History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2, Part 37

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 37

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the most popular singing-books in Sunday schools throughout the United States ; he has compiled and published six works, with a circulation of over 600,000 copies; the sale of these works are as follows : " Fresh Leaves," 75,000; "Dex Drops." 100,000; "Songs for Worship," 120 .- 000; "Every Sabbath," 100,000; "Jasper and Gold," 150,000; "Joy of the World" (just published ), 70,000. Mr. O'Kane is a member of the Williams Street M. E. Church, and has been its Sunday School Superintendent for the last four years, as well as Jeader of the choir. He was married in 1853, to Miss Laura E. Eaton, of Delaware Co., Ohio, daughter of James Eaton, one of the pioneer settlers of Delaware Co .; two children, sons.

REV. C. H. OWENS, Delaware ; was born in Montgomeryshire, North Wales, April 8, 1819; the son of John and Grace ( Humphries ) Owens, both born in North Wales; in 1820, the family sailed for America, and, after being at sea for some eight weeks, safely landed at Philadelphia, then by private conveyance came to Delaware Co., and located in Radnor Township; from there they went to Sandusky, where his father was engaged in building the old Wyandot Mission house ; from Sandusky they returned to Radnor Township. and, during his residence here, the elder Owens was engaged at his trade, as a brick and stone mason, in constructing some of the principal business buildings of Delaware, such as the Little and Williams Blocks; also built the foundation for the Mansion House, now used by the Ohio Wes- leyan University, and known as Elliot Hall: the mother, Grace ( Humphries) Owens, died in Delaware Co., Aug. 9, 1851, at 68 years of age : John Owens moved to Upper Sandusky, where he remained until 1856, when he moved to Mount Gilead, and died there in October, 1857, at 72 years of age; the son, C. H., attended the first school of the Ohio Wesleyan University ; in 1841, be commenced the study for the ministry, and the same year attended the North Ohio Conference: and united with it in 1843, since which time he has not missed being present at their meetings : the Rev. Mr. Owens has been located in different . parts of Ohio, his first appointment being at Greenville, Darke Co .; in September. 1874. he closed his pastoral work and accepted a position as collecting agent for the Ohio Wesleyan Female College ; in 1877, he entered upon the work of' a similar position with the Ohio Wesleyan Univer- sity, which place he now holds ; Mr. Owens mar-

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ried in July, 1851, Miss Charity Whitaker, of Pennsylvania ; they had one child ; Mrs. Owens died in December, 1852 ; he married his present wife, Miss Sarah Jane Welsh, of Knox Co., Ohio, Nov. 24, 1857.

C. V. OWSTON, City Marshal, Delaware; born in this city Sept. 15, 1845, and is the son of William Owston, who settled here at an early day, where he has been engaged at his trade as brick- layer and contractor, assisting in the construction of some of the leading buildings of Delaware ; C. V. Owston learned his trade as a carriage-body maker at Columbus, Ohio, where he worked for some two years, when he came to Delaware and followed his trade for three years longer. In 1870, he was nominated and elected to the office of City Marshal by a majority of some three hundred votes ; this office he filled with such satisfaction that, in 1872 and 1874, he was reelected with an increased majority, and, in 1878, he was again re- clected, and still holds the office, which is the best evidence of his fitness for the position. He was a soldier in the late civil war, having enlisted in the 145th O. V. I., doing service at Arlington Heights, Washington, D. C. He is a Democrat, and a hard worker in his party.

T. W. POWELL, retired lawyer, Delaware. Sketch given in History of Courts and Bar.

old; of the family of Prauls that located here, only two are living-William Praul, of Illinois, and the subject of this sketch, who has remained on the old homestead since 184S; he owns 140 acres of land; has been a member of the M. E. Church for the last forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Praul have had eleven children, seven now living-James K., born in New Jersey, Sarah Catharine, Emma J., Franklin E., Lewis J., Eva L. and Thomas R .; the last six were born on the old homestead in Delaware Township; the old clock that stands on Mr. Praul's mantle is an old family relic, and was bought by Mr. Praul's father in New Jersey in 1823, and was one of the first wooden clocks sold in that neighborhood, he paying $24 for it; this wonderful clock has been running ever since, and has never been to the shop for repairs, and yet to-day, over 57 years old, it keeps good time.

