History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 112

Author: Chester E. Bryan
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1207

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James Q. Geer grew to manhood near Tradersville, in Madison county. He was accustomed to take odd jobs of clearing land, rolling logs and grubbing. He performed his first work for Mr. Willard, the father of E. E. Willard, the president of the Madison county board of commissioners. He made rails, cut cordwood, broke horses, and in fact did anything that he could find to do. He and his brother, George, supported their mother until her death.

At the time of Mr. Geer's marriage, he owned a horse worth possibly fifty dollars and a seventy-five dollar note, taken for the sale of a span of mules. An uncle had given him a fifty-cent pocket piece and his wife received twenty-one hundred dollars cash out of the Heffley estate. Mr. Gear soon began to handle sheep, buying and selling them. He paid forty-seven and one-half dollars an acre for his first land and during the early years of his career paid thousands of dollars in interest at ten per cent. His uncle, Quinn Minchel, backed him in buying sheep and stood by him for thirty years or more.

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He also borrowed money from John Thompson, but his uncle signed the papers. In later years he was able to borrow money at six per cent. Having begun to buy land as soon as possible, Mr. Geer has acquired tract after tract and now owns several hun- dred acres of land and several fine farms in Madison county, and also property in the village . of Summerford. He probably has more separate deeds than any other man in the county, many of the purchases, however, having included only a few acres. Mr. Geer still keeps sheep and has found them most profitable.

James Q. Geer was married to Elizabeth Heffley, the eighth child in the family of Charles and Elizabeth ( Wilson) Heffley. Mrs. Geer's mother was the daughter of the original Valentine Wilson, of Somerford township. Mrs. Geer died on. February 14, 1807, the last survivor of the family of nine Heffley children. The old Heffley home is located on the north bank of Deer creek, one mile north of Summerford, and here Charles. Heffley settled about 1820. Here he spent his life and died, on the old farm. The Heffley children were Jacob, Peter, Sarah Ann (who married Joseph Rafferty), William, Simon, Catherine. (who married Henry Comfort), Sarah (who married George Stan- ford), Elizabeth (the wife of Mr. Geer) and Isaac.

Mr. and Mrs. Geer have been the parents of six children. Charles died in Columbus. Luther died in Chicago. Wilbert, who is one of the leading young farmers of Union township, married. Flora Thompson, and they have one child, Marie. Gora, who is the wife of Harry Augustus of Dayton, Ohio, owns "Gooseneck Farm," of one hundred and ninety-three acres. Guy married Mrs. Bliss Nelson, a widow, and they have one child, Elisabeth. Ray married Nora McVicker and they have two children, Charles and. Chester (twins).

James Q. Geer is a good man and a good citizen, a man who has worked hard for the large competence which he may now enjoy in his declining years He has the satis- faction of knowing that he has done much for the development of Madison county and has contributed in no small measure to its present progress and prosperity.

MANASSES MILLER.

Manasses Miller is a successful farmer of Darby township, Madison county, Ohio, and the proprietor of "Darby Plains Farm" of fifty-three acres. He is a native of Holmes county, Ohio, born on August 17, 1856, two miles south of Mt. Hope. He is a son of Isaac and Polly (Fry) Miller, both of whom were natives of Ohio. They grew to maturity and married in Holmes county, Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of eight children, of whom there were three sons and five daughters: Catherine, deceased; Emanuel, a farmer of LaGrange county, Indiana ; Elizabeth, deceased; Frena, the wife of Philip D. Miller, of Goshen Indiana; Daniel, living on the old home farm in Holmes county, Ohio; Manasses, the immediate subject of this review; Magdalena, the wife of Jacob D. Saubaugh; Lena, the wife of Christ Saubaugh.

. Manasses Miller received his education in the public schools of Holmes county, and was reared there on his father's farm. During the winters he attended school and during the summer seasons he worked on the farm, until he reached the age of twenty- three years.

On September 26, 1878, Manasses Miller was married to Amanda Yoder, of Farm- erstown, Ohio. Mrs. Miller was born in Pennsylvania, January 22, 1857, and came to Holmes county, Ohio, at the age of fifteen years. She received her early education in the schools of her native state, completing her school training in the schools of Ohio after coming here with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of four children, three of whom are living: Mary, the wife of John N. Miller, lives in Holmes county, Ohio; Jonas married Magdalena Miller, and lives in Madison county, Ohio; Emanuel went west and was drowned; and Samuel, who is unmarried and lives at home.

