USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 50
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On April 4, 1900, Mr. McClellan was married in Greenville, Ohio, to Miss Alpha Swadener, of this city, who was born on a farm near Arcanum, daughter of Henry J. Swadener. To
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this union there has come one child : Anna Mae, who was born in Greenville, April 16, 1900. Mr. McClellan is a Republican, but has never been an office seeker, preferring to devote his entire time and attention to his business interests. About 1901 he became a member of Lodge No. 742, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and two years later joined the Knights of Pyth- ias. His friendships are many in business and fraternal cir- cles, and few men are held in higher general esteem.
J. OSCAR WINTERS.
J. Oscar Winters, manager of the Western Creamery Com- pany, with headquarters at Greenville, is one of the best known men in his part of Ohio. He has practically built up a large business with a small beginning and a modest amount of capital, until today the company handles and sells the product from about 30,000 cows. Mr. Winters is a native of Darke county and three of his brothers are associated with him in his business. He is of German descent, born on a farm in Richland township, June 14, 1875, eighth in order of birth of the eleven children of Job Mann and Rhoda (Brewer) Winters, now residents of Richland township. The father was born November 6, 1835, in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, youngest of the five children of George and Anna (Mann) Winters, also natives of Pennsylvania. Job Mann Winters was reared on a farm and received a common school education, becoming a teacher while yet in his teens. By the time he had reached his majority he had saved $200 and came to Ohio to invest it in land. He secured a farm in Darke county, and on March 1, 1860, married Miss Rhoda Brewer, and they now have one of the finest farms in the county, comprising some four hundred acres. They make a specialty of dairy farming and raise considerable grain. They had eleven chil- dren, two of whom died in infancy, and four sons are interested in the Western Ohio Creamery Company : Rufus R., Clarence W., J. Homer and J. Oscar. The mother was an adept at butter making and it was her success in this line that first gave J. Oscar Winters his ambition to specialize along the line of dairying. They started in a small way to carry out the idea, having a well equipped dairy from the start, and (34)
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through the efforts of the four sons a fine business has been developed.
Job Mann Winters has always taken an active part in local affairs and is a democrat in political views. He has served at various times as delegate to conventions and for many years was township treasurer. He has always been active in better- ing educational conditions and he and his wife have founded a home that has endeared them to family and friends. They are members of the Christian church. They began life with a small capital and through their own efforts have become owners of a fine farm and a competence for their declining years. Truly their children will rise up and call them blessed.
In boyhod J. Oscar Winters attended the local schools and in early manhood made up his mind to devote his efforts to farming and dairying. He did not look afar for opportunity, but he and his brothers saw it right at hand and made the most of it, and remained at home until he was thirty years old. When he had reached his majority he entered into part- nership with his father. In 1895 he spent three months at the State College at Center county, Pennsylvania, and for six weeks took a special course in dairying, in order to be better fitted to carry on his work successfully. In company with his brother Clarence W., he then carried on farming and dairying, and four years later their brother J. Homer became associated with them. In 1896 the firm became known as J. M. Winters & Sons, but in 1903 Rufus R. Winters joined them and The Winters Dairy Company was organized and the enterprise carried on upon the farm. They found a market for their butter in Dayton. They started with the milk from thirty- five cows and operated on the farm until 1905. As early as 1895 they had established a reputation for the "J.O.W." brand of butter, now widely and favorably known in the mai- kets.
In 1905 the firm erected a modern cement building in Green- ville and at the present time, including their plants at Rich- mond, Indiana, and Xenia and St. Henry, Ohio, they handle the cream from 30,000 to 35,000 cows. They have a capacity for 30,000 pounds of butter per day, and churning began in their new building May 15, 1905. On March 1. 1906, a reor- ganization was effected, and they established new plants. being now represented at Greenville, West Manchester, West Sonora, Eaton, Camden, Spring Valley and New Burlington. J. Oscar Winters has been the manager who has effected
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. the establishment of the concern on a sound business basis, and in this he has been ably assisted by his brothers, all of whom have carefully studied the details of the business itself, as well as local conditions and the markets offered. It is one of the successful enterprises that has been built up from the foun. .. tion by far-seeing individuals and that has greatly benefited the locality in which it has operated. Mr. Winters ranks high as a business man and stands well with all who know him.
