History of Clinton County, Ohio Its People, Industries, and Institutions, with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, Part 106

Author: Albert J. Brown (A.M.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1108

USA > Ohio > Clinton County > History of Clinton County, Ohio Its People, Industries, and Institutions, with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families > Part 106

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To Walter G. and Edna ( Hadley) Richardson three children have been born, Ruth Eleanor, born on July 21, 1904; Horace Hadley, June 4, 1908, and Esther Rebecca, October 5. 1911.

Mrs. Richardson's maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Hiatt. came on horseback from Virginia to this county in 1812, with her parents, Jesse and Martha ( Stuyvesant) Hiatt. Her paternal grandfather, Jonathan T. Hadley, came on horseback from North Carolina in an early day and entered land from the government in Clinton county.

Walter G. Richardson is a Republican, but be has never taken an active interest in political affairs. He and his family are earnest members of the Methodist Protestant church, in which they are actively interested.

JAMES W. RABB.

One of the best-remembered farmers and business men of the past generation in Clinton county was the late James W. Babb, who at the time of his death owned and lived on a farm on the Vienna pike, In I'nion township. Of Mr. Babb it may be said that he was a man of strong and active sympathies. His temperament was warm and ardent, his feeling deep and intense. These and other attractive characteristics uncon- sciously drew bim an unusual number of devoted friends, upon whom under all circum- stances he could rely and who, now that he has passed from earth, revere his memory. He is remembered todny as a manly man, of pleasing and dignified presence, influential in the efreles in which he moved and cordial, friendly and kind in all the relations of life. He stood as a conspicuous example of symmetrieallydeveloped American manhood.

James W. Babb was born on May 8, 1837, at Xenia, Ohio, and died on November 30. 1896. He was the son of James M. and Hannah (Smith) Babb, the former of whom was born on January 17, 1811, and the latter of whom was born on June 4, 1817. both in Frederick county, Virginia. James M. Babb was the son of Henry Mercer and Grace (MeCool) Babb, and Henry was the son of Thomas and Blanche (Mercer) Rabb, who were off-shoots of an old English family in Virginia. Hannah (Smith) Babb was the daughter of John S. and Susan (Crouse) Smith.

James M. and Hannah (Smith) Babb were married on August 14. 1834, in Virginia. and immediately after their marriage made the journey to Xenia, Ohio, their wedding trip. They began housekeeping at Xenia, where he became a carpenter and an influential citizen. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and lived and died in

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Xenia. They had six children, all of whom are now deceased, namely: John Henry, who was born on May 19, 1885, died on May 30, 1835; James W., was the second born; Mary Jane, 1839, died in 1841; Thomas M., April 8, 1842, died on March 14, 1895, and was for many years a partner of his brother, James W., in the saw-mill and buliding business ; George H., February 22, 1844, died on February 15, 1915, made his home with his brother, James W., until the latter's death and afterwards lived with Mrs. Babb until his death, in the spring of 1915; Charles S., May 30, 1896, died In 1894.

James M. Babb was married, secondly, to Susan McCreary on February 16, 1853, and they had three children, all of whom are living, as follow : Leonidas, is a resident of Xenia, Ohio, and a carpenter by occupation; Grace, married David McClellan, of Greene county, Ohio: Eliza, married John McLean, and they reside near Jamestown, Obio, on a farm.

James W. Babb was first married to Angeline Hays, February 11, 1858. She died, however, July 7, 1862, and he was married, secondly, on June 11, 1863, to Louisa Lacy, who is still living.

Louisa Lacy was born on June 29, 1835, in Washington township, Clinton county, Oblo, the daughter of John Johnson, who was familiarly known as "Jack," and Ruth (Brown) Lacy. Mrs. Babb's father was born on December 25. 1810, in Washington township. Clinton county, and died on March 1, 1802. The mother was born near Morrisville, In Washington township, Clinton county. Ohio, in 1811, and died In 1875. The late "Jack" Lacy was the son of J. Johnson and Ruth (Clevenger) Lacy, natives of Frederick county, Virginia, where they were married early in the last century. They came to Ohio in 1809 and settled in the present limits of Clinton county, where the village of Cuba now stands. Here the elder Lacy kept a tavern for several years, finally settling In Washington township, where he died about the time of the breaking out of the Civil War, his wife having died some years previously. His family consisted of ten children, of whom "Jack" Lacy was the eldest. He received a limited education in the primitive schools of the day and purchasing land in Washington township in 1838, located on it in the fall of 1840. In 1855 he purchased a small tract of land, which became the nucleus of a five-hundred-and-twenty-three-acre farm, which he later owned. He married Ruth Brown, In October. 1883. They had eleven children, as follow: Mrs. Louisa (Laicy) Babb was the eldest ; Henry, died in 1910: David Bell, born in December. 1840, married Mary Jane Crouse, is a farmer of Union township: Susan. married George Olvis, of Burtonville: Mary, married Clay Olvis, of Burtonville; Florence, married John Gray. of Wilmington: Sarah, died unmarried, at the age of twenty-seven; Finley, is a resident of New Vienna ; Levi, lives near Lytle, Ohio, where he is a farmer; Leroy. lives near Harveysville; one child died in Infancy.

