USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County : together with historic notes on the Northwest, and the state of Ohio, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and all other authentic sources > Part 67
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I found the cave in the morning, and the first bone that I noticed was a piece of a human skull. I also found on this same morning, two humeri and one femur, which I supposed to be those of a small child. In the afternoon I took a basket and a lantern and went back to explore the cave, and found another femur and one tibia, which I also supposed to be those of a small child. I found three lower jaws, afterwards recognized to be those of the opossum by their having an inward process at the angle of the jaw; two skulls since found to be those of the mink, and one-half of a lower jaw or left ramus, since determined as that of a porcupine; also one sharp implement or awl, about six inches long, and made of bone.
On October 21, Denman Duncan and I took a lantern and trowel and went to the cave. We removed the stones from the entrance, and afterwards took out a large quantity of earth, in which we found the lower jaw, one tibia, two fibulae, and two teeth of a small child. We also found on this same day another implement of bone, similar to that above described; one polished stone hatchet or celt; one flat implement made of bone; also five bits of bone which had been cut round and then broken off.
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Again, on October 22, we took more earth out of the cave, and in it found one squamosal bone and two teeth of a child; one-half of a lower jaw or right ramus of a porcupine; one skull and lower jaw, which have since been recognized to be those of the ground- hog or wood-chuck; several fangs and lower jaws, since determined to belong to the rattlesnake.
On October 24 we took seives and began to sift the earth that had been taken out of the cave. This was a very slow process, but it paid us for our labor. We found on this day several fangs and many vertabrac of the rattlesnake, also the left upper permanent canine tooth of a child, which fitted in the empty socket of the jaw bone.
October 25, we again took seives, and found four human teeth and two large broken incisors of some rodunt animal, which have been since recognized as those of the beaver, and several fangs of the rattlesnake. We have also found parts of the skeletons of the opossum, rabbit, mink, musk-rat, etc.
The age of the child was obtained by the following evidence : When the first permanent molar tooth of a child is in its place, the child is six and one-half years old. The first permanent incisor is cut at seven years, and the second permanent incisor is cut at eight years. The first permanent molar teeth of the jaw that we found were a little worn ; this proves that the child was over six and one- half years old. The first incisors were in place, with perfect edges; this proves that the child was over seven years old. The second permanent incisors were just coming through the jaw bone; this shows that the child was under eight years of age.
BIOGRAPHIICAL.
John Cannon, shoe dealer, Yellow Springs, was born in Miami County, Ohio, on the 23d day of November, 1824, and is a son of Moses and Martha Cannon. His great-grandfather came from England in Lord Baltimore's colony; his father was a native of Maryland, and his mother of Pennsylvania, and Scotch descent. His father immigrated to this state in 1820, and his mother in 1810. They were married about the year 1821, and had a family of six sons and three daughters. John, our subject, was the third child, and was first married, January 31, 1851, to Miss Margaret A. Sheets, who bore him two sons, Peter B. and Charles F., and died
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in 1855. He was again married, to Miss Francis A. Johnston, daughter of Frederick and Mary Johnston, of this county, whose father lived until his one hundred and fourth year. Peter B., a son by his first wife, died in his third year. Nine children are the fruits of his present marriage : Lida B., John E., Martha J., Wal- ter L., Frederick W., Guy L., and George E., living; and Peter B. and Charles F., deceased. In July, 1862, he enlisted, and was made first lieutenant of Company C, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, and was mustered into the service October 3, 1862, at Camp Piqua, Ohio. Was in all the hard fought battles in which this old regiment engaged, such as the Wilderness, Winchester, Spottsylvania, Locust Grove, etc., and providentially got through without a wound. February 5, 1864, he was mustered out on ac- count of physical disability, and received an honorable discharge. He received his education in Miami and Clarke counties, where the greater portion of his life has been spent. Is a member of Osborn Lodge, F. and A. M .; and also, with his wife, is connect- ed with the Presbyterian Church. Is now engaged in the manu- facture of boots and shoes at Yellow Springs, and is doing a fair share of the business of the place; is a first-class workman, and deserves the patronage of the entire community. When others where at home enjoying the comforts of their firesides, he was fighting for the preservation of the government. Such men should never be forgotten.
