History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2, Part 35

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 836


USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2 > Part 35


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J. H. GROVE, Delaware, Professor in the Ohio Wesleyan University, was born in Fayette Co., Ohio, July 8, 1848, and is the son of Henry and Margaret A. (Geffs) Grove; his mother is a native of Ohio, and his father of Virginia; in 1865, he entered the Ohio Weslevan University. from which institution he graduated in 1870; he then went to Wilmington, Clinton Co., Ohio, and was Principal of the high school of that place for four years, when he was made Superintendent of the public schools of Wilmington, a position he |


filled with marked ability for four years ; in 1878, he accepted the chair of Principal of the Pre- paratory Department of the Ohio Wesleyan University, where he has remained ever since; in 1879, Prof. Grove, with the assistance of Prof. John P. Lacroix, published a work of' 205 pages of Latin elements, which is used in the university, and other schools thoughout the county.


MRS. H. C. GERHARD was born in Delaware, Ohio, in 1830, the daughter of David and Mary (Lamb) Campbell, who were married in Delaware at an early day; Dr. Reuben Lamb, the grand- father of Mrs. Gerhard, was among the first set- tlers of Delaware; a further reference to his com- ing will be found in another part of this history. Mrs. Gerhard was married in 1845 to Dr. M. Ger- hard, of Pennsylvania, who graduated from the Pennsylvania Medical College of Philadelphia in 1840; soon after graduating he came to Delaware and commenced the practice of medicine, which he continued up to his death, which occurred in 1868, at 50 years of age, leaving his wife with four children. He was a skilled physician and ranked among the first of his profession ; during the civil war, he filled the office of medical ex- aminer, which he continued to hold up to the time of his death.


JOHN S. GILL, attorney at law, Delaware, is the junior member of the law firm of Powell & Gill ; he was born in Union Co., Ohio. May 9, 1842, the son of Mason and Harriet T. (Granger) Gill ; his mother was a native of Massachusetts, and his father of Union Co., Ohio, whose parents moved to Ohio about 1808; Mr. Gill's experiences were confined to the farm from the time he was able to handle an ax or hold the plow, except a short period in the winter season spent in the district school. In 1862, he enlisted in the 121st O. V. I., Co. I. and participated in the battles of Perryville, Chickamauga, Resaca, Rome, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain and others; he was also with Sherman on his march to the sea, and through the Carolinas to Washington, and the grand review at Washington. In 1865, after the close of the war, Mr. Gill returned to his home in Union Co., tak- ing up his former occupation as a farmer; in the winter of that year, he began school teaching, which he followed until 1874, when he came to Delaware and entered the law office of Powell & Reid, and commenced reading law ; in 1876, he was admitted to the bar ; in 1877, he formed a partnership with Reid & Powell, and under the style of Reid, Powell & Gill. At the death of Col. W. P.


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Reid the firm changed to Powell & Gill. Mr. Gill is a Democrat, and a member of the Pres- byterian Church ; has held the office of Clerk of Delaware Township, for two terms, and shares in the lucrative practice and reputation enjoyed by his firm.


J. H. GRIFFITH (deceased), was a well-known and highly esteemed citizen of Delaware ; he was born in Radnorshire, England, in 1823, and learned his trade as a marble cutter in England. and in about 1859 emigrated to America, coming direct to Dela- ware, where he commenced the marble business, and was recognized as one of the finest designers and workmen in marble in Ohio ; he placed in the ceme- teries in this county, some of the finest monu- ments that can be found in any part of the State ; in 1874, he erected the building on South San- dusky street, where he carried on business up to his death, which took place Friday, Feb. 27, 1880. from a stroke of paralysis, superinduced by a sun- stroke received some years since; he was well known throughout the county, and by all with whom he had business, as a man of honor and strict moral principles ; his loss will be painfully noticed by his acquaintances, and deeply deplored by his family, a wife and two children; a son, T. H. Griffith, was born in England, and came to Dela- ware with his parents; here he learned the marble trade with his father ; he succeeds to the business, and continues Mr. S. H. Brown in his employ who has been with his father for over seventeen years.


MAJ. R. R. HENDERSON, merchant tailor, Delaware; was born in the old Keystone State, in Washington Co., April 24, 1837, and is the son of Joseph Henderson ; he remained in his native State until 1857, when he came to Ohio and lo- cated in Delaware; here he accepted a position in one of the leading stores as book-keeper, and re- mained about eighteen months, when he went to Colorado and the West; he remained a short time in Denver, and helped lay out Golden City; he soon afterward returned to Ohio. and made his home in Marysville ; here he was book-keeper for a grain house, until the breaking-out of the late civil war.


