USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 91
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93
George H. Zink received his education in the parochial school and from private tutors. For some years he was connected with the merchant tailoring firm of J. M. Rutherford & Co., but for the past sixteen years has been with his father. He is an enterprising, progressing man, owning a handsome, splendidly stocked store, and using an automobile delivery service. During the Spanish-American war he served in Battery G, Light Artillery, recruited at New- ark, Ohio. His fraternal connections are with the Elks and the Knights of Columbus. Like his father he has always been identified with the best in the social and business life of Lan- caster. Mr. Zink and his family are members of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church.
800
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
ZEBULON STUART resides on the old Stuart homestead, situated one-half mile north of Bremen, and was born here in 1853, a son of Thompson Stuart.
Thompson Stuart was also born in Rush Creek Township and for many years was a general farmer here. He served as town- ship treasurer for twenty years. He reared a family of seven children, as follows : Wes- ley, who married Maggie Boling; Sarah Ann, who married William McCandlish ; James W., who married Dorah Hatcher ; Mary, who married William Henry ; Emma, who was the wife of Rev. N. W. Good and died in 1901; Jane who married Chas Per- rin ; and Zebulon.
With his brothers and sisters Zebulon Stuart attended the district school in boy- hood and assisted his father on the farm. He remained at home when the others mar- ried and established homes of their own and later purchased 62 acres from the other heirs. General farming is his main interest and he has made both crop and stock raising profitable.
Mr. Stuart married Miss Mary Hillon and they have had five children, Earl, Eva, El- mer, Mildred and Ellis, the three last men- tioned being deceased. Earl resides at home and assists his father. Eva is the wife of R. E. Johnson, a farmer residing one and one- half miles north of Bremen. Mr. Stuart and family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, which he is at present serving as an efficient member of the board of trus- tees. Politically he is a Republican and an active party worker.
JOHN HENRY AXLINE, M. D.,* who has been engaged in the practice of medicine for thirty-seven years and during twenty-six of these has been a resident of Lancaster,
O., stands very high in his profession and is ranked among the leading surgeons of Fair- field County. He was born August 18, 1849, near Fultonham or Uniontown, Muskingum County, O., and is a son of Noah and Lu- cinda (Gibson) Axline.
The Axline family is of German extrac- tion and the family annals show that three brothers of the name, all being officers in the German Army, came to the American colonies when the city of Philadelphia was only a settlement of sixteen log houses. It is claimed that one of these officers manu- factured the first gunpowder ever made in America, and on account of this enterprise, his estates were confiscated and he was ob- liged to find a new home in Virginia. The older members of this family lived long and retained their faculties and endurance into old age, the great-grandfather, who had served at Valley Forge, under General Washington, dying in his 105th year; his father had lived to be 115 years of age. The grandfather, who was anxious to participate in the War of 1812, was stricken with pneu- monia at that time and died twenty-two days later, being then aged ninety-two years. His name was John Axline and he was the founder of the family in Muskingum County, O. He married Christina Baker and they had six children: Daniel, Corne- lius, Jonathan, Mary, Noah and George.
Noah Axline, father of Dr. Axline, was born in Loudoun County, Va., in 1822, and accompanied his parents to Muskingum County, and his death occurred at Somerset, Perry County, in 1902, when his age was seventy-nine years. He married Lucinda Gibson, a daughter of William Gibson, of Morgan County, O., and she survived until September II, 19II, passing away at the age of eighty-three years and seven months.
801
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Five children were born to the above mar- riage, one of whom died in infancy, the sur- vivors being : John Henry ; Samuel, a farmer near Somerset, O., who married Maria Hicks; Clarence E., a practicing physician at Bryan, Ill., who married Clara Tomp- kins ; and Minerva, who resides at Somerset.
John Henry Axline was afforded educa- tional advantages, attending Fultonham Academy and later Muskingum College and still later took a course in Mt. Union Col- lege. He then entered upon the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Howard Cul- berson, a prominent physician at that time at Zanesville, O., after which he spent one year in the medical department of the Uni- versity of Michigan, and the following year in the medical department of the University of Kentucky, where he was graduated in the class of 1875. Dr. Axline located first at Ruraldale, in his native county and practiced there for five years, moving then to Stouts- ville, where he remained five years more. In 1886 coming to Lancaster where he has remained. Dr. Axline is one of the earnest, conscientious men of his pro- fession and the fame, fortune and friend- ship that he has acquired have all been honorably earned through legitimate prac- tice and his name is held in esteem wher- ever mentioned. He is a valued member of the county and state medical organizations and of the American Medical Association, his son being identified with the same.
