USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio > Part 111
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dren : Elizabeth, who married Philip Paget and died leaving four children: Sarah, the wife of Silas De Witt, of Dayton, by whom she has four children: Martin, of this re- view: Jonas, who lives in Spring Valley: and Christopher C., also of Spring Valley.
U'pon the home farm our subject spent his boyhood days, receiving but a limited education for his services were needed in the cultivation of the fields. When about twenty-three years of age he was married to Miss Catherine Shook. Their son, Ly- sander, is manager of the stockyards of Day- ton. He is married but has no children. On the 6th of June, 1869. Mr. Peterson was again married, his second union being with Miss Nancy J. Evans, who was born in Spring Valley township, a daughter of Rob- ert and Sarah ( Coppock ) Evans. They
have one son, J. R. . Abert.
The first land which Mr. Peterson ever owned was a tract of ninety-six acres which he purchased of his father. To this he has added as his financial resources have in- creased until he now has two hundred acres of valuable and arable land that returns to him a good living as the result of his labors. The many improvements upon the place are monuments to his thrift and enterprise. In former years Mr. Peterson voted with the Democracy, but becoming disgusted with political methods does not vote at all now. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the German Reformed church and he is a deacon of the church.
ROBERT L. GOWDY, LL. B.
Robert L. Gowdy is one of the younger members of the Greene county bar but has already attained a position which many an
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older practitioner might well envy. He was born in Xenia township, this county, on the 24th of October, 1865. and is a son of Rob- ert and Emily ( Manor) Gowdy. His fa- ther was born in the city of Xenia, where the grandfather, Robert Gowdy, located in pioneer days, having come here from Vir- ginia in 1812, accompanied by his three brothers, John, Ryan and Samuel. They were the early owners of much of the land on which the business portion of Xenia is now located. The family is further men- tioned in the historical part of this work. The grandfather served as a captain in the war of 1812.
Robert Gowdy, the father of our subject, was a farmer and throughout his entire life carried on agricultural pursuits, own- ing a valuable tract of land adjoining the city of Xenia. During his later life he joined the ranks of the Republican party. On three different occasions he served as director of the county infirmary. He mar- ried Emily Manor, also a native of Xenia. His death occurred October 26, 1894, when he was seventy-five years of age, and his wife passed away in 1883 at the age of fifty- three years. Both were faithful and con- sistent members of the Presbyterian church of Xenia, in which Mr. Gowdy served as elder for many years.
Robert L. Gowdy, of this review, ac- quired his preliminary education in the city schools of Xenia and later was graduated in the high school, after which he assisted his father in the work of the home farm until he entered upon the study of law as a stu- dent in the Cincinnati Law School, now a department of the University of Cincinnati. He completed the full course and was grad- uated in the class of 1889 with the degree
of LL. B. In June of the same year he was admitted to the bar and then opened an office in Nenia, where he has since practiced. Like all men who enter the profession, he had to begin at the very bottom round of the ladder and work his way upward. He has gained an enviable reputation and the zeal with which he has devoted his energies to his profession, the great regard evinced for the interests of his clients, and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details of his cases have brought to him a large business and made him very successful in its conduct. His entire time is given to his law practice and his devotion to his clients' interests is proverbial. The past few years he has oc- cupied a pleasant suite of rooms in the Allen block.
Mr. Gowdy was united in marriage to Jessie M. Glotfelter, of Trebeins. Ohio, a daughter of W. H. Glotfelter, an old resi- dent of that place. The wedding was cele- brated on the ist of November, 1893, and has been blessed with one son. William H. The parents are members of the Presby- terian church, and Mr. Gowdy is a Repub- lican in politics, but has never been a poli- tician in the sense of office seeking although he served as city solicitor for two terms, filling the position from 1895 until 1899. He is a member of Xenia Lodge No. 49, F. & A. M. His social qualities render him popular, while his marked ability has given him prominence in his profession.
SYLVESTER GEORGE LAFONG.
