USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 82
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active part in the Ohio State County Commissioners Association and has served as a member of the executive and finance committee of the same. He also has served as vice-president of the local anti-tuberculosis association of Madison, Clark, Green and Champaign counties, and in other ways has given of his time and energies to the public service.
On October 17, 1890, William H. Hunt was united in marriage to Jen- nie McLaren, who was born in Morrow county, this state, December 24, 1870, and to this union two children have been born, Florence E., born on August 31, 1895, who is now a student in Denison University, and Louise, March 31, 1903, now a student in the Mechanicsburg high school. The Hunts are members of the Methodist Protestant church and have for years taken an interested part in church work and in other local good works. Mr. Hunt is a member of Mechanicsburg Lodge No. 113, Free and Accepted Masons, and also of Homer Lodge No. 474, Knights of Pythias, at Mechan- icsburg, and is past chancellor commander of the latter lodge. For years he has taken a warm interest both in Masonic and Pythian affairs.
THOMAS LYNN JOHNSON.
The year 1803, two years before Champaign county was organized, saw the first members of the Johnson family locating in the county. In this volume is given a very interesting review of the family from the time its first members came here and located in the Mingo valley in Wayne township, and the reader is referred to that sketch for a detailed history of the family, as a whole, during its connection with the county for the past one hundred and fourteen years. One of the several members of the family who left the county of their nativity and went forth into the world to make a name for themselves, is Thomas Lynn Johnson, now a practic- ing attorney of Cleveland, Ohio.
Thomas L. Johnson, a son of Alfred and Ann Elizabeth (Stone) John- son, was born in the Mingo valley of Champaign county on May 29, 1855. The father was born on the same farm, June 10, 1817. and died there on September 9. 1905; the mother was born in Perry county, Ohio, Sep- tember 21, 1829, and died at Marion, Ohio, June 28, 1917. The complete genealogy of the family, as above stated, is given elsewhere in this volume.
Thomas L. Johnson was reared on his father's farm and spent his boyhood days in a manner similar to all boys reared on the farm. He
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attended the rural schools and then entered the National Normal School, at: Lebanon, Ohio, graduating therefrom with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He at once became a student at Boston University, Boston, Mass- achusetts, where he took up the study of law, graduating in due course of time with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was then twenty-four years of age, a graduate of one of the leading law schools of the country, and ready to begin the practice of his chosen profession. The question was where should he locate.
After looking over the situation from every angle, he concluded to begin his legal practice in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Accordingly, the year 1879 found him located there, being admitted to the bar in that city in the same year. At first he devoted himself to general practice, but as the years went by, he gradually became more interested in corporation and insurance law. During the past few years, he has given the major portion of his time to "Trade Marks" and "Unfair Competition." He prac- ticed alone until 1900, in which year he became a member of the firm of White, Johnson & Cannon. In 1914 the firm was enlarged by the addition of C. A. Neff, and since that year the firm has been White, Johnson, Cannon & Neff. The offices of the firm are in the Williamson Building.
The career of Mr. Johnson as a lawyer has been one of quiet and undeviating devotion to his profession. He has never cared to take an active part in political affairs, although, as a citizen interested in good gov- ernment, he has always been ready to co-operate in measures looking toward better civic conditions. For this reason, he prefers to class himself as an independent voter with Republican tendencies. He is a member of the Cleveland and the American Bar Associations, and for two years, 1912-1914, he was president of the former. In addition to his legal activities, he finds time to be a director in several corporations and is a stockholder in about a dozen more.
Mr. Johnson was first married to Isabelle Wilder, who was born at Medina, Ohio, April 13, 1856, and died October 27, 1900. To this marriage was born one son, Roy Wilder Johnson. The son was born at Cleveland on March 4, 1882, and after completing the work in the public schools of his home city, became a student in Dummer Academy, South Byfield, Mass- achusetts. He completed his education by graduating from Harvard Uni- versity and then started out in newspaper and magazine work after leaving college. For a time he was on the editorial staff of Printers' Ink, New York City, but he severed his connection with this magazine in February, 1917.
