USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio > Part 107
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Industrial Board: secretary of Ecumenical conference for the western section from 1891 to 1901. Since his election as bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal church he has had charge of the following Episcopal dis- tricts: 1888-1862 he had charge of Florida. East Florida, Columbia, South Carolina, and South Carolina conferences ; in 1802 he had charge of Mississippi, middle Mississip- pi, Arkansas, South Arkansas and West .Ar- kansas. In November, 1893, Bishop Daniel A. Payne died, and December last. 1893. he took charge of the Third Episcopal district. consisting of Ohio, north Ohio and Pitts- burg conferences, and held it until the Ger- man conference of 1896. In 1894 Bishop Wayman died, and he was appointed to In- diana, Illinois and Michigan until the gener- al conference of 1895 when he was returned to Indiana, Ilinois, Michigan and lowa con- ferences. At the general conference of 1900 he was appointed to the third Episcopal dis- trict, consisting of Ohio, north Ohio, Pitts- burg and California conferences. . At the time of his appointment to the third Epis- copal district the upper part of the Universi- ty at Wilberforce was not plaster 1, and as chairman of the building and grounds he had the upper part of the building finished. He was chairman of the building and ground when the new State Department was established, also in founding Payne Theo- logical Seminary. He drew the plan of ()'Neill Hall, of the combined Normal and Industrial departments. When the new dor- mitory was built he was also chairman of the building and grounds, and in a great measure superintended the new building. namel by the committee as Arnett ITall. which was built at a cost of forty thousand dollars
It will be interesting in this connection to note many of the characteristics of the man, and of his power as a speaker-a power that has swayed hundreds and thousands of people throughout the country and ranked him with the orators of the land. The Bos- ton Herald, in speaking of his address de- livered before the Christian Endeavor con- vention, at Boston, Massachusetts, said : first speaking of the man and then of his oration :
"Ilis head is as fine and as strongly modelled as that of a typical Roman em- peror. In countries like France, where the black complexion is a real recommendation to popular interest and admiration. Bish- op .Arnett would cut a noble figure. Ile would be an ideal bishop of some ancient and powerful diocese. He would be no less ideal in the ivory chair of some historic senate. Bishop Arnett opened slowly, gravely. elab- orately. He sways his audience, he knew its temper instinctively down to its least sig- nificant elements, and he was sure of his al.ility to interest and command it. From or- atorical stateliness he passed to a more pas- sionate utterance with liberty and the hopes and aspirations of his race for his theme, an element of humor being constantly on the alert to guard against any descent into pathos. His gestures were perhaps the most graceful used by any of the convention orators, his figures of speech were sometimes of great aptness, and even beauty, indeed. no one during the whole week achieved a greater triumph than Bishop Arnett. if one takes into consideration the inevitable diffi- enlties of his position."
Another comment comes from the New Orleans Picayune :
"Possibly nothing more marvelous would
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have occurred to the thoughtful student. a more wonderful freak of nature, of inspira- tion, of native melody of speech-it is hard to classify the occurrence or to explain it- than a speaker, very manifestly speaking ex- temporaneously, with only the outline of what he wanted to say in his mind when he rose, speaking unconsciously for five or six paragraphs at the close of his speech in blank verse, and the most precise, euphoni- ous blank verse. This occurred when Bishop Arnett was bringing his talk to a close, and it is entirely likely, in fact it is positive, he himself did not know it. It was as much the swinging melody of his speech as its substance which brought his auditors to their feet, their handkerchiefs in the air, their canes upon the floor in wildest demon- stration. The occurrence was simply mar- velous. The lordly master of English, In- gersoll, often had recourse to this trick of combined oratory and imagination, but with him it was premeditated and the result of ripened scholarship in addition to his mar- velous genius. But in this instance it was simply the music of speech welling up in the colored man, and the severest critic could not have failed to feel his power of analysis slipping from under him and his wonder pos- sessing his faculties to see the very vehe- mence and yearning for fullness of expres- sion in this colored man falling into precipi- tate and inspired blank verse, as the easiest. completest vehicle of his thought and feel- ings. . And so natural was it that it was only when the peroration was closed that one re- membered the rythm of the speech and per- ceived the secret of its subtle force and music."
