USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 80
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Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Randall, named as follows: Reuben, who married Alta Russell, a farmer in Urbana town- ship; Alonzo A., who married Eva Boyer and they live in Urbana; Emer- son, who is in railroad service, living in Tremont, Ohio, and he married Edna Broadstone; Mary Ethel, wife of Fay Stillings, and they live in Oswego, New York; Mabel Emma, wife of Roy Brown, and they live
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on a farm in Urbana township, this county; George Howard, who lives at home and assists with the farm work.
After his marriage George R. Randall located on a farm in Urbana township, spending the first year on the Knight farm. He then tilled the John Newell place one season, after which he operated the Brooks farm five years, then spent ten years on the McDonald farm. He bought his present farm in 1910, in Urbana township. It consists of fifty-seven acres, on which he is making a comfortable living. Politically, he is a Democrat, and his wife belongs to the United Brethren church.
P. J. BURNHAM.
P. J. Burnham, cashier of the Central Bank of Mechanicsburg, Cham- paign county, was born on a farm in Madison county, Ohio, on July 26, 1852. He received a common school education, which has been greatly supplemented in later years by contact with the world and by wide and mis- cellaneous home reading.
Mr. Burnham has been engaged in the banking business in' Mechanics- burg for the past forty-two years, during which period he has done much toward the general upbuilding of the town and is one of the best known and influential men in Champaign county's financial circles. He first entered the Farmers Bank, and after ten years' faithful service with that institution, he resigned and was appointed assignee of the Mechanicsburg Machine Com- pany. After settling up the business of this firm in a manner satisfactory to all concerned, he organized the Central Bank of Mechanicsburg and has been its cashier for the past twenty-seven years. The bank which is one of the most popular in this section of Ohio, has had a steady and satisfactory growth owing to his judicious counsel and management of its affairs. It has weathered a number of panies and stormy periods in the financial world successfully with Mr. Burnham at the helm. A general banking business is carried on and the bank has a modernly equipped home where everything is managed under the most approved twentieth-century banking methods.
Mr. Burnham has been very successful in a business way and is one of the substantial men of the eastern part of Champaign county. He is financially interested in the leading enterprises of Mechanicsburg. He is a heavy stockholder in both the local banks, also in the gas company and telephone company of his home town. He is also one of the most extensive
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landowners in Goshen township. His farms are well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He has a commodious home in the midst of attractive surroundings.
In February, 1887, Mr. Burnham was married to Laura B. Hunter, and their union has been blessed by the birth of two sons, namely: Vincent, living at Redando Beach, California; and John, who is assisting his father in the Central Bank at Mechanicsburg.
WILLIAM E. WARD.
One of the enterprising young farmers of Urbana township and a veteran of the Spanish-American War is William E. Ward, who has for some time taken more than passing interest in the affairs of Champaign county. He was born in Licking county, Ohio, March 4, 1877, the son of Thomas O. and Helen Elizabeth (Haskell) Ward. The maternal grand- father gave the land on which to establish the Granville Seminary. Thomas O. Ward was born in Licking county, this state and there he grew up and married. He came to Urbana, Ohio, in 1880, and was a car builder in the car shops there for a period of twenty-five years. In 1906 his wife died, and soon after that bereavement he went to Wellsville, Kansas and later to Oklahoma, where he is now living on a farm. He is a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted in 1861 in a Kansas regiment of cavalry, and he served four years in a very creditable manner, taking part in a number of important engagements. He was honorably discharged at the close of hostilities. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Urbana, where he belonged to the First Presbyterian church, in which he was an elder and was very active in church work. His family consisted of three children, namely: Edward, living north of Urbana, a broom maker by trade, who has been twice married, first to Kate Freyhoff, and . secondly to Clara Warren; William E., subject of this biography, and Carrie, the wife of Thad Cox, living in Bellingham, Washington.
