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 74
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Charles F. Allen was born on May 5, 1552. at Bainbridge in Ross county, Oblo, and in the son of George and Amanda ( Fort) Allen, the former of whom was born in 1818 in Highland county, Ohio, and the latter of whom was born at Bainbridge in Ross county. and died in 1863. George Allen was the son of George Allen, Sr., who was born in New Jersey and who came to Ohio in 1815 or 1816.
George Allen, the father of Charles F .. was educated in the common schools of Ross county and when a young man learned the carpenter trade. In 198 he came to Sabina and spent the rest of his life in this town. He was a contractor and builder and in 1875 established a lumber yard which bis son. Charles F., still operates. He was engaged In the general retail lumber business until his retirement in 1:97. He died in 1904.
George and Amanda ( Fort) Allen were the parents of the following children. Ethan. hever married : Willlam, married Lydia Barlongh: JJames: Charles: Emma, married C. B. Hill; John. married And I'ptegraff; George: Ella, married Lewis Lappe: Henry. died in Infancy; and another son died In Infancy. The late George Allen was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and as a Republican served many terms as a member of the town connell.
Charles F. Allen was educated in the common schools of Sabina and when a young man engaged in the honher business with his father and became a partner with his father in 1875 and in 1897 succeeded his father in this business. In 1914 Mr. Allen's son. Ross, was taken into the firm. It was started originally on a capital of seven hun- dred and fifty dollars in 1875, and it has grown to a business with a capital stock of seven thousand five hundred dollars. The firm handles lumber and buliding materials of all kinds and has a large and valuable patronage in this part of Clinton county.
On November 25. 1874. Charles F. Allen was married to Anna Drake, who was born on November 10, 1556, In Clinton county, Ohio, and who is the daughter of Daniel Drake. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have had three children : Harry R., who married Evelyn Robison, has one child. Arthur, and Is engaged in the wholesale lumber business at Columbus, Ohio: Ross W. married Eva Leffel and they have one child. Russell: Charles J. Is unmarried and lives at home with his parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Allen is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is an ardent and enthusiastle Republican,
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HARRY L. LITTLETON.
Harry L .. Littleton, an enterprising and successful young business man of Sabina, was born on April 6, 1883. In Greene county, at Yellow Springs, He is the son of Gren- ville and Clarinda (Sparrow) Littleton, the former of whom was born in Greene county, and the latter of whom was born In Clark county, Ohio, the daughter of John and Sarah (Johnson ) Sparrow, natives of England. Grenville Littleton was the son of Joel Little- ton, a farmer of Clark county, Ohio, and was one of five children. The other four were Joel B., John, Anna and Fay. Joel Littleton was a devout member of the Presbyterian church.
Grenville Littleton was educated in the common schools of Clark county, Ohio, and when a young man engaged in farming In that county. In 1882 he entered the under- taking business at Yellow Springs, Obio, and has continued in business at that place until the present time. Since he first started in business he has several other enterprises. including furniture and livery. Grenville and Clarinda (Sparrow) Littleton have had Ave children, as follow: Daisy, married Lewis Reinwald; Earl, married Josephine Hutcheson : Morris, is unmarried ; Harry L., the subject of this sketch, and Edwin. Mr. Littleton's father's family are members of the Presbyterian church. The father is an ardent Democrat.
Educated in the common schools of Yellow Springs, Obio, Harry L. Littleton worked with his father after Anishing his education and In 1001 attended the Clark School of Embalming at Cincinnati. In 1903 he took a post-graduate course at the snme institu- tion. For some time he was employed by W. H. Neal at Xenia, Ohio, until his coming to Sabina on June 3, 1905. At this time he purchased the undertaking business of George M. Haines and has continued in business since 1906. a period of more than ten years. He is well qualified for the business in which he is engaged and temperamentally sulted to ft.
On January 9. 1903. Harry L. Littleton was married to Margaret S. Dakin, the daughter of 8. W. Dakin. of Yellow Springs. To this union there has been born one child. Roger W., born in March, 1904.
Mr. Littleton is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Junior Order of United American Mechanles. Mr. and Mrs. Littleton are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Littleton is a Democrat in politics.
Mr. Littleton is the owner of the first and only funeral car in Clinton county and conducted the first automobile funeral in Clinton.
HENRY L. LEWELLEN.
