History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 55

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

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James H. Marshall was reared on the home farm in Sugarcreek town- ship and received his early schooling in the old Fauber district school in that neighborhood, later attending the schools in Beavercreek township. After his marriage he established his home on the home place and as his father grew older assumed charge of the same, having thus for years carried on farming operations on the place on which he is now living. After his father's death he came into possession of the farm and is still actively en- gaged in farming, assisted by his second son, Charles Haines Marshall, who is still at home. In addition to their general farming Mr. Marshall and his son give considerable attention to the raising of Poland China hogs.

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James H. Marshall married Laura B. Haines, who was born in Beaver- creek township, daughter of Henry and Susan Haines, the former of whom was formerly engaged in farming there, but later went West, where he became engaged in the railway service, and to this union four children have been born, namely : Robert Lee, who married Edna White and is now living in North Dakota, where he is employed in the service of the Standard Oil Company ; Charles Haines, mentioned above as assisting his father in the operation of the home farm; William Harley, now living at Bellbrook, who married Pansy Taylor and has two children, Howard Lee and Pauline; and Agnew, who died at the age of four years. Mr. Marshall is a Republican, as was his father, and has served as director of schools in his home district. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics at Xenia.

WILLIAM .C. BURR.

William C. Burr, a soldier of the Civil War and former trustee of Jefferson township, was born in this county and has lived here all his life, a resident of the farm on which he is now living for nearly seventy- years, he having been under ten years of age when his father took possession of that farm back in 1848. He was born in that vicinity, on a farm in what then was Silvercreek township, but which in 1858 was set off as the new township of Jefferson, September 21, 1839, son of David and Louisa (Oxley) Burr, further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Louisa Oxley was born in the vicinity of Culpeper Court House, Virginia, " and was but six years of age when she came with her parents, John Oxley and wife, to Ohio, the family settling in Clinton county. Upon their re- tirement from the farm John Oxley and his wife came up into Greene county and here spent their last days in the household of their son-in-law, David Burr.

David Burr was born on a farm in the vicinity of Clarksville, in the neighboring county of Clinton, a son of Peter and Hannah Burr, pioneers of that section, who spent their last days in that county. Peter Burr was for years clerk of courts at Wilmington. David Burr grew up in that county and early turned his attention to farming, coming up into Greene county and acquiring possession of a tract of land in what later came to be organized as Jefferson township and after his marriage to Louisa Oxley established his home there, continuing to reside there until 1848, when he traded that tract for the farm on which his son William, the subject of this sketch, is now living in that same township and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. David Burr died at the age of sixty-eight

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years and his widow survived him for many years, she having been eighty- six years of age at the time of her death. They were members of the Methodist Protestant church and were the parents of twelve children, nine of whom grew to maturity, out of whom only three are now living, the subject of this sketch and two of his sisters, Mrs. Julia Ann Urton, widow of William Urton, of Van Wert, this state, and Mrs. Ella Fawcett, widow of Levi Fawcett, of Middleton, the others having been the following: Mary Jane, who married Levi Hollingsworth; Peter, who married Mahala Wical; Lucinda, who married Isaac Steward; John, who died in 1862 and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume; Hannah, who married Stephen Cline, and Aaron Sewell, who died while in the service of the Union during the Civil War. He enlisted in September, 1861, and went with the Thirty-first Ohio to Camp Robinson, Kentucky, where he died of brain fever in the following November.

William C. Burr was about nine years of age when his parents moved to the farm on which he is now living and there he grew to manhood, re- ceiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools. He married when nine- teen years of age and after his marriage continued farming on the home place. During the earlier stages of the Civil War he served as a member of the Home Guard and in the spring of 1864 he enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and was sent into West Virginia with Company H, One Hun- dred and Fifty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for four months, during which time he participated in the battle of New Creek and various engagements. Upon the completion of his mili- tary service Mr. Burr returned home and resumed farming on the home place, of which in due time he acquired possession, and he ever since has made his home there, for the past ten years or more having lived practi- cally retired from the active labors of the farm. Mr. Burr is a member of the Methodist Protestant church at Bowersville. He is a Republican, as was his father, and served for several terms as township trustee and also as assessor of the township. For more than forty-five years he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his wife and daugh- ter formerly were connected with the Daughters of Rebekah. On March 9. 1872, Mr. Burr joined the Odd Fellows lodge at Port William and on September 20, 1874, became connected with the encampment, Patriarchs Militant. at Wilmington, later transferring his connection to the encamp- ment at Jamestown. He was one of the organizers of Otto Lodge No. 559. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Bowersville, a charter member of the same.