In 1878, Dr. Axline was married to Miss Martha Melick, a daughter of Robert Me- lick, of Perry County, O., and two children were born to them, Clark Gibson, and a babe that died in infancy. Clark Gibson Axline was born September 21, 1879, and received his literary training in the public schools and at Wittenberg College. During the Span-
ish-American War he served in the light artillery, from Newark, O., and afterward was graduated from Starling Medical Col- lege, in the class of 1908. Since then he has been associated in medical practice with his father at Lancaster, their offices being main- tained in the family residence at No. 140 East Main Street, Lancaster. Dr. C. G. Ax- line is a captain of surgery, in the Ohio Na- tional Guards, with the rank of captain, and he is also surgeon for the Hocking Valley and the Muskingum Valley railroads. He was married on September 30, 1909, to Miss Abbie Simon, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah Jane Simon. Politically Dr. Axline and son are Republicans. The family attends the German Lutheran church.
FRANK S. HEDGES, a representative citi- zen of Clear Creek Township, Fairfield County, Ohio, township trustee and owner of 142 acres of valuable land, was born in 1869, in Madison Township, Fairfield County, a son of Frank and Fannie (Cupp) Hedges.
Frank Hedges was born in Fairfield County and was a son of Mathias and Lucy (Strick- ler) Hedges. His business was farming. During the Civil War he was a strong sup- porter of the Union and served three months in the Federal Army. Being always a man of temperance, he identified himself with the Prohibition party. His death occurred August 16, 1907. From youth he had been a member of the U. B. church. He married Fannie Cupp, a daughter of Conrad Cupp. She still lives on the old homestead in Madison town- ship. They had five children: Malinda, who is the wife of Jacob Koch; George, who is de- ceased : Frank S., Owen and Marion.
Frank S. Hedges obtained his education in the public schools and has made farming his main business in life. In 1897 he purchased
802
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
eighty-four acres of his present farm, later adding twenty-one acres and still later, thirty- seven acres, and this property has all been carefully improved. Mr. Hedges cleared a large part of it, has done considerable tiling, has erected a handsome residence and other substantial structures. He engages in general farming and raises stock sufficient for his own Lise.
On April 21, 1891, Mr. Hedges was married to Miss Elizabeth Kull, a daughter of Godfrey and Caroline (Schweikert) Kull, natives of Germany. Her paternal grandparents were Godfrey and Elizabeth (Hershberger) Kull, and her maternal grandparents were George and Caroline (Meyers) Schweikert. The par- ents of Mrs. Hedges were married in America. The mother died in February, 1910, and the father now lives retired. He was in the saw mill business and later was a farmer. They always attended the Evangelical Lutheran church. To Mr. and Mrs. Kull the following children were born: Charles, William, George, Henry, Caroline, Elizabeth, Fred and Edward. Mr. and Mrs. Hedges have two chil- dren, Fannie and Lloyd, who attend school at Oakland. The family belongs to the Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Hedges is a Democrat. For a number of years he served in the office of township supervisor, was road superintend- ent for one year and has been school custodian since 1897, and in January, 1912, entered upon the duties of his second term as township trustee.
JOHN STRUCKMAN,* a retired farmer residing at Carroll, Ohio, to which pleasant town he came in 1906, for many years carried on farming in Fairfield county and still retains two farms, one situated in Greenfield Town- ship and the other in Liberty Township. He was born in Greenfield Township, July 13,
1842, and is a son of Henry and Sophia ( Eb- right) Struckman.
The parents of Mr. Struckman were born in Germany, came to America and the father en- gaged in farming in Greenfield Township. Fairfield County, Ohio, where he died in his fiftieth year. Of his children there are two survivors, Henry and John, the former of whom lives in Liberty Township. For some years the father lived with his family at Lan- caster, Ohio, and then, during the early boy- hood of his son, John Struckman, moved into Liberty Township, where his death occurred.
John Struckman was about eight years old when his father died and he remained with his mother and the rest of the family in Liberty Township, where he attended school and after- ward learned the principles of farming. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers and Merchants Banking Company of Carroll, Ohio, and has served continuously on its board of directors.
Mr. Struckman was married first to Miss Margaret Carnes and five children were born to them, but Mr. Struckman was forced to part with them all. They were: Emma E., James, John G., and two who died in infancy. Mr. Struckman was married second to Miss Louisa Schmidt, of Berne Township, Fairfield County. They attend the Lutheran church. He is a Democrat in politics. Mr. Struckman belongs to the Farmers' Grange at Carroll.
