History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2, Part 63

Author: Byron Williams
Publication date: 1913
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 925

USA > Ohio > Brown County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2 > Part 63
USA > Ohio > Clermont County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2 > Part 63

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The marriage of Mr. James Sillett to Miss Maggie E. Thom- as was celebrated in 1866, she being a daughter of William Lee and Mary (Flora) Thomas, the latter a native of Ken- tucky. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Sillett were born three children, the first two being born in Cincinnati, where Mr. Sillett was engaged as a stove mounter, from 1870 to 1892, and the youngest being born in Clermont county, where he followed the occupation of farming from 1892 to 1907. 'The children are named as follows :

Molly, who became the wife of William Ward, of New Richmond, Ohio, is the mother of two daughters, Lottie and Edith.

Lottie, who married John Benning, of Mt. Holly, Ohio, is the mother of two children, Ellen and Earl B.

Harry is a concrete worker in Cincinnati and resides at Amelia, Ohio.

Mrs. Sillett, the mother of this family, passed from this life April 28, 1908, and was laid to rest in the Christian church cemetery.

In 1911, Mr. James Sillett was united in marriage to Mrs. Katherine Williams, the widow of Freeman Williams, she be- ing born in New Richmond, Ohio, March 21, 1858, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Edington) Kennelley. Her father

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was born in New York and her mother was a native of Eng- . land, both coming to Clermont county at an early date, and both are now deceased. Of the thirteen children born to this union, Mrs. Sillett is the only one living. She has a half-sis- ter living, Alice, who became the wife of Jacob Hoover, of Illinois. Mr. Freeman Williams was born in Clermont coun- ty in 1856, and died January 25, 1908, his occupation having been that of a farmer. Mrs. Sillett was married previously to her union with Mr. Williams, to Mr. Peter Ross, by whom she had two children :

Charles Thomas Ross, who was born in Clermont county, July 17, 1878, is now a resident of Cincinnati, and is the father of five children-Gussie, Eva, Geneva, Fred and Scott.

Frederick S. Ross, who was born in Clermont county, July 27, 1881, is a resident of Cincinnati.

Mr. Sillett is now living in practical retirement at his com- fortable home on the Ohio pike, after years of activity and · honest effort.

The political support of Mr. Sillett is given to the Repub- lican party, which he has served in the capacity of road super- visor and was elected mayor of Amelia in 1911, having filled the unexpired term of another man, by appointment, in 1910.

Mr. Sillett is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and Mrs. Sillett is a devoted member of the Baptist church.

Mr. Sillett has always tried to live a clean, upright life, and he and his estimable wife have the respect and esteem of all with whom they are associated. Mr. Sillett is a man of strong attachments and has always regretted that he and his brothers were so scattered that they could not enjoy each others com- panionship. He has been faithful to all of the duties that have come to him as the years have come and gone.

HARVEY PERIN.

Scion of one of the early families of Clermont-a family noted for initiative and progressive business enterprise-Har- vey Perin was born in Mt. Carmel, Clermont county, Ohio, May 19, 1862, son of Ira and Elvira (Day) Perin, and grand- son of Samuel Perin, more extended mention of whom appears elsewhere in these volumes.

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Ira Perin was born in Stonelick township, Clermont county, . October 13, 1807, and died January 9, 1889; his wife was born February 22, 1823, and died February 26, 1905. The former, as a youth, was employed in the mill and distillery of his father, Samuel Perin, but he devoted his energies in later life to farming. By his first wife, nee Mary Edwards, to whom he was married January 21, 1845, he had two children : John, who resides in Cincinnati, and Lemuel, who died several years ago. Of the second family there were the following children : Rosa E., born March 12, 1854, is the widow of H. M. Edwards, and resides near Milford; George D., born November 5, 1856, died March 20, 1883; Artemas, born June 12, 1859, lives at Mt. Carmel, Hamilton county, Ohio; Harvey, the subject of this sketch, and Grace, born December 21, 1864, widow of William Donham, resides at Rossville, Ga. Mr. and Mrs. Ira Perin were members of the Universalist church of Mt. Carmel, and resided at Perintown.

