USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 40
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Isaac Larimer, his son, was born September 14, 1808, and was a man of great decision of character and vigorous intel- lect. With meager schooling he applied himself to the study of the literature and politics of his day, and became a forceful and ready impromptu speaker. He was a Democrat, but be- came a strong advocate of abolition during the Lincoln and Douglas campaign. He represented his district, comprising Perry, Hocking and Fairfield counties, in the Ohio legislature, in which he served two terms. On October 9, 1838, he married Margaret Ray, daughter of Samuel and Mary Ray. Isaac Larimer and his wife were both stanch Presbyterians, and took an active part in the work of that church. To them were born two sons and four daughters. John Wright Larimer, the fifth in order of birth, was born near Lexington, Perry county, June 24, 1846. He spent his early days in Perry and Fairfield counties, where he assisted in the work of farming and re- ceived his education, which was cut short by the breaking out
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of the civil war. He enlisted in Company B of the 17th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, February 23, 1864, and served to the close of the war, being present in all the battles of the Atlanta cam- paign on Sherman's famous "march to the sea." In 1865 he came to Darke county with his parents, who settled about two miles southeast of Greenville.
On November 12, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret C. Mowen, daughter of David and Sarah (Hartle) Mowen. To them were born one son, and four daughters, the son, Isaac Wright, having died at the age of nine years. His daughters are Pearle (Wilson); Ethel; Sara, who did much of the transcribing of Vol. I of this book, and Virginia, who graduated from the Greenville high school in 1906. Mrs. Lari- mer and daughters are members of the Reformed Church, in the work of which they have shown much interest.
Mrs. Larimer is the daughter of one of the pioneer families of Richland township, where she was reared and educated, and is a woman of high character and ideals and manifests much interest in the affairs of state and church.
After spending the most active years of their married life on the farm where, by inheritance, purchase, hard labor and sacrifice, they secured and greatly improved a fine farm of about 160 acres, they moved to Greenville in 1901, where they later purchased themselves a home on Wayne avenue, in which they still reside.
Mr. Larimer has taken an active interest in the local affairs of the Republican party, having served its interests in various capacities. He has been for many years an enthusiastic mem- ber of Champion Lodge No. 742, I. O. O. F., having passed all the chairs, and has been a faithful member of Jobes Post, G. A. R., of Greenville, in which he served as commander. Like his father, he is a man of decided convictions, and mani- fests much interest in public affairs.
Mr. Larimer's mother died November 28, 1873, and his father January 25, 1874.
Pearle Larimer Wilson has taken much interest in the work . of the Reformed Church, which she joined in her youth.
Frazer E. Wilson has been identified with Sunday school work since a child, being during his boyhood years a member of the M. E. Sunday school of Greenville. In the spring of 1896 he joined the Central Congregational Church of Dayton, in which city he then lived, and took an active part in the work of that church until it disbanded about 1899. After his
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marriage he transferred his membership to St. Paul's Re- formed Church October 2, 1904, and has remained an active member ever since, having served as superintendent of the Sunday school, teacher of the men's class, deacon and church clerk, and member of the building committee, believing that the work of these organizations is second in interest and im- portance to no other. For years he has been a student of church history and religious literature, in which subjects he is much interested.
On November 7, 1901, Mr. Wilson was elected treasurer of the city of Greenville on the Republican ticket and served two years in that capacity, and as treasurer of the board of education.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson reside on the corner of Wayne avenue and Sater street, where they built themselves a home in the summer of 1904. They are the parents of three children: John. Larimer, born October 13, 1905; Wayne Alden, born November 29, 1908, and Miriam, born March 30, 1912.
IRA McGRIFF.
