USA > Ohio > Guernsey County > History of Guernsey County, Ohio, Volume II > Part 21
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Mr. Reasoner is a member of the Masonic order, Cambridge Lodge. also a member of Red Prince Lodge No. 250, Knights of Pythias, at Byes- ville. He is a Republican in politics, his ancestors being Republicans from the birth of the party in 1856. He has been active in public matters, was mayor of Byesville for four years and a trustee of Jackson township, and a member of the Byesville board of education for some years and has always been active in educational matters. In 1910 Mr. Reasoner was appointed justice of the peace. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Reasoner is a Christian Scientist, being a member of the mother church at Boston. The Reasoner home is at No. 230 North Sixth street, and is prominent in the social life of Cambridge.
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HENRY H. WILSON.
The name of Henry H. Wilson is too well known about Byesville and generally throughout Guernsey county to need any special laudation on the part of the biographer, for his career, which has been a busy and upright one, is familiar to our readers, none of whom, we are sure, could or would say aught disparagingly against him.
Mr. Wilson was born two miles from Byesville, in May, 1847, and he is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Witten) Wilson, the former born in Pennsylvania, near Peyton's Monument, about 1804. His father, Samuel Wilson, Sr., and his mother, Eliza (Dickinson) Wilson, came here from Pennsylvania very early in the nineteenth century, prior to 1804, and lo- cated near Middleton. The Indians acted somewhat hostile at their intru- sion and the mother went back to Pennsylvania for safety and while there Thomas Wilson was born. She made the entire return trip to Ohio on horse- back, carrying her six-weeks-old baby. Here the grandparents spent the rest of their days. Their family consisted of five children: Henry ; Samuel; Jane is the wife of Philip Shoff; Zachariah died when twenty years old, and Thomas. When the last named child was two years old, he was stolen away by squaws, when his father was absent from home and endeavored to induce the mother to come into the woods after him, but she pretended as though she thought they were playing and remained within doors, and the Indians finally returned the baby to the house before the arrival of the father. Fol- lowing is an incident illustrative of the rough pioneer life as given by Grand- father Wilson: A bully visited his cabin early one morning, determined to fight, for no reason other than to prove who the best man was. Mr. Wilson wanted to talk the matter over, but the intruder wanted to have it out at once. Grandmother Wilson encouraged her husband to "wade into him," and seized a butcher's knife and cut off his hair, which was worn long as was the custom of those days, so that the visitor could not pull it out and thus have the advantage. Needless to add, the bully was bested in the melee. Samuel Wilson was in the war of 1812 and, in company with a friendly Indian, acted as a spy three months during that war and rendered valuable service, mak- ing many perilous trips, during which, at times, they were nearly starved, following trails with no food. After the close of that war the old man and his good wife spent the balance of their days in Guernsey county.
Thomas Wilson, father of the subject, grew up in this county and entered several pieces of land from the government. Taking a fancy to one particular tract, which was wanted by others, and, having no money, he rode sixty-
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five miles to the home of a relative down on the Ohio river and got the money, rode home, changed horses here and then rode to Zanesville, securing the land. He followed farming near Byesville all his life. He was also a fore- man on the famous National pike east of Cambridge. He was a man of a great deal of natural ability and tact, although having scarcely any schooling. He dealt extensively in livestock, trading a great deal and could mentally figure what amount of money was due, before others could make the calcula- tion on paper. He lived to be about eighty years old, dying June 14, 1884, his wife having preceded him to the "narrow house" two years before. They were a grand old couple and highly respected by all.
Henry H. Wilson, of this review, was one of a family of thirteen chil- dren, of whom five lived to maturity, namely: Mrs. Rachael Riddle, now living about a mile from Byesville; Mrs. Sarah Selby, deceased; Mrs. Lizzie Crowe, deceased, who formerly lived at Glenwood, Noble county, Ohio; Mrs. Malinda J. Forbes, of Byesville, and Henry H., of this review.