REV. N. E. PILGER, Pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Delaware; was born in Prussia in 1842; in 1847, he came to America, and in 1856 began his studies at Bardstown, Ky .; he graduated at St. Mary's, near Cincinnati, Ohio, in June, 1862, finishing his theological course at the same institution ; in 1865, he was ordained by Bishop Rosecrans, and he was first located in Mon- roe Co., Ohio, where he remained seven years, thence to Newark and L'ancaster, and in December, 1874, to Delaware, where he has remained in charge of St. Mary's Catholic Church ever since.

PETER PRAUL, farmer ; P. O. Delaware; born in Warren, N. J., June 22, 1819 ; son of Aaron J. and Elizabeth (Lewis) Praul; his father was a soldier of the war of 1812; his mother died in C. D. POTTER, Delaware; was born in Del- aware, Ohio, Dec. 27, 1827, and is the son of Ed- ward and Abigail (Denison) Potter. Edward Potter was born in New London, Conn., June 13. 1791, son of John and Elizabeth ( Witter) Potter ; his father in the latter part of his life followed fishing ; he was employed in guarding the prisoners in New London at the time the town was burnt by the British ; Edward Potter lived in New Lon- don until 13 years old, when he went to Lenox, Mass., to live with his uncle ; in June, 1804, he, with his uncle, Col. Byxbe, wife and five children, Witter Stewart, Orlando Barker, Solomon Smith, Azariah Root and family, started in wagons for the Far West, crossing the Hudson River at Fish- kill. thence through the towns of Harrisburg, Carlisle and Strasburg, over the mountains to Bed- ford and Redstone (now Brownsville), where they built a flatboat and floated down the river to Wheeling ; there they loaded their wagons and again set out traveling by wagons, a Mr. Hutch- New Jersey; in 1848, Mr. Praul's father and three children came to Ohio in wagons, via Zanes- ville, and located in Delaware Township, near the present homestead ; here he purchased what is now known as the Williams and Beards farms, and, soon afterward, purchased the farm that Mr. Praul now lives on, these farms comprising in all 2834 acres; our subject was raised on the farm, where he remained until about 19 years of age, when he began to learn the shoemaker's trade, which he followed about ten years. In 1846, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Vought ; in 18448, with his wife and two children, he started in a carriage for Delaware Co., and, after being on the road a number of days, arrived in October of 1848, and located on the farm that he now resides on ; then he set out in farming, in which avoca- tion he has continued ever since : on this home- stead Mr. Praul's father died at 92 years of age- a respected and honored citizen ; his father lived to be 105 years old, and his grandfather 110 years ; inson taking the boat to Portsmouth; from

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Wheeling they went to Zanesville, Lancaster and Franklinton, crossed the river at Columbus, thence to Worthington, where they remained a short time ; they finally reached Delaware Co., and located in Berkshire, making the first settlement in Berk- shire Township ; here Edward Potter remained with his uncle, Col. Byxbe, until 1805, when he returned to his home in New London, Conn., and thence to Saybrook, where he learned his trade as a hatter, and remained there some nine years ; thence to Colchester, Conn., and entered the hat business, where he remained three years ; during the war of 1812, Mr. Potter lost about all his money ; he then set out on foot looking for a lo- cation and visiting friends ; during this time he walked over three thousand miles; in 1819, he walked from Connecticut to Ohio, and purchased 50 acres of land at $5 per acre, in Delaware Township, west of Delaware ; he then footed it all the way back to Connecticut; in 1820, he returned with his wife and a one-horse wagon to Delaware Co., Ohio, and settled on his land; in 1825, he moved to Delaware, and commenced the manufact- ure of hats; he continued at this until 1838, and was successful ; in 1838, he moved to his present homestead, where he has been an honored citizen ever since. During Mr. Potter's residence in Delaware, he held several offices of public trust, and was Supervisor and Councilman. Mr. Potter is the oldest living settler of Delaware Co., having first made his home here in 1804. He has been married twice, first to Abigail Denison, who died in 1831, then to his present wife, Elizabeth Reynolds, in 1832; she is the daughter of E. Reynolds, Esq., who came to Delaware Co. in 1815 ; Mr. Potter has three children living, all by the first wife-Emeline, Abigail D. and Charles D. Charles was engaged on his father's farm until he was 21 years of age, when he entered the hard- ware store of' John B. Johns, as a clerk, and after- ward became a partner ; the firm was C. D. Potter & Co. from 1852 to 1874, during which time Mr. Potter was in partnership with H. H. Husted and Z. P. Hammond ; during the latter years. Mr. Pot- ter was alone in business. Mr. Potter was married, Jan. 27, 1853, to Miss Mary K. Hammond, of New Jersey, daughter of John Hammond, who moved to Ohio about 1849; they have four children.