During the past several decades so many changes have been made in agricultural pursuits as to almost have revolutionized the world-old calling. Today the farmer is one of the most independent men in the country, for to him humanity looks for its sustenance, and for this and other reasons the farmer makes money and enjoys luxuries which his forebears would have never dreamed of. One of the substantial and progressive men of Darke county who is assisting to maintain the county's agri- cultural supremacy and is thereby furthering his own interests, is Ira McGriff, a member of a family widely and favorably known in this part of the State. Mr. McGriff is now the owner of eighty acres of fine land lying on the township line between Twin and Butler townships, and has acquired his property solely through the force of his own industry and good man- agement. He was born on the farm which he now occupies, in 1873, and is a son of Alfred and Martha Jane (Rynearson) Mc- Griff. Both parents are deceased and are buried in the Twin Chapel cemetery. Alfred McGriff was born in Preble county, Ohio, a son of Patrick McGriff, also born in that county, where the family was founded by the great-grandfather of Ira Mc-
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Griff, who emigrated to the United States from the north of Ireland at an early period in this country's history. He landed at New Orleans and made his way up the Mississippi river, finally locating in Preble county, where he took up land from the government, under the administration of President John Adams. Since that time the family has been closely identified with the agricultural interests of this part of the State, and has also been prominent in the work of he United Brethren church. Alfred McGriff was a young man when he came to Darke county, here settled in Twin township, where he con- tinued active agricultural operations throughout a long and useful life. He was married here to Martha Jane Rynearson, and they became the parents of six children: Permelia and Ardilla, who are deceased; Amanda, a resident of Castine Ohio; Eli, a resident of Butler township; George, who is de- ceased, having passed away at the age of twenty-one years, and Ira.
Ira McGriff was given good educational advantages, attend- ing the district school of his native locality and the high school at West Manchester. Upon the completion of his studies he concentrated all of his energies upon farming, to which he had been devoted from earliest youth during the time he was away from his studies. He commenced by rent- ing land from his father, and gradually accumulated the home property by purchase, in the meantime making numerous im- provements and adding to the equipment and stock. He is now recognized as one of the substantial men of his commu- nity and is widely and favorably known in business circles, where his name is a recognized one on commercial paper.
On May 5, 1897, Mr. McGriff was united in marriage with Miss Ella Moist, of Darke county, and to this union there has been born one daughter, Marie Dale, fifteen years of age, who is attending the same school in which her father started. Mr. McGriff is interested in fraternal work, and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, in both of which he has numerous friends. He sup- ports religious movements liberally, but is not a professed member of any denomination. Mr. McGriff's political opinions make him a Democrat, and at this time he is a member of the Central Committee. His home is often the gathering place for many of his warm friends, who delight in visiting him and en- joying the generous hospitality which is characteristic of both Mr. and Mrs. McGriff.
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JOHN F. WANDEL.
The business interests of Arcanum, Ohio, are heavy and varied, offering opportunities for development and advance- ment, for the city is in the midst of a rich farming community that looks to this point as a source of supplies, as well as a market for farm products. While the opportunities are great, however, here as elsewhere the men who succeed in business life are those possessed of superior ability, steadfast- ness and fidelity, and in this class stands John F. Wandel, the proprietor of a flourishing farm implement business and a citi- zen with large and varied connection. While Mr. Wandel has been a very busy man he has found time from his manifold interests to serve his community in offices of trust and re- sponsibility, and as president of the board of trustees of Twin township and a member of the board of county commissioners of Darke county he is doing much to promote the welfare of his community. Mr. Wandel was born in Madison township, Montgomery county, Ohio, and is a son of George F. and Christina (Couch) Wandel.
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George F. Wandell was born in Wurtenburg, Germany, was there reared and educated, and, as is the custom, served three years in the German army. Like thousands of his fellow coun- trymen he felt that better opportunities for advancement awaited him in the new world, and accordingly, in 1847, he emigrated to this country. He arrived in time to participate in the Mexican war as a soldier in the United States army, and following his discharge took up farming operations. At the outbreak of the Civil war he answered his adopted country's call for troops, enlisting in the Seventy-first regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, with which organization he fought for three years, meeting a soldier's death on the field of battle. His record was an excellent one and he was esteemed alike by officers and comrades. He left a widow and five children : George F., Emanuel, Mary A., who is now Mrs. Mock; Rose, who married Mr. Murray and resides at Salem, Ohio; Bar- bara F., who married Mr. Giskey and makes her home at Day- ton, this State.
