History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 6

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 6

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His education was secured in the public schools of Urbana and Urbana University. In 1863-and he was only fifteen years of age at the time -- he became assistant engineer in the construction of the Atlantic & Great Western railroad, now known as the Erie railroad. The following year he became clerk in the commissary department of the United States army and served in this capacity until July, 1865. During this time he saw service in Virginia and Georgia and in a number of other states. After resigning he returned home and began clerking in a dry goods store, but soon became associated with his father and brother in the grocery business. But he was not satisfied to settle down to the humdrum career of a grocer at the early age of nineteen.

The year 1868 found him in Indianapolis, where he was private secre-

JOHN F. BRAND.

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

tary to the superintendent of the Merchants' Union Express Company. A year later he returned to his home in Urbana and became connected with the Citisen and Gasette in the capacity of bookkeeper and compositor. For ten years he remained with the paper and during this decade he arose from one position to another until he became local editor and, eventually, business manager of the paper. In 1879 he retired from the newspaper and for a few years engaged in the retail grocery trade, with stores at Urbana and Bellefontaine. When W. H. Marvin came to Urbana Mr. Brand became associated with him in the establishment of a wholesale grocery company. The business was later incorporated as the W. H. Marvin Company and Mr. Brand maintained his connection with the company until 1905. He still retains a substantial financial interest in the firm and serves on the board of directors.

For many years Mr. Brand had been a stockholder and director in the Western Mutual Fire Insurance Company and upon his retirement from active service with the Marvin company he became general agent for the insurance company. Later he was elected treasurer of the company and in 1915 was elevated to the presidency. The company has made substantial progress since he became connected with it in an official capacity in 1905.

Mr. Brand has been and still is identified with other commercial enter- prises of the city. He is a director in the Champaign National Bank and the Urbana Telephone Company. In all his business connections, from his boyhood days to the present, he has never failed to bear his part in the life of the community about him. He could always be counted on to assist in everything which was advanced with the idea of bettering his city and his county. In all things he has been a public-spirited citizen, never forgetting that we are an interdependent society, not neglecting to give of his time and ability to the general welfare of those about him.

In his desire to live up to the highest standards of modern society he has not neglected the fraternal. social or religious factors of our life. He is a member of the Masonic order, a past master of the local lodge, past eminent commander of the commandery, and a member of the Scottish Rite of the thirty-second degree. He is a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal church and has been a member of its official board for more than thirty years.

Mr. Brand was married on December 1, 1870, to Fannie E. Patrick, a daughter of Evan B. Patrick. To this union have been born four children, Charles, Elizabeth. Ella and Joseph E.

Charles, the eldest son, was born November 1, 1871, and was educated

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

in the local schools and later attended Ohio Wesleyan University at Dela- ware. While attending high school he managed a fruit business of his own during the summer time and evinced unusual business qualifications for a boy of his age. After leaving college he engaged in the grocery busi- ness at Richwood, Ohio, for a time and later became connected with the W. H. Marvin Company as a buyer and salesman. He has now retired from active service with the company, but still retains a financial interest in it. For a number of years he has engaged in farming in the county on an extensive scale, and now owns and controls one thousand acres of land in the county. He is one of the largest farmers in the county and gives his personal attention to all of the details connected with his extensive agri- cultural interests. He was married on November 28, 1894. to Louisa J. Vance, daughter of Major A. F. Vance.

Joseph E., the youngest son, was born July 5, 1888, and educated in the public schools and Urbana University. In 1905 he went to New York City and engaged in a wholesale grocery and brokerage business for a short time and later located in Chicago, where he was similarly engaged until 1009. He then returned to Urbana and became secretary of the W. H. Marvin Company, in which capacity he is still serving. He was married on May 22. 1913, to Helen Bucher, daughter of John E. Bucher.

L. E. BROWN.

L. E. Brown, familiarly known to his friends by his middle name, Eugene, one of the editors and proprietors of the St. Paris News-Dispatch and a partner with W. W. Wiant in the publication of that newspaper, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Johnson township, a little more than two miles northwest of St. Paris, October II, 1874, a son of A. J. and Alice (Jackson ) Brown, the former of whom was born on that same farm and the latter in the state of Indiana, whose last days were spent on the old home place in Johnson township that had been settled by Eugene Brown's grandfather back in the early thirties and which is still in the possession of the family.

