USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 54
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John E. Pence was reared to the life of a farmer, receiving his edu- cation in the district schools of his home neighborhood. He assisted his father with the work on the home farm until he reached the age of twenty- one years, when he started farming for himself on the home place, and he has been very successful in his chosen calling. Besides general farming
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he is engaged in the breeding and raising of registered live stock, especially hogs and cattle, which branch of farming adds much to his annual income. He has made many improvements on his farm, the place being well equipped for modern and progressive farming. The substantial brick house in which he lives was erected in 1858, and stands as a monument to the house build- ers of that period, being still in fine condition. He built a fine and com- modious new barn in 1915, which, together with all the buildings, fences and other equipment of the farm, makes it one of the most attractive farms of the township.
In 1873 John E. Pence was married to Mary E. Norman, who was born on a farm in Johnson township, September 8, 1852, the daughter of Lem- uel and Susanna (Kaufman) Norman, and a grandniece of Christian Norman. To this union three children have been born : Clarence, a farmer of Concord township, this county, married Belle Jenkins ; Asa, a farmer living near Millers- town, Ohio, married Grace Folts, and Fred, who is in Alaska. The family are earnest and devoted members of the Reformed church, in which Mr. Pence has served as deacon and treasurer. Fraternally, Mr. Pence belongs to St. Paris Lodge No. 446, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which organization he takes an active and interested part. He is a Republican in politics, and has always been deeply interested in local political matters, and any measure having for its object the welfare and betterment of his community, has his unqualified support.
WILLIAM E. PRINCE.
William E. Prince, an enterprising and progressive farmer, and a former railway mail clerk, living on his place known as "Pleasant View Farm," in Johnson township, was born near Millerstown, in this township, on March II, 1868, the son of Joseph and Amanda ( Deffenbaugh) Prince, the former of whom was a native of Virginia, and the latter of Ohio.
Joseph Prince was born in Page county, Virginia, on June 13, 1822, and came as a lad of eight years to Ohio, where he was reared to manhood. On December 20, 1866, he was married to Amanda J. Deffenbaugh, who was born in Adams township, this county, on January 15, 1846. To this union the following children were born: William E., the immediate subject of this review ; Charles I., an employee of the United States railway mail service, living in Piqua, Ohio: Frank J., a graduate of the Ohio State University
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at Columbus, Ohio, with the degree of Bachelor of Science, and a graduate of the Ohio Medical University, now a practicing physician and surgeon living in Bitter Root Valley, Montana, and John H., also a graduate of the Ohio Medical University, now practicing at Piqua, Ohio. Joseph Prince served in the Union army during the Civil War as a member of Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted on May 13, 1864, and served one hundred days, being mustered out on August 31, 1864, at Camp Chase, Ohio. He was a Republican in politics, and while interested in all public matters, yet was not a partisan in any sense of the term, or an office seeker. He was a member of St. Paris Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and an adherent of the Reformed church. His death occurred in April, 1902, his widow still surviving him.
William E. Prince was reared on the farm in Johnson township, receiv- ing his education in the schools of Millerstown, Ohio. In his young man- hood he clerked in a general store for six years, after which he was engaged in farming. In 1901 he took the civil service examination for the United States railway mail service, and in February, 1902, receiving his appointment. in which capacity he served until January, 1912, since which time he has been living with his mother on the home farm, which he is operating. They have about sixty acres in the home place and also village lots. They raise Jersey cattle, Berkshire hogs and carry on general farming. They now rent out the land. He is a Republican in politics, and takes an active interest in the public life of his community.
DAVID H. MOORE, M. D.
One of the most successful of the younger medical inen of Champaign county is Dr. David H. Moore, of Urbana. He was born in Salem town- ship, this county, on the old home farm, August 30, 1883. He is a son of James H. and Isabel (Duncan) Moore, both natives of Champaign county also, each representing old families in this locality. Here they grew to maturity, attended school and were married. When a young man James H. Moore went to Newark, Ohio, where he worked for a short time at the pattern trade, later returning to his native county and engaged in the im- plement business with Silas Sandy, at Urbana, under the firm name of Sandy & Moore. A few years later he went on the road as a traveling salesman, and in 1896 he and James Robinson started a new concern known as the
DAVID H. MOORE, M.D.