William E. Ward grew up on the home farm, acquired his early edu- cation in the common schools in his community, and in the Urbana high school. On April 16, 1898, he enlisted for service in the Spanish-American War, in Company D, Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was sent to Tampa, Florida, where he spent three months. Later he was three months at Fernandina, that state, and also spent three months at Hunts-
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ville, Alabama. He was in training most of the time; but since the war terminated sooner than was expected, he had no opportunity to engage in any of the battles. Returning to Ohio after the war, he was mustered out on November 1, 1898, and honorably discharged. Not long thereafter, he began learning the broom maker's trade, also worked as bill clerk in a broom factory for five years.
On September 15, 1901, Mr. Ward married Mary E. Jones, a daughter of J. W. and Elizabeth Jones, who lived most of their lives in Union town- ship, Champaign county, on a farm. Mr. Jones is now deceased. His family consisted of but two children: Mary E., wife of Mr. Ward, of this sketch, and Pearl V., a son, who is engaged in farming in Urbana town- ship.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ward was born one child, a daughter, Helen Eliza- beth. After his marriage, Mr. Ward located on the Squire Ogden place just east of Urbana, where he spent seven years; then bought the eighty acre farm known as the William Robison place, where he now resides in Urbana township. He has made many improvements in a general way and he has an attractive home. In connection with general farming he makes a specialty of raising Poland-China hogs. He is president of the Urbana Township Community Club and takes a great deal of interest in township affairs. He is now a member of the school board in his district. He is a Republican. He is a member of the Sons of Veterans of Urbana. The Ward family belongs to the Presbyterian church at Urbana, which they attend regularly.
OTWAY C. HUPP.
Otway C. Hupp, a well-known undertaker and dealer in furniture at Mechanicsburg, this county, was born at Mechanicsburg on September 16. 1851, son of Major George W. and Mary J. (Guthridge) Hupp, for many years prominent residents of that city. The former was engaged in busi- ness there from an early day, he having established the business which his son, Otway C. Hupp, has successfully carried on for years.
Major George W. Hupp, whose title was gained through his connection with the Ohio State Militia back in pioneer days, was a native of Virginia, born near Newmarket, in the beautiful Shenandoah valley, February 22, 1813. When he was about seventeen years of age, his father died and his widowed mother later came into Ohio with her family and settled on the
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Mad river, in this county, where she established her home on a farm which the family developed. For fifteen years George W. Hupp remained on that farm and then he moved to Urbana, where he took up the cabinetmaker's trade. After he became proficient in that trade, he moved to Mechanics- burg, where he started a furniture factory, later engaging in the under- taking business in connection with the same. Thus was he engaged until his retirement from business, when he was succeeded by his son, Otway C. Hupp, who has since continued the business, though the manufacturing of furniture long ago was discontinued, since the present needs of the trade in that territory are supplied by a well selected stock of up-to-date furni- ture from the leading factories of the country. Major Hupp retained his farming interest and after his retirement continued to give some attention to the same, though continuing to make his home in Mechanicsburg, where his last days were spent, his death occurring there on February 18, 1904. Major Hupp was twice married. On May 21, 1835, he was united in marriage to Margaret Millice, who died on December 30, 1843, leaving two sons, George W. and Abner C. On July 15, 1844, he married Margaret J. Guthridge, who died on January 12, 1889, and to that union were born five children, of whom Otway C. Hupp was the third in order of birth, the others being Llewellyn J., Albert G., Oscar B. and Nettie. Major Hupp was a Republican, a Mason and a member of the Methodist church and took an earnest interest in political, church and lodge affairs.
Otway C. Hupp completed his schooling in the high school at Marys- ville, from which he was graduated. After leaving school he was engaged in working on his father's farm until he was twenty-eight years of age. when he joined his father in the latter's place of business at Mechanicsburg, giving his personal attention to undertaking. He started in a small way and was compelled to go in debt for his fixtures, but the character of his service quickly brought him prosperity and it was not long until he had paid off his debt and added a small line of furniture. As his business grew Mr. Hupp extended his operations and now has a large brick building of his own, in which he carries a complete line of furniture, and one of the most complete and up-to-date undertaking establishments in the county. Long has he been regarded as one of the leading business men in Mechanicsburg, active and progressive in his methods and a helpful factor in promoting all agencies having to do with the advancement of the general interests of his home town.
