USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 83
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nell Wilbur, of Honeoye, N. Y. Their home for the past sixteen years has been in Lima, Ohio. Their children are Leon Wilbur Miller, a student in his freshman year in Ohio Wes- leyan University, Delaware, Ohio; Robert , Strawn Miller, a student in North High School, Columbus, Ohio, and Elizabeth Miller, a pupil in the Ninth Avenue School of the same city.
Enos S. Miller, the father, died August 15, 1899, at the age of eighty-one years, four months and twenty-four days. The mother died September 7, 1900, at the age of eighty- three years, four months and twenty-five days. They sleep side by side in the beautiful Bethel Cemetery, of Bethel United Brethren Church, located in Greenfield Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. The following tribute to Mr. Miller is from a life-long friend, Hon. E. F. Holland, judge of probate :
"I knew Enos S. Miller intimately from my boyhood days until his death. His counsel was always valuable, and I can never forget his advice and encouragement to me while a young teacher in his district. He served the people of the county for six years as Commis- sioner and faithfully and honestly performed his whole duty. He was a leader in his church and party and a useful citizen in his com- munity."
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS Fairfield County
Lancaster, O., March 25, 1912. Hon. C. C. Miller, Columbus, Ohio :
My Dear Sir: I take the privilege of an old friend to express to you my high regard of the life, services, and character of your father, Enos S. Miller.
I was intimately acquainted with him from 1865 to the day of his death. During this time he served six years as County Commissioner
of Fairfield County, and was active and promi- nent in the social, political, and business af- fairs pertaining to the advancement of the best interests of his community, and county.
He was always held in the highest esteem by the entire community for his christian char- acter, devotion to and strictly honest perform- ance of all his duties, public and private, and his kind and affable disposition. He was spe- cially admired and respected by the young men, for his kind and considerate treatment, many of whom owe their success in life to his chris- tian example, timely encouragement, advice, and assistance.
Very Respectfully, J. G. REEVES, Judge of Common Pleas.
This sketch of the father would in no way be satisfying without a more definite and lov- ing reference to the mother, Elizabetlı ( Rade- baugh) Miller. She was a most beautiful and tender mother to all who knew her. She was self-sacrificing to a fault-kind and helpful in every walk of life. She lent a kindly, sooth- ing hand to the sick and encouragement to the strong. Her very presence was a benediction to the sorrowing or the dejected. Her chil- dren loved her as a true mother deserves to be loved, and they unite heart and soul in repeat- ing the beautiful tribute from the pen of Kate Douglas Wiggin-TO MY MOTHER :
"Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds! Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows ; brothers and sisters, aunts and cou- sins; but only one mother in all the wide world !"
WILBER F. CLAYTON, one of the representative men of Walnut Township. Fairfield County, O., where he owns two
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tracts of excellent land, aggregating 140 acres, is an honored veteran of the great Civil War, one whose loyalty and patriot- ism kept him a soldier from 1861 until 1865. He was born near New Salem, O., March 4, 1842, and is a son of Joseph and Louisa (Showman) Clayton.
Joseph Clayton was born in Maryland in 1802, and was a son of Capt. Henry and Ann Clayton. Captain Henry Clayton was of Irish extraction and was born in Pleas- ant Valley, Va. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War under the immediate command of General Washington, who was a personal friend of the family and fre- quently was entertained by Captain Clay- ton and wife. The family still preserves a table glass tumbler from which the Father of his country was wont to drink when he dined with the Claytons, and also an old slate which he often made use of, on which to sketch a map when he was planning military operations. Henry Clayton was elected a lieutenant in Col. Swope's Flying Camp, Maryland Line, Continental Army, in 1776. He took part in the Siege of Bos- ton, and after that was commissioned a captain in the Maryland line, Col. Swope's command, and took part in the Battle of Long Island, in General Sullivan's Brigade. He was captured by the British and con- fined in the prison hulks at New York, be- ing parolled after two years' confinement. As a soldier he had a brilliant record and on many an occasion made his presence and ability felt by the British. His company was composed of brave and tried men, whose clothes were often mended by Mrs. Ann Clayton, grandmother of the subject of this sketch, as they were generally poorly clad. Captain Henry Clayton's eldest son, John, was a drummer boy in his company.
