History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 30

Author: Broadstone, Michael A., 1852- comp
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Indianapolis, B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1440

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F. A. Tranchant completed his schooling in the high school at Avondale and in the Woodward high school at Cincinnati and when his father took charge of the old Osborn Mills at Osborn in 1880 became a valued assistant in the operation of the same and has since been actively connected with the mills. Mr. Tranchant is a Scottish Rite Mason, thirty-second degree, a charter member of the consistory at Dayton, charter member of Antioch Temple of Dayton, a member of the Dayton City Club, the Mystic Club and the Criterion Club of that city. He is a charter member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Osborn.

In 1884, at Louisville, Kentucky, F. A. Tranchant was united in mar- riage to Attie C. Dutiel, of that city, and to this union two children have been born, a son and a daughter, George Tranchant, who is engaged in the merchant tailoring and men's furnishing goods business at Dayton, and Louise E., wife of Philip E. Wuichet, who enlisted in the officers reserve corps of the new National Army after the declaration of war against Ger- many in the spring of 1917 and was stationed at Camp Sherman, at Chilli- cothe, Ohio, his wife meanwhile making her home with her parents at Osborn.

OSCAR B. KAUFFMAN.

Oscar B. Kauffman, former treasurer of Greene county and since the spring of 1910 cashier of the First National Bank of Osborn, was born in the neighboring county of Clark, October 31, 1863, a son of Emanuel and Elizabeth Kauffman, who came with their respective parents from their native Pennsylvania in the days of their youth to this part of Ohio, were married here and here spent the remainder of their lives, their son, the sub- ject of this sketch, now owning their old homestead place on the line between Clark and Greene counties.

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Upon completing his schooling by a two-years' course in a business college at Dayton. Mr. Kauffman became engaged in the agricultural-imple- ment business at Osborn in association with his brother and was thus en- gaged until 1890, when he became a bookkeeper in the office of the Ohio Whip Company at Osborn, later becoming general manager of that con- cern and so continued until he was appointed deputy county treasurer under Treasurer Little in 1900, when he resigned his position with the whip com- pany and moved to Xenia. For four years Mr. Kauffman remained deputy county treasurer and then became the nominee of the Republican party for treasurer of the county and was elected to that office, entering upon the duties of that office in 1904. He was elected to a second term and thus spent nearly ten years in the county treasurer's office, counting his service as dep- uty. Not long after completing this term of service Mr. Kauffman returned to Osborn and there, February 23, 1910, organized the First National Bank of Osborn, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, and was elected cashier of the same, which position he has since occupied. A history of the bank is given in another chapter. Mr. Kauffman is a Republican and has held township or county office since he was twenty-one years of age.

On April 25, 1894, Oscar B. Kauffman was united in marriage to Win- ifred Rall, daughter of J. L. and Eliza Rall, and to this union two sons have been born, Rall L., who is now connected with the Merchants National Bank at Dayton, and Fred E., who is still in high school. Mr. Kauffman is a Scottish Rite Mason, affiliated with the blue lodge at Xenia and with the consistory at Dayton. He is one of the charter members of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Osborn.

JOHN CLARENCE WILLIAMSON.

That particular branch of the far-flung Williamson family with which the immediate subject of this biographical sketch is connected has had its establishment in Greene county for more than eight decades, or ever since the year 1836, when David Williamson came over here with his family from Tuscarawas county and settled on a tract of three hundred acres located on Caesarscreek, six miles from Xenia and five miles from Jamestown, the turn- pike between these two towns dividing the tract in almost equal parts. David Williamson's wife's brother, John Duncan, some time previously had located in that neighborhood and in a letter to his brother-in-law had cas- ually mentioned the fact that a farm of three hundred acres adjoining his was for sale. David Williamson rode over on horseback to investigate the proposition, found conditions satisfactory, closed the deal for the purchase of the land, returned home, closed out his holdings in Tuscarawas county

HUNTSMAN

ADAMS 39

PRIZE-WINNING OXFORD DOWN SHEEP, OWNED BY J. C. WILLIAMSON.