Mr. Winters was united in marriage July 3, 1900, with Miss Charlotte A. Rehmert, a native of Richland township, Darke county, where she was reared and educated, and daughter of Henry and Mary (Huber) Rehmert. They have four children living : Forest O., born in Richland township; Paul M., Don- ald and Grace, the latter three born in Greenville. Mr. Win- ters takes no active part in political affairs, although he has served in minor offices, and is a Democrat in opinions. He has served as member of the board of education of Richland township and in the fall of 1913 was elected member of the school board of Greenville. He and his wife are members of the Christian church and he is one of the official board, a teacher in the Sunday school and is at the head of the musical committee. For several years he has been a member of the Masonic Order and also belongs to the United Com- mercial Travellers. The family have a nice home at 210 Oak- wood avenue, Greenville, where they dispense a pleasant hos- pitality to their many friends.
O. PRICE McGRIFF.
The peculiar and particular talents which combine for suc- cess in the insurance business make this one of the most dif- ficult fields of endeavor in which a man may engage. His standing in the community must be of the highest order, for public confidence must be his; he must possess energy, push, determination and perseverance, for competition is strong; he must be able to talk persuasively and to prove the advantages of the insurance he has to sell, and he must at all times main- tain a friendliness and co-operation with his companies and his patrons. These abilities are found exemplified in the person of O. Price McGriff, directing head of the general fire insurance firm of O. P. McGriff & Company, with offices
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in the Anderson building, corner of Fourth and Broadway, Greenville. Mr. McGriff was born on a farm in Butler town- ship, Darke county, Ohio, September 7, 1873, and is a son of Jesse A. and Martha J. (Holsapple) McGriff. His father's sketch appears in this work.
O. Price McGriff was but two years of age at the time of his mother's death, and he was then taken to rear by his maternal grandfather, with whom he resided until reaching his fifth year. His father was then married a second time, and he returned to the parental roof, his boyhood and youth being spent on the home farm. He secured his education in the country schools and also spent one year in the public school at West Manchester, and thus equipped at the age of twenty years began teaching in Butler township. He thus continued for a period of twelve years, during which time he taught in the winter terms and carried on farming in the summer months on a tract of ten acres.
On October 5, 1895, Mr. McGriff was married in Butler township, to Miss Minnie P. Fowble, who was born and reared in Butler township and for some years was a teacher of instrumetnal music. There were two children born to this union : J. Rollin, born August 27, 1902, now in the sixth grade in the public school, who, in 1913, at the age of eleven years, began clerical and collecting work for his father; and Grace Leone, born March 3, 1911, in Greenville. About 1902 Mr. McGriff began to write life insurance, and this he followed one and one-half years, finding it so profitable that in the meantime he sold his place and forty acres in Butler town- ship and moved to New Madison, where he purchased prop- erty. He remained there only a few months, however, when he sold out and moved to Greenville, here becoming con- nected with the general insurance firm of Hough & Riegel. Mr. McGriff remained in the employ of this concern for four years, and on April 1, 1910, became a member of the firm by buying Mr. Riegel's interest. With Mr. Hough he con- tinued the business until November 9, 1913, when the senior partner died, and since that time Mr. McGriff has bought his interest from the heirs and has continued the business alone under the firm style of O. P. McGriff & Company. This is now the largest enterprise of its kind in the city, and does as much business as all the other agencies combined. Mr. McGriff started out in life practically empty-handed and has steadily worked his way upward to success, overcoming the
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difficulties and obstacles in his path by resolute purpose and unflagging energy. His life has been one of great industry, and he continues to work in the management of his business with the same zeal and enthusiasm that characterized his activities when he was a youth with his way to make in the world. His career has been well spent, and the honesty of his dealings and the continuity of his labors furnish an example that is well worthy of emulation by those who would gain a competence and win the respect of their fellowmen. Reared in the faith of democracy, Mr. McGriff supports that party stanchly, having cast his first presidential vote for William Jennings Bryan in 1896. He has not, however, sought public preferment in public life. In the latter eighties, he became a member of the Knights of Pythias, at Castine, in Butler town- ship, and still maintains membership therein, as he does also in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is a trustee, and Greenville Lodge No. 43, Free and Accepted Masons. His pleasant residence is located at No. 623 Wash- ington avenue, where he tenders hospitality to a wide circle of warm friends.
