History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 7

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

USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 7

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).

Reuben S. Canaday was born on August 26, 1841, of Scotch-Irish and French-Canadian parentage, and was but a youth when he left his native Virginia and came to Ohio, locating at Gallipolis, where he presently be- came engaged in the butcher and grocery business and where, on July 4. 1861, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Adler, who was born in the (4)

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

grand duchy of Baden on July 28, 1840, and who was but eight years of age when she came to this country with her parents in 1848, the family locating at Gallipolis, Ohio. After his marriage Reuben S. Canaday con- tinued in business at Gallipolis until the spring of 1881, when he disposed of his interests there and moved to Xenia, arriving in the latter city with his family on April 7 of that year. There he became engaged in the grocery business and so continued until 1892, when he and his wife returned to Gallipolis, where they spent the remainder of their lives, his death occurring on June 1, 1906, and hers, March 7, 1913. They were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being as follows: William R., of Logan, West Virginia, who married Laura Betz and has three children; John P. and George B., twins, who died in infancy; Reuben H., of East Liverpool, Ohio, who is married and has one child; the Rev. Fred L. Canaday, unmarried, who is an evangelist and makes his home at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Scott, of Rut- land, this state, who is married and has one child; Myrtle, who married U. S. Losey, now living at Columbus, Indiana, and has two children, and Belle, who married J. C. Kearney and is now living at Detroit, Michigan.

James H. Canaday's early youth was spent in Gallipolis, where he com- pleted the eighth-grade course in the public schools. He was fifteen years of age when his parents moved to Xenia in 1881 and for a few years after his arrival in that city he was engaged in his father's store. He then became employed as a clerk in the H. E. Schmidt grocery and was thus engaged for twenty-one years, or until the time of his appointment to the position of chief of police for the city of Xenia on February 1,' 1914. The Chief is a Democrat.

Chief Canaday has been twice married. On September 15, 1887, he was united in marriage to Della Strickle, who was born in Xenia, a daughter of Samuel Strickle and wife, the latter of whom was an Anderson, also born in Xenia, and to that union were born four children, namely: Robert, born on May 26, 1890, now living at North Platte, Nebraska, who is married and has one child, a son, James Woodrow; Lawrence, October 31, 1893, also now living in Nebraska, who is married and has one child, a son, James William; Thyra, January 29, 1896, who died on November 12, 1898, and Fern, June 23, 1898, who is now living in Cincinnati. The mother of these children died at Gallipolis on September 4, 1898, and on January 10, 1901, Mr. Canaday married Gertrude Gatrell, who also was born in Xenia, daugh- ter of William and Mary (Ginn) Gatrell, and to this union one child has been born, a son, Marion W., born on May 16, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Can- aday are members of Trinity Methodist Episcopal church at Xenia.

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

WILLIAM HULICK BLAIR.

The late William Hulick Blair, former editor of the Cedarville Herald, who died in Loveland in 1909, and whose widow and daughter are now making their home in Cedarville, was a native son of Ohio and all his life was spent in this state. He was born at Georgetown, in Brown county, April 16, 1857, son of Brice R. and Margaret (Kirkpatrick) Blair, the latter of whom spent her last days at Clifton, this county.

Brice R. Blair also was born in Brown county, this state, and there became a cabinet-maker and contracting carpenter, following that vocation the rest of his life. He was twice married. His first wife, Elizabeth Dim- mitt, died in 1851. To that first union there were born ten children, Eras- tus, Ezekiel, George, Ann, Kezia, John (now a resident of Ripley, Ohio), Irene (Mrs. McCreight, of Jamestown), and three who died in childhood. Upon the death of the mother of these children Brice R. Blair married Mar- garet Kirkpatrick and to that union were born three children, the subject of this memorial sketch having had a sister, Emma, who is a teacher in the Girls Industrial School at Delaware, this state, and a brother, Charles Blair, now deceased, who was engaged in newspaper work in Cincinnati. Brice R. Blair died in Brown county and his widow later came to Greene county, her last days being spent at Clifton, where she died on March 10, 1908. They were members of the Presbyterian church and their children were reared in that faith.

