USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio > Part 115
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B. F. HAWKINS.
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where he died at the advanced age of eigthy- four years.
In the family of Reuben and Lydia Hawkins were six children, but our subject, who is the eldest, is the only one now living. Joseph G., who was a member of Company D. One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infantry, during the Civil war, was killed at the bat- tle of the Wilderness, when twenty years of age. Mary E. became the wife of Preston Machael, who resides on the farm belonging to her father, and is an agriculturist and lumberman. She died in March, 1901, leav- ing two children. Jessie and Harry. Han- nah L. died at the age of fifteen years. Sa- ralı E. lived to the age of twenty-three years. James F., the youngest of the family, died in infancy.
B. Frank Hawkins has always resided in the locality which is still his home. He ob- tained his early education in district No. 1. in Xenia township, the school house lot hay- ing been given to the public for that purpose by his grandfather, Mounce Hawkins. After completing his studies our subject resumed the work on the old home farm, in which he still owns an interest, the estate having never been divided. He has also purchased a valuable farm of eighty-three acres, form- erly occupied by Davis Hawkins. Through- out his entire life our subject has carried on general farming and stock-raising, and in his work he has met with creditable and gratifying success. He makes a specialty of short-horn cattle, Poland China hogs and Percheron horses. In his political affiliations he is a Republican. He is a representative of early pioneer families of this portion of the state who from the time of primitive de- velopment here have been active in the work of progress and improvement, succeeding generations bearing their part in promoting the general welfare and upbuilding.
WILLIAM MUSSETTER.
William Mussetter is a venerable and re- spected citizen of Caesars Creek township. He was born in Berkeley county. West Vir- ginia, on the 18th of May, 1821, and has therefore passed the eighty-first mile-stone on life's journey. His parents were John and Anna Mussetter. The father was of Ger- man descent and the mother of French line- age, and were natives of Maryland, in which state they were reared and married. Subse- quently they removed to Berkeley county, West Virginia, and thence to Clinton county. Ohio, making their home in the village of Lumberton, where they spent their remain- ing days. The year of their removal was 1837 and the journey was accomplished by team. In their family were seventeen chil- dren, five sons and twelve daughters. One of the number died in youth, but the other sixteen reached years of maturity and four- teen of the number were married. Five of the family are yet living, three of them being residents of Clinton county, while one is in Kansas, and another, William Mussetter of of this review, is a valued resident of Greene. county. The father died in 1847 but his wife survived him for many years and at. the time of her demise was almost ninety years of age.
William Mussetter pursued his educa- tion in Virginia and remained with his fa- ther until the latter's death, after which he continued to live with his mother and her family for eighteen months after his mar- riage. That important event in his life oc- curred on the 11th of October, 1848, the lady of his choice being Miss Virginia Haughey, who was born in Jefferson town- ship, Greene county, on the Ist of February, 1829. She is a daughter of Andrew M. and Ann ( January ) Haughey. Her grandfather.
50
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Thomas Haughey, came to Greene county from Virginia at an early day and here . \n- drew M. Haughey spent many years of his life, dying in Bowersville. After residing for eighteen months in Clinton county, Ohio, Mr. Mussetter removed with his young wife to Greene county, settling in Xenia township, on the Jasper pike. where he rented a farm, which he cultivated for ten years. In the spring of 1860 he re- moved to his present home, which he pur- chased about that time, becoming the owner of one hundred and fifty-four acres, to which he has since added a tract of fifty acres, so that he now has a large and val- uable farm. The buildings upon the place have all been erected by him and are substantial structures standing in evidence of his thrift and enterprise.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mussetter have been born ten children, of whom eight are yet living. Amelia Ann is the wife of William Middleton, of Caesars Creek township. Clarissa is the wife of William Murphy, of the same township. Emily Jane is the wife of Isaac Wolf, of Xenia township, and they have five children .- Joseph. Lewis. Paul. Walter and Basil. The fourth member of the family of William Mussetter is Basil, who wedded Mary Pickern and resides in California. They have four children .- Raymond, LeRoy. An and an infant. Jo- sephine is the wife of Charles Pearson, of Florida, and they have five children .- Ed- na. Frank. Ralph. Forest and Eunice. Jo- seph married Sally Swope, and is living in Wilmington, Ohio, with his wife and two children, Viola and William. Ida May is the wife of Chester Ballard. a resident of Washington, D. C .. and their children are Joseph O .: Edith; Fe: Guy: Chester and Susan, twins. William E. married Maude
Hite. a daughter of William Ilite, and they have three children, Mary, Clara and Clar- ence. He is living with his father upon the home farm and now has the management of the property, carrying on general farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Mussetter is a well-to-do man and has made his own way in the world. start- ing out in life with nothing to aid him but a strong heart and willing hands. He de- serves all the success that he has won and to- day is the owner of a very comfortable com- petence. He is highly respected by all who know him, and his enterprise in business and loyalty in citizenship have made him a val- ued resident of the community.
