USA > Ohio > Brown County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2 > Part 56
USA > Ohio > Clermont County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2 > Part 56
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Lora Etta is the wife of Jack Wilson and resides with her father. Mrs. Wilson attended the Conservatory of Music at Cincinnati for some years and holds a certificate from that institution. She is a member of the Methodist church and is a great church worker.
James H., Jr., who died in 1875. is buried beside his mother.
Mr. Dunn married Mrs. Mary L. (Campbell) Vance in 1876, she being the widow of Mr. David Vance and a daughter of A. F. and Hannah (Mott) Campbell, her birth occurring in New Hope, Brown county, Ohio, August 2. 1843. Mr. Vance
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was a native of Brown county and died in 1869, having been a soldier in the Civil war.
Mr. Campbell was born in West Virginia, in 1808, and died in 1863, while his wife was born near New York City, in 1818, and died in 1888. The Campbells came to Brown county, about 1839, where he engaged in the blacksmith business. They had ten children, whose names are :
Sallie, widow of John Ira Dunn, living in Sardinia, Ohio.
Mrs. Mary L. Dunn, wife of our subject.
William, deceased, who was a soldier in the Civil war from Ohio.
Elizabeth, deceased, the wife of O. B. Moore, of Sardinia, who was also a soldier.
John and A. F. are residents of Sardinia, Ohio.
Rebecca, widow of Rev. E. L. Sanders, of Sardinia.
Hannah N., wife of William Kincade, of Sardinia.
Victoria died when quite young.
M. E. resides at Sardinia.
Mr. O. F. Dunn entered the army of the Civil war, in Sep- tember, 1862, in the six months' service, and remained in the service of the State Guard until the close of the war. He is one of nine of his company, called "The Squirrel Hunters," now living. His discharge papers were made out in March, 1863, but he continued in the service. He never drew a'sal- ary for his services and has never accepted a soldier's pension. Mr. Dunn is a genial man, bearing all the marks of a true gentleman. He is well preserved physically and runs his large touring car for the pleasure of his family and friends with all the ease and skill of a man many years his junior.
Both Mr. Dunn and his estimable wife are devout members of the Methodist church, to which they contribute liberally.
In politics, Mr. Dunn votes independently and has never cared for or sought office of any kind.
In fraternal circles he is a worthy member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of which organization he has been past grand for the past forty years.
WILIAM A. EYLAR.
Mr. William A. Eylar, editor and manager of the "News- Democrat," of Georgetown, Ohio, is widely known throughout this section of the State as an up-to-date and progressive
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newspaper man of high standing. His entire active life thus far has been devoted to newspaper work, and the experience gained through the years has enabled him to establish one of the most modern and fully equipped newspaper plants in Southern Ohio. Since he assumed control, in 1906, the entire building has been remodeled and all new machinery installed. The perfect satisfaction given to the public by the "News- Democrat" is evidenced by the large circulation of the paper. Mr. Eylar is a son of Joseph W. and Mary Ellen (Oldson) Eylar, and his birth took place at West Union, Adams county, Ohio, his natal day being the 16th of October, 1874.
Mr. Joseph W. Eylar is a native of Brown county, Ohio, his birth having occurred at Ash Ridge, March 11, 1847. He was a prominent and well known newspaper man and estab- lished "The People's Defender," of West Union, Ohio. He conducted this paper for a number of years, and his careful and judicious management made it a successful newspaper. He was elected State representative from Adams county, Ohio, in 1875, for two terms of two years each. Mr. Eylar and his brother, Oliver, entered the Commissary Department at the respective ages of twelve and ten years, with their father, at the beginning of the Civil war, going through the entire war. In 1889 Mr. J. W. Eylar took charge of the "News-Democrat," of Georgetown, Ohio, and was thus occupied until his decease. August 17, 1906. His wife, Mary Ellen (Oldson) Eylar, was born at West Union, Adams county, Ohio, in 1850, and passed away March 24, 1903. She was the mother of five children, all of whom were born in Adams county.
Margaret, who resides in Columbus, Ohio, is a stenogra- pher in the state department.
Josephus, who died at the age of two years.
William A.
James Norton, who died at the age of twenty-eight years. Lottie, who married Griffith C. Hall, and resides in Cin- cinnati, Ohio.