George F. Wandel received his education in the schools of Union City, the Mount Pleasant school near Dayton, and the schools of Stringtown, but the early death of his father made it necessary that he early begin his struggle with life, and he bravely gave up his education and started out to work by the
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day and later by the month, his earnings being contributed to his mother for the support of the family. At the age of twenty-two years he commenced farming on shares in Mont- gomery county, and for four years was a resident of Madison township, following which he came to Butler township, Darke county, and took up a tract of land. He continued to be en- gaged in agricultural pursuits there until 1900, at which time he embarked in the implement business at Arcanum, and this has since been his field of endeavor. Through progressive methods and able management he has been able to build up a fine trade, and is known at this time as one of his community's most sub- stantial men. In politics he is one of his county's most promi- nent Democrats, and has served as township treasurer of But- ler township and is now president of the township board of trustees of Twin township. At the elections in 1913 he was made a member of the board of county commissioners, and took office in September of that year. His service has been characterized by a devotion to duty and conscientious regard for the responsibilities of his position that are as rare as they are commendable. His religious connection is with the Re- formed church, which he attends at Arcanum.
On April 8, 1875, Mr. Wandell was united in marriage with Miss Dora C. Wetzel of Franklin township, Darke county. They have had no children.
CHARLES IRVEN DELK. .
Charles Irven Delk, an enterprising and successful builder and contractor of Pitsburg, Ohio, has erected the majority of the modern residences and barns in his part of the county and has also had the contracts for a large number of pub- lic and business buildings in the surrounding country. One of the excellent buildings he has put up is the two-story brick hotel, of which he is proprietor and which is now the family home. He was born in the village of Liberty, Montgomery county, Ohio, June 22, 1857, second child of Joseph and Mary Ann (Gilbert) Delk, the former born on a farm near Green- ville, Darke county, Ohio, January 25, 1834, the son of Ethel- red and Nancy Delk.
Ethelred Delk, thought to have been a native of Pennsyl -. vania (although his grandson is not positive of this fact), wars
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born February 16, 1784, was a man of good education and in early life taught school in Darke county. Mr. Thomas, for- merly a merchant of Ithaca, and now succeeded in business by his son Will, at the age of eighty years related that he attended school near Ithaca when Ethelred Delk was the teacher. He died February 14, 1838, when his son Joseph was but four years old, and his wife, who was born December 23, 1799, died August 19, 1835, when Joseph was but one year old. There were nine children in the family, Joseph being the youngest.
In early childhood Joseph Delk was taken into the home of a stranger, who put him to work at a tender age and gave him small opportunity to obtain an education. Joseph's boy- hood was one of toil and deprivation and as a young man he served four years' apprenticeship to learn the trade of black- smith at Liberty, Ohio. Later he worked at Gettysburg, Darke county, where he conducted a shop. on his own account for a period of three years. He subsequently removed to a farm near New Lebanon and there carried on his trade in con- junction with farming, having a shop on his land. He was married February 15, 1855, at Gettysburg, to Mary Ann Gil- bert, daughter of Isaac Gilbert, and a native of Maryland. Her mother died when she was a child, and at the age of nineteen years, with her two younger sisters, she walked all the way from her old home to Germantown, Montgomery county, Ohio, to make a home with their father's brother, James Gilbert. She met her future husband in the hotel at Liberty and they located on a farm in the neighborhood, where their first children were born. They moved thence to Painter Creek, and from there to what is now known as Old Pits- burg, where Joseph Delk bought a lot and erected a home, and there the mother died June 25, 1879, after a residence of fourteen years there. Joseph Delk worked some twenty years at his trade in Old Pitsburg. There were six children in the family, namely : John Allen, of Twin township; Charles I., of his sketch; James M., of Dayton; Altha, wife of Philip Waybright, lives near Dayton in Trotwood, Montgomery county ; Silas, a farmer living near Pitsburg: Carlton G., of Pitsburg. Joseph Delk married again, but there were no children by the second marriage. He lived for a time at Mi- amisburg, but subsequently came to live with his son John at Pitsburg, where his death occurred May 16, 1885. He is buried by the side of his first wife in Mote cemetery, at Old
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Pitsburg. He was a Democrat in politics and at one time served as turnpike commissioner of Monroe township. He and his wife belonged to the German Baptist Church and were much interested in church work.