Mrs. Babb's mother, who, before her marriage, was Ruth Brown, was the daughter of David Brown. one of four brothers, who settled early in Washington township. David, Asa. Elisha and James Brown were natives of Massachusetts, born during the War of Independence, and who at the close of the war removed with their father to Owen county, Kentucky, where they grew to manhood. Between 1807 and 1810 all removed from Owen county, Kentucky, to somewhere within the present limits of Wash- Ington township, purchasing iand in Steel's. Carrington's and Johnsons's surveys, where they all resided for many years, rearing large families. Asa died in 1843: David, 1844; Elisha. 1856, and James, 1863. David Brown and his wife. Jane Brown, were members of the Christian church.

James W. Babb grew up in Xenia, Ohio, and became a carpenter by occupation and later a building contractor. Subsequently. he operated a saw-mill at Paintersville, in Greene county. in partnership with his brother, Thomas M., for several years. In 1894 he removed to his farm on the Vienna pike, in Union township, and in that year built a

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house. Two years later he died. His widow, Mrs. Louisa (Lacy) Babb, still lives on the farm.

While living at Paintersville, Mr. Babb served as justice of the peace for several years. He was an uncompromising Republican. He and his wife were active members of the Christian church. They had no children, but two children had been born by Mr. Babb's former marriage. One of these children, Amanda E., born on January 30, 1862, died on February 22, 1881, unmarried. Mary E., the eldest, born on December 24, 1858, married John Leininger, a farmer of Union township.

Mrs. Louisa (Lacy) Babb is a well-known woman, well informed, cultured and refined. She is highly respected by the people of this township.

MILNER VAN PELT.

Milner Van Pelt is a very successful farmer of Wayne township, who is sprung from a fine old family, whose ancestry goes back to the Old Dominion state.'Several generations of the family have been prominent in the religious and political life of Clinton county, and Milner Van Pelt himself is a man of established worth as an enterprising citizen.

Milner Van Pelt was born on March 6, 1855, in Wayne township. this county. the son of Ryan and Rebecca ( Milner) Van Pelt. the former of whom was born on August 28. 1822, at Richmond, Indiana, and the latter, March 7, 1825, in Highland county, Ohio. Mr. Van Pelt's maternal grandparents were Moses and Sallie (Slaughter) Milner, the former a native of Halifax county, Virginia, born on July 4, 1785, whose death occurred on January 16, 1864. Moses Milner was a son of Beverly Milner and emt- grated from the Old Dominion state to Highland county, Ohlo, In 1807, when a young man. A few years later he returned to Virginia, where he married, and then came back to live permanently in Highland county, locating near the village of Leesburg. Sallie Slaughter was also a native of Virginia, born August 23. 1787; was married in her native state to Moses Milner, in October. 1807. and died on April 19, 1885. Beverly Milner, the father of Moses, was born on March 22, 1756, in Halifax county, Virginia, and came to Oblo in the spring of 1807. He married Olive Anna Hendricks, who was also a native of Virginia, born in 1760, who died in 1828. Beverly Milner died on January 10. 1843. at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years.

The paternal grandparents of Mr. Van Pelt were Elijah and Lucy (Bethel) Van Pelt. the former a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, born on September 19, 1794. He came to Clinton county, Ohio, in 1847, and was a pioneer farmer in Wayne township. where he owned one hundred acres of land. Elijah Van Pelt and wife were the parents of four children, namely : Ryan, the father of Milner; John, born on June 30, 1820; Lydia. June 14. 1843, and Abigail, August 1, 1825, who died in infancy. The parents of Elijah Van Pelt were Jacob and Sarah (Ryan) Van Pelt, the former of whom was born on August 12, 1759, and who died on August 3, 1831, and the latter, born on Sep- tember 22. 1761, died on August 20, 1831.