William A. Eylar acquired a good education in the West Union school and later in the Georgetown school. After his graduation he entered the printing office of his father and thoroughly familiarized himself with all the details of the printing business. As the years passed he became proficient in all the departments until he was fully capable of assuming the business at the death of his father. He is a man of fine judgment and executive ability and has the respect and es- teem of his fellow citizens.
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On the 31st of December, 1903, Mr. W. A. Eylar wedded Miss Marjorie Robinson Hench, a daughter of Rev. Thomas H. and Caroline (Cruser) Hench, the former of whom was born at Center, Pa., April 5, 1840, and now makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Eylar. Rev. Hench is an able minister of the Presbyterian church, having had charge at Higginsport, Feesbury, Felicity and Cedron, Ohio. At one time he had charge of the Presbyterian church at Georgetown, Ohio. Mrs. Hench was born at Fairview, Ill., April 8, 1852, and died May 18, 1904. She was the mother of two children, George C., who was born in Walcott, Iowa, and Mrs. Eylar, who was born in Rock Island, Il1.
Mr. and Mrs. Eylar are the parents of three children : Thomas Wilkins, born at Georgetown, Ohio, June 9, 1905, is attending school.
Mary Ellen, born at Georgetown, Ohio, January 15, 1909.
Carolena Louise, born at Georgetown, Ohio, December 25, 1912.
In politics, Mr. Eylar favors the men and measures of the Democratic party and has served his patty as clerk of George- town. During his term of office the city of Georgetown put down concrete walks, established the electrical plant and erected the city building, at an outlay of probably one hun- dred thousand dollars.
Mr. Eylar affiliates with the Masonic lodge and with the Knights of Pythias.
The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Eylar is at State and Green streets, where they have a very comfortable home.
RUFUS L. FITE.
Mr. Rufus L. Fite, a highly successful general practitioner of the Brown county bar, residing at Georgetown, Ohio, for the past forty-two years, is a native of that county, his birth having occurred in Scott township in 1848. His parents were Jefferson and Elizabeth (Pickering) Fite, both of whom were also natives of Brown county, Ohio.
Jefferson Fite was born in 1822 and passed from this life in 1882. He was of Pennsylvania German descent, and his grand-
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father served as a soldier of his country in the war with Eng- land, in 1812. Elizabeth (Pickering) Fite was born in 1819 and passed away at the ripe age of eighty-seven years. Her forebears being of Revolutionary stock, thus making her de- scendants eligible to membership in the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mr. and Mrs. Fite were the parents of seven children, the births of all occurring in Brown county, the eldest being the subject of this review. The others are: Albert G., a lawyer, of Georgetown, Ohio; Morris W., a farmer, of Brown county, Ohio; Victoria, who is the widow of the late Robert J. Brady, residing at Union City, Ind .; America, who married Thomas Patton, also of Brown county; Edgar M., who for a number of years previous to his death, which occurred in 1910, was a resident of Memphis, Tenn .; and Clement L., who died in 1903, having been a resident all his life of Brown county, Ohio.
The preliminary education of Rufus L. Fite was obtained in the district school, and when seventeen years of age, he en- tered the Augusta, Ky., College-the first college found- ed west of the Allegheny mountains, and on the sight of the present high school of that town-where he attended for a period of three years. The following year he took up the study of law at Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated in 1870 from the institution then known as the "Ohio State and Union Law College," being admitted to the bar and locating at George- town in the same year. His success in his chosen profession is noteworthy, as evidenced by the extensive clientele estab- lished. Mr. Fite is also a director of the First National Bank of Georgetown, and of the Brown County Publishing Com- . pany, publisher of "The News-Democrat," and enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens, being a recognized cham- pion of progressiveness and everything that is for the best interests of the community.
In 1872, Mr. Fite was united in marriage to Miss Hattie L. Power, also a native of Brown county, who died in 1884, leav- ing one son, William E. Fite, who also passed away in 1888, at the age of fifteen years.