After receiving a common school education, Mr. Delk helped his father in the shop, having commenced this occupa- tion as a child by blowing the bellows and learning to strike hot iron on the anvil. He became quite proficient and would have finished learning the trade of blacksmith, but his mother thought it too hard work and wished him to take up some other line. At the age of eighteen years, therefore, he became apprentice to the trade of carpenter, and received fourteen dol- lars per month while learning. He spent four years with Mr. David W. Niswonger, at the end of which time he was taken in as partner by Mr. Niswonger, which arrangement lasted another four years. He then began contracting and build- ing on his own account, which he has since continued. He purchased a lot in Pitsburg at a time when there were but four buildings there-a store, blacksmith shop and two resi- dences, the former being the present building of the First Na- tional Bank, the blacksmith shop being near it and the two houses south of the shop. The fifth building to be erected was Mr. Delk's one-story frame house, on the second lot south of the other two residences. After Charles I. Delk had erected a home in Pitsburg his sister kept house for him and they made a home for the younger brothers until they made homes for themselves, and the sister continued to reside with the subject for some fifteen years after his marriage, until her own marriage. These two helped the younger ones to gain a start in life and took a commendable interest in their welfare. The following March he moved to Dayton and en- joyed a profitable business there, but he much preferred to live in Darke county, and seven months later returned to Pits- burg. When he married he mortgaged his home for $500 and used it in his business. He has prospered well in busi- ness and there are probably not over twenty houses in the town of Pitsburg that were built by anyone else, and he has put up most of the modern farm houses in the country surrounding Pitsburg. In 1906 he secured a contract to erect the hotel for Mr. Young, which is the best built country hotel to be found in the county. In 1907 he erected the combined residence and store now occupied by Mr. William Young, and in 1909 erected a house for himself
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on the main street of the town, but the following year sold it to David Baker, and in 1912 erected a home on the corner of Baker and Oak streets. This is a two-story brick building 36 by 34 feet, not including porches, with a basement under the entire building, with slate roof, hot air heating sys- tem, hot and cold water system and a motor pump to raise water from the cistern, which holds 150 barrels. He has put in hardwood floors and the finishing is of quarter-sawed oak. This was the family home until February, 1914, when they moved to the Hotel Pitsburg, which he had purchased a short time previously. It was at the earnest request of Mrs. Delk that he embarked in hotel business, which she conducts and leaves him free to look after his contracting. He has a large force of men in his employ, many of whom have been in his employ for years. In 1909 he erected the Franklin township high school building, and besides a large number of fine resi- dences, he put up in 1914 a large garage in Arcanum. In 1895 he erected the high school building in Arlington, the other substantial and handsome buildings for which he has executed contracts being too numerous to mention.
In politics Mr. Delk is a Democrat. He has never cared for office, but has served as councilman from the time Pits- burg was incorporated until 1914. In 1910 he was active in the promotion and organization of the First National Bank in Pitsburg, served as second vice-president from that time to the present, as well as a director. In 1909 he became inter- estered in the manufacture of cement posts, and took stock in the company in order to help local industry.
On December 14, 1890, Mr. Delk was united in marriage with Miss Dora Ella Niswonger, of Monroe township, born April 17, 1862, on a farm near Salem, Montgomery county, Ohio, daughter of Eli and Mary Ann (Coffman)' Niswonger, who was but two years old when her parents moved to a farm of ninety acres the father had inherited in Monroe township. This was not cleared of woods and the father cleared a place for a home, erecting a two-story log house, which is still used as a dwelling, having been enlarged and remodeled. Her father was born on the same farm as Mrs. Delk, and was a son of George and Betsy (Warner) Niswonger, the former also born on the same farm. In childhood Mrs. Delk walked two miles to school, often through deep mud, but was deter- mined to make the most of her opportunities for education. Three children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Delk :
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Margaret, born in Pittsburg May 12, 1892, a graduate of aca- demic work in the North Manchester College at North Man- chester, Indiana, has had one year of college training there; Fred, born March 27, 1895, and William, born July 8, 1900, also in Pitsburg. The parents of these children have been active members of the German Baptist Church, now Church of the Brethren, in Pitsburg for many years, and their daugh- ter, who is a Sunday school teacher, is also active in church work in the same society. They have a number of warm friends and are well known for sincere hospitality.