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to enter business as a trade mark adviser and expert. He maintains offices at 32 Nassau street, New York City. Roy W. Johnson was married to Josephine Summer, a daughter of John L. Summer of Marysville, Ohio. They have two children, aged six and four. Their home is in New Rochelle, New York.
Thomas L. Johnson was married a second time on February 20, 1912, at Springfield, Ohio, to Stella Reid Crothers, a daughter of W. B. and Martha Reid, of Jackson, Michigan.
JOHN HENRY BATDORF.
John Henry Batdorf, one of Champaign county's best-known and most substantial retired farmers and merchants, now living at St. Paris, where he has extensive property interests, a member of the board of directors of the Central National Bank of St. Paris, and in other ways identified with the business interests of that city, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Johnson township on December 13, 1839, son of Samuel and Susanna (Neff) Batdorf, promi- nent and influential residents of that township, whose last days were spent there.
Samuel Batdorf was born in the state of Pennsylvania and came to this state with his parents in the days of his youth, the family settling in John- son township, this county. There his father, John Batdorf, bought a farm about a mile and a half west of St. Paris, established his home there and there spent the remainder of his life, a substantial pioneer of that commu- nity. Samuel Batdorf married Susanna Neff, a resident of the Dayton neighborhood, and established his home in Johnson township, where, in addition to his general farming he became extensively engaged in the buying and selling of livestock and became a quite well-to-do citizen. He also was an auctioneer and crier of public sales and in that capacity became one of the best-known men in this section of the state. He was cut down in the very midst of his activities, being killed by a train, caught at the railway crossing on his way home from St. Paris one day. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, three of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, David Batdorf, a well-known farmer of Jackson township, this county, and Samuel M. Batdorf, a manufacturer of brick and tile at Burlington. Kansas. The deceased members of the family
MR. AND MRS. JOHN H. BATDORF.
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were Mary, who was the wife of Samuel Bolinger; Elizabeth, who died unmarried: Susanna, who died in 1916, was the wife of Frank Snapp; Elmira, who was the wife of Asa Brelsford, and Isabel, also deceased.
John H. Batdorf was reared on the home farm west of St. Paris, re- ceiving his schooling in the public schools, and remained at home, a valued assistant in the labors of the home farm, until after his marriage in 1864, when he established his home on an eighty-acre farm he had bought in Jack- son township, and there he lived until November 16, 1887, when he retired from the farm and moved to St. Paris, where he engaged in the dry-goods business in a partnership, under the firm name of Mitchell & Batdorf, and was thus quite successfully engaged until his retirement from business in March, 1903, since which time he has occupied his time looking after his various property interests in St. Paris and other business interests he has acquired meantime, never having ceased his business activities, despite his nominal retirement. Mt. Batdorf was one of the organizers of the Central National Bank of St. Paris and is a member of the board of directors of the same. The history of that bank, together with its present officiary, is set out at length in another place in this work. Mr. Batdorf also is a mem- ber of the board of directors of the Farmers and Merchants Telephone Company and has done much to extend the telephone service throughout this part of the state during his connection with that company. He is the owner of several business buildings, besides other real estate, in St. Paris, and is one of the well-to-do citizens of that town, in the affairs of which he ever has taken a warm interest. Mr. Batdorf is a Democrat and during the time of his residence in Jackson township served for some time as assessor of that township.
On October 27, 1864, John H. Batdorf was united in marriage to Johanna Bowersock, who was born in Adams township, this county, Sep- tember 26, 1843, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Cory) Bowersock, the former of whom was born near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the latter, near Dayton, this state, and who moved from Adams township to St. Paris in 1859 and there spent their last days, Mrs. Bowersock dying on December 25, 1879, and Mr. Bowersock, March 25, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Batdorf have two sons, William H., born on August 30, 1865, who married Jennie Pence and now lives at Columbus, this state, and Frank C., May 18, 1867, who married Susanna Brown and is engaged in the dry-goods business at St. Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Batdorf are members of the Baptist church, of (52a)
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which he is a member of the board of trustees and a deacon. He has been active in church work and has helped to build two churches, having been a member of the building committee at the time of the erection of the Baptist church at St. Paris and a member of a similar committee at the time of the erection of the Myrtle Tree Baptist church.