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It is related that on one occasion the Hes- sians succeeded in capturing Captain Clay- ton and before he was rescued they had robbed him of his silver knee and shoe buckles. He made a vow that the first Hes- sian he afterward met should fall by his sword or musket and there is every reason to believe that he carried out his vow. His death occurred probably along the Atlantic coast, after which his widow came to Fair- field County, where her life was prolonged to ninety-seven years, six months and two days. By special act of Congress she was granted a pension from the Government as the widow of a Revolutionary officer. She was the mother of seven children. So many interesting events had occurred in her life that she became widely known and many can recall her portrait taken at the age of ninety years; that received the first prize at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, in 1876. She was one of the pioneer Meth- odists of Fairfield County, belonging to the church at Rushville. During the latter part of her life she resided with her youngest son, Joseph.
Although his father had been so notable in military life, Joseph Clayton was always a man of peace. A scholar and teacher in Maryland, he there married Louisa Show- man and shortly afterward they came to Rushville, Fairfield County, O. Here he bought 100 acres of land of the Hopwood heirs, paying $18 per acre for it. He also engaged in the mercantile business both at Rushville and New Salem. He handled tobacco extensively and also bought the Andrew Baker farm in Perry County, O., evidently being a man of much business en- terprise. His death occurred at New Salem, in 1888, his first wife having died in 1862, at the age of fifty-three years. He married for
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his second wife, Mrs. Eliza Ann (Flowers) Dollison, who died in 1902. She was the widow of Dr. Dollison at the time of the marriage.
To the first marriage of Joseph Clayton the following children were born: Leoni- das W., who died at the age of seventy-four years, was captain of the Home Guards and resided at Thornville, O .; John F., who died in Missouri, was a physician in Wood, Han- cock and Henry Counties, O .; Joseph B., who formerly was a captain in the state militia in Fairfield County, and is now a resident of Hancock County ; William M., who is a resident of Washington, D. C .; Thomas C., who is deceased; Francis A., who served three years in the Civil War as a member of the 21st O. Vol. Inf., and now resides at Hume, Mo .; Louisa, deceased, who was the wife of William Shoemaker ; and Josephine, who is the wife of Pressley Hitt, and resides at New Salem, O.
Wilber F. Clayton attended school in boyhood when a teacher could be secured for what was called the "Old Chris Baker school," a log structure standing some dis- tance from New Salem, and in those days boys were expected to apply themselves to spelling book and arithmetic whether their surroundings rendered them physically com- fortable or not. There Mr. Clayton laid the foundations of his education. As soon as he was old enough for hard work he learned the plastering trade, with his bro- ther, near Findlay, O., and has followed it in connection with farming during the greater part of his subsequent life. In Sep- tember, 1861, in answer to the first call of President Lincoln for troops, he enlisted at New Salem, under Captain John Wiseman and Lieutenant Linville, in Co. C. 46th O. Vol. Inf., as brave and courageous a body
of men as ever served on any battlefield. Of this gallant band Mr. Clayton is the only survivor at New Salem. He took part in seventeen battles but survived to return home at the close of the war. His name appears on the roll of honor. For many years he has been identified with the Grand Army Post at East Rushville.
On October 2, 1872, Mr. Clayton was married to Miss Mary E. Melick, who died in 1888. She was a daughter of Aaron Melick, of Perry County, O. In May, 1909, his second marriage took place, with Miss Alice A. Clemson, a daughter of Joseph Clemson. They are members of the Meth- odist Protestant church, with which he has been identified since he was fifteen years of age. He was one of the organizers of the church and Sunday-school at Van Buren, O., and for many years has been superin- tendent of the Sunday-school at New Salem, having always been greatly interested in Sunday-school work. In politics he is a Democrat but has never cared to hold office. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity.
JOHN J. AASHBAUGH, one of the highly respected citizens of Bremen, O., now living retired and in the enjoyment of an ample income, was born in Perry County, O., May 16, 1840, and is a son of William and Julia Ann (Cohagen) Ashbaugh.
William Ashbaugh was born in Fairfield County, O., two and one-half miles cast of Bremen and after his school days were over, he followed farming in Perry County, where he improved eighty acres of land. Here he lived until 1857. when he returned to Rush Creek Township and settled on the same farm on which he had been born. One year later he bought fifty acres of land north of Bremen, where he operated a grist mill in
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addition to farming. He lived on that place until 1863, when he moved to Bremen. He died at the age of eighty-one years and was buried at Bethel Presbyterian church, in Rush Creek Township. He was a Demo- crat in politics until the administration of President Lincoln, when he identified him- self with the Republican party. He mar- ried Julia Ann Cohagen, who was born in Perry County and died in Rush Creek Township one year after her husband, her age being eighty years. They were worthy members of society, good, virtuous people and belonged to the Presbyterian church. Five sons and four daughters were born to them and of these three sons and one daugh- ter are deceased.
