USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 94
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JOHN W. SIDDERS.
John W. Sidders, farmer, of Salem township, this county, was born on June 19, 1856, in Hunterdon county, New Jersey. He is a son of James and Sarah (Robbins) Sidders, both also natives of Hunterdon county, where they grew up and married. In 1867 they came to Ohio and bought a farm on the state road, five miles north of Urbana, in Salem township, Champaign county, the place consisting of one hundred and twenty-seven acres, and there they engaged in farming the rest of their lives, the father dying at the age of seventy-five and the mother when sixty-seven years old. They were members of the Presbyterian church at West Liberty. Their family consisted of twelve children, namely: George, now deceased, who married Ada J. Parke, who lives in Salem township; Alice, widow of Eli Glover, who now lives in Nebraska; John W., the subject of this sketch; Sylvester R., now deceased, who lived in Nebraska and married Jennie Case ; Elizabeth, wife of Dr. John H. Wolf, of DeGraff, Ohio; Annie, wife of Orin R. Tritt, a banker of Urbana; Charity, wife of Ellery Robbins, of Trenton, New Jersey; Jersey Belle, who died when fourteen years of age; James, who is farming in Logan county, Ohio; Mary, who died in infancy ; J. M., who lives in Harrison township, this county, a farmer, and D. L., who is farming in Salem township and who married Hattie Croft.
John W. Sidders grew to manhood on the home farm and he attended the rural schools in his district, remaining with his parents until he was twenty years old, when he started out for himself, farming in Harrison town- ship for seven years. In 1884 he went to Hamilton county, Nebraska, and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, for which he paid fifteen dollars an acre. He became very active in Democratic politics there. He put up a house, barn and two wind-mills and other necessary improvements and lived there fifteen years, hail storms and drouths finally ruining him, and he lost all he had, but he persevered in the face of difficulties and subse- quently made enough to buy the old home place in Salem township, this county, paying one hundred dollars per acre for one hundred acres. Return- ing here in 1907 he has operated the place to the present time, keeping it well improved and well cultivated.
Mr. Sidders has been twice married, first, in 1877, to Sarah V. Thomas, of Salem township. To that union five children were born, namely: Harry Clifford, of Lincoln, Nebraska, now in the employ of the International Har- vester Company and who was elected county auditor of Hamilton county,
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Nebraska, fifteen days after he was twenty-one years of age; Lelah Elenore, who taught school four years and worked as a stenographer four years and married Bert Miller and lives in Urbana ; Claude Thomas, who was a cham- pion wrestler for many years and is now farming at Lodge Pole, Nebraska; Sarah Mary, who married Harry Saxby and lives in Urbana, and James, who is farming in Salem township. The mother of the above-named chil- dren passed away in April, 1907, and in November, 1916, Mr. Sidders mar- ried Catherine Minnich, widow of John Minnich. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She owns fifty-five acres in Salem township, six miles north of Urbana, where the family now resides. Politically, Mr. Sidders is a Democrat. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
HARDEN HALL.
One of the enterprising and successful farmers of Adams township, who has lived in the county all his life, is Harden Hall, living on his farm of sixty-five acres located on the DeGraffe and St. Paris pike about seven miles northeast of St. Paris, on rural route, No. 4. He was born on the old Hall homestead in Adams township, where his brother, Sheppard Hall, now lives, on November 18, 1840, the son of German and Ruth (Newcomb) Hall, a sketch of whose lives appears elsewhere in this work in the sketch of Sheppard Hall. German Hall came as a small child from Virginia with his parents, John Hall and wife, who settled on a farm about one and one- half miles east of where Harden Hall now lives, in Concord township, and here John Hall lived the remainder of his life. German Hall was reared on this farm and after reaching manhood, married Ruth Newcomb, who was born and reared in Adams township, this county. German Hall and wife were the parents of ten children, six of whom are living: Henry, living in Starke county, Indiana ; Harden, of this review; Joel, a resident of Logan county, Ohio; Liza Ann, the wife of Thomas Wirt, a farmer of Adams town- ship: Oliver, living in Whitley county, Indiana, and Sheppard, who is men- tioned elsewhere in this work.
