History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 126

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

USA > Ohio > Madison County > History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions > Part 126

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There is a stated mansion in London, compactly built of brick and granite, standing on a commanding site on North Main street. 'Round its walls, and in and out its many rooms, Miss Bertha Coover wove magic dreams. She admired and commended the work of the club women of her town; their efforts to gladden the hearts of little children at Christmas time; the beautifying of the streets and gardens; the inculcation of civic pride, and she wished that that especial house might some day be a club home for women ; that from its roof-tree thoughts would be born and efforts issue for the better- ment of the town she loved so well. Was it a coincidence, or something higher, that impelled the London Federation of Women's' Clubs to purchase the very spot the testator dreamed of.

Standing at the portal of this stately club house, one can almost see, a little way to the north, the roof and chimneys of the old Coover homestead, devoted to the purposes of the Health and Welfare League of making sick people well again. Westward, a few miles from London, is the spot where the Coover sisters were born, the broad, well-

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cultivated acres to be used as an agricultural experiment farm. The Protestant churches of the town and societies to which the sisters belonged have not been forgotten in their last will and testament.

It is not in the transitory world of fashion and passing show, these two noble women will be remembered. They will live for all time in the town of London and county of Madison. They have joined the Immortals. The name of Coover will live forever. Bertha and Esta Coover have taken their "place in the sun."

JOSEPH A. LONG.

Madison county has no business institution of which it is prouder than the White Cliff Mills, of which Joseph A. Long is proprietor. Born at Athens, Tennessee, he comes from a family of millers, his grandfather having operated a mill at Athens as far back as the forties and his father having later succeeded in the business of his grandfather. It is no wonder, therefore, that Mr. Long is a practical miller, nor that he has made a phenomenal success of this business. Both he and his brothers, T. J., J. R. and W. Z. Long, with whom he was associated in business for many years, were trained in the milling business at Athens. At the age of eighteen years, having some fear of punish- ment by his father because he wanted to play baseball, J. A. Long ran away from home and finished his apprenticeship as a roller-mill operator in a mill at Morrow, Warren county, Ohio. During the next eighteen years he worked at Morrow, rising gradually from floor sweeper to head miller, in 1897. In partnership with his brother, Mr. Long rented the mill at Morrow during 1897, and the next year came to London, Madison county. In the autumn of 1894, he, also in partnership with his brother, purchased the old buhr mill at Athens, Tennessee, in which was installed a fairly modern roller pro- cess of making flour. Two younger brothers were taken into the business at the time.

Since coming to London. Ohio, Mr. Long's rise to fame and fortune in a business way presents an unbroken record of success. Like many Southern boys, Mr. Long at the outset of his career was possessed of pluck, energy and ambition. His quick intelli- gence and ardent application soon made him a first-class miller. No sooner had the Long brothers purchased the old mill at London than new and modern machinery was installed, and the flour manufactured was properly and scientifically milled. Mr. Long called it White Cliff (named for White Cliff springs, in the eastern Tennessee mountains), und so famous has it become that a local poet has proclaimed its stability in this verse: "An author wrote a book, Called "The Man of the Hour,' A miller ground wheat Into White Cliff flour. The author and his book Have both had their day; But White Cliff flour Has come here to stay."

The output of the London mill has grown steadily from a capacity of sixty barrels a day to one hundred and seventy-five barrel capacity. The plant is also equipped with a complete corn meal roller outfit, which uses a carload of corn every day, the product being manufactured for both feed and table use. The table meal is made of white corn. produced mostly in Madison county. A car load of wheat is also used every day. The White Cliff Mills use approximately seventy-five thousand bushels of wheat, purchased of the farmers of Madison county and vicinity. They also buy and ship large quan- tities of corn, oats and rye, and employ from eight to twelve men the year round. White Cliff Mills manufacture, as principle brands, White Cliff and London Cream flour. The

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market for the product is largely local, but carload shipments are made to the remote sections of Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia, as well as to the far Eastern market. This flour is carried by most of the local merchants and is sold in great quantities. Local deliveries are made with a large Kelly-Springfield truck, which replaced four horses.