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Hardware Supply Company, which proved to be a successful venture, grow- ing to large proportions. Mr. Moore remained in that business until 1903. when he became engaged with the McCoy Canning Company of Urbana. with which he remained until his death in 1914. He was one of the county's well known and successful business men in his day. His family consisted of only two children, a son and a daughter, namely: Dr. David H., of this sketch, and Margaret A.
David H. Moore received his education in the public schools of Urbana and was graduated from the high school in 1903. After that he was em- ployed in the drug stores of Urbana until the fall of 1908, when he entered the Starling Ohio Medical College at Columbus, taking the full four-years course. He made an excellent record there and graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine with the class of 1912. After leaving college, he at once began the practice of his profession in Urbana and has remained here ever since. He was successful from the first and has built up a large and lucrative practice.
Doctor Moore was married on June 15. 1915, to Muriel A. Hatton, a daughter of C. B. and Clara Hatton.
Doctor Moore is a member of the Champaign County Medical Society. the Ohio State Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He has been secretary of the County Medical Society for the past two years. He belongs to the Alpha Mu Pi Omega fraternity, the Champaign Masonie lodge, of which he is the present master, and to the Presbyterian church. Politically, he is a Republican and in January, 1915. became a member of the board of county commissioners.
JOSEPH NORMAN.
Joseph Norman, one of Concord township's best-known and most sub- stantial farmers and proprietor of the old Norman homestead farm in that township, was born in the fine old house in which he is now living and in which four generations of the Norman family have lived, one and one- fourth miles southeast of Millerstown, on rural mail route No. 5. out of St. Paris, this county. He was born on February 23, 1864, son of Lemuel and Susanna (Kauffman) Norman, the former of whom was born on that same farm, son of pioneer parents.
Lemuel Norman was a son of Christian Norman, one of the early
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settlers of Champaign county, and one of the most influential figures in the Millerstown neighborhood in the early days. Christian Norman was a Virginian, who came over into this part of Ohio in 1805 and after pros- pecting about a bit selected a location and went to the land office at Cin- cinnati to file on the same. The decisive factor in his selection of the site he had in mind was a fine flowing spring, but when he returned from the land office with his papers he found that the land described in the same did not contain the coveted spring, after all. He then made a more accur- ate "location" and returned to Cincinnati, coming back with a patent cover- ing the "eighty" which had the spring on it, he thus starting here with a quarter of a section of land instead of the "eighty" which he originally had in mind. Upon locating on that tract Christian Norman cut out a small clearing and erected a modest log house in which he established his home, later putting up a double log house, and in 1827 erected the sub- stantial brick house which is still serving as a residence on the old home place and which is still in a fine state of preservation. This house was built of bricks burned on the place and was finished with walnut timber cut on the place and hand carved. The substantial barn which is still doing service on the farm, built of poplar, walnut and oak, was raised in 1814. Christian Norman became an extensive landowner, the possessor of con- siderable tracts of land in this state and over in Indiana, and was a man of large influence in the early development of that part of the county in which he settled. He and his wife were active in church work and he was au active worker in the ranks of the Whigs. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, Benjamin, Gabriel, Lemuel, Savilla, Leanna, Sarah, Eliza- beth and Lydia.
Lemuel Norman was reared on the old home farm and after his mar- riage to Susanna Kauffman established his home there, spending there the rest of his life, his death occuring in 1875. His widow is living in Concord township. Of the children born to them, six are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Mary E., wife of John E. Pence; John. of St. Paris; Rebecca, a spinster ; Benjamin M., a Johnson township farmer. and Leanna, wife of F. B. Weller, of the neighboring county of Shelby.