BENJAMIN POWERS, banker, Delaware. Ever since its organization, the First National Bank of Delaware has been presided over by Mr. Benjamin Powers, the subject of this sketch, who

was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, Oct. 7, 1800, and is the son of Avery Powers, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was killed near Malden ; during his childhood, the family moved to Frank- lin Co., now Delaware Co., Ohio, in 1801; when 11 years of age, he began to learn the printer's trade which he finished at 15; in 1815, he came to Delaware and clerked in a store for about six years ; he at length became a partner, and re- mained in mercantile business until about 1848; on the organization of the Delaware County Bank in 1845, as a branch of the Ohio State Bank. he was made Cashier, which position he filled for a number of years; he was also a Director of the bank until the death of Judge Williams, its Pres- ident ; in 1864, upon the organization of the First National Bank, Mr. Powers was made its Presi- dent, and has carried it through all the financial crises since then unimpaired, and it stands to-day strong in its own resources, and doing a large business ; it has always been managed in a cau- tious, yet liberal manner, these traits being char- acteristic of the officers, as well as the Directors, of the bank, all of whom are among the responsi- ble citizens of Delaware ; in February, 1880, Mr. Powers resigned the presidency on account of his health, but is still one of its Directors ; Mr. C. B. Paul was .then made President, having been Vice President some three years.

C. B. PAUL, President of the First National Bank of Delaware, was born in Washington Co .. Penn., in 1832, and is the son of M. and Henrietta (Bell) Paul, both born in Pennsylvania ; they came to Ohio and located in Knox Co., where they remain- ed three or four years, and in 183S moved to Del- aware Co .. and located in Harlem Township ; Mr. C. B. Paul was engaged in farming in Harlem Township until 1861, when he moved to Delaware, which has been his home ever since; in 1862, he was elected by the Republican party Treasurer of Delaware Co., which office he filled with honor

and credit until 1866; he was also County Com- missioner for six years ; in 1864, Mr. Paul became a stockholder in the First National Bank of Dela- ware, and in 1875 was made its Vice President ; in 1880, on the retirement of Mr. Benjamin Powers, he was made President of the Bank ; Mr. Paul has engaged largely in dealing in wool for the last fourteen years.

DR. CHARLES H. PAYNE, President of the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, was born at Taunton, Mass., Oct. 24, 1830, of Scotch-English parents, who came to the United States with the 1

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Pilgrims in the Mayflower; at an early age, Dr. Payne was compelled to rely upon his own efforts for a livelihood ; he lost his father from drowning while he was an infant ; from the age of 8 to 15, he labored sometimes on the farm, sometimes in the factory, and sometimes upon the shoemaker's bench, attending the public school in the winter time ; at 15 he entered a store, where he remained three years ; about this time he joined the Metho- dist Episcopal Church ; after leaving his clerkship, he began a course of preparation for the ministry at a school at Taunton, and in the Providence Con- ference Seminary at East Greenwich, R. I., from which he entered the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., graduating in 1854; he then attended the Biblical Institute at Concord, N. H. (now the Boston School of Theology), and from there entered the ministry ; during his course at college, he met his entire expenses by teaching, sometimes as a private tutor, and sometimes in the public schools, but always keeping up his studies while absent from the university. In 1857, he married Miss Mary Eleanor Gardiner, and soon after joined the Providence Conference where he remained eight years. In 1865, he was trans- ferred to the New York East Conference and sta- tioned at St. John's, Brooklyn, where he induced the people to build a new church, which is one of the finest of that denomination in the country. At the close of this pastorate, he was transferred to Philadelphia, where he took charge of the Arch Street Church, and was afterward stationed at Spring Garden Street Church, and from there removed to Cincinnati, Ohio. where he occupied the pulpit of St. Paul's Church. In the summer of 1875, he was elected President of the Ohio Wesleyan Univer- sity at Delaware, Ohio, succeeding Dr. Merrick. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn., in 1870, and that of LL. D. by the Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, in 1876.