Sylvester G. Lafong, now deceased, was throughout life one of the leading farmers of Beavercreek township, as well as one of
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its most highly respected citizens. AA native of the Old Dominion, he was born in Spott- sylvania county, Virginia, May 23. 1824. but was quite young on coming to Greene county, Ohio, with his father, George Ber- nard Lafong, the family locating on Lud- low creek. In that locality he received his education, and after leaving school worked for his father a number of years. He then engaged in farming on his own account. but still continued to reside with his father for some time.
On February 19, 1852, Mr. Lafong was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Lantz. a native of Washington county, Maryland, and a daughter of John and Catherine Lantz, the former of whom was born in Virginia. the latter in Maryland. She is the oldest in a family of six children, two sons and four daughters, the others being John Daniel. a resident of Beavercreek township; Cath- erine Jane, deceased: Jacob Louis, who lives about a mile from Mrs. Lafong : Mary Elizabeth, deceased: and Ellen, who lives below Xenia. No children were born to our subject and his wife.
.After his marriage Mr. Lafong con- tinued to work for his father for a number of years, and later engaged in farming in Beavercreek township on the farm where his widow now resides and which she pur- chased after the death of her husband. It consists of one hundred and sixty-two acres. which is under a high state of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. Mr. Lafong carried on general farming quite successfully, raising all kinds of grain, and also gave considerable atten- tion to the raising of cattle, sheep and hogs. The Democratic party always found in him a stanch supporter of its principles, but at
local elections he voted for the men he thought best qualified for the positions. He, with Mrs. Lafong, were long active and faithful members of the Lutheran church, in which he served as elder for a number of years, and at his death, which occurred in 1878, the community realized that it had lost one of its most reliable and trustworthy citizens as he commanded the respect and confidence of all with whom he came in contact either in business or social life. His estimable wife still survives him and is held in the highest regard by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. She has shown much business ability, having purchased the farm and carried on business successfully many years.
DAVID R. BREWER.
David R. Brewer, who resides in Xenia township, was born in Miami township on the 15th of February. 1846. and has always lived in Greene county. His parents were John G. and Sarah ( Miller ) Brewer. The paternal grandfather was a native of New Jersey and died in that state at the age of ninety-eight years. The father was born near Trenton, New Jersey, and there lived until he had attained his majority, when he came to Ohio, the state being largely an un- broken wilderness at that time. The year 1817 witnessed his arrival and he took up his abode in Greene county near Yellow Springs, where he worked at his trade of wagonmaking and carpentering. He also engaged in farming and continued to make his home at the first place of his residence in Greene county until 1872, when he removed
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to Xenia and leased a farm known as the Lucas property. There he carried on agri- cultural pursuits until his retirement from business life. He was a prosperous and progressive man, his business interests being capably conducted. In politics he was a Re- publican after the organization of the party and prior to that time he gave his support to the old Whig party. He held membership in the Presbyterian church, and died in that faith in 1884 at the age of ninety-three years. The mother of our subject departed this life in 1880 at the age of eighty-four years. She was a native of Rockbridge county, Virginia. Her father died when he was very young and in 1805 she became a resident of Ohio. Unto the parents of our subject were born nine children: George A., who resides at Westerville, Franklin county, Ohio, where he is engaged in car- pentering ; William, a farmer of Clifton, Ohio: Rebecca, who died about 1856: Paul- ine, the wife of C. H. Winters, a veteran of the Civil war, who is now .living retired at Yellow Springs: Charles E .. who was a farmer of Xenia township and died in 1893 : John G., a resident of Clifton, Ohio; Sarah. the wife of D. S. Dixon of Cedarville town- ship: Martha L., the wife of J. D. Heller. who is living in West Main street in Xenia : and David R. of this review.
The last named obtained his education in the common schools and in Antioch col- lege, where he remained as a student for two years. On' the expiration of that period he returned to the home place and has since de- voted his energies to farming and stock- raising. his well directed efforts in this di- rection bringing to him creditable success. The only interruption to his labor came in 1864, when, in response to his country's call.
he joined Company A, of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Ohio Infantry for service in the Union army. He remained with that command for five months and then re-en- listed, becoming a member of Company K. One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio In- fantry, with which he continued until the close of the war, when he was honorably dis- charged at Nashville, in September. 1865. During his services he participated in the battles of Moorefield, West Virginia, and of New Creek. He had three brothers who were also soldiers of the war, William H., John and Charles. John was a member of Company C, Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Charles served in Company F, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was attached to the army of the Potomac. The family therefore has a most creditable record for loyalty and fidel- ity to the country.