John J. Ashbaugh attended school in Bronday Creek Township, Perry County, O., after which he worked on his father's and other farms until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted for service in Co. B., 129th O. Vol. Inf., and served out his term without meeting any of the disas- ters of war. He then reenlisted as private in Co. D, 159th O. Vol. Inf., and served three months more, and a third time en- listed, on January 30, 1865, entering Co. D, 187th O. Vol. Inf. He was with that or- ganization for one year and during the larger part of the time was orderly sergeant. After coming home he learned the carpen- ter's trade at which he worked through Rush Creek Township, continuing to live on his farm of eighty acres in that township until April, 1909. He then sold to Otto Lacey and came to Bremen and embarked in the ice business, which he carried on until August 8, 1911, when he disposed of it to J. K. Davis. He has been a very active Republican, serving for twenty-one years as central committeeman, for seven years
was a member of the Fairfield County Re- publican Executive Committee and on four- teen occasions was elected a delegate to the State conventions.
Mr. Ashbaugh was married first, May I, 1873, to Miss Cloa L. Davis, who was born in Rush Creek Township, a daughter of Davis Y. Davis. Her death occurred at the age of thirty-four years. She was the mother of four children, namely: Sarah Julia, who died in infancy ; Annie, who mar- ried Edgar Clark, a native of Vinton County, O., and a resident of Bremen, and has one child, Lola; William D., who is a railroad engineer with the T. & O. C. Rail- road; and Pearl E., who is the wife of John Wheeler, an employe of the Electric Power and Light Company of Columbus, O. On September 1, 1888, Mr. Ashbaugh was mar- ried to Miss Jennie D. Davis, his sister-in- law, and they have two children: Robert Paul, an electric engineer located in Chi- cago; and Fay, who is the wife of Elsa Rine- hart, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. and Mrs. Ashbaugh are members of the Presbyterian church in which he has been an elder for many years. He has long been identified with the Odd Fellows and is one of the old- est members of Lodge No. 561, at Bremen. He has been much interested in Grand Army affairs and has belonged to John Rowles Post, No. 411, G. A. R., at Bremen, almost since its organization and is now senior commander of the same. Mr. Ashbaugh's comfortable residence is situated on the cor- ner of Mulberry and Walnut Streets, Bremen.
HENRY JOHNSON, a member of the school board of Berne Township, Fairfield County, O., carries on farming and stock raising on his valuable farm of 161 acres
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and for the past twenty-five years has been an auctioneer in this section. He was born in Berne Township, May 8, 1852, and is a son of James P. and Eliza (Strayer) John- son.
James P. Johnson was born in Licking County, O., and as he was left an orphan when small, he was reared in the family of Mr. Brandon, who lived near Sugar Grove, in Fairfield County. When eighteen years of age he started out for himself and be- came a successful farmer and respected citi- zen, married and reared a creditable family. His death occurred in 1895. He was a Democrat in politics and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He mar- ried Eliza Strayer, who was born in Fair- field County of parents who were natives of Germany. Of their children the following survive: William and Henry, both residing in Berne Township; Elizabeth, also of Berne Township; James, living at Williamsport, O .; Caroline, of Berne Township; Zopher, of Lancaster, O .; John, living in Pleasant Township; and Theodore, residing in Berne Township.
Henry Johnson attended school in Berne Township when he was a boy. He has al- ways taken an interest in educational mat- ters, has kept well posted on the news of the times and forms his own opinions con- cerning public events. Politically he is a Democrat and he has frequently been elected to public office, serving as assessor and as road superintendent and also on the township school board.
Mr. Johnson married Miss Elizabeth Kull, a daughter of Andrew Kull, who was once a prominent and substantial resident of Berne Township, having settled here after coming from Germany, when woods still covered a large part of the land com-
prising the present farm of Mr. Johnson. Andrew Kull operated a sawmill in addi- tion to farming. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson three children have been born: Charles C., Frank H. and Goldie M. Mr. Johnson and family belong to the Methodist Episco- pal church. He is very popular as an auc- tioneer and his services are engaged from distant sections at times, he having a genial manner and a fund of anecdotes that please his hearers and accomplish the end for which he is employed.