A. J. Brown was born on that pioneer farm on November 21, 1837, and was the son of John and Nancy Brown, of German stock, who came up into this county from Montgomery county, they having previously been located for awhile in the Dayton neighborhood, and established their home

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

in Johnson township, not far from the Miami county line, in the early thirties. They were of the Lutheran faith and their children were instructed in the tenets of the same. There were fifteen of these children, of whom the father of the subject of this sketch was the tenth in order of birth. A. J. Brown grew up on the paternal farm in Johnson township and after his marriage established his home there and there he and his wife spent their last days. His wife was Alice Jackson, who was born in Benton county, Indiana, July 8, 1846, daughter of Abraham and Susanna Jackson, both of English stock, who had moved from New Jersey to Indiana and in the latter state died when their daughter, Alice, was but a child. The latter, thus orphaned, came to Ohio to join kinsfolk in this county and grew to woman- hood in Jackson township, where she was living at the time of her mar- riage to Mr. Brown, February 25, 1869. After their marriage they took up their residence on the Brown farm and there established a fine home. for many years being regarded as among the leaders in all good works in that part of the county. Mr. Brown was a Democrat and took an active part in local political affairs and became an influential citizen. He died on May 20, 1916, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. His wife had pre- ceded him a little more than five years, her death having occurred on Janu- ary 22, 1911, she then being in the sixty-fifth year of her age. They were the parents of seven children, five of whom are living, namely: Frank, of St. Paris; Eugene, the subject of this sketch; Clement, who is engaged in the seed and grain business at St. Paris; Ross, who is living on and oper- ating the old home place in Johnson township, and Zella, who is living at Indianapolis, Indiana.

Eugene Brown was reared on the home farm, receiving his element- ary education in the district school in the nieghborhood of that place and supplemented the same by a course in the St. Paris high school from which he was graduated in 1893. He prepared himself for teaching, but did not follow that vocation ; instead, taking a position as a clerk in a grocery and drug store at St. Paris and was thus engaged until the year 1901, when he and W. W. Wiant formed a partnership and engaged in the job-printing business at St. Louis. After the consolidation of the Vezes and the Dispatch Messrs. Brown and Wiant felt that there would be room for another paper at St. Paris and in 1906 they established the Press. Two years later, in 1909, they took over the News-Dispatch and have since conducted that news- paper, which is widely circulated throughout the eastern part of the county and in those sections of the neighboring counties of Miami and Clark. within a trading radius of St. Paris. They have made important additions to the

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

equipment of the printing plant since purchasing the newspaper and have one of the best-equipped newspapers and job-printing establishments in this part of the state. Mr. Brown is a Democrat and has served as a member of the St. Paris school board.

On September 17, 1902, Eugene Brown was united in marriage to Anna Jones, daughter of William and Mary ( McMorran) Jones, and to this union has been born one child, a daughter, Genevieve A. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Baptist church and take a proper part in church work, as well as in the general social activities of their home town, helpful in advancing all worthy causes there. Mr. Brown is a member of St. Paris Lodge No. 344, Knights of Pythias, and is past chancellor commander of the same.

GWYN T. GORDON.

Gwyn T. Gordon, of Urbana, one of Champaign county's most sub- stantial landowners, was born at Chillicothe, this state, March 17, 1855, son and only child of Rufus Hartley and Nancy (Tompkins) Gordon, the for- mer of whom was born in Ross county, this state, not far from Chillicothe, and the latter in Lexington, Kentucky, and the former of whom is still living, now a resident of the state of Texas.

Rufus Hartley Gordon grew to manhood in his home county, receiving his schooling there, and early entered upon a mercantile career, beginning as a clerk in a hardware store, but shortly becoming interested in the firm and after some years of business activity in this state moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he became engaged in business in that same line, as a mem- ber of the W. M. Wyatt Hardware Company, and was thus engaged until his retirement from business some years ago. He is now making his home at Palestine, Texas, at a ripe old age.

