David Landenbeck; Jennie married John W. Straub; Benjamin died single; W. J. Harwood married Mary M. and lived at Springfield, Ohio, where he died in 1909.
Gerald Colbert was reared in Mad River township on a farm and was educated in the district schools of the township. He attended school until he was sixteen years old and remained at home working on the farm until he was twenty-three. August 22, 1889, he was married to Laura O. Taylor, daughter of Simeon and Susan Taylor. She was born in Mad River town- ship a short distance from the place where she now lives. Her education was obtained in the district schools and in the Urbana high school. . The children of this union are: Lulu, deceased, was a graduate of the Westville high school and the wife of Weston McGill, to whom she bore one son. Harold Simeon: Evan T., a graduate of the Westville high school, and was
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a student of the State University; Madge G., a graduate of the Westville high school and a student for one year in the State University; Donald H., a student in the Westville high school. The three last named are now living at home. Mr. Colbert's first wife died April 6, 1911, and he married October. 1913, Mrs. Eva W. Zirkle, who was born in Mad River township, a daugh- ter of E. O. Bloze and widow of M. J. Zirkle, by whom she had one son. Richard.
Mr. Colbert has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Westville for twenty-five years. He is a member of Magrew Lodge No. 433, Knights of Pythias, and is a past chancellor of that order. He was the county deputy of the order for Champaign county. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party, and has filled township offices.
Mr. Colbert has a fine farm of one hundred and eighty acres in Mad River township. It is known as "Locust Knoll" farm and is located five miles west of Urbana, on the Urbana and Piqua pike. He raises Jersey cattle and Duroc hogs. The farm is well improved, with comfortable resi- dence and all necessary farm buildings, and everything about the place is neat and attractive, indicative of thrift and prosperity.
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JOSEPH P. LEONARD.
Joseph P. Leonard, a farmer living on his farm in Mad River town- ship, Champaign county, Ohio, was born in Jackson township, this county, October 1, 1842, a son of George and Catherine ( Zirkle) Leonard. The father was born in Rockingham county, Virginia. and the mother was born in the same county and state. They both grew up in that state where they were married. After marriage they came to Ohio, first in German township, Clark county, then to Sandusky, Ohio, and then they located in Champaign county, in Jackson township, where they lived for several years. They then came to Mad River township and bought the farm where Joseph P. Leonard now lives, and there they lived during the rest of their lives. They were quiet, unassuming people and good citizens. They were mem- bers of the Lutheran church. They were the parents of eight children, only two of whom are now living: Joseph P., and Caroline, who lives in Nebraska, the widow of William Jenkins. The children of this family all grew to adult age. They were: George G., Lewis, William, Abe and Joseph P., the boys of the family. Sarah was the wife of Nathaniel Foltz.
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Elizabeth, the wife of John Weaver; Emeline, was the wife of Henry Coffelt.
Joseph P. Leonard was reared on the farm in Mad River township. and was educated in the schools that were available in that time. He remained at home working on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age and then started out working for himself. He married Elizabeth Kesler and four children were born to this union: John, Wilson, Elmer and Charles. The wife died in 1876 and Joseph Leonard married Rosa Long. To this union two children were born: Olie, the wife of Clarence Gundolf : Emmett. a farmer in Clark county, Ohio.
Joseph P. Leonard owns one hundred and twenty acres of land and has made most of the improvements on his farm. He owns one hundred and seventeen acres in one farm and seventy-nine acres in another. in German township, Clark county.
In his political affiliation Mr. Leonard is a Democrat. He has served as supervisor of the township for two years. He is a quiet, unassuming man and an honorable and upright citizen of Mad River township, known and respected by the community in which his entire life has been spent. His last wife died in 1885.
GLENN RUTAN.
Glenn Rutan, one of the trustees of Goshen township, tenant of a fine farm of one hundred and fifty-five acres in that township, a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Bank of Mechanicsburg and otherwise interested in the general business activities of the community in which he lives, was born on the farm on which he now lives, two and one-half miles north of Mechanicsburg, and has lived there all his life. He was born on July 11, 1876, son of Capt. D. W. Rutan and Lucy A. ( Kimball) Rutan, for years well-known residents of that community, whose last days were spent at Mechanicsburg.