William H. Blair spent his youth in his native county and there re- ceived his schooling, later becoming a school teacher .. He early took up newspaper work and became a trained editor and publisher. Years ago he came to this county and became engaged in the newspaper business at Jamestown, at the same time becoming associated there with his brother- in-law, M. T. McCright, in the mecantile business. Mr. Blair later bought the Cedarville Herald and for about eight years was editor and publisher of that paper, establishing his home at Cedarville. His newspaper activities were not confined to the Herald and he became the owner of a string of newspapers in this part of the state, including the Morrow Tribune as well as a German paper at Morrow, the Tri-County Press at Loveland and a paper at Blanchester, continuing actively engaged in the newspaper busi- ness until his death on April 11, 1909. He also for some time had been a resident of Loveland. Mr. Blair was a Republican and his newspapers re- flected his views on the political questions of the day. He was a Mason, past master of the lodge at Jamestown, and a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He was a Presbyterian, affiliated with the church at Loveland.

On September 22, 1894, at Cedarville, William H. Blair was united

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

in marriage to Edith Satterfield, who was born in that village, daughter of James P. and Jane T. (Milbourn) Satterfield, who were born at Martins- burg, West Virginia, where they were married, later coming to Ohio and locating on a farm in the neighbohood of Urbana, from which place they presently moved to Cedarville, where Mr. Satterfield became engaged in the mercantile business and also operated a lime kiln. James P. Satterfield was born on February 8, 1826, and died at the age of seventy-five years. His widow, who survived him for some years, was born on June 12, 1826, and lived to be eighty-two years of age. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. There were five of these children, those besides Mrs. Blair, the last in order of birth, being Robinson, who was a bookkeeper and who died in 1888; Stewart, a retired farmer, now living at Atlanta, Illinois; Collett, an artist and a trav- eling man, now a resident of Los Angeles, California, and Oscar, who is a rural mail carrier out of Cedarville.

To William H. and Edith (Satterfield) Blair one child was born, a daughter, Kathleen M., who was graduated from the high school at Love- land, later attended Miami University and Cedarville College and is now a member of the teaching staff of the Cedarville schools, making her home with her mother. Mrs. Blair and her daughter are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church at Cedarville.

HON. HORACE ANKENEY.

The Hon. Horace Ankeney, former member of the Ohio state Legisla- ture from this district and a former member of the Ohio state dairy and food commission, was born in a log house on the farm on which he is now living, in Beavercreek township, this county, rural mail route No. 7 out of Xenia, February 11, 1850, son of Samuel and Margaret (Gettard) Ankeney, further and fitting mention of whom, together with a comprehensive review of the history of the Ankeney family in Greene county, is made elsewhere in this volume. Samuel Ankeney was a son of David and Elizabeth Ankeney, who settled in this county in 1830, having come to this state in that year from Maryland, and the Ankeneys have ever since been prominently repre- sented here.

Horace Ankeney grew up on the home farm in Beavercreek township, received his early schooling in the schools of that neighborhood, prepared for college by attendance at a select school at Xenia and in the fall of 1867. he then being but seventeen years of age, entered Miami University, from which institution he was graduated in 1872 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, later receiving from the university his Master degree. Upon his

Horace Ankerry

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

return from the university Mr. Ankeney resumed his place on the farin and during the succeeding two winters was engaged in teaching in his old home school, meantime continuing to systematize his farm operations on that part of the home farm of which he had taken charge and on which he is still living, having permanently established his home there after his marriage in the fall of 1879. During the early 'Sos Mr. Ankeney was elected director of the county infirmary and he was retained in that position until his resig- nation in 1889. In 1881 he was elected director of schools in his district and he retained that position until 1901. In this connection it may be said that Mr. Ankeney's administration of affairs at the county infirmary was marked by reforms in that institution that attracted state-wide notice. It also is worthy of note that it was while he was a member of the school board in Beavercreek township that township was the first township in the state to adopt the system of township supervision of schools. During his later service in the Legislature Mr. Ankeney took an active part in promoting reforms in the laws regulating the country schools of the state. Mr. Ankeney's first nomination for the Legislature came to him in 1890, but he was unsuc- cessful in that race, as well as in a succeeding race. In 1899 his friends insisted that he again make the race and he was elected by a large majority. He was re-elected at the next election and thus served as a member of the House during the sessions of 1900 and 1902. Upon the completion of his legislative service Mr. Ankeney was elected a member of the state dairy and food commission, taking his seat in that body in February, 1903, and thus served for two terms, at the end of which time he returned to the operation of his farm, which since has engaged his attention. Mr. Ankeney and his family are members of the Reformed church and he is the vice-president of the foreign missionary board of that church in the United States, this office constituting him ex-officio a member of the executive board of that body, which holds meetings about eight times a year in Philadelphia, which mectings he attends. In 1888 he was elected treasurer of Heidelberg Theo- logical Seminary, then located at Tiffin, but now the Central Theological Seminary at Dayton, and he still occupies that position. He also is treas- urer of the Ohio State Rural Life Association. Politically, Mr. Ankeney is a Republican and has for years been an active factor in the activities of that party throughout this part of the state.