Gwyn T. Gordon was but a child when his father moved from this state to St. Joseph, Missouri, and in the latter city he grew to manhood, re- ceiving his schooling in the schools of that city, and early became familiar with the details of the hardware business in his father's store and after awhile engaged in the hardware business on his own account in Nebraska, later moving to Kansas and after some years of business activity in the latter state went East and was engaged in business in Connecticut until 1894, in which year he returned to his native state and located at Urbana, where he has since resided, engaged in the management of several fine pieces

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

of farm property he has acquired in the neighboring counties of Union and Logan.

On October 26, 1881, Gwyn T. Gordon was united in marriage to Mary H. Blickensderfer, who was born near Erie, Pennsylvania, daughter of Nathan and Mary Catherine (Canfield) Blickensderfer, and to this union one child was born, a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Foster Twichell and died in 1914, leaving one child, a daughter, Mary, who is now living with her maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon. The Gordons have a very pleasant home at Urbana and take a proper interest in the general social activities of that city. They are members of the Episcopal church and take a warm interest in church work and in other local good works.

F. A. PENCE.

B. F. A. Pence, one of Champaign county's best-known and most sub- stantial farmers and stockmen and the proprietor of the celebrated "Shade- land Stock Farm" in Jackson township, two and one-half miles southwest of St. Paris, on the Carlisle and Quincy road, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in Johnson township, in the house in which his father also was born, July 17, 1845, son of Allen and Sarah R. (Riker) Pence, who were for years regarded as among the leaders in that part of the county.

Allen Pence was born on a pioneer farm, the place now owned by B. F. Pence, three miles east of St. Paris, January 29, 1819, a son of Isaac Pence and wife, the latter of whom was a Wiant, who came to this county from Virginia in the early days of the settlement of this section of Ohio and here spent their last days, useful and influential pioneers of Johnson township. Isaac Pence was twice married and by his first wife had six children, Alex- ander, Allen, Isaiah, Emanuel, Eliza and Mary, all now deceased. After the death of the mother of these children he married Martha Brown and to that union were born seven children, B. F., James E., John E., Isaac. Charles, Jason and Jennie. Reared on the farm on which he was born, Allen Pence was from the days of his boyhood well trained in the ways of farming, and after his marriage to Sarah R. Riker continued to make his home on the old home place for several years, at the end of which time he moved to a farm one-half mile south of St. Paris, established his home there and there spent the remainder of his life, coming to be regarded as the fore-

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

most citizen of that neighborhood, the owner of seven hundred acres of land and a leader in all public movements. He was one of the first agita- tors in behalf of better roads in that part of Champaign county and the early gravel-road movement had a powerful champion in him. For nine years he was a member of the County Fair board, vice-president of the associa- tion for some time, and did much to promote the interests of agriculture in this county. Politically, he was a Democrat and for some time served as treasurer of his home township. He died on October 29, 1895, and is buried in the Spring Grove cemetery, the beautiful burial ground, the loca- tion of which was first proposed by his wife, who died in 1885, and is also buried there. Allen Pence and wife were the parents of eight children, six of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being George W., a farmer in Jackson township; Winfield S., now a resident of Virginia ; Elizabeth, wife of J. C. Martin, of Dayton, Ohio: Amanda, widow of J. G. Lear Smith, of St. Paris, and Lottie, wife of Wilson Baker, of Urbana. The two deceased members of this family were Mary, who mar- ried James Wiant, and Elnora, who was the wife of T. P. Kite.