Capt. D. W. Rutan, who was an honored veteran of the Civil War. also was a native son of Champaign county, born on a pioneer farm a half mile north of Mechanicsburg on April 30, 1839, his parents having been among the early settlers of that community. Reared on the home farm in Goshen township, he early evinced an unusual interest in his studies and upon completing his schooling in the high school at Marysville began to teach
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school and was thus engaged when the Civil War broke out. In 1861 he enlisted for service as private in Company D, Thirteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with that command until the close of the war, being successively promoted to the rank of corporal, second lieutenant, first lieutenant and captain of his company, which latter rank he held when mustered out. Upon the completion of his military service Captain Rutan returned to the home farm and resumed his calling as a teacher, following the same for years thereafter, farming during the summers, and in 1871, about the time of his marriage, bought the farm on which his son Glenn is now living and there established his home, continuing to make that his place of residence until his retirement from the farm in 1903 and removal to Mechanicsburg, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there in October, 1913. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, eight of whom are still living, the youngest having died at the age of four months, those besides the subject of this sketch, the second in order of birth, being as follow: Warren, a farmer, living in the neighboring county of Clark ; Hiram E., a retired farmer now living at Spring Valley, this state; Benjamin M., a large farmer, now living at Marysville; Mary, wife of A. E. Bullard, a farmer of Goshen township, this county; D. W .. of Dayton; Nellie, wife of Dr. H. O. Whittaker, of New Burlington, in Greene county, and Martha D., who is now living at St. Petersburg, Florida.
Glenn Rutan has spent his entire life in Goshen township. He received his schooling in the local schools, finishing in the high school at Mechanics- burg, and from the days of his boyhood was a helpful factor in the labors of developing and improving the home farm. He rents one hundred and fifty-five acres which he has brought to a high state of cultivation and improvement, he and his family being very comfortably situated there. Mr. Rutan is a Republican and has ever given close attention to local civic affairs, being now one of the members of the board of trustees of Goshen township. He also served for two years as township assessor and in other ways has given of his time and energies to the public service. In addition to his general farming operations Mr. Rutan also gives some attention to the general business affairs of the community and is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Bank of Mechanicsburg.
Mr. Rutan has been twice married. His first wife, who was Nettie Doak, died in October, 1891, leaving one child, a daughter, Gertrude .... born on December 23, 1890, who was graduated with first honors from the Mechanicsburg high school, later took a course in Oberlin College and is now a stenographer in the office of the Firestone Rubber Company at Cleve-
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land. On February 14, 1896, Mr. Rutan married Della McAdams, who was born in Union township, this county, and to this union eight children have been born, Roland, Winifred, Catherine, Dewitt, Fred (deceased). Willis, Dewey (deceased), Daniel William.
Winifred Rutan married Wingate Tullis, a farmer of Goshen township. The Rutans have a very pleasant home and take an interested part in the community's general social activities. Mr. Rutan is a member of Homer Lodge No. 474, Knights of Pythias, at Mechanicsburg, and of the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America at that place and in the affairs of both of these orders takes a warm interest.
JOSEPH H. SHAFFER.
Joseph H. Shaffer, a retired farmer, living in Terre Haute, Ohio, was born June II, 1845. He was a son of Jacob and .Anna ( Dangledine ) Shaffer. The father was born in Shenandoah county. Virginia, October 26, 1808, a son of Abraham Shaffer, who was a life-long resident of Virginia and died in that state during the Civil War. Jacob Shaffer grew to manhood in Virginia and was married there to Anna Dangledine. He came to Ohio in 1836 and located in Terre Haute, where he engaged in his trade as a blacksmith, being the first blacksmith in the town. Some years later he removed to his farm, April, 1849, where he engaged in farming and spent the remainder of his days. He was a Democrat in politics. He was the father of seven children. three of whom are now living: John A., a farmer in Mad River township: Martha, the wife of Joseph Cutler, of Concord township, and Joseph H.