W. D. HEIM, President of the Delaware Co. National Bank, was born in Frederick Co., Md., in 1813, and when a young man, entered a store in Baltimore, Md., where he remained for a num- ber of years; in 1833, he came to Ohio and located in Delaware, where he engaged in mercantile busi- ness until 1836; in 1837, he was appointed Clerk of the Circuit Court of Delaware Co., which


office he filled with marked ability for some ten years; in 1845, he, in company with other promi- nent men of Delaware, organized the Delaware Co. Bank, a branch of the Ohio State Bank ; in 1847, Mr. Heim entered the banking business, filling the offices of clerk, teller and cashier for a number of years; at the death of Judge Hosea Williams, Mr. Heim was made President of the Delaware Co. National Bank; during his term of office as Clerk of the Circuit Court, he was en- gaged in the study of law, and in 1846 or 1847 was admitted at the Delaware Co. bar; he prac- ticed a number of years, doing the legal business for the bank.


SILAS B. HARMON, farmer and breeder of live-stock ; P. O. Delaware ; was born Jan. 9, 1840, in the southeastern part of Brown Township, on the farm now owned by Johnson White, en Alum Creek ; he is the fifth child of Silas and Sarah Harmon; Silas was 4 years of age when his father moved from this farm to Illinois, where he re- mained but a short time when he returned to Brown Township for a year, and after a few years' residence in Liberty Township, moved to Marion Co., for four years, then went to Radnor, where the family lived about twelve years; while here, Silas B. enlisted in Co. A, 145th O. N. G .; upon his return home, his father sold out and moved to Marion Co., subsequently to this county, on the place now owned by J. S. Harman, where he re- mained until his death. Sept. 5, 1867, Silas B. was married to Viola D. Main, born March 10, 1849, in Brown Township, eldest daughter of Hosea Main; in March, 1870, he moved to the place he now owns in the east part .of Delaware Township ; has eighty-one acres of land; they have four children-Blanche A., Linna M., Cora Esta and Nellie ; Mr. Harmon is engaged in rais- ing for the market Norman horses and a fine stock of hogs-Poland.China and Chester White. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church:


P. D. HILLYER, Delaware, one of the old set- tlers of Delaware, was born in Hartford Co., Conn., March 28, 1810, son of Andrew D. and Betsey ( Pettibone) Hillyer ; his father was a native of Connecticut, and was engaged in the practice of law ; Mr. P. D. Hillyer was engaged in mercantile business, in his native State, then went to Phila- delphia, and was clerk in a wholesale tin manu- factory, for a short time; in 1833, he came to Delaware, and was engaged for a number of years in selling wooden clocks, being interested in a firm that sold, in Ohio, over 3,000 elocks ; in 1839, he


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entered the mercantile business in Delaware, in company with Henry Lamb, which he pursued for several years, when Mr. Hillyer commenced in the real-estate business, and to-day it may safely be said that Mr. Hillyer has handled more real estate than any man in the city of Delaware; he was a Director in one of the first banks organized in Delaware, the " Bank of Delaware," and was its President for four or five years ; Mr. Hillyer has filled several offices of public trust, among others, Justice of the Peace and School Director. Mr. Hillyer was married, in 1846, to Miss Mary Sweetser, of Delaware, whose parents came to Dela- ware Co. at an early day ; they have had four children, three of whom are now dead; the daughter living is Alice, wife of J. W. White, Professor of Greek in Harvard College, and a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University.


E. A. HIGHWARDEN, merchant, Delaware, was born in this city June 29, 1843, and is the son of Abraham and Louisa Highwarden; his father was born in Ohio and mother in Michigan ; his father came to Delaware in about 1837, where he built a frame house, among the first built on the south side of the run; Mr. Highwarden was raised in Delaware, where he has been one of its honored colored citizens. During the late civil war, he enlisted in Co. D, 55th Mass. V. I., and did good service, having participated in a number of battles, and received a flesh wound at the battle of Honey Hill ; he was honorably mustered out as Sergeant, and returned to Delaware, where he commenced to learn the plasterer's trade, which business he continued until 1874. when he em- barked in the grocery business. now owning' one of the leading grocery establishments of South Delaware; in 1876, he erected his present brick block, where his store is located, and in 1879 was elected to the office of Councilman from the Second Ward, which office he now holds. Mr. Highwarden was married in 1872, to Miss Annie Strickland ; they have four children.