T. J. Long retired from the mill in 1900, going to Mechanicsburg, Ohio, where the Long brothers own the electric light and ice plant, in connection with a flour-mill. They also own an electric light plant in Tennessee, and operate the old mill at Athens under the name of the Long Manufacturing Company. The flour-mill at Mechanicsburg and the flour-mill at Athens, Tennessee, each has a capacity of approximately the same as that of the London mill.

The London mill enjoys the distinction of being on a level with the surrounding ground, a fact of great significance to farmers who haul heavy loads. The old-style elevation process is eliminated and farmers drive in on the level and dump their grain into the elevator below the road. Hence the mill on the "level dump" is very popular. This is an innovation, due to Mr. Long's genius, and it is noteworthy that his competitors have followed the same plan.

Mr. Long was married in September, 1889, at Morrow, Ohio, to Carrie Stubb, a mem- ber of one of the original Quaker families of Warren county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Long have had two children. Leslie is a student at Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. Bessie was educated in music at the Western College for Women at Oxford, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Long and family live in a modern home, attractive from the exterior and beautifully furnished. The family are popular socially in London and Madison county, and take a lively interest in all the affairs relating to this county. Mr. Long is popular and prominent in fraternal circles. He is a blue-lodge and chapter Mason and is a member of the London Club and formerly was a member of the Board of Affairs. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he takes a deep interest, being a member of the official board. Since coming to the great Buckeye state, he has formed a keen affection for this state and for its people.

ORLA H. TOOPS.

The man whose name appears at the head of this sketch is a prominent farmer of Pleasant township, Madison county, having been born on the farm on which he resides, April 24, 1886. and is the son of Frederick and Eliza (Stone) Toops. Frederick Toops was a son of John and Ann (Bountz) Toops, natives of Ohio, and was born on April 6, 1847, in Pickaway county, Ohio. Migrating to Madison county with his parents he at first tilled the soil which he rented for a number of years. By 1875 he had been able to earn enough to buy his present farm of one hundred and thirty-nine acres, unimproved, and on this be built a one-story and a half house and rail pen, two years later con- structing a log barn. It was not long before he was able, by his industry, to place extensive improvements on bis farm, including a large and commodious barn, which unfortunately, was destroyed by fire. In 1911 it was replaced by a more modern struc- ture, forty by sixty feet and twenty-eight feet high. At this time also he remodeled and enlarged his house.

Mrs. Eliza (Stone) Toops. who is now living with her son. Orla H., is a native of Madison county, Pleasant township, having been born there on April 16, 1851. She is the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Jones) Stone, mentioned elsewhere in this work. Her father was a native of Ohio. A large family of children blessed the domestic life of this worthy couple. These children are: John W., a farmer of Range township; Mrs. Bertha Morain, of Pleasant township; Armour G., of Pickaway county, attendant of the state farm; Mrs. Bernice Rice, deceased; George N., a farmer of

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Paint township, Madison county ; Raymond, deceased; Orla H .; and Creswell, a student of a medical college at Columbus, Ohio, preparing to be a physician and surgeon.

With the exception of one year, during which time Orla H. Toops was employed on another farm, he has remained .on the farm which is his present home. In 1910 he began the management of his mother's country place, and the same year exhibited his corn at the Mt. Sterling fair. Like his father, he has always been interested in high grade stock, and there has never been a time when he did not own a number.

In 1912 Orla H. Toops was married to Golda Tope, a native of Pickaway county, being born there on February 27, 1890. Her parents are Francis and Margaret (Immel) Tope who are descendants of German ancestry. They are well-known farmers in Madi- son county. Mr. and Mrs. Orla H. Toops are the parents of two children, Kenneth. born on May 8, 1913, and Frederick Orla, May 3, 1915. .

Politically, Mr. Toops exercises the right of individual choice, for in spite of the strong party lines of his county he has remained an independent. voter. He is a church attendant, and a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge.

That Mr. Toops has been enterprising in his agricultural operations is evidenced by his present possession. In all of his dealings he is actuated by the principal of honesty and his relations with his fellow. men have been such as to gain their confidence and good will, and once having gained these he retains them.

GEORGE A. BOICE.

