USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 78
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town; Mary Elizabeth, also living at Oldtown, widow of Henry Jacoby ; Isabel, wife of Andrew Hutchinson, of Xenia; Mrs. Rosa Clark, of Oldtown, and Martha, wife of George Oglesbee, of Xenia.
Charles A. Harner was reared on the home place at Oldtown and received his schooling in the schools of that village. When he reached his majority his father gave him a hundred-acre farm, which he began to farm on his own account, meanwhile remaining at home until he was twenty-five years of age. He then traded his hundred-acre farm for a tract of one hundred and fifteen and one-half acres east of the Oldtown mill and was engaged in the operation of that place until after his marriage in 1909, when he took up his residence at his wife's old home, the Cromwell place on the Fairground pike in that same vicinity, and has since resided there. Though Mr. Harner rents his lands and is thus not practically engaged in farming, he keeps a pretty close supervisory eye over the operation of things. He is a Democrat, but has not been an office seeker.
It was on August 12, 1909, that Charles A. Harner was united in mar- riage to Enima B. Cromwell, who was born at Oldtown Mills in Xenia town- ship, only daughter and last-born of the five children born to her parents, Joseph and Bashaba (Allen) Cromwell, the latter of whom also was born in that township, March 20, 1830, daughter and third in order of birth of the seven children born to her parents, John and Wilmoth (Foreman) Allen, natives, respectively, of Virginia and of North Carolina, who had settled in Xenia township upon coming to this county, remaining there until their retirement from the farm and removal to Xenia, where they spent their last days. Joseph Cromwell was born in the city of Hagerstown, county seat of Washington county, Maryland, in March, 1814, son of Richard and Susan (McLaughlin) Cromwell, both of whom also were born there and the former of whom died about 1830. Some time after the death of her husband Mrs. Cromwell came with her family to Ohio and in 1832 settled on a tract of land in Xenia township, this county. She was the mother of eight children, of whom Joseph was the fifth in order of birth. This pioneer mother spent her last days in this county and died at the residence of her son-in-law, James Hawkins, in 1872.
Joseph Cromwell was eighteen years of age when he accompanied his mother and the other members of the family to Greene county in 1832. He later went over into Montgomery county, where he learned the miller's trade, and two years later went to Alton, Illinois, where he was for five years engaged working at that trade. He then went to Pekin, in that same state, where he worked at milling for four years, at the end of which time he began operating a mill of his own in the vicinity of Peoria, but a year later disposed of his interests there and returned to Greene county and became
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engaged in the milling business at Bellbrook, later acquiring an interest in the historic old mill at Oldtown, and continued engaged in the milling business the rest of his life. He established his home nearby and built the house in which his daughter, Mrs. Harner, was born, but later moved to where the Harners now live. On January 8, 1851, Joseph Cromwell was united in marriage to Bashaba Allen, mentioned above, and to that union were born four sons, Oliver, John, Charles R. and Harry, and one daughter, Emma B., wife of Mr. Harner. Joseph Cromwell was a Democrat and his wife was a member of the Reformed church at Xenia.
WALTER CHANDLER.
Walter Chandler, owner of a small farm situated on the Wilberforce and Clifton pike, in Xenia township, rural mail route No. 5 out of Xenia, and who also is renting and farming the Doctor Patterson farm of two hundred and forty-five acres adjoining his place, is a native of the old Blue Grass state, but has been a resident of Greene county since 1900. He was born on a farm in Harrison county, Kentucky, April 2, 1875, son of Clay- bourne and Emily (Gossett) Chandler, both of whom were born and reared in that same county and who are still living there. Claybourne Chandler is a landowner and has for many years been engaged in farming on his home place. He is a Democrat and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They have nine children, all of whom are still living in their home state with the exception of the subject of this sketch and his brother, Charles Chandler, the latter of whom is living on a farm in Miami township, this county.