Henry I. Lewellen, a pleasant, prosperous and public-spirited business man of Sabina, Ohio, has stamped his individuality in no uncertain manner upon the locality where he resides. He is an excellent representative of that type of the much heralded American business man-the type that does things-Mr. Lewellyn having, hy his own exertion, established at Sabina, a flourishing trade in furniture.
Henry J. Lewellen was born on January 17, 1870, near Sugar Tree ridge Ih Adams county. Ohio. He is the son of Morgan and Mary J. (Hunter) Lewellen, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania, who was accidentally killed in October, 1875. and the latter of whom was a daughter of John Hunter, who married a Miss Sloan. The grandparents on the paternal side were John and Nancy ( Stantz) Lewellen. He was a blacksmith and farmer of Adams county and reared a family of six children as follow : Lydia, Catherine, Alfred. Abbie, William and Morgan.
The late Morgan Lewellen began farming early in life in Adams county. Ohio, and later branched out and engaged in the live-stock business, He was killed by the falling
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of a derrick pole at the building of the court house at West Union, Ohio, in the fall of 1875. During his Hife he was actively identified with the Democratic party. His wife was a member of the Baptist church. Morgan and Mary J. Lewellen had eight children, of whom Henry L., the subject of this sketch, was the sixth. The others were: Anna. who never married ; Frances, who married S. C. Spears; John, who Is unmarried ; Lewis, who married Nettle Roberts; Thomas, who married Margaret Thompson; Edgar and George, neither of whom ever married.
Henry L. Lewellen was educated in the public schools of Greene and Clinton counties, Oblo, and was graduated from the Sabina high school with the class of 1903. When he was a very young man, he worked with his brother in the vehicle business. In 185 he entered this vocation as a clerk and later became identified with his father- in-law in the furniture business and in 1915 took complete charge of the business. Mr. Lewellen has been in the business for more than fifteen years and it was started with a capital of two hundred and seventy five dollars. He has increased from year to year until now it is one of the most flourishing enterprises in this section. The firm owns the building It occupies.
In February, 1×95. Henry L. Lewellen was married to Esa E. Gaskins, who was born on July 8, 1874, the daughter of Dr. Aaron J. Gaskins, Three children have been born to this union : Mary L., who was born on March 11, 1900; Doris, December 4, 1904; and Aaron, August 18. 1911.
It was during the years that Mr. Lewellen managed the furniture business for his father-in-law that it grew and prospered to its present condition. Mr. Lewellen keeps only a high grade of furniture and has a large business for a town of only fifteen hun- dred people.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewellen are members of the Friends church and he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Elected as a Democrat. he has served nearly six years as city treasurer of Sabina, a position he has filled with credit as bis long tenure will well prove.
PATRICK J. CURREN.
It is the honorable reputation of a man in business more than any other considera- tion which gives character and stability to our public institutions, and which fixes the boundaries of one's personal reputation. Patrick J. Curren. a well-known business man of Sabina, Ohio, and a veteran of the Spanish-American War, has never lost sight of his obligations to the community in general, and during his residence in this city he has taken an active part in all public movements. During the war with Spain. he was a major in the Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was assistant superin- tendent In loading transports at Tampa, Florida. He was mustered out of the service In 1898.
Patrick J. Curren was born September 4, 1880, at Chillicothe, Ohio, a son of Martin and Ella (Linnehan) Curren, the former of whom was born in Clashmore. County Waterford, Ireland, in 1814, and died in 1898, and the latter of whom was born in the same county in 1815, and died in February. 1899. They were married in their native land, and came to America In 1848, settling in Chillicothe. Ohlo, Martin Curren was a tailor by trade, and followed this vocation at Chillicothe, where he lived the remainder of his life. He and his wife were the parents of seven children : Mary, who became the wife of Yormand Thompson; Catherine, the wife of John Kennedy; Patrick J., the immediate subject of this review : Ella. the wife of John B. Caddon ; and three children deceased. Martin Curren was a member of the Catholic church during his life, and was .identified with the Democratic party.
Patrick J. Curren was educated in the public and parochial schools of Chillicothe. Ohio, and when a young man, learned the tailor's trade. He worked at this trade
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in Chillicothe for about three years, after which he went to New York City, where he remained four months learning to "cut." In April. 1876, he came to Wilmington, Ohio, and after working at his trade there for about one year, removed to Muncie, Indiana, where he was employed until about 1879, when he moved to Washington C. H., Ohio, and the next year came to Sabina.