LEWIS J. KNECHT, a prominent citi- zen, township trustee and successful farmer, in Berne Township, was born in this town- ship, March 16, 1856, and is a son of Charles and Mary (Kourt) Knecht.
Charles Knecht was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to America with his parents when he was thirteen years of age. They were early settlers near Sugar Grove, in Berne Township, Fairfield County, O., the wild animals of the forest still being numerous in that region at the time. There Charles Knecht grew to manhood and spent his life, his death occurring August 1, 1907, when he was in his eighty-fifth year. He married Mary Kourt and they had a large family, there being ten survivors in 1911, namely: Charles, of Columbus, O .; Lewis J., of Berne Township; Lena S., of Lancas- ter, O .: Christian, of Texas; Phebe C., wife of Lewis Rowe, of Columbus; Elizabeth, of Lancaster, O .; James R., of Lorain, O .; Tobias W., of Columbus; Edward C., of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Emma C., of Lan- caster.
Lewis J. Knecht grew up on his father's farm and has always devoted a large part of his attention to agricultural pursuits. He owns a farm of about fifty-seven acres of
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
excellent land in Berne Township, which he devotes to farming and stock raising, and has been a continuous resident here with the exception of four years passed in Darke County, O. All his mature life Mr. Knecht has been identified with the Demo- cratic party, as was his father, and he has frequently been called on by his fellow citi- zens to serve in public office. For many years he was a school director of District No. 7. He has served four years on the township board and is serving in his fourth term as a trustee of the township, having been chairman of the board. On three occasions he has been elected by his party as a delegate to the Congressional conven- tions, representing Berne Township.
Mr. Knecht was married to Miss Annie P. Hoffman, who was born in Berne Town- ship, a daughter of David and Barbara (Hoffman) Hoffman, the former of whom is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Knecht have six children: Loma P., who is the wife of Herman Boehm, of Franklin County ; Charles F., who is a farmer in Berne Town- ship; Fannie E., who is a student of the Ohio University, at Athens, O .; Albert L., who is also a farmer in Berne Township: Harry P., who is preparing to be a civil engineer at the Ohio University, Athens, · O .; and Wilhelmina K., who is a student at Crawfis Institute, Lancaster, O. Mr. Knecht and family belong to the Evangeli- cal Lutheran church in the village of Sugar Grove.
WASHINGTON WYMAN, a leading cit- izen of Lancaster, O., formerly secretary of the County Board of Infirmary Directors and for many years connected with public office in Fairfield County, was born February 22, 1841, at Lancaster, in which city he has passed his
entire life, with the exception of twelve years. He is a son of George and Catherine Eva Gemming Wyman.
The parents of Mr. Wyman were born in Bavaria and came from Germany to America in 1837, locating at Lancaster, O. The father was a florist and nurseryman and engaged in this business at Lancaster as one of the pio- neers in this line. His death occurred in Oc- tober, 1854, when he was aged fifty-four years. His widow kept the family together as long as she survived, her death following when she was aged sixty-three years. There were seven children in the family, as follows : Jacob, Justus, George, John Lewis, Margaret, Wash- ington, and one not named. Of the above family a number of the sons saw military serv- ice. Jacob had served in the Mexican War when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, becoming a member of the 2nd O. Vol. Inf. He married Elizabeth Smith, of Hocking County, O., who died in 1883, and his death occurred at Logan, O., in 1892. Justus was a soldier in the 12th Reg. U. S. A. and was wounded while serving under General Thomas, in the Civil War. He married Mary Reif and they resided on Sixth Avenue, Lancaster, where he died in 1905. George Wyman died in 1862, at Columbus, where he was in the meat business. He married Catherine Milizer, who died in 1865. John Lewis married Mary Shadd, who died in 1911, at the family home on Pearl Avenue, Lancaster, where he yet re- sides. Margaret, who died in 1883, was the wife of Gottlieb Deirling, who died some twenty years after.
Washington Wyman was the next young- est born of the family. Until he was fourteen years of age he attended school with regular- ity, after which he started to work, attending night-school for a time. The death of his father made it necessary for the sons to be-
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come self supporting as early as possible, and he learned the making of shoes before becom- ing an assistant to his brother, who was an expert butcher. Later he decided to learn this trade also and worked at it for eight years, and then learned to make brick, at Logan, O., and there conducted a brick-yard and engaged in building and contracting. He then took charge of the Kirn Hotel, which was formerly the old Tallmadge House at Lancaster, when Tall- madge operated the stage coach line, and Mr. Wyman continued in the management of this hostelry until April, 1912.