With a proper realization, at an early age, that success later on in the mercantile world could only come from beginning at the lower round of the ladder and working up, step by step, until master of the business, George A. Boice, of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, fitted himself with this end in view and then became the merchant and not the employee. His birth took place on November 23, 1875, in Gallia county, Ohio, he being second in age of three children born to Melvin and Mina (Mauck) Boice, as follow: Burt, deceased; George A. Boice, of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, and Mannie (Lyle), of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Melvin Boice, the father of these children, was born on February 25, 1845, in Gallia county, Ohio, and he was reared on the farm. In August, 1861, at the tender age of sixteen, he responded to his country's call and enlisted at Cheshire, Ohio, in Company H, Fifty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After a faithful service for nearly three years, he was wounded at Kenesaw Mountain, on June 27, 1864. His wound was in the left arm and he was discharged from the hospital at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1865. Following his discharge he returned to the farm and assumed his former occu- pation of tilling the soil. This farm is located one mile from where he was born and on this property, consisting of one hundred and ninety-five acres, he is still living.

Mina Mauck was born on May 16, 1849, in Gallia county, Ohio, and is the daughter of James and Barbara (Rothget.) Mauck, natives of Virginia. She is still living.

George A. Boice was reared on the farm and attended the district school. When only eighteen years of age, with his mercantile career in view, he left home for the West and in 1893 secured a position as clerk in a general merchandise store at Spring- hill, Kansas. After serving in that capacity for some time he returned to Cheshire, Ohio, where he clerked in a general merchandise store until .1899. His experience. then having fitted him to conduct his own affairs in his chosen profession, he purchased a store in Rio Grande, Ohio, which he sold in 1903, removing to Mt. Sterling, Ohio. Constantly but carefully advancing, he purchased a store at Mt. Sterling and soon had it stocked with general merchandise. He is the owner of the building in which his business is located and at this time he is erecting a substantial home.

George A. Boice was married, in 1900, to Bessie Fargo, who was born on October 14,

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1879, at Cheshire, Ohio. She is the daughter of J. E. and Viola (Smith) Fargo and a woman of exceptional attainments. Before her graduation from school she taught one year and after graduation taught in the high school. She has been highly honored by the women of her state, having served as grand worthy matron of the Eastern Star :odges of Ohio, and in 1914 was elected grand secretary of the same order, now travel- ing over the state as her duties call her. No children have blessed this union.

George A. Boice is a Republican and is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons. He attends the Methodist church, of which his wife is a member.

CHARLES W. HODGES.

Charles W. Hodges was born on August 1, 1859, at Circleville, Ohio, son of William J. and Julia (Walker) Hodges. He was one of thirteen children born to them. The names of these children follow in their order: Charles W., William J., Jr., Edward B., Mrs. Florence Alderson (deceased), Mrs. Margaret Smith (deceased), Mrs. Minnie Moor, Thomas A., Mrs. Belle Smith (deceased), Mrs. Nellie Bazler, Paul, Richard, Harry and Mrs. Ada Morgan.

Two of these children felt that the trade their father followed was good enough for them, Charles W. and Thomas, who Is a blacksmith at Columbus, Ohio. Harry, second to the youngest child, is inspector at the Buckeye Malleable Works, Columbus, Ohio. Mrs. Ada Morgan lives at Youngstown, Ohio. William J., Jr., is a salesman living in the state of Iowa. Mrs. Minnie Moor lives at Farmland, Indiana. Mrs. Nellie Bazler, a widow, resides at Youngstown, Ohio. Paul represents the North- western railroad and resides at Toledo, Ohio. Richard Alderson makes his home in West Virginia. Edward B. became a painter and is employed by his brother, Charles, in the business at Mt. Sterling, Madison county, Ohio, where they both reside.

William J. Hodges, Sr., was born on February 22, 1832, at Staunton, Virginia, where he was a blacksmith and resided until 1857, at which time he removed to Darby- ville, Ohio. There he followed his trade until 1862, when he enlisted as a soldier in Company A, Ninetieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which company he served as sergeant. During the war he was wounded and while at the hospital, in 1865, received his discharge, returning to Darbyville, Ohio, where he resumed his work as a blacksmith until 1871. He then removed to Mt. Sterling, Ohio, where he worked as a blacksmith until his retirement in 1882. He died on June 8, 1889.