In 1884 Mr. Brewer was united in mar- riage in Xenia to Hannah A. Currie, a (laughter of James Currie, now deceased. He was a farmer of Sugarcreek township and was born in Greene county. In 1901 Mr. Brewer was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who died on the 27th of May of that year at the old homestead and was buried in Woodland cemetery, being at that time fifty-seven years of age. Two sons had been born of this marriage: Fred, who at the age of sixteen years is a student in the high school of Xenia; and Robert, a youth of fourteen years. Both were born in the Lucas farm in Xenia township.
In his political views Mr. Brewer is a Republican. He has never been an office seeker yet has served for eight years as county bailiff under Judge Smith. He holds membership in the First United Presbyter-
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ian church of Xenia, and is a citizen of worth, taking a deep interest in progress and improvement of the county along all lines of substantial development.
JOHN HAROLD STORMONT.
From Irish ancestry John H. Stormont is descended. Representatives of the name came from the Emerald Isle to the new. world and the family was established in the south. John Stormont, the grandfather of our subject, was born in South Carolina. and early in life engaged in teaching school. Emigrating westward he took up his abode in Cedarville township. Greene county. Ohio, where he engaged in farming. His son, James C. Stormont, was born in South Carolina, July 17, 1831, and by his parents was brought to Ohio when only a few months old. Here he was reared amid the wild scenes of irontier life, and after attain- ing his majority he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, purchasing all of the Stormont farm as it is at present with the exception of twenty-five acres which he in- herited. He lived in Cedarville township throughout the remainder of his days and there was accounted a successful and pro- gressive agriculturist. He erected a large and handsome residence, which is now oc- cupied by his widow, and made other sub- stantial improvements upon his place. Ile married Jane Bradfute, a daughter of John and Eliza (Laughead) Bradfute, both of whom spent their last days in Miami town- ship. Greene county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stormont were born two children, John H. and Lida, who died in 1887, at the age of
twenty years. The father was twice mar- ried. On the 24th of March, 1857. he wed- dled .Agnes McQuiston, and it was after her death that he married the mother of our subject. He was a very prosperous and en- terprising farmer and at the time of his de- mise was the owner of considerable prop- erty, all of which had been accumulated through his own efforts. Prominent and in- fuential in public affairs, he served for a number of years as a member of the school board, and was deeply interested in every- thing pertaining to the general good. He died October 23. 1877. With his wife Mr. Stormont was a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church, of which he was a trustee.
John Harold Stormont, of this review. was born in Cedarville township, on the old homestead, October 26, 1863, and to the district school system he is indebted for the early educational privileges which he en- joyed. Later he became a student in the high school of Cedarville and through the months of summer he assisted in the work of the home farm. He still resides upon the old home place with his family and with his mother. Here he owns eighty acres of rich land, and also has charge of and op- erates the old home farm of one hundred and five acres, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, the fields annually re- turning to him golden harvests for the care and labor he bestows upon them. Mr. Stor- mont has made the breeding and raising of red polled cattle a specialty and has about twenty head of registered animals in his herd. He was among the first to introduce them in this section of the state.
Mr. Stormont was united in marriage on the 20th of October. 1887, to Miss Ida
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Creswell. a daughter of Samuel and Eliza philosophy and the arts with the degree of Creswell. Four children graced this mar- A. B. in 1875. He spent a part of the fol- lowing year in Oberlin Theological Semi- nary in special study of the Semitic lan- guages and Hellenistic Greek. riage: Bertha. Edna, Mabel and Meryl, all of whom were born on the old home farm, and the family circle yet remains un- broken by the hand of death. Both our subject and his wife hold membership in the Reformed Presbyterian church, in which he has served as trustee for a num- ber of years. In his political views he is in- dependent, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business affairs without entering political life. He takes an active interest in educational affairs, however, and is now serving his second term as a member of the township board of education. He is still a young man and possesses strong en- ergy and laudable ambition. From his boy- hood days he has been connected with the work of cultivating and improving the property which is now his home, and is widely recognized as one whose labors are bringing to him a comfortable competence ..
