History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 138

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 138

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The relics of a by-gone age, Their careless shadows throw

A sparkling mirror'on the scene Of sixty years ago. Of sixty years ago, when 'nen'th The old mill's rooftree high,

Both men and boys from far and near Passed countless hours by. Their steps are slow and falt'ring now, Their hair as white as snow,

The very ones who were the boys Of sixty years ago. And though we travel in the realms Of youth's exquisite bowers. We think of days that were to them As sweet as these of ours.

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CLINTON JUNK ...

. Considering the farm the great recruiting ground for the populations of cities, there is a sense in which civilization is dependent upon the rural districts. As one writer. puts it : "If it were not for the fresh and healthy blood; muscle and brain- from the farms, our large cities would . degenerate." ". In this sense, then, he who contributes to the healthy, wholesome life of the country helps to develop the conditions upon which .the cities may draw for their best type of citizens. Clinton Junk, therefore, belongs to that type of men who, by useful living, contribute much to the general good ...

: . Clinton Junk was born on November 8, 1854, in Ross county, Ohio, and is the son of William and Rachel (Hicks) Jank. " The parents. of. Mr .. Junk possessed : all the characteristics of the noble, souls who braved pioneer life, and were inured to the hard- ships 'of the frontier. During a long period of their life they were three miles from their nearest neighbor.

William Junk was far above the average in public spirit, and seemed to possess that type of civic loyalty which is so' lauded today. This spirit was shown in his gifts, one of .. which was the ground upon which a Range township school house was built. He also opened up the pike now known as the Junk pike which . runs from Mt. Sterling to London. Always in favor of public improvements, he contributed to. the expense of laying seven pikes before there was. one . built in front of his own home. William Junk was born in 1825, in Ross county. Ohio, coming to Madison county. in 1858, and settling in Pleasant township. .. He was a farmer of practical experience and broad Insight. He bought the six hundred acres of land which constitutes the . present Junk farm, the purchase price. being nineteen , dollars.and twenty. cents an nere. "The home built upon this property , consisted of a two-story house of ten rooms. This house, which is still standing, was one of. the finest in : the county, being splendidly built and constructed of large studdings ... Mr. Junk himself built this house. At the time. of his death Mr. Junk owned one thousand acres of well-improved land in Pleasant and Runge townships. One of the industries in which this early settler engaged was the raising of sheep. He died in 1001.

. . Rachel Hicks was born in Ross county, Ohio, in -1829, being of English descent. She is the daughter of Willis. and Frances ( White) Hicks, the former of whom was a colonel in the War of 1812. A proof that this man was a brave fighter is shown by the fact that he had ten horses shot from ander him. He himself was unhurt. Mrs. Junk is living at present in Mt. Sterling. Five children were born in the home of these estimable people .. . Pryor W., of St. Sterling, Ohio; Clinton, the subject of this sketch .; Beecher. of Columbus, Ohio; Webster, 'deceased, and Mrs. . Eva ' L. Core, of Mit: Sterling.

Clinton Junk early showed signs: of unusual ambition, for at the age of twenty, having completed the usual course of studies . in the district schools of Pleasant and Range townships, he rented land from his brother, Pryor, and also from' his father and began his own career. He has never lived outside of these two townships. Inheriting at the time of his father's death one hundred and fifty acres of land, he bought ninety acres more in 1895, and to these holdings he has added until he now owns four bun- dred and eighty acres. Besides his prominence as a farmer Mr. Junk is a stockholder in the First. National Bank of Mt. Sterling: ! Like every good citizen :whose . time and attention are not limited exclusively to personal affairs, Mr. Junk has taken "a deep interest in educational matters, and has occupied a place on the school board for sixteen years. He also gave practical assistance in building the school. . .

.... Miranda Alkire became. Mrs. Clinton Junk. on October 15, -1878. She was born' in 1955. in Pleasant township and is the eldest daughter of George and Mary (Bragg)

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Alkire. The children born in this household are Homer, deceased; Willis, mentioned in another sketch; Elmer, of Range township; Mary, deceased; Harry, a graduate of a business college of Columbus and now living in Range township; Ida R., Bessie L. and Bruce C. The three last named are living at home.