In December. 1858, William C. Burr was united in marriage to Rachel Ervin, who was born in that portion of Greene county now comprised

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within Jefferson township, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Cottrell) Ervin, pioneers of that section, who had come up here from Tennessee and whose last days were spent here, both dying during the time of the cholera scourge. John Ervin and wife were the parents of nine children. To Mr. and Mrs. Burr three children were born, a daughter and two sons, Jennie, who has always made her home on the home place, and George Sewell and Frank Elder, the latter of whom, an undertaker at Jamestown, married Elvie Miller and has two children, Guy and Marion. George Sewell Burr, who became a teacher in the schools of this county, was killed by the kick of a horse in 1887. He had married Elizabeth Ferguson and after his death his widow married Florence Smith, of Jamestown, and has one child, a daughter, Zora P.

GEORGE EDGAR JOBE.

George Edgar Jobe, former president of the board of control of the Ohio State Experiment Station at Wooster, former president of the board of the Selma special school district and almost continuously connected with that board since the date of its organization, and the proprietor of a farm of nearly three hundred acres, the old Thorne place, situated on rural mail route No. 3 out of Cedarville, is a member of one of Greene county's old fami- lies, and has lived in this county all his life, occupant of the farm on which he now lives since his marriage in 1889. He was born on the old Jobe home place in Xenia township on May 20, 1860, son of John Hutchison and Nancy Ellen (Collins) Jobe, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families, and whose last days were spent here.

John Hutchison Jobe was born at Xenia on October 31, 1826, son of George and Mary Ann (Hutchison) Jobe, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania on August 31, 1786, son of Isaiah Jobe and wife and one of the six children born to that parentage, three sons and three daughters. George Jobe served as a soldier of the War of 1812, in General Harrison's command, and was present at the battle of Ft. Meigs. In 1816 he came to this county and became engaged in the manufacture of wagons at Xenia. He married here and some years later bought a farm and settled in the Old- town Run school district in the vicinity of Xenia and there spent the remain- der of his life, his death occurring on January 29, 1867, he then being eighty years of age. His widow died on May 24, 1884, she then being eighty-two years of age. Mary Ann Hutchison was living in the Bell- brook neighborhood at the time of her marriage to George Jobe. To that union were born nine children, six sons and three daughters, namely: J. Harvey, who became a dry-goods merchant at Xenia; John H., father of

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the subject of this sketch; Margaret Ann, who married Hugh Boyd, of this county; William H. and Martha Jane, twins, who died in childhood; Samuel H., who also died in the days of his youth; George F., a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume; Rebecca E., of Xenia, and Albert A., who died in childhood. John H. Jobe was about eight years of age when his parents moved from Xenia to the farm just east of that place. As a young man he learned the trade of carpenter and for about five years followed that trade, but later resumed farming and so continued engaged the remainder of his active life. He remained at home until after his marriage in 1859, when he bought a farm of three hundred and fifty acres on the Xenia and Jamestown pike, three and a half miles cast of Xenia, and there remained until his retirement from the farm and removal to Xenia, where his death occurred on March 15, 1905. John H. Jobe was a Repub- lican and had served as trustee of his home township and for some time as infirmary director. He and his wife were members of the First United Pres- byterian church and their children were reared in that faith.

On August 30, 1859, in Xenia township, John H. Jobe was united in marriage to Nancy Ellen Collins, who was born in that township on Febru- ary 25, 1837, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (McClellan) Collins, the latter of whom was the eldest sister of Doctor H. R. McClellan, of Xenia. Samuel Collins was about eight years of age when he came with his parents from York county, Pennsylvania, to this county, the family settling in Xenia township. Samuel Collins and wife were the parents of eight chil- dren, those besides Mrs. Jobe having been the following: William H., deceased; John Q., deceased ; James M., of Xenia township; Belle, deceased wife of S. K. Williamson; Jennie M., wife of John D. M. Stewart, of Xenia : Anna, deceased, who was the wife of R. W. Moore, of Xenia, and Lydia, who died unmarried. To John H. and Nancy E. (Collins) Jobe were born seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first- born, the others being the following: Samuel Collins, who died when six- teen months of age: Charles L., a Xenia merchant and a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume; John Riley, who died in 1910 at his home in Xenia, in which city he had for years engaged in the dry-goods business, a member of the firm of Jobe Brothers; Laura B., who died on May 25, 1909; Harvey Homer, who continued to make his home on the old home farm in' Xenia township and who died on April 30, 1918, and one son who died in infancy.