Ryan Van Pelt received a good education in the public schools of Highland county, Oblo, and became a farmer in Wayne township, this county, where he purchased one hundred acres of swamp land. This land he cleared, drained and improved and there he spent the remainder of his life. On October 18, 1849, he was married to Rebecca Milner, to which union five children were born, of whom Miluer was the third in order of birth, the others being: Albert, born on January 31. 1851; Lydia Ano, April 17. 1853, who died on March 16, 1881; Elijah, March 10. 1558, and Lucinda, December 3, 1864. Elijah and Lucinda are unmarried.

Milner Van Pelt. after completing his education in the schools at Highland, began farming in Wayne township, and has lived there all his life. In 1879 he inherited thirty-seven and one-half neres of land, and ten years later be added forty acres to this

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tract, being now the owner of a farm of seventy-seven and one-half acres of fine land, on which he makes a specialty of raising thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle and Duroc- Jersey hogs.

Mr. Van Pelt married Ella Hodson, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Lamb) Hodson, and to this union have been born four children, namely: Cora, born on February 3. 1878, married Quincy Morris, and has two children, John Ryan, born on July 24, 1900, and Helen, May 4, 1915; Ola, November 22, 1882, died on March 24, 1906; Royal, August 31, 1884, died on January 10, 1896; Arametha, May 18, 1901, is living at home with ber parents.

From 1904 until 1910 Milner Van Pelt served as county commissioner of Clinton county, having been elected to this office on the Republican ticket, he being an ardent Republican. as was his father. The Van Pelt family are members of the Methodist church at Memphis, and Mr. Van Pelt is a trustee In the church, as well as superin- tendent of the Sunday school. He takes a worthy pride in his farm and the improve- ments which he has made upon it. In 1913 he built a new and commodious country home on his farm and has improved and developed the place in many ways

FRANK HOGGATT.

The history of a county or state, as well as that of a nation, consists principally of the records of those men and women who have served soclety. While the quality of statehood is determined by the character of the rank and file of its citizens. it is obvious that the state itself or any part thereof becomes known to the world by the lives and deeds of those citizens who have risen above the general average. In point of service to the community, it is a question whether any should receive more honor than he who has taught its young, While the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article is now a justice of the peace, he, for twenty years was a teacher, and as such, should be considered as one deserving of honor and appreciation by those whose personal and community interests he has served.

Frank Hoggatt was born on a farm near Westboro, In Jefferson township, this county, on December 22, 1867, son of Alexander and Mary (Rbonemous) Hoggtat, well-known and respected residents of that neighborhodo. Alexander Hoggatt was born in Greene county, Tennesse. in 1822, and his wife was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1824. He was the son of Nathan and Mary ( Babb) Hoggatt, untives of Tennessee, who enme to this county in 1830, settling in Jefferson township. The grandmother died about the time of the Civil War and the grandfather lived until 1880, at the time of his death being eighty-five years of age. Mary Rhonemous was the daughter of Jacob and Sophia Rhonemous, of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, who, soon after the states of the Middle West began to attract Eastern inhabitants, transferred their home from Fenn- sylvania to this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Alexander Hoggatt was a Whig and a member of the Universalist church. He became a member of what was then known as the Know-Nothing party, Inter joining forces with the Republicans, He died on his farm in Jefferson township in 1900, two years after his wife died. Their children were, Susan. Joel. Leander, Jacob, Lavina, and Frank.

After completing his studies in the district schools, and the New Vienna high school. Frank Hoggatt began his career as teacher, a career which lasted for twenty years, ending in 1914, since which time be bas given all of his attention to farming In 1915 he and his wife, who has been, since 1900, n true help-mate, took much pleasure In the erection of a beautiful residence. Before her marriage, Mrs. Hoggatt was Jessie Greenwood, of Xenia. Ohio. Her parents are now dereased. Mr. and Mrs. Hoggatt bave one child. a daughter, Vern, whose birth occurred on December 13, 1903.

The confidence In which Frank Hoggatt is held by his neighbors and townspeople is Indicated by the fact that for eight years he has been justice of the peace, an office

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which he has filled most ereditably. He is a Republican, and a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Clarksville. From the time when he determined upon. an education more advanced than that which was usual in his day, until the present, Mr. Hoggatt has been guided by high ideala, which he bas faithfully sought to impart to the younger genera- tion who, as pupils, came under his Influence. The good accomplished by a man of this type is incalculable, and a community can never adequately pay for the service such a man has rendered.

ENOCH L. CAREY.