The political affiliation of Clinton Junk are with the Democratic party. Both he and Mrs. Junk and family are honored and active members of the Christian church at Mt. Sterling.

Mr. Junk is possessed of those sterling qualities which make his type of citizen- ship a true asset to any community. Inheriting from his parents a strict sense of honor and of neighborly obligation he has widened this sense of obligation until it has come to mean the whole community with which his life is directly associated. With such a spirit of loyalty, it is not surprising that his life has been full of generous deeds and kindly consideration for others.

JOHN SIMPSON.

The late John Simpson, who was an honored veteran of the Civil War, was one of those progressive and influential citizens of Madison county who figured conspicu- ously in the progress and prosperity of this county for more than a half century. By his industry and good management, he was able to improve a splendid farm and win for his declining years a substantial competence. He died full of honors and respected as only a man who has done his full duty to his home, his family, his country and his neighbors, can die.

John Simpson, a native of Nottingham, England, was born on June 24, 1840, and was brought to America by his parents when a mere child. He was a son of the Rev. James A. Simpson, an elder of the Baptist church, who after living for a time in Canada removed to Ohio in the early forties, and, for twenty-five consecutive years, was the preacher at the Big Darby Baptist church, and who collected funds for the erection of present church building during the Civil War. He preached at several places in Madison county, and lived in the county until his death. His residence for many years. was at Lafayette, where he died. In early life the Rev. James A. Simpson had been an infidel and had used the power of his large intellect against the Christian religion. At his conversion, however, he became a stanch Christian, and lived as a Christian in all the relations of life. He was a radical abolitionist and was connected .with the "underground railroad" movement so much used in Civil War times in aiding fugitive slaves to escape to Canada. As an earnest and effective speaker he had many debates in this part of Ohio, some of which lasted as long as seven days. The first wife of Rev. James A. Simpson was Ellen Ryder and his second wife, Mary Gatton, a widow, who survived him and lived at Dayton, Ohio. James A. Simpson had the fol- lowing children : James, who went to Kansas in early life, is still living at Fitzgerald, Georgia. Elizabeth was the wife of W. H. C. McCoy, a farmer of Madison county, both are now deceased. Anna married Jonathan Henry, a minister in the Christian church. John Simpson, the subject of this sketch. Harriet married Jerry West, a farmer of Champaign county, Ohio. Mr. Simpson was a great huntsman and a gun- smith by trade. A rifle made by him, in 1857 (quite a work of art) is still owned by the Simpson family. He hunted with Buffalo Bill in the early seventies on the Kansas plains: He died in Champaign county, Ohio. Alfred B., the youngest child, left the county in middle life.

John Simpson grew to manhood in Madison county, Ohio, and was a self-made man. He served through the Civil War in Company A, One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, covering a period of four years. He was wounded at. Kenesaw Mountain, while carrying the flag. He was officer of the color guard at

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the time, and, the two color bearers being shot, and also the seven color guards, and he being the last of the guard, he picked up the flag but was soon shot down. He, how- ever, again raised the colors, but was so badly wounded that he had to retire. He leaned the colors against a tree and was carried to the hospital. This incident ter- minated his active services, and he was discharged at the end of the war. The wound, however, never healed, and, after thirty-two years of a running wound, the limb was amputated. During all these years he had been a great sufferer. His musket and canteen are still possessed by the Simpson family.

In 1866, John Simpson was married to Philomelia McDonald, the daughter of the late John McDonald of Deer Creek township. She was born on February 17, 1841, on a farm in Deer Creek township. She and her husband eventually became the owners of a farm adjoining the McDonald homestead, and owned over three hundred acres of land. In 1884, they erected a substantial brick house which still stands on the farm, four miles northeast of London. on the Simpson road. Before that, however, they had lived for fourteen years in a log cabin, one of the oldest in the country.