JAMES R. ANDERSON.
James R. Anderson is a retired farmer living at Spring Valley. His life has been marked by industry. uprightness and fidel- ity to duty and he enjoys in a high degree the respect and confidence of his fellow men. He comes of good old Revolutionary stock, his paternal grandfather. John Anderson, having fought for the independence of the colonies, while his father. James Anderson, was a soldier of the war of 1812 and a pow- der-horn that he carried at that time is still in the possession of his son. John Ander- son died in this country and was buried on the home farm. three miles east of Spring Valley.
Our subject was born on the old home- stead April 10. 1833, and acquired a good common-school education in that neighbor- hood. When about twenty years of age he started out in life for himeslf and on the 7th of November, 1852, he was united in
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marriage to Miss Catherine Jay, a daugh- ter of Alexander and Margaret (Irving) Jay. The lady was born in Clinton county, July 5. 1834, and by this marriage there were two children: Ambrose and William A. The former is married and resides in the village of Spring Valley, while William A. is a resident of Colorado. Mrs. Ander- son died June 20, 1877, and on the 23d of January, 1879, Mr. Anderson was again married, his second union being with Anna Sanders, the daughter of Jesse P. and Cas- sandra ( Bell) Sanders. Her father's mat- ernal grandfather, Daniel Cain, was also a Revolutionary soldier and lived to the ad- vanced age of one hundred years, at which time he had but one tooth missing. He was buried about one mile north of Spring Val- ley, on what is known as the Benjamin Al- len farm. it having formerly been the prop- erty of Mr. Cain.
On both paternal and maternal sides Mrs. Anderson is descended from honored pioneer ancestry of this state. Her father was the man who invented and tried to op- erate the first reaper ever used in this coun- try. He pondered over the matter much. and as his time and money offered him the opportunity he worked out his ideas until in the little village of Bellbrook he had com- piled the first reaper ever seen in America. A local paper in speaking of this said: "On a bright July morning in 1844 the first reaper that was ever invented for cutting wheat, was taken from an old shop in Bell- On the maternal side Mrs. Anderson de- scended from Stephen Bell, the founder of the town of Bellbrook. He was born in the colony of New Jersey, August 18, 1774, and married Hannah Scudder, of Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, September 9. 1795. They had eleven children, including Cassan- brook and drawn by two sturdy horses up the hill past the schoolhouse, to the old Bell farm-now belonging to Jacob Haynes- and placed in a field of ripe wheat for its first trial. The new invention had quite a following that morning, some sharply erit- icising its merits, and the possibility of its der Bell. who became the wife of Jesse San-
failure of success, others were as sanguine as the inventor himself. The excitement was intense when the horses started the ma- chine around the field. the great wooden arm of the reaper rising and falling, and with every revolution drawing the grain down in the track of the reaper's teeth, leav- ing a wide strip of fallen wheat behind it, all ready to be bound in sheaf. The evening before a peddler had stopped at the village tavern, and when the little party left town for the wheat field. he sauntered along with them, eagerly watching the machine. and finally calling the attention of the inventor to certain defects in his plan, eagerly ques- tioning him as to the different points in its mechanism. as to whether patents were granted, etc. The people of the town did not suspect that the peddler had any ulterior motive. They were upright, honest people themselves, and did not think a man could possibly seek his knowledge for any dishon- est purpose, but when the next year the fa- mous McCormick reaper was patented and put upon the market, thus robbing Bellbrook and Jesse Sanders of fame and fortune. it was then that the people suspected that the peddler had stole his ideas from the scene which he witnessed in the harvest field that . clay. Mr. Sanders had expected to improve on the imperfections which he had noticed in the working of the machine, but had not the money to do it at that time, and thus the opportunity passed.