WILLIAM J. MCCURDY.
Railroading has proven a rich field of opportunity to those who are willing to work energetically, scorn hardships and prove fidelity to the systems that employ them, and many young men are attracted to this vocation when starting out in life. The rewards, however, are given only to those who thus prove up, and in this connection may be given a review of the career of William J. McCurdy, agent for the Pennsylvania Railway Company at Greenville, Ohio, a man whose long, efficient and faithful service makes him one of its most trusted employes. Mr. McCurdy was born at Piqua, Ohio, February 19, 1858, and is a son of Joseph and Maria (Routson) Mc- Curdy, the former born March 6, 1831, and the latter October 29, 1832.
Joseph McCurdy was born at Wooster, Ohio, a son of Wil- liam and Margaret McCurdy, the former born July 4, 1795, in the northern part of Scotland, and after coming to America lived for a time in Pennsylvania, later moving to Ohio. The paternal grandmother of William J. McCurdy was born July
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17, 1798, in Delaware. Joseph McCurdy was married in Miami county, Ohio, to Maria Routson, who was born north of Piqua, in that county, daughter of Jacob Routson, a native of Maryland, who migrated to Ohio at an early day and lo- cated in Miami county. Joseph McCurdy had served an ap- prenticeship to the trade of cabinetmaker in his youth, but later became an expert machinist in Piqua, where he was head man in the firm of O'Ferrall, Daniels & Company, man- ufacturers of threshing machines. He and his wife became the parents of seven children, of whom all are living save one who died in infancy, and William J. was the second in order of birth.
As a boy William J. McCurdy attended the public schools, and at the age of fifteen years began earning money in the shops under the supervision of his father. When he was six- teen years old he began as relief man, day operator and agent. at various points in Ohio and Indiana, until 1889, when he came to Greenville as agent, a position which he has continued to ably fill to the present time. For faithful and continued service, Mr. McCurdy's record is one worthy of attention, for since 1873 he has never (in the language of R. R. men) missed a pay day. He is efficient in the discharge of his duties, and as a courteous and obliging official has become de- cidedly popular with the people of Greenville.
On May 17, 1888, Mr. McCurdy was married to Miss Belle Harper, who was born and reared in Greenville. She is the daughter of John and Priscilla (Miesse) Harper. Her father was born and reared in Darke county, was a pioneer photo- grapher, a vocation which he followed throughout life. The mother was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and came to Darke county when a small child. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. McCurdy, both of whom passed away in infancy. Mr. McCurdy was reared a republican and cast his first vote for Garfield. He has not cared for public office. He was brought up in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he and his wife are members. Mr. McCurdy is inter- ested in fraternal matters, being a member of Greenville Lodge No. 143, and of the Chapter, in Masonry and of the Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of the Darke County His- torical Association.
Mrs. McCurdy comes of pure American stock, being de- scended from a long line of American ancestors on both her
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father's and mother's side. Many of these have distinguished themselves in various fields of activity. Her maternal grand- father, Dr. G. Miesse, was one of the famous pioneer physi- cians and surgeons of Darke county. He was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, March 26, 1807, was tutored in his medical studies by a noted Prussian physician, a Doctor Quinedon, and later studied in Philadelphia. On August 24, 1832, he was married to Miss Mary Wiest, of Lancaster, Ohio, and in 1838 settled in Greenville, Ohio, where he built up a large practice and spent a long and useful life. On August 24, 1882, was celebrated the golden wedding anniversary of the Doctor and his wife. , He was not alone a skilled man of medi- cine, but a talented artist and scholar. He also collected a valuable cabinet of historical souvenirs, rare and extensive, which the University of Heidelberg sought to obtain. Doctor Miesse was a direct descendant of Daniel Miesse, a native of Saxony, Germany, who came to America in colonial days and during the Revolutionary war was a volunteer soldier in the army of Gen. George Washington, and one of forty-two who rendered special service at the crossing of the Delaware, re- ceiving a document from the General "for meritorius ser- vices." Doctor Miesse was the last of the direct descendants of Daniel Miesse, and died August 10, 1886, his faithful wife having passed away a few years before.