Harden Hall was reared to the life of a farmer, receiving his education in the district schools of his home township, and lived on the home farm until his marriage. He then started farming for himself by renting land in Adams township, but after a few years, he purchased the farm of sixty- five acres where he is now living, and has since made his home. He is a
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general farmer and stockman, and progressive and up to date in his methods.
On February 18, 1864, Harden Hall was united in marriage to Mary Ann McAlexander, the daughter of David and Elizabeth ( Idle) McAlexan- der, who were pioneer farmers of the county. To this union four children were born: Joseph, a farmer of Adams township; Elmer, living at home ; Lizzie, the wife of Sylvester Harris, a farmer living in Harrison township, and Bessie, living at home. The mother of these children died on March 24, 1913. She was a faithful and consistent member of the United Brethren church, in which church her husband still holds membership. Mr. Hall is a Democrat in politics, but has never been active in political matters, although always ready to lend his warm support to all measures having for their object the betterment of his community.
HENRY PAGE WILSON.
Henry P. Wilson, a farmer of Concord township, this county, was born in Salem township, June 3, 1853, a son of Ebenezer and Lucinda (Muzzy) Wilson. The father was born in Harrison township, this county, March 10, 1821. He was a son of Joseph and Eleanor (Fullengton) Wilson, who came to Ohio in pioneer days, locating in Harrison township, and there they spent the rest of their lives. He was first a Whig, later a Republican. He belonged to the Presbyterian church, in which he was an elder, an active worker and liberal contributor. His family consisted of the following chil- dren : Miles, Henry, Ebenezer, Joseph, James F., Eliza J., and Ellen. All these children but the eldest were born after the family came to Cham- paign county.
Ebenezer Wilson was reared on the farm in Harrison township. He was a son of Joseph Wilson and his first wife. The father was married a second time and the following children were born to his last union: Nancy, Thomas, Sarah, Mary, Price and David. Ebenezer Wilson was married in Salem township, and nine children were born to him, three of whom are living in 1917, namely: Henry Page, the subject of this sketch; Jennie, who has remained unmarried and lives in Urbana, and Nellie, also single, who also lives in Urbana.
Henry P. Wilson was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools until he was nineteen years old. He remained on the farm. assisting his father with the work on the same until he was married, in
MR. AND MRS. HENRY PAGE WILSON.
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March, 1877, to Harriet E. Couchman, by whom he had four children, namely : Frank Earl, born on January 28, 1879, who married Edna Craig and is now living on a farm in Salem township, this county; Lucinda E., who married Leroy Craig and who died in 1910; Blanche, also deceased. and Helen, also deceased. Mrs. Harriet E. Wilson died on January 22, 1903, and in August, 1904, Mr. Wilson married Alta Delma Fidler, by whom one child was born, which died in infancy.
Mr. Wilson has been very successful as a general farmer. He owns one-third interest in a two-hundred-and-forty-acre farm, also owns two- thirds interest in another farm of one hundred and ten acres in Salem town- ship. He raises graded stock of all kinds.
Mr. Wilson is a Republican. He belongs to Urbana Lodge No. 46, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the Methodist church of Concord, of which he is treasurer and a member of the official board. He has been active in politics and is now serving his second term as trus- tee of Concord township. He also has served on the school board and on the county fair board, of which latter organization he was for twenty years treasurer.
GEORGE F. GOUL.
George F. Goul, proprietor of a well-kept farm of seventy-nine acres in Goshen township, this county, the same being situated three and one-half miles north of Mechanicsburg on the Mechanicsburg and Bellefontaine pike, rural route No. I out of Mechanicsburg, was born on that farm and has lived there all his life. He was born on April 25, 1857, son of John and Susan (Coffinbarger) Goul, the former of whom was born in this county and the latter in the state of Maryland.