JE Williamson

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and in the spring of 1836 returned here, bringing with him his family, and set up his home in Greene county, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives and where the family is numerously represented in the present generation. On that farm when David Williamson bought it was a flour- mill and a distillery, both of which had been operated by the previous owner. A stern Seceder, Mr. Williamson would not countenance the continued operation of the distillery and so he dismantled that agency of Satan and used the building for storage purposes in connection with the mill, which latter useful industry was maintained by him and during seasons when there was a sufficient stage of water in the creek was kept running night and day. While he and one of his younger sons were operating the mill the other sons were looking after the development of the farm and in due time the William- son place came to be recognized as one of the most desirable pieces of prop- erty thereabout. In 1849 David Williamson sold the place to William An- derson and he and his wife moved to Xenia, locating in a house just east of the First United Presbyterian church on Market street and there they' spent the remainder of their lives, his death occurring on October 18, 1858. His widow survived him for more than twenty years, her death occurring on May 8, 1880, she then being past ninety years of age. She was born, Cath- .erine Duncan, in York county, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1788, daughter of Andrew and Anne (Smith) Duncan, the former of whom was born in that same county, a son of James and Elizabeth Duncan, natives of the north of Ireland, of Scottish descent, who had come to this country about the year 1748 and had settled in Pennsylvania. Anne Smith also was born in Penn- sylvania, a daughter of William and Catherine (Campbell) Smith, both born in the north of Ireland, of Scottish descent, who had settled in Penn- sylvania upon coming to this country and who there spent their last days. James and Elizabeth Duncan had six children, James, Robert, John, An- drew, Mary and Elizabeth, and as some of the connection came to Ohio and located in this county the family became a quite well known one here.

David Williamson, the pioneer farmer and millman mentioned above, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, February 5, 1786, the last- born of the seven children born to his parents, who were natives of the north of Ireland, of Scottish descent and stern Presbyterians, who had come to this country about the year 1755 and had settled in the Maryland colony, not far from the city of Baltimore, whence after awhile they moved up over the border of Pennsylvania and settled in Lancaster county. Of the six other children of this parentage, the three sons, brothers of David William- son, William was killed by a fall from a church tower in Baltimore; Samuel, also unmarried, was killed in a runaway accident and John is supposed to have gone West as a young man and was there lost so far as any further (17)

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communication with his family was concerned. Of the three daughters, Jane married Francis Grove and had six children, Mary married Thomas Grove, a brother of her sister's husband, and had eight children and Margaret mar- ried John Smith and had eight children. David Williamson was early trained to the trade of tailor, a vocation he followed for some years after his marriage and, indeed, for some little time after he began farming in Ohio. He and Catherine Duncan were married by the pastor of the Pres- byterian church at York, Pennsylvania, June 20, 1809, and for about six years thereafter made their home on a farm in Hopewell township in York county, that state. In the fall of 1815 they crossed the mountains with the three children that meantime had come to them and located on a farm be- longing to the Duncans, brothers of Mrs. Williamson, in Washington county, Pennsylvania. There two more children came into their home. From there they came over into Ohio and settled about two miles from Warren, in Jefferson county, where they remained for fifteen years and where five more children were born. Their next move was to the Shanesville neighborhood in Tuscarawas county. While conditions for farming there were suitable, the necessity of traveling seventeen miles to find the comfort of communion with a Seceder congregation, the nearest organization of the Associate Presbyterian church being at Fredericksburg, proved a drawback to a permanent settlement there and when in 1836 the opportunity came to make so favorable a location in the Seceder community in Greene county it was gratefully grasped and the choice was never regretted. And it was thus that the Williamsons came to Greene county.

To David and Catherine (Duncan) Williamson were born ten chil- dren, of whom Jonathan Duncan Williamson, father of the subject of this sketch, was the eighth in order of birth, the others being William, Anne Duncan, Andrew Duncan, John Smith, Margaret, David, Sampson Smith, Esamiah Kelly and Robert Duncan, all save two of whom, Margaret, who died unmarried at the age of thirty-seven, and Sampson S., who died un- married at the age of twenty-four, married and had children whose children in the present generation form quite a numerous connection, many members of which are found in Greene county. William Williamson, born on April 1, 1810, was twice married and by his first wife, Jane McCroskey, was the father of nine children, Granville, Madison, Harvey, Emma, Ross, Flor- ence, Amanda, Irene and William. He died in 1894 and is buried at Canons- burg, Ohio. Anne Williamson, born on April 5, 1812, married Andrew Ritchey and had seven children, Charles, Esamiah, David, Jane, Anne, Ada- line K. and Jonathan. She died in 1868 and is buried at Sydney, this state. Andrew D. Williamson, born on January 30, 1815, was twice married and by his first wife, Isabella Collins, was the father of seven children, David