After the clone of the Spanish-American War Mr. Curren returned to Sabina, taking up his trade as a tailor. He now has a general men's and children's clothing store, with a prosperous and growing business.
Patrick J. Curren was married to Estella Johnson, the daughter of Henry Johnson, and they have had three children: Frederick L', born on December 27, 1900; Walter Paul, May 7, 1902; and Martin, June 1, 1905.
Mr. and Mrs. Curren are faithful and devoted members of the Catholic church. Mr. Curren belongs to the Fraternal Order of Engles As a Democrat, he has served as a member of the town council, corporation treasurer and township treasurer. He served as a member of the town council in 1807 and 1808, and was township treasurer for two years, and was corporation treasurer for four years. During this time the Sabina school house was built. Mr. Curren is a member of the Clinton county election board. and also a member of the Democratic central executive committee. He is highly respected and esteemed in Sabina, and his ever increasing business may be attributed to the high favor in which he is held by his fellow townsmen.
CHARLES WILLIAM CUSTIS.
Charles William Custis, a well-known business man and manufacturer of Sabina, Ohio, who is now living retired, was born in Clinton county. Ohlo, on July 20. 1857, the son of William and Susan ( Drake) Custis, natives of Clinton . county, and New York state, respectively. Susan Drake was a daughter of Daniel and Ann ( Musherue) Drake.
The maternal grandparents of Mr. Custis were Daniel Drake and wife, the former of whom was a native of New England and engaged in the oyster business. He was a prominent member of the Christian church, and moved to Oblo early in life, locating In this county, where he engaged in farming, being the owner of one hundred acres of land. Hle and his life were the parents of five children, Abble, Elizabeth, Mary, Susan and Anna.
William Custis was the son of Donglas Custis, a well-known citizen of this county. William Custis, the father of Charles W., attended the common schools of ('linton county, and here completed his education. He removed to Sabina from New Antioch, Ohio, and for some time was engaged in the general mercantile business, handling hard- ware and dry goods for the most part. While engaged In business in Sabina, he lived on a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres at the edge of the town. He was n member of the Methodist Protestant church and an active worker in that denomination. Fraternally, he was identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while, polit- ically, he was an ardent supporter of the Republican party. He died in October. 1906, after having lived a most useful life, His widow is still living at the age of seventy- six years. They were the parents of eight children. Charles William, Frank, Ida B., Anna, James, Levi D., Lula and Grace. Of these children Frank is married and lives at Dayton, Ohio. Ida B. also lives at Dayton and is the wife of Samuel McGuire, Anna is the wife of L. A. Wysong. of Wilmington. James married Rebecca Perrell, and they live in Sabina. Levi D. married Georgia Kuhn, and they live in Canton, Ohio. Lula In the wife of Dr. F. G. Leightner, of Sabina, and Grace is the wife of Marion Kuhn, of Crooksville, Ohio.
Charles W. Custis received his education in the common schools, and after leaving school was engaged for some time in business with his father. After managing his
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father's hardware store for some time he retired from that concern and engaged in the restaurant and bakery business. After disposing of this latter business be next engaged with John Matthews as a partner in handling bankruptcy stocks of merchan- dise. He is the owner of one hundred and ten acres of land in Clinton county, also valuable property in Sabina, and is the owner of the ice-cream factory in Sabina. For the past ten years Mr. Custis has been retired from active business.
Charles W. Custis has been twice married, his first wife having been Ellie M. Dalgern, and to which union three children were born, Lauron A., Clyde Burtsal and Ethel Marie. Lauron A., who lives in Goshen. Indiana, married Margaret Shannon, and is engaged in the wholesale manufacture of ice cream in that city. Clyde, who is a resident of Sabina, married Mary Spurgeon. Ethel is the wife of Arthur N. Hains, a resident of Sabina. Mir. Custis married, secondly. Flora Johnson, daughter of Moses Johnson, of Port Williams, to which union one child has been born, a son, Earl Johnson, who is unmarried.
'Mir. Custis and wife are members of the Methodist Protestant church and both take an active interest in church work. Mr. Custis is a member of the board of public affairs and is a Republican.
COL CHARLES R. FISHER.