John. Goul was born on what is now the James Perry farm, two and a half miles northwest of Mutual, in Union township, in 1833, a son of Christopher Goul and wife, the former of whom was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, September 6, 1804, and who was but a boy when he came to Champaign county with his parents, Adam and Elizabeth Goul, who became useful and influential pioneers of Goshen township. Adam Goul was of European birth and was but eleven years of age when he departed from his native land with his parents, the family's destination being the shores of America. Both of the parents and a daughter died en route and were buried at sea. Young orphaned Adam landed at the port of Philadelphia and
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was there temporarily cared for, and "bound out," later going to Virginia. He grew to manhood in Rockbridge county and there married, later coming with his family to Champaign county, as noted above, and settling in Goshen township, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives and where they are buried. Christopher Goul was reared on the pioneer farm in Goshen township and after his marriage settled in the Mutual neighborhood in Union township, where he reared his family and spent his last days. His son John grew up there and married Susan Coffinbarger, who was born in 1835 in the state of Maryland, where her father died, leaving a widow and five children, two sons and three daughters. Later the Widow Coffinbarger came with her children to Ohio, driving through with a covered wagon, Susan then being but twelve years of age, and settled with her little family in this county. After his marriage John Goul for a time made his home on his father's farm, which is still in the possession of the family, and then, about 1862, moved to a farm in Union township, remaining there for several years, at the end of which time. he moved back to the old home farm, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on December 11, 1909. During the latter part of the Civil War John Goul enlisted as a member of Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with that command for three months. He was a Republican and he and his wife were active members of the Methodist church, he for many years acting as class leader of the local congregation. To John Goul and wife five children were born, two sons and three daugh- ters, of whom but two are now living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Walter S. Goul, now a resident of Springfield, Ohio. Of the dangh- ters, Isabel R. died at the age of twenty-one years, Ella died in infancy and Parthenia died when eight or ten years of age.
George F. Goul was reared on the farm, receiving his schooling in the schools of Union and Goshen townships, and remained at home until his marriage in 1882, when he and his wife started to housekeeping in a little log house on the farm on which they are now living and which presently was taken away to make place for their present substantial farm house, and they ever since have resided there. Mr. Goul is the owner of seventy-nine acres of excellent land and his place is well improved and profitably culti- vated. He is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, but has never been particularly active in "politics." He and his wife are members of the Treckles Creek Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest in church affairs, Mr. Goul being a member of the board of trustees of the same and for several years clerk of the board.
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On February 23, 1882, George F. Goul was united in marriage to Olive Ann Wynant, who was born in Madison county, Indiana, daughter of Will- iam and Mary (Goul) Wynant, the former a native of the state of Virginia and the latter of Ohio, whose last days were spent in Indiana. William Wynant was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1811 and when a young man came with his parents to Ohio, the family settling in this county, whence he presently went over into Indiana and in Madison county, that state, met and married Mary Goul, who was born in Ohio, but who had gone to Indiana with her parents when but a girl. After their marriage William Wynant and his wife settled on a farm in Madison county, Indiana, there reared their family and spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of four children, two of whom died in infancy, the others still sur- viving, Mrs. Goul having a sister, Zilpha, wife of Granville Smith, of Pendle- ton, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Goul have an adopted daughter, Rosa E., who married Bailey Vermillion, of Springfield, Ohio, and has three children. George R., Samuel E. and James Daniel, besides one child, a daughter, Margaret O., deceased.
JOHN E. STABLER.
One of the enterprising farmers living in Adams township is John E. Stabler, the owner and proprietor of a fine farm of sixty-four acres located on the Rosewood-Quincy pike, on rural route. No. I, out of Quincy, one and one-half miles due north of Rosewood, Mr. Stabler was born in this town- ship on a farm about a half mile west of his present home on December 2. 1872, the son of C. G. and Catherine (Pencil) Stabler, the former of whom was a native of Germany, and the latter of Ohio.
C. G. Stabler was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, and lived in that country until he reached the age of seventeen or eighteen years, when he came to the United States, coming direct to the village of Degraff, in Ohio, looking for an uncle of his who had previously emigrated to this country. At that time Degraff consisted of a few straggling houses, and the country surrounding it only very sparsely settled. Mr. Stabler found his uncle for whom he was looking, in Logan county, Ohio, and remained with him for a short time, when he came down into Champaign county, where he met and married Catherine Pencil, who was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, her parents being of German ancestry. 'After his marriage C. G. Stabler located
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on the farm where John E. Stabler was born, and where he is now living. and here they made their home for many years. C. G. Stabler is still living on the old home place, his wife having passed away some years ago. To them were born five children, four of whom are living: Mary B., the wife of B. S. Young, of Rosewood; Barbara, who died at the age of twenty years ; William, a farmer of Adams township: Frank, also a resident of Adams township, and John E. The family were earnest and faithful mem- bers of the Lutheran church at Sidney, Ohio.