ELNATHAN SCOFIELD was born in Litchfield county, Conn., in 1773. He was of English ancestry, in direct line of descent from James Scofield, of Scofield, who, as recorded in Flower's Visitation of Lancaster, 1567; Chetham Society, Vol. 81, p. 127; Dugdale's Visitation of Lancaster, 1665, and Chetham Society, Vol. 88, p. 256, married a daughter of Leigh of Highleigh, county of Chester, Eng-
803
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
land. The father of the subject of this notice, also named Elnathan Scofield, was born Octo- ber 11, 1745, and was a Revolutionary soldier, serving in the company of his brother, Eben- ezer Scofield, which formed a part of the regi- ment known as the Fourth Westchester Regi- ment, Col. Thaddeus Crane. After the war was over the elder Elnathan Scofield came west to Ohio, settling in Union township, Lick- ing county, where he became a prominent citi- zen, serving as state senator, 1806 to 1810.
Elnathan Scofield, the younger, with whom we are more directly concerned, accompanied his father to Ohio. He became a surveyor by profession and made a contract with Rufus Putnam, August 7, 1800-in connection with Ebenezer Buckingham-to survey a large number of townships in Ranges 16 to 22 in- inclusive, for which they were to be compen- sated at the rate of three dollars per mile. Congress having passed an act, March 17, 1801, regulating the grants of lands appor- tioned for the refugees from the British pos- sessions of Canada and Nova Scotia.
On May 30, 1801, he made a contract with the Government (which is on file in the Gen- eral Land Office at Washington, D. C.) to make a sub-division of townships in seven ranges of the said "Refugee" lands. The lands formed a narrow strip four and one half miles broad from north to south and extending east- ward from the Sciota river, forty-eight miles, covering an area of 100,000 acres, this includ- ing what is now the western portion of the city of Columbus. In 1801 Elnathan Scofield made the original survey of the city of Colum- bus, Ohio.
Mr. Scofield also worked at his profession in connection with the Zane brothers, aiding in surveying all this tract of land and most of the early surveying for the city of Lancaster. He was in Lancaster about the year 1800. On
February 5th of that year Ebenezer Zane con- tracted to straighten the public road from Wheeling, W. Va., to Limestone, Ky., since called Maysville, and the result of his efforts was called "Zane's Trace," a fuller account of which may be found elsewhere in this volume. This was the first attempt to open a highway in the Northwest Territory, and was a most successful one, as Zane's Trace became one of the famous highways of the country.
Soon after Mr. Scofield settled in Lancaster he erected on his lot No. 11, square 3, now lot 33. the first brick dwelling ever erected in Fair- field county, the bricks having been hauled from Zanesville, Ohio, in wagons. Here Mr. and Mrs. Scofield lived for a few years. Their two daughters were born here.
Besides following the profession of a sur- veyor, Mr. Scofield was a general merchant and for some time had as partner John Mat- thews, who, however, withdrew from the busi- ness in 1818. John Creed was at this time a clerk in the store. Mr. Scofield was county surveyor in 1805, also from 1800 to 1804 was surveyor of Licking county, or rather what is now so called, it being then a part of Fairfield county. He was elected to the Ohio State Sen- ate, serving in 1820-21-22, he was associate judge of the Common Pleas court in 1819-20, and was postmaster at Lancaster during the administration of John Quincy Adams, the of- fice at that time being located in his large new brick residence which he had built just a short time before, directly on the northwest corner of Main and Columbus streets. This home continued to be his place of residence until his death and was one of the finest homes in the early history of Lancaster. It was the scene of many social gatherings, of distinguished men and women, Lancaster then being the cen- ter of culture and refinement above its fellows. Since Mr. Scofield moved from the little
804
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
home which he at first built, that structure has been almost continually used by his relatives as a law office, among whom may be mentioned John Trafford Brasee, Theo W. Tallmadge, John Scofield Brasee, John Trafford Brasee, Jr., and Charles D. Brasee.
Judge Scofield was a portly man, five feet ten inches in height. He was of a jovial dispo- sition, highly educated, cultured and refined, and was eminently practical in all the affairs of life. He was courteous and obliging and would often carry mail himself to the houses of the citizens, though under no obligation to do so. Among his personal friends he num- bered Henry Clay, whom he occasionally en- tertained at his home.