George Edgar Jobe completed his schooling at Monmouth College and remained at home until his marriage in 1889, when he established his home on the farm on which he is now living. This is the old Thorne place, developed by a Quaker family of that name, and during the days preceding

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the Civil War was an important station on the "underground railroad" through this section. Mr. Jobe remodeled the brick house built there by the Thornes in 1846 and in other ways has improved the place. In 1892 he built a bank barn, forty by ninety-six feet in dimensions and has a silo of a capacity of one hundred and fifty tons. He gives considerable atten- tion to the raising of Duroc-Jersey hogs and also feeds a good many cattle. Since taking possession of the Thorne place he has enlarged his holdings there until now he has two hundred and ninety acres. Mr. Jobe is a Repub- lican and for some time he has been president of the board of control of the Ohio Experiment Station at Wooster. When in 1905 the Selma special school district was organized, the district being created to accommodate the pupils of certain districts in two of the townships of Greene county and two of the adjoining townships of Clark county, Mr. Jobe was made president of the special school board which erected the new grade and high-school building at Selma and has almost continuously since then been connected with the board.

On February 14, 1889. George E. Jobe was united in marriage to Alta Corry, who was born in Miami township, this county, daughter of William R. and Eliza (Brown.) Corry, the latter of whom also was born in this county, a member of one of the old families in Cedarville township. William R. Corry was born at Corry, Pennsylvania, a son of Matthew and Rachel (Jacoby) Corry, the former of whom was a son of Matthew and Ann ( Beatty) Corry, who were married in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1774, later moving to a farm in Northumberland county, same state, whence, in 1780, they were driven out by Indians and returned to Chester county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, the latter dying in 1824 and the former, in 1826, he then being seventy-seven years of age. Matthew and Ann (Beatty) Corry were the parents of nine children, James, John, Hannah, Eleanor. Nancy, Ann, Rebecca. Jane and Matthew. The latter, Matthew Corry, Jr., was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1793, and in 1814 was there married to Rachel Jacoby. In the spring of 1830 he came to Ohio with his family and established his home in Miami township, this county. where he died on May 5. 1864. Matthew Corry, Jr., was twice mar- ried. His first wife, Rachel Jacoby, died in 1850 and he afterward married Ann Bigger. To the first union there were born nine children, namely : Sarah, born on May 30, 1815, who married William Miller and died on May 3. 1839; Ann B., July 31, 1817, who married James Allison and died on Feb- ruary 21, 1896; John J., January 1, 1820, who married Elizabeth Jackson and died on June 9, 1869: Matthew. December 11, 1821, who died unmar- ried on May 12, 1900: James B., March 8, 1824, who married Nancy A. Brown and died on December 20, 1891; William R., father of Mrs. Jobe :

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Henry, July 29, 1828, who married Lydia Collins and died on August 28, 1871; Hannah, August 24, 1831, who married George Collins and died on October 1, 1855, and Rachel, October 5, 1834, who married E. C. Fleming and died on September 14, 1896.

William R. Corry was born on June 10, 1826, and was four years of age when his parents came to this county from Pennsylvania and established their home in Miami township, where he grew to manhood and where, after his marriage on October 18, 1848, to Eliza Brown, he established his home, his death occurring there on October 31. 1885. He was a Republican and was for years an elder in the Presbyterian church. His widow died on Decem- ber 2, 1905. To William R. and Eliza (Brown) Cory were born ten chil- dren, namely : Anna Alice, born on October 5, 1849, who married William H. Bull and died on March 27, 1906; Riley J., January 25, 1851, who on October 17, 1878, married May Garlough and is living at Yellow Springs; Matthew W., June 9, 1853, who died on September 3, 1854; Lee B., March II, 1855, who on September 24, 1879, married Nannie J. Stewart; Will- iam Edward, April 2, 1858, who died on September 1, 1859: Harry R., February 24, 1860, who on February 18, 1886, married Effie K. Elder ; Frank M., September 9, 1861, who on. September 1, 1887, married Clara L. Anderson; Robert E., November 1, 1863, who on February 27, 1888, married Jessie D. Anderson; Alta (Mrs. Jobe), April 26, 1867, and Ida May, February 10, 1869, who on October 25, 1894, married Frank Currie.