Has there been any movement in thought or action bearing upon the world's history
in the nineteenth century which has not elicited the attention and thoughtful consid- eration of Bishop Arnett? From the fore- going it would seem not. He seems to have studied-and studied closely-every subject having a close connection with humanity and with the uplifting of the standard of the human race. His life has proved that mind and character rise above all environment, all traces of prejudice, and command the atten- tion and respect which is their due.
GEORGE H. WOLF.
The name of Wolf is closely linked with the history of Greene county and has figured prominently on the pages of those annals in connection with the work of development and substantial improvement. George H. Wolf, now deceased, was a worthy repre- sentative of this worthy pioneer family. He was born in Beavercreek township about two miles north of the place on which his widow is living, his natal day being Oc- tober 10, 1832. His parents were David W. and Catherine ( Hamer) Wolf. The father was born in Bath township. Greene county, in 1804. Prior to this time the grandparents of our subject had taken up their abode within the borders of this coun- ty, casting in their lot with the early pio- neers. From that time to the present rep- resentatives of the name have been promi- ment in business and public affairs in this section of the state. The father of our subject died June 1, 1879, at the ripe old age of seventy-five years.
George H. Wolf pursued his education in the schools of his township and lived
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
with his father until he was twenty-two years of age, when he made preparation for a home of his own by his marriage on the Ist of February, 1855. to Miss Hannah Fry, who was born in Shenandoah county. Virginia, a daughter of Michael and Cath- erine ( Lindamood) Fry. Her father was born May 14. 1800, and her mother on the 30th of September. 1794, in Shenandoah county. Virginia, where they resided until after their marriage. Mr. Fry followed the occupation of farming. He was a son cf Jacob Fry, who was also a native of the United States, the family having been established in the new world in early co- lonial days. When the colonists could no longer endure the yoke of oppression and resolved to throw off allegiance to the mother country Jacob Fry joined the co- lonial forces and was a valiant soldier in the war of the Revolution. It was in May. 1838, that Michael Fry, the father of Mrs. Wolf, left Virginia with his family and came to Greene county, Ohio. The daugh- ter spent her girlhood days under the par- ental roof. living at home until she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Wolf, who at that time rented a tract of land. In 1869 he removed with his family to what is now known as the old Wolf homestead, from Missouri, where he had lived for three years prior, having removed to the western por- tion of that state in 1866. The Wolf home- stead in Greene county was a rich tract of land, comprising one hundred and fifty-six acres, and upon this he spent the remainder of his days, clearing the greater part of the farm. This land was once the property of his father, who owned four hundred acres in Greene county and two hundred acres in Missouri. From the time he took up his
abode here until his death Mr. Wolf gave his attention undividedly to the work of cultivating the crops that brought to him a good financial return and his diligence and unfaltering perseverance resulted in gain- ing for him very creditable prosperity.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wolf were born eleven children, but three of the number are now deceased. William R., the eldest. is residing in Beavercreek township. He mar- ried Ollie Ferguson, now deceased, and they had six children-Sylvia, Roy, Grover. George. Samuel and one who died in in- fancy. Daniel Webster died at the age of two years. Jacob A. married Emma Can- ada, and their children were-Jessie. Bertha. Fred. Mary, Blanche and two others who are now deceased. The mother passed away and Jacob afterward married Betty Smith. their home being now in Dayton. Charles E., who resides near the old home- stead, wedded Minnie Harner. Their chil- dren are-Daniel : Minnie, deceased ; Lora; and Marie. Joseph married Lizzie Groober, who resides in Dayton, but he was acci- dentally killed. AAdeline is the wife of Michael Trout, who lives in Xenia town- ship, and they had four children-Joseph. Pearl. Ethel, and William, deceased. Me- linda .A. is the wife of William Strawsburg. and resides in Champaign county, Ohio, and they have three children-Goldie, Josephine and William. By a former marriage to John Simmons she had three children, Fred- erick. Carrie and John. Walter, who is liv- ing in Beavercreek township, married Elsie. Shambles, and they have three children- Curtis, George and Clara. Mary is the wife of William Kyter, of Dayton, Ohio, and they have two children-Benjamin and Charles, Nana Elizabeth is the deceased
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
wife of Leota Shepp and at her death left one child, Orlo, who resides with Mrs. Wolf, the grandmother. Michael, a resi- dent of Beavercreek township, married Ola Linkhart, and they had four children- Ilazel. now deceased, Ada, William, and Raymond, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wolf also had an adopted daughter. Florence Brown, whose parents, Charles and Ada Brown, were deceased. She grew to womanhood in the home of Mrs. Wolf, and is now the wife of James McCune, of Day- ton, by whom she has one child, Charles Clifford.