In 1878 Otway C. Hupp was united in marriage to Lulu Bates, who also was born in this county, a daughter of Ansel Bates, and to this union
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have been born three children, Wallace, Walter F. and Dollie. Mr. and Mrs. Hupp are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Hupp is a member of the board of stewards of the same. He is a Republican and is now serving as trustee of his home township, giving his most thoughtful attention to this public service. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, with the Knights of Pythias and with the Improved Order of Red Men and in the affairs of all of these organizations takes a warm and active interest.
WILLIAM W. THORNBURG.
William W. Thornburg, farmer of Urbana township, Champaign county, was born in Highland county, Ohio, October 6, 1850. He is a son of Edward and Rachael (Wright) Thornburg, both natives of Highland county, where they grew up, attended school, were married and established their home on the farm, the father becoming one of the leading farmers of that county, owning five hundred acres of good land there. His family consisted of eleven children, namely: Mary, William W., Silas, Matilda, Emma, Fannie, Hattie, Milton and Charles, who are living, and Hannah and Lydia, deceased.
The paternal grandfather was also named William Thornburg. He was a native of North Carolina, from which state he made the long and some- what hazardous overland journey across the mountains to Highland county, Ohio, in 1810 and was thus one of the earliest pioneers in that section of the Buckeye state, remaining there the rest of his life.
William W. Thornburg, of this sketch, grew to manhood on the old home farm in Highland county, where he received a common school edu- cation, later attending Earlham College at Richmond, Indiana. After leav- ing college, he taught school at Clinton, Ohio, one year, then returned home and farmed the home place until 1874. In that year he married and started farming for himself, although remaining on the home place, fifty-three acres of which he bought in 1883. In 1898 he moved to Grant county, Indiana. and took up truck gardening there which he continued five years, then moved to Summit county, Ohio, and bought eighty-eight acres. He farmed there for six years, then moved to Logan county, renting a farm there one year. after which time he purchased the M. B. Saxbe farm, a tract of one hun- dred and seventy-three acres in Urbana township, Champaign county, on
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which place he has since resided. In connection with general farming he raises a large number of Jersey cattle and Jersey Red hogs for the market annually. His place is well improved, including a fifty ton silo.
Mr. Thornburg married Victoria A. Hyatt, a daughter of Amos J. and Martha Hyatt, and to their union ten children have been born, namely : Stella, Ethel, Rachael, Clarence, who married Beda Arnott by whom he has six children: Inez, Bernard, Virgil, Carlyn, William and Marvin; Leo, single; Herbert, married, living in Montana; Clinton, who married Anna Darrow, having one child, Lucile; Carl, at home; Howard, who married Mabel Essman; and Russell, the youngest of the family.
Politically, Mr. Thornburg is an independent voter. He was assessor of his township two years. He belongs to the Friends church in Urbana, and is an elder in the same.
JOHN W. TWAY.
Having worked hard and managed well in his early life, John W. Tway is spending his old age in honorable retirement at Mechanicsburg, Champaign county, enjoying a well earned respite. He was born November 7, 1844, in Bartholomew county, Indiana. When four years old he went to live with his uncle, William Tway of Mechanicsburg, a stockman, who had no sons. The lad rode most of the way from his father's to his uncle's home on horseback behind his uncle, who drove a large herd of cattle from Bartholomew county to Mechanicsburg. The mother of John W. Tway died when he was a small child. He grew to manhood at the home of his uncle in Mechanicsburg, where he received a limited education in the com- mon schools. He proved his patriotism during the Civil War by enlisting on December 16, 1863, in Company K, One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was sent to Georgia and fought under General Thomas, "The Rock of Chickamauga." He was an active participant in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign, and also was at the Chattanooga. During the one hundred days campaign around Atlanta he became very ill and was sent back to Ohio, to the field hospital at Columbus. Upon his recovery he was sent to New York City to help quell riots there. From there he went by ship to North Carolina where he joined the army under General Sherman, at Goldsboro, and marched from there to Washington, D. C., at the close of the war and took part in the Grand Review. He
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was then sent by rail to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and from there he took a boat on the Ohio river to Louisville, where, after spending a short time in camp, he went to Columbus, Ohio, being honorably discharged at the last place named in August, 1865. He had served his country faithfully and well.