D. K. Crane, baker and confectioner, born in Seneca County, New York, in the year 1839, son of Edward and Evaline Crane, natives of New York. Immigrated to Ohio about the year 1842, with a family of four children, and had five born to them after coming to Ohio. The subject of our remarks was married in 1861, to Miss Rena, daughter of Thomas D. and Nancy Gilman, of Waynesville, Warren County, Ohio. They have been blessed with a family of four children, two of them, Deloss and Cora, dead, and Clyde and Guy, living. He was among the men in time of the war, who drove Morgan, the guerrilla chief, from the soil of Ohio. Enough to show he was a lover of the old stars and stripes, and ready to take up arms for their defence. He is a member of Enterprise Lodge No. 280, Odd-fellows, of Westborough, Clinton County, Ohio, and also a member of the Methodist Church. He is now engaged in the baking and confectionery business at the "Springs," and is one of the leading men of the place, and has his full share of custom among the people of this county.
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Daniel S. Fundeburgh, constable, born in this county, on the 12th, day of November, 1818, is a son of John and Anna Fundeburgh. Ilis father is a native of Maryland, and his mother of Virginia. They immigrated to Ohio about the year 1791, with a family of seven children : five sons and two daughters. Our subject was mar- ried in 1856, to Miss Caroline Koch of this county. He is con- stable and marshal of Yellow Springs, an office he has filled for some thirteen years. He has always been a staunch Republican in polities, and has taken an active part in elections. When old . unele Abe was elected, he was one of the men who fired the cannon, and, in loading, the gun was accidently discharged and carried away his hand, a lasting remembrance of the election. He still holds the office of constable and marshal, and in all probability will for many years to come, as he is very faithful and fearless in the discharge of his duty. He received his education in this county, where his youth was spent, and in which he likely will end his days.
J. D. Hawkins, merchant, Yellow Springs, was born in Mary- land, April 25, 1832, and is a son of Abram and Anna (Kuhn) Hawkins, both natives of Maryland. They had a family of eight children, five of whom are living. The subject of this sketch came to Ohio in 1852, walking nearly all the way from Cumberland, Maryland, and after landing in Ohio, commenced working for Hon. Aaron Harlan, and cut and put up about three hundred cords of wood, the first winter in Ohio; he then worked in the warehouse of Stewart Brothers for one year, and on December 8, 1853, was married to Miss Louisa Baker, daughter of Isaac Baker, and niece of Brinton Baker, of Xenia, who bore him four children, all dying in 1863, within one week; their names were, Albert M., Anna E., Eddie W., and Harry. He enlisted in Company D, Captain Tully's Forty-Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel U. S. Gilbert, for three years, and was honorably discharged. Is a member of the Masonic order, and also of the Independent Order Odd Fellows. Voted the Democratic ticket in 1853-4-5; after that, when the Re- publican party was born, he has voted that ticket solid. Through his unswerving energy, faithfulness to business, and honest, square dealing, he has gained a reputation worthy the confidence and sup- port of all good, honest people. He is now engaged in the dry goods business at Yellow Springs, and is doing his full share of the business of the place. Hlas filled the office of corporation treas- urer for twelve years, and that of township treasurer for three
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years, and, in the writer's judgment, is to-day well qualified and worthy to fill any office in the county within the gift of the people.
Adam M. Holhut, butcher, Yellow Springs, was born in Europe, in the year 1855, and is a son of John and Ursley Holhut, both natives of Europe. Adam immigrated to Ohio in 1870, and landed in Hamilton County on the 18th of June, where he remained until he learned the baker's trade, which he followed for sometime, when he commenced the butchering business in Xenia, where he remained some seven months, and then went to Springfield, remaining some eighteen months, and then came to Yellow Springs, where he still resides. Was married November 10, 1880, to Miss Louisa E. Col- lier, daughter of David and Elizabeth Collier, of Yellow Springs. Is a member of the Catholic Church. Keeps a clean and inviting shop.