Harvey Perin attended the common schools of his native county, supplementing his education by a short course at the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, remaining on the paternal farm until the death of his father. He was mar- ried September 6, 1893, to Miss Amelia C. Mellen, born De- cember 19, 1864, in Amelia, Clermont county, Ohio, daugh- . ter of John and Eliza (Pompelly) Mellen, natives respectively of Massachusetts and Maine. They came to Clermont county, Ohio, in 1838, and to Amelia in 1858, where Mr. Mellen was engaged as a shoe maker for many years, also serving as jus- tice of the peace. Mr. Mellen was a Mason and Odd Fellow and both he and Mrs. Mellen were Methodists. Their five children were born in Clermont county, the three older ones at Milford and the other two at Amelia, viz .: William died at three years; Louisa, born in 1854, died in 1881 ; Olive, born in 1855, is deceased; John, born in 1859, and Amelia C., wife of our subject. Mr. Mellen was of a literary turn of mind and was the author of numerous short poems; his daughter, Mrs. Perin, inherits this talent to a marked degree and is a woman gifted with unusual natural ability.

The spring of 1894 Mr. and Mrs. Perin removed from his home place to Pierce township, to the Albert Butler farm, near Amelia, inherited by Mrs. Perin from her uncle and foster father, Albert Butler, whose wife was Louisa Pompelly. Mrs. Perin had resided at their home from early childhood. Mr. Butler died May 16, 1900, while his widow passed away Sep-

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tember 10, 1910; both are buried at Lindale cemetery. This worthy couple were married in 1848 and first lived in a log cabin in the woods, enduring the hardships of the pioneers; Mrs. Butler bound shoes by hand and thus earned money to purchase a brass clock, now in possession of Mrs. Perin. Among other valued souvenirs Mrs. Perin has a scrap book compiled by her foster mother, which contains much valuable information regarding many noted persons, places, etc.

The home place of Mr. and Mrs. Perin embraces some nine- ty-two acres, besides twenty acres within the corporate limits of Amelia. Mr. Perin has modernized the home and it is one of the noticeable ones of the county. He was the first presi- dent of the Amelia bank and until recently resigned, was a director of the New Richmond National Bank.

Mr. Perin is a Republican ; socially is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity and both he and Mrs. Perin belong to the Order of Eastern Star and to the Grange. Their religious af- filiations are with the Universalist church of Mt. Carmel. Three children have blessed this union: Percy Dean, born on May 23, 1898, died October 27th of the same year; Louisa Butler, born April 9, 1900, and Rachel Day, born June 18, 1901, both attending school at Amelia.

SAMUEL PERIN.

Samuel Perin, father of the late Ira Perin, and grandfather of Harvey Perin, sketch of whom appears on other pages, was born in North Adams, Mass., February 23, 1785, and died April 3, 1865 ; his wife, Mary Perin, passed away December 7, 1851, both being buried at Perin's Mills, now called Perin- town. They were married September 10, 1804, in New York, Mrs. Perin being a daughter of Ephraim Simpkins and a native of the Empire State, the date of her birth being September 26, 1787.

In 1805 they emigrated to Ohio, stopping first in Clermont county with Dr. Allison, who lived at East Liberty. Mr. Perin was suffering with a crippled leg and the doctor gave him the necessary professional and hospitable attention, in return for which Mr. Perin thoroughly overhauled the ma- chinery of Dr. Allison's mill, reset the grinding stones and worked for him some time. In January, 1810, he bought from

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Gen. James Taylor, of Newport, Ky., fifty acres of land on Stonelick, where he resided until 1815. He served in the War of 1812, as captain of a company of which William Glancy was first lieutenant.

In 1815, Samuel Perin removed to the present site of Perin- town and erected a saw mill and a grist mill, the village which sprang up being called Perin's Mills for many years. In 1825-26 he built a distillery there, with old-fashioned copper still and hand made mashes. Perin's Mills was for twenty- five years the market of Clermont county and was the prin- cipal market for wheat, corn, barley, rye, hogs and general produce, embracing also Brown, Clinton, Warren and Hamil- ton counties. In addition, Mr. Perin conducted a large store at this point, buying his groceries at New Orleans, in exchange for mill and distillery products transported on his own flat boats; his dry goods were bought at Philadelphia and New York. He also operated large and very profitable branch stores at Milford and Fayetteville, thus employing a small army of clerks and assistants in the conduct of these varied and extensive enterprises. His son, Ira Perin, made frequent trips between Perin's Mills and New Orleans, selling flour and salt pork along the river. In 1849, he made a successful trip to California for gold.

Samuel Perin was county commissioner of Clermont from 1825 to 1830, serving with James Blackburn, David White and John Boggess, during which time the court house at Batavia was built. Mr. Perin had the plans drawn and to him is due the excellent acoustic properties of the building. In 1830, he was elected representative from Clermont and was a member of the Twenty-ninth General Assembly of Ohio, declining a re- election on account of his extensive private business interests. He operated the distillery until it burned down, in 1853; the grist mill was destroyed by fire in 1862.