After his career in the army Mr. Tway returned to Mechanicsburg, Champaign county, and engaged in farming until 1871. He then conducted a dray line, and later worked in a machine shop where he was badly injured by falling from a third floor. The last years of his active career were spent in the grocery business.
On November 8, 1871, Mr. Tway was married to Loretta Davis, a daughter of Cheney Davis and wife, of Champaign county. To this union two daughters were born, namely: Martha, who married Fred Thompson, a farmer of Goshen township, Champaign county; and Lizzie, who married Raymond Folk, of Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Tway is a stanch Republican, believing implicitly in the doctrines of that political creed. He belongs to Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, Grand Army of the Republic at Mechanicsburg. He is a member of the. Methodist Protestant church.
MICHAEL GANNON.
Michael Gannon, one of the best-known retired railroad men in Urbana, is a native of Ireland, but has been a resident of this country since the days of his young manhood. He was born in County Mayo on September 25, 1835. son of James and Bridget (Monahan) Gannon, both also natives of County Mayo and who spent all their lives there. James Gannon was a well-to-do farmer and he and his wife were the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch is now the only survivor. Reared on a farm, Michael Gannon, after completing his schooling, followed farming in his native land until the year 1863, when he came to this country and proceeded on out to Ohio, locating at Springfield, where he became engaged with the Erie Railroad Company helping in the work of grading the right- of-way from Springfield to Dayton. In 1864 he entered the government employ and was sent South on government construction work, but a short time afterward returned to Ohio and resumed work for the Erie, being stationed at Urbana, and was engaged in the employ of that company, the most of the time as foreman of the local section of the railroad, until 1882,
MR. AND MRS. MICHAEL GANNON.
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after which he worked for the Illinois Car Company at Urbana until his retirement from active labor in 1887, since which time he has been living practically retired, "taking things easy." Mr. Gannon is a Democrat and has ever given his close attention to local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after office.
Mr. Gannon has been twice married. It was in 1868 that he was united in marriage to Mary McLaughlin and to that union eight children were born, James, John, Mary, Kate, Anthony, Margaret, Agnes and Nelle, all of whom are living at Urbana with the exception of James, who is living at Evanston, Illinois, and Margaret, of Springfield, this state, and John, who lives in Chicago, Illinois. The mother of these children died on July 27, 1882, and Mr. Gannon married, secondly, Margaret Kelly, and to this union one child was born, a daughter, Bessie. Mr. and Mrs. Gannon are earnest members of the Catholic church, in the various beneficences of which they take a warm interest, and Mr. Gannon is a member of the Holy Name Society of the local parish. Mrs. Margaret Gannon died on January 25, 1915. Despite the burden of his more than four score years Mr. Gannon is alert and vigorous and retains an active interest in affairs. He is one of the veterans of the railway service hereabout and has many an inter- esting tale to tell of railroading in years gone by.
EDWARD FUDGER.
Edward Fudger, a well-known and substantial retired farmer of this county, now living at Mechanicsburg, where he and his wife are very com- fortably situated, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Goshen township on March 31, 1844, son of Peter M. and Esther (Davis) Fudger, the former of whom was born in the state of New Hampshire and the latter in Franklin county, this state.
Peter M. Fudger was but a boy when he came to this county with his parents from New Hampshire, the family settling on a farm in Goshen township, about three and one-half miles northeast of Mechanicsburg, be- coming substantial pioneers of that neighborhood. Peter M. Fudger grew to manhood in that community and there married and established his home. He became a well-to-do farmer, and there spent his last days, his death occurring in 1896, when he was eighty-two years of age. He was twice (51a)
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married. By his first wife, Esther Davis, he was the father of three chil- dren, Minerva, who married Erastus Guy and is now living in Allen county, this state; Leroy, who died at the age of four years, and Edward, the subject of this biographical sketch. The mother of these children died in 1850, when she was twenty-eight years of age. Peter M. Fudger later married Sophia Perry, to which union three children were born, Alanson, a well-to-do farmer of Goshen township and former county commissioner, who died in 1914; Sarah, wife of Thomas Thompson, of Mechanicsburg, a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume, and Horace M., who is farming the old Fudger farm in Goshen township.