In 1887, Mr. Fite was married to Miss Addie B. Sells, who was born in 1853, in Brown county, Ohio, a daughter of Ben- jamin and Sarah (Fenton) Sells, who died respectively, he in June, 1883, and she in 1887. They were the parents of seven daughters and two sons. One of the sons, David, was a sol-
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dier of the Civil war, and a member of the Eighty-ninth regi- ment, Ohio volunteers, and died a prisoner of war in Libby prison. The other son, Michael M., was also a soldier of the Civil war, and served as a lieutenant in the Fifty-ninth regi- ment, Ohio volunteers, and departed this life in 1897, at his home in Washington, D. C. The sisters of Mrs. Fite are : Leonora, deceased, who was the wife of S. H. Cook, also de- ceased; Catherine, widow of John Rees, deceased; Mary, widow of Alfred Armstrong, deceased; Jennie T., widow of W. R. Evans, deceased ; Ella, wife of F. W. Thompson, and Emma D., widow of O. N. Murphy, deceased, one time gov- .ernor of Arizona. Mrs. Fite is a devoted member of the Methodist church, and is the mother of two sons, of whom the eldest died in infancy ; the other, Arthur S. Fite, who was born in 1891, is a graduate of the Ohio State University, class of 1912, and is now attending the law department of that in- stitution.
By his study of the political issues of the day, Mr. Fite favors the measures of the Democratic party, but he is not a politician in the sense of office seeker.
Fraternally, he is a member of Lodge No. 72, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and of Georgetown Chapter, No. 52, Royal . Arch Masons, both lodges being situated in Georgetown, Ohio.
Mr. Fite and his family reside at their pretty home on the east side of the village, appreciated and esteemed by their host of friends.
FRANK WHITE.
The name of White has been familiar and closely identified in the growth and progress of Clermont county, Ohio, for over a century, almost from the beginning of the organization of the county, and in all the years that have gone. the name has represented a class of men who, by their earnest and honest industry, have achieved success in the battle of life.
The family are of Scotch-English descent and the first of the family to locate in Clermont county was David White, who came with a part of his family from New Jersey in 1804, settling in the heavily timbered part of, the county, near Bantam, Ohio. The journey from New Jersey was traversed over mountains and bridgeless rivers, partly overland and partly by boat, finally reaching the site on which he estab-
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lished a home for his wife and young family. A portion of the land obtained at this time, Mr. David White donated and upon this tract the first church building was erected. He married Miss Nancy Vaughn, and to their union were born five sons and two daughters: Forman, William, Charles, John, David, Antis, and Elizabeth. David White lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years, while his father died at the remarkable age of one hundred and seven years.
John White, a son of David, and the father of Frank White, the subject of this sketch, was born near Bethel church, Octo- ber 27, 1807, died in November, 1903, in the ninety-seventh year of his life. He was a hatter by trade and was located at Ba- tavia. He was the oldest man in years and in number of years in business in one place, in the county, at the time of his de- cease. He married Miss Clarissa Rogers, who was born in Cermont county, March 3, 1812, and died, September 12, 1886. Of this marriage, there were six children, all of whom were born in Clermont county :
Elizabeth, died in infancy.
Orlando, died at the age of one year.
Horace, died at the age of eight years.
Frank, our subject.
Clara, who is the widow of Jesse Stagg, resides with her brother, Frank. She is the mother of four children: Lottie, widow of Morris C. Moore, resides at St. Louis, Mo., and she has one daughter, whose name is Pauline; Jones P., married Miss Grace Maddox, and resides at Hartwell, a suburb of Cincinnati, being a prominent business man, having entire charge of the Philip Carey Roofing Manufacturing Company, and is a man of great business insight; Charles, married Min- nie Willenberg, and they have one son, Roger; Frank, has been with the Philip Carey Roofing Manufacturing Company for some time, but was compelled to give up his work on ac- count of poor health.
Anna, the widow of John W. Stiles, who was the clerk of the county court at the time of his decease. They had one son, John W., Jr., who is in business at Cleveland, Ohio. Mrs. Stiles married a second time, Mr. G. A. Frazier, and had one daughter, Alpha, the wife of Mr. Eli Speidel. Mrs. Frazier died July 25, 1911, in the Bethsaida Hospital.
Mrs. John White was a daughter of Dr. Levi Rogers, who was born at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1767, and died April 4, 1814. He was an able and proficient man, displaying unequaled ver-
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satility in life, being lawyer, physician, clergyman, soldier, and politician, always at the head of his profession. He was a graduate of Yale College, after which he attended the Jef- ferson Medical University, at that time the best in Amer- ica, and equal to any in Europe, in rank and thoroughness. From this college he was graduated with high honors.
