History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 107

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

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the world. Mr. Ely, at his new office, No. 16 Evan's Block, Sandusky street, will take great pains in showing the merits of the Howe sewing machine.

W. Z. EVANS, merchant, Delaware, is a native of this city, where he was born in the year 1852; his father, Thomas Evans, was the founder of the stove and tinware business, of which the son, W. Z., is now the owner; this establishment is the leading one of its kind in Delaware, and would be a credit to a much larger city; it was established some twenty-eight years ago, on the east side of Sandusky street, and subsequently moved to the storeroom next to their present place of business; their trade increasing, it became necessary to find larger quarters, and they moved to their present building, the first floor of which is occupied as a store and salesroom, 20x100 feet; in the rear of this is the tin-shop and warehouse, 25x50 feet; here they employ eight hands. W. Z. Evans occupied the position as clerk under his father, until 1876, when he succeeded to the proprietorship, and is now enjoying a trade that any one might covet, yet few attain; this the result of his thorough training in his line together with his natural business qualifi- cations, combined with integrity and the necessary amount of energy.

HENRY J. EATON, attorney at law, Delaware, was born in a rural home in the township of Berlin,- this county, Oct. 25, in the year 1828; his parents were married in his native township Sept. 17, 1822; they were James and Elizabeth B. (Caulkins) Eaton, and were among the first set- tlers of that locality, and were prominently con- nected with the development and improvements in the new country; Henry remained with his parents upon the farm until they moved into Del- aware City ; he was then about 15 years of age, and soon after entered the Ohio Wesleyan Univer- sity, then a new institution; from this he gradu- ated as one of a class of nine in the year 1849; among those who graduated at that time were L. J. Critchfield, of Columbus; Edward Parrott, who has been a speaker in the House of Repre- sentatives, and J. W. Hoyt, Governor of Wy- oming Territory ; in 1851, Mr. Eaton began the study of law with Judge T. W. Powell, and was admitted to the bar in 1853, and, with the excep- tion of one intermission of seven years, has been practicing his profession in Delaware; in 1857, Mr. Eaton formed a partnership with Col. W. P. Reid, with whom he continued until January, 1867.

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GEORGE C. EATON, fire and life insurance agent, Delaware, was born in Berlin Township, Delaware Co., Ohio, July 19, 1823, and is the son of James Eaton, one of the pioneers of Delaware Co .; at the age of 17, he entered college, acquir- ing most of his education at the Madison Univer- sity of New York, and at Dennison University ; he served as Deputy Auditor with his father for three years, and, in 1849, with his father, com- menced the publication of a map of Delaware Co. ; Mr. Eaton was Superintendent of the public school of Delaware for two years; was a resident of Zanesville some nine years, where he was on- gaged in publishing a map of Muskingum Co., and was also in the insurance business ; he filled the offices of City Engineer and Street Commissioner of Zanesville for seven years ; in 1861, returned to Delaware, where he has resided ever since ; in 1862, he returned to the insurance business, and to-day Mr. Eaton is one of the oldest and best- posted insurance agents in Delaware Co., having had experience in that business for the past thirty- four years, and has, during that time, been con- nected with the leading insurance companies of America, acting as special State agent for several leading companies, and traveling in different parts of Ohio ; Mr. Eaton is agent for the leading fire and life insurance companies of the country.

HENRY FEGLEY (deceased), was born in Pennsylvania, where he worked at his trade of blacksmithing and farming. He married Re- becca Miller, and, after remaining in Pennsyl- vania for a number of years, they moved with their seven children to Ohio, and located in Dela- aware Township in 1837; he came in moderate circumstances, but, by hard work and economy, managed to gain a comfortable property ; he en- gaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1875, at the age of 81 years. He was a mem- ber of the Reformed Church ; he left a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. Mrs. Fegley was born in December, 1801.