John E. Stabler was reared to the life of a farmer, receiving his edu- cation in the district schools of his home township. After reaching manhood he started out in life for himself by renting land in Adams township, which he farmed for two years, after which he purchased the old home farm in 1892, and has since made this his home. He is a progressive and up-to-date farmer and is making a success of his chosen calling.
On July 2, 1899, John E. Stabler was married to Minnie E. Scoby, the daughter of Thomas Scoby and wife. Mrs. Stabler was born in Shelby county, Ohio, near Pasco, and grew to womanhood in that county, making her home with a sister in later years near Quincy, Ohio, in Logan county. Mr. and Mrs. Stabler are the parents of one child, a son, Charles L., who is now a student in the sixth grade in the schools at Rosewood.
Mr. Stabler is a Republican in politics, and has always taken an active interest in local political affairs, and is now serving his fourth year as a member of the Adams township board of education. He is a member of Rosemont Lodge No. 253, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also of Anderton Encampment No. 292, at Rosewood.
HENRY HARRISON DARLING.
Henry Harrison Darling, former mayor of Mechanicsburg, this county. and for years a well-known farrier and general jobber in blacksmithing in that city, was born at Mechanicsburg and has lived there practically all his life, with the exception of a couple of years spent in business at Irwin, this state. He was born on June 6, 1857, son of Isaac S. and Sarah ( Riddle) Darling, for years well-known residents of Mechanicsburg.
Isaac S. Darling was born in the state of Virginia and was but two years of age when his parents left that state and came to Ohio, settling in Knox county, where he grew to manhood and where he learned the trade
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of a cabinet-maker. In 1840 Isaac S. Darling moved to Mechanicsburg, where he began working in the cabinet shop of Daniel Neal, but not long afterward he branched out for himself and in a small way became a building contractor, which business he followed at Mechanicsburg the rest of his life, his death occurring there on August 26, 1906. His wife had preceded him to the grave several years. They were the parents of seven children, of whom five grew to maturity, those besides the subject of this sketch being Emma, wife of J. S. Neer, of Mechanicsburg; C. W., who died at Mechan- icsburg in May, 1906; James C., who was killed in an accident in the South in 1882, and George W. Darling, of Mechanicsburg.
Reared at Mechanicsburg, H. H. Darling early began working and from the time he was twelve years of age until he was eighteen was employed during the school-vacation periods in a local brick yard. He then, on Janu- ary 4, 1876, began an apprenticeship in a blacksmith shop and upon the completion of the same worked as a journeyman blacksmith until 1885, when he set up an establishment of his own, making a specialty of first-class horseshoing, and has ever since been thus engaged at Mechanicsburg, with the exception of two years spent in the same line of business at Irwin. Mr. Darling is a Republican and has for years given close attention to local political affairs. For two years he served as a member of the town council from his ward, for two terms as corporation clerk, for seven years as mem- ber of the local school board and from 1908 to 1914 as mayor of Mechanics- burg, to the duties of all of which branches of the public service he devoted his most thoughtful and intelligent attention.
On October 18, 1883, H. H. Darling was united in marriage to Laura D. Ball, who was born in the city of Lebanon, Indiana, daughter of Thomas Ball and wife, the latter of whom was a Blue, and who died on July 22, 1902, leaving two children, a son and a daughter, James T., born on Sep- tember 25, 1884, and Inez M., June 1, 1887, both of whom are at home with their father. Mr. Darling is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge and the chapter at Mechanicsburg, and is a past master of the former. He also is a member of Wildey Lodge No. 271, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Goshen Encampment No. 137, Patriarchs Militant, at Mechanicsburg, past noble grand of the former and past chief patriarch of the latter, and is likewise a member of Lotus Lodge No. 501. Daughters of Rebekah, at that place. He also is past chancellor commander of Home Lodge No. 474, Knights of Pythias, and past sachem of Tioga Tribe No. 91, Improved Order of Red Men, at Mechanicsburg, and in the affairs of all these several fraternal organizations take a warm and active
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interest. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church and takes an interested part in church work, as well as in other local good works, helpful in promoting all movements having to do with the advancement of the common welfare in the community in which he has spent practically all of his busy life.