On October 14. 1879, Horace Ankeney was united in marriage to Lina Gertrude Cline, one of his former pupils, who also was born in this county, daughter of William and Nancy A. (Harner) Cline, and to this union seven children have been born, namely: Florence, wife of the Rev. W. T. Mabon, of Bellefontaine; Samuel, who is engaged in business at Dayton; Alfred. who is engaged in missionary service in Japan; Elizabeth T., who is at

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

home; William M., who was graduated from the medical department of the Western Reserve University at Cleveland in 1918; Herman K., at home, and Rachel H., now a student at Heidelberg University at Tiffin.

HON. WILLIAM BRADFUTE BRYSON.

The Hon. William Bradfute Bryson, representative from Greene county in the Ohio state Legislature, a member of the Greene county board of edu- cation, an extensive landowner and well-known horseman, was born on the farm on which he is now living, one mile north of Xenia on the Clifton-Old- town pike, in Xenia township, August 19, 1854, a son of James and Nancy A. (Bradfute) Bryson, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Greene county, whose last days were spent on the home farm north of Xenia.

James Bryson was born on a farm in the neighborhood of Watsontown. in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1815, and was nineteen years of age when he came to Ohio with his parents, Robert and Hannah (Corry) Bryson, the family settling on a farm just north of Xenia. Robert Bryson and his wife also were born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, of sturdy Covenanter stock, and it was on account of the presence in Greene county of a considerable colony of Covenanters that they determined to come out here and establish their home. In 1834 they disposed of their interests in Pennsylvania and drove through with their family to the point which they had determined on as their future place of residence, coming through with their essential household goods in a wagon and driving their stock along with them. Upon his arrival in Greene county Robert Bryson bought a tract of two hundred acres a mile north of Xenia, on the Clifton-Oldtown pike, in Xenia township, and there established the family home, he and his wife spending the remainder of their lives there. They were the parents of eight children, of whom James Bryson was the second in order of birth, the others being as follows: Matthew, who went West and spent his last days in Nebraska ; Robert, who died while attending Miami University, where he was preparing for the ministry; Hester, who married John Miller and spent her last days on a farm on Clarks run in this county ; Nancy, who married Samuel Nisbit and spent her last days at Cedarville: Ellen, who was the wife of John Williamson, also of Cedarville; Rebecca, who was unmarried and who after her mother's death remained as housekeeper for her father, and Ann, who died during the days of her girlhood.

As noted above, James Bryson was nineteen years of age when he came to Greene county in 1834 and he at once took an active part in the labors of developing and improving the home farm, remaining with his father until the latter's death, when he bought the interests of the other heirs and there con-

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

tinued to make his home for years. He added to the original home farm until it contained more than three hundred acres and also bought the old Sexton farm adjoining, on which is the spring which traditionally is said to have been the birthplace of the great Indian chief Tecumseh. In 1879 James Bryson bought a tract of three hundred acres one miles north of Xenia and there in 1880 he erected a large brick house, facing the Springfield pike, where he made his home the rest of his life. He also owned a hundred-acre farm on the Little Miami, near the village of Trebein, and had other interests in the county. Upon the organization of the Republican party James Bryson became affiliated with the same. For years he was a member of the board of trustees and an elder of the Second United Presbyterian church at Xenia, continuing earnest in good works until his death in 1911, he then being at the age of ninety-seven years.