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ders and the mother of Mrs. Anderson. as his bond and at all times he has been The Bell family was one of prominenec in straightforward in his dealings with his fel- low men. His life is in many respects well worthy of emulation, and throughout the county he is widely known and honored. the community, actively identified with many lines of business, and one who con- tributed to the material development of the county. Jesse Sanders, at the time of his marriage, was engaged in the wagon-mak- ing business, but afterward he . removed to Spring Valley, where his wife died. Sub- ROBERT D. POAGUE. sequently he married a Mrs. Snodgrass and in 1881 removed to a farm near Tippecanoe City, where his death occurred several years ago. His daughter. Mrs. Anderson, was born April 23. 1839.
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Mr. Anderson carried on the grocery trade in Spring Valley from 1855 until 1857. after which he engaged in farming for a few years. During a part of the Civil war he served as an enrolling officer for Spring Valley township, being appointed by Governor Brough in 1862. In November. 1864. he enlisted for active service at the front as a member of Company G. One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Ohio Infantry. which went forward at the call for hundred- clay men. He was in the army about four months and participated in the battle at New Creek. He has also served his country in a civil capacity, having been constable and as- sessor of his township. In 1882 he was ap- pointed supervisor of the county infirmary. which office he resigned in the spring of 1800, and since that time he has lived a retired life, enjoying the rest which he has truly earned and rightly deserves. In his political affiliations he is a Republican. and fraternally he is connected with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Grand Army of the Republic. He holds membership in the Methodist Protestant church, and his life has been in harmony with his profession. His word is as good
Robert D. Poague is well remembered by many residents of Greene county for he was a representative farmer of this portion of the state. Washington said that. "Agri- culture is the most useful as well as the most honorable calling to which man devotes his - energies." and this is as true to-day as when uttered more than a century ago. Agricult- ure forms the basis of all business activity. and its representatives are usually men of worth, who, working in an even tenor. live an upright, honorable life. Such an one was Robert D. Poague, who was well known as a livestock dealer as well as a cultivator of the soil.
Mr. Poague was born on the 2d of Jan- uary. 1814, and was one of four children of Thomas and Margaret ( Boggs) Poague. llis father was born in Virginia, while the mother was born in Kentucky. It was in the year 1807 that the family was estab- lished in Greene county by the father of our subject who cast in his lot with the early settlers, at a time when this section of the state was upon the wild western frontier. lle aided in reclaiming the land for pur- poses of civilization and for years carried on steck-raising and farming with excellent success, being thus engaged at the time of his death, which occurred in 1816. Greene county thereby lost one of its influential and representative men.
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Robert D. Poague spent the years of his active life in Greene county, his birth having occurred on the old homestead there. After the death of her husband Mrs. Poague and her family returned to her father's home in Fayette county, Kentucky, and remained there until 1835. when after the education of her children and the arrival of Robert Poague at years of maturity she returned with her family to the old farm here. She died in 1860. Her son, Robert D. Poague, received good educational advantages at a private school and on his return to Greene county assumed the management of the farm of which he later became the owner, being one of the successful men of the day. He added to his possessions from time to time until at his death he was the owner of thir- teen hundred acres. He made a specialty of raising mules and found this a very profit- able source of income, having the largest establishment of this kind in this section of the state. He also carried on farming, his home being a few miles from Xenia, where he owned and operated five hundred acres of valuable land. He was progressive in his farming methods and his well tilled fields brought to him golden harvests. He purchased improved machinery and was not slow to adopt methods which he believed would prove of practical value in carry- ing on the farm work. Energy and indus- try were numbered among his salient char- acteristics and his well directed labors were crowned with a creditable degree of suc- cess.