PROF. WILLIAM S. SCARBOROUGH, A. M., LL. D.
William S. Scarborough, now vice- president of Wilberforce University, Wil- berforce, Ohio, and professor of Greek and Latin in the same institution, was born in Macon, Georgia, February 16, 1852. He received his early education in his native city before and during the Civil war. In 1869 he entered Atlanta University, where he remained two years in preparation for Yale University. but, instead, entered Oberlin College. Oberlin, Ohio, in 1871, and was graduated from the department of
In 1877 Professor Scarborough was elected as head of the classical department in Wilberforce University. In 1881 he pub- lished, through A. S. Barnes & Company (New York). a Greek text-book-"First Lessons in Greek"-the first and only Greek book ever written by a negro. This book was widely used by both the white and colored schools of the country, especially in the north. Professor Scarborough has also written a treatise entitled "The Birds of Aristophanes-a Theory of Interpretation. aside from numerous tracts and pamphlets, covering a variety of subjects-classical, archaelogical, sociological and racial. He has written many papers for various so- cieties to which he belongs. In 1891 he was transferred to the chair of Hellenistic Greek, Payne Theological Seminary. In 1897 he was again re-elected as professor of Latin and Greek in the university and vice president of the same.
He has contributed largely to the press of the country, including the leading maga- zines. He is one of the editors of the Afri- can Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school publications, having filled that position for a number of years. He is a member of a number of associations: American Philo- logical. American Dialect, American Social Science, Archaeological Institute of Amer- ica, American Spelling Reform. American Folk-Lore, American Modern Language, American Political and Social Science, the Egyptian Exploration Fund Association and the American Negro Academy, of
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which he is first vice president. He has on Thucydides. It is some of these papers several times been one of the orators at the that the professor intends to put into more tangible form for future use." Lincoin League banquet of the state of Ohio. At a conference held by the leaders of the race in the city of Columbus, Ohio, he was elected president of the Afro-Amer- ican State League, designed to further the interests of the negro throughout the coun- R. HARVEY NASH. try. Professor Scarborough has traveled extensively in Europe. He was a delegate to the Ecumenical Methodist Conference. held in London in 1901. representing the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
We take the following from the "New York Age." of July 18, 1902:
"While in Boston Professor W. S. Scar- borough, of Wilberforce University, was delightfully entertained by the colored grad- mates of Harvard University and Amherst College at a reception given in his honor at the home of Mr. G. W. Forbes, a graduate of Amherst. Speeches were made by Messrs. Forbes. Morgan, Trotter. Lewis, Williams and others eulogistic of the life and services of the professor in behalf of his race. The professor replied, thanking them for the honor conferred upon him. Next year it will be twenty-five years since Professor Scarborough first became con- nected with Wilberforce University as its classical professor and he intends to mark the event by publishing a volume of his philological papers. These papers have all been read before the American Philological Association at its various annual sessions. Twenty years ago Professor Scarborough was first elected to membership in this body at Harvard University. This year the as- sociation again met at this venerable scat of learning and by way of commemorating the event Professor Scarborough read a paper
R. Harvey Nash, who is filling the office of county commissioner in Greene county, and is a well known farmer of Cedarville township, was born on the 20th of March, 1851. his parents being John R. and Mary ( Jackson) Nash. At an early epoch in the history of this county the Nash family was founded here, and the father of our subject was here born. His parents were Hugh and Rebecca Nash, the former a native of Penn- sylvania and the latter of Ohio. Through- out his entire business career, the former followed the occupation of farming and at an early day established his home upon a tract of land in Greene county, which he transformed into a valuable property, be- coming one of the pioneer agriculturists of this portion of the state. It was upon the old homestead that John R. Nash first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 25th of May, 1828, and there amid the wild scenes of the frontier he was reared to man- hood, early becoming inured to the hard labor of developing a new farm. After ar- riving at years of maturity he was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Jackson, who was born in this county, January 28. 1832, a daughter of Robert and Minerva Jackson, the former born in Pennsylvania and the lat- ter in this state. Her father learned the miller's trade and also carried on farming. Mr. and Mrs. John R. Nash began their do- mestic life upon a farm and throughout his