Reared on the home farm in Kentucky, Walter Chandler received his schooling in the neighborhood schools. He continued to make his home in that county until he was twenty-five years of age, when, in 1900, he came to Ohio and began working on the farm of J. C. Wolf, in Bath township, this county, remaining there until his marriage about five years later, when he rented a farm in the neighborhood of Yellow Springs and began farming on his own account, continuing thus engaged as a renter until igo9, in which year he bought the farm of twenty-six acres above referred to in Xenia town- ship and there established his home. In 1913 Mr. Chandler secured the rental of the Doctor Patterson farm of two hundred and forty-five acres adjoining his place and has since been engaged in farming that tract in addition to his own farm. In addition to his general farming Mr. Patterson gives consider- able attention to the raising of livestock.
On January 19, 1905, Walter Chandler was united in marriage to Ada Harner, who was born in the neighboring county of Clark, a daughter of
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Abraham and Charlotte (Hadley) Harner, the latter of whom is still living, now making her home with Mr. and Mrs. Chandler. Abraham Harner, who was a farmer, died on May 3, 1913, at the age of sixty-three years, after an invalidism of twenty-three years. He and his wife were the parents of two daughters, Mrs. Chandler having a sister, Anna, wife of Fred Sweeney, of Bath township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Chandler have two children, a son and a daughter, Edgar, born in 1906, and Martha, 1912. They also are rearing as their own child a young cousin, Daniel Booren, who was born in 1906. Mr. Chandler is a Democrat. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his wife was reared in the Lutheran church.
EDWARD D. PARTINGTON.
Edward D. Partington, proprietor of a farm in Sugarcreek township, situated on rural mail route No. I out of Spring Valley, was born in the city of Xenia on July 31, 1862, son and only child of Richard and Elizabeth M. (Confer) Partington, both members of pioneer families in this part of the state and the latter of whom is still living, making her home with her son.
Richard Partington was born in the neighboring county of Clark on October 10, 1823, and in that county received his early schooling and for a time was engaged in teaching school. He then began the study of law at Xenia under the preceptorship of Judge Wright and upon his admission to the bar entered upon the practice of his profession in that city and for some time served as mayor of Xenia. Mr. Partington retired from prac- tice in the latter '70s and moved to a farm he had bought in Bath township. He died at Dayton on October 2, 1887. His widow, who, as noted above, still survives him, is now in her eighty-sixth year. She was born in the vicinity of the city of Hagerstown, Maryland, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Bowman) Confer, the former of whom was of French descent, who came with their family to Ohio in 1834 and located on a farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Miami township, this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were members of the Reformed church. George Confer lived to be seventy-two years of age and was able to give each of his children an excellent start. His widow survived him for twelve years and her last days were spent in Xenia. They were the parents of five children, Mrs. Partington having had two brothers, William G. and George, and two sis- ters, Hannah and Susan.
Edward D. Partington grew up at Xenia and supplemented the schooling he received in the schools of that city by a course in the Miami Commercial College at Dayton. He was about eighteen years of age when his parents moved from the city to the farm in Bath township and he ever since has given
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his attention to agriculture and stock raising, making a specialty of the latter line. After farming in Bath township for nine years Mr. Partington tried his hand on a farm in the vicinity of Farmersville, over in Montgomery county, but a year later returned to Greene county and bought the farm of one hundred and fifty-seven and a half acres on which he and his mother are now living in Sugarcreek township. Mr. Partington has for years made a specialty of the raising of high-grade O. I. C. hogs and also does quite a business in the buying and selling of sheep. He is a Mason, affiliated with the local lodge of that order (No. 574) at New Burlington, and with the chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and the council, Royal and Select Masters, at Xenia, and also is affiliated with the local lodge of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics at Spring Valley, and with the lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Spring Valley. He and his mother are members of the Reformed church. Politically, Mr. Partington is "inde- pendent."
HARRY SMITH TOWNSLEY.
Harry Smith Townsley, proprietor of a farm just south of Cedarville on the Wilmington road, and a member of the Cedarville township board of education, was born on a farm four miles east of Cedarville on February 2, 1880, son of John and Malinda (Kershner) Townsley, further mention of whom, together with a comprehensive history of the pioneer Townsley family in this county, is presented elsewhere.