It was on the 6th of January. 1846, that Mr. Poague was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Goode, a daughter of Burwell and Elizabeth (Smith) Goode, the former a na- tive of Virginia. Mrs. Poague still survives her husband and is yet residing with her
son, William T. Two other sons, James B. and Charles M., are both residents of Chi- cago, Illinois, while Margaretta, the only daughter, became the wife of T. J. Pringle. and died in 1881. Mr. Poague gave his po- litical support to the Republican party, hav- ing firm faith in its principles, and his re- ligious faith was indicated by his member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. He passed away in 1859, and the news of his death brought a feeling of sadness into many homes, where his sterling worth had gained him warm friends.
WILLIAM T. POAGUE.
William T. Poague, who resides in Xenia and is identified with agricultural in- terests in Greene county, was born on the old homestead, a few miles from the city, on the 3Ist of July, 1849, his parents being Robert D. and Mary E. (Goode) Poague. He attended the schools of Xenia and af- terward continued his education in Spring- field. His father having died when he was ten years of age, he returned to the farm with his mother and, being the eldest son, the management of the property devolved upon him. He continued the supervision of the whole farm until the estate was divided, after which he continued farming for him- self, having a very valuable tract of land of about four hundred acres. This hel has placed under a high state of cultivation and the well tilled fields bring to him golden harvests. His careful supervision is indi- cated by the neat and thrifty appearance of his place. He has been and is a successful man and well deserves his prosperity.
In 1890 Mr. Poagne took up his res-
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idence in Xenia, where he has since re- mained. In the 23d of October, 1884. he was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Steele and unto them has been born one son-Steele Poague. The lady is a daugh- ter of David Steele, a representative of one of the old families of the county. In his political views Mr. Poague is a stanch Re- publican and keeps well informed on the issues and questions of the day, but has never sought or desired political preferment and he has always found that his business demands the greater part of his attention. Throughout the community, both in the city and in the surrounding country. he is held in high esteem. He has always lived in Greene county and thus his history is large- ly familiar to many of its residents who know him to be a man of sterling worth. His business interests have been well con- ducted and his success is well merited.
WILLIAM MI. NEELD.
Neeld owes his success entirely to his own efforts and is to-day counted one of the most enterprising business men of Xenia.
Mr. Neeld was born in Spring Valley. Greene county, .August 10, 1849, and is a second son and child of Jason MI. Neeld, whose birth occurred in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. July 7. 1818. In the fall of 1839 the father came to Chio, settling in Spring Valley township. Greene county. Here he married Miss Susanna Allen, a na- tive of the township, and a daughter of Ben- jamin and Rebecca (Campbell) .Allen. the former born in Virginia and the latter in South Carolina. At an early date her par- ents came to this county, and here Mirs. Veeld was born April 2, 1818. From early youth until his last illness Jason 31. Neeld engaged in the manufacture of shoes. In politics he was a sturdy Democrat. and was known throughout the community as a man of industry and business integrity. Hle filled the office of township treasurer and at all times was a loyal and progressive citizen. In his family were three children : William M .. Benjamin F. and Mary E., but the last- named died at the age of thirty years.