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At the time of Mr. Miller's marriage he had nothing of his own. They lived in Holmes county, Ohio, for some time, during which period they rented land for two years Later they bought a half interest in one hundred acres of land, and still later the other half interest. Mr. Miller sold this farm and came to Madison county, November 23, 1898, and purchased the farm where he is now living. He has been very successful since coming to this county.

Although Manasses Miller was reared in the faith of the Mennonite church, he no longer affiliates with that denomination. He votes the Democratic ticket, and is a progressive, up-to-date citizen and an honorable resident of Darby township.

JAMES ALBERT PORTER.

James Albert Porter, who is familiarly known by the people of Union township, Madison county, Ohio, as "Al," was perhaps one of the youngest soldiers of the Civil War. He was only fourteen years old in 1862, when he enlisted in Company B, Ninety- fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Hanson. He served three years and was only seventeen years old at the time of his discharge. Notwithstanding the fact that he was fourteen at the time of his enlistment, he carried a musket. At Gun- town, Mississippi, where most of his company was captured, he suffered severe wounds

James Albert Porter was born in Union township, Madison county, Ohio, in 1848, and is the son of John and Mary (Timmons) Porter, the former of whom was the eldest son of James and Elizabeth (Kilburn) Porter, and the latter of Fayette county, Ohio, whose parents came to Ohio from Maryland.

James Porter, the grandfather of James Albert, came to Ohio from Maryland at the age of eleven years with his father, James Porter, Sr. Arriving in Ross county in 1800, James Porter, Jr., lived there during the War of 1812 and served two and one- half years in that war. Being a great runner, he was detailed as a messenger. He took part in the battle of Lundy's Lane and later was married in Ross county to Elizabeth Kilburn, who died in Madison county, Ohio, in 1828, of milk sickness. Subsequently, he settled in Union township, Madison county, where he owned seven hundred and fifty acres of land, for which he paid fifteen hundred dollars. James Porter, Jr., was killed at a house-raising in 1852, at the age of sixty-three. His old home in Madison county . is now an experimental farm and formerly belonged to his son, William, who still lives in London and who is the last of the family of twelve children born to James, Jr., and Elizabeth (Kilburn) Porter. The second wife of James Porter, Jr., was a widow, whose maiden name was Bradley and who died soon after her husband's death.

The late John Porter the eldest son of James, Jr., and Elizabeth (Kilburn) Porter. came to Madison county with his father. Of the twelve children, James, John and will- iam remained in Madison county, and for many years family reunions were held on the old farm. Three generations of the Porter family have occupied the farm where James Albert Porter now lives. Originally, it was a. wilderness but has been developed into a splendid farm. John Porter was the guardian of his younger brothers and sis- ters. He died on the farm at the age of thirty-seven, in 1856, when his son, James Albert, was eight years old. Mr. and Mrs. John Porter were the parents of three sons and four daughters: James Albert; John Milton; Samuel Irvin; Leah Elizabeth, who married Peter Hill and died in Madison county; Catherine, who married David Gerrard and also died in Madison county; Antoinette, who married Alex Wilson. of Somerford township; and Mary, who married Albert Arbogast, of Union township.

After the Civil War, James Albert Porter went west and pre-empted a claim in Labette county. Kansas, where he spent twenty-seven years in stock raising and farm- ing. He was living in Kansas during the famous grasshopper experience. Upon his

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return to Madison county, one brother, John,, being dead, he joined his brother, Samuel Irvin in business. Samuel Irvin Porter. died on June 10, 1900. When the estate of John Porter was divided, each child received one hundred and ninety-four acres. James Albert Porter, being the only surviving son, received the old Porter homestead of one hundred and sixty acres. In recent years he has spent a great amount of money in drainage and fencing. Generally speaking, the land is rented. Neither John Milton, Samuel Irvin or James Albert Porter ever married.

James Albert Porter is a Republican and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, at Coffeeville, Kansas.

GEORGE W. BENNETT.

Among the strong and influential citizens of Madison county, Ohio, whose careers have become an essential part of the history of this section, George W. Bennett, the present trustee of Union township, who lives one mile east of London on the West Jefferson pike, occupies a prominent place. For many years he has exerted a beneficial influence in the locality where he resides. His chief characteristics are a keen per- ception, a tireless energy, an honesty of purpose and motive and every-day commonsense. These qualities have enabled him not only to promote his own interests but to con- tribute largely to the moral, educational and civic advancement of the community where be has lived.