B. F. A. Pence was about three years of age when his parents moved from the old Pence place in Johnson township to the farm on the outskirts of St. Paris, and on this latter place he grew to manhood, receiving his schooling in the village schools. From the days of his boyhood he was an active assistant in the labors of the farm and early became not only a good farmer, but an excellent judge of live stock and an intelligent fancier of good horses. He remained on the home farm until after his marriage in the summer of 1867, he then being somewhat under twenty-two years of age, and on March 10, 1868, moved onto the farm on which he is now liv- ing-beautiful "Shadeland Stock Farm," southwest of St. Paris, and has ever since made his home there, he and his family being pleasantly and com- fortably situated. Mr. Pence is the owner of three hundred and twenty- eight acres of splendid land and has one of the best farm plants in the south- western part of the county. He has long given his particular attention to the raising of fine live stock, with particular reference to fine horses and made two trips to Europe for stock to import to his farm, English Shires and Cleveland Bays being his specialty. As was his father, Mr. Pence ever has been an ardent champion of public improvements and has done much to help promote the material development of the county. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of St. Paris and is also a stockholder in the Central National Bank of that place. Politically, Mr. Pence is a Democrat and is now serving as trustee of his home township.

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

On June 12, 1867, B. F. A. Pence was united in marriage to Josephine R. Hill, who was born in Brown township, in the neighboring county of Miami, July 12, 1848, daughter of John and Hannah Hill, and to this union four children have been born, two of whom died in infancy, the others being Georgia M., who studied art in the Ohio Wesleyan College at Delaware, and is now the wife of George Cox, of Oberlin, this state, and Blanche E., also an artist, who has done some fine wood carving and who is at home with her parents. The Pences have a very pleasant home at "Shadeland" and have ever given their proper attention to the general social and cultural activities of the community in which they live, helpful in many ways in pro- moting movements having to do with the advancement of the common wel- fare thereabout.

WILLIAM W. LOVETT.

William W. Lovett, a well-known farmer and the owner of eighty acres of prime land, living in Adams township, Champaign county, was born in that township on May 24, 1871. He is the son of Joshua and Mary A. ( Calland) Lovett, the former of whom was born in Adams township and his wife, who is the daughter of Joseph Calland, was also born in Adams township. Joshua Lovett was a son of Isaac Lovett.

Joshua Lovett and his wife settled on a farm in Adams township, where he farmed in a general way for many years and there they spent the rest of their lives, worthy citizens, respected by all who knew them. They were active members of the United Brethren church and earnestly inter- ested in all its good works. He was a Republican in politics, but had never been a seeker after office. Joshua Lovett was the father of the following children : William W., the subject of this sketch; Samuel K .. a farmer living in Logan county, Ohio: Watson, also of Logan county; Joseph, of Logan county ; Jennie, wife of Charles Rosier, living in Shelby county. Ohio, and Minnie, wife of Charles Reeder, of this township.

William W. Lovett attended the district schools of his home neighbor- hood and worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-one years old. Two years later, on October 4, 1894, he was united in marriage to Laura Miller, who was born in Adams township in 1876; she is the daughter of John and Eliza Miller and was educated in the district schools and in Jack- son Center schools. Mr. and Mrs. Lovett are the parents of two children, Atta, who was graduated from the Rosewood high school, and Jessie. The

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

Lovett family are members of the Christian church at Careysville, Ohio, Mr. Lovett being one of the trustee members of the official board, and he and his wife and children are warmly interested in all good works of the church and neighborhood.

Mr. Lovett is a stanch supporter of the Republican party. His party elected him justice of the peace in and for Adams township, in which office he served for four years. He is interested in the cause of education and served as a member of the school board for some time. He is a member of Rosewood Lodge No. 253, Independent Order of Foresters, and takes much interest in the affairs of that organization. He has a business inter- est in the feed mill and store at Careysville, Ohio, and was actively connected with the store at Careysville, Ohio, for six years, and in all these interests, as well as in the general affairs of the community, he gives of his time and energy without stint.

DENNIS J. SWEENEY.

One of the most promising of the skilled artisans and mechanics of Urbana during the past generation was the late Dennis J. Sweeney, a plumber by trade. He was born at Covington, Ohio, October 8, 1872. He was a son of John and Julia Sweeney, both natives of Ireland, from which country they immigrated to the United States when young and they were married in this country. They subsequently moved to Darke county, Ohio, where they established the family home and lived until 1881, when they removed to Piqua, this state, spending the rest of their lives there. They had a large family, Dennis J. of this memoir, being the second in order of birth.