Reared on the home farm in Goshen township, Edward Fudger received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and remained on the farm, a valued aid to his father in the labors of developing and improving the same, until his marriage in the spring of 1883. He then moved to his farm two and one-half miles north of Mechanicsburg, where he established his home and where he remained, actively and successfully engaged in farm- ing, until 1915. In that year he retired from the active labors of the farm and moved to Mechanicsburg, where he has a very pleasant home and where he and his wife are quite comfortably situated. Mr. Fudger is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been a holder of public office.
It was on April 18, 1883, that Edward Fudger was united in marriage to Lina D. Swisher, who also was born in Goshen township, this county. daughter of Joseph and Amanda (Bamberger) Swisher, natives of Penn- sylvania, who came to this county with their respective parents in the days of their youth and grew up and were married in Goshen township. Later Joseph Swisher moved to North Lewisburg and thence to Bellefontaine and is now living at Degraff. For thirty years he was a teacher in the public schools of this county and of Logan county; for some years was recorder of Logan county and later acted as deputy recorder of that county. He is a stanch Republican and is a member of the Methodist church. Joseph Swisher has been twice married. By his first wife, Amanda Bamberger, he had four children: Lina D., wife of Edward Fudger; Argus B., of Marys- ville : Linnie, wife of I. L. Mitchell, of Urbana, and Will B., who is engaged in the insurance business at Newark. After the death of the mother of these children Mr. Swisher married Mrs. Henrietta Scott, a widow, and to this union one child was born, a son. Don B. Swisher, of Columbus.
To Edward and Lina D. (Swisher) Fudger two children have been born, daughters. One of them, Edna Gail, widow of Versailles Middleton.
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now makes her home with her parents in Mechanicsburg, and who has two children, Mildred M. and Harold .V .; the other is Glenna M., who married Joseph M. Coffey, a well-known farmer of Goshen township, and has one child, a son, Carl Edward. Mr. and Mrs. Fudger have ever given proper attention to the general social activities of their home community and have been helpful in promoting good works thereabout.
SAMUEL METZ.
The late Samuel Metz, who, at the time of his death in the fall of 1915, was one of the best-known and most substantial farmers of Salem township, this county, was a native of the old Keystone state, but had been a resident of this state since 1867 and of Champaign county since 1876, in which year he settled on a farm in Salem township, where he spent the remainder of his life. There he was one of the useful and influential resi- dents of that community.
Samuel Metz was born on a farm in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and there grew to manhood. There he married Eliza Heading, who also was born in that county, and in 1867 he and his wife came to Ohio and located in Wayne county. A year later they moved down into Champaign county and settled on a farm in Salem township. Not long afterward Samuel Metz bought a tract of one hundred and eighty-four acres in that township and there established his home. Prosperity having smiled upon his operations, he improved his farm, and at the tme of his death on Novem- ber 1, 1915, it was considered among the well-improved and profitably culti- vated farms of the township. At present the farm is being operated by his sons, Andrew and Milroy Metz, two of the most progressive young farmers in that part of the county.
Samuel Metz was twice married. His first wife, Eliza Heading, died in 1883, at the age of forty-two years, and he then married Addie Wise, who also was born in Pennsylvania, and who died in July, 1896. By his first wife, Samuel Metz was the father of seven children, namely: Alice, who married James Robinson, a well-known farmer of Salem township; Harry, also a farmer of Salem township and a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume: William, deceased; Andrew, who, with his brother, Milroy, is operating the old home place; Lewis, a coal dealer at West Liberty ; Ida May, who died in her girlhood, and Milroy.
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who with his brother Andrew is engaged in farming the old home place. In 1911, Milroy Metz was united in marriage to Lena Mae Ream, a daughter of William Ream, of this county, and to this union two children have been born, Orpha Naomi and Franklin Waldo.
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