Julia Walker was born on October 11, 1840, in Lancaster, Ohio, and is the daughter of Josiah and Eliza (Ginder) Walker, both natives of Pennsylvania. She lives with her daughter, Mrs. Ada Morgan, at Youngstown, Ohio.

Charles W. Hodges was reared in Mt. Sterling, where he received his education in the public schools. He was taught his trade in his father's shop, assuming full charge of the same when his father retired from the business. He is an expert mechanic and takes delight in his chosen profession. Mr. Hodges built his present shop in 1892.

In 1882 Charles W. Hodges was married to Eliza Leech, who was born on Novem- ber 7, 1861, at Mt. Sterling, Ohio, and is a graduate of the Mt. Sterling schools. She is the daughter of William T. and Elizabeth (Bostwick) Leech. To the union of Charles W. and Eliza (Leech) Hodges, have been born five children: May, deceased ; Mrs. Gladys Von Loyd, of Columbus, Ohio; Leo, deceased; Fredrick, deceased; and Sherman, who is at home with his parents.

Charles W. Hodges is a Democrat, and the respect in which he is held by his fellow citizens is demonstrated by the fact that he has served as a member of the city council at three different times. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, also of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Hodges owns a modern home on No. 10 West Main street.

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ZEBULON D. FISHER.

People of all climes are filled with admiration for the man or woman who has ambition and the perseverance to accomplish things worth while in life, and it matters not whether they were of lowly birth or whether today they are of differing social classes, they are honored for their achievements regardless of nationality or creed. To Zebulon D. Fisher, of Mt. Sterling, Madison county, Ohio, falls the approbation and praise for having earned the respect and esteem of his fellow men. Zebulon D. Fisher was born on November 13, 1873, in Pickaway county, Ohio, and received his education in the district schools of Pickaway county. After leaving school in 1893, he served as a teacher in the schools of Monroe township, Pickaway county, Ohio. He followed this vocation for seventeen years, and in connection with his work took up the study of law, with attorney Irvin F. Snyder, of Circleville, Ohio.

Difficult as is the teaching of school, demanding as it does much time outside of school hours, Mr. Fisher succeeded in his study of the law and in 1897 he was admitted to the bar, beginning his practice in 1910. at Mt. Sterling, Madison county, Ohio, where he is also interested in the grocery business.

In 1908 Zebulon D. Fisher was married to Laura M. Brown, who was born on December 25, 1880, in Fairmount, Indiana. Laura M. Brown is the daughter of Alex- ander and Mary A. (Jones) Brown, both natives of Cincinnati, Ohio. Alexander Brown was reared in Pike county, Ohio, and was a soldier in the Civil War.

Zebulon D. Fisher is the son of Isaac N. and Hulda (Hanawalt) Fisher, who were the parents of seven children, of whom two only are now living. Isaac N. Fisher was born in 1842, in Pickaway county, and engaged in farming until his death in 1878. His wife, Hulda, was born in Union county, Ohio, and passed away in 1911, leaving two sons, Estal E., a merchant of Mt. Sterling; and Zebulon D., attorney and merchant, the only survivors of her immediate family.

In Pickaway county, where he now lives, Mr. Fisher owns seventy-two acres of land. He is the father of two daughters and two sons, namely: Laura E., Zebulon E., Paul R. and Mary A., all of whom are at home. Mr. Fisher is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church.

SEYMOUR P. YOUNG.

Seymour P. Young was born on December 11, 1864, in Pleasant township, Madison county, Ohio, and is of German descent. He is the son of Frederick and Lucinda (Kaufelt) Young, to whom nine children were born, seven of whom are still living. Seymour P. Young is the youngest child and only son. His father, Frederick Young, was born in 1812, in Germany, immigrating to America when a young man and locating in Pickaway county, Ohio, where he bought land and farmed, later removing to Madison county, Ohio. He continued to cultivate the soil until his death, which occurred on April 23, 1866. His mother, Lucinda (Kaufelt) Young, was born in 1825, in Ohio, and died on March 28, 1889.

The only son of thrifty German parents. Seymour P. Young possessed but little knowledge of his parents, his father having died when he was but two years of age and he was bereft of a mother when a young man twenty-five years of age. Reared to farm life and obtaining his education at the old Douglas district school of Pleasant township, Seymour P. Young. at the early age of twenty-one years, began farming for himself. He purchased the old home place, on which he made extensive improvements This property he cultivated most successfully and also engaged in the raising of stock. becoming very prosperous. In 1912 Mr. Seymour removed to Mt. Sterling, Ohio. where

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he owns a fine home on East Main street. He is a stockholder in the First National bank and is the owner of one hundred and forty-two acres of well-improved land.