Mr. Perin's nine children were all born in Clermont county, all now deceased; one daughter-in-law, widow of Lyman C., is living in Cincinnati. .

CALVIN D. FRIDMAN.

One of the most prominent of active factors in the substan- tial progress and development of Clermont county, Ohio, where for many years he has taken a deep and helpful interest

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in all affairs and enterprises that tend to the betterment of the county of his nativity is Mr. Calvin D. Fridman, the genial mayor of New Richmond.

On the 27th of August, 1860, near Clermontville, at the family home of his father, the late Franklin Fridman, occurred the birth of Calvin D. Fridman. He grew to young manhood in the vicinity of his birthplace and attended the noted educa- tional institution known as Parker's Academy, after which he graduated from Eastman's Business College, at Poughkeepsie, New York, and in 1883 began his life in the business world. He was first engaged in the lumber and coal business at Cler- montville, where he remained for two years, after which he turned his entire attention to the lumber business at New Richmond. Since the death of his father, Mr. C. D. Fridman has held the position of president of the Fridman Lumber Company. He is also identified with the First National Bank of New Richmond, being one of its directors and was one of the incorporators of the Peoples' Building & Loan Association, of which he has been a director since its organization in 1905.

Mr. Calvin D. Fridman celebrated his marriage to Miss Bertha C. Weidinger in 1888, at New Richmond. She was born at Cincinnati, and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Weidinger, who came 10 New Richmond in 1865, where Mr. Weidinger was engaged in the bakery business until his death, which occurred in March, 1911, he being in his eightieth year. Mrs. Fridman's mother, who is seventy-seven years of age. survives. Her parents were natives of Germany and came to America when quite young. Mr. and Mrs. Fridman have one daughter, Helen L., who is a graduate in elocution from the "Schuster School of Elocution and Dramatic Art," of Cin- cinnati.

Mr. Calvin D. Fridman is an active Democrat and has served on the council, also being interested in educational matters, he being a member of the school board for several years. He is well known in the Masonic fraternity, being a Thirty-second degree Mason. Mr. and Mrs. Fridman are consistent members of the Presbyterian church. The home of Mr. Fridman is one of the first built in New Richmond, and was erected by one of the Light family in 1804.

While Mr. Fridman is leading an active life in business af- fairs, he yet finds time and opportunity to aid in the advance- ment of measures for general good, and is a public-spirited citizen.

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G. C. ANDERSON.

Among the men of Clermont county, Ohio, who have wrested a competence from agricultural pursuits is Mr. G. C. Anderson, who at the time of his marriage had practically no capital with which to establish a home of his own, but by diligence and persistence of both himself and his faithful wife has been successful far beyond the average. He at one time owned and operated a tract of some two hundred and sev- enty-six acres, still retaining one hundred and seven acres, part of which is in Hamilton county, Ohio, and the remainder in Clermont county, besides his fine remodeled home at Ban- tam, which he purchased in 1911.

Mr. Anderson was born on the Lee Hichs farm near Ban- tam, Clermont county, Ohio, August 3. 1873, son of George Washington and Lydia Ann (Brown) Anderson. The father : was born July 5, 1845, at Bethel and is living retired near Bantam. G. W. Anderson is a veteran of the Civil war, hav- ing enlisted at Bethel May 2, 1864, as a private in Company C, One Hundred and Fiftieth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, and was honorably discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio, Sep- tember 10, 1864; re-enlisted January 19, 1865, at Bethel, Ohio, in the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio volunteer in- fantry, serving until discharged at Edgefield, Tenn., Septem- ber 20, 1865. A brother of his, Benton Anderson, enlisted at Bethel, Ohio, in the Fifth Ohio volunteer cavalry and later re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty-third Ohio volun- teer infantry. The Anderson family is one of the old ones of Clermont county and are originally of Irish descent. G. W. Anderson, the father of our subject, followed farming since the close of the war, until his retirement from active life. He was married September 8, 1866, to Lydia Ann Brown, who was born near Bethel, Ohio, March 8, 1846, and passed from this life July 10, 1897, her death caused by lightning. Her burial took place at the Odd Fellows' cemetery at Amelia. A brother of Mrs. Anderson, John Brown, served in the One Hundred and Fifty-third regiment Ohio volunteer infantry, and another brother, William Brown, served in the Fifty- ninth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry. The latter died while at home on a furlough. G. W. Anderson and his wife were formerly Baptists, but he is now a member of the Meth- odist church. Six children were born to them:

William, residing in Montana, has served in the regular army.