SHEPPARD HALL.
Sheppard Hall, a well-known and enterprising farmer of Adams town- ship, living on his farm three-fourths of a mile east of Rosewood, located on the Sidney-Urbana pike on rural route No. I, out of Rosewood, was born on the' same farm where he now lives on October 6, 1856, the son of German and Ruth (Newcomb) Hall, the former of whom was a native of Virginia. and the latter of this county.
German Hall was but an infant of nine months when his parents came to Champaign county, the family settling on a farm in Harrison township, where the father lived the remainder of his life. German Hall was reared to manhood on the farm in Harrison township, where he lived until after his marriage to Ruth Newcomb, who was born and reared on a farm in Adams township, this county, south of Rosewood. He and his wife located at once on the farm where Sheppard Hall now lives, and lived there the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom are now living: Henry, a resident of Starke county, Indiana; Oliver, living in Whitley county, Indiana; Harden, a farmer of Adams township: Eliza A., wife of Thomas Wirt, a farmer living south of Carysville, Ohio: Joel, living in Logan county, Ohio, and Sheppard, the immediate subject of this review. German Hall and wife were earnest and consistent members of the Christian church at Carysville, Ohio, taking an active part in church affairs. He was a Democrat in politics, but being a quiet, unassuming man, took no active part in politics.
Sheppard Hall was born and reared on the farm where he is now living, and has lived all his life. He was a student in the district schools of his home township. After his marriage he settled on the home place. which is a fine farm of forty acres where Mr. Hall is very successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising, ranking among the progress- ive and up-to-date farmers of Adams township.
In January, 1880. Sheppard Hall was united in marriage to Philena J. Pine, a daughter of William and Mariah Pine, farmers of Harrison town-
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ship, this county, and to this union three children have been born: Marion D., a farmer of Johnson township, this county; Etna Belle, wife of Charles Chambers, a farmer of Adams township, and Clarence E., who lives at home with his parents, and is employed in Rosewood, Ohio. The family are active members of the United Brethren church at Rosewood, in which church Mr. Hall has served as class leader for years. He is a Democrat in politics, and takes an active interest in all local public affairs, having served his township as clerk for two years. Fraternally, he is a member of Lodge No. 253, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is past noble grand of that order at Rosewood.
CHARLES WILLIAM WILLIAMS.
The late Charles William Williams, for years one of the best-known and most progressive merchants of Mechanicsburg, who died at his home in that city on May 6, 1905, and whose widow is still living there, was a native of the state of Ohio, born at Mechanicsburg on May 4, 1841, son of Richard Duval and Jane (Cleggett) Williams. He early became engaged in the mercantile business, continuing in that business at Mechanicsburg until his death, which occurred on May 8, 1905. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was for years regarded as one of the most active supporters of the work of the local congregation, his father before him also having been an active worker in the church. Politically, he was a Republican and had ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, interested in all movements having to do with the general upbuilding of his home community.
Mr. Williams was twice married. His first wife, who before her mar- riage was Rebecca Guy, died, leaving three children, Edwin, now of New York City; Alta Rebecca, wife of Charles W. Martin, of Mechanicsburg, and Frances G., a music teacher at Columbus, this state. On September 26, 1878, C. W. Williams married Mary H. Horr, who was born at Me- chanicsburg, in the property now owned by Milton Cheney. March 7, 1854. daughter of William and Mary (Cone) Horr.
Both William Horr and his wife were born in the village of Denmark, not far from Carthage, in Lewis county, New York, where they grew up and were married. Not long afterward they drove through to Olio and located at Mechanicsburg, where William Horr bought a farm in the vicinity
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