On March 17, 1853, James Bryson was united in marriage to Nancy A. Bradfute, who was born in Cedarville township, this county, January 10, 1828, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Anderson) Bradfute, of the Cedarville neighborhood, the former of whom had come to this country from his native Scotland as a young man and had settled in this county. To James and Nancy A. (Bradfute) Bryson were born four children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first-born, the others being Nettie, who died when four years of age, in 1861 : Robert Edwin, born on July 29. 1860, a retired farmer now living in North Detroit street in Xenia, who married Ella Williamson and has four children, Harold, Agnes Louise, Martha Lucille and James C .; and Agnew E., unmarried, who continues to live on the farm in Xenia township where his father spent his last days and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume.

William B. Bryson was reared to the life of the farm. Upon completing the course in the district school he entered the old Xenia College on East Church street and after a further course there entered Monmouth College at Monmouth, Illinois, and was graduated from the same in 1876. While at Monmouth Mr. Bryson became acquainted with the girl, a fellow student, who a few years later became his wife. Upon his graduation from college Mr. Bryson returned to the home farm and entered upon the duties of operat- ing the place. In 1881, shortly after his marriage, he bought the home place of three hundred and twenty-five acres, remodeled the house and there estab- lished his home on the place on which he was born and on which his grand- father had settled upon coming here in 1834. In 1913 this house was de- stroyed by fire and Mr. Bryson straightway erected a new dwelling place. Mr. Bryson has added to his holdings until he now is the owner of nearly seven hundred acres in the vicinity of Xenia, including the Collins farm of two hundred acres, the Carroll farm of one hundred acres adjoining his place on

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

the east and the Kelsey farm of about one hundred acres on the south. In 1890 Mr. Bryson began definitely his career as a successful breeder of fine horses. Not only has he earned a reputation as a breeder of fine horses, but for years his services as a lecturer before farmers institutes have been in demand and he also has done good service by giving a course of lectures on the subject at Wilberforce University. For years he kept a stable of a hun- dred or more head of fine horses, but of late years has not carried on his operations in that line quite so extensively, the popularity of the automobile having lessened the market for driving horses, though he still keeps in his stables from forty to fifty head to meet the demand. Mr. Bryson's specialty has been the Wilkes strain and for twenty-five years he has held annual sales at his farm. For years Mr. Bryson kept a string of horses, making the circuit of the best tracks in the country and kept on his place a competent trainer, racing merely to create marks for his sires, among some of his most noted horses having been the following: "West Egbert," son of "Egbert." Mr. Bryson's first fast sire; the sire "Tom Keene," with a mark of 2:041/4 and the sire of more than thirty fast colts; "Wilmons," 2:1734, son of "Simmons," sire of a number of fast colts, one of which, "Harry Mack," had a mark of 2:0834 and another, "Robert K.," 2:1012, and "Wildemar," 2 :1614, son of "Wilmons" and sire of twelve fast colts. For two seasons Mr. Bryson has been the judge at the Ohio State Fair Association's race track and has many times acted as judge in show rings. He also for years has served as a member of the county fair board.

Mr. Bryson has for years been looked upon as one of the leaders of the Republican party in Greene county. In 1914 he was elected to represent Greene county in the state Legislature and served during the session of 1915, doing conspicuous service in that session as chairman of the House commit- tee on prison reform. In 1916 he was re-elected and though the Republicans occupied the minority side of the House during the session of 1917 he was able, by diplomatic methods, to render some really valuable service, particu- larly as a member of the committee on agriculture, and was successful in get- ting through more bills than any other Republican member of the House. For many years Mr. Bryson served as a member of the Xenia township school board and is now a member of the Greene county board of education. When an attempt was made in the House of Representatives to do away with dis- trict supervisors, an important department of the new system of education in this state, Mr. Bryson vigorously defended the system and his speech in the House on that subject was given the credit for having defeated the re- actionary attempt to weaken the new system.