George W. Bennett was born near the Antioch church, in Pleasant township, Madi- son county, Ohio, November 8, 1865, the son of Edward and Catherine (Sollars) Bennett, the former of whom was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, March 9, 1883, and the latter also born in this part of Ohio. The Bennett family is of English origin and repre- tentatives of the family were among the earliest settlers in the Buckeye state. The father of Catherine Sollars lived and died in Fayette county. Edward and Catherine Bennett located in Madison several years before George W. their son, was born. When he was three years old they moved to Fayette county, where they lived until he was thirteen years old and then moved to Pickaway county. After that they returned to Madison county. Later they moved to Clark county, where the father died. Edward Bennett was a farmer by occupation. He and his wife were the parents of eight chil- dren, who reached maturity. Four of these children were.living in 1915, three of them in Madison county. George is the subject of this sketch; Amanda is the wife of Bert Nickle, a farmer who lives in London: Margaret is the wife of Bernard Foster, of Licking county; William lives near Sedalia, in Madison county; Lewis died in Indiana at the age of twenty-five years; Alex died in Madison county at the age of forty-nine; Lora died unmarried; Emma married John F. Rogers and died in this county.

George W. Bennett was reared on a farm and spent ten years in Clark county, Ohio. In 1910 he returned to Madison county, to the farm south of London, where he lived for two years. Upon selling this farm he bought his present farm, known as the old McDonald farm, located one and one-half miles east of London on the West Jefferson pike. Here Mr. Bennett owns one hundred and forty-six acres, for which he paid one hundred and twenty dollars an acre. The farm is under a fair state of culti- vation and ance moving to it Mr. Bennett has built a new house.

On March 16, 1910, George W. Bennett was married in London to Ida Gaskell, who was born and reared in Madison county. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have two children, Louise and Chester.

In 1918 George W. Bennett was elected trustee of Union township as a Democrat, and is now filling this office to the entire satisfaction of the people of the township. He is a successful farmer, an intelligent man, an enterprising citizen and popular in the neighborhood where he lives.

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CHARLES E. MITCHELL.

Great strength of character is always worthy of record and the late Charles E. Mitchell, of Somerford township, was a man not only of great strength of character, but of strong mind, body and heart. He was one of the leading farmers of Madison county, and through his industry and perseverance accumulated a substantial compet- ency in farm real estate. He pursued the even tenor of his way in a quiet, unostenta- tious manner, attended strictly to his own affairs and did the right as he understood it, keeping his conscience clear of offense toward God and man. He won a conspicuous place in the community where he lived and left a family of children who lead hon- orable and useful lives; who live up to the highest standard of citizenship in every respect.

The late Charles E. Mitchell was born on what is known as the Cramer farm, In Somerford township, the only son of Newman and Cassandra (Bradley) Mitchell. Newman Mitchell was born on April 29, 1811, forty miles above Cincinnati, on the banks of the Ohio. He was the son of Ensign and Lucy (Hubbard) Mitchell, who, in 1815, settled on a farm, four and one-half miles southeast of Mechanicsburg, in Madison county. In 1826 they moved to a farmi of six hundred acres near Rosedale. Newman and his brother, Abizar, purchased four hundred and fifty acres of this farm from their father.

On January 1, 1837, Newman Mitchell was married to Cassandra Bradley, the daughter of David and Nancy Bradley. She was born on March 17, 1818, and her brothers, Lawson, David M. and Sheldon were men of importance in Madison county. Newman Mitchell finally owned four hundred acres in the one farm. In 1853 he bought the Tom Morris farm near Tradersville. In 1865 he bought the Nathaniel Griffin farm of four hundred and thirty-three acres and paid twenty thousand dollars for it. He assisted David Babb in the purchase of the Babb farm, one mile north of Summerford and, in company with his son, Charles E., purchased other land until he owned over two thousand acres. He was a diligent, industrious, honest man and his word was always accepted at par in the community. He did not engage in "wild-cat" specula- tion but only in legitimate business enterprises and cattle raising was the leading feature of his business career.

Although Charles E. Mitchell was the only son born to his parents, he had two sisters, Lettie, who married Louis Kremer and lived on the old Mitchell farm in Somer- ford township, where she died; and Abbie, who married David Bales. The old Mitchell farm, however, is mostly owned by the Mitchell family at the present time and the old home is still standing.