Mr. Wolf's death resulted from acci- dent. He was killed by a discharge of dynamite used in blowing out stumps, pass- ing away on the 21st of October, 1901. His remains were interred in the Union cem- etery and the community thereby lost one of its valued citizens, his neighbors a faithful friend and his family a devoted husband and father. In political views he was a Democrat and was long a member of the Reformed church, joining the Union church near Byron in 1857. Mrs. Wolf still re- sides upon the old homestead, which is now operated under her supervision, and she pos- sesses excellent business and executive abil- ity. She is a lady of sterling worth, en- joying in a high degree the confidence and esteem of her loving friends.
JOHN W. FUDGE.
Greene county figures as one of the most attractive, progressive and prosperous di- visions of the state of Ohio, justly claiming a high order of citizenship and a spirit of
enterprise which is certain to conserve con- secutive development and marked advance- ment in the material upbuilding of the sec- tion. The county has been and is signally favored in the clas, of men who have con- trolled its affairs in official capacity, and in this connection the subject of this review has served the county faithfully and well in positions of trust and responsibility. He is now chairman of the board of county commissioners, a position which his grand- father filled a half century ago-the family having been established in this county many years ago.
His paternal grandparents were John Katherine Fudge, farming people and early settlers of the community. A leader in pub- lic thought and action in his neighborhood Mr. Fudge was chosen a member of the board of county commissioners in 1850 and during his services the old courthouse was built. Joseph H. Fudge, the father of our subject, was born February 15. 1824. in Greene county, and after arriving at years of maturity married Cinderella Sutton, who was born in this county, August 17. 1826. a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Sutton. Joseph H. Fudge began to devote his ener- gies to agricultural pursuits in early man- hood and in that way always provided for the support of his family. He passed away .April 26. 1888, and his wife died on the tóth of February. 1891.
Upon his grandfather's farm in New Jasper township, on the 23d of March, 1846, Mr. Fudge was born and in the same town- ship was reared and educated. He early be- came familiar with the work of improving the fields and throughout his business ca- reer has carried on general farming. He still owns land to the extent of two hun-
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dred and sixty-three acres and through the cultivation of his fields he has won a hand- some competence, numbering him among the substantial citizens of the community.
On the 26th of June. 1866, Mr. Fudge was united in marriage to Miss Amanda J. Smith, a daughter of Nelson Smith, who was also a farmer of New Jasper township. Their mion has been blessed with five chil- dren, of whom four are still living: Will- iam J., James R., Charles N. and Ray S.
Fraternally Mr. Fudge is connected with the Improved Order of Red Men and also belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a stanch Repub- lican and has long been accounted one of the active, leading and influential members of the party. He served as a trustee of New . Jasper township for fourteen years and in 18go was elected real estate appraiser, while in (8gt he was elected infirmary director. serving in that ofice for three years. In 1895 he was chosen by popular ballot to the office of county commissioner and dis- charged his duties so capably that he was re-elected in 1808 and became president of the board which built the new courthouse in Xenia, tearing down the old one which his grandfather had aided in building while on the board of commissioners more than a half century before. The new structure was erected at a cost of two hundred thousand dollars and Mr. Fudge made several trips to New York city and other places in search of information and knowledge that woukl prove beneficial in the erection of the new temple of justice. His political record has ever been commendable. In office he is prompt, reliable and accurate in the dis- charge of his duties and he has won the ap- proval of not only his own party but many
of the opposition as well. He still has farm- ing interests in the county and is accounted one of the progressive and representative farmers and citizens of Greene county as well as a worthy member of an honored pioneer family.