Col. Charles R. Fisher, the president of the Journal-Republican Company. publisbers of the Journal- Republican, of Wilmington. Ohio, is descended from a line of distinguished ancestors. his great-grandfather having bee na soldier in the American Revolution, his grandfather having been a member of the United States Congress, his father baving been, for twenty years, connected with the Clinton Republican as editor, served for several terms as prosecuting attorney of the county and, during his lifetime was a leading member of the Clinton county bar. Col. Charles R. Fisher is one of the leading citizens of Wilmington. Except for a period of fourteren years, from 1870 to 1884, various members of the Fisher family have been connected with the leading newspapers of Clinton county, practically ever since the formation of the county. The present president of the publishing company himself has served as deputy postmaster of Wilmington, deputy clerk of the courts of Clinton county, postinaster of Wilmington and aide-de-camp, with the rank of colonel, to the late Gov. Asa 8. Bushnell, of Ohio.
Charles R. Fisher was born in Wilmington, February 14, 1800, and is the son of William B. and Euphemia (Pegg) Fisher, the former of whom was born in 1818, at Mt. Pleasant, In Clermont county, Ohio, and married Euphemia Pegg In 1846. She was born at Batavia, In Clermont county, in October, 1826. They had four children : Mary, who married Dr. A. T. Quinn, of Wilmington ; Katherine, the wife of C. C. Nichols and who died in 1888; William G., who married Effle Hunsicker, of Pickaway county, Ohlo; and Col. Charles R., the subject of this sketch.
William B. Fisher and family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a Republican in politics and active during his entire life for the principles of that party.
In 1790 Adam Fischer, a German resident of Pennsylvania, who had just returned from the Revolutionary War. Immigrated to Clermont county, Ohio, with his family. settling at Point Pleasant. About this time the spelling of the name was changed from Fischer to Fisher, because David Fischer, grandfather of the subject of this sketch and the eldest son in Adam Fischer's family, objected to the nickname "Dutch," which his schoolmates gave him. Here David Fisher grew to manhood and became a prodigious student of public affairs, being called upon frequently for political addresses in south- western Ohlo. He was elected to the General Assembly of Ohio from Clermont county in 1842. and four years Inter moved to Wilmington, where he became the owner and
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DAVID FISHER.
WILLIAM B. FISHER.
WILLIAM G. FISHER.
CHARLES R. FISHER.
THREE GENERATIONS. FIFTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS IN WILMINGTON.
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editor of the Clinton Republican, formerly known as the Western Whig, an organ favoring the high protective tariff. In the fall of 1846, he was elected to represent the Wilmington district in the United States Congress as a Whig.
The eldest son of David Fisher was William Byrne, who derived his middle name from the maiden name of his Welsh mother. He grew up on a farm near Point Pleasant, studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1846, he married Euphemia Pegg, of Batavia, and thereafter opened a law office in that village. In the fall of 1847, he came to Wilmington to take charge of his father's paper during his absence in Congress. He learned to like the newspaper business and also Wilmington, and In 1850 purchased the paper from his father. David moved to Cincinnati, where, a third of a century later, he died at the age of ninety-three years. William B. Fisher was connected with the Clinton Republican for twenty years, at the same time practicing his profession and serving as prosecuting attorney. For a short time, the late Franklin Corwin was associated with him as a partner and, subsequently, the late Dr. A. P. Russell. This latter arrangement continued until Doctor Russell's election as secretary of state in 1860. In 1806, William B. Fisher sold a half interest in the paper to Capt. D. L. Way, now a resident of Jacksonville, Florida. Four years later he sold out his entire interest because of falling bealth and died In 1874.
In 1884, Willlam G. and Charles R. Fisher, the two sons of William B. Fisber, bought the Wilmington Journal, which had been established sixteen years previously by the Garvin brothers. At that time the Journal had a circulation of nine hundred copies and was a four-page paper. The prestige of the paper grew from year to year. until it attained a circulation of nearly four thousand copies, more than that of any two other papers published in the county. With the exception of the period from 1870 to 1884, the name Fisher has been connected with Wilmington's newspaper Interests continuously since 1846.