Born on the farm, reared in the country and educated in the common schools, Charles E. Mitchell was married to Mary E. Heffley, the daughter of Peter Hemley, whose family history is given in the sketch of J. O. Geer, presented elsewhere in this volume. After his marriage Mr. Mitchell obtained the farm now owned by his son, Noel, situated northwest of Tradersville. The present house was erected by a former owner. About 1869 or 1870, Charles E. Mitchell moved to the present Mitchell home farm, a tract of three hundred and forty-four acres. He owned four hundred forty-two and three quarters acres near his father's old home place, the latter farm being known as the old Sawyer farm, of Somerford township. Charles E. Mitchell and his father were in partnership for several years but some time before his father's death, Charles E. began farming on his own responsibility. He was an extensive stock buyer and feeder and raised thousands of head of cattle, sheep and hogs during his life. He raised a great deal of grass and fed it all to his stock. The home farm was used for fattening his stock and the other farm for grazing purposes.

At his death on August 9, 1898, at the age of fifty-three years, Charles E. Mitchell

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CHARLES E. MITCHELL.

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left a widow and family of four children: Alice J., the wife of H. F. Fauver, of London; Harry H., who died unmarried on February 22, 1914, at the age of forty- two, spent all of his life near the old home farm and was a popular citizen of Madison county; Raleigh and Noel live on the old home farm.

Noel Mitchell owns one hundred and seventy-three acres of the old farm, including the old homestead. He has a fine tract of land which is well improved and highly productive.

Noel Mitchell was married on June 1, 1911, to Blanche M. Rafferty, the daughter of M. C. and Ora (Seeds) Rafferty. Mrs. Noel Mitchell's father, M. C. Rafferty, was the son of Joseph Rafferty and he was the son of Joseph Rafferty, Sr., who emigrated from Kentucky to Madison county about 1840. Her great-grandfather's old home farm is the present Reason Locke farm, but he owned four farms in Somerford township. Joseph Rafferty, Jr., operated the Locke farm until the house was burned. Later he operated a farm on the national roud, one mile west of Summerford, known as the old Patee farm. There he lived until his death on August 4, 1897. M. C. Rafferty was born in the village of Summerford and has spent all of his life in Somerford township. Mrs. Noel Mitchell was born on August 15, 1890, on the old Rafferty farm north of Summerford. All of her life has been passed in this township. Mr. and Mrs. Noel Mitchell have one child, a boy named Roger Lyman, born on May 27, 1915.

SCOTT HULL.

Scott Hull is a successful farmer of Somerford' township, Madison county, Ohio, and operates a part of the great Baldwin-Gwynne farm, a tract of five hundred acres, which is a part of the entire thirty-three hundred acres of the Gwynne farm. The Baldwin farm alone covers about twelve hundred acres. Mr. Hull operated. this farm for five years and is living in the house erected for him. He employs five men and raises principally corn, raising an average of two hundred acres every year. The corn is fed to cattle and hogs. In company with his brother, Harry, Mr. Hull operated six hundred acres of the Allerton farm for five years. This farm is located in Deer Creek township. Harry Hull is now farming near Lafayette.

Scott Hull was born in Paint township, Madison county, Ohio, January 27, 1871, and is the son of James and Charlotte (Jewell). Hull, the former of whom was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, October 18, 1838. In 1850 he came to Madison county with his parents, David and Nancy (Hardman) Hull. They settled in the village of Summer- ford, where David followed his trade as a shoemaker. Later he removed to Paint town- ship, after living at Summerford for two years, and still later settled in Range town- ship. Mrs. Charlotte (Jewell) Hull is deceased. Her husband has lived in Madison county for more than seventy years, and all this time has been engaged in farming. He is now living with Scott Hull and is seventy-seven years old.

Nine children were born to James and Charlotte (Jewell) Hull, as follow: Jennie is the wife of Stephen Hamilton, who lives on a part of the Gwynne farm; Cora is the wife of Luther Goodyear of Paint township; Charles is a machinist in Springfield; Scott is the subject of this sketch; Harry lives in Deer Creek township; Eret is a farmer in Clark county; May is the wife of William Cornwell; Delbert lives in Urbana, Ohio; and Earl lives at Lafayette.

Scott Hull began life for himself at twenty years of age. He worked in the Pennsylvania railroad car shops at Columbus for one year, and then worked on a farm by the month until after his marriage.

On August 29, 1896, Scott Hull was married in London to Alice Tingley, the daugh- ter of John and Serepta (Ritter) Tingley, whose history is presented elsewhere in this (48)

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volume. Mrs. Hull was born in Union township, and was twenty-two years old at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Hull are the parents of two daughters, Belva Irene and Hazel Marie.