Judge Scofield married Drusilla Reid, a daughter of John Reid of Maryland. She was a great granddaughter of Col. Thomas Cresap, a member of the House of Burgesses of Vir- ginia, and who came of a distinguished family, which has produced some of the great men and women of this country. There were two chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Scofield-Mary Jane, who became the wife of John Trafford Brasee, and Eliza, who married James Stan- bery, of Newark, Ohio, son of William Stan- bery, United States congressman.
Judge Scofield owned about 1,000 acres of land south of Lancaster. While returning from his farm on horseback, November 29, 1841, he died very suddenly. His wife Dru- silla died just fifteen days previously, Novem- ber 14, 1841, at the age of fifty-five years. His age was sixty-nine at the time of his death. Both Judge and Mrs. Scofield are buried in Elmwood cemetery, Lancaster, Ohio.
JOHN W. BLACK, whose farm lies two and a half miles east from Bremen, Ohio, and is valuable both for crop production and for its yield of oil, there being a number of wells
on the place, was born in Rush Creek Town- ship, Fairfield County, Ohio, a son of Robert J. and Martha Black.
Robert J. Black, who is one of the most venerable residents of Rush Creek Township, was born in Ireland in 1822 and was brought to Fairfield County when fourteen years old. With the exception of several years passed in Perry County and ten years spent as clerk in a store, first in Rushville and afterwards in Circleville, the largest part of his life in Amer- ica has been spent in Fairfield County, Ohio, and he still occupies his old home in Rush Creek Township, carrying on his nursery of fruit trees which he established in the year 1849. Three children were born to him: John W., Samuel W. and Mary, the last named being deceased. By his second wife, Miss Margaret M. Alexander ( from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania), there are five daughters : Alice, Margaret (Mrs. J. Frank Smith, of Violet township), Jennie, Elizabeth, and Edith (Mrs. WV. T. Ulm, of Williamsport, Ohio) ; and two sons, Josiah and Albert.
John W. Black went to school in boyhood as opportunity offered, but as early as his strength permitted, he began to make himself useful to his father and ever since has been engaged in farming and stock raising. He spent three years in Perry County as a farmer and then settled on his present place, on which he put up new buildings and made many improve- ments. Mr. Black married Miss Sarah A. Lott, who was born in Perry County and died in Rush Creek Township in September, 1909. Of their three children, Gladys L., the second born, survives, Irene and an infant being de- ceased. Mr. Black is a member of the Method- ist Episcopal church. He is a Republican in politics and takes considerable interest in pub- lic matters but has never sought any public office.
805
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
ELIJAH KISTLER,* one of Bloom Town- ship's best known and most highly respected citizens, was born April 18, 1839, on the farm in Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio, on which he lives. His parents were Samuel and Elizabeth (King) Kistler.
Samuel Kistler was born in Berks County, Pa., and when young accompanied his father, Henry Kistler, to Fairfield County in 1815, settling in what was then a wilderness, in Bloom Township. Henry Kistler died in 1841 being then a man of some consequence, the owner of much land and the father of a large family. Samuel Kistler was about eleven years of age when he came to Bloom Town- ship and spent his subsequent life here, dying in 1879, in his seventy-fifth year. He was twice married and the surviving children of his first wife are: Hester A., residing in Van Wert County, Ohio, who is the widow of J. K. Cooper; Elijah; and John C., who lives at Clinton, Mo. Those deceased bore the follow- ing names: Caroline, Matilda, Aaron B., George, Samuel A., Oliver P. and Elizabeth. Samuel Kistler and wife were members of the Reformed church.
Elijah Kistler attended the subscription schools in his boyhood and made the most of his opportunities and later became a school teacher and taught for eight years in Ohio and Illinois. Afterward he returned to the home- stead, where he owns 142 acres of valuable land which he devotes to general farming and stock raising. He has watched with interest the wonderful development of this section of Fairfield County, his memory going back to the days when forests covered many of the productive farms of Bloom Township, when neighbors lived far apart and when no rural mail carrier brought the letters and papers from all over the world to the door. He can tell also when farming methods changed and
when much of the present useful farm machin- ery was introduced.
