USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 79
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Matthew D. Wilson is a Pennsylvanian by birth, but has been a resident of Ohio since the days of his early childhood, his parents having moved from Pennsylvania to Zanesville, this state, when he was but a child. When he was fifteen years of age his parents moved from Zanesville to Xenia and he completed his schooling in the schools of the latter city. After his marriage he became engaged in the grocery business in Xenia, but presently gave up that business and became a traveling salesman, a vocation he since has followed, his activities in that connection having covered a period of more than thirty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have two children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Gertrude, who married Waldo H. Sawin and is now living in New York City.
Lawrence D. Wilson was reared at Xenia, receiving his schooling in the schools of that city, and after three years of work in the high school became engaged in the T. L. Morris & Company warehouse, later becoming identified with that concern. It was while thus engaged that Mr. Wilson became interested in civil engineering and general construction work and he presently entered upon the practical phase of engineering, traveling through- out the East as a member of the staff of the Woos er Construction Co npany, engaged in railway work and other lines of construction work. While thus engaged he came home on a vacation and for a year thereafter was connected with the engineering work of street construction in Xenia, afterward return- ing East as a member of the engineering staff of J. G. White & Company of New York City, and for three years was thus connected, his principal work being in the line of railway construction. He then returned to Xenia and while "resting up" drafted a new map of the city of Xenia. While home on that visit Mr. Wilson determined to engage in business on his own account in Xenia and with that end in view opened an office for general engineering and construction work, under the firm name of Wilson & Sch'e- singer. That was in 1908. In that same year he was awarded the contract for surveying the line of the projected Cincinnati, Wilmington & Xenia Traction Railway and carried the same through. At the end of the year Mr. Wilson bought the Schlesinger interest in the concern of which he was
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the head and not long afterward formed a new connection, for a year thereafter doing business under the firm name of Wilson & Dean. This firm name presently was changed to that of the L. D. Wilson Company and not long afterward was incorporated as the Wilson Engineering and Contracting Company, which company is now rated as a seventy-five-thousand-dollar con- cern. Before he was twenty-one years of age Mr. Wilson had successfully directed the construction of the Chambersburg & Gettysburg Electric Rail- way line. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodges of the Free and Accepted Masons and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
CHRISTOPHER J. BUTT.
Christopher J. Butt, a veteran commercial traveler, now living practically retired at his home at Osborn, this county, and a member of the village council for the past quarter of a century, is a native son of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life, a resident of Greene county since the days of his childhood. He was born on a farm in the neighboring county of Mont- gomery, November 4. 1847, son of Basil and Anna (Folkerth ) Butt, the former of whom was born in Virginia and was but a boy when he came to Ohio with his parents, the family locating in Licking county and presently moving thence to Montgomery county, where they established their home. In this latter county Basil Butt grew to manhood and married, continuing to make his home there until about 1850, when he moved over into Greene county, establishing his home on a farm in the northwestern part of the county and there spent the rest of his life, his death occurring there in 1894, He was a Democrat and by religious persuasion was a Lutheran.
Having been under three years of age when his parents moved front Montgomery county to Greene county, Christopher J. Butt was reared in this latter county. He supplemented the schooling he received in the public schools by attendance at the Commercial College at Dayton and continued his labors on the home farm until 1883, in which year he became connected with the Superior Drill Company, of Springfield, this state, as a traveling salesman. When that concern later became incorporated as the American Seeding- Machine Company Mr. Butt continued his connection with the company as a traveling representative and so continued until 1912, a period of continuous service covering twenty-nine years. Though now retired from active travel- ing Mr. Butt is still connected with the concern with which he for so long was actively connected, though now on its pension list of honorably retired employees. During his long period of service as a commercial traveler Mr. Butt was a member of the United Commercial Travelers Association, affilia- ated with the Dayton division of that organization and still takes an interest
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in the affairs of that body. He is a Republican, formerly and for some years a member of the Greene county Republican central committee and at one time chairman of that committee, and for the past twenty-five years has been a member of the common council of the village of Osborn. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Butt has been twice married. In 1887 he was united in marriage to Margaretta Marshall and to that imion were born two children, Anna and Margaretta. Following the death of the mother of these children Mr. Butt, in 1895, married Cora M. Arbogast and to this union two children have been born, Lelia A., who for the past five years has been a teacher of voice culture in Lynwood College, North Carolina, and Waldo, who died in the days of his childhood. Mr. Butt sold his property in Osborn in the spring of 1819 and bought a home at 640 Cassilly street, Springfield, to which he and his wife will move in October.