Joseph H. Shaffer was reared on the farm and received his education in the district schools of the township. He remained at home working on the farm until he was twenty-five years of age. September 4, 1870. he was married to Nancy L. Davis, who was born near Terre Haute. After marriage they settled on a farm southeast of Terre Haute, where they continued to live for forty-five years. The farm consisted of one hundred and twenty-six acres, southeast of town, and another tract of sixty acres lying northwest of the town.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer: Elmer. born November 5. 1871, married Lizzie Zirkle, is living on the farm; Lulu May. born May 14, 1886. educated in the public school of Terre Haute; Maggie
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F., born December 31, 1876, died November 13, 1895. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in Terre Haute, and Mr. Shaffer has been a member of the official board of the church for thirty- five years. He has always been a liberal supporter of the church and actively interested in all its affairs. When the church was torn down a few years ago he was a member of the building committee for the erection of a new church. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party.
At the time of the breaking out of the Civil War Mr. Shaffer was a member of the Ohio National Guard, and on the call for volunteers for the regular service he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which became a part of the Army of the Potomac. He participated with his regiment in operations of the army around Rich- mond, in 1864, and in the many battles in which they army was engaged under the general command of General Grant. After the war he served in the National Guard for five years. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Tremont City. He has served on the school board. In 1915 he removed to Terre Haute and is now retired.
JAMES T. WOODWARD.
James T. Woodward, one of Urbana's best-known citizens, a retired miller of that city and an honored veteran of the Civil War, was born in the neighboring county of Logan, but has been a resident of Champaign county since the early fifties. He was born on January 28, 1845, son of Washing- ton and Janette (Thompson) Woodward, the former a native of Pennsyl- vania and the latter of this state, whose last days were spent in Urbana.
Washington Woodward was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1813, son of George and Alice ( Buffington ) Woodward, both natives of that same county, the latter of whomi was born on September 11, 1777, the date of the battle of the Brandywine. George Woodward was a miller and in 1833 left his old home in Pennsylvania and came to this county. locating at Urbana, where he spent the rest of his life. He and his wife were the par- ents of ten children, Gideon, Jonathan, Washington, Ephraim, William, John, George, Lydia, Eliza and Ann. Washington Woodward grew to manhood in Chester county, Pennsylvania, and later came to Ohio and settled in Union township, this county, buying a tract of land eight miles east of Urbana. When he bought that place it had a small log cabin on it and all that was
JAMES T. WOODWARD
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cleared was a bit of a plot about the cabin. He married Janette Thompson, who was born in Logan county, this state, a daughter of James Thompson and wife, natives of Scotland and early settlers in Logan county, and after living for some time in Logan county, established his home on his farm in Union township, this county, and there was successfully engaged in farming until his retirement from the active labors of the farm, when he and his wife moved to Urbana, where they spent their last days, her death occurring in 1882 and his, in 1885, he then being well past seventy years of age. He was of Quaker stock and she was a member of the Methodist church. They were the parents of five children, of whom but two grew to maturity, the sub- ject of this sketch and his brother, Kemp C. Woodward, born on January 27, 1847, a substantial farmer of this county, who married Talitha Morse and died in 1877, leaving two children, Katie and Florence.
James T. Woodward was but a boy when the Civil War broke out and not long after he had passed his eighteenth birthday he enlisted, July 4, 1863. at Mechanicsburg, for service in the Union army and went to the front as a member of Company I. Eighty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, his first service being in the expedition after Morgan, the Confederate raider : later being sent into Kentucky and in September took part in the engagement at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, at which place the division to which he was attached, wintered. In February, 1864, he was mustered out, but at once re-enlisted and continued in service as a member of Company E, One Hun- dred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, taking part in the James River campaign and in the battle of Peterbsurg and on August 31, 1864, was mustered out with his regiment and paid off at Columbus. For three or four years after his return from his military service Mr. Woodward taught school during the winters, continuing engaged in farming during the summers, and after his marriage, in the spring of 1869, he continued farming for seven years, at the end of which time he moved to Woodstock, where he conducted the grain elevator and at the same time acted as agent for the rail- way company there, and was thus engaged at that place for seven years. He then moved to Urbana, where he ever since has made his home. For seven years after locating at Urbana Mr. Woodward was engaged in the milling business in that city, but of recent years has been living comfortably retired.