Reared on the home farm, Harry S. Townsley received his schooling in the College Corner school and remained at home until his marriage in 1903, after which he made his home on a farm in the neighborhood of his old home for thirteen years, at the end of which time, in March, 1916, he bought the farm of forty acres on which he is now living, just south of Cedar- ville. He also rents and operates an adjoining farm. Mr. Townsley is extensively engaged in the live-stock business, buying and selling, and gives much attention to the breeding of high-grade horses, keeping two Belgian and one Shire sire. He is a Republican, has served as school director in his home district and is now a member of the township board of education.
On September 23, 1903, Harry S. Townsley was united in marriage to Mary Dorcas Brickel, who was born in Ross township, September 23. 1881, daughter of Frank and Mary Arabelle ( Smith) Brickel, and to this union two children have been born, Mary Catherine, born on August 26, 1905, and George Alfred, April 20, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Townsley are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Cedarville and Mr. Townsley is a member of the board of trustees of the same.
HARRY S. TOWNSLEY AND FAMILY.
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THOMAS L. ROWAND.
Thomas L. Rowand, who died at his home in the neighboring county of Fayette in 1894 and whose widow later moved to Jamestown, in this county, where she is now living, was born in the neighboring county of Clark 011 July 13, 1828, a son of Edward and Elizabeth (Luce) Rowand, pioneers cf that county, the former of whom was a native of the state of Virginia and the latter of Maryland. Edward Rowand was the owner of several hun- dred acres of land in Clark county. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, of whom Thomas L. was the youngest and all of whom are now deceased, the others having been Polly, Clara, Amanda, Benjamin, Will- iam and Alexander.
Reared on a farm in Clark county, Thomas L. Rowand became a farmer on his own account in that county, but later moved over into Fayette county, where he became the owner of a farm and where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring there on January 25, 1894, he then being in the sixty- sixth year of his age. He was a member of the Christian church.
Thomas L. Rowand was twice married. His first wife, Eliza Layton, died, leaving one child, a son, George E. Rowand, who is now living in Kansas, and on February 17, 1863, he was united in marriage to Margaret A. Lott, who also was born in Clark county, this state, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Garlough) Lott, the former of whom was born in Penn- sylvania on December 13, 1797. Henry Lott and Margaret Garlough were married on May 1, 1828, and to that union were born nine children, namely : Elizabeth F., born on October 10, 1829, now deceased; Jolin, deceased ; George W., deceased; Jacob N., deceased; William Henry, twin brother of Mrs. Rowland, now deceased ; Michael E., who is now living at Columbia City, Indiana; Thomas E., deceased, and James T., who is now living at Springfield, this state.
To Thomas L. and Margaret A. (Lott) Rowand were born five chil- dren, Charles E., Anna M., Harry A., Cora Luella, and Clarence C., all of whom were born in Fayette county and all of whom are still living. Charles E. Rowand, who is operating the home farm of his wife in Clark county, has been twice married. His first wife, who was Emma Murray, died, leav- ing a son, Alfred M. Rowand, now living at Springfield, who on September 5, 1917, married Mabel Vince. Charles E. Rowand married, secondly, Laura Skillings Rowand, a cousin by marriage. Anna M. Rowand, unmarried, is a resident of Jamestown . Harry A. Rowand, now living at Port William, was married on February 14, 1894, to Louie Gordon and has two sons, Carl, who on August 27, 1916, married Viola Gaines, and Ralph. Cora Luella Rowand is living at Jamestown with her mother. Clarence C. Rowand, now living
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in Madison county, in 1899 was united in marriage to Jennie Steele, who died in 1916, leaving three children, Clyone, Kenneth C. and Keith K. After the death of her husband Mrs. Rowand continued to make her home on the farm in Fayette county until 1903, in which year she and her daughters moved to Jamestown, where they have since resided. Mrs. Rowand still owns the home farm of one hundred and forty-six acres in Fayette county. Mrs. Rowand and daughters worship at the United Presbyterian church at Jamestown.
WILLIAM J. CHERRY.
William J. Cherry, proprietor of a farm in Cedarville township, located on rural mail route No. 2 out of Xenia, was born on a farm in the Hoop Grove neighborhood in Xenia township on May 10, 1868, son of David H. and Mary E. (Watt) Cherry, the latter of whom is still living, a resident of Xenia since 1902, in which year she moved from the farm to that city with her husband, the latter spending his last days there, his death occurring on October 7, 1914.