To George E. and Alta (Corry) Jobe have been born three sons, namely : John Oliver, born on April 22, 1890, who completed his schooling in the Ohio State University and on February 10, 1914, was united in marriage to Edith Barber, daughter of R. B. and Kate Barber, and Delmer C. and Mereld C., twins, October 15, 1895, the former of whom was graduated in agriculture at Ohio State University in May; 1918, and the latter of whom was attending Colorado State University at Denver, where on April 2, 1918. he was called to the United States service and is now stationed at Camp Sherman. Mr. and Mrs. Jobe and their sons are members of the United Presbyterian church at Cedarville.

LEWIS C. PETERSON.

Lewis C. Peterson, proprietor of the farm in Spring Valley township on which he is now living, was born in that township on August 19, 1853. son of John and Elizabeth Peterson, both also natives of this county.

John Peterson was born on a farm in the northeast corner of Spring Valley township and his wife was born in Sugarcreek township. Reared on a farm, John Peterson in due time took up farming as his own. voca-

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tion and in 1840 established his home on the farm on which his son Frank is now living in Spring Valley township. There he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1881, he then being fifty-seven years of age. His widow survived him for thirteen years, she being seventy years of age at the time of her death on December 1, 1894. She was a member of the Methodist Protestant church. John Peterson and his wife were the parents of six children, five sons and a daughter, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being Sarah J., David A. (deceased), Jonas, a grocer at Bellbrook; Charles A., a carpenter, now living at Dayton, and Frank, who is occupying the old home farm.

Lewis C. Peterson grew up on the home farm in Spring Valley town- ship and was educated in the local schools. After his marriage in 1875, he then being twenty-two years of age, he began farming on his own ac- count, renting a farm in Beavercreek township and there made his home until in 1883, when he bought the John Hepford farm of fifty acres in Spring Valley township, moved onto the same and has ever since resided there. Since taking possession of that farm Mr. Peterson has made con- siderable improvements on the same. In addition to his general farming he raises Shropshire sheep and Berkshire hogs and for the past ten years or more has been engaged in the buying of wool.

In 1875 Lewis C. Peterson was united in marriage to Josephine Bum- gardner, who was born in Beavercreek township, this county, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Benham) Bumgardner, both now deceased and the former of whom was an edged-tool maker. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are members of the Methodist Protestant church. Mr. Peterson is a Democrat, as was his father.

RICHARD J. FOWLER.

The late Richard J. Fowler, who died at his home, the old Turnbull place, in Cedarville township, March 10, 1917, was a native of South Caro- lina, born at Chester, that state, but had been a resident of this county since the days of his young manhood. He was born on March 14, 1842, son of Edward and Martha (Lackey) Fowler, both of whom also were born in South Carolina, where they spent all their lives. Deprived of his parents by death in the days of his boyhood, Richard J. Fowler was "bound out" to learn the trade of millwright and remained in his native state until he was . twenty-one years of age, when, in 1863, he came to Ohio and became a resi- dent of Cedarville township, this county. Upon coming here he joined the local company of the Ohio state militia and was thus serving at the time of the scare produced by the raid of Morgan's cavalry up from Kentucky. He

RICHARD J. FOWLER.