Reared on the old farm, Joseph Norman grew to manhood there, front the days of his boyhood a valuable assistant in the labors of the farm, and has spent all his life in the old pioneer brick house in which he was born. having established his home there after his marriage in the spring of 1884. and has long owned the old home place. Mr. Norman has done well in his farming operations and has one of the best farm plants in the Millers-
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town neighborhood. He is a Republican, but has never taken a particularly distinctive part in political affairs.
On May 22, 1884, Joseph Norman was united in marriage to Margaret May Berry, who was born in Johnson township, this county, June 15, 1865. a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Jenkins) Berry, the former of whom was born in that same township, June 25, 1835, and the latter, in Mercer county, this state. Peter Berry and wife were the parents of eight children, those besides Mrs. Norman being William D., Mary M., George M., Cora A., Joseph P., and Savilla. Mr. and Mrs. Norman have one child, a daugh- ter, Dollie, born on July 21, 1886, who married Edgar E. Barger, employed in the railway mail service on the Pennsylvania lines, and has one child. a son, Hugh J., born on July 31, 1909, living with Mr. Norman. Mrs. Norman and her daughter are members of the Reformed church at Millers- town and Mr. Norman is a member of St. Paris Lodge, No. 344, Knights of Pythias, in the affairs of which organization he takes a warm interest.
EDWARD H. LEEDOM.
Edward H. Leedom, proprietor of "Grain Farm," a delightful place of ninety-five and one-half acres in Johnson township, this county, three and one-half miles northwest of St. Paris, on rural mail route No. I, out of that city, was born in the neighboring county of Shelby, but has been a resident of Champaign county since he was a child. He was born on a farm in the Palestine neighborhood on August 6, 1862, a son of Howard and Nancy (Apple) Leedom, both also natives of this state, who settled in this county in 1866, the former spending the rest of his life here and the latter still living here at a ripe old age.
Howard Leedom was born and reared in Ohio and at St. Paris married Nancy Apple, who was born and reared in Johnson township, this county. After their marriage they remained at St. Paris for some time and then settled on a farm in the Palestine neighborhood over in Shelby county, where they remained until 1866, in which year they returned to Champaign county and settled on a farm in Johnson township, where Howard Leedom spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there in July, 1908. His widow still survives him. Howard Leedom was a Republican and took an active part in political affairs. He was an active . member of the Methodist church, as is his widow, and was a liberal con-
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tributor to the work of the church. Fraternally, he was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and took a warm interest in the affairs of that organization. To him and his wife five children were born, three of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Charles N. Leedom, who married Roe Ann Berry, and is now a resident of Dayton, this state, and a sister, Anna, wife of William Sotherland. The deceased children were Clara, who married Seward Lane, and another daughter. Victoria.
Edward H. Leedom was four years of age when he came to this county with his parents from Shelby county and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Johnson township, receiving his schooling in the neigh- boring schools. He married when twenty-one years of age and after his marriage established his home on the farm on which he is now living and has there resided ever since, developing there one of the best farm plants in that part of the county. Mr. Leedom is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, for some time having served as director of his local school district.
On September 27. 1883. Edward H. Leedom was united in marriage to Emma Sayler, who was born at St. Paris, this county, daughter of Henry and Lucinda C. (Heaston) Sayler, prominent residents of that city, both now deceased. Henry Sayler was born in Clark county, this state. in 1835, and was reared on a farm. Being orphaned in the days of his youth he came up into this county and at St. Paris began to "shift for himself ;" doing so so successfully that in time he became the vice-president of the First National Bank of St. Paris, of which institution he was one of the organizers and chief stockholders, and was for years regarded as one of the leading citizens of that place. He was a Mason and an Odd Fellow and took an active interest in lodge work. He and his wife were the parents of two children, of whom Mrs. Leedom alone survives, her brother. Albert R. Sayler, being deceased.
To Edward H. and Emma (Sayler) Leedom six children have been born, of whom five are still living, namely: Mary, a graduate of the St. Paris high school and a former teacher in the schools of this county, who married C. V. Jones and is now living at St. Paris: Charles Albert, who married Mary A. Wolcott and is farming in Johnson township; Lucinda, who was graduated from the St. Paris high school and is now a teacher in the Urbana schools; Yardley, who is at home, a valued assistant to his father in the labors of the home farm, and Kathleen, who is still in school.