SAMUEL W. HARTMAN.
Samuel W. Hartman, a member of the board of trustees of Beaver- creek township, former assessor of that township and a farmer now living in the village of Alpha, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, September 2, 1857, son of Jacob and Mary (Walker) Hartman, both of whom spent all their lives in that state. He was reared in his native state, receiving his schooling there, and remained there until he was nineteen years of age, when he came to Ohio and became employed on the Horace Ankeney farm in Beavercreek township, this county. When twenty-four years of age he mar- ried and began farming on his own account, in good time becoming the owner of a farm in the vicinity of the high school in Beavercreek township. On that place he made his home until 1917, when he sold his farm and moved to Alpha, where he bought a tract of seven acres on which he built a house and which he platted into town lots, setting the same off as an addition to the village. Mr. Hartman is a Republican and is now serving his second term as township trustee. He also served on the board of education of Beavercreek township for ten years, in a township that has a reputation of being one of the foremost in the state. About fifteen years ago he served for three years as township assessor. He and his family are members of the Beaver Reformed church and he is a member of the board of trustees of his church. He also has served as an elder and as a deacon of the church.
On December 22, 1881, Samuel W. Hartman was united in marriage to Mary Winegartner, who was born in Beavercreek township, and to this union five children have been born, namely: Walter, who lives at North Canton, Ohio, and who married Louise Mackelhaney and has one child, a
MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL W. HARTMAN.
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son, Robert Samuel; the Rev. Albert Hartman, a minister of the Reformed church, now stationed at Roaring Springs, Pennsylvania, who married Susan Stauffer, of Dayton, and has two children, Mary E. and Franklin; Margaret, who married the Rev. R. S. Beaver, a minister of the Reformed church, now living near Shelby. this state, and has two children, Gladys and Helen; Ina, who died at the age of twenty-two years, and one who died in infancy.
WILLIAM F. HUSTON.
William F. Huston, proprietor of a farm in Sugarcreek township, situ- ated on rural mail route No. 2 out of Dayton, was born in the house in which he is now living on that farm and has lived there all his life, having suc- ceeded to the farm after his father's death. He was born on May 1, 1858, son and only child of William and Caroline (Mayhew) Huston, both of whom were members of pioneer families in this part of the state.
William Huston was born in the neighboring county of Montgomery, but early became a farmer in this county and became the owner of a farm of five hundred and forty-three acres in Sugarcreek township and a farm of one hundred and forty-three acres in the vicinity of Muncie, Indiana. His last days were spent at his home in Sugarcreek township. He was twice married and by his first marriage was the father of five children, James, Michael, John, Sarah and Philena, all of whom are now deceased save John, a farmer of Sugarcreek township and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Following' the death of the mother of these children, William Huston married Caroline Mayhew and to this latter union was born one child, a son, William F., the subject of this biographical sketch.
William F. Huston was reared on the farm on which he was born and has continued to make that place his home, for years the owner of the old home place. He received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and after his marriage established his home on the home farm on which he has since made many improvements. For some years past he has lived practically retired from the active labors of the farm. Mr. Huston is a Republican and has rendered public service as a member of the local school board and has also served on election boards and juries. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
On November II, 1880, William F. Huston was united in marriage to Mary M. Miller, who was born in the state of Tennessee and who was but twelve years of age when her parents came to Ohio with their family and settled in Greene county, and to this union have been born five chil-
(45)
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dren, namely : Edward H., a carpenter, living in Beavercreek township, who married Etta Carpenter and has two children, Norman and Raymond; Clar- ence, a Sugarcreek farmer, who married Lulu Wright and has one child, a son, Kenneth: Minnie May, wife of Elmer Wetzel, a painter, who lives in Beavercreek township; Ossa C., wife of Orville Berryhill, of Bellbrook, and Jesse Roy, a farmer, who married Golda Greene and lives at Bellbrook.
