USA > Ohio > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Ohio : her people, industries and institutions > Part 48
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HOWARD FOSTER.
Prominent in the affairs of his own locality and distinguished as a citizen whose influence is far extended beyond the limits of the community honored by his residence, the name of Howard Foster stands out a con- spicuous figure among the successful farmers of the locality of which this volume treats. All of his undertakings have been actuated by noble motives and high resolves and characterized by breadth of wisdom and strong in- dividuality and his success and achievements but represent the result of fit utilization of innate talent and directing efforts along those lines where mature judgment and rare discrimination lead the way.
Howard Foster, well known trustee of Paint township and one of the leading farmers of this section, was born on March 9. 1858, on the old Clever farm near Yatesville, this state, the son of Daniel Sturgeon (better known as "Doc") and Elizabeth ( Clever) Foster. The subject's father was a native of the state of Pennsylvania, born in Uniontown, and when a young man he emigrated westward in search of better opportunities than his native section afforded. He decided to make Ohio his future home and did so. locating in Fayette county. He had been well educated in his native state and upon settling in this state decided upon farming as his life work, in which he was successful. He was the father of seven children, the immediate subject being the first-born. John was the second son: Irskine; Sturgeon: then fol- lowed Herbert: Alpha, widow of Al Sorrell and mother of one child, Zoe. and Frank.
When a boy. Mr. Foster attended the schools of the home district, later spending one year in the schools of Bloomingburg, where he took the higher grades and finished his school days. During his school years he assisted in the work of the home place during his idle hours and vacation times and in this way acquired a liking for and knowledge of the life of a farmer. Con- sequently, it was but natural that he should decide upon this vocation as that of his life work, and in his venture he has succeeded admirably. He today
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operates the estate of one hundred acres of as fine land as the county boasts, splendidly located just on the edge of the city of Bloomingburg. Here he carries on general farming and kindred work, giving particular attention to the raising of live stock, which he has found to be a profitable source of income. He gives intelligent direction to his efforts and has attained a degree of success commensurate with the effort and energy expended.
Mr. Foster is the father of an interesting family of nine children, V'ere, Ray, Honor, Roscoe, Edna, Bernice, Florence and two infants which died when very young. Mrs. Foster before her marriage was Mary E. Bloomer, her marriage to the subject being solemnized on November IO. 1880. She is the daughter of J. G. and Jane ( DeWitt) Bloomer.
Mr. Foster's fraternal affiliation is with the time-honored body of Free and Accepted Masons and he is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, taking intelligent and pleasurable interest in the work of these two societies. He is a stanch Republican, politically, and is active in the local affairs of the party. Mr. Foster has long had the best interests of this locality at heart and has sought to advance them in whatever way possible. His career has been characterized by untiring energy, uncompromising fidelity and an ear- nest desire to advance himself in his chosen vocation. He is quick of per- ception, forms his plans readily and executes them with alacrity, at the same time winning and retaining the high esteem of all with whom he comes in contact by the honorable course which he has pursued.
RUSSELL PARRETT.
One of the highly respected farmers of a past generation in Jefferson township, Fayette county, Ohio, was the late Russell Parrett, whose whole life was spent within the county where he was born. He was not only in- terested in the material prosperity of his county, but took an active part in church work, and was always interested in everything pertaining to the educational welfare of his township and county as well. He was a man of high ideals, strict integrity and great earnestness of purpose, and in every- thing he did he held duty conscientiously before him. He was charitable to the faults of his neighbors. exhibited a kindly disposition towards every- one with whom he came in contact and was always willing to help those less fortunate than himself.
The late Russell Parrett was born in Jefferson township. Fayette
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county, Ohio, and died in the county where he was born on July 20, 1905. He was the son of Joseph and Rebecca ( Fansher ) Parrett, both of whom were born in Cocke county, Tennessee. The Parrett family originally came from Virginia to Tennessee, and subsequently to Fayette county, Ohio. Joseph Parrett was married before leaving Tennessee, and upon coming to this county early in its history entered a tract of government land where he lived the remainder of his days. The early education of Russell Parrett was received in the district schools, and all of the education he acquired was received in these schools. He has a fine farm of eighty acres, which he acquired after his marriage in 1855, but he did not confine all of his attention to his own farming. He bought and sold live stock practically all of his life and made a marked success of this kind of work. He was considered one of the best judges of live stock in the county, and so well established was his reputation that he had no difficulty in securing the best stock in the county for his shipments. He was honest in all of his busi- ness transactions and thereby gained the confidence of all with whom he had any business dealings.