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The Leedoms are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at St. Paris and take a proper interest in church work and in the general social activities of their home community.
JOHN B. ERWIN.
John B. Erwin, one of Johnson township's well-known and substantial farmers, owner of one hundred and seventy-two acres of fine land in that township and the possessor of a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 4 out of St. Paris, is a native of the old Keystone state, but has been a resi- dent of Ohio since the days of his young manhood. He was born on a farm in Huntington county, Pennsylvania, September 21, 1843, son of William and Isabel (Vawn) Erwin, also natives of that same state, whose lives were spent there. William Erwin owned an excellent farm in the near vicinity of Rossville, Pennsylvania. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Margaret R., widow of Wesley Morgan; William A., who married Jennie Parsons; Agnes N., wife of Jacob A. McMullen, and Robert G., who married Jane Morgan.
Reared on the home farm in Huntington county. Pennsylvania, John B. Erwin received a good common-school education and remained at home until he was eighteen years of age, when he came over into Ohio, in April, 1864, and for three months thereafter worked on a farm in Richland county. He then went to Preble county and thence over into Indiana, later returned to Miami county, Ohio, and began to work on a farm in the vicinity of Piqua, but a short time afterward returned to his home in Pennsylvania. where he remained nearly a year, at the end of which time, in October, 1866, he returned to Ohio and in the following November was married in Cham- paign county. After his marriage he rented a farm over in Shelby county and continued a renter until presently he bought a little farm of thirty acres, the nucleus of his present valuable farm holdings of one hundred and seventy- two acres in Johnson and Concord townships, this county, where he makes his home and where he and his family are very comfortably situated. Mr. Erwin has a fine farm plant and has done well in his farming operations. Politically, he is a Democrat, but has never taken a particularly active part in politics.
On November 6. 1866, John B. Erwin was united in marriage to Mary
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E. Blackford, who was born in Johnson township, this county, January 20, 1850, daughter of William Blackford and Susan Chapman, well-known resi- dents of that community, and to this union six children have been born. namely : Willie, who died at the age of nine years; Elnora, wife of William Comer, of Johnson township; Mary B., wife of George York, a resident of the neighboring county of Logan; George W., who married Mary A. Robin- son and lives in Concord township; Lottie J., wife of Ira Pence, a grocery dealer at St. Paris, and Olive May, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Erwin have a very pleasant home and have ever taken an interested part in the general social activities of their home neighborhood. Mr. Erwin is past noble grand of Crayon Lodge No. 397, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife are members of Ethel Lodge No. 314, Daughters of Rebekah, of which Mrs. Erwin is a past noble grand. Mrs. Erwin is one of the best- known workers in the ranks of the Daughters of Rebekah in this part of the state and served for some time as installing officer and was treasurer for ten years in that order.
FRANK APPLE.
One of the substantial farmers of Johnson township, this county, who has lived here all his life, is Frank Apple, who was born on the farm now owned by Naaman L. Apple, one mile west of St. Paris, on February 12. 1867. He is a son of William and Mary Ann (Lyons) Apple, both of whom also were natives of Champaign county.