FRED L. WILKINS.
The farmer has a chance to enjoy life to a greater extent than any other, for reasons that are too obvious to be enumerated in detail. Knowing this, Fred L. Wilkins, of Salem township, Champaign county, has been content to spend his life amid rural scenes. He was born in Belmont county. Ohio, October 21, 1869. He is a son of Howard and Rebecca (Martin ) Wilkins, both natives of Virginia, in which state they grew up and married. later establishing their home in Belmont county, Ohio, where they continued to reside until 1880 when they moved to Champaign county and settled in Salem township on a farm. Howard Wilkins devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits. He voted the Republican ticket and took an active interest in the affairs of his neighborhood. His death occurred on February 23, 1903. His widow, however, is still living, making her home among her children, of whom there are eight in number, named as follows: William G., a retired farmer of Kennard, Ohio; James W., also a retired farmer of Kennard; Maggie, wife of J. T. Woodruff, of Salem township, Cham- paign county ; Minerva, who married C. S. Unkerfer, of Salem township: Fred L., of this sketch; Dora, wife of I. J. Kauffman, a farmer of Salem township; Annie, who married E. B. Thomas and lives in Salem township: Charles G., who married Ethel Powell, living in Salem township.
Fred L. Wilkins grew up on the home farm in Salem township, where he was educated in the common schools. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-two years old. On November 8, 1892, he mar- ried Maggie Sheehe, born at Mingo, Ohio, May 7, 1876, a daughter of Michael and Catherine (McGraw) Sheehe, both natives of Ireland, from which country, they came to America while young. They were married in this country and settled in Mingo, Ohio. Mr. Sheehe was a mason by trade, but devoted most of his later life to farming, his death occurring in 1878 and that of his wife in April, 1910.
After his marriage Mr. Wilkins located at Mingo, Ohio, where he
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worked out by the day for two years, at the end of which time he moved to Wayne township, Champaign county, where he engaged in farming until 1900, then moved to Salem township, locating on the I. B. Thomas farm, where he has since resided. During his residence here of sixteen years, he has made a success as a general farmer and stock raiser, feeding each year a large number of cattle and hogs. He farms two hundred and eighteen acres.
To Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins ten children have been born, namely: Walter M., born on November 18, 1895, married Edith Howison, farming with his father in Salem township; Wilbur M., born July 18, 1898; Lillian R., March 24, 1901; Linnie F., August 23, 1903; Howard F., September 24, 1905; Arthur T., December 19, 1907; Roy J., May 15, 1910; John, May 8, 1912; Raymond, October 2, 1914; and Norma May, born July 27, 1894. and died, August 18, 1894.
Politically, Mr. Wilkins is a Republican, and in the principles and doctrines of which party is a strong believer. He has served the community in an official way, being a member of the school board in Wayne township. He and his wife are members of the Friends church, where they are regular attendants.
JOHN M. ALCOTT.
John M. Alcott, farmer, of Harrison township, Champaign county, was born on a farm in Liberty township, Logan county, Ohio, November 4, 1873. He is a son of John T. and Jane (Secrist) Alcott. The father was born on the old home farm in Liberty township, Logan county, in 1836, where his parents were pioneer settlers. He devoted his life to farming. and died in 1874. He had only two children, George A., who is farming on the old homestead, and John M., of this sketch. After the death of John T. Alcott, his widow married D. S. Pool and they established their home at Bellefontaine, Ohio.
John M. Alcott was reared on the home farm, and he attended the district schools in Logan county. He was only nine months old when his father died, and he remained with his mother until he was twenty-five years old, assisting in supporting the family. He has devoted his life to general farming and now owns a well kept and productive tract of eighty acres in Harrison township, where he has resided since 1899.
Mr. Alcott was married on September 21, 1898, to Gertrude Clark.