In March, 1869, James T. Woodward was united in marriage to Pamela Marshall, who was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, and whose father, a farmer and stockman, died in Iowa, her mother, Mrs. Mary Marshall, afterward making her home with Mrs. Woodward in Urbana, where she
(31a)
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spent her last days. Mrs. Pamela Woodward died on June 1, 1916. Mr. Woodward is a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal church at Urbana and is an active member of Brand Post, Grand Army of the Republic in the affairs of which patriotic organization he has for years taken a warm interest. Mr. Woodward is the only Civil War veteran who is in the public service of his county, having been appointed on January 8, 1913, an inspector of weights and measures.
CHARLES B. WING.
Charles B. Wing, president of the Wing Seed Company of Mechanics- burg, this county, and one of the best-known seed experts in the United States, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life, with the exception of five years spent in the West during the period of his young manhood. He was born at Mechanicsburg on April 8, 1878, son of William H. and Jennie (Bullard) Wing, both of whom were born in Cat- taragus county, New York, who came to Ohio in 1866 and settled on a farm in the immediate vicinity of Mechanicsburg, this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fifth in order of birth, the others being Edwin, Joseph E., Willis O. and Jennie May. Elsewhere in this volume there is presented a memorial sketch of the late Joseph E. Wing, long known as "Alfalfa Joe," on account of the wonderful work he did in promoting the culture of alfalfa throughout the country and in that same sketch there is set out at some length the story of how the Wing brothers took up the work of alfalfa culture, beginning on the home farm in the neighborhood of Mechanicsburg, a labor of love which eventually led to the establishment of the present extensive seed-distributing plant of the Wing Seed Company at Mechanicsburg.
Reared on the home farm, Charles B. Wing received his schooling in the schools of Mechanicsburg and was graduated from the high school there in 1895. His health not being considered quite up to the mark at that time he was sent West with a view to securing relief through a change of climate and he remained there for five years, at the end of which time he returned home and became engaged as a salesman for alfalfa seeds raised on the home farm, his brothers having in the meantime begun the scientific culture of that forage crop. Presently he and his brothers formed a partnership and incorporated a company for the sale of general field seeds and grasses and
CHARLES B. WING.
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as this line of business grew and developed they added to the same flower seeds and general vegetable seeds, before long having developed at Mechan- icsburg one of the most extensive seed establishments in the state of Ohio. In 1915, following the death of Joseph E. Wing, Charles B. Wing became the president of the Wing Seed Company, the other officers of which now are Willis O. Wing, vice-president; Andrew S. Wing, secretary and treasurer, and Margaret Leahy, assistant secretary.
When the Wing brothers incorporated their company they started with a capitalization of thirty thousand dollars, which capitalization has since been increased to one hundred thousand dollars. The Wing Seed Company not only handles seeds gathered from all parts of the United States, but imports largely from Europe, drawing extensive supplies from England, France, Holland and Denmark, handling now about seven hundred varieties of flower seeds. The company made its reputation as alfalfa specialists, the Wing brothers being recognized as the pioneer alfalfa growers of Ohio. but in later lines has made an equally secure reputation, the tested seed corn. soy beans and garden and flower seeds distributed from the extensive plant of this company at Mechanicsburg being in wide demand throughout the country. Of recent years the Wing Seed Company has made a specialty of bulbs and at present has probably the largest collection of bulbs in the United States, handling more than four hundred varieties of Peonies, about two hundred varieties of Iris, one hundred and fifty of Dahlias and one hundred and fifty of Gladioli. The story of the beginning of the Wing Seed Con- pany is as interesting as a romance. During the days of his young manhood Joseph E. Wing was working on a ranch in Utah and was much attracted to the growth of the alfalfa raised there. He sent some seed back to the home farm with instructions to his father and brother to plant and nurture the same, with a view to determine whether the soil of Ohio was adapted to the wonderful forage plant. The seed produced all right, but the plant seemed to give no promise of developing into anything like the crop that had been described in the enthusiastic letters from the West. The cause of this apparent backwardness was soon discovered to be due to predatory chickens that were eating the tops of the plants. The Wings then carefully protected a patch of selected plants and were amazed to note the growth the crop made. They realized that they had a species of "clover" entirely new to Ohio and when Joseph E. Wing returned from the West began the scientific culture of their wonderful "find." Joseph E. Wing took the lead in this work and it was not long until his labors began to be recognized by the government, the agricultural department employing him to spread
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