On the paternal side Mrs. McCurdy is a direct descendant of an ancestor who had a hand in making history, who was the father of Rachel Arnold, the wife of Moses Arnold, who came to Ohio in 1808, locating in what is now Clinton, Ohio, then Warren county, and in 1817 William Arnold, his son, moved to Darke county. He was the father of Delilah (Arnold) Harper, grandmother of Mrs. McCurdy.
The ancestor previously mentioned was a man of influence in the Colonial Congress of 1765, and of the First Continental Congress, and he, with John Rutledge and Christopher Gads- den, were the first to arrive at that assembly in 1776. He was a strong advocate of liberty, but died before signing the Declaration of Independence, although his son who became his successor, signed that famous document.
Mrs. McCurdy is a D. A. R. and is well known socially, is an active church member and identified with several ladies' clubs, being a charter member of both the Columbian and Sorosis clubs.
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BRUMBAUGH FAMILY.
The name Brumbaugh is of German origin and in America has taken various spellings and includes all such as Brumbach, Brumback, Bombach, Brombach, Broombaugh, Brombaugh, Brownbaugh, Brownback and perhaps some others, all due no doubt to the fact that people in America on hearing the newly arrived immigrant pronounce the name each gave his own spelling to it.
One of the family who came to America was Gerhard Brum- bach, who was born in 1662, in Saxony, near Wittenberg, Germany. His name is found spelled not less than five ways, not from his writing it himself as he always made "his mark." He settled at Germantown, Pa., when there was but one house there, which was built in 1683. He was then about 21 years of age. It has been asserted that he came across on the Concord. He must have been about 54 or 56 years of age when he mar- ried Mary Rittenhouse Papen, who was born in 1695. She was the daughter of Heivert and Elizabeth (Rittenhouse) Papen. Her father was a man of considerable means and Gerhard Brombach settled the estate and his wife had quite an inheritance. At this time there were several spellings used in the name and the second generation used that of Brum- back, but in the third generation it became Brownback, which remains to the present time.
Gerhard settled in Vincent township on 600 acres of land, but later acquired more, until he had about 1,000 acres. It was at that time a wilderness and there was a village of about 300 Indians nearby. With these he made friends and em ployed them as laborers, smoked the "peace pipe," took part in their wrestling matches, and other sports. He paid them in provisions. He built a house and barn of logs, very sub- stantial, the house with a door through which logs could be hauled by a team to get the logs to the fireplace. The farm descended to Henry, then to Peter, then what is called the upper farm to Jesse, then to another Peter, and now both farms belong to Garrett Ellwood Brownback and have never been owned outside the family since the original grant from Penn. There was such a demand made upon him to keep travelers over night that he applied for and received permis- sion to open a "public house," which became "Brownback Inn" about 1736. He was "Ye jolly landlord" until nearly the time of his death, which took place 1757. His son Benjamin suc-
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ceeded him and on September 4, 1777, and for several days thereafter had the honor of entertaining Generals Washington . and LaFayette. LaFayette had received a wound at Warren Tavern and had retreated to join Washington's army on its way to Germantown. The landlord, Benjamin Brownback, held a lientenant's commission in the continental army dated August 21, 1776. Not only was Gerhard an innkeeper, but he was interested in many other enterprises. The most prom- inent of these is the part he took in establishing German Re- formed church in 1743. The first building was of hewn logs. This was later replaced with a building of stone in 1800, rebuilt in 1846, remodeled and enlarged in 1878, and in 1907 a tower and a Sunday school room were added. It is today one of the most beautiful churches in the county.
Another of the family to come to America in colonial times was Johann Jacob Brumbach, who was born about 1728, and came to America on the ship Nancy, arriving at Philadelphia August 31, 1750. It seems that his parents had passed away before he left Germany and he brought with him as his inher- itance about two hundred fifty dollars with which he seems to have bought a tract of land in what was then Frederick county, Maryland, south of Mason's and Dixon's line, not far from Hagerstown, but north about four miles from there. When about thirty-two years of age he married Mary Eliza- beth Angle. He had built a log house before his marriage. This building is still standing and occupied. He rendered efficient service as a packman in the French and Indian war. He was well to do in later life as is shown by his securing 6,000 acres of land. On arriving in America he must have dropped the name Johann and was thereafter known as Jacob Brumbach. He was a very religious man and died in Penn- sylvania April 10, 1799. Of his seven children we have to do only with the fourth, Daniel S. Brumbaugh, the spelling having already been changed no doubt by some one in making out legal papers and writing it as pronunciation sounded. He was born in 1772 in what is now Washington county, then Fred- erick county, Maryland. He died August 24, 1824. He had married Elizabeth Long and to them were born nine children. His wife lived until December 12, 1860, being 81 years and 11 months. Of their children the third was named for his father, Daniel, and was born in Washington county, Maryland, Aug- ust 6, 1803. When twenty years of age he married Annie Gray, a cousin of Ex-Gov. Isaac P. Gray, of Indiana. She
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was born in Maryland August 5, 1805. Four years later they moved to Bedford county, Pennsylvania. In December, 1863, they moved to Darke county, Ohio, where they carried on farming. Daniel died in that county January 29, 1882. His wife had passed away about 1874. Of their ten children the fourth, Samuel David, was born January 7, 1831, near Hagers- town, Washington county, Maryland. On December 8, 1853, he married Elizabeth Darner, who was born June 24, 1831, near Beaverstown, Montgomery county, Ohio. He had come to Ohio several years before his parents came. His wife was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Darner.
Samuel David Brumbaugh was drafted during the Civil war but when he went to take the examination he was rejected as being physically unfit for military service. He afterward was commissioned first lieutenant of Company E, Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for which he did a recruiting service. He died March 18, 1868. To them were born five children as follows: John Franklin, born November 12, 1854. He mar- ried Sarah M. Campbell of Darke county, Ohio. He later became the owner of the farm which had been bought by his father before the latter's death. To him were born four chil- dren : Maude Elizabeth married John E. Kline, who served as deputy auditor for Darke county from 1909 to 1914, when he was appointed deputy district tax commissioner by W. D. Brumbaugh. They have two children. The second of John Franklin Brumbaugh's children was John Walter, who died at the age of two years. The third is a daughter, Hattie. She married Claude Oswalt, a farmer residing on a farm adja- cent to Brumbaugh farm in Greenville township. No children. Gertie, single, lives with her widowed mother on the Brum- baugh homestead across the road from Concord German Re- formed church. John Franklin Brumbaugh died September 10, 1898. The second child of Samuel David is Daniel Har- mon Brumbaugh, born October 11, 1856. He married Ella Bender of Darke county. He is a farmer and lives near Arcanum, Ohio. To them have been born eight children, five of whom are living. The third child of Samuel David Brum- baugh is Virginia Bell. She was born December 21, 1859. She married John W. Stephens, a farmer of Darke county, Ohio. They live in Greenville now and have five children. Clement Laird Brumbaugh, fourth child of Samuel David, was born in Richland township, Darke county, Ohio, February 28, 1863.
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William David Brumbaugh, the youngest of the five chil- dren, was born August 1, 1866. He was about 18 months' old when his father passed away. The father had bought the old Deed's farm by the Concord church in Greenville town- ship, consisting of 80 acres, in the fall before his death. The mother then took up the struggle of rearing these children and of keeping them together. This she succeeded in doing and by hard labor upon the farm, often doing a man's labor of out-door work, she with the help of the children succeeded in saving fifty-five acres. A part of the struggles is told in the biographies of her two sons, Clement L. and William David, which follows this article. She lived to see all her children well established in the world and her last years were spent in her little home on Martin street by the side of her daughter's residence, where she was cared for and administered to by her loving and faithful sons and daughter. The bosoms of her children swell with pride when they say that "they never heard her speak a reproachful word of any person and that they never knew her to seek her repose at night without first committing the care of herself and her little family to the keeping of her Savior, whom she fervently served to the last moment of her earthly existence."
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