The subject grew to manhood on the farm near Byesville. Toward the close of the Civil war he enlisted in the one-hundred-day service ; being then, however, only a boy, his father took him out of the service. He has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and has been very successful. In December, 1865, he married Amanda Orr, the daughter of Josiah Parker Orr and Sarah (Burt) Orr. Her father was born in New York city, February 19, 1823, and there grew to manhood. He was the son of Watson and Lavina ( Wheeler) Orr. Watson Orr was born on February 27, 1780, and his wife on January 7, 1788. Josiah P. Orr came to Jackson township, this county, in an early day and on October 12, 1847, married Sarah Ann Burt, daughter of Daniel Burt. Joseph P. Orr located at the northwest corner of what is now Byes- ville when it was all a wilderness. There he made his home and reared his family of five children, of whom Mrs. Wilson was the first in order of birth.
Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Wilson : Lizzie married Silas Conner, of Byesville; Lennie married Edwin Finley, cashier of the First National Bank of Byesville ; she passed to her rest on July 5, 1907.
Most of Mr. Wilson's life was spent on the old homestead south of Byesville. About 1885 he moved into Byesville, where he now resides in a comfortable and neatly kept home ; however, he has retained his farm, which is highly improved and is a very desirable property. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Byesville and has been financially successful in his life work, having been a very good manager and industrious. Politically, he is a Republican, as was his father, and he has held various township offices. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant church. He is one
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of the best known and most substantial and highly respected of Byesville's citizens. He, his parents and grandparents, consecutively, have made this vicinity their home for more than a century, during which time they have done much for the general upbuilding of the locality and have borne untarn- ished reputations. The same land has been owned by this family for nearly one hundred years.
D. DILLON MARSH.
One of the representative citizens of Byesville, D. Dillon Marsh, has won definite success in life because he has persevered in the pursuit of a worthy purpose, gaining thereby a satisfactory reward. He has never been found wanting in the support of such measures as were calculated to make for the general good in his locality and he bears a reputation for square dealing among his fellow men.
Mr. Marsh was born on August 31, 1850, on the farm of Daniel Bichard, four miles north of Cambridge, Ohio. He is the son of Abraham and Mary A. V. ( Bichard) Marsh ; the father, it is believed, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, and the marriage of these parents occurred on May 13, 1847. Abra- ham Marsh was the son of Jonathan and Lavina (Jones) Marsh. The latter was of Welsh descent, while the Marshes are of Irish descent, the father of Jonathan Marsh having come to America from near Dublin, Ireland. His father, Jonathan's grandfather, was an extensive land owner near Dublin. He had a large number of men working for him, one of whom imposed on him and in the melee Marsh injured him so severely that the bully was apparently dead. Fearing so, Mr. Marsh fled to America to escape answering to the charge of murder; though the man recovered, Mr. Marsh remained in America. Dillon Marsh, an uncle of the subject, died in 1909 at Logansport, Indiana, and it was for him that the subject was named. Abraham Marsh was a farmer and shoemaker and he won quite a reputation as a skilled maker of boots and shoes. In 1860 he moved to Cambridge, where he followed his trade until his death, on March 26, 1893. The death of his wife occurred on February 25, 1910, at the advanced age of eighty years ; she had been making her home with her daughter, Maggie, wife of George Sarchet, at Byesville. Mary A. V. Bichard was the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Ferbrache) Bichard. The father was born in the isle of Guernsey, in 1798, was left an orphan and when about six years of age was brought to this country by the Sarchet family. Mary Ferbrache was four years old at that time and she was brought over on the same ship on which sailed her future husband, hav-
D DILLON MARSH.
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ing accompanied her parents to the United States. She was the daughter of Daniel and Judith (Sarchet) Ferbrache, and was one of five children, born on the isle of Guernsey, in the English channel. The family came to America about 1806; they were of French Huguenot descent and natives of the isle of Guernsey. Three children were born to them after they came to America, one of whom was Dr. David Ferbrache.