Enoch L. Carey is one of the more extensive farmers of Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, and a man who, for many years, has been conspicuous in the religious. educational and civic life of Clinton county. He comes from an old family of this section and has filled many important offices within the gift of the people of Union township, having served as township trustee for a period of seven years, a part of one term by appointment and later two terms by election. He Is an elder in the Chester meeting of the Friends society and for the past eight years has been trustee of Wilming- ton College. He also helped to organize the Clinton Mutual Insurance Company and has been one of its trustees and directors since its organization. In addition to all of this, Mr. Carey is perhaps best known as a skillful, scientific farmer. He is proprietor of a magnificent farm of three hundred and fifteen acres In L'ulon township.

Enoch L. Carey was born on April 12, 1859, at Martinsville, in Clinton county, the son of John and Elizabeth ( Lundy) Carey. John Carey was born on August 6, 1826, in Highland county, and died in 1909. Elizabeth Lundy was born in Union township, on the farm where her son now lives, in 1828, and died on August 23, 1889. Mr. Carey's maternal great-grandparents were James and Elizabeth Lundy. both of whom came to Clinton county from Virginia about 1810. and settled on a farm in Liberty township now owned by Charles McKee. They brought their birthrights .in the Quaker church and first affiliated with the Center meeting and later, when the Chester meeting was found, they affiliated with that. For a number of years James Lundy sat at the head of that meeting. The maternal grandparents of Mr. C'arey were Enoch and Charlotta (Green) Lundy, the latter of whom was born in 1804, and when twelve years of age came with ber parents, John Green and wife, from near Hillsville, in Grayson county, Virginia. They purchased one hundred and eighty-five acres of land in I'nion town- ship, where Enoch L. Carey now lives. Charlotta Green. Mr. Carey's grandmother. grew up on her parents' farm in Union township. Enoch Lundy was a lad when his parents came to Clinton county in 1810. He grew up and married in Liberty township and was killed by a falling tree three months before his daughter, Elizabeth, was born. He had two children: Allee, who died at the age of fourteen, and Elizabeth, Mr. Carey's mother.

The paterna! grandparents of Enoch L. Carey were Samuel and Anna Carey, both natives of Virginia. born near the Pennsylvania line. They grew up and were married there and later moved to Grayson county, where they became acquainted with the Greens, In 1818 they settled on a farm in Highland county, Ohio, now owned by Zimri Carey, who founded Careytown, Ohio. They were ardent Quakers. He died at the age of ninety-three, in 1874, and his remains were buried at Martinsville, Ohio. She died in 1868. Although he lived on a farm, he was a blacksmith by trade and his boys operated the farm while he worked at his trade. Most of the sons, however. Jearned the black- smith's trade. He had eight children, of whom only one is now living. Rachel, who married Charles West.

John Carey learned the blacksmith's trade from his father and early in his life and built a house and shop in Martinsville and followed the trade. He was married at the age of thirty years, and four years Inter purchased a farm and began farming. Ile

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traded farms several times and finally purchased the farm owned by Grandmother Lundy and her two sisters, comprising ninety-two acres In Union township. In 1886, when his son, Enoch I .. , was married, he moved to Wilmington, where his wife died In 1894. He married, secondly, Mrs. Mary Thomas, and both are now deceased ; she died in 1900, and he died on April 9, 1900. He and his wife belonged to the Friends church und he was an elder and a minister in the church for a time. They had three children, of whom Enoch 1 .. was the eldest. The others are Samuel F., who has a blacksmith shop on the Xenia pike and lives at Wilmington, Ohio; and Nathan H., who lives at La Habra, California.

Enoch L. Carey attended the public schools of Martinsville until he was eight years old, and then became a student in the Guerneyville public schools. Later be attended the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio, for ten weeks and this completed his educational training. From the time he was ten years old, he had active charge of the management of his father's farm, his father doing very little farm work. When Mr. Carey was grown he purchased his father's Interest In the farm and subsequently, in partnership with his brother, Nathan, purchased ninety-three acres of the old Lundy place, on which he now lives. Later he added thirty-three neres farther east and still Inter purchased his brother Nathan's Interest. He now owns in all three hundred and fifteen acres and has a productive farm.

On January 21, 1858, Enoch L .. Carey was married to Jane McMillan, who was born in Chester township, the daughter of Josiah and Rebecca ( Whinery ) McMillan, the former of whom is a prominent farmer in the eastern part of Chester township, and Ja a recorded minister of the Friends society since 1907.

Mr. and Mrs. Carey have had four children: Dallas, born on March 14. 1887; Mary, Mry 17, 1888; John, June 16. 1891; and Esther, November 11, 1899. Dallas is n blacksmith and Hves in Guerneyville. He married Buelah MeElwee and has one son. Harold. Mary married Raymond Thornburg, and lives on a farm in I'nion township. John married Louise Bevan, and lives on a farm adjoining his father's. Esther is at home.