William S. Johnston, general business, Yellow Springs, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, in the year 1815, and is a son of Thomas and Margaret Johnson, the father a native of Maryland, and the mother of Virginia. They immigrated to Ohio in the year 1814, with a family of six children, three boys and three girls. W. S., the subject of our sketch, was married in 1836 to Miss Nancy A. Stevens, daughter of Andrew and Ann Stevens, of this county. His first wife died in 1853, by whom he had seven chil- dren : Margaret A., Joseph S., Andrew, Martha J., Abner, Wil- liam E., and Nathaniel. Was again married, in 1854, to Miss Jane A. Cameron, daughter of Eli Gaskil, of Clinton County, Ohio, and had two children by her, Emma May, now dead, and Josephine. He is a member of Yellow Springs Lodge No. 421, F. and A. M. He has been real estate and personal assessor for over nine years. Received his education in Greene County, where the principal part of his youth was spent. He is now on the shady side of life and is uncommonly active, with a whole-souled, lively and genial dis- position, that bids fair to carry him on for many years to come.
Samuel McCulloch, undertaker, Yellow Springs, was born in Clarke County, four miles east of Yellow Springs, in the year 1824, of Scotch-Irish parents, who came to Ohio that year. About the year 1836, our subject went with his parents to the farm, one mile east of Yellow Springs, which he helped clear and improve; then learned the trade of house carpenter, at which he worked until about 1850; then bought property at Yellow Springs, and worked at cabinet making and undertaking. About the year 1855, he
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built a residence and business house, which he till occupies. In that year he married Hannah Herick Blaisdell, who was born in the State of Maine. They have three children living: Samuel H., aged twenty-four, who has been in the employ of the Adams Ex- press Company for seven years, as messenger, and at present running from Kansas City to Puebla, Colorado; Archie, aged seventeen; and Mary, aged twelve. In 1857 our subject commenc- ed, in connection with furniture, the sale of clothing, hats, caps, ete., which he continued until called to go with the One Hundred and Forty-Fourth Ohio, one hundred day men. Leaving the store to take care of itself, he marched with the boys to defend his state. At the expiration of his one hundred days, he was drafted, but furnished a substitute. In 1867, he invented and patented the re- movable, auxiliary rifle-barrel, for single and breech-loading guns, which has met with great favor with deer hunters, and sportsmen generally. In politics, he is a Republican; in religion, he and his ancestors, as far back as can be traced, have been Presbyterians.
J. J. Mitchell, lumber dealer, Yellow Springs, was born on Clark's Run, six miles north of Xenia, in this county, January 11, 1844, and is a son of S. K. and E. A. Mitchell, both natives of this county ; our subject and his father being born in the same house. In 1877, he was married to Miss Sarah B. Beedle, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Beedle, of Troy, Ohio, one of Miami County's wealthy and most influential farmers, and one of the first families of the county. In 1862, he enlisted in the Forty-Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was assigned to Company D; after- wards enlisted as a veteran in the Eighth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, where he served until the close of the war, and received an honor- able discharge in April, 1865. He was captured at Beverly, West Virginia, on his twenty-first birthday, and marched by a circui- tous route, over mountains and streams, in order to avoid the en- emy, and arrived at Staunton on the 18th day of January, after a march of seven days; was kept a prisoner in an old log cabin, and the cold was so intense that he and his comrades were almost frozen. February 14th, he was paroled, and came home. He re- ceived his education in Xenia, and has spent nearly all his life in this county, and spent some six years as clerk of the "Indiana House." Mr. Mitchell and his wife are members of the Presby- terian Church. They have one child, Harry Kyle, a babe, the idol of his parents; and Lottie, Mrs. Mitchell's child by her first hus-
.
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band. Mr. Mitchell and his father are engaged in the lumber business, having one of the finest saw-mills in the state, and keep- ing on hand nearly a million feet of every description called for.
Daniel Taylor, stock dealer, Yellow Springs, was born in this county in the year 1840, on the 4th day of April; son of Isaac and Frances Taylor, the former a native of Ireland, the latter of Vir- ginia. Immigrated to Ohio about the year 1827, with a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters. Our subject received
his education in Ross Township, spending his youth on a farm known as the homestead Sanders farm, and in March, 1863, removed to Jamestown, and in the fall of 1866 left there and went to Ross Township, on a farm known as Smith's farm; and in 1868 to the John Makin farm, where he remained till the fall of 1877, when he went to Yellow Springs. He has filled the office of township treas- urer for four years in Ross Township. Is a member of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church. He was married in December, 1862, to Miss Elizabeth Davis, daughter of John and Elizabeth Davis, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Canada. Our subject has a. family of seven children, six sons and one daughter; John, Frankie, and Charles are dead; Jesse, Minnie, Jerry, and Edwin are now living. Mr. Taylor is now living at Yellow Springs, and dealing in stock, grain, and a general trading business, and is one who is be- loved by all who know him.