Daniel Bichard grew to maturity in the Sarchet family and his one hun- dred and sixty acres of land four miles north of Cambridge was bought from the government at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. He was a justice of the peace for a number of years, and he farmed on the place mentioned above until his death, on May 4, 1872, at the age of seventy-four years ; his wife died on February 9, 1879, when seventy-six years old. Mary A. V. Bichard grew to maturity on her father's farm and lived there until after her marriage. Grandfather Bichard was a very religious man, a class leader in the Methodist church. His wife, who was known as a splendid cook and a good woman, delighted in waiting on the subject when he was a boy and he spent much of his time at the home of his grandparents. The subject's par- ents were members of the Methodist Protestant church, the father being a trustee in the same.
With the exception of two or three years Dillon Marsh has lived in Guernsey county all his life. He attended high school at Cambridge. In 1874 he was married to Matilda Randles, of Jackson township, and this union resulted in the birth of two children, William A. and Rosa L. ; the former re- sides in Cambridge, and the latter, who married Joseph Creighton, deceased, is also living in Cambridge, and has one son, Byron. Mr. Marsh was again mar- ried to Emma A. Bonnell, of Adams township, this county, who died without issue about two years after her marriage. The third marriage of Mr. Marsh was to Mrs. Maranda J. (Dugan) Dawson, of Wheeling township, in July, 1889. She was the daughter of William and Hannah Dugan. Her grand- father, Francis Dugan, was a pioneer in this county, as was also her mother's father, David Wolgamott. Francis and Nancy Dugan were natives of Ire- land and there they were married, emigrating to America in an early day and taking up government land on Bird's Run, this county. David Wolgamott was born in Germany and he came to Wheeling township, where he entered land and had a good farm. Mrs. Marsh's first husband was Thomas D. Daw- son, whose death occurred about 1887, leaving three daughters: Sarah, wife of Roy Dallas, of Cambridge; Emma, wife of Oscar Wigfield, lives in Tus- carawas county ; Bertha E. is the wife of George Hilderbrand and lives in Byesville.
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While a young man Mr. Marsh worked on the railroad at civil engineer- ing under Charles Gould and later under William Carlisle. While working in the engineering corps he took up the study of civil engineering and followed the railroad branch of it. Later he took up the study of mine engineering for the coal mines near Byesville and for fifteen years was with the Cambridge Fuel Company, also their successors, the Wills Creek Coal Company, and he also worked for a number of other coal companies, continuing with much suc- cess in that line of endeavor until 1907 when failing health compelled him to retire. He has also done a great deal of surveying, especially laying off towns and additions to cities. He has surveyed a very large portion of the addi- tions of Byesville.
In his younger days Mr. Marsh was an ardent Republican, but in late years he is more inclined to be independent. He was mayor of Byesville for two years and gave the city a most praiseworthy administration. Since be- coming a mining engineer he has accumulated considerable property in Byes- ville, business and residence, also coal lands. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his wife belong to the Methodist Protestant church, as do his daughters, Sadie and Bertha. He has served as superintendent of the Sunday school. He takes an abiding inter- est in the material, moral, educational and religious progress of the com- munity and county and lends his aid to all worthy movements. He is quiet, unassuming, but friendly and generous, so is well liked by all who know him.
SAMUEL M. JOHNSON.
We admire a man like Samuel M. Johnson, of Fairview, Ohio, for he has shown what honest, earnest, hard work can accomplish, although com- pelled to hew his own fortune from the obstacles that beset his way, finding pleasure in mounting the ladder of success round by round to the summit.
Mr. Johnson was born October 22, 1864, on a farm one and one-half miles south of Fairview, the son of Fred and Provy J. (Campbell) Johnson. The father and mother were both born in Belmont county, Ohio, near the Guernsey county line, and were married while residents of Belmont county. The father had been a farmer and grain dealer in Barnesville and on the old home in Oxford township, where he operated a flouring mill for many years. He was always an active business man and did an extensive grain business at Barnesville in addition to his farming interests and was a successful business
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man. He is a Democrat in politics, but not active, though always a voter and interested in public matters. In the fall of 1907 the parents left the farm and removed to Fairview, where Mr. Johnson now lives a retired life. In his parents' family are eight children, seven sons and one daughter, namely : William E. is on a farm in Oxford township; Samuel M., the subject of this sketch; George W. is captain of police on the Grafton division of the Balti- more & Ohio railroad, located at Grafton; Fred H. is a farmer in Oxford township; Frank, of Wheeling; Herman, in Cambridge: Thomas E., of Col- orado Springs, Colorado; Alma E., now Mrs. William E. Slasor, of Avalon, Pennsylvania.