The Cherrys are one of the old families in Greene county, the first of the family to settle here having been James and Elizabeth (Greenwood) Cherry, who were born in Virginia, where they were reared and where on April 12, 1815, they were married, soon afterward coming to Ohio and set- tling in the Laughead settlement three miles east of Xenia, in this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. James Cherry, who was born on May 12, 1789, died on December 24, 1851. His widow, who was born on April 25, 1796, spent her last days in the home of her son David, where she died on May 14, 1883, having thus survived her husband more than thirty years. James Cherry and his wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom David H. Cherry was the last-born and all of whom are now deceased, the others having been William, Mary Ann, Mrs. Jane Craw- ford, Mrs. Rachel Kyle. James Q., Robert. John, Benjamin, Andrew L. and Isaac N. After his marriage David H. Cherry established his home on the home place, of which he later became the owner, and there continued farming until his retirement and removal to Xenia, where he spent his last days and where his widow is still living, the old home place now being operated by her son Huston H. Cherry, a biographical sketch of whom is presented else- where in this volume, wherein is set out at considerable length further details of the genealogy and history of the Cherry family, together with a compre- hensive history of the Watt family.
William J. Cherry grew up on the home farm and received his early schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, supplement-
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ing the same by a course at Xenia College and a year at Monmouth College. After his marriage in 1895 he rented the home farm, established his home in a new house he erected there and continued farming the place until 1904, when he bought the Rader place of one hundred and four acres adjoining his father's place in Cedarville township and later bought an adjacent tract of seventy-six acres of his father's place and thus has now one hundred and eighty acres. For years Mr. Cherry has been engaged in raising pure- bred Hampshire sheep and Shorthorn cattle and has been a successful exhibitor at stock shows and fairs.
On October 1, 1895, William J. Cherry was united in marriage to-Anna May Hutchinson, who was born in Xenia township, this county, daugliter of William and Jennie ( Bull) Hutchinson, the latter of whom is still living. and to this union one child has been born, a son, Raymond Cherry, born on August 16, 1900, who is now a student in the Xenia high school. Mr. and Mrs. Cherry are members of the First United Presbyterian church at Xenia and Mr. Cherry is a member of the session of that congregation. By political affiliation he is a Republican and has on various occasions served on election boards in his home precinct.
ADDISON STORRS LEWIS.
From the very beginning of things at Clifton, the name Lewis has been associated with the place, for it was Bennett Lewis, father of the subject of this biographical review, who laid out the townsite, the same covering a part of the considerable tract of land he had purchased there upon coming to Greene county in 1828, and the farm on which Addison Storrs Lewis is still living, just at the edge of Clifton, is a part of that original tract.
Bennett Lewis was one of the influential figures in the earlier develop- ment of that section of Miami township surrounding the village of Clifton and was a member of the board of county commissioners when the county's second court house was erected at Xenia in 1846, that fine old edifice which, according to "Howe's Collections" of 1847, was "the most elegant, as yet built. in Ohio." Before coming here Bennett Lewis had been a contractor on the Miami & Erie canal and while thus engaged had erected the locks that still are standing at Lockland. Upon coming here he bought land in Miami township and on that place, at the site of the present village of Clif- ton, built a cotton and woolen-mill, opened a country store, platted a town- site and around that mill and store the village of Clifton presently began to take form. He was for years an elder in the Presbyterian church at Clifton. The mill which he erected upon coming here was washed away by a flood in 1868, but he continued engaged in his mercantile pursuits at
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Clifton and was thus engaged at the time of his death, on October 10, 1876. His wife had preceded him to the grave more than three years, her death hav- ing occurred on January 24, 1873. She was born, Eliza Boughton, at Victor, in Ontario county, New York, August 15, 1803, daughter of Jared and · Olive ( Stone) Boughton, the former of whom was born in Connecticut on February 19, 1766, and the latter, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, January 2, 1770. Jared Boughton's mother was a Pennoyer, a member of the French family of Pennoyers which took an influential part in Massachusetts colonial life and were among the founders of Harvard University. Eliza Boughton and Bennett Lewis were united in marriage in 1828 and it was five years later when they settled in Greene county. Bennett Lewis was born in Con- necticut and was of a long-lived family, his father having attained the great age of ninety-six years, and his brother, Isaac, the age of eighty-five. The latter attended the lock on the Erie canal when the first vessel passed through to the ocean and was also there when General Lafayette revisited America and passed through the canal. Of the nine children born to Bennett and Eliza (Boughton) Lewis the subject of this sketch was the last-born. Of the five children of this family who grew to maturity but two are now living, Mr. Lewis having a sister, Miss Harriet Lewis, who has for many years been a missionary at Canton, China, connected with the Presbyterian Board of Missions. Two brothers of Mr. Lewis, Ezra B. and Charles B. Lewis, went to California many years ago and there spent their last days, the former a merchant at San Jose and the latter, in the real-estate business at San Ana.