If every young man thoroughly under- stood and believed what wise men and phil- William MI. Neeld was reared under the parental roof and acquired a good common- school education. At night and on Satur- days he worked with his father at the shoe- maker's trade, beginning his apprenticeship when but fourteen years of age, but the close confinement of the shop affected his health and in his sixteenth year he went to the farm, where he remained until nineteen years of age. He then returned to the vil- lage and although he had not yet attained his majority, he carried on his father's shop for a year. Afterward he became proprietor of a meat market, but when a few years had osophers are always pointing out-that suc- cess never comes to any one without great and persevering effort .- a multitude of fail- ures in life would be averted. and the world be a much happier place than it is to-day. In countless thousands of instances, espe- cially in the United States, where men are rated at their true personal worth, poor boys have risen to places of prominence and influence, because they were not afraid of work, and hard work, too, and because they were actuated by the commendable ambi- tion to do something and be something wor- thy of the respect of all mankind. Mr. passed he once more engaged in the man-
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ufacture of boots and shoes and extended the field of his business activity by engaging in.the sale of hats and caps. He was thus a factor in commercial circles of his native town for fifteen years, when he sold the es- tablishment to J. D. Moon, but a year later he again became owner of the same store. re- maining its proprietor until August. 1888. when he sold out to F. C. Carey. For two or three years prior to his retirement from merchandising he also carried on a livery and undertaking establishment and later he engaged in the brick business. Mr. Neeld closed out his business at Spring Valley in 1893. and removed his undertaking busi- ness to Xenia, locating on West Main street, and for the past eight years has occupied commodious rooms at 44 West Main street. He lias come to be considered one of the substantial business men of Nenia, giving his exclusive attention to the undertaking business. He has a pleasant home on Spring Hill. As the years have passed he made ju- dicious investments in real estate, thus be- coming the owner of valuable and desirable property. The characteristic of his busi- ness career is that he has carried forward to successful completion whatever he has un- dertaken, brooking no obstacies that could be overcome by earnest and indefatigable ef- fort.
On the 17th of November, 1880. oc- curred the marriage of Mr. Neeld and Miss Maggie E. St. John. a most estimable lady and a daughter of William and Martha ( Smith) St. John, of Caesarscreek town- ship. Four children blessed their union : Ralph M .. Edith, Paul and Charles. Mrs. Neeld belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Neeld contributes generally to its support. His political support is given to the Democracy. While a resident of
Spring Valley he served for ten years as a member of the school board and for four years was a member of the board of trustees. He was the originator of the movement to construct a township and cor- poration building in Spring Valley and as the result of his efforts the village now pos- sesses a fine three story brick structure. the lower floor being occupied by township and village offices and a store room, while the second is used as the township hall and the third floor is occupied by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. No man has con- tributed more largely to the progress and improvement of Spring Valley than has Mr. Neeld, not only through generous gifts of money but through untiring effort on its be- half and through the establishment of busi- ness interests has promoted commercial ac- tivity, which forms the foundation of pro- gress in all communities. He manifests a most unselfish interest in the general good and is highly regarded. His nature is kindly, his temperament jovial and genial and his manner courteous, and throughout this part of the county it would be diffi- cult to find one who has a larger circle of friends.
ALANSON REYNOLDS CRANDALL.
For many years this gentleman was prominently identified with the business in- terests of Xenia, but is now living a retired life, enjoying the fruits of former toil. He was born in this city in 1845 and is a son of Nickolas and Anner ( Brown ) Crandall. The father was a native of Connecticut, born in 1809. and when a young man left his New England home to launch out in busi- ness for himself in the far west, as Ohio
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was then considered. It was about 1838 dall to purchase the stock and the real es- that he took up his residence in Troy, this tate. By careful, unremitting attention to business, together with qualifications both natural and acquired, Mr. Crandall met with remarkable success as a merchant and was an artist in his business, being easily "the prince of Greene county clothiers." In 1892 he erected a handsome three-story business block on the site where he had done busi- ness for over thirty years. This was the first of the modern business blocks that have been erected in Xenia in the last ten years. In 1892 Mr. Crandall sold his interest in the stock to his partner and retired from busi- ness with a nice fortune to make comfortable Ins remaining years. In politics he is a Re- publican, and while not a member of any church organization his life has ever been -do right-do good, and his quiet charities will live long after what is mortal has passed away. state, and our subject now has in his pos- session a letter written by his father at that place in 1840, in which he says: "I am fore- man in building a court house in Troy. [ am getting good wages for these hard times -- thirty-five dollars a month-and have the whole charge of the work." For some time he was engaged in contracting and build- ing and assisted in the erection of the court house in Nenia in 1846, for which purpose he left Troy and located permanently in Nenia. His lumber yard, planing mill and residence occupied considerable ground on West Second street, between Galloway street and the Cincinnati road. After a useful and well spent life he died at this place in 1853. His wife, who long survived him, dying in Ohio in 1889, was born in Newburg. New York, in 1816, and removed to Troy, Ohio. with her parents about the same time Mr. Crandall located there, settling on a farm near that place. MOSES A. HAGLER.
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