At the age of twenty-one years, on December 31, 1885, Seymour P. Young took for his life partner Sereatha Bricker, who was born on January 9, 1864, in Madison county, Ohio, and who was the daughter of James and Lydia (Stone) Bricker, both parents being natives of Ohio. To this marriage of Seymour P. Young and Sereatha Bricker, two children were born: Frederick, a graduate of the Mt. Sterling schools, who took a commercial course at Athens, Ohio, and is now with the Mt. Sterling Build- ing and Loan Company ; and Myrtle L., who is a graduate of the Mt. Sterling schools and resides with the family.

Politically, a Democrat, a member of the Christian church and living up to the precepts of the Knights of Pythias, of which he is a member, Seymour P. Young, desti- tute of a father's care when only a child, yet with his indomitable will and ability, has paved the way to success and prospered, carefully educated his children and now in the prime of manhood he can rest secure with his wife and family, enjoying the just reward of labors well done.

EDWARD EVERETT COLE.

The late Edward Everett Cole, lawyer, farmer and scholar, was born on March 17, 1853. at Marysville. Ohio, and died on February 7, 1909. Mr. Cole was a son of Judge Philander Blakesley and Dorothy (Winter) Cole, both of whom were natives of Union county, Ohio. Judge Philander B. Cole was a practicing attorney and judge of the district court. He practiced his profession until the time of his death. Edward Everett Cole spent his early life at Marysville, Ohio, attending the public schools of that place, later becoming a student at Oxford University for two years, and was graduated in 1873 from Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio. He read law in the office of his father, was admitted to the bar about 1877, and began the active practice of his profession at Marysville.

After practicing law until 1899, Mr. Cole's health failed, and he was compelled to spend a year in Europe. He and his wife during this period visited. many interest- ing places, including the leading art galleries of the Old World, and the prominent points of interest. Both were well informed in advance, and was therefore well equipped to get the most of their European tour. Mr. and Mrs. Cole were always much inter- ested in various forms of art, and had Mr. Cole been trained in that direction he might have become a great artist. He had the happy faculty of seeing the humorous atde of things, and he also saw the serious side as well, and was strong, well-balanced and learned man.

Although the European tour was helpful, Mr. Cole did not resume the practice of law upon his return but after one winter spent in New Orleans, came to the farm the next spring and entered upon the details of farm work and out-door life. He was busily occupied in the management of the nine hundred-acre farm, and continued its management as long as he lived. He kept abreast of modern farming and was familiar with all the latest processes, devices and methods of agriculture. The Cole home was erected in 1904, under his supervision, and is a model of comfort and convenience, and modern throughout.

Even while engaged in farming Edward E. Cole kept up his interest in classical learning and read Latin a great deal. He had also studied French and kept well informed with regard to old-world politics. In all his life his health was never. very strong, but in the years that he was engaged in the practice of law he proved con- cinsively what he might have done if he had been possessed of a stronger body. As it was he became a very successful attorney.

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Throughout his life the late Edward Everett Cole was an active campaigner in behalf of the Republican party, and on one occasion was the nominee of his party for the Legislature. . He was much sought after as a speaker on Decoration Day. His arguments were clear, his logic convincing and his delivery pleasing. No doubt he would have been a very successful teacher had he turned his talents in that direction. At college he had been a member of the Chi Phi fraternity. Later in life he became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. the Free and Accepted Masons and the Knights of Pythias. He passed all the chairs in the subordinate lodge of Odd Fellows.

One of the distinctive features of the career of Edward E. Cole, was his humani- tarianism. He could not bear to take the life of any living creature, and was frequently heard to say, "Live and let live." Upon one occasion he killed a bird by accident, and the incident made him sick at heart, and he frequently said in describing it that he would not have killed a bird for any consideration. He was a popular and well-liked man, but not a "hail fellow well met." He was ever known as "Mister," and in all his life was never known to have told a salacious story.

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History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 126

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

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