Addison Storrs Lewis was reared at Clifton, the place of his birth, and there received his early schooling, later entering Miami University at Oxford, this state, and was graduated from that institution in 1869. Mean- while he had been giving his attention to the study of civil engineering and upon leaving the university took a special course in Lafayette College at Easton, Pennsylvania, and was graduated from that institution in 1870 as a civil engineer. For a year thereafter he was engaged as assistant engineer in the work of making a map survey of the state of Massachusetts, his head- quarters being at Boston, and he then became engaged in railway work, doing engineering work for both the Pennsylvania Lines and the Balti- more & Ohio Railway Company, and was thus engaged for three years or more, or until the death of his father in 1876, after which he returned to Clifton to look after his interests there and has ever since resided at that place, owner of the farm and home just at the edge of the village. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Presbyterian church, and has served the local congregation as elder and as trustee and treasurer. During his college days lie was a member of the college fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. He for some
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time served as trustee of Miami township, has also at various times rendered service on the local school board, and for some years was treasurer of the same. He is a Republican and has frequently served his party as a delegate to county and congressional conventions.
JAMES F. ESTERLINE.
James F. Esterline, a grocer at Osborn, was born on a farm in the neighboring county of Clark on October 26, 1873, son of Jacob and Elizabethi (Dunkle) Esterline, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Penn- sylvania.
The late Jacob Esterline, a veteran of the Civil War, who died at his home in Fairfield, on May 5, 1918, was born in Clark county, this state, and grew up in the neighborhood of New Carlisle, where he was living when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted for service in behalf of the Union and went to the front as a member of the Sixteenth Ohio Battery, with which command he served for four years. After his marriage he established his home on a farm in Clark county and there continued to reside until his retire- ment from the farm and removal to Fairfield, where he spent his last days. To him and his wife were born nine children.
Reared on the home farm, James F. Esterline received his schooling in the common schools and continued farming until after his marriage in 1895, he then being twenty-two years of age, when he made his home at Osborn and there began clerking in the store which he now owns and was thus en- gaged as a clerk until 1906, when he bought the store from its proprietor, George Smith, and has since been engaged in business on his own account.
In 1895 James F. Esterline was united in marriage to Elizabeth M. Schroeder, daughter of John Philip Schroeder and wife, the former of whom, a blacksmith, died in 1912 and the latter of whom is still living, a resident of Fairfield, and to this union two children have been born, daughters both, Greta S. and Frances Gertrude. The Esterlines reside on William street and are naturally much concerned to know that, as the probable outcome of the present flood-prevention project, they may presently have to abandon the home that has for years meant so much to them, as well as the business in which Mr. Esterline has worked up to his present position in the mercantile life of the town which seems doomed to be deserted in behalf of the common welfare of the valley. Mr. Esterline is a Republican and is the present presi- cent of the Osborn board of education. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
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LAWRENCE D. WILSON.
Lawrence D. Wilson, head of the Wilson Engineering and Contracting Company of the city of Xenia, was born in that city and has lived there practically all his life, though some ycars were spent in the East, where for some time he was engaged in engineering work before entering into business on his own behalf in Xenia. He was born on February 7, 1882, son of Matthew D. and Frances (Morris) Wilson, the latter of whom also was born in this county and both of whom are still living at Xenia.
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