Dennis J. Sweeney grew to manhood in Piqua and there attended the public schools, and when a young man he took up the plumber's trade, at which he became an expert. When twenty-one years old he located at Greenville. Ohio, where he followed the plumbing business three years with success. Seeking a larger field for the exercise of his talents, he came to Urbana in 1896 and was employed in the plumbing trade by a Mr. Stein- barger until 1902, giving his employer loyal, prompt and satisfactory service in every respect. He saved his earnings and upon severing his connection with Mr. Steinbarger he engaged in the plumbing business for himself. which was successful from the start. He built up one of the largest plumb- ing establishments ever known in Urbana. He carried a full line of up-to-

DENNIS J. SWEENEY.

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

date plumbing material and equipment and maintained a large and modern shop. where all kinds of repair work in this line were promptly and skillfully done. He took many large contracts and turned out some big jobs, doing the plumbing work on many of the best modern homes and business blocks and public buildings in Urbana and other parts of Champaign county.

Mr. Sweeney was married in 1893 to Flora Conrad, a daughter of Silas S. and Kesiah ( Barns ) Conrad. To this union five children were born, namely: Rhea, Margaret. Harold, Owen, and Denise. They are all single and live at home with their mother.

Mr. Sweeney was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He was an independent voter. He belonged to the Catholic church at Urbana, in which he was a trustee and active in church affairs.

J. T. MIDDLETON.

J. T. Middleton, a former teacher in the schools of St. Paris and since 1914 assistant cashier of the First National Bank of that city, is a native of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born in the city of Urbana on December 1. 1884, son of Arthur N. and Allie L. (Tay- lor) Middleton, the latter of whom is still living at St. Paris.

Arthur N. Middleton was born on a pioneer farm near the village of Cable, in Wayne township, this county, son of John and Mary ( Macomber ) Middleton, who came to this state from Kentucky and were among the pioneers of the eastern part of this county: He grew to manhood on the farm there and as a young man was for some years engaged in teaching school, in the meantime giving his leisure to the reading of law and after his marriage began the practice of law in Urbana and was thus engaged at that place until his death on December 23, 1889. His widow, who still sur- vives him, was Allie L. Taylor, born on a farm in Mad River township, this county, June 2, 1861, daughter of Darius and Barbara (Zimmerman ) Taylor, the former of whom was born on that same farm, son of Benjamin and Sarah Taylor, who came to this county from Virginia, driving through in a covered wagon, and settled on the farm in Mad River township, where Mrs. Middleton was born. She later married D. E. Kite, of St. Paris. Her mother, Barbara Zimmerman, also was born in that township, a daughter of John and Barbara ( Costenborder ) Zimmerman, the former of whom also

(5a)

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.

was born in Mad River township, the son of German parents, and the latter of whom was but three years of age when she came to this county from Germany with her parents, the family coming to this county and settling in Mad River township. To Arthur N. Middleton and wife four children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth, the others being as follow : Lulu, who died at the age of six years: Blanche M., wife of L. D. Ward, of Mad River township, this county, and Henry A. Middleton, the latter of whom is now a student in the School of Theology of the Boston University. Henry A. Middleton was graduated from the Cable high school, in the meantime having given his serious atten- tion to the study of law, and then entered the Ohio State University, where he continued his law studies and was afterward engaged in the practice of his profession at Columbus for three years, at the end of which time he decided to take up the gospel ministry and with that end in view entered the School of Theology of the Boston University, where he is now pursu- ing his studies to that end. He married Myrtle Johnson, of Wayne town- ship, this county.

J. T. Middleton was but five years of age when his father died and he was reared on a farm in Mad River township, completing his studies in the high school at Westville. When little more than a boy he began teach- ing school in the district schools of Johnson township and was thus engaged there for four years. He then, when twenty-one years of age, was engaged as a teacher in the graded schools of St. Paris and has since made his home in that city. After teaching there for five years and six months his services were engaged as a bookkeeper in the First National Bank of St. Paris, and he began his connection with that bank in December, 1913. A year later he was made assistant cashier of the bank and has since been serving in that capacity. Mr. Middleton is a Republican and takes an active interest in political affairs.

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History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 6

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