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a native of Union township, Logan county, where she grew to womanhood and attended school. To their union two daughters have been born, twins, Irene and Imogene, the date of whose birth was January 6, 1900. They are now attending high school at West Liberty.
Politically, Mr. Alcott is a Republican. . He is prominent in lodge cir- cles, belonging to Mad River Lodge No. 196, Free and Accepted Masons, and also to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at West Liberty, in which lodge he is the present noble grand. He belongs to Bellefontaine Chapter No. 60, Royal Arch Masons, and he and his wife are members of the Order of Eastern Star at West Liberty.
MAJOR JOSEPH C. BRAND.
In the memorial annals of Champaign county there are few names held in better remembrance than that of Major Joseph C. Brand, former member of the state Legislature from this district, an honored veteran of the Civil War, a consular officer in Europe during the Grant admin- istration, clerk of the common pleas and district courts of this district at the time of the adoption of the new state constitution and for many years one of the most active and influential business men in Urbana.
Major Joseph C. Brand was a native of Kentucky, but had been a resident of this county since the days of his young manhood, having located at Urbana in 1830. His grandfather, Dr. James Brand, was a native of Scotland and was graduated from the Edinburgh Medical University about 1756, after which he came to this country and located at Frederick City, Maryland, where he practiced his profession for a number of years, at the end of which time he moved to Ringold's Manor and thence to Augusta county, Virginia, where he died at the age of ninety-six years. Dr. James Brand was the father of several children, one of whom, Thomas Brand. father of the Major, was born in Maryland and with his parents moved to Virginia, where he remained until 1808, in which year he went to Ken- tucky and was there married to Fannie Carter, who also was born in Mary- land and who had moved to Kentucky with her parents in the days of her childhood. Of the eight children born to that union Major Brand was the eldest. He received an excellent education in Kentucky and for a time followed teaching there and then, in 1830, came up into Ohio and located at Urbana, where he became engaged in the drug business with his
JOSEPH C. BRAND.
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uncle, Dr. Joseph S. Carter, and was thus engaged until the time of his marriage in 1832, when he moved to Mechanicsburg and there became en- gaged in mercantile business in association with Dr. Obed Horr; remain- ing there until 1837, in which year he bought a farm on Buck creek and was there engaged in farming until 1851, when he returned to Urbana, established his home there and there continued to reside until his death, with the exception of the time spent in the army and the time spent in the foreign consular service.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War Major Brand was one of the active factors in obtaining the order for the creation of the gallant Sixty- sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and assisted industriously in re- cruiting and organizing that regiment, and served with that command until it finally was mustered out, a period of three years and ten months. He was promoted in service from captain to the position of commissary of subsistence of volunteers and saw much active service, his command being present at and participating in many of the most notable engagements of the war, and he was present at the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. He was mustered out at the end of the war with the brevet title of major, "for distinguished service during the war," and upon the completion of his military service returned to Urbana. Not long afterward he was ap- pointed by President Grant United States consul at Nuremberg, Bavaria, and with his wife and two daughters made his residence in that city for three years.
Major Brand was an ardent Republican and ever took an active part in local civic affairs. He filled several county offices at one time and another and represented this district in both the House and the Senate of the Ohio state Legislature, serving on important committees in both houses during that important period of service. He also took an active part in the gen- eral business affairs of the community and his energy and public spirit did much toward promoting a better business condition hereabout in his day. He was a member of the board of directors of the old Atlantic & Great Western Railroad Company and took an active part in the establish- ment of the road through this part of the country. In the trying days pre- ceding the Civil War he was a valued contributor to the abolition move- ment and took a no small part in the operation of the "underground rail- road" in this part of the state, in that capacity taking active participation in what came to be locally celebrated as the "Greene county rescue case," an incident arising out of the arrest of several Champaign county men who had expressed sympathy for a fugitive slave named Addison White
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and who were rescued from the custody of a United States marshal while en route through Greene county for Cincinnati, further and more detailed reference to which incident is made in the historical section of this work. Major Brand was an earnest Methodist and he and his wife were ever leaders in local good works.