JUSTUS LABAN BAKER.
The late Justus Laban Baker, who died at his farm home in Silvercreek township in the fall of 1895, and whose widow is still living there, was born in that township on June 15, 1844, son of Jacob and Lorena (Haughey) Baker, well-known residents of that township, whose last days were spent there. Jacob Baker and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were the parents of three children, of whom the subject of this inemorial sketch was the first-born.
Reared on the home farm in Silvercreek township, Justus L. Baker received his schooling in the local schools and remained at home until after his marriage when twenty-one years of age. Trained as a farmer from the days of his boyhood, he ever followed that vocation and at the time of his death had the farm property of sixty-six acres, on which his widow is still living and the operation of which is being carried on by his son-in-law, George W. Buckwalter. Mr. Baker was a Republican and had held minor public offices in his home township, particularly school offices. He was a member of the Baptist church at Jamestown, as is his widow. Mr. Baker died on November 21, 1895, he then being in the fifty-second year of his age.
On February 1, 1866, Justus L. Baker was united in marriage to Mary Ellen Smith, who was born in Frederick county, Virginia, and who had come here in 1865 with her parents, John and. Maria (Keiter) Smith, the family locating in Silvercreek township. For a year after coming to this county John Smith rented a farm and then he bought the farm on which WV. F. Lewis now resides and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on February 12, 1880. He was born on June 19, 1806. His widow, who was born on May 6, 1806, survived him for more than four years, her death occurring on July 10, 1884. She was a member of the Presbyterian church. John Smith and wife were the parents of seven children, of whom Mrs. Baker was the fourth in order of birth.
To Justus L. and Mary L. (Smith) Baker were born ten children, namely: Elma Rosella, who is now living in the state of Oklahoma, widow of Grant Bush; George O .; Anna Lorena, who died in the days of her girl- hood ; John Isaac, who married Eva Gerrard; Emma J., who married George
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W. Buckwalter and is living on the home place; James Franklin, who mar- ried Eva Hargraves and is farming in Jefferson township, this county; Will- iam J., who married Sarah Johnson and also is farming in Jefferson town- ship; Wilbur C., who married Bertha Seslar and is farming in the neigh- boring county of Fayette; Zola, deceased, and Laban, who died in infancy. They have sixty-six acres.
HARVEY HUMSTON.
Harvey Humston, proprietor of a farm in Caesarscreek township. formerly and for years engaged in the livery business, but for some years past living retired at Xenia, was born in the neighboring county of Clinton on November 19, 1841, son of Strother and Ann E. (Ford) Humston. natives of the Old Dominion, who later became residents of Greene county, where their last days were spent.
Strother Humston was born in Frederick county, Virginia, as was his wife, of old Colonial stock. They were married in that county and con- tinued to make their home there for some years afterward. Then they came to Ohio, driving through with two small children, and located at Andersons Forks, in Clinton county, later coming to Greene county and settling in Caesarscreek township, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Strother Humston was a produce dealer and continued that business in this county for thirty years, or until his retirement, his produce wagon long having been a familiar visitor at the farm houses on the "route" he early established and so long maintained. He was a Democrat and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church and are buried in the Baptist church cemetery (Petersons), in the neighborhood of their old home in Caesarscreek township. They were the parents of ten children, two of whom died in infancy, the others being Wilford, a farmer, who went to Washington county, Iowa, where he became sheriff of that county, but later returned to Greene county, where his last days were spent; Mary, who mar- ried Samuel Jones and who, as well as her husband, is now dead; Harvey, the subject of this biographical sketch; Ann, who married Joseph B. Cuun- mings and who, as well as her husband, is now dead; John, a veteran of the Civil War, who served in the One Hundred and Tenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and who is now living at the Soldiers Home at Sandusky ; Levi, a Greene county farmer, who died in 1915; Amanda, who married Frank Weaver and is now dead, her husband living at Bellbrook, and Ella, who died at the age of eleven years.