Mr. Parrett was married March 23. 1865, to Rebecca Carley, who was born in September, 1845, in Clermont county, Ohio, near Batavia, and was the daughter of Elijah and Margaret ( Wiley) Carley. To this union were born six children, Montress, Homer, Alberta, Blanche, Emma and Albert R. Two of these children are married, Homer and Blanche. Homer mar- ried Louisa Griffith and has three children. Edith, Russell and Anna L. Blanche married Arthur Parrett. Alberta is deceased, while the other three children are still single and living in this county.
The parents of Mrs. Parrett came from the state of Vermont to Ohio. Elijah Carley was the son of Elijah and Agnes ( Graham) Carley. Mrs. Parrett was one of nine children born to her parents, the others being as follows: Caroline, Frank, Emma, Mbert, Locke, Warren. Clayton and Orla. All of these children are now deceased with the exception of Re- becca, the widow of Mr. Parrett, and Clayton and Orla.
Mr. Parrett was a member of the Methodist Protestant church and took a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his denomina- tion. Educational matters attracted him from the fact partly that he had such limited education in his boyhood days. He served on the school board of his township for many years and favored any measure which he felt might improve the schools in any way. Mr. Parrett was truly one of the representative citizens of his day and generation and when he passed away the county lost one of its worthiest citizens.
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ISAAC WAPLES.
Immediately after the Revolutionary War the government undertook to organize the Northwest Territory and open it for settlement. Three years after the war had closed Virginia had ceded her claims over the Northwest Territory to the government, and six years after the close of that war the first settlers arrived in what is now Ohio. In 1803 Ohio was admitted to the Union and seven years later Fayette county was organized. In those early days Ohio was a tempting field for the energetic, ambitious and strong- minded men of New England. Hundreds of old Revolutionary soldiers came to this state and their descendants are to be found everywhere in the state at the present time. There was a certain fascination in the broad fields which this new region presented, and the fertile valleys induced men to brave the discomforts of early life here for the purpose of gratifying their desire to find homes for themselves and their posterity. It is an axiom of history that only the strong willed and most energetic men flock to a new and un- settled community, and this accounts for the sturdiness exhibited by our forefathers.
The Waples family were among the early settlers of Fayette county. Ohio. William and Mary Waples were among the first of the family name to locate in Ohio. They were born in the state of Delaware and came to this state after their marriage and carved a home for themselves in the virgin forests of Paint township, this county.
One of the many children of William and Mary Waples was Burton, the father of Isaac Waples, with whom this narrative deals. Burton Waples was born in Fayette county and spent his entire life within its precincts He married Elizabeth Moore and reared a family of five children, Mary, Anthony, William, Isaac and Catherine. Mary and Anthony are deceased, while the other three are still living. Catherine was twice married. her first marriage being to James Haam. After the death of her first husband she married William Shelpman. To her first marriage two sons, Ray and Earl, were born.
Isaac Waples, the proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres on the State road in Paint township, was born October 14, 1860, on the farm where he is now living. His boyhood days followed the usual routine and consisted of a few months of schooling during the winter sea- sons and hard work on the home farm during the summers. At the age of eighteen he commenced working for himself and continued working for the
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next eighteen years before he located on a farm of his own. He married in 1806 and then took charge of his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres, on which he has placed many improvements of all kinds.
Mr. Waples was married April 15, 1896, to Jeannette ( Boone) Mont- gomery, the daughter of Thomas and Ellen ( Inskip) Montgomery. Thomas Montgomery was a native of Brown county, Ohio, as also was his wife. On her mother's side Mrs. Waples was related to Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman of Kentucky. Thomas Montgomery and wife were the par- ents of six children : Mary E., Mrs. Catherine Edwards, Mrs. Jeannette Waples, Nancy .A., Ella M. and Mrs. Minnie B. Brown.