MOSES E. FLEMING & CO. Among the leading book and job printing offices of Dela- ware, is that owned and operated by Moses E. Fleming & Co., which business was com- menced in 1876, by George H. Thomson. In 1877, the firm was changed to Thomson & Co., with Mr. Moses E. Fleming forming the " Co." Mr. Fleming was born in Radnor Town- ship, Delaware Co., in 1853, and is the son of Joseph D. Fleming, whose father was one of the pioneer settlers of Delaware Co .; Mr. Fleming re-

mained on the farm until 1870, when he entered the Gazette office' and learned the printer's trade ; in 1877, he entered his present business, and, in 1878, the firm of Moses E. Fleming & Co. was formed, the " Co." being H. J. McCul- lough, a leading citizen of Delaware ; since then, they have been engaged in doing a large book and job printing business, also as book-binders, all work being done in the best and latest style ; they occupy two rooms in the block on the northwest corner of Main and Sandusky streets, and have in operation three first-class presses, one cylinder and two job presses, with steam power, turning out the best work in the city, doing the greater part of the printing for Donavan's Original Tennessee- ans and for the Delaware Chair Co., and part of the work on the Ohio Wesleyan University Cata- logue, and other establishments of Delaware and its vicinity.

" FIRE-PROOF HOUSES." We give the following as a brief description of the patent on fire-proof houses, taken out by the late Dr. R. Hills, of Delaware : A new departure in con- struction is to dispense with joists, either of wood or iron, and, in their stead, to use an arch of brick, the segment of a circle, over the entire area of a common-sized room. These arches or vaulted ceilings, in addition to the support re- ceived from the walls, are iron bound or belted at their base line with iron or steel bars of suitable size, laid in the walls and so connected as to make a complete unbroken belt to the room. The arches are made of well-burnt, hard brick, laid with hydraulic cement or calcined plaster, in the segment of a circle, with a radius of from twenty to forty feet. They are further stiffened and strengthened by constructing, on the upper sur- face, ribs of the same material, running from the walls to the center. If the floor is to be of tile, cement or other hard finish, the space between the ribs should be filled by concreting, cross-arch- ing or otherwise, in the lightest manner practi- cable ; but if it is to be of boards, the filling may be omitted, and strips of wood are to be bedded and leveled on the ribs to receive the flooring. These arches are to be, with few exceptions, only two inches thick, but may be thicker when re- quired. This arch will yot yield without the breaking of the iron or steel belt. Remember, the tensile strength of the iron only is used, and that one square inch of iron will sustain 60,000 pounds. It is imbedded in the walls, where it is not subjected to great heat, though even if

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heated, its strength is as great as when cold. The Security Brick and Mortar will not burn. This substitute for joist will neither burn, warp, sag nor fall, in even a Chicago or Boston fire ; insurance useless ; a fire-proof house is the cheap- est. This method is undoubtedly to take the lead in fire-proof buildings. Examples : The banking- house of the National Exchange Bank of Weston, W. Va., built in 1874; Girls' Industrial Home, near Delaware, with over fifty rooms and no joists, built in 1875 ; also the private residence of Mrs. Dr. R. Hills, at Delaware.

S. GLOVER, merchant, Delaware. The old- est and largest dry-goods house of Delaware is that of which the above-named gentleman is proprietor ; he was born in Belmont Co., Ohio, Nov. 28, 1839; the son of Samuel and Eliza- beth T. (McKisson) Glover; both of his parents were natives of Ohio; his father was a mer- chant in Belmont Co., and our subject, when quite young, entered his father's store as a clerk. Dur- ing the late civil war, he recruited Co. C, of the 170th O. N. G., and was made Captain of that company ; they did duty at Maryland Heights, near Washington, D. C .; after returning home to Belmont Co., he embarked in mercantile business in Powhatan, where he remained until 1866, when he engaged in steamboating on the Ohio River for some two years. In 1869, he came to Delaware and entered the dry-goods business in company with his brother, under the name of · Glover Bros .; after two years, the firm became Glover & Neff; in 1873, Mr. S. Glover became sole proprietor, and since then has increased his business and facilities fully 100 per cent, and con- trols the largest dry-goods trade in Delaware; his store is located on Sandusky street, below Will- iams, where he occupies two floors ; the first floor, 23x100 feet, used for the dry goods ; the second floor, 21x58, is used for carpets, oil cloths, rugs and window curtains ; he employs eight clerks, who are polite and attentive.

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 Wesleyan 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, on 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 clocks ; 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 heen 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 ; from 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.

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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 werc 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 lias 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- her 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 H. 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 eo- 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

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 107

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818