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Walker, William Collins, Henrietta Ritchey, Leamon Wilson, Rolla Duncan, Andrew Collins and an unnamed infant. He died at his home in the Spring Valley neighborhood in 1899 at the age of eighty-four years. John S. Wil- liamson, born on April 1, 1817, was thrice married and by his first wife, Jane Kyle, had three children, Kate, Samuel K. and David S. His second wife, Ellen B. Bryson, was the mother of one child, Flora Jane, who died at the age of three years. His third wife was Mattie Irwin. He died at his home in Cedarville in 1898. David Williamson, Jr., born on November 16, 1822, married Margaret Jane Marshall, who was born in this county, and had three children, Catherine Eleanor, Margaretta Josephine and Sus- anna Cordelia. He died in 1885 and is buried in the cemetery at Cedarville. Esamiah K. Williamson, born on October 17, 1829, married the Rev. David Donnan, a minister of the United Presbyterian church, and had six chil- dren, Luella Catherine, Frederick Elmore, Mary Adalaide, Emezetta and two who died in infancy. The Rev. David Donnan died at Cochranton, Pennsylvania, in 1896, and his widow continued to make her home there until her death. The Rev. Robert Duncan Williamson, last-born of the chil- dren of the pioneer David Williamson, was born on February 23, 1833. He early dedicated his talents to the ministry of the United Presbyterian church and following his graduation from the Xenia Theological Seminary in 1857, entered the ministry and after serving at various stations was in 1871 called to the pastorate of the United Presbyterian church at Troy, New York, where he continued in service for more than thirty years and where he died in 1913. He married Phebe Lucretia Cruikshank, of Troy, New York, and had three sons, Isaac Hasbrouck, Esek Bussey and William Thompson. In 1906 the Rev. Robert D. Williamson published a book of more than seventy pages carrying a historical and biographical sketch of this branch of the Williamson family.

Jonathan Duncan Williamson, eighth child and sixth son of David and Catherine (Duncan) Williamson, was born in Jefferson county, this state, April 5, 1827, and was thus under ten years of age when the family came to Greene county in 1836. He grew to manhood on the home farm east of Xenia and on January 2, 1849, at the home of the bride in the Cedarville neighborhood, was united in marriage to Martha Anne McMillan, a daugh- ter of John and Martha (Chestnut) McMillan, the Rev. Hugh McMillan, D. D., uncle of the bride, officiating. Elsewhere in this volume there is set out a comprehensive story of the coming of the McMillan family to this county, together with a pretty complete genealogical record of that branch of the family so far as it relates to Greene county. After his marriage he established his home on a farm five miles east of Xenia on the Jamestown pike and there spent the rest of his active life, living there until his retire-

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ment and removal in 1888 to Cedarville, where he and his wife spent their last days, the former dying on January 25, 1912, and the latter on January 14, 1907. Jonathan D. Williamson was for years one of the lead- ing sheep men in this part of Ohio and developed on his farm in New Jas- per township an industry in that line that has been continued with much success by his sons. Though reared in the Seceder church, Jonathan D. Wil- liamson followed his wife into the Covenanter church after his marriage and was ever thereafter an earnest member of the Reformed Presbyterian (Cov- enanter) congregation at Cedarville. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth. The eldest was Anna Catherine, born on December 23, 1852, who married the Rev. William Young, pastor of the First Reformed Presbyter- ian church in Pittsburgh, and had one child, a son, the Rev. Clarence Andrew Young, now pastor of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church at Boston, Mass. The Rev. William Young died in 1878, when his son was but an infant, and his widow survived him for more than twenty years, her death occur- ring in 1899. The next child in this family was an infant son that did not live longer than a day. The fourth child, Martha Jeanette, born on Decem- ber 6, 1859, is still living in New Jasper township, widow of Samuel C. Anderson, a memorial sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this vol- ume. Robert Duncan Williamson, the fifth child, born on February 13, 1862, has for years been regarded as one of the leading authorities in the United States on sheep breeding and further mention of him is made elsewhere in this volume. Mary Joella Williamson, born on March 30, 1864, married Robert E. Bryson, of the Oldtown neighborhood, and has four children, Harold, Agnes Louisa, Martha Lucile and James. Leila Ada Williamson, born on September 22, 1866, married William E. Dean, who later became engaged in the mercantile business at Springfield, and has one child, a son, Jonathan Elmer. The last-born of the children of Jonathan D. Williamson and wife was a daughter, Florence Erma, born on February II, 1871, who died on July 15, 1892, two years after her graduation from the Cedarville high school.