Politically, Mr. Waples has always been affiliated with the Republican party and has been active in local matters. At the present time he is serving with credit on the school board of his township.
CHARLES C. McCOY.
No occupation has gone through more radical changes within the past half century than farming. When the virgin soil of Ohio was first cleared there was no difficulty in raising crops of all kinds, but with continual cropping the land lost its pristine fertility and artificial means were resorted to in order to keep the farms of the state to a high state of productivity. In order that land may be profitable the crops and live stock maintained upon it must be adapted not only to local conditions of soil and climate, but also to existing economic conditions. On those farms which combine these fac- tors of efficiency the profits are the greatest, yet in the last analysis the farmer himself is the determining factor in every successful agricultural en- terprise. It must not be overlooked that the farmer is just as quick to take advantage of economic principles as he is of improved methods of growing crops and feeding animals. Experience has shown the farmer that the problems of farm organization are usually those of readjustment and im- provement of existing systems rather than the introduction of wholly new systems. There are many acres in Fayette county, Ohio, which have been under cultivation for more than one hundred years and are still capable of raising good crops. One of the county's best farmers, who thoroughly un- derstands the best methods of getting the maximum results from the soil, is Charles C. McCoy, of Jefferson township.
Charles C. McCoy, the son of John and Elizabeth (Collett ) McCoy.
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was born December 20, 1869, near Good Hope, in Wayne township, this county: His parents were natives of Fayette and Clinton counties, Ohio. respectively, but the father being born and reared in Fayette they settled here after their marriage and later moved to Clinton. John McCoy was the son of Thomas and Margaret ( Harper ) McCoy. emigrants from Frederick county, Maryland. Thomas McCoy and wife were the parents of eleven children. James, Joseph, Allen, Judson, John. Hugh, Thomas, William (died in infancy ), Elizabeth, Sarah, Maria and Ann. All of the boys are de- ceased except Thomas, and all the girls are living except Sarah.
Charles C. McCoy, the only child of his parents, was educated in the schools of this county and later attended Wilmington College, after which he entered Ohio State University for two years. He was married in 1902, and at once settled on a part of the Parrett home farm in Jefferson town- ship, where he has since resided and which he now owns. Being a man of progressive ideas, he has made a pronounced success of his chosen life work and his farm is one of the most attractive of the township.
Mr. McCoy was married January 30, 1902. to May Parrett, the daugh- ter of Benjamin Hinton and Nancy ( Allen) Parrett. Mrs. McCoy is one of five children born to her parents, the other four being Seth E., Mrs. Eva Miller, Mrs. Ora Hayes and Mrs. Cora Wood. Mr. and Mrs. McCoy have no children.
Politically, Mr. McCoy is independent, but has always taken an intelli- gent interest in all matters of a local nature. He has preferred to devote his time and energies to agricultural pursuits rather than to take an active part in political campaigns. He and his wife are loyal and consistent members of the Methodist Protestant church, in the welfare of which they are inter- ested and to the support of which they are liberal contributors.
ORVILLE C. BROCK.
It is a pleasure to investigate the career of a successful, self-made man such as Orville C. Brock, a prosperous farmer of Paint township, this county. His whole life of more than a half century has been spent within this county, and he has so conducted himself as to merit the high and gen- erous esteem in which he is universally held. He began life practically unaided and alone and has removed one by one the obstacles from his path- way and succeeded in forging his way to the front, thereby winning for him-
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seli a competency and a position of influence among his fellow men. Know- ing that this county was destined to take a high rank among the productive counties of Ohio, he applied himself closely to his work and waited for the finnre to bring its reward.
Orville C. Brock, the son of Evan and Susanna ( Griffith) Brock, was born February 4, 1859. in the township where he has spent his entire life. llis father was a native of Madison county, this state, and was the son of Evan and Mary E. (Brown) Brock, who settled in Madison county, Ohio, in 1812. Evan and Mary E. (Brown) Brock were the parents of seven children, Richard, Saul, George, Cooper, Elizabeth, Mrs. Strong, and Evan, the father of Orville C., with whom this narrative deals.