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Harry B. died August 21, 1891, at the age of twenty years. G. C., the subject of this sketch.

Carrie, now Mrs. William Armstrong, of Norwood, Ohio. Pearl W., the wife of Frank Kymell, of Zanesville, Ohio.

John Lee, who has served four years in the navy, being now on board the United States steamer Nebraska.

Mr. G. C. Anderson was educated at the Amelia High School, remaining on his father's farm until he was twenty-one years of age, when he entered upon his business career as a farmer and rented land for himself.

On October 27, 1897, occurred the marriage of Mr. Anderson to Miss Deliah E. Byfield, who was born at Madison, Ind., January 2, 1875, a daughter of Vincent Delos and Rebecca Turner (Johnson) Byfield, the former of whom was born at Akron, Ohio, October 28, 1839, and died November 1, 1911, at the Soldiers' Home at Marion, Ind .. The latter was born in Harrison, Ohio, November 18, 1841, and passed away June 13, 1893, being buried beside her husband in Crown Hill cemetery, Indianapolis. Mr. Byfield learned his trade of iron molder at Madison, Ind., but removed to Indianapolis, the home for many years. He enlisted August 19, 1862, serving three years in Company C, Sixty-seventh regiment Ohio volunteer in- fantry. He was a Republican and held membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In religious belief he em- braced that of the Methodist church. Mrs. Byfield was a de- voted member of the Baptis church. To them were born two sons and four daughters :

Charles Howard, an architect of Indianapolis, Ind.

Mrs. Anderson, the wife of our subject.

Virgil died at the age of one year.

Helen Matilda, the wife of Harry Birdwell, of Indianapolis. Hattie Bernie, of Indianapolis.

Florence Johnson, of Indianapolis.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have had four children born to bless their union, all of whom are natives of Clermont county.

Harry Virgil was born March 19, 1899.

Leona Pearl, whose birth occurred October 28, 1901.

Grace Elizabeth was born September 9, 1904, on the Paul Moore farm.

An infant son, who was born April 3, 1911, on the Paul Moore farm, died April 3, 1911.

When Mr. and Mrs. Anderson began housekeeping it was in a four-room log cabin in Amelia, where they remained for

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two years, and later Mr. Anderson operated the Paul Moore farm at Horse Shoe Bend, Elk Lick, the most noted farm of two hundred and seventy-six acres on a branch of the east fork of the Little Miami river, in Clermont county. This farm was owned at one time by Judge George G. Bambach and R. E. Head, and is at present owned by R. E. Head. Mr. An- derson went in debt one thousand dollars when he went on the Paul Moore farm, for implements necessary for the op- erating of such a large tract of land and his success dated from that time. He spent five years here and at the end of that time he removed to Bantam, where he purchased forty acres adjoining that village. For one year Mr. Anderson re- mained on this farm and has since made his home in Bantam, Ohio.

Mr. Anderson has always given his support to the Repub- lican party and was elected as one of the first members of the board of education in Batavia township and served as clerk of the board of education for four years, resigning be- cause of his removal from the township.

Fraternally, Mr. Anderson is an active member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows.

In religious matters both Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are con- sistent members of the Amelia Baptist church, being active in all affairs of that denomination.

Of late Mr. Anderson has been interested in the real es- tate business, in which he has met with a large measure of . success. He is recognized as a man of ability and is an ex- ample of the sturdy business man and upright citizen and to such Clermont county owes its prestige. Mr. Anderson has sold out his home and real estate interests at Bantam, Ohio, and has purchased the Colonel Martin farm, known as the "Tally Hoo Stock Farm," near Bethel, Ohio, consisting of 187 acres, which constitute one of the best farms between Bethel and Williamsburg.

W. W. SHINKLE.

Bethel, Ohio, justly takes pride in including among its fore- most citizens, Mr. W. W. Shinkle, who has taken a most active part in the promotion of all industrial enterprises that have benefitted the town and surrounding country. He conducts a thoroughly modern, up-to-date dairy, and has substantial

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barns, tanks and necessary conveniences for the care of large quantities of milk and cream.

The birth of Mr. Shinkle occurred near Eden church, Brown county, November 10, 1866. His father, Christian Shinkle, was also a native of Brown county, having been born, Feb- ruary 24, 1833. He was a progressive farmer. In answer to his country's call for volunteers during the Civil war, Chris- tian enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Eighty-ninth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, serving throughout the war. He married Miss Sarah White, a native of Brown county, and to this union three children were born :

Emma J., married Wiliam Snider, of Cedron, Ohio.