John Clarence Williamson, the third child and second son of Jonathan D. and Martha A. ( McMillan) Williamson, now living at Xenia, where he has resided since 1913, and who is the proprietor of the celebrated "Clear- view Stock Farm," now being operated under the direction of his son, Frederick W. Williamson, rural mail route No. 8 out of Xenia, was born on that farm and there resided until his retirement and removal to Xenia. He was born on April 3, 1857, and his schooling was completed in the Xenia schools. After his marriage in 1882 he built a house on the other end of the farm and there established his home. Upon his father's retire-

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ment the farm was divided between him and his brother, Robert Duncan Williamson, and both brothers continued their operations there, giving par- ticular attention to the sheep industry. In 1887 John C. Williamson started his flock of Oxford Down sheep, one of the first breeders of that strain in Ohio, and has ever since maintained the flock, gradually improving the wool qualities of the strain until his Oxfords have become known not only all over this country, but in Europe, Canada, South America and Australia, the increase of his flock being sold only for breeding purposes, the demands upon the products of "Clearview Stock Farm" having for years been in ex- cess of the supply. In 1887 Mr. Williamson began exhibiting his Oxfords at the large fairs and has since exhibited all over the country, from Madison Square Garden in New York to Memphis in the South and in all the great state fairs and stock shows throughout the West, and the great collection of blue ribbons he has accumulated is proof of the continuous success of his exhibits. Since his retirement and removal to Xenia in 1913 the active di- rection of the stock farm has been carried on by his son, Frederick W. Wil- liamson, his partner, who is carrying on in the third generation the fame of the Williamson flocks. Two exhibition flocks are sent out from "Clear- view" each year, one to the great state fairs and the other to a circuit of the leading county fairs in Ohio, and the long list of championships credited to "Clearview Stock Farm" has added no little to the fame of Greene county as one of the greatest pure-bred stock producing regions in the world. In addition to their extensive sheep industry the Williamsons have always kept a good herd of Shorthorn cattle on the place and they are now starting a fine bunch of pure-bred spotted Poland China hogs, with a view to creating at "Clearview" a new department of interest to breeders. Since 1913 Mr. Williamson has been serving as a judge at the great international live-stock exhibitions at Chicago and has for years been one of the most influential members of the National Oxford Down Record Association, of which he has been president for the past two years. By political affiliation Mr. Wil- liamson is a Republican and for some years served as a member of the board of directors of the county infirmary. He is a member of the Second United Presbyterian church at Xenia and has been a member of the session of the same for more than twenty years. He and his wife reside at 246 North Detroit street in Xenia.

Mr. Williamson has been twice married. On June 20, 1882, he was united in marriage to Maria Anderson, who was born in the immediate vicinity of the Williamson place, daughter of William and Mary (Collins) Anderson, members of pioneer families in this county and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, and to that union were born three children, twins who lived but a brief span of life, and a son, Fred-

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erick William Williamson, born on March 2, 1887, mentioned above as the partner of his father in the operation of "Clearview Stock Farm" and the present occupant of that farm. F. W. Williamson was graduated from Cedarville College and from the days of his boyhood has been actively identified with his father's activities as a sheep breeder. He married Una Corry, daughter of Frank Corry, a member of the old Corry family in this county, mentioned elsewhere, and has two children, Marie A. and Frances Jean. Mrs. Maria Williamson died on February 2, 1888, and on January 29, 1891, Mr. Williamson married Alida McClellan, who was born near Xenia, daughter of William E. and Susan (Torrence) McClellan, both members of pioneer families in Ohio, whose last day's were spent in this county.