Mr. Kistler was married first to Miss Lo- raina Chaney, of Bloom Township, who, at death, left one son, William E., who is now deceased. Mr. Kistler's second marriage was to Miss Jane Ogden, of Vermillion, Ill., and eleven children of their family survive, three babies dying in infancy and Samuel Paul also being deceased. Those living are: Van T., of Bloom Township; Minnie D., wife of Ed- ward Benson, of Bloom Township; Alpheus E., of Bloom Township; Alice, wife of Frank George, of Lancaster; Olive A., wife of Will- iam Bookman, of Carroll; Florence L., wife of Elmer Wildermuth, of Greenfield Town- ship; Myrtle, wife of Rufus Chapius, of Lan- caster; Cora P., wife of Ferdinand Getz, of Lancaster; Elizabeth L., wife of Frank Hun- ter, of Toledo, Ohio; Effie M., wife of Ray King, of Violet Township; and Charles D., re- siding in Bloom Township. Mr. Kistler and sons are Democrats. He is a member of the Reformed church.
JOHN KELLER, a prosperous farmer and respected citizen of Hocking Township, Fair- field County, Ohio, where he owns 203 acres of valuable land, eighty-three acres comprising the farm on which he has lived since 1905, was born in this township, September 23, 1869, and is a son of Felix F. and Lovina (Bender) Keller. The father, who was a weaver by trade, died August 23, 1902, and the mother still survives.
The parents of Mr. Keller were born in Switzerland, the father in 1823. In 1843 he came to America and located first in the city of Pittsburg, where he lived for a time and was first married there, his first wife being Cather- ine Heide and to that marriage two children were born: Felix, who lives in Walnut Town-
46
806
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
ship, Fairfield County ; and Albert, who lives at Lancaster, Ohio. After marriage, Felix F. Keller and wife, in 1845, came to the northern part of Fairfield County and his wife died there. Later he went to Hocking Township and there was married to Mrs. Lovina (Ben- der) Lamb, a widow, who was born in Schwartzwald, Switzerland, and to this union five children were born: Elizabeth, who is the wife of William Barnes, of Columbus, Ohio; Frank, who lives at Nelsonville, Ohio; Annie, who is the wife of James Spires, of Columbus ; John, who lives in Hocking Township; and George, who is deceased. Felix F. Keller was an industrious, self-respecting man and a worthy member of the Lutheran church.
John Keller has spent almost all his life in Hocking Township, attending the district schools and learning practical farming with his father and has devoted himself to agriculture with much success. Like his late father he is a' Democrat, but has never been a seeker for office, finding his time sufficiently taken up with looking after his personal business.
Mr. Keller was married December 27, 1896, to Miss Margaret K. Belhorn, who was born in Main Leus, the county seat of Beyreuth, Bavaria, Germany, and who came to America June 12, 1889. She is a daughter of John Eberhart and Margaret (Weith) Belhorn. John E. Belhorn, who was by trade a stone contractor, was born in Reuth, Bavaria, De- cember 15, 1842, and died June 4, 1891. He was a soldier in the German Army, serving in 1869, 1870 and 1871. His wife was born in Denddorf, Bavaria, November 23, 1842, and died May 15, 1909. After her husband's death Mrs. Belhorn came to the United States with six children-arriving here on December 17, 1893-three children having come before. Mrs. Keller came to the United States in 1889 and has been a resident of Fairfield County
ever since. Mrs. Keller's brothers and sisters are as follows: Mrs. Catherine Pokrob, of New Haven, Conn .; Mrs. Lena Kellbasse, of Clintonville, Conn .; Mrs. Dora McNeil, of Roxabell, Ross county, Ohio; John, of Lan- caster; Mrs. Barbara Burns, of Lancaster ; Laura, of Cleveland, Ohio; William, of Lan- caster ; and George, of Lancaster.
Mr. and Mrs. John Keller have had three children: George W. B., Clarence F. and Bernard J., the last named being now deceased. Mr. Keller and family are members of the Lutheran church. He is identified with Char- ity Lodge No. 7, Odd Fellows, at Lancaster, Ohio.
OWEN SMITH,* who is a very prominent man in the live-stock business in Fairfield County, Ohio, and is the only regular buyer and shipper of stock from Rushville, his deal- ings aggregating a large amount annually, is also the owner of many acres of valuable land in this county. He was born December 28, 1856, in Perry County, Ohio, and is a son of Benjamin and Mary A. (Snider) Smith.
Benjamin Smith was born in Virginia but spent the larger part of his life in Ohio. By trade he was a plasterer and that was his busi- ness throughout his active life. His death oc- curred in Fairfield County at the age of eighty- four years. He married a sister of John S. Snider, a prominent resident of Lancaster, Ohio, and they had six children born to them : Elizabeth, Henrietta, Susan, Henry C., B. F. and Owen.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.