Evan Brock, Jr., was reared in Madison county, Ohio, and shortly after his marriage to Susanna Griffith located in Fayette county. His farm was covered with timber and he and his young bride went to housekeeping in a new log house, which was hastily constructed, and he applied himself with indefatigable energy and perseverance to the clearing of his farm, and before his death had cleared four hundred acres of land in this county. Not all of this work was done by himself, since he had a large family of children and his sons were hard workers from their earliest boyhood days. Evan and Susanna (Griffith ) Brock reared a large family of children: Mrs. Libbie Hays. Oliver, Orville C., Jeptha, Evan. Dolly, Ray, Francis, Minnie, Jemina, Florence and two who died in infancy.
Orville C. Brock was born in a log cabin on the old Brock farm and attended the rude log school house of his home neighborhood. He re- mained at home until he reached his majority and then began working out by the month. He saved his money and with his earnings purchased a small farm when he was married at the age of twenty-five, and he has since added to this farm until he is now the owner of one hundred and twenty- five acres of fine land on the Prairie pike in Paint township. He has placed extensive improvements upon this place and now has one of the most at- tractive farms in his township.
Mr. Brock was married in 1884 to Miranda Coe, who was the daughter of William and Lucy J. ( Everett ) Coe. William Coe was a native of Frederick county, West Virginia, and settled in this county in the pioneer days. He and his wife reared a family of ten children, Charles. Scott, Mrs. Miranda Brock, Jasper, Curtis, Reese, Leighton, Irvin, Mary and Mrs. Anna Stoughton. William Coe was the son of William and Mary Coe and was one of ten children born to his parents, the others being Jane. George, Mary, Henry, Norvall, Emma. James, Susan and Anna.
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Mr. Brock and wife have five children: Bertha, who married Floyd Minick and has one son, Earl B .: Goldie, the wife of Lee Vannorsdall ; Octa B., who married Frank Shippley and had one infant child, who is deceased ; Lester, who married Ola Durfinger, and Nellie, who is still living with her parents and is a graduate of the Jeffersonville high school.
Politically, Mr. Brock is a Democrat, but has never had any aspirations to hold office or inclination to participate in political matters. Nevertheless. he takes an active interest in the civic life of his community and lends his hearty support to all public measures advanced for the general welfare of his community.
SAMUEL E. SHULTZ.
Although a resident of this county but a few years, Samuel Shultz has won honor and recognition for himself as a farmer and public-spirited citizen. He takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the material advancement of his adopted township and county, and every enterprise in- tended to promote the welfare of Fayette county is sure to receive his hearty support. He is rated as one of the most progressive farmers of his town- ship, and the high respect in which he is held by all classes of people is a deserving compliment to an intelligent, broad-minded and worthy man.
The Shultz family trace their ancestry back to colonial times. The first member of the family of whom definite information has been preserved was Jehu Shultz, a native of Pennsylvania and a soldier of the Revolutionary War. Shortly after the close of that war Jehu Shultz, the great-grand- father of Samuel Shultz, with whom this narrative deals, came to Ohio and settled in AAdams county. One of his sons was Edward B., who grew to manhood in Adams county, married Elizabeth Watson and spent all of his days in the county of his birth, dying at an advanced age.
John W. Shultz, one of the children born to Edward B. Shultz and wife, was a native of Adams county, Ohio, where he lived until he was about forty-five years of age. He then removed to Champaign county, Illinois, where he is now living. Four children have been born to John W. and Nancy E. (Polly) Shultz, Samuel, Rhoda, Alva and Walter, all of whom are still living except Rhoda.
Samuel Shultz was born in Adams county, Ohio, February 29, 1872, and moved with his parents to Illinois, where he lived from the time he was about eight years old. He received part of his schooling in Adams county,
MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL E. SHULTZ
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Ohio, and finished in Champaign county, Illinois. Upon reaching manhood he worked by the month for several years and then went west and worked on a cattle ranch for a time. He married in Champaign county, Illinois, and bought a farm which he operated there for about eighteen years, after which he sold his land holdings in Illinois, moving to Fayette county, Ohio, where he purchased a farm of three hundred and twenty acres one mil efrom Jeffer- sonville. He maintains an interest in several grain elevators in Shelby county, Illinois, where he lived for some years.