The son, Samuel M., spent his childhood and youth on the farm and his early education was obtained in the country district schools, and later attended Muskingum College at New Concord, Ohio, during his vacations teaching school. He was a popular teacher in the schools of Guernsey and Belmont counties for six years. In March, 1889, he was appointed deputy county auditor and served nearly six years. He began a course of reading law, while teaching and while deputy county auditor, he completed his law studies with Judge Justus H. Mackey, of Cambridge, and was admitted to the bar in October, 1891. He began the practice in Cambridge and remained there for a number of years, but failing health necessitated his giving up the practice. In the fall of 1896 he established the Cambridge Daily Sun and published the daily and weekly editions, which he continued for eighteen months, when he sold out on account of ill health and returned to the country and has since lived in Fairview practicing law, and temporarily has been interested in various business enterprises. He is a Democrat in politics and has always been active in party affairs. Being a Democrat in a strong Re- publican county, he has never held any office. In 1893 he was the Demo- cratic candidate for mayor of Cambridge and was only defeated by ten votes in a city giving nine hundred Republican majority. He has been a solicitor of the village of Fairview for several years and in 1910 was land appraiser for Fairiew corporations. He is now and has been for a number of years a member of the Fairview board of education.
Mr. Johnson was married on March 8, 1888, to Letta I. Smith, daughter of Thomas and Mary G. (Gracey) Smith, a prominent family of Fairview. To this union have been born three sons and three daughters : Carl M., a clerk in the auditor's office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Pittsburg ; Martha G., Marion C., Claire A., Theodore S. and Thomas F.
Mr. Johnson is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his family are members of the Methodist church: Mr. Johnson is presi-
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dent of the board of trustees and he and his wife are active in church and Sunday school work. Mr. Johnson is also chorister of the church choir. Mrs. Johnson is active in the work of the different church societies and the Johnson home is prominent in the social life of the community.
GEORGE S. TRENNER.
Persistently applied energy and concentration of purpose rarely fail of success in the accomplishment of any task, however great, and in tracing the useful and interesting career of George S. Trenner, the able and popular president of the First National Bank of Byesville, and one of the most influ- ential citizens in financial, civic and social circles in Guernsey county, it is plainly seen that these and other commendable attributes have been the secrets of his rise to a position of prominence and respectability. Being a public spirited citizen, he withholds his support from no movement intended to pro- mote public improvement. What he has accomplished in life proves the force of his character and illustrates the steadfastness of his purpose, his secure position of credit and honor in the business circles of this locality being the direct outcome of his own worthy labors; however, he is plain and unassum- ing, and is therefore esteemed by all who know him.
Mr. Trenner was born in Valley township, this county, in 1845, being the representative of an excellent and prominent old pioneer family, the son of John F. and Mary (Sallady) Trenner, the father also born in Guernsey county on the old Trenner homestead in Valley township. He was the son of Henry and Sarah (Frye) Trenner, who came from near Winchester, in the Shenandoah valley, taking up their abode here about the close of the war of 1812, he having served as a soldier a short time in that war, and his brother also fought in that struggle. Henry Trenner's father emigrated to America from Germany during the Revolutionary war to fight for the British, but after reaching this country he decided to cast his lot in with the Americans and joined the patriot army and he lost part of a foot by being wounded in that conflict. He made his home in Virginia, finally moving with his son, Henry, to Guernsey county, Ohio, where he soon afterward died. They en- tered about two hundred and sixty acres from the government, of which the greater part is still in the possession of the Trenner family, having never been in other hands. Thus members of this sterling family have been well known in the various walks of life in this county from the days of the earliest settler,
GUERNSEY COUNTY, OHIO. 645
and useless to add here that they have performed well their roles in the drama of local civilization.