On November 10, 1880, at Monmouth, Illinois, William B. Bryson was united in marriage to Mary Louise Graham, who was born in that city, a

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

daughter of David and Elizabeth Graham, the former of whom was one of the founders of Monmouth College, the proprietor of a dry-goods store in Monmouth and the owner of fifteen hundred acres of land in the vicinity of that city. Mrs. Bryson is a graduate of Monmouth College. Mr. and Mrs. Bryson have three sons, William Graham, James Robert and David Brown, all of whom have followed their parents in the ways of learning at the lat- ters' alma mater. William G. Bryson, the eldest son, also got his wife at Monmouth, he there having met Jessie Graham, who though bearing the same surname as that of his mother is not related to the latter by ties of consan- guinity, and not long after his graduation from Monmouth married her. They have two daughters, Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Frances. William G. Bryson is operating a part of his father's farm north of Xenia and he and his family live across the highway from the home of his parents. James R. Bryson, who also was graduated from Monmouth College, married Mary Fay and now lives on one of his father's farms, the old Carroll place, which he is operating. David B. Bryson is now (1918) a student at Monmouth College and is a member of the College Glee Club, in which he sings bass. The Bry- sons are members of the Second United Presbyterian church at Xenia. For years Mr. Bryson has been an elder of his church and for thirty-three con- secutive years has been superintendent of the mission Sabbath school main- tained by that church at Goes Station.

ASA CLAY MESSENGER, M. D.

Dr. Asa Clay Messenger, health officer for the city of Xenia, a member of the school board of that city, formerly and for years resident physician at the Ohio State Soldiers and Sailors Orphans Home at Xenia and since that period of service and for the past fifteen years engaged in the general practice of his profession at Xenia, is a native son of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life, a resident of Xenia since the spring of 1892. He was born at Jackson, county seat of Jackson county, November 20, 1861, only son and last-born of the four children born to Capt. Henry Clay and Sophia Eliza (Isham) Messenger.

Capt. Henry Clay Messenger's father was a native of New Hampshire and his mother, of Vermont. They were married in the East and then came to Ohio, locating at Granville, in Licking county, where they established their home, but later removed to Utica, Licking county, where they spent the re- mainder of their lives. The Captain there grew to manhood and early became qualified as a civil engineer, in which capacity he was working for the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad when, at Jackson. he met and married Sophia Eliza Isam, who was born in that city, daughter of Dr. Asa W. Isham, a pioneer

GREENE COUNTY, OHIO

physician of that place, one of the acts for which he still is gratefully remem- bered there having been the gift of the tract of ground upon which the first Presbyterian church in Jackson was erected. Captain Messenger was sta- tioned at Jackson when the Civil War broke out. He at once proceeded to raise a company, which was organized as Company C, Fifty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry; was chosen captain of the same and was com- manding the company when stricken with mortal illness in 'camp, his death occurring at Moscow, Tennessee, in April, 1863. His body was brought back to Ohio and was interred in the cemetery at Jackson, where many years later the body of his widow was laid beside it. She remained faithful to the memory of her soldier husband and her last days were spent in the home of her son, Doctor Messenger, at Xenia, she having accompanied him to that city when he located there in 1892, her death occurring there in February, 1916. She was a member of the Presbyterian church. To Captain Mecsenger and his wife were born four children, the Doctor having had three sisters, namely : Nellie M., who married the Rev. C. E. Tedford, a Presbyterian min- ister, and died at Huntsville, Ohio, in 1907; Mary M., wife of the Rev. J. K. Gibson, present chaplain of the National Soldiers Home at Dayton, and Fannie M., wife of the Rev. Reese W. Edwards, of Jacksonville, Florida, pastor at large for the Presbyterian church in the state of Florida.

Following his graduation from the high school at Jackson, Doctor Messenger took a post-graduate course in the high school and then entered the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati, from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1884. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor Mes- senger opened an office at Coalton, in his native county, and five years later, in his old home county of Jackson, was married. He remained in practice at Coalton from January 1, 1885. until his appointment seven years later by Governor Mckinley to the post of resident physician at the Ohio State Sol- diers and Sailors Orphans Home at Xenia, entering upon the duties of that position in the spring of 1892. Doctor Messenger continued his service at the Home for eleven years, or unitl 1903, when he opened an office and became engaged in general practice at Xenia, where he ever since has been thus en- gaged. In that same year the Doctor took a special course in the study of dis- eases of children at the Post Graduate Medical School at New York. The Doctor is a member of the Greene County Medical Society, of the Ohio State Medical Society, of the American Medical Association and of the Ohio Second District Medical Society, which latter he has served as secretary and as pres- ident. For the past twelve years or more Doctor Messenger has been the local health officer at Xenia, was one of the organizers of the Miami Valley Health Officers Association, and has served on the officiary of that organiza- tion. For the past twelve years the Doctor also has been serving as a mem-

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.

History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II, Part 7

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