REV. A. D. HAWN, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Delaware ; was born near Lewisburg, Union Co., Penn., the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Hawn, and moved, when young, with his parents to Lewisburg, Penn .. where he graduated in 1859, from the university of that place in the literary and theological departments; his first pastoral work was in Shamokin, Penn .. where he remained in the home missionary work eight years; then received a call from Williamsport, Penn., where he was Pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church for


five and a half years ; he then came to Ohio, and was minister for over six years of the Second Pres- byterian Church of Zanesville, where he remained until his call to Delaware, Jan. 1, 1879, and has since been filling the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Hawn in 1862 married Miss Etta Ritz, of Lewisburg, Penn., who died Jan. 13, 1876. at Zanesville, Ohio.


WILLIAM W. HUTCHINS (deceased), was born in England in 1831, the son of Samuel Hutchins, and with a family emigrated to Amer- ica, and located in Massachusetts at an early day ; he remained in Massachusetts until 1851. when he came to Cleveland, Ohio, and commenced work on the railroad as a section hand. and then on a construction train ; from that he became a fireman on the L. S. & E. R. R .; then in the railroad- shops ; from this he took charge as engineer of the switch engine in Cleveland, where he remained some six years ; he was then given an engine on a freight train from Cleveland to Columbus ; front this he was promoted to passenger engineer, and then to manager of a gravel train ; in 1869, he moved his family to Delaware ; afterward he was made engineer of the passenger train running from Delaware to Columbus, taking his son William as fireman; Dec. 5, 1874, at the hour of 12:30 A. M., Saturday morning, the boiler of locomotive No. 116 exploded, when William the son was instantly killed, and the father. crawling out from a cloud of steam and cinders. blackened and ter- ribly burned, walked down the platform to the depot sitting-room, where he saw his son William's body, lying in front of the depot building, where it had been blown, 150 feet distant from the ex- ploded engine; Mr. Hutchins then walked home. washed himself and then laid down; Saturday, his condition, although regarded as critical. was not deemed hopeless ; the following Sunday, Dec. 13, after having his injuries dressed. he sank rap- idly, and died shortly after 4 o'clock P. M. Thus passed away a beloved associate. a kind and loving father and husband, leaving a wife and four chil- dren to mourn his loss. His son Samuel is now engineer on the C., C., C. & I. R. R .. with which he has been connected since 1870, when he com- menced firing ; in 1872, at 17 years, he was pro- moted to be engineer, which position he has filled faithfully ; he is now engineer on locomotive No. 209, running on the Dayton Short Line.


THOMAS JONES, tailor, Delaware: among the old settlers of Delaware is Thomas Jones, who was born in Montgomeryshire, North Wales, Sept. 1


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23, 1803, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Davis) Jones, both natives of Wales ; Mr. Jones' father died when he was but 3 years of age; at 11, he entered a tailor-shop to learn a trade, and served an apprenticeship of five years ; worked at 25 cents per day, and, when 18 years old, sailed with his parents for America ; the passage was very rough, the storm so severe as to throw the lead ballast out of place against him, and drove Mr. Jones against the side of the vessel; they were on the voyage eight weeks, and landed in Baltimore; Mr. Jones remained here but a short time, when he came West to Ohio, and located in Delaware, where he has remained ever since ; then he first worked as a journeyman for a short time, when he opened a shop of his own and was at that time the leading tailor in this vicinity, often receiving orders for clothing from a distance of sixty miles ; he also made clothing for the In- dians; when working here by the day, he earned $1.50 per day, he began to save, and when he had made a little money by hard work, stitching all day and late at night, he would invest it in real estate, and now has laid up a little for his old age ; we will state here that he was launched into life a cripple, but perseverance achieved a good degree of success; he opened the business in a shop on the west side of Sandusky street, between Winter and Williams streets, where he remained a num- ber of years, moving then to his present stand, and is now the oldest tailor in Delaware Co. Mr. Jones has embarked in several enterprises, including dry goods, groceries and cattle business, but has lost money in all his undertakings except his tailor business. Mr. Jones has lost four wives; he mar. ried his present wife in 1869; her name was Mary :


Bushfield, of Pennsylvania; Mr. Jones has six children living.


REV. JOHN HI. JONES, minister of the Welsh Church, Delaware; was born in Glamor- ganshire, South Wales, in 1814, and is the son of William and Alice ( Harrison ) Jones, both natives of South Wales; while living in Wales, he en- gaged in farming and working in the coal mines. . and, at 20 years of age, he commenced preaching ; in 1842, he emigrated to America and located in Cincinnati, Ohio; here, in 1842, he was ordained and licensed to preach : his first charge was with the Lawrence Street Welsh congregation of that city, where he remained about five and a half years ; he next had charge of two congregations. one at Pomeroy and the other at Minersville ; after remaining in Pomeroy nine and a half years, he


received a call from Columbus, and preached in Columbus three years and four in Brown Town- ship ; in 1863, he came to Delaware, where he has since been in charge of the Welsh Church ; in 1865, he moved to Delaware, which has been bis home ever since; in 1878. he also took charge of a church in Putnam Co., where he preaches about two Sundays every month. He was married, in 1846, to Miss Lydia Jones, of Butler Co., Ohio; they have had four children. all deceased.