On January 1, 1913 the Wilmington Journal, the paper of the younger Fishers, and the Clinton Republican, the former paper of the father and son, were consolidated and are now published under the name of the Journal-Republican. Col Charles R. Fisher is president of the company and actively engaged in its management: Thurman Miller is secretary and treasurer and William G. Fisher, T. M. Bales and Albert I. Bailey are the remaining directors.
Col. Charles R. Fisher was educated in the public schools of Wilmington and began working, when a Ind of twelve, as a messenger for the First National Bank during his vacations. In 1876 he was made deputy postmaster, under Capt. W. P. Wolf, and was in the service for three years, after which he was made deputy clerk of the county courts. In April, 1884, he resigned the latter position and he and his brother, William G., pur- chased the Journal, as has already been noted, publishing it under the firm name of W. G. & C. R. Fisher until its consolidation as above stated. From 1890 to 1894, Colonel Fisher was postmaster of Wilmington and from 1896 to 1900, aide de-camp to Governor Asa S. Bushnell.
On March 11, 1905, Colonel Fisher was married to Sarah Hinman, a native of Kentucky and the daughter of the late David S. Hinman. They have no children.
For twenty-seven years, Col. Charles R. Fisher has been in charge of the music of the Methodist church of Wilmington and his father was chorister of the same church for nearly as long a period before that time. Mrs. Fisher has been the organist for nineteen years.
It Is doubtful if any enterprise'in Clinton county has had a more successful career or plays an equally important part in the business and social life as the Clinton Tele- phone Company. It began business in January, 1900, with one hundred and twenty-five subscribers, which have been increased to sixteen hundred in Wilmington alone and
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over seventeen hundred in the remaining exchanges, making a total of about thirty-four hundred in the county. The company has a capital of two hundred thousand dollars, fully paid and all Jasned and owned by the citizens of Clinton county, and has just com- pleted a handsome two-story, fre-proof home for itself in Wilmington. Colonel Fisher has been president of the Clinton Telephone Company since Its organization, and gives to it much of his time and labor.
He has been secretary and treasurer of the Masonic Temple Company, the company which erected the Masonic Temple in Wilmington, ever since its organization, and is at member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elkx He is a charter member of Wilmington commandery. Knights Templar, and has served as presiding officer of all the Masonic bodles in this city.
HARRY STUNTZ, M. D.
Dr. Harry Stuntz is one of the leading physicians of Sabina, Richland township. this county, and for many years has enjoyed a large and lucrative practice in that section of Clinton county, He was born at Terrace Park. Ohio, the son of Prof. C. R. and Eliza ( Hauck) Stuntz. the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Poland, Ohio, who is now living in Cincinnati at the age of eighty years. She was the daughter of Daniel Hauck, of Poland. Ohio.
Prof. C. R. Stimtz was graduated from Allegheny College, and. during his active enreer, was prominently known in educational circles in Cincinnati. having been for thirty years connected with the Woodward high school as professor of natural sciences. He was a member and at one time president of the American Chemists' Association. Prof. C. R. and Eliza ( Hauck) Stuntz were the parents of eight children. George R .. Mary. J. Edward. Frances. Frank M., Helen. Dr. Harry and Chauncey R.
Of these children, George married Emma Meader and lives in Cincinnati. Mary married W. T. Ritchie, a well-known Inwyer of Cincinnati, Ohio, who resides at Madi- sonville. J. Edward married Birdie Sharp and is superintendent of the Cape Cruz Company, of Cuba, this county. Frances, who lives in Milford. married Dr. F. C. Curry. Frank M., who married Louise Sharp, is superintendent of the Central fuctory at Sinclaire, Louisiana. Helen married T. P. Walker, who is secretary of the Queen City Forginz Company. of Cincinnati. Chauncey, who is assistant superintendent of the Cape Cruz Company, married Eveline Elliott and lives at Terrace Park.
Dr. Harry Stuntz married J.Ida Ruese, the daughter of Herman and Minnie (Tholke) Ruese, the former of whom was born in Germany and came to America at the age of sixteen years, locating in Cincinnati, where he became a well-known contract builder. His wife also was a native of Germany, and was brought to America by her parents when an infant. her parents also Jorating in Cincinnati. Herman Ruese was a soldier in the Civil War and served during the entire period of that great struggle. He died on February 24. 1900, and his widow on March 23. 1912. They were the parents of five children. Emma. Vina, Ella, Lydia and John. Doctor and Mrs. Stunts have no children.
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