C. POTTER, C., C., C. & I. R. R. roadmaster. Among the prominent men of Delaware may be mentioned the above-named gentleman, who was born in County Meath, Ireland, March 27, 1831. His father was a well-to-do farmer, near Dublin, and there the son remained until 1844, when with his parents he emigrated to America, landing in New York City a poor boy ; at 13 years of age, he started out in life, working at odd jobs, and received for his first work $3 per month ; when about 17 years old, he became night-watch- man on the N. Y. C. R. R., being stationed at

Oriskany, N. Y., where he received $20 a month ; this proved his starting-point in life ; next he was a fireman on the L. S. R. R., running between Syracuse and Utica; he remained there until 1859. and, during this time, was conductor of a construc- tion train ; in 1859, he commenced work for the C., C., C. & I. R. R., as section boss, having charge of twelve miles of road between Columbus and Delaware, a position he filled for a number of years. He had a large contract with the C., C. C. & I. R. R. to furnish them wood, and for five or six years furnished them 40,000 cords of wood a year ; Mr. Potter, during that time, owned 800 acres of land in Delaware Co., making his home in Orange Township. of which township he was elected Trustee. Mr. Potter was married in 1852. to Miss Kate Burns, since deceased. He married his present wife, Miss Emily Moran, in 1860; by this union he has five children, four sons and one daughter. Mr. Potter is a Democrat, and a mem- ber of the Catholic Church. He first had charge of the C., C., C. & I. R. R. from Delaware to Springfield ; then he became roadmaster from Delaware to Cincinnati, which position he now fills.

GEN. EUGENE POWELL, of the Delaware Fence Co., Delaware : was born in Delaware, Ohio. Nov. 16, 1838, and is the son of Judge Powell. one of the pioneer settlers of Delaware; he re- ceived his education in Delaware, and. in 1958. went East and entered the machine-shops at Mead- ville, Penn., where he remained until 1860 ; he then returned to Delaware, and worked in the Delaware machine-shops until the breaking-out of the late war, when he helped organize Co. C, of the 4th O. V. I. ; he enlisted, and, on the organ- ization of the regiment, was made Captain of Co. C, in which position he served some three months ; he was then transferred to the 66th O. V. I. as Major ; in 1862, was made Lieutenant Colonel of the 66th Regiment, and remained such until the close of the war, when he was made Colonel of the 93d O. V. I., where he remained until September, 1865; he participated in some of the most severe marches and battles of the war-Rich Mountain. Port Republie, Cedar Mountain, Antietam, Dum- fries, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg; thence west with " Fighting Joe " Hooker, to Lookout Moun- tain, siege and capture of Atlanta, Peach Tree Creek, and with Sherman's march to the sea ; at the elose of the war, he returned home, and was made Collector of Internal Revenue, which office he held until 1872, when he was elected to the

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Legislature, and filled one term with marked ability ; in 1872, he entered his present business, in which he has continued ever since. In 1878, Mr. Cyrus Falconer, Jr., became a partner in the business. Mr. Falconer was born in Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, in 1856, and is a graduate from the Hamilton High School; he was, for a short time, engaged in the manufacture of pig iron in the Hocking Valley, where he remained until 1878, when he came to Delaware, and entered the manufacture of fences, and has proved him- self a valuable addition to the Company.

S. D. POLLOCK, insurance agent, Delaware ; was born in Lake Co., Ohio, in 1824, from which place he moved to Akron, thence to Medina Co., where he was engaged in farming ; in 1870, Mr. Pollock moved to Delaware, where he commenced the insurance business, and now represents such leading companies as the Richland Mutual, West- ern Mutual, Merchants & Manufacturers', Ohio, Glens Falls, Delaware Mutual, Cooper of Dayton, and the Ohio Farmer's; the latter company was chartered Feb. 8, 1848, and was the first farmers' insurance company incorporated in Ohio; the object of its organization was to furnish the farm- ers of the State safe and reliable insurance at cost; it confines its risks strictly to unexposed buildings and farm property ; from the beginning, its Directors have been farmers, who are annually elected by the members, and whose only object has been to advance the true interest of the Com- pany; the accumulated capital from its business belongs to those insured, who constitute the mem- bership of the Company, and who have an equal voice in forming its by-laws and electing its Di- rectors, but no member of the Company is liable to assessment; the result of the examination of the Ohio Farmers' Insurance Company, made by William Ewing, late Deputy Superintendent of Insurance, foots up as follows: Total assets (ad- mitted), 8847,007.08; total liabilities, $617,- 099.48. This Company has passed through every oficial examination with credit, and is considered one of the safest and most reliable companies now doing business, affording the farmer such pro- tection at a minimum cost as can be guaranteed in no other way.