Mr. Shultz was married January 24, 1897, to Hannah E. Potter, the daughter of John and Rebecca (Gibson) Potter, he a native of Oldham, England, and she of Guernsey county, Ohio. Mr. Shultz and wife are the parents of four children, three of whom are still living. John H., Irene and Stanley. Edward W. is deceased.
Politically, Mr. Shultz is a Progressive, and while living in Illinois was very active in local politics. He served as ditch commissioner and had served two years of a four-year term as county commissioner when he re- signed and moved to this county. Since coming here his agricultural inter- ests have demanded all of his time and attention, but is at present candidate for county commissioner on the Progressive ticket. The family are all loyal and consistent members of the United Brethren church, and take an active interest in the welfare of their denomination. They live in one of the finest homes in the township.
LENNA LONG.
Dependent very largely upon his own resources from his early youth, Lenna Long has attained to a prominent position among the agriculturists of his township. He has encountered many obstacles and met with reverses, but, nevertheless, has pressed steadily forward, ever willing to work for the end he had in view. For several years he worked as a molder throughout the Central West, but the call of the farm drew him back to the old home place, where he is now living. His tenacity and fortitude are due in a large ineasure to the worthy traits inherited from his sterling ancestors. whose high ideals and correct principles he has ever sought to perpetuate in all the relations of life.
Lenna Long, the son of C. H. and Belle (Wilson) Long, was born June 22, 1880, on the farm where he is now living. His father settled here
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in his young childhood, grew to maturity, married and reared a family of seven children : Ira, who lives in Columbus, Ohio; Lenna, with whom this narrative deals: Frank: Fay; Claire, deceased; Clara, who resides in the state of Rhode Island, and Louisa. The mother of these children died in 1906. Frank Long still lives on the home farm of one hundred acres.
Lenna Long received his education in the Whissler school of his home neighborhood and the Spring Fork and Roberts schools of Madison county, this state. His boyhood days were not unlike those of the average farm lad and consisted of attendance at the district schools during the winter seasons and hard work upon the home farm during the summers. After leaving school he learned the trade of a molder and for a few years worked at this trade in several different cities throughout the country. However, lie never lost his love for the farm and after his marriage, in 1903, located on the old home farm, six miles north of Bloomingburg, in Paint township, where he has since lived.
Mr. Long was married June 22, 1903, to Lucy Harrow, the daughter and John D. and Lucretia (Shaw) Harrow. John D. Harrow is a prominent citizen of Columbus, Ohio, where he and his family are now living. Six children were born to John D. Harrow and wife: Lucy, Steel, David, Grace, Luella and Christian.
Politically, Mr. Long is a Democrat, but has never held any public office except that of road supervisor.
CRATON ERVIN.
One of the youngest soldiers of Fayette county, Ohio, to offer his life for the service of his country at the opening of the Civil War was Craton Ervin, now a prosperous farmer of Jefferson township. He did not enter the service as some did from motives of sport or frolic, but, with a boy's enthusiasm, enlisted because he felt that his country was in danger. Al- though he was only sixteen years of age, yet his heart beat with all the ardor of a man many years his senior, and his three years at the front were filled with more harrowing experiences than he has ever gone through with since that time. From his earliest years he had been taught to hate slavery and to do all that he could to blot it from this country's escutcheon. Coming back from the war. he started in to farm and gradually accumulated a fine farm of two hundred acres, on which he is now living.
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Craton Ervin, the son of David and Susannah (Ballard) Ervin, was born October 26, 1845, in Madison county, Ohio. The Ervin family came from Scotland to this country and located in South Carolina, where David Ervin was born. As a young man David Ervin came to Fayette county, where he married and reared a family of eight children, John, Louisa, Isabella, Mary, Craton, Abi, Cynthia and William S. Three of these children, John, Isabella and Abi, are deceased.
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