He came to Clermont county in 1804, settling at Williams- burg, where he remained until in 1810, when he removed to Bethel. His death occurred four years later, in 1814, in the prime of life and in his decease the spark of life departed from one of the most brilliant of the medical profession in Ohio.
Beside being a physician of great skill, culture and exten- sive practice, Dr. Rogers was a man of varied accomplish- ments and wonderful good common sense. He was admitted to the bar, acting for several terms of court as prosecuting at- torney. He was also a minister of the gospel, expounding the word of the Lord with great eloquence. During his ministry, he solemnized the marriages of many hundreds of couples.
In 1811, he was elected State Senator and was the author. of the first law regulating the practice of physicians and sur- geons in- Ohio, which has been a permanent monument to his ability and zeal as a physician. These acts of 1811 and 1813 were introduced by him. At the expiration of his sena- torial term, Dr. Rogers was appointed surgeon in the army of 1812, in the Nineteenth regiment of Ohio infantry.
Dr. Levi Rogers married Miss Anna George, only daughter of John George, who lived in New Jersey, near Philadelphia. She died at Batavia, October 3, 1856, at the home of the ven- erable John White. They were the parents of two sons and five daughters: Dr. John G. Rogers, who attended as phy- sician at the birth of General Grant, and whose sketch ap- pears elsewhere in this work; Levi Rogers; Ann, died when quite young and was unmarried; Mary, married Forman White; Clarissa S., married John White; Sarah, married Wil- liam Denham, and Cynthia, married William Page.
Mr. Frank White, the subject of this sketch, was born on the old homestead, in Clermont county, March 3, 1838, and is a son of John and Clarissa (Rogers) White. He was edu- cated in the common schools of Batavia and after his gradua- tion he worked on a farm for a time. after which he entered the store of Jesse L. Dustin, one of the greatest merchants ever in the county of Clermont. This proved of great benefit to Mr. White because of the immense amount of business
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done by this store, and of the many branches of general mer- cantile business. He remained with Mr. Dustin until the War of the Rebellion broke out in 1861, when he enlisted in the Fifty-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, on September 10th, serv- ing for three years in all the battles of the Cumberland, save that of Mission Ridge. He enlisted as a private and served as quartermaster sergeant for some time. In 1863 he was made first lieutenant on Stone River, serving again as quartermaster for a period. He was also aid and general inspector under General Beatty and under Gen. Thomas Wood in the Knoxville 'campaign. He was given a commission of captain, but was never mustered in. During the three and one-half years of service, Mr. White was never out of service for even one day and never had a hospital record, although he was wounded in the battle at Marietta, Ohio, on July 1, 1864. He was hon- orably discharged, at Louisville, Ky., in 1864, after which he returned to his home at Batavia.
In 1864, after his return from the war, Mr. White went into the general mercantile business at Williamsburg, under the firm name of Sinks and White, which continued for three years. He then spent one year in Kansas and Nebraska with a surveying party, returning to Batavia in the early part of 1869.
It had been the intention of Mr. White to form a partner- ship with Mr. Dustin, his former employer, in the general mercantile business upon his return from his surveying trip, but unfortunately Mr. Dustin died while he was away, and he was made administrator of the large estate of his old friend.
Soon after his return from Kansas and Nebraska, he en- tered into a partnership with Albert Heinrici, the firm being White & Heinrici, conducting the largest general merchandise business in the county. In 1895, the firm sold out their splen- did and lucrative business because of the poor health of Mr. White, he being unable to carry the great responsibility of the extensive business of the firm. In 1897, he took the position as business manager of the "Clermont County Sun," which he held until 1902. He has been president of the Building & Loan . Association since its organization in 1885, and was secretary of the old loan association at the time it closed its business. He is president of the Carroll-Jamieson Machine & Tool Company, of Batavia, and has been on the school board at different times for the past twenty-seven years, and is presi- dent of the same at present. He was appointed by Governor Harmon as trustee of the Soliders' and Sailors' Orphans' Home
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of Xenia, Ohio, one of the largest institutions of the State, there being nine hundred inmates. It is an ideal place and is beautifully situated.
Mr. Frank White was married, June 20, 1873, to Miss Mary E. Griffith, who was born at Bethel, Ohio, in June of the year of 1849, a daughter of John S. and Ann Amelia (Eder) Grif- fith, the former being a prominent attorney of Batavia. Mrs. White died, September, 1885, and was buried at Batavia, Ohio, where her death occurred.