GEORGE W. JAMISON, stock-raiser and farmer; P. O. Delaware; was born in Delaware Township, Delaware Co., Ohio, Jan. 18, 1841, and is the son of James M. Jamison, whose biog- raphy appears in this history. Mr. Jamison re- mained on the farm until he was about 13 years of age, when he went to Greenville, Darke Co., where he was engaged in the court house as a clerk in the Treasurer's and Clerk's office for some six years ; he went into the army from Greenville at the breaking-out of the late war in 1861, enlisting in the 11th O. V. I., and served in this regiment his full term, three months; in the same year he enlisted from Delaware in Co. E, 66th O. V. I. for three years as private, but was was made Ser- geant on the organization of the regiment. Mr. Jamison participated in all the battles and marches of his regiment up to November, 1862, when he was honorably mustered out on account of sick- ness ; he came home to Delaware, and soon after went out with the 55th O. V. I. as sutler, where he remained about eight months, then returned home and went to Greenville, where he filled the position as agent for the Columbus & Indian- apolis Central R. R., for some eighteen months, then came to Delaware Co., and engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising. Mr. Jamison married. in 1864, Miss M. J. Nigh, daughter of William Nigh ; they have two children.


REV. J. C. JACKSON, Pastor of St. Paul's M. E. Church, Delaware; was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio, June 14. 1850, and is the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Collins; Jackson : his father was boru in Perry Co., Ohio. Mr. Jackson was raised on a farm, where he remained until 19 years of age, when he entered the Union Academy of Fairfield Co., from which institution he gradu- ated; then engaged in teaching school ; in 1573. he came to Delaware and entered the junior class of the Ohio Wesleyan University, from which he graduated ju 1874, with a class of thirty-four. Mr. Jackson then went to Lancaster, Ohio, where


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he was Principal of the city schools for one year, and soon afterward commenced preaching ; he was for three years Pastor of the Third Street M. E. Church of Columbus, when he came to Delaware, and took charge of St. Paul's M. E. Church. Mr. Jackson married, Nov. 25, 1879, Miss Eva M. See, daughter of the Rev. A. B. See.


JAMES M. JAMISON, retired ; P. O. Dela- ware; is one of the oldest settlers of Delaware Co. now living ; he was born in the Pan Handle district of Virginia on the 4th day of March, 1808, and is the son of Robert and Esther ( Baird) Jamison, his mother a native of Virginia, and his father of Pennsylvania; in 1811, the family emigrated to this county and located in Delaware Township; here they commenced farming, in a wild and unsettled country ; the elder Jamison served as a soldier of the war of 1812, and died on the old homestead in Delaware Township, in 1840, at 72 years of age, Mr. Jamison's mother died in 1852, at 82 years of age; Mr. Jamison remained on the farm until 1866, when he moved into Delaware, where he has resided ever since. In 1835, he married Elizabeth High, who was born in Berks Co., Penn., in 1816, the daughter of Benjamin High, who came to Delaware Co. in 1832, and settled two miles north of the town of Delaware, where he died in 1834; Mr. and Mrs. Jamison have had eight children, two died in in- fancy ; by hard work and many sacrifices, three daughters -- Angelina. Esther and Millie-qualified themselves as teachers, and each had taught school about five years when they were married; An- gelina married George Martz; Esther, Jacob Martz, of Darke Co., and Millie, William' Mc- Geegin, one of the proprietors of Olive Furnace, Lawrence Co .; Annie Elizabeth died in 1876, loved by all; George W. married Mary J. Nigh ; when 18 years old, he enlisted in the Union army, and served nine months in the 66th O. V. I., in the Army of the Potomac ; after undergoing many perils and hardships. he was transferred with about eight hundred other sick and wounded, to Fair- fax Seminary, Virginia, where Mrs. Jamison went to nurse him, remaining there about two weeks, when he was transferred to Bellevue Hospital, New York ; Mrs. Jamison remained with him there about four weeks, when he was discharged, and both came home; the youngest son, Robert B., graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan University, in 1879; Mrs. Jamison has lived in Delaware City and vicinity since her father came to Ohio, in 1832 ; Mr. Jamison has accumulated sufficient


property to render himself and family comfortable in his declining years.