John Simpson developed the "Honest John" variety of corn. It came from a car- load of corn shipped into Madison county, in 1858, by John McDonald and others. This corn has been grown by the family through three generations. John Simpson was a loyal Republican in life, a man who was frank and open in all of his dealings and who was widely respected. He was very radical in his political beliefs, and stood firmly by Republican principles. He once confessed to a Democrat that he had voted for him, but said that he would never vote for another.

Mr. Simpson was a fine comrade and companion. During the latter years of his life he attended many reunions, especially the reunions of the "Blue and Grey," and very few men were so near and dear to his old comrades. Soldier reunions were fre- quently held on his birthday at his home, and, on his last birthday, all of his old com- rades gathered there. He died on October 30, 1910, and his beloved wife some years previously, May 23, 1902. His second wife, Phebe B. (Lombard) Bradley, who survived him, was the widow of a former comrade and friend. of Mr. Simpson. Of his family of eight children by his first wife, J. Sherman was the only member of the family to reach maturity.

J. Sherman Simpson was born on August 21, 1869, at the John McDonald home- stead. Sherman was reared on the farm and he experienced all those things which fall to the lot of the average country boy. He has always been engaged in farming and stock raising, and has made a specialty of Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. Mr. Simpson is the proprietor of "Tekenink Stock Farm," an Indian name which means "house in the woods." He is a progressive and up-to-date farmer.

. On October 26, 1892, J. Sherman Simpson was married to Nora J. Jones, the daugh- ter of Lucian B. and Laura (Kinney) Jones. Lucian was the eldest son of the late John Jones, of this county. He died at the age of thirty years, and, at the time of his death, was one of the firm of Jones Brothers, in the warehouse business at London. His widow survives and lives at Springfield, Ohio. Mrs. J. Sherman Simpson was born in London and was graduated from the London high school. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have had three children, Amelia, a graduate of the London high school and who lives at home; John L., and one who died in infancy.

J. Sherman Simpson is a member of the Madison county Young Men's Christian Association board of directors, and has been prominent in the work of this organization. The present board has had much to do with the improving of the conditions of the young men of the county. Mr. Simpson's aim always has been for the betterment of mankind and the social uplift of the county.

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LEROY CORNWELL ..

Mention; is made in this volume of the many worthy citizens of 'Madison county, citizens: who have figured in the growth and development of this community and whose .interests: are identified . with its various phases . of' progress. Each has con- tributed in his particular sphere of action. to the well-being of the community where he resides : and : to , advancement of its legitimate growth. Among this number is Leroy Cornwell,".the ! recorder of Madison county and for many years one of the leading educators of this county. Having begon his educational : career at the age of nine- teen, he has taught for twenty years in Madison county and for seven years has filled the position: of principal of the Summerford schools.

Leroy Cornwell; the son of Thomas and 'Ellen' Jane ( Wilson) Cornwell, was born near the old Roberts mill, three miles .west of London, in Union township, Madison county, Ohio; March 11, 1874. His parents were both born in Unton township. Thomas Cornwell's father . was Addison Cornwell, a 'native of Westmoreland county, Virginia. who, after his marriage to Tabitha Trussle, in Virginia, about 1840, came to Madison county :and settled on a part of the present state farm, two miles west of London. Here in the woods he cleared a part of the farm and, after' living here for several years, settled on what is now known as the Dave Gerard farm, near the state fish hatchery, where he spent the' remainder 'of his life, ' clearing about six hundred and fifty acres. He' was a highly educated man, having a good academic education, read law and preached in the Methodist church for' several years. He died on the old farm about 1893, after having attained the age of seventy-two. His wife had died some years pre- Miously ..

: " Of the children born to Addison and Tabitha . (Trussle) Cornwell, Thomas Corn- well, who was born on the first farm owned by his father in Madison county, in 1812, grew up in' the country. At the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in. Company D, Fortieth Regiment,' Ohio Volunteer. Infantry.' and served' during the war. - He was "veteraniized in Company B, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Regiment, and' was discharged at the close of the war as sergeant. During the entire four years he was always with His command .:

After the war, Thomas Cornwell settled on a farm of one hundred acres, where he lived the remainder of his life,'dying on December 13, 1912. He was prominent in the Christian church at Wilson's chapel and his wife was also il member of that church. He was a member of the Masonic lodge, at London, and of the Grand "Army of" the Republic. " By his marriage on January 5, 1868, to Ellen Jane Wilson, the daughter of Jolin and Julia Ann (Prugh) Wilson, there were five children, as follow : Otis, of Somerford "township; William, of Deer Creek township;" Leroy, the subject of this siteten; Ernest, of Range township, and Esta, the wife of John Ellsworth, of Range township. " Mrs. 'Thomas 'Cornwell's father, John Wilson, owned a large tract 'of land In' -Madison county. " Mrs. Thomas Cornwell was born in 1847 in Union town- ship and, throughout her life, was active in the work of the church. She is now living with her children.'

""Born and reared on the farm and educated in the common' schools, Leroy Cornwell received his certificate to teach school at the age of nineteen and taught' for twenty years in Madison county. For seven years he has been principal of the Summerford schools. . Mr. Cornwell attended' Wittenberg College and the' Normal school at Ada, Ohio. Some years ago he was elected township clerk of Somerford township and 'served four terms, covering a period of ten years. He is a Republican, and having been nominated by the Republican county convention of 1914, was triumphantly elected county recorder with a plurality of eight hundred and ninety-seven, the second highest on the ticket. Mr. Cornwell took office on September 6. 1915.

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On January 1, 1900, Leroy Cornwell was. married to Jeannette Smith Florence, the daughter of G. A. and Mary G. Florence, the latter of whom is the daughter of the late Henry Smith, a well-known attorney of this county, and a sister of Luke Smith, of Deer Creek township. Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell have been the parents of three children, Marcus, Mary and Eloise, all of whom are living at home with their parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Cornwell are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are interested in all religious works. Mr. Cornwell is a member of the official board. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the. Knights of Pythias. He has passed all of the chairs in the Odd Fellows and has served as district deputy of this lodge in Madison county.

GEORGE W. BUSWELL

One of the, largest landowners in Madison county, Ohio, is the gentleman whose brief history follows. , George W. Buswell has .. confined. his interests :on the farm to the raising and shipping of. hogs and hay, both of which have been very .. remunerative avenues of income, and he is now not only one of the largest landowners of Madison county, Ohio, but is also one of the wealthiest and most influential men of. his district.

George. W. Buswell, general farmer and stockman, London, Ohio, was born on December 5, 1873, in Jefferson township, Madison county, and is a son of George and Nancy : (Toops) Buswell. He was two years old when his parents moved to the old homestead, where he grew to young manhood, and attended the.district schools. After his. marriage, Mr. Buswell rented his father's farm and began the life of an agricul- turist .on his own behalf, giving. his attention especially to. the raising of hay, and feeding large numbers of hogs, which he sold by- the carload. Politically, he has always given his vote to the. Republican party, while his religious membership is with the Presbyterian church at Plain City. His splendid tract of land, consisting of ; three hundred and eight acres, is located on. rural. route, No. 3, six miles north of West Jefferson, Ohio.

George Buswell, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in England, and came to the United States when he was thirty-five years old. He was very poor when he landed in this country, but possessing the essential qualities in following the voca- tion of a farmer, he. rapidly became very prosperous, and eventually acquired a, fine tract of land, consisting of over four hundred acres of good farm land., He was united in marriage with Nancy Toops, a native of Ross county, Ohio, by whom he had. seven children, six of whom are living in 1915. John L., who follows farming; Sarah, the widow of J. John Penney, of London, Ohio; Maggie, who was married to U. H. Blair, of Oklahoma, and is now a widow; Mary, who became the wife of John Darley, of Nebraska ; Susan, who is Mrs. William Lombard, of West Jefferson, Ohio, and George W.

George W. Buswell was united in marriage, in February, 1895, with Eva Grewell, daughter of E. C. Grewell. She was born in Madison county, and was educated in. the schools of Monroe township. and later attended the high school at. Plain City, This union has been blest with four children: Florence, a graduate of the Plain . City high school, is now teaching school in Jefferson township; Leland is a student in the West Jefferson high school; Keith attends the public school at West Jefferson, Ohio, and Beatrice is in the district school. Mrs. Buswell is an earnest member of the Presby- terian church at Plain City.

Mr. Buswell holds a position, of high esteem in his community, where he has become a factor in the business interests, and where his advice is sought by those inter- ested in the raising and shipping of live stock ..

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VALENTINE H. WILSON.

The late Valentine H. Wilson was the second son of James and Eleanor (Smith) Wilson, and at the time of his death, Saturday, October 22, 1898, had just completed and occupied the handsomest country home in Madison county. Born on the old Wilson homestead, Darby Plains, October 28, 1839, he died on his magnificent country estate, "Maple Villa," at the age of fifty-nine years.

Valentine H. Wilson was one of four children born to his parents, John S., Thomas B. and Lucy being the other three. His father is referred to in the sketch of the Wilson family, presented elsewhere in this volume. His mother was a daughter of John and Sophia (Bond) Smith, and was born in Licking county, Ohio, June 20, 1818, and in 1832, came to Madison county, residing here continually until her death, February 15, 1904, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Lucy E. Beach, with whom she made her home after the death of her husband.

Of the children born to James and Eleanor (Smith) Wilson, John S., the eldest son, was born in Madison county, October 4, 1837, and died in London, January 25, 1905. By his marriage, January 14, 1858, to Sylvina J. McDonald, there were born six children, Flora, James W., Mary, Charles, Mrs. Eleanor Wilson Bradley and Mrs. Lucy Wilson Simpkins. John S. Wilson was a farmer and stockman, and retired from active farm life a few months before his death, removing to London. He was loved by his family, friends and neighbors for his plain, blunt honesty and whole-souled generosity. At the time of his death he had attained advanced standing in the Masonic fraternity.

Thomas B., another son of James B. and Eleanor (Smith) Wilson, was born in Canaan township, October 31, 1841. He was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity in 1865, and served during the last year of the Civil War in the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He married Elizabeth S. Trimble. August 24, 1865, and to this union five children were born, Eugene T. Morrow, John P., Mary T. and Betty Winn. He served during the sixty-ninth Ohio General Assembly as a state senator from the eleventh Ohio district.

Valentine H. Wilson was reared on a farm, and was engaged in agricultural pur- suits all his life. In addition to his farming interests, he was an extensive stockman, and at the time of his death was the owner of five farms comprising fifteen hundred acres. He had just completed the construction of "Maple Villa," his country home, which cost nearly twenty thousand dollars when death removed him from the scene of life's activities.

On January 25, 1871, Valentine H. Wilson was married to Dollie Jones. the daughter of John and Jane (Melvin) Jones, the former of whom was born at London, October 31, 1818, and the latter was a daughter of John and Sarah Melvin, natives of Madison county. John Jones was a son of William Jones, who was born near Knox- ville, Tennessee, and came with his father, Solomon Jones, to Ohio, and became a blacksmith at London, where he settled in 1814. He became a wealthy landowner and merchant, a friend to all, and one of the most popular men who ever lived in the city of London. He was a heavy loser in the panic of 1837 because of the failure of friends whose notes he had secured. Afterwards he removed to a farm, but his death occurred in the city of London.

John Jones was reared in London and worked in his father's store as a boy, and also worked in the store of William Warner. After his marriage, William Warner, then sheriff of Madison county, selected him as a deputy, a position which he held for four years. He was then elected sheriff as a Whig and served two years Later he served twelve years as a justice of the peace. He and his three sons were engaged in the grocery trade until about 1875. He was a strong temperance man, and a charter member in Madison Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. By his mar-

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riage to Jane H. Melvin he had four children, Frank, Horace, Dollie, the widow of Valentine H. Wilson, and Emma, the wife of Harvey Chandler, of London.

Valentine H. Wilson and wife were the parents of five daughters, of whom three, Minnie, Maud and Eleanor, are deceased. Mrs. Mabel (Wilson) Dye and Helen are living

Mr. Wilson's success as a farmer and cattle dealer was due to his tireless industry and unrightness. He worked unceasingly and always with fidelity to a given purpose. He was too modest to engage in politