History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II, Part 9

Author: Wilson, Frazer Ells, 1871- [from old catalog]; Hobart publishing company. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Milford, Ohio, The Hobart publishing company
Number of Pages: 611


USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 9


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


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tion and a certain' ability to frame and compose papers of literary merit.


Thomas Wilson was born October 14, 1803, and died De- cember 21, 1877, and his wife, Elizabeth, was born September 5, 1805, and died February 5, 1887. Their remains are buried in the cemetery at Lewisburg, Ohio.


From Quaker ancestry Augustus Wilson probably inherited the qualities of moral integrity, firmness, frugality, industry, determination, frankness, hatred of shams, together with plain- ness of speech and simplicity in dress which are marked char- acteristics of his disposition.


He acquired the rudiments of an education in a country school and, when about fourteen years of age, went to work on the farm of a neighbor at six dollars per month.


In the fall of 1861 he commenced to teach school, but in a few weeks laid aside his books and responded to the call of his country, enlisting as a private in Company E, Sixty-ninth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, for a period of three years. At the termination of this period he re-enlisted and soon there- after was appointed hospital steward of the regiment, which position he held until mustered out after the close of the war. He was with the regiment during this entire period with the exception of about two weeks and participated in Sherman's famous march to the sea, taking part in the following engage- ments : Gallatin, Nashville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Look- out Mountain and Mission Ridge, Tenn .; Dug Gap, Buzzard's Roost, Dalton, Resaca, Pumpkin Vine Creek, Kenesaw Moun- tain, Marietta, Chattahoochie River, Peach Tree Creek, Siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro and Siege of Savannah, Ga .; Bentonville, Goldsboro and Raleigh, N. C., and was present at Johnson's surrender.


During the first winter after the war he taught below Ithaca. The spring found him with some seven hundred dollars which he had saved by soldiering and teaching and with this little sum he entered into partnership with his uncle, Jesse Tillman, and conducted a small dry goods and grocery store in the ham- let of Jaysville, Darke county, Ohio. In about a year he sold out his interest and formed a partnership with his brother William, who conducted a store at Winchester, Preble county, Ohio. In the spring of 1867 he went to Dallas (now Ansonia), Ohio, and entered into partnership with his brother John. Here he remained a little over five years, during most of which (7)


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time he served as postmaster of the village. On September 19, 1867, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah C., daughter of George and Elizabeth (Frazer) Niswonger at Winchester, Ohio. In February, 1873, the family, then including three chil- dren, moved to Greenville, Ohio, where Mr. Wilson formed a partnership with Mr. William Kelly and conducted a dry goods store in the building now occupied by the Advocate of- fice and press room on Broadway, near the public square. This partnership lasted about two years, when Mr. Kelly was elect- ed county auditor and retired from the firm. Mr. Wilson soon moved into the Miller room, a few doors to the south, and in about two years formed a partnership with William H. Hart, which lasted some twelve years. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hart were complementary in disposition, the former having excel- lent judgment of the quality and value of merchandise, in- domitable energy and good executive qualities, while the lat- ter was sociable, diplomatic and urbane in manner and win- ning in personality, thus forming an ideal partnership which commanded the confidence and won the patronage of the com- munity.


On account of the rapid increase in the volume of their busi- ness Wilson and Hart were forced to seek new quarters, and, in 1879, began the erection of a substantial three-story brick building, 40x85 feet in size, on the west side of Broadway just south of Third street. This building was, at that time, considered too far south of the trading center, but trade fol- lowed the store and in a short time it was considered one of the most centrally located business rooms in the city. It was completed in 1880 and was by far the most modern and sub- stantial business room in the city, being finely finished and equipped, well proportioned and excellently lighted. On ac- count of failing health Mr. Hart retired from the business and moved to Chattanooga, Tenn.


In 1892 Mr. Wilson formed a partnership with his sons Osborn and Frazer and his son-in-law, Mr. William H. Mann. In the spring of 1895 the new firm closed out their business in Greenville and opened up a store on South Main street, near Fifth street, Dayton, Ohio, where they conducted business until July, 1908. In the meantime the partnership had been dissolved and Mr. Wilson now returned to Greenville where he reopened in the Winner block, having disposed of the build- ing which he formerly owned upon moving to Dayton. On July 1, 1906, he again moved into the latter building, and on


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March 11, 1907, formed a new partnership with his sons, Os- born, Frazer and Carl. Osborn withdrew in September to ac- cept a position in the Greenville postoffice where he is now em- ployed as assistant mailing clerk. The business has continued since that time under the firm name of A. N. Wilson & Sons, and now requires the use of the entire three floors of the Wil- son & Hart block to properly house their large stock of dry goods, notions and floor coverings.


By having his sons to share the responsibilities of the busi- ness Mr. Wilson has been able to devote some time to public affairs, and in January, 1902, became a member of the board of trustees of the Dayton State Hospital for the Insane by ap- pointment of Governor Nash. This position he held for three successive terms and until the board was finally abolished by a new State law which centralized the control of the State charitable institutions in April, 1911. For some time Mr. Wil- son was president of the board and was associated during his incumbency with Hons. H. L. Morey, George Sohngen of Hamilton, O .; C. R. Gilmore of Eaton, O .; T. P. Linn, of Columbus, O .; George Little and Judge C. C. Scherer of Xenia, O.


In the fall of 1903 Mr. Wilson was elected Mayor of Green- ville on the Republican ticket, overcoming a natural Demo- cratic majority of over one hundred and fifty. During his term of office he won the confidence of the moral and law abiding element in the population by his rigid and impartial enforce- ment of the laws.


In November, 1905, he was a candidate for re-election against Thomas C. Maher, the Democratic candidate, with whom he tied, each receiving 825 votes. To determine who should serve, the candidates cast lot and Mr. Wilson won, but Mr. Maher soon filed contest proceedings in court, alleging ir- regularity in respect to four or five votes, and secured a ver- dict in his favor.


Mr. Wilson also served the public in other capacities, being a member of the board of education, about 1890, and a member of the committee, with Hon. C. M. Anderson, Judge Jas. I. Allread and Judge John C. Clark, appointed to wait upon the committee on public buildings at Washington, D. C., and pre- sent Greenville's claims for a government building. Hon. Harvey C. Garver was a member of Congress at that time and with his vigorous co-operation an appropriation of some $35,-


782010


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000 was secured with which the colonial style postoffice build- ing on the public square was soon built.


He has been a member of the Odd Fellows for over forty years and is also a member of the G. A. R.


With all his interest in public affairs Mr. Wilson never neg- lected his business. Being especially interested in the selling and making up of carpets, he invented a clamp for holding together strips of carpet which were to be sewed. This clamp was patented under date of August 5, 1890, and proved to be a practical invention, being sold to progressive merchants in various sections of the United States.


In disposition Mr. Wilson is firm, aggressive, industrious, persevering and faithful and has that determined spirit which scarcely knows defeat. He has raised a large family, carried on an extensive business, served the public, and today, at the age of seventy-two years, is more active than many men at fifty, taking an active and very important part in the neces- sary details and routine incident to a successful business.


For relaxation he enjoyed his annual hunt of two or three weeks in the forests of Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine or some of the southern States, not missing a season for a period of thirty years or more.


Mrs. Wilson was born in Euphemia, Preble county, Ohio, June 23, 1847. Her father's father was David Niswonger, who was born in Virginia in 1770 and died in 1844. He was of Ger- man descent and married in the Gunder family. George Nis- wonger, the father of Mrs. Wilson, was born in Preble county, March 9, 1817, and died at Greenville, Ohio, March 9, 1884. He married Miss Elizabeth Ducker Frazer, October 1, 1843, and they became the parents of Sarah Catharine (Wilson) ; John N. Niswonger, born December 19, 1852, died April 24, 1895; Jas. A. B. Niswonger, born July 19, 1851, died March 22, 1899.


Mrs. Wilson's mother's father was Jas. A. B. Frazer, son of William Frazer, who came from Scotland, claiming direct de- scent from Sir Simon Fraser (Lord Lovat). The Frasers (sometimes spelt Frazer or Frazier), were of Norman French descent and settled in Scotland at an early date, becoming one of the most prominent families in the isle whose descendants are found scattered in the United States and the British col- onies generally. The present seat of the family in Scotland is Invernessshire and the City of Inverness, where they form a large per cent. of the population.


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James A. B. Frazer was born in 1791 and learned the trade of a miller, probably from his father, who, it seems, operated a mill near Baltimore, Md. He came to western Ohio about 1820, where he engaged in milling at Lucas's mill on Brown's run in the northern part of Butler county. He also taught school in the Heck neighborhood near this place, where in September, 1823, he married Catharine Heck, whose parents also came from Maryland. While living at Brown's Run, a daughter, Elizabeth D. (mother of Mrs. A. N. Wilson), was born August 14, 1824. The family soon moved to the neighborhood of Georgetown, Preble county, where Mr. Frazer taught school for a while. In 1827'he leased a mill of John Lock on Twin Creek, just above Euphemia and in 1828 he bought the prop- erty which then consisted of an old mill and saw mill. This mill had been built by Jesse Swisher in 1817, and had three run of burrs-one French, one Raccoon and a corn burr made from a gray-head stone, with a capacity of about twenty-seven barrels of flour in twenty-four hours. A distillery was added to this with a capacity of about twenty bushels per day with mashing done by hand. Later horse power was installed to do the mashing and pumping, thus increasing the capacity to thirty bushels per day. In 1838 Mr. Frazer built a stone mill just west of the old mill from limestone quarried along the creek nearby. This mill was about one hundred feet long and was considered one of the substantial buildings of the State at that early date. It cost some $12,000 to $14,000 in addition to $3,000 which Mr. Frazer had paid for the old mill with one hundred and forty acres of land and the water right ex- tending from west of his dam to the national road east of Euphemia. When the new mill was completed he was offered $28,000 for the entire property and water right, with the pro- vision that he would not build another mill within the bounds of the customs of said mill. He refused this offer, but a few years proved his mistake as he went into bankruptcy in 1844 and died August 20, 1849, grieving his loss and failure. His estimable wife, who was known for her benevolent disposition, lost the sight of both eyes about the time of her husband's failure, probably from paralysis of the optic nerve, and died at the home of her daughter in Richmond, Ind., from apoplexy, March 27, 1854. Their children were Elizabeth D., Henry, John, Nelson and Daniel, all of whom are now dead, eycept Henry, who is eighty-nine years of age.


Elizabeth D. Frazer was a woman of exceptional mental


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powers, with strong moral convictions, sane piety and a very industrious disposition. In spite of many discouraging experi- ences along the road of life she bore up bravely and won for herself an enviable reputation. After the death of her hus- band, George Niswonger, in 1884, she made her home mostly with her daughter, Mrs. A. N. Wilson, in Greenville, Ohio, where she died September 29, 1901, at the age of seventy-seven years.


Sarah Catharine (Niswonger) Wilson inherited many of the characteristics of her grandmother Frazer, whom she resem- bled in outward form, being inclined to stoutness, and enjoying good living. She was a woman of large heart and mind, a tender, yielding disposition and optimistic tendencies. She thought well of mankind, caring but little for distinctions of creed, color or mere outward circumstance and was charitable almost to a fault with the unfortunate. The family circle was the center of her affections, but she was sociable to all and ex- ceedingly hospitable to her friends. So-called society made no appeal to her and she disliked its posings, affections and shams to a marked degree. Being of a lively and active disposition she enjoyed life and expected others to do likewise. Although disabled by partial paralysis during the last five years of her life she bore her affliction with patience and fortitude and passed to her reward April 7, 1914, mourned by a host of friends and admirers.


. Her remains, together with those of her parents and brother James, and son George are buried in the Wilson lot in the Greenville cemetery.


Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were the parents of eight children, of whom seven still survive, as follows: Gertrude, who married Mr. William H. Mann; Osborn, who married Miss Lillian Harrison, and is now a mailing clerk in the Greenville post- office; Frazer E., who married Miss Pearle Larimer (see sketch in this work) ; Bessie, now at home; Carlton F., author of musical ballads, now member of firm of A. N. Wilson & Sons; Grace A., who married J. L. Ewing, now living at Erie, Pa .; Frank G., musician and musical composer, now with Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. The grandchildren are: Kathryn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Mann; John Larimer, Wayne Alden and Miriam, children of Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Wilson; Harrison Augustus, son of Mr. and Mrs. Os- born Wilson.


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JOHN MURPHY.


There could be no more comprehensive history written of a city or a community than that which deals with the life-work of those who, by their own endeavor and indomitable energy, have placed themselves where they well deserve the title of "prominent and progressive," and in this sketch will be found the record of one who has outstripped the less active and less able plodders on the highway of life and attained to a position of relative distinction in the locality honored by his citizen- ship.


John Murphy is a native son of the old Buckeye State, hav- ing been born in Clarke county on the 10th day of May, 1845, and is a son of William H. and Mary (Sipe) Murphy. The subject's father, who also was a native of Ohio, was a car- penter by trade and also farmed to some extent. In 1856 he came to Darke county, locating just south of New Harrison, where he followed agricultural pursuits until 1859, when he moved to Miami county, locating on a farm on Panther creek. Eventually he moved to Covington, this State, still later locat- ing just south of Bradford, Darke county, and in 1865 came to Versailles, where he engaged again in farming, and was also interested in the hardware business. He became a man of prominence in the community, serving as mayor of Versailles, and for twenty years gave effective service as justice of the peace. He was also to some extent interested in the lumber business and in many ways contributed to the commercial prosperity of that locality. Both of the subjects' parents were born in the year 1818. He died at Versailles in 1893, when nearly seventy-five years of age, having survived his wife many years, she passing away in 1862, at the age of forty- four years. They were both earnest members of the Chris- tian church. Mrs. Murphy was a native of Pennsylvania, and her parents were natives of Germany, who, upon their emi- gration to the United States, settled in the Keystone State, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Their children were as follows: John, Henry, Jacob, Mary, Susan, Catherine and Esther. To Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were born the following children : Catherine, Leander, Sarah, Simon, Angeline, John, William H., Mary Margaret, Ellen, Esther, Elizabeth, Susanna and Joseph.


John Murphy was reared as a farmer boy, spending the first years of his life with his parents in Miami, Darke and Greene)


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counties, and securing his education in the district schools of the various localities where the family resided. On February 22, 1864, he enlisted as a private in Company B, Eighth Ohic cavalry, and with that command took part in some of the most hotly contested battles of that period of the war, being mus- tered out of the service on the 30th of July, 1865. Among the engagements in which he had a part were those of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, besides many skirmishes, marches and campaigns. After the war Mr. Murphy returned to the home farm and completed his public school studies. He then engaged in teaching school, being thus engaged during sixteen six-months terms of winter school and two summer terms. He then turned to the operation of his farm of one hundred acres, located three miles north of Versailles, where he remained until the fall of 1884, when he came to Versailles and embarked in the drain tile manufacturing business, in which he continued until 1914, a period of nearly thirty years. The plant which he operated is up-to-date and well equipped in every respect and a number of expert workmen were em- ployed, a large amount of tile of a high quality being turned out, which commands a ready sale in the market. Mr .. Murphy has prospered in his business efforts and has bought two more farms, being now the owner of four hundred acres of splendid land. His success has been due to his indefatigable industry, sound business judgment and staunch integrity, elements of character which will insure success in any under- taking, and he has earned the high place which he has long occupied in the esteem of his fellow citizens.


On March 4, 1869, John Murphy was united in marriage with Martha J. Marker, the daughter of Martin and Margaret (Weaver) Marker, and to their union have been born the fol- lowing children : Charles, who died at the age of nine months; Margaret became the wife of Rev. William Flammer. They lived in Wyoming until the fall of 1913 and then returned to Miami county, where he was born and reared and is now pas- tor of the Christian church at Covington, the town where he was born. They have three children, Marian, William and Robert; Francis Marian was a merchant for some years in Versailles, eventually was graduated from the law department of University of Michigan, and is now a successful lawyer at Greenville. He married Margaret Ward and they have three children, Pauline, Martha and Louisa; Cora married Andrew Reed; Forest, who is in the clothing business in Versailles,


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married Marie Wills, and they have three children, Helen L., Jennie M. and John E .; Jennie became the wife of Earl Ryan, and they live in Columbus, this state, where he is studying medicine. They have a daughter, Marthel; Algie, who mar- ried Martha Helen Wright, of Greenville, is engaged in the clothing business in partnership with his brother at Versailles; Mary is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music at Ann Arbor, Michigan; Mabel is a graduate of the Versailles high school and college at Oberlin, Ohio, as are all of her brothers and sisters.


Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are members of the Christian church at Versailles. Politically, he is a strong sup- porter of the Democratic party, having been actively engaged in politics for a number of years and standing high in the councils of his party. He has served as township clerk, and as a member of the school board, and was also a member of the city council in all of which positions he has discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. He is a man of a high order of mentality, progressive and discrim- inating in the management of his business affairs, and who maintains a deep and abiding interest in all that makes for the general prosperity and advancement of the community in which he lives and where he is honored by all who know him.


He never asked a man to vote for him and never was defeated when a candidate for member of council or school board.


. WILLIAM A. BROWNE, SR.


It is a well recognized fact that the most powerful influence in shaping and controlling public life is the press. It reaches a greater number of people than any other agency and thus has always been and, in the hands of persons competent to direct it, always will be a most important factor in moulding public opinion and shaping the destiny of the nation. The gentleman to a brief review of whose life these lines are de- voted is prominently connected with the journalism of western Ohio, and at this time is editor and publisher of the Greenville Advocate, one of the most popular and influential papers of Darke county, comparing favorably with the best local publi- cations in this section of the state in news, editorial ability and mechanical execution. The county recognizes in Mr. Browne


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not only one of the keenest newspaper men, but also a repre- sentative citizen, whose interest in all that affects the general welfare has been of such a character as to win for him a high place in the confidence and esteem of the people.


William A. Browne, Sr., was born in Wilkesbarre, Pa., on the 19th of April, 1842, and is a son of William A. and Hester A. (Touchstone) Browne, both of whom were natives of Maryland. He is one of five children, three of whom lived to maturity, namely : Mrs. Emma Alice Beaver, deceased; Mrs. Melissa Kennon, deceased, whose husband was a surgeon in the United States army, located at Silver City, New Mexico; William A., the subject of this sketch, and two who died in early childhood. William A. Browne, father of the subject, was reared in Cecil county, Maryland, and became a success- ful minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. He died in his native state in 1844, being survived by his wife, who died in Danville, Ill., when about seventy-five years of age, being buried in the cemetery at Greenville, Ohio. The subject's pa- ternal grandparents were farming folk in Cecil county, Mary- land, where they spent their lives and died when well advanced in years.


The subject of this review was but two years of age when de- prived by death of the care and protection of a father, and he was then placed in the home of an uncle, James Touchstone, in Reading, Pa., where he lived until 1854, during a part of which period he received the advantage of attendance in the public schools. He then went to live with his mother, who had gone to Port, Deposit, Md., to live, and there he also received some schooling. In 1860 Mr. Browne went to St. Louis, Mo., and entered the employ of the Republican, one of the leading newspapers of that state, as a printer. Shortly afterwards he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and until 1874 was employed by the Robert Clarke Book Company. He had been a steady, in- dustrious and economical man, and at that time embarked on the journalistic sea on his own account, buying the Covington (Ohio) Gazette, which he published for nine years, with a fair degree of success. In 1883 Mr. Browne came to Greenville and established the Democratic Advocate, the success of which has become a matter of local history. In 1892 Mr. Browne gave further evidence of his faith in the community with which he had cast his lot and started a daily edition of the Advocate, which, like the weekly edition, has proven a most notable suc- cess. Mechanically, the Advocate office is one of the best


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equipped in western Ohio, and, in addition to the publication of the journals mentioned, particular attention is given to job printing, in the execution of which this office has gained a wide reputation because of the high quality of the work turned out and the courteous and prompt treatment accorded to the pa- trons of the office. Mr. Browne has wisely maintained a per- sonal supervision over all details of his business, and to his personal efforts and sound business methods is due the splen- did success which has rewarded his efforts. Financially, Mr. Browne has been deservedly prosperous and he has acquired other business interests in Greenville, being a stockholder in and a director of the Greenville National Bank.




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