WILLIAM ALBERT CHENOWETH.
William Albert Chenoweth, a successful merchant of Glenn Karn, Ohio, belongs to one of Darke countiy's old and honored families, whose name stands for integrity, honesty and good citizenship. He is the owner of a modern and well-organized department store and is one of the most progressive men of the county. He is well known in the region, where he has taken a prominent part in various affairs for many years. He was born in Randolph county, Indiana, December 26, 1854, and is a son of Charles Wesley and Minerva (Harrison) Cheno- weth, the latter a daughter of James Harrison, granddaughter of Jesse Harrison, who was a grand-nephew of the Indian fighter, William Henry Harrison. Charles Wesley Chenoweth was born six miles from Hampstead, Carroll county, Mary- land, near Baltimore, in 1830, and now lives retired in Hol- lansburg. He is a son of William and Keturah (Murray) Chenoweth. William Chenoweth and wife removed, with their children, to Darke county, in 1838, but two years later went on west to Randolph county, Indiana, where they spent the remainder of their lives. He was born on the same farm as his son Charles W., near Hampstead, in 1804, and died in 1876, and his wife was born near the same place in 1806 and died in 1894. They had eight children born in Maryland and five born in Randolph county, Indiana, and four now survive: Charles Wesley; Oliver Murray and Ed- ward Milton, of Lynn, Indiana; Joshua Bayson, of Fountain City, Indiana, who is seventy-two years old and a veteran of the Civil war, having served with an Indiana regiment. Two sons, William C. and Benjamin Franklin, died within the last
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two years, and another son, Frank, served from 1861 to 1864 in the Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
Charles Wesley Chenoweth is now retired from active life and resides in Hollansburg, but was for many years a farmer in German and Harrison townships, locating in the latter about 1875. He served in the Civil war and participated in a num- ber of sharp skirmishes. He helped clear his father's farm in Indiana and knew all the hardships and trials of pioneer ex- istence, as well as its joys and compensations. His wife, who was born in German township, Darke county, in 1837, died in 1878, and was buried in Hollansburg. There were seven children born to him and his wife, of whom five now survive, namely: William Albert, whose name is at the head of this article; James A., of Hollansburg; Keturah, wife of George Sharpe, of Harrison township, deceased; Washington E., who died in 1908, was a resident of Indiana; Morton M., of Richmond, Indiana; Ella Belle, wife of Carl Woods, of Hollansburg; E. E., of Hollansburg. He has been a deacon since 1864 in the Christian church and is one of the largest contributors, being always generous in his help. He has served many times as trustee of the church. In early man- hood he amassed a fortune of some thirty thousand dollars, to which he has added continuously since. He has been one of the most successful farmers in his portion of the state, and stands high as an enterprising business man and a solid, sub- stantial and exemplary citizen. He has been a delegate to the conference of the church many times and has always greatly enjoyed these trips, sometimes accompanied by his wife and sometimes going alone. He belongs to the G. A. R., but they have no local organization, so he seldom has an opportunity to attend their meetings. His second wife was Mary Ann Felton, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, born Septem- ber 27, 1846, daughter of Charles D. and Hannah G. (Priesley) Felton, also natives of Pennsylvania. This marriage took place September 4, 1879, and two children have been born of this union, the elder of whom died in infancy, the other being Ethel Olga, born near Hollansburg March 11, 1886. She took a course in business college at Richmond, Indiana, and is now the wife of Lert Reid, of New Paris, Ohio. She is also a member of the Christian church. .
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