William E. McClellan was born in Wayne county, this state, August II, 1825, and was but a child when he came with his parents, John and Nancy (Elder) McClellan, to Greene county, the family settling on what is now known as the "Belmont Stock Farm" in Xenia township, and on which place the house now standing there was erected by John McClellan in 1840. The McClellans were of the Associate Reformed faith and after the "union" of 1858 became affiliated with the Second United Presbyter- ian church at Xenia. Reared on the home farm, William E. McClellan in due time became proprietor of the same and there lived until his retirement in 1893 and removal to Xenia, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on February 9, 1900. He was twice married. His first wife, Susan Torrence, was born in the Xenia neighborhood on April II, 1829, and died on May 1, 1867. His second wife, Margaret Dodds, died in 1894. She was the mother of one child, a son, Lee Dodds Mcclellan, born in 1872, who died in 1887. To William E. and Susanna (Torrence) Mc- Clellan were born seven children, namely: Edward Torrence Mcclellan, proprietor of a farm on the Cincinnati pike in Xenia township; Marietta, who married C. Will LaFavor and died in 1898; Laura Belle, wife of Harvey McClellan, a farmer living three miles west of Xenia; Amanda Rebecca, who married Nathan Ramsay and died in 1890; Anna Lida, more commonly known among her friends as Alida, who married Mr. Williamson; Antoin- ette Jane, wife of Thomas Bruce, now living at Catherine, Alabama, and James Clark, a traveling salesman, who married Nellie Reynolds and is now living at Troy, this state.

To John C. and Alida (McClellan) Williamson one child has been born, a son, John Kenneth, born on June 15, 1892. John K. Williamson, former city solicitor of Xenia, received his early schooling in the Oldtown Run district school in Xenia township and later entered Cedarville College, where in 1910 he was graduated. During his college days he was one of

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the leading athletes in the college, half-back on the football team and center on the basket-ball team, and during the season 1910-II was employed to teach chemistry and physics and to coach the football team in the high school at Luverne, Minnesota. During the next term he held a similar posi- tion at Moorhead, Minnesota, and then returned to Ohio and entered the law office of W. A. Gilbert at Troy, with the purpose of preparing for en- trance at law school, and a year later entered the law department of Ohio State University, from which he was graduated in 1915. In September of that same year he was admitted to the bar at Xenia and in that city formed a partnership with J. P. Kyle, under the firm name of Kyle & Williamson, for the practice of his profession. During his college days he was an active member of the Delta Chi fraternity and still maintains his interest in that association. He is a Republican, now serving as secretary of the county Republican executive committee, and on January 1, 1917, was appointed city solicitor. He is a member of the Second United Presbyterian church at Xenia and is a member of the board of trustees of the same. On January I, 1917, John K. Williamson was united in marriage to Mary Moore Geiger, who was born at Springfield, this state, daughter of Charles A. and Frances (Moore) Geiger, the former of whom is now president of the Troy Wagon Works and makes his home in New York City much of the time.

CLEVELAND L. BARKMAN.

Cleveland L. Barkman, postmaster of Osborn, was born in Greene county on May 31, 1885, son of J. H. and Mary Barkman, both of whom were born in Montgomery county, and who were married there. Some years after his marriage J. H. Barkman moved to the village of Osborn, where he has since resided, for years one of the business men of that town. He was for some time engaged in the grocery and agricultural-implement busi- ness, was also for some years manager for the Ohio Whip Company at Osborn and for some time served as president of the Osborn Bank. To hini and his wife were born four children, the subject of this sketch, the third in order of birth, having two brothers, D. Claude and John, and a sister, Stella, wife of C. C. Huntington.

Reared at Osborn, Cleveland L. Barkman was graduated from the high school there and for a year thereafter was located at Columbus. He then became engaged in farming in this county, but not long afterward returned to Osborn and became there engaged in business, continuing thus engaged until his appointment on October 21, 1913, as postmaster of Osborn, but he did not take charge until January 1, 1914. Mr. Barkman is a Democrat

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History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 30

Author: Broadstone, Michael A., 1852- comp Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Indianapolis, B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1440

Author: Broadstone, Michael A., 1852- comp
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Indianapolis, B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1440