GEORGE F. ROBINSON.
BY PROF. GEORGE S. ORMSBY.
Had the history of Greene county been written sixty years ago. the writer of it could have talked with the men who came here when the country was an unbroken wilderness, and when the Indian was the most numerous inhabitant.
In the year 1846 Henry Howe wrote a brief history of this county for his Historical Collections of Ohio. At that time some of the earliest pioneers were yet living and related some of the stories of the earlier days. In 1880 another history of Greene county was compiled, in which the writer of this brief notice prepared the history of the Virginia Military District of which this county formed a part .- the courts, court-houses and jails : also, quite a full political and financial history of the county. At that time there were a few men living who in their younger years had listened to the stories of the earl- iest pioneers and who could give much oral history of the earliest times. But when Mr. Robinson began his history, the most volum- inous and most complete yet written, all the old men of the olden time had passed away and he found his index facts on tombstones and in official records that had been buried in the dust of almost a century.
The history of a quiet individual, born
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
and reared in a quiet neighborhood, uncon- nected with any great state or county affair, must necessarily be brief, and such is the history of George F. Robinson.
He was born in Xenia, Greene county, Ohio, on the 8th of May, 1838. He was the only son of William C. and Sarah ( Fo- glesong ) Robinson, who came to Xenia from Lebanon, Ohio, prior to 1830. George F., with four sisters, constituted the entire family of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Rob- inson.
In the year 1838 Martin Van Buren had been in the presidential chair two years, and hard times were becoming harder every month. The country was full of useless bank paper ; and shin-plasters, so-called, were about the only fractional currency, and no one knew at night whether or not his shin- plaster currency would be current in the morning. The year 1840 ushered in what was called the hard cider and log cabin cam- paign, the most remarkable presidential campaign that has ever occurred in this country, at the close of which William Hen- ry Harrison was elected to the presidency of the United States. William C. Robin- son, the father of George, was a prom- inent Whig, and in this year was elected sheriff of the county, an office which he held until his death, in 1842. In 1840 George was old enough to see and to be de- lighted with the log cabins on wheels, drawn Sometimes by ten and twelve yokes of oxen. the hard cider barrel with gourd hanging by it, the coon skins, and the coons themselves climbing over it, but scarcely old enough to wonder at or appreciate the wonderful pag- eant. How much his childhood, his youth and early manhood were influenced by these scenes we do not know ; how much the twig is bent none can tell; but we do know that
when twenty-one years later the husband of a young wife and the father of his first child. now the wife of C. E. Arbogust, of Xenia, he heard the echoes of the guns at Fort Sumter: saw the cities and homes of the north as part of one great military camp; saw the starry flag unfurled over every pa- triot hamlet ; when he saw this great dra- matic pageant and saw the real peril of his native land he counted personal comfort, safety, social and domestic ties as light. when weighed in the balance with duty. He at once gave himself and his life to the gov- ernment. He enlisted in the Seventy-fourth Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Octo- ber 10. 1861, and was appointed corporal in Company D. December 30, of the same year. Austin McDowell was his captain and Granville Moody, the celebrated Methodist clergyman, was his colonel. The late au- tumn and early winter were passed at Camp Lowe, in Xenia. Subsequently the regiment was ordered to Camp Chase, at Columbus. In the early spring of 1862 it was ordered to the front and moved from Camp Chase to Nashville, Tennessee.