MATTHIAS KRUCK, farmer ; P. O. Dela- ware; was the son of George Kruck. of Pennsyl- vania, and was born Oct. 3, 1800, in Pennsylvania, and remained there until 1834, when he came to Delaware Co., Ohio, settling on the present farm of thirty-four acres. He married, in June, 1827, Mary Zeigler ; they have five children ; those liv- ing are Mary A., Jacob, Eliza and Harriet ; one deceased-Maria ; this union seems one of con- tentment ; for fifty-two years they have together traveled life's pathway. Mr. Kruck has worked in a foundry in Delaware, Ohio, for James Barn- ham for seven years ; has worked at cabinet work twelve years ; millwrighting seven years, and join- er's trade some time ; his allotted threescore yeals and ten have been extended nine years beyond ; he enjoys uniform good health, and bids fair for many more years to enjoy the good things of this world.


JACOB KRUCK, Delaware, was born in Berks Co., Penn., in October, 1818, and is the son of N. Kruck; he came to Delaware Co. with his parents in 1834 ; they first stopped in what is known as the Horseshoe Settlement, and remained a short time, but not being satisfied with the out- look, started to return to Pennsylvania; having arrived at Stratford, Delaware Township, they finally located in this vicinity, his father keeping hotel in Stratford and Delaware for several years ; at the age of 18 Mr. Kruck began to learn the printer's trade in Delaware, and worked at his trade in Columbus and Delaware. At the breaking- out of the war, he enlisted, April 16, 1861, in Co. C, 4th O. V. I., as Sergeant, and served with this regiment three years and three and a half months, participating in all its battles and marches, and was a brave soldier and honorably mustered out ; he then returned to Delaware and resumed his trade, which he followed until 1875, when he took charge of his present billiard parlor, located on Sandusky street; Mr. Kruck was Chief of the fire department for six years, filling that office faithfully and with credit, and has been a member of the fire department for twenty-five or thirty years ; Mr. Kruck has two sons and two daugh- ters.


JACOB KLEE, carriage trimmer, Delaware ; was born in Munster-Mayfeld, Province of the Rhine, Prussia, Dec. 25, 1827 ; son of Jacob and Annie Maria (Zenter) Klee, both born in Ger- many ; Mr. Klee at 14 years of age, commenced


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to learn the trade of harness-maker ; in 1840, he, with his parents, emigrated to America, and, after remaining in Richland Co., Ohio, until 1845, came to Delaware, here Mr. Klee carried on the harness and saddlery business some five years, when he moved to Ashland Co., and carried on the same business six years ; he then returned to Delaware, where he has since been engaged in business; in 1873, he embarked in his present business of car- riage trimming, which is the largest in Delaware, doing all the work for Frank Moyer and L. Mil -. ler's carriage works; Mr. Klee is a first-class workman and guarantees satisfaction ; he employs one hand besides himself. Mr. Klee has been a member of the Reform Church of the United States for the past twenty-four years.


REV. O. C. KLOCKSIEM, Pastor of the German M. E. Church, Delaware; is a native of Mecklenburg, Germany, where he was born May 12, 1842 ; is a son of John Klocksiem, who emi- grated with his family to America in 1854, and located in La Porte, Ind. At the breaking-out of the late civil war, he enlisted in the 5th Ind. Battery for three years, and participated in the battles of Perryville, Chickamauga, Stone River, capture of Chattanooga and Atlanta, and others ; he did good duty, and served two months over his time, when he returned to his home in La Porte ; he then went to school at the German Wallace College, where he remained some two and a half years, after which he was engaged in mercantile business at La Porte for about five years. In 1873, he was licensed to preach, and was first given a charge at Galion, Ohio, where he remained two years ; thence to Canal Dover, Ohio, three years ; in 1878, he came to Delaware, where he has re- mained ever since. Rev. Klocksiem married, in 1 1866, Miss Elizabeth Brandau, of Ohio; they have had four children, one deceased.


.REV. A. J. LYON, Presiding Elder of the M. E. Church, Delaware ; born in Knox Co., Ohio, June 6, 1828, and is the son of Daniel and Hannah (Dalrymple) Lyon ; his mother was born in Pennsylvania, and his father in New Jersey ; our subject was born on the farm, where he remained until about 19 years of age, when he came to Delaware and entered the Ohio Wesleyan University. graduating in 1854; the first years in the university he was engaged in studying medi- cine in Chesterville, where he was employed in the practice of the same for about one year ; he also, in order to pay his schooling, taught school in Morrow County and in Columbus ; after gradu-




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