When Mr. Hull started life he had nothing. In company with his brother, he went in debt twenty-nine hundred dollars, and at the end of five years had a large farm well stocked. He has devoted himself exclusively to farming and is making a wonderful success in this vocation. Mr. Hull is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

ARTHUR SLAGLE.

Arthur Slagle, who is a well-known farmer living one mile west of the court house of Madison county on the London and Summerford pike, was born on the farm and in the house where he now lives. September 9, 1854 the son of C. K. and Frances ( Eagle) Slagle, both of whom were natives of Virginia.

When about twenty-one years old, the late C. K. Slagle's father gave him thirty- two slaves but, having seen so much of the evils of slavery, he determined to free these thirty-two slaves and made out the papers to that effect. So many free negroes created surprise and fear among the slave owners, who thought their slaves would be influenced. They sought out C. K. Slagle to remonstrate with him and possibly to punish him for the example he had set. Mr. Slagle arranged with a brother to meet him at night at a fixed place, three months in the future with his wife and child, teams and household articles. He came on ahead to Ohio, seeking a new home in a free state. At the appointed time he was back to meet his wife.

They left Virginia at night and came to Greene county, Ohio where he had located land. His child, then a babe in arms, was named Virginia. She later married Dennis Clark and recently died in London. Her son, George Clark, is one of the Democrat's ablest employees. On the trip north. they came to a deserted cabin in the mountains and sought shelter therein. About midnight, Mr. Slagle, feeling some weight on his breast, wakened to realize that a huge snake was crawling over him. He was so badly frightened that he called his wife, and after hitching up the team they drove away in the darkness.

C. K. Slayle was accustomed to tell an amusing story about the geese he kept on Oak run, which crossed his farm. On one occasion he discovered several boys with bulging pockets and knew that they were hunting his goose eggs. He caught one of them, John Southern, whom he pretended to be very glad to see, and putting his arms around the lad squeezed him until he could hear the eggs breaking. The boy's struggles were of no avail. The eggs kept on breaking until streams of goose eggs flowed from his breeches. The incident was not soon forgotten.

C. K. Slagle's abhorrence of slavery led him to help negroes in escaping to Canada and, in the days before the war, he helped to maintain a station of the "underground railroad." Owners of fugitive slaves were accustomed to hunt in the vicinity when several darkies were concealed about the place.

Building a dam on Oak Run, C. K. Slagle established a pond of nine acres and erected a saw-mill. His son-in-law, Dennis Clark, operated a carding-mill and woolen factory with the same power. During the war, both mills were kept running day and night. At one time, all of the hands, including Mr. Slagle himself, enlisted and the mills were stopped. Mr. Slagle was not accepted on account of his age and the mills were operated by children and such help as could be obtained. It was a fine paying business until July, 1863, when everything was destroyed by fire. It was a loss of sixty thousand dollars and there was no insurance. The mill was never rebuilt.

Prior to the election in 1864 Mr. Slagle was one of those men chosen to carry

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ballots to the soldiers at the front. He served two terms as county commissioner and died in 1876, at the age of seventy-one years. His wife survived him ten years. In 1847 Mr. Slagle ·built the house which still stands on the Slagle farm. He kept open house during his life and enjoyed his friends. He was an enthusiastic church mem- ber and had a religion which made him happy. He was not afraid to express himself even with shouts when filled with religious fervor.

To C. K. and Frances (Eagle) Slagle were born eleven children, as follow: Vir- ginia, who was brought from Virginia to Ohio by her parents when an infant; Edwin, who served three years in the Civil War and later went to Missouri but died in Chi- cago; Minerva, who married Lewis Buvinger, and died in Kansas; Austin, who was a machinist, served three years in the Civil War and died in California; Mary Ann, who is the widow of a Mr. Rinehart, of Columbus, Ohio; Oliver who was a machinist and served one hundred days in the Civil War, was in the railway mail service for some years and died at Leavenworth, Kansas; Albert, who is a carpenter and machinist of London; Kate, who is the wife of George McEwen, of Chetopa, Kansas; Charles, who served in the Spanish-American War, lives at the soldiers' home at Dayton, Ohio; Frank. who is a carpenter In Columbus, Ohio: and Arthur, the subject of this sketch.

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History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 112

Author: Chester E. Bryan Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1207

Author: Chester E. Bryan
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1207