During the time of Mr. Robinson's serv- ice in the regiment there were neither battles nor skirmishes, but there were such severe marches and drills as intensified a natural weakness in one of his limbs and rendered him unable to perform the duty required. He was, therefore, on the surgeon's certifi- cate, discharged from the service July 10, 1862, nine months after his enlistment. There 'are those whose enlistment to real military service is simply an entrance to a grand frolic. They conceive of no danger till they hear the booming of cannon and the shriek of shell. Not so with a man of Mr. Robinson's temperament. When he en- tered in the service and gave his life for
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the time being to the government, he saw firmly, constantly or rigorously did task- clearly all the possibilities of that act. He saw the carnage of battle. "garments rolled in blood," possibly a desolate home, a wid- owed wife and fatherless child. The man who neither turns back nor hesitates at the view of such a picture is a hero. Such was George F. Robinson,-a hero though he saw neither a real skirmish ner a battle. At all times and under all circumstances he took a great deal of interest in everything that appertained to the soldier. He was at the time of his death, which occurred May 17, 1901, and had been for fifteen years, chaplain in Lewis Post. G. . 1. R.
Mr. Robinson's school education was ob- tained in the public school of Xenia. Ile passed through the lower grades and spent two years in the high school. A schoolmate and life-long friend was the millionaire lum ber dealer, Mr. Thomas B. Walker. now of Minneapolis, Minnesota. So far as prop- erty is concerned, the two boys were about equal during their school life: but that fin- ished. Mr. Walker found abundance of gokl in the pine trees of the northwest and Mr. Robinson found silver in small quantities at the carpenter's bench until about 1 year be- fore the war, when he engaged in farming. He left the farm to join the army, and after his discharge from the army he worked again at his trade, 'and continued this until he began compiling the work. "Roster of Greene County Soldiers." In order to make this roster complete he made a diligent search in the cemeteries for names of forgot- ten people. It was while thus searching that he conceived the idea of compiling that which has proved to be a monumental work. "The History of Greene County."
No sooner did he conceive the thought than the thought possessed him. No more
master ever hold slave to his work than this thought held Mr. Robinson to his, with this simple difference, that Mr. Robinson's work was to him a great delight. His daughter says of him: "He had a genius for this work : plodding day by day, patiently. si- lently, earnestly, he worked, diving deep into the old rubbish left by time. to ob- tain his precious treasure. With great fond- ness and pride would he survey his work when finished, relating to us how he ob- tained the smallest details. Ile simply would never give up. He would walk miles and hunt for days for a single fact. He sac- rificed everything, even his health and life to obtain the facts belonging to this history. He was intensely interested, and his energies were kept at their highest tension from the beginning to the end. Often he could not sleep until he had obtained the information desired. Often he would get up in the night and make a note of some thought that had occurred to him and frequently on such oc- casions he would write for two or three hours."
The writer, as before stated, having writ- ten a chapter in Greene county history, had on that account many interesting conversa- tions with Mr. Robinson. He found him always so full of his subject, and so intense- ly intersted in it, that it was very difficult for him to find any place to put a period to the conversation.
In the chapter of history referred to the writer had occasion to describe the original northern boundary of Hamilton county. which then contained all the territory of Greene county, as extending from "Stand- ing Stone Forks," or branch of the Big Miami to the Little Miami. But he was unable to locate "Standing Stone Forks."
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
He mentioned the difficulty to Mr. Robin- son, and the latter, after a few months' hunt- ing, definitely located the landmark.
Mr. Robinson was a member of the Unit- ed Presbyterian church, and was one of the first Sabbath school teachers in the O. S. & S. O. Home. He was a man of simple. childlike faith, of a happy, jovial disposi- tion, generous to a fault, and would give the last he had to one in need. Meeting with disappointments and losses, he was ac- customed to say: "It will all come out right; God knows best." He was twice married. His first wife was Miss Jennie Currie, who died July 8, 1873. Four of her children are still living. His second wife was Miss Mary Kyle. To them were born three children, all of whom are living.
It has been intimated that Mr. Robinson was a quiet man in a quiet neighborhood. but he will be remembered after the names of many who have made more noise and bluster have passed into oblivion. His his- tory is an enduring monument. It will rest in the relic room of the new court-house. which the commissioners have, at his ear- nest solicitation, set apart for the preserva- tion of matters of historic interest ; and thith- er the generations to come will visit, to read the story that the patient writer told after having rescued the materials and the facts from the dust of the century.
ANDREW JACKSON TOBIAS.
With the agricultural interests of Beav- ercreek township this gentleman has long been actively identified, and has materially aided in its upbuilding and development. He was born near Zimmerman, in that
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