Professor J. B. Weston was born on a farm, about five miles from Skowhegan Falls, in Madison, Somerset County, Maine, July 6, 1821, living on the same until after he was of age. His great grand- father, Joseph Weston, who died from the effects of a cold, caught in assisting General Benedict Arnold to pass Skowhegan Falls, on his expedition to Canada, was one of the first settlers of the county, removing from Concord, Massachusetts before the revolutionary war. The descendants are numerous. Ex-Governor Coburn, of Maine, is one of the great grandsons. Professor Weston's father, Stephen Weston, was a farmer in moderate circumstances, and of very industrious habits. The son was brought up in the habits of the father. Ilis school district afforded usually only about two months' school in summer, and two in winter. The former he at- tended till he was eight years old, after which he worked in sum- mer, and attended the winter schools until he was fifteen, reading and studying at home many hours when boys usually were playing .. With the help of his father, who was a good school-teacher, he
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made excellent progress, and at the age of fifteen had studied everything in the curriculum of the public schools, and several branches besides. At seventeen, he had accomplished more of algebra than was usually required in colleges, Flint's Surveying, Bowditch's Practical Navigation, and had commenced the study of Latin. At that age he commenced teaching school, and taught every winter until he left the state, in the meantime attending the academy at Skowhegan, as he could be spared from the farm, until he was twenty-two, amounting in all to about one year of school. In this time he studied sufficient Latin and Greek to admit him to college, with French and other branches, equal to about a year of the studies of advanced classes. He was a member of the first Sunday-school and temperance society organized in his native town, and has been active in these causes ever since. In his fourteenth
year, he united with the Christian Church, of which he has always been a member. At twenty-two, under a conviction of religious duty, he decided to enter the ministry, and was approved by his conference. Neither his father nor himself having the means to enable him to prosecute a course of study at school, in accordance with the usage of his denomination, he entered at once on active ministerial life. He was settled first, in 1843, in West Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, where he remained a year and a half, during which, to fit himself the better for his work, he spent a time in Boston, studying Hebrew with Eli Noyes, D. D., and taking les- sons in elocution of James E. Murdoch. In 1846, he was made office editor and publishing agent of the Herald of Gospel Liberty, then published in Exeter, New Hampshire.
In the spring of 1847, he removed with the paper to Newbury - port, Massachussets. ,In 1848, he returned to Skowhegan, Maine, as pastor of the church, where he had spent much as his youth. In 1850, he was delegate from his conference, to the national conven- tion of the Christian denomination held in Marion, Wayne County, New York, and was one of its vice presidents. It was at this con- vention that the establishment of Antioch College was decided on, in the movement for which he had taken an active part. Thẻ spring following, he was employed as agent, to raise money in New England for the proposed college, resigning his pastorship at Skow- hegan for this purpose. He paid into the treasury the first hun- dred dollars towards founding the institution, and still has the receipt. After a year spent in this work, in April, 1852, he was
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called to be pastor of the Christian Church in Portland, Maine, where he remained till October, 1853. Along with his active public life, Mr. Weston had continued his classical studies, Hebrew and German, as far as practicable. In 1849, he was married to Miss Nancy McDonald, who in younger life had been his school-mate, and who, as a wife, entered with earnestness into all his plans and labors. His salary for the first eight years of his public life, would now be considered a mere pittance ; but with close frugality, he made it serve the purpose of life, and furnished him some means of im- provement.