R. H. NASH.
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active business career the father of our sub- ject continued to devote his energies to the tilling of the soil.
Under the parental roof R. Harvey Nasli spent the days of his boyhood and pursued his education in the schools of Xenia. The occupation to which he was reared he has always made his life work and his energy and diligence have resulted in bringing to him very desirable prosperity, while the neat and thrifty appearance of the place indicates to the passerby the careful supervision of the progressive owner. The lady who pre- sides over his home was in her maidenhood Miss Agnes G. Watt and their marriage was celebrated on the 28th of November, 1876. Mrs. Nash is a daughter of William Watt, one of the representative farmers of Greene county, who served for six years as county commissioner and was widely recognized as the leading and influential citizen. In early life he learned the carpenter's trade, but in later years carried on agricultural pursuits, devoting his attention to the work of the farm until his death. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Nash has been blessed with five chil- dren, of whom four are yet living: Herb- ert W., Walter L., Charles E. and William H. The family are members of the First United Presbyterian church of Xenia and in his political affiliations Mr. Nash is a Republican, having always supported that party since attaining his majority. On its ticket he was elected to the office of county commissioner on the 6th of November, 1900, and is therefore serving in that capac- ity at the present time. As a public official he is true to his promises and is most active and earnest in supporting every movement and measure which he believes will contrib- ute to the general good.
HARVEY R. MCCLELLAN, M. D.
For almost fifty years Dr. Harvey R. McClellan has engaged in the practice of medicine, the greater part of which time has been passed in Xenia. He is one of the hon- ored pioneer physicians and has the love, confidence and respect of many households throughout this portion of the state. In the early days of his professional career lie would drive for miles across the country, undeterred by summer's suns or winter's cold and always ready to render assistance to those who needed the physician's aid and never stopping to ask whether his services would receive financial remunerations. He is now engaged only in office practice, but still has the skill and ability which ranks him foremost among the leading physicians and surgeons of Greene county.
The Doctor was born November 27, 1827. in Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, his parents being John and Nancy ( Elder ) Mc- Clellan, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. The Mcclellan family is of Scotch-Irish lineage, while the mother was of Scotch descent. John McClellan, Sr., the grandfather of our subject, served in the war of 1812 and for many years was an enterprising farmer of Westmoreland coun- ty, Pennsylvania. John McClellan, Jr., the Doctor's father, became an agriculturist of Wayne county, Ohio, although at an early date he learned the blacksmith's trade. In 1831 he removed to Greene county, lo- cating in Xenia township, where he engaged in farming for many years. He reached the advanced age of eighty-five years, and his wife passed away at the age of eighty- eight. In their family were eleven children,
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of whom three are yet living: Rebecca Collins, who is the widow of Samuel Col- lins and is residing in Nenia at the age of ninety-one years : C. B., a retired dry goods merchant, who resides in Oskaloosa. Kan- sas, at the age of seventy-nine : and Harvey R., of this review.
In the district schools the Doctor gained his early education, which was supple- mented by study in the Shawnee Academy. of Nenia, where he took a course in class- ies and higher mathematics. On completing his literary education he began teaching school in Beavercreek township, but after a short time commenced the study of medi- cine, and in 1852 he entered the office of Dr. Samuel Martin, who directed his read- ing for three years. During the winter months he attended lectures in Starling Col- lege, of Columbus, Ohio, completing the full course, and was graduated with the class of 1854. He then began practice in Cedarville. but after two years came to Nenia, where he has remained for forty-six consecutive years. He has been alone during the tor was united in marriage to Miss Martha
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