Prominent as he is in the religious, educational, political and civic life of Clinton county. Enoch I .. Carey is a highly-respected and widely-honored citizen. He is a man who has always been straightforward In all of his business dealings, and being pos- sessed of friendly and affable manners hna a host of friends in this county. where he is so well known.

DAVID E. SUMMERS.

David E. Summers, a prosperous farmer of Green township. this county, who owns one hundred and fifty-one neres of the old Summers homestead, was born on February 12. 1871. a son of Jobn Jackson and Hannah ( Hoskins) Summers, the former of whom was born in Hampshire county. Virginia, on November 21. 1825, and the latter. In Clinton county, Ohio. in October, 1827.

The paternal grandparents of Mr. Summers were John and Mary Summers, both untivos of the Old Dominion state, who in 1837, moved to Franklin county. Ohio, and about eighteen months Inter to Leesburg, Highland county. Ohio, where they lived until 1×35 .. at which time they removed to Green township, this county. John Sommiers die 1 in Henry county, Ohio, his wife having died previously on the old home farm in this county. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Summers were George and Mary (Hodgson) Hoskins, pioneers in Clinton county, where both died. John J. Summers was a farmer and a carpenter by occupation. In 1840 he purchased a farm of one hundred acres in Green township, for twelve hundred dollars, and, and there he lived for shout fifteen years. He traded the land for a farm near Wilmington, but he never moved to this second farm, afterwards exchanging it for a farm In Green township, consisting of two

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hundred acres, on which farm he died on April 1. 1907. His wife's death occurred on August 5, 1900. John J. Summers was a Republican and a member of the Methodist Protestant church. He and bis wife were the parents of fourteen children, namely : Wesley, living in Illinois; Mary Elizabeth, a resident of Sedgwick City. Kansas; Samantha, of Wayne township; Caroline, deceased, as are Eliza and Ella ; Ruth, a resident of Kansas; Lewis and John, both deceased; Joseph, of Green township, this county ; Ida, of Green township; Margaret, a resident of Trumbull county, Ohio; David, living on the home farm, the immediate subject of this review, and Isaac, who is the owner of one hundred acres of land in Green township, where he is living.

David E. Summers was reared on the home farm, which he now owns. He received his education in the public schools of Green township, and after leaving school took up farming for himself, and is engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which he has made a very gratifying success.

Ou February 11, 1990, David E. Summers was married to Lina Rolston, who was born in this county on August 29. 1871. a daughter of Robert and Anna ( Wallace) Rolston. both natives of Ireland, who came to Clinton county, after their marriage, and after the birth of four children in the old country. They now live retired in Green township. Mr. and Mrs. David E. Summers are the parents of four children: Carrie, born on January 10, 1891, is the wife of Alonzo Curtis, and they have two children, Donald and Charles Glenn ; Eva, August 26, 1898, married Clyde Steele, and they are living with Mr. and Mrs. Summers: Mary, who died in Infancy, and Martha May, May 15, 1900, who is at home with her parents.

Davld E. Summers is a Republican and prominent in the local counsels of his party. Mr. and Mrs. Summers and family are members of the Christian church.

W. F. HILDEBRECHT.

One of the former large land holders of this county, and a man well known during his life-time was Rudolph Frederick William Hildebrecht, who was a native of Germany having been born in the city of Berlin on February 4, 1848. His parents were Theodore and Henrietta Hildebrecht, both natives of Germany, who, in 1849, crossed the ocean in order to find their home in the New World. of which they had heard wonderful accounts. Landing in New York, they soon decided to come West, and remained in Cin- cinnati until 1873, in which year they came to this county, locating in Vernon township, where they bought two hundred and sixty-five acres of farm land, and there they made their home. To this farm they later added, by purchase, thirty-two acres, making two hundred and ninety-seven acres in all. In 1896, the family moved back to Cincinnati, where, five years Inter, Theodore Hildebrecht died, at the age of seventy-five. The following year, his wife passed away, she being at that time seventy-one years of age. Theodore Hildebrecht was a cabinetmaker and during his residence at Cincinnati was foreman of the Mitchell & Raumelsburg Furulture Manufacturing Company. He voted the Republican ticket. Both he and his good wife were members of the Lutheran church. Their children were Rudolph F. W. (deceased), Matilda, Otto, Lena and Theo. dore, the latter of whom died in Infancy.

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History of Clinton County, Ohio Its People, Industries, and Institutions, with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, Part 106

Author: Albert J. Brown (A.M.) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1108

Author: Albert J. Brown (A.M.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1108