Long before these later activities, however, Mr. Wyman had taken an important part on the theater of civil war that disturbed every section of the United States between 1861 and 1865. He was twenty years of age, loyal and patriotic, when he joined the state militia, in answer to the first call for soldiers to suppress rebellion. His first enlistment was for three months, in a company recruited at Lancaster, this company reporting at Columbus three hours ahead of the Cleveland Grays, and im- mediately a sort of rivalry grew up between these bodies of fearless and enthusiastic young men that resulted in a number of adventures. After his first term of enlistment was honor- ably completed, Mr. Wyman reenlisted and his subsequent military life was one series of battles, skirmishes, marches, dangers and hard- ships. He took part in all the engagements and movements of the regiment to which he be- longed, including the actions at Port Gibson, Miss .; Champion Hill and Jackson, and on July 4, 1863, shared General Grant's victory at Vicksburg. From there his regiment was sent to Texas and landed at a point on Mata- gorda Bay, and from there went on to In- dianola. On reaching Mustang Island they found orders to reinforce General Banks, who was conducting the Shreveport campaign.
This regiment assisted in destroying the ar- senal at Shreveport and then made its head- quarters at Alexandria, La. War is not al- together fighting one's fellow men, some times it is fighting for the means of sustaining life. At the place above mentioned wells had to be sunk and the water was so low, also, that there was difficulty in getting the boats to the Mississippi River through the marshy bayous. The regiment remained on the Mississippi until the beginning of the fall campaign, when it moved to Barancas, Fla., and in the spring of 1865 moved from Spanish Fort to Blakely, Ala. From there the regiment moved up the Alabama River to Selma and remained one week after Wilson's cavalry passed through, and destroyed the arsenal and policed the city. From there a move was made to Mobile and one week later that explosion took place that blew up seven blocks of the city, killed 5,000 people and destroyed five steamboats. From Mobile the command then went to Galveston and, in the meanwhile, as news had been re- ceived of the surrender of General Lee, Mr. Wyman relates that when the Federal regi- mental band struck up Yankee Doodle in the streets of Galveston, the real brotherhood of North and South was shown in the fact that when the Union soldiers offered the friendly hand of good fellowship to their former en- emies, it was eagerly accepted. On account of yellow fever having developed at Galveston, the regiment went on to Houston, Texas, and Mr. Wyman tells in a most interesting way of the excitement prevailing during the stay there, and of Governor Sam Houston's subsequent activities. As an eye witness his recollections are especially entertaining.
When the regiment found itself at Blakely, Ala., mail for eight weeks was delivered and, as it must be remembered transportation facil- ities were not as they are at present, it was
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
conveyed in the soldiers' letters that Gens. Lee and Johnson had surrendered and that Presi- dent Lincoln had been assassinated. From Houston the regiment went to Milligan, Tex., for three weeks, then back to Houston, where the tired soldiers were mustered out. By boat they went to New Orleans, thence to Cairo, Ill., and then on to Columbus, where Mr. Wy- man was honorably discharged. During all this period he was but once wounded, that be- ing at Thompson's Hill.
On March 11, 1866, Mr. Wyman was mar- ried to Miss Mary Webber, a daughter of An- drew and Anna Mary (Weidner) Webber. Mrs. Wyman's father was born at Baden, Ger- many, and her mother had come to Hocking County from the same place when she was six- teen years of age. Andrew Webber died in Fairfield County in 1904, at the age of eighty- six years, and his wife when aged thirty-three years. The former was twice married and had sixteen children, Mary (Mrs. Wyman), being of the first union. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wyman, namely : Margaret, who is the wife of John Gardner, of the firm of Gardner & Hughes, of Lancaster, and has two children-Margaret and George Edward; George A., who is in the dry cleaning business at Lancaster, married Edna Clover and has two children-Gladys and George A .; Fannie A., who is the wife of Joseph Mattox, a cloth- ier at Lancaster, and has four children-Rich- ard, Dorothy, Thomas and Anna Mary; Car- rie A., who is the wife of William Addle- berger, a dealer in coal, lime, cement and build- ing material, at Dayton, O., and has one son- William; and Edward, who makes his home in New York City and travels as a musician with theatrical companies. Formerly he served as a musician in the U. S. Navy and made the trip around the world with the fleet, being con- nected with both the battleships Georgia and
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