When George S. Trenner, of this review, was five years of age his father and family moved to Blackford county, Indiana, and lived there four years, then returned to Guernsey county, making their home in Valley town- ship until 1865. In that year they bought a farm on the north side of Byes- ville, the north line of the city touching the same, and there the subject grew to manhood and his parents spent the balance of their days, the father dying in 1906 and the mother in 1894. John F. Trenner was a man of many praise- worthy characteristics and was a man of influence in his community, his sense of honor and integrity being above reproach and he was widely known and highly respected. He devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. He and his wife belonged to the Lutheran church.
George S. Trenner received a good education in the local schools and after he grew to maturity he followed farming and when about thirty years of age became the owner of a good farm of his own and at one time owned about two hundred acres of valuable land; but notwithstanding the fact that he was successful as a farmer, his inclination seemed to lean strongly to business and he launched out as a hardware merchant in Byesville, about 1890, and successfully maintained a store for seven years, having bought out the store owned by Burt & Hoopman. Part of the time he and John Bliss were partners, but two or three years later he purchased the interest of Mr. Bliss and conducted the business alone, selling out about 1897 to L. S. Reas- oner, of Cambridge. He then devoted his attention to his extensive farming interests and dealt some in real estate. He assisted in the organization of the First National Bank of Byesville, which began business on February 4, 1901, and from its organization to the present time he has performed in a most faithful and able manner the duties of president, giving the utmost satisfaction to stockholder and patrons, and, by his indomitable energy, busi- ness sagacity and keen foresight, has built up one of the most popular and sound institutions of its kind in this section of the state, whose standing and general prestige in the world of industry is second to none. The other offi- cers of the bank are : John A. Thompson, vice-president ; E. P. Finley, cashier ; W. A. Thompson, assistant cashier; directors, H. H. Wilson, George S. Trenner, John A. Thompson, John W. Thompson, W. H. Wilson and E. P. Finley. Following is a partial statement of the condition of this bank on June 30, 1910: Loans and discounts, $114,986.81 ; banking house, furniture and fixtures, $5,500; total resources due from various banks, notes, checks, United States bonds, specie, currency, etc., $223,681.26. Liabilities, capital
-
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stock, paid in, $25,000; surplus fund, $14,000; undivided profits, $456.42; national bank notes outstanding, $7,500 ; individual deposits subject to check, $153,949.39; demand certificates of deposit, $22,275.45; bonds borrowed, $500 ; total, $223,681.26.
In the month of November, 1874, Mr. Trenner was married to Lucinda Jane Grant, who was born in Hartford county, Maryland, and she was the daughter of a fine old family, William M. and Catherine (Rogers) Grant, and she herself a lady of culture and talent. Her family emigrated to Guernsey county about 1856, and located at Byesville, where Mr. Grant maintained a store until his death, and where also occurred the death of Mrs. Grant. The father was of Irish descent, although born in America, while Mrs. Grant was of Scotch descent. Mr. Grant maintained in Byesville a general store, going into business soon after coming here and was actively engaged for twenty years, having had a place for distributing the mails in connection with his store. He spent the last few years of his life in retirement; he was very successful in his vocation and became a man of influence and held a number of public positions, having been township treasurer for many years, also school director of the township, and he and his wife belonged to the Methodist Protestant church of Trail Run. The death of this excellent citizen occurred in 1885. having been preceded to the grave by his wife on March 18, 1878, when she was sixty years of age. She was an active and faithful church worker, a model wife and mother, whose presence created an atmosphere of moral healthiness and social joy.
The real estate owned by the subject lies in and about the city of Byes- ville and is valuable and desirable property, well kept and admirably located, his farm land being near the city and in a location that is almost sure to be covered by the city in future years. He has been one of the most important factors in the development of this city, having lived to see it grow from a hamlet of six houses to its present thriving condition. He remembers well when there was to be found only a mill, a blacksmith shop and a small store or two. He has always been an untiring worker for the general upbuilding of the place.
Mr. Trenner is an unswerving Democrat, and although his party is in the minority, he has been township trustee several times, also school director of Byesville. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, and he and ltis wife are members of the Methodist Protestant church, being earnest and faithful members and liberal. supporters of the same. He was one of the leaders in the building of the present splendid edifice of this denomination here, having been, in fact, one of the heaviest contributors and a member of
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