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went with that company to Camp Chase to report for duty but after ten days of service there the company was ordered to return home, the "scare" having subsided by that time. Until 1867 Mr. Fowler was engaged working at various occupations in and about Cedarville and then in that year he rented a small farmi in Cedarville township and began farming on his own account. There he bought five acres on the Federal pike. After his mar- riage in 1870 he established his home on that place and there continued to live until 1874, when he bought seventy-eight acres of the old Turnbull place, including the stone house built there by W. T. Turnbull in 1821, and there spent the remainder of his life. He remodeled the old stone house and it is still doing service as the family residence, having been used as a dwelling place for nearly one hundred years. Mr. Fowler also bought the old John B. Squires farm of seventy-six acres on the Columbus pike, but this latter place he sold in 1913 and bought land adjoining the home place, thus bringing the acreage of the latter up to one hundred and forty-eight acres, which is now being operated by Clarence Fowler, who is managing the same for his widowed mother. Richard J. Fowler was a Republican and by religious persuasion was a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church at Cedarville, of which he long served as chairman of the board of trustees and in which he did not miss a communion service for fifty-five years.

Mr. Fowler's widow is still living on the old home place. She was born in this county, Martha Ellen Silva, daughter of William and Elizabeth ( Jeff- reys) Silva. both long since deceased, the former of whom was a black- smith and farmer in Cedarville township. To Richard J. and Martha Ellen (Silva) Fowler were born ten children, namely: Mary Elizabeth, who is now teaching in a mission school at Selma, Alabama; Robert McMillan Fowler, who married Regina Spencer and now lives in Buffalo, New York, where he is engaged in the railroad service: Laura Ellen, who is at home ; Annie M., a graduate nurse, who is now located at St. Louis; Jennie Ethel, a teacher, now engaged in the graded schools at St. Charles, Missouri; William Leonard Fowler, who died in 1902; Clarence Fowler, who is now managing the old home farm; Carrie Helen, also at home; Howard Sprowl Fowler, who died on August 19, 1915, and Edna Irene, a pianist, who is con- templating completing her musical education with a view to becoming a teacher of piano music. Clarence Fowler, who since his father's death has been managing the home farm, was born on the farm on which he is still liv- ing, December 14, 1882. Upon leaving school he took up the study of teleg- raphy and was for some time thereafter employed as a telegraph operator, in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, but since the death of his father has been giving his whole attention to the direction of the home farm.

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ANDREW GORDON COLLINS.

Andrew Gordon Collins, a farmer of Cedarville township, former presi- dent of the school board of that township, an elder in the United Presbyte- rian church at Clifton and the proprietor of a farm of nearly two hundred and thirty acres on rural mail route No. 2 out of Cedarville, was born on the farm on which he is now living and has lived there all his life, excepting nine years that were spent in Xenia. He was born on August 12, 1865, son and only child of James Wallace and Mary J. (Gordon) Collins, the latter of whom was born in York county, Pennsylvania, in 1830 and died at her home in this county in 1888. She was a daughter of Andrew and Janet (Wallace) Gordon, whose last days were spent in York county, Pennsyl- vania. Andrew Gordon was born in the north of Ireland, of Scottish (lescent and the only child of his parents. His father died and he later came to this country with a view to making a home here for his mother, but before he could complete his plans to this end he received word from the old coun- try that his mother was dead. He continued his efforts to get along in this country and in time became a well-to-do farmer in York county, Pennsyl- vania, where he married and reared his family. He and his wife were Presbyterians and were the parents of five children, those besides Mrs. Mary J. Collins having been Elizabeth G. Collins, David (deceased), Eleanor G. Wilson, and Janet Wallace.

The late James Wallace Collins was born on a farm in Cedarville town- ship on February 16, 1832, a son of William and Mary (Galloway) Collins, members of two of the oldest families in this county, as will be noted hy further references in this work to the Collinses and the Galloways, who had settled along the banks of the river north of where Xenia later came to be located, as early as 1797, both families coming up here from Kentucky, among the first persons permanently to settle in this section. Mary Gallo- way was a daughter of Squire George Galloway, who lived to be ninety-six years of age. William Collins was born in 1800, one of the first white children born in the territory that later came to be incorporated in the organi- zation of Greene county, and was a son of William and Lydia (Manifold) Collins, who were married in York county, Pennsylvania, went from there to Kentucky and after a few years of residence in that state came up here into the valley of the Little Miami about the year 1797 and settled on the west bank of the river about seven miles north of the present site of Xenia and about two miles from the place where the Galloways had just previously settled. This pioneer couple were the parents of ten children, Joseph, Samuel, William, John, James, Mary, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Grace and Ibbe, and the descendants of these children in the present generation form a numerous

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History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 55

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