Mr. White was again married, in June, 1888, to Mrs. Hen- rietta McCaslin, who was born at Kingsville, Ohio, April 30, 1859, and died June 10, 1893. She was a daughter of Rev. John Graham, of the Erie conference, of which he was pre- siding elder, and Cornelia (Gaskill) Graham, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. To this union was born one son, Charles Graham, who was born April 11, 1889, at Ba- tavia, and is a graduate of the Batavia High School and of the Ohio Wesleyan College. He is now attending the Cincin- nati Law School. Mrs. (McCaslin) White was the mother of two children by her former marriage-Cornelia G. and John Paul. She was a member of the Methodist church, and was a great musician, affording her family many pleasurable eve- nings at their home, and also to her friends, being ever willing to entertain with the God-given talent.
Mr. White was nominee on the Democratic ticket for repre- senative, in 1895, being defeated by but sixty-seven votes. He has settled up many estate and has held many offices of trust. He is a Royal Arch Mason and is a member of the Methodist church, in which he takes an active part in all of the affairs of the church. Mr. White is a man of strong char- acter, and a great lover of the truth, being a man of the strong- est convictions and who never swerves from the truest and best principles, thus building up a strong and substantial char- acter, which is the admiration of his home, the church and society.
GEORGE W. IRETON.
Mr. George W. Ireton is the owner and operator of one of the most productive farms in Jackson township, whose ex- cellent location is one of its attractive features. He is one of the enterprising and energetic agriculturists of Clermont coun- ty, and is well known in this community. He displays splen-
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did business ability and executive force in the management of his farming interests. A native of Clermont county, Ohio, his birth occurred in Jackson township, on a farm adjoining his present home, December 24, 1854, his parents being Robert and Missouri (Johnson) Ireton.
Robert Ireton was a prosperous farmer of Jackson town- ship, where for many years he was known as one of the sub- stantial men of the county. He was practical and systematic and by diligence and strict attention to business accumulated a nice property. He was born on a farm in Williamsburg township .in 1824. In response to his country's call for aid, Mr. Robert Ireton enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-third regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, serving for four months. He had one brother, Erastus Ireton, and four nephews, Samuel, Aleck, Lorenzo and John, who were also soldiers in the Civil war, beside one son, James, who entered the army at the age of sixteen years, all enlisting from Ohio. It was in 1891 that death claimed Robert Ireton and Clermont county lost one of her most highly esteemed citizens.
Missouri (Johnson) Ireton was also a native of Clermont county, her birth occurring in 1832. She passed from this life in 1888. She was a member of one of the representative fam- ilies of Clermont county, and was a lady of noble character- istics. She was laid to rest in Bloom Rose cemetery, Brown county, Ohio, where her husband is buried also. In the fam- ily of this worthy couple were seven children, who were all born in the county, four of whom grew to maturity. They are as follows :
James, who was a soldier in the Civil war, enlisting at the age of sixteen years.
George W., the subject of this mention.
David, who makes his home with his brother, George.
William ,a resident of Jackson township.
Mr. George W. Ireton attended school in the Harbough dis- trict and assisted his father with the farm duties, thus pre- paring himself for his future life occupation. He learned from his father the proper times for planting and harvesting and the many details of the work of an agriculturist who desires success in the tilling of the fields. Mr. Ireton remained at the home of his parents until he had reached the age of twenty- two years.
The marriage of Mr. George W. Ireton to Miss Jennie Price occurred in 1876. She was born near Miamiville in 1853, a
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daughter of John S. and Rebecca (Snider) Price, the former of whom was born near Camp Dennison and was a carpenter of Brown county, and the latter was born near Camp Denni- son also, and both are deceased. They became the parents of five children, three of whom still survive. They are:
Elizabeth, who became the wife of Moses Harbough, lives in Brown county.
Henry resides near Goshen, Ohio.
Etta, married Elliott Reddick, of near Marathon, Brown county.
Orlando, deceased.
To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Ireton was born one son :
John R. Ireton was a young man of unusual ability, having graduated from the Williamsburg High School at the age of seventeen years, and entered Cincinnati Dental College only a short time before his death, which occurred January 26, 1905. at the home of Dr. Hines, Williamsburg; Ohio, never reaching home after having taken sick. This was a sad stroke upon the entire community, as "Johnnie" was loved by all.
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