William Apple was born in Jackson township on the old home farm which his parents had entered from the government, and was the son of Solomon and Catherine Apple, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, who came from that state in an early day to Montgomery county, Ohio, locating first at Dayton, which at that time was only a small trading point. containing only two houses. They did not remain long at Dayton, how- ever, but came on into Champaign county, settling on land in Jackson town- ship, which they had entered from the government. This land was wild and unimproved, had no clearings and no buildings of any kind, while Indians roamed the woods about them. However, with true pioneer spirit, they proceeded to clear and cultivate their land, literally hewing a home out of the wilderness, and here they reared their family and lived the remainder of their days, being ranked among the sturdy pioncers of this district. Will-
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iam Apple and his wife settled on the tract of land which is now known as the Naaman Apple farm, and which was a part of the old homestead farm belonging to his father, and here they lived and died, and here all of their children were born in the original log house which was erected by Will- iam 'Apple at the time of his marriage. His wife, Mary Ann Lyons, was born in Johnson township, on a farm two miles north of St. Paris, this farm now being owned by J. H. Biddle. She was a daughter of Christian Lyons and wife, both of whom were natives of Virginia, who came to Champaign county, Ohio, about 1812, locating in Johnson township. William Apple was a very prominent and influential citizen in the early days of this section. taking an active part in the upbuilding and betterment of his community. being a leader in the locality. He served many years as township trustee. and was also a member of the school board of his township for a number of years. He was one of the substantial and well-to-do farmers of this county, accumulating more than four thousand acres of land. He was a Democrat in politics, and active in the councils of his party. He and his wife were the parents of five children, two of whom are living: Albert L., who died on June 21, 1917; Naaman L., living on the old home farm of his grandfather, and Frank, of this review.
Frank Apple was reared on the old homestead farm in Jackson town- ship, receiving his education in the district schools, and early in life learned the rudiments of farming by assisting in the work of his father's farm. He started out in life for himself by engaging in farming in Union township. where he lived for two years, but upon the death of his father in 1900, he returned to Johnson township, taking charge of affairs pertaining to his father's estate, and has since lived on his farm on the St. Paris and Millers- town pike, three miles northeast of St. Paris and one mile south of Millers- town, containing fifty-eight and one-half acres of fine land. Mr. Apple also owns sixty-three acres of land adjoining his farm on the west, one mile north of St. Paris.
On September 22, 1898, Frank Apple was united in marriage to Cora L. Strock, and to this union two children have been born. Charles Franklin. who died in 1912, at the age of eleven years, and Ruth Elizabeth, born January 25, 1907, now in the fifth grade of the district school. Mrs. Apple was born at Mutual, Ohio, in Union township, this county, on July 12, 1875. and is a daughter of John and Jennie (Goul) Strock, both of whom were natives of this county, the former being of Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Jennie Goul was a daughter of Christian Goul, of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Strock were the parents of three children: Clay, who is living at home with his
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parents; Charles, a resident of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Cora L., the wife of Mr. Apple. Mrs. Apple was reared at Mutual, receiving her early education in the Mutual schools, later attending college at Ada, Ohio, tak- ing a business course at the Ohio Normal University. In the fall of 1894 the family came to Johnson township, locating on a farm one mile northwest of St. Paris, where she lived until she married Mr. Apple. The family are members of the Baptist church at St. Paris, in the affairs of which they take an active interest. In politics, Mr. Apple is a Democrat.
JAMES B. PUTNAM.
James B. Putnam, one of Johnson township's substantial and up-to-date farmers and stockmen is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Jackson township, November 2, 1856, son of Henry and Margaret (Wogmoth) Putman, substantial pioneer residents of that neighborhood.
Henry Putman was born in Mason county, Kentucky, November 21, 1815, and was but an infant when his father, Zecharia Putnam, came to Ohio in 1816 with his family and settled on a farm in Mad River township, this county, where he remained until 1821, when he moved over into Jack- son township and established his home on a farm there, spending the rest of his life a resident of that township and one of the influential pioneer citizens of the same. On that pioneer farm Henry Putnam grew to manhood and after his marriage in 1842 to Margaret Wogmoth established his home on a farm in that same township, but later moved to Johnson township. and there spent the remainder of his life. He and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom four are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Sarah J., widow of Jesse Pence; Amanda, widow of David Eicher, and Charles Putnam, the deceased children having been Jennie and John Putnam.
Having been but a mere child when his parents moved from Jackson to Johnson townships, James B. Putnam grew to manhood on the home farm in the latter township and received his schooling in the local schools. After his marriage in 1878 he established his home on the farm of one hundred and seventeen acres on which he is now living and there has ever since resided, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. Putnam is one of the progressive farmers and stockmen of that neighbor-
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