Having been but a child when his parents moved up from Clinton county, Harvey Humston was reared on the home farm in Caesarscreek
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township and there made his home until his marriage when twenty-five years of age, after which he began farming on his own account. Upon his father's retirement from the produce business he took up the "route" his father had established and covered the same for six or seven years, meantime engaging in the livery business and was engaged in the latter business for fourteen years, after which he gave his undivided attention to his farm. Mr. Humston has one hundred and eleven acres in Caesarscreek township and on that place made his home for thirty-six years, at the end of which time he rented his farm and moved to Xenia, where he has since lived retired.
In March, 1866, Harvey Humston was united in marriage to Ellen Powers, who was born in Caesarscreek township, this county, a daughter of Alfred and Susan (Burrell) Powers, both of whom also were born in that township. Alfred Powers was a farmer and for twenty-one years served as justice of the peace in and for his home township. He and his wife spent their last days on their home place in Caesarscreek township. They were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Humston was the fourth in order of birth, the others being the following: Allan, who was a farmer and whose last days were spent in Tennessee; Mary, now deceased, who was the wife of Christian Weaver, a farmer of Caesarscreek township: Aniel, a retired farmer, now living at Xenia; Harlan, also a farmer, now deceased, and Eli, who is a millwright, living at Dayton.
To Harvey and Ellen ( Powers) Humston two children have been born, a son and a daughter, Jessie L. and Hal P., the latter of whom died at his home in Xenia, at the age of forty-four years. Jessie L. Humston married Elmer A. Thomas, formerly the proprietor of the "Beehive" store at Xenia, who is now a commercial traveler, but who continues to make his home in Xenia. The late Hal P. Humston was born on the home farm in this county on May 22, 1868, and completed his schooling in the old Xenia College and in the National Normal University at Lebanon. For eight or nine years after leaving college he was engaged in the saw-mill business in the neighborhood of his home and then opened a public training station for the training of horses. In the fall of 1901 he entered into a partnership and purchased the Paukett livery stable in Xenia, continuing engaged in that business there, first under the firm name of Humston & Grottendick, then as Humston & Burrous and finally as Humston & Humston, his father becoming a partner, and so continued until his death in 1912. On February 11, 1892, Hal P. Humston was united in marriage to Minnie Semans, of Clinton county, daughter of Jacob Semans, of that same county, formerly a resident of Greene county, and to that union was born one child, a son. Glenn Humston, born on August 9, 1893, who since completing his studies
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in the Xenia high school has been employed in the office of the Hooven & Allison Company at Xenia. Hal P. Humston was an Odd Fellow, affiliated with Xenia Lodge No. 52, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and with Shaw- nee Encampment No. 20. of that order, and had "passed the chairs" in both of these bodies. Harvey Humston also is a member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been affiliated with that order for more than forty years. Politically, he votes "independent."
ELI BURRELL.
Eli Burrell, a carpenter at Xenia, in which city he has been making his home for the past fifteen years or more, is a native son of Greene county, born on a farm in Caesarscreek township on March 3, 1858, son of Marshall and Rebecca (Powers) Burrell, both of whom also were born in this county and whose last days were spent here, residents of Caesarscreek township.
Marshall Burrell was born in Caesarcreek township on February 22, 1828, a son of John D. and Eleanor ( Marshall) Burrell, the former of whom came to this county from Virginia in 1811 and settled in Caesarscreek town- ship. John D. Burrell was a soldier of the War of 1812 and was for many years a justice of the peace in and for his home township. He was a shoemaker and in addition to his labors as a farmer followed the vocation of shoemaking "between times." He also was a carpenter and helped to erect quite a number of the old buildings put up in this county. He was a Metho- dist and his family were reared as Methodists. He lived to the age of eighty- one years, his death occurring on May 16, 1864. The late Marshall Burrell was reared on the home farm in Caesarscreek township, received his school- ing in the schools of that neighborhood and became a farmer on his own account, also taking up the trade of wagon-making. He married Rebecca Powers, who also was born in this county, about the year 1835, and to that union were born five children, two of whom died in infancy, the others besides the subject of this sketch being Albert Burrell, who was born in 1846, now living on a farm on the Clifton pike, in this county, and who is married and has had ten children, eight of whom are still living, and Mary Ellen, wife of Frank P. Smith, also living on the Cliffton pike, and who has four children.