Simultaneously with the opening of Antioch College, under the presidency of that prince of educators, Hon. Horace Mann, (Octo- ber, 1853,) came the close of his engagement at Portland. On the advice of many friends, strongly seconded by that of his wife, he determined to come to Yellow Springs, Ohio, and complete a col- legiate course at Antioch. He was then thirty-two years old, and had been ten years in public life. His plan was to spend four years at Antioch, and then return to New England. He arrived in Yellow Springs, early in November, and entered the first fresh- man class of the college. The next term after his arrival, he was engaged by Mr. Mann to teach one of the classes of the prepara- tory department. He kept a good rank in his class, in the studies of the regular course; took, besides, most of the studies of the elective course, and taught one class daily, every term but one, during his entire course. He was also an active member of the Christian Association, and of the college choir. In June, 1857, he was graduated with the first class; and, on the advice of President Mann, was immediately appointed principal of the preparatory de- partment. Since that time, his life has been identified with that of the college. He held that position during the presidency of Mr. Mann, and Dr Hill. From 1862, when the faculty resigned, and, for three years during the war, the college department was suspended, he was designated to carry on the school, on his own responsibility. This he did, keeping up most of the college classes, and making the institution support itself. On the endowment and resuscitation of the college, in 1865, he was made Professor of Greek, which chair he has since held; doing work, however, in various other departments, as the history of the college will show. In 1868, his first wife died, and in 1860 he was again married. His second wife was his class-mate, Miss Achsah E. Waite, of Chicago.
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She has been his hearty and efficient co-worker, in his home and in the college, having been one of the corps of instruction in An- tioch, almost constantly since their marriage.
Charles Winter, ex-postmaster, was born in this county, in the year 1834, on the 25th day of December, and is a son of John and Nancy Winters, of Ohio; who came from Virginia, and had a fam- ily of seven sons and two daughters. Charles H., the subject of our remarks, was married on the 5th day of June, 1857, to Miss Paul- ine G. Brewer, daughter of John G., and Sarah Brewer, of this county. They have had five children : Allie, Georgia, and Clara, de- ceased; and the two living, Lillie L., and Frankie, are bright, stud- ious children. When the war broke out, he enlisted in Company F, Captain Aaron Spangler, in the One Hundred and Tenth Regi- ment, under Colonel J. Warren Keifer, and was with that glorious old regiment in nearly all its hard fought battles; some of which are the battle of Winchester, Virginia, Locust Grove, the Wilder- ness, Spottsylvania, and a great many others. He was wounded in the last named battle on the 12th of May, 1864, by a shot striking him in the foot, which, to save his life, was amputated just above the ankle. After the close of the war, he was appointed post- master at Yellow Springs, which position he filled for some ten years; in the meantime, accumulating good property in the place. He now is engaged in keeping a boarding house, both for home and transient custom, and the writer can testify to it being a first- class place to stop : as Mrs. Winters a woman among a thousand adapted for the place, making every one feel at home, and is accom- odating beyond a fault. Mr. Winter is also engaged in conveying goods to all parts of the city, and is doing good financially; as we are glad to see of all our soldiers, who were unfortunate enough to loose a limb in the service of our glorious old country.
BATH TOWNSHIP.
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This township is located in the extreme northwestern part of the . county, in township 2, range 8, and is bounded on the north by Montgomery and Clarke counties, on the east by Miami and Xenia Townships, on the south by Xenia and Beaver Creek Townships, and on the west by Montgomery County. Beaver Creek has its source in section fifteen, thence flows southwardly, entering Beaver Creek Township. A small creek runs diagonally across the north- western part. Another creek has its origin in the northwest quar- ter of section three, flows southwestwardly to the southwest quarter of section nine; thence in a northwestern direction to section six- teen ; thence southwest, forming a pond just east of the village of Fairfield. From this pond the water is conducted by an artificial. channel to the southwest corner of the township. These streams
and their many tributaries, which owe their origin to the numerous springs, supply the demands of agriculture and manufacture. The surface is generally level, interspersed with knolls and mounds, of which Reed's Hill, located in the center of sections fourteen and fifteen, is the most conspicuous. The soil is fertile and productive, as is attested by the large grain shipments. The Cleveland, Colum- bus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroads, running almost parallel with each other, cross the township on the west, beginning at a point one mile east of the center of the northern boundary, and running diagonally to a point one mile north of the extreme southwestern corner, they furnish the necessary transportation, and add to the general development of the community. According to the census, the population in 1870 was 2,684; in 1880, 2,603.
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