As noted above, it was in 1832 that Major Brand was united in mar- riage to Lavina Talbot, who was born at Shepherdstown, Virginia, and to that union nine children were born, namely: Thomas T., a captain in the Union army during the Civil War, who was retired on account of wounds received at the battle of Chickamaugua; Joseph C., who became deputy collector and chief clerk in the United States revenue service, with head- quarters at Bellefontaine; William A., for many years co-editor with Joshua Saxton of the Citizen and Gazette at Urbana, and postmaster of Urbana at the time of his death; Belle, wife of William R. Ross; Mary, wife of Rev. E. D. Whitlock; John F .; Ella, wife of Charles A. Ross, of Urbana, and Ellen and Irva, who died in young womanhood.
WILLIAM H. HILL, D. V. S.
Dr. William H. Hill, the well-known veterinary surgeon living at Chris- tiansburg, this county, is a native of that village, his birth having occurred there on August 15, 1857, the son of Henry and Mary (Benton) Hill. both of whom were natives of England.
Henry Hill was born in Derbyshire, England, in December, 1828, and grew to maturity in that country, receiving his education in the English schools. After reaching manhood he learned the trade of a shoemaker, and there he married Mary Benton, who was born in Cambridgeshire in October, 1828. One daughter was born to them while still living in Eng- land, and soon afterward they came to the United States, locating first at Piqua, Ohio, where they lived a few years, after which they removed to Christiansburg, this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives his death occuring on April 21, 1887, while his widow survived him twelve years, her death occurring on April 20, 1899. They were the parents of eight children, seven of whom grew to maturity, but only six of whom are now living: Eliza G., widow of Charles Garver, of DeGraff, Ohio; Alice Jane, deceased, who was the wife of Judson J. Long, also deceased, formerly residents of Christiansburg; Charles A., who is engaged in business in
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Christiansburg; William H., the immediate subject of this review; John and Harry, both of Christiansburg; one who died in infancy, and Frank of Spring Hills, Ohio. Henry Hill and wife were earnest and faithful mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for years he was identified with the lodge of Odd Fellows in Christiansburg. In politics he was a Democrat, firm in his belief of the principles of that party, and was always an enthusiastic and influential worker for the cause of prohibition. For many years he was engaged in the shoe business in Christiansburg, also carrying on an extensive trade in the tree and nursery business.
William H. Hill was reared in the village of Christiansburg, receiving his education in the public schools of that place and in the Normal school at Lebanon, Ohio. After leaving school he taught school for a period of seven years, two years in Christiansburg and vicinity, and it was while thus engaged that he became interested in veterinary work, making an exhaustive study of animal diseases and their treatment, and promptly be- came a practitioner, in which he has been very successful and has acquired a large and lucrative patronage in this vicinity.
On November 21, 1889, William H. Hill was married to Lola M. Merritt, daughter of William and Tabitha (West) Merritt, and to this union one son was born, Herman M., born on May 11, 1891, who died on April 2, 1903.
Mr. Hill's parents were descendants of some of the early pioneers of Champaign county, her father, William Merritt, being born in this county; July 16, 1828, his parents coming in an early day from Virginia. Tabitha West, mother of Mrs. Hill, was born in Jackson township, this county, and was a daughter of John W. West, a very prominent man in the county in the early days. He was a Republican in politics, and always active in the councils of his party and served the county as sheriff for a number of years, his portrait now hanging on the walls of the sheriff's office in the court house at Urbana. William Merritt was a man of quiet and unassuming demeanor, conservative in his judgment, and well known and highly esteemed in his community. He and his wife were the parents of three daughters : Laura B., wife of Charles Gruver, of Troy, Ohio; Lola M., wife of Doctor Hill, and Elizabeth, wife of L. D. Baker, of New York City.
Doctor Hill is a member of Mt. Olivet Lodge No. 226, Free and Accepted Masons, and of St. Paris Chapter No. 85, Royal Arch Masons, while both he and his wife hold membership in Diamond Chapter No. 84, Order of the Eastern Star. The Doctor is a Democrat in politics and takes
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