Eli Burrell was reared on the home farm in Caesarscreek township and received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood. He continued farming until he was about twenty-five years of age. when he took up black- smithing, a vocation which he followed for some time, later taking up car- pentering. About fifteen years ago he moved to Xenia and has since made
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his home in that city. In his political belief Mr. Burrell is an ardent Prohi- bitionist.
On August 16, 1883, at Cedarville, this county, Eli Burrell was united in marriage to Lizzie Irvin, daughter of Alexander and Martha ( McGinnis) Irvin, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in Ohio. To this union have been born three children, namely : Wilbur M. L. Burrell, born on October 2, 1885, who in 1914 was united in marriage to May Gayton ; Lester Bernell Burrell, August 11, 1889, now living at Kalamazoo, Michigan, who married Olga Pickford and has one child, a son, Robert Burrell, and Mamie Lucile, June 26, 1902. Mr. and Mrs. Burrell and their family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
JOSEPH A. HACKETT.
Joseph A. Hackett, proprietor of a farm just south of Clifton, was born in that neighborhood and has lived thereabout all his life. He was born on the old R. H. Harbison farm on April 19, 1876, son of James and Ellen (Cavenaugh) Hackett, natives of Ireland, who were married in Spring- field, this state, and who later located on a farm in Miami township, this county, where the former died in October, 1916, and where the latter is still living. James Hackett and wife were the parents of ten children, further mention of whom, together with additional details of the history of the Hackett family in this county, is made in a biographical sketch relating to Charles H. Hackett, postmaster at Yellow Springs, the fourth son and sixth child of James Hackett, presented elsewhere in this volume.
Reared on the home farm, Joseph A. Hackett received his schooling in the Clifton schools, attending up to the second year in high school, and not long afterward began farming on his own account and has ever since been thus engaged. In addition to his general farming operations he has given considerable attention to the raising of hogs. After his marriage in 1904 Mr. Hackett and his wife began housekeeping on the old Harbison farm, the place where he was born, and later moved to the McCotton farm, where they are now living. Mr. Hackett is a Democrat.
On February 16, 1904, Joseph A. Hackett was united in marriage to Winifred Donley, further mention of whose family is made in a biographical sketch relating to her brother, Thomas A. Donley, mayor of Yellow Springs, presented elsewhere in this volume, and to this union have been born eight children, Nellie, an infant (deceased), Anna, Margaret (deceased), Catherine (deceased), Dorothy, James Edward and John J. Mr. and Mrs. Hackett are members of the Catholic church at Clifton.
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JOHN S. TURNER.
For nearly forty years John S. Turner has been engaged in the mer- cantile business at Bellbrook and during that time has also taken part in local public affairs, for thirty years serving as township clerk and for nearly thirty-two years as village clerk, besides having for some years served as treasurer of the local school district.
Mr. Turner was born in Bellbrook on November 5, 1850, son of James and Nancy (Snodgrass) Turner, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Virginia, who established their home at Bellbrook after their mar- riage and there spent their last days, the latter dying on February 25, 1869. She was born in 1820 and was but a child when her parents came to Ohio and settled in Greene county. James Turner was born in 1813 and his youth was spent in Maryland, his native state. During the days of his young man- hood he came to Ohio and took up his residence in Greene county. He was married in Sugarcreek township and after his marriage established his home in Bellbrook, where he became engaged in the real-estate business. He died there on October 4, 1886. He and his wife were the parents of four chil- dren, the subject of this sketch having had three sisters, Elizabeth, who died in infancy : Josephine; who married Thomas E. Stake, of Bellbrook, and spent her last days in that village, her death occurring there in 1913, and Mary M., who died in 1898.
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