T. E. POWELL, attorney at law, Delaware. A son of Judge T. W. Powell; is a native of this city, born Feb. 20, 1842, and a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University, from which insti- tution he received his diploma in 1863; in that year he began the study of law in his father's |

office, and was admitted to the practice in 1865; he then engaged in the real-estate business, which he followed until 1867 ; in this year, Mr. Poweil associated himself as a partner with Col. W. P. Reid, for the practice of his profession, under the firm name of Reid & Powell; in 1877, John S. Gill was taken into the firm, which was then changed to Reid, Powell & Gill; the following year, 1878, the senior partner, Col. Reid, died, when the firm name was changed to Powell & Gill, under which title it is continued to this day ; this association of legal talent from the start has been regarded as one of the strongest law firms in Delaware; Mr. Powell, now the senior member. enjoys and merits the reputation of being well up in his profession, and is called upon to practice in the courts of the surrounding counties; in 1875, he was placed in nomination on the Democratic ticket for the position of Attorney General of the State, but his party being in the minority, he was defeated.

PROF. RICHARD PARSONS, Delaware, was born in Mote, Ireland, June 25, 1847, and is the son of Richard and Margaret (Payne) Parsons. both natives of Ireland; in 1848, our subject, with his father and mother, emigrated to America and landed in New York City ; they came to Ohio and located in the city of Zanesville; here young Parsons received a good common-school education, and in 1868 went to Wauseon, Ohio, and began teaching where he remained one year, thence to Holland, Mich., and taught in the Hope Col- lege for two years, when he went to Plymouth. Ohio, and engaged in teaching in the city schools for some five years ; in 1875, he came to Delaware and entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, as tutor of languages; in 1879, he was appointed to fill the chair as Principal of the Normal Depart- ment, which position he now occupies.

CHRISTIAN RIDDLE, of Riddle, Graff & Co., cigar manufacturers, Delaware. This gentleman was born in Germany, March 7, 1846, and is the son of Godfrey and Barbara Riddle, also natives of Germany ; in 1849, Christian, with his parents. emigrated to America and landed in New York City ; from there they came direct to Delaware ; in about 1857, he commenced to learn his trade as a cigar-maker, at which he worked until 1862. when he enlisted for three months in the 86th O. V. I. ; after serving full time, he re-enlisted in the 145th O. V. I., for 100 days' service, then in the 186th O. V. I .; here he served until the close of' the war; he also served six months with the

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Army of the Tennessee in the Quartermaster's Department. After the close of the war, he returned to his trade, working in different parts of Ohio and Indiana for some two years, when, in 1867, he embarked in business in the frame building now occupied by Shea's grocery store ; here, in 1869, Mr. Graff was taken in as partner, under the firm name of Riddle & Graff; in 1871, they moved to the opposite side of the street from their present place of business; in 1874, the firm of Riddle, Graff & Co. was formed; in 1879, they moved into their present building, which is a three-story stone front, erected by themselves, and is one of the most attractive pieces of architecture in Dela- ware; it has a frontage of twenty and a depth of one hundred and five feet ; on the first floor is found the office, sales and ware rooms; the salesroom is stocked with a full line of their twenty-four brands of cigars; in the warerooms is stored in stock some 100 cases of natural leaf, of fine Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Havana tobacco; the second floor is used for drying and packing, and the man- ufacturing is done on the third floor, where about sixty hands are employed constantly, and turn out weekly some 60,000 cigars; this house pays out monthly to the Government for stamps $1,400, which indicates the immense amount of business done by them ; no enterprise in the city of Dela- ware enjoys a greater popularity than this, which is among the largest of its kind in the State; the firm is composed of Christian Riddle, George L. Graff and Leroy Battenfield ; Mr. Riddle filling the position of buyer and shipper, and Mr. Graff that of General Superintendent.

Mr. George L. Graff was born in Weddenburg, Germany, in 1842, having come to America in 1853, landing in Baltimore and came direct to Delaware, where he has been a resident ever since ; in 1856, he commenced to learn the cigar-maker's trade, working at this until the breaking-out of the late civil war, when he enlisted in the 86th O. V. I. ; he served some three months, when he was honorably discharged ; afterward re-enlisted in the 145th O. V. I., and served until the close of the war, when he returned to Delaware and engaged in working at his trade. In 1869, he established business for himself and the same year entered as partner with Mr. Christian Riddle.

Mr. Leroy Battenfield was born in Centre- burgh, Knox Co .. Ohio, March 5, 1846 ; in April, 1861, he moved to Delaware ; Mr. Battenfield. like the rest of the firm of Riddle, Graff & Co., was a soldier in the late war; he enlisted

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History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2, Part 37

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

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