John K., a resident of Covington, Ky.

W. W., of this mention.

Mrs. Sarah (White) Shinkle was born November 11, 1834, and passed away July 31, 1910, and her husband followed her May 10, 1911.

Mr. W. W. Shinkle received a limited education in the schools of Clermont county, and assisted his father on the farm until his marriage. On October 5, 1892, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Fithen, who was born February 16, 1869, at the Brown county infirmary, of which institution her father, David Fithen, was superintendent. David Fithen was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, April 4, 1832, and was mar- ried to Miss Mary Black on February 15, 1866. She was born · in Brown county, Ohio, August 7, 1836, and died September 12, 1895. Of the four children born to them, all are deceased, except Mrs. W. W. Shinkle. Mr. Fithen died July 15, 1905. Wade Fithen, grandfather of Mrs. Shinkle, came from New Jersey to Jefferson county, Ohio, in the early days. He was a large land owner in New Jersey, Jersey City being built on a part of the land owned by him.

Mr. and Mrs. Shinkle first farmed in Williamsburg town- ship. where they remained until February 29. 1904, when they removed to their present beautiful home in Tate township. This farm is known as the North Side Dairy Farm and con- sists of forty-four acres. They raise horses, cattle and hogs, carrying on general farming and dairy business. Their energy and thrift are rewarded by a goodly share of this world's goods and the pretty home shows the great pride they take in making their surroundings attractive.

Before her marriage to Mr. Shinkle, Mrs. Shinkle was the wife of Jacob Bier, who was born September 30, 1862, a son

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of Joseph and Elizabeth (Sullivan) Bier, natives of Brown county. Joseph Bier was a soldier in the Civil war, and died in the service. His wife died in Brown county in March, 1911. They were the parents of four children: John, is a resident of Cincinnati; William, of Georgetown, Ohio; George, and Ja- cob, who resided in Higginsport, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Bier were blessed with one child, Mary Elizabeth, who was born in Brown county, Ohio, October 15, 1884. She married George P. Medary, of Williamsburg township, and they are the par- ents of four sons and one daughter : Estel R., Harold H., Het- tie E., George R., and Charles O. Mr. Medary is a farmer and raiser of fine stock. He is successful in the business which he conducts along progressive lines.

In political views, Mr. Shinkle favors the principles of the Democratic party, and is a member of the school board. He is a member of the fraternal order of Odd Fellows. He is broad-minded and generous and has made for himself a name in the agricultural world.

E. B. SCOTT.

Among the leading business men of Clermont county, Ohio, is numbered Mr. E. B. Scott, the genial jeweler of Batavia, who by his honest and upright conduct has won the respect and esteem of the community where he has had residence for the past forty-five years. The firm operates under the name of E. B. Scott & Son.

Mr. Scott was born at Sugar Hill Ridge, Highland county, Ohio, May 3, 1842, and is a son of Henry and Margaret (Bur- nett) Scott, who were both natives of Ohio, having been born at Rocky Ford Creek, Highland county. They were farmers and were the parents of seven children, three of whom are still living :

Elizabeth, married Joshua Burnett, of Maquan, Ill.

E. B., the subject of this review.

William, resides at Gillson, Il1.

Mrs. Scott died when our subject was nearly three years of age.

The education of Mr. Scott was received in the common schools of Highland county, called the Burnett schools, where he lived with his uncle after the decease of his parents. At

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the age of thirteen years, he went to Chillicothe, Ohio, where he learned the jeweler's trade with a Mr. Pratt.

At the beginning of the Civil war, Mr. Scott enlisted in Company K, Twelfth Ohio volunteer infantry, that being the first company to leave Highland county. Later it consolidated with Company C, Twenty-third Ohio volunteer infantry. He served four years and five months in the Army of the Potomac, and was in the battles of Scary Creek, Bull Run, Antietam, and South Mountain, receiving a wound in the right shoulder at Cedar Creek, Va., which compelled him to spend eleven months in the hospital.

After the war was over, Mr. E. B. Scott located at Waverly, Ohio, and in 1866 opened a jewelry store, but remained there but one year, coming to Batavia, Clermont county, Ohio, in 1867. Here he opened a jewelry repair shop near where his present store is located. The business grew until he added all the lines to make a first class store, carrying a full line of clocks, watches, and all the things pertaining to the jeweler's business.

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History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2, Part 63

Author: Byron Williams Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Number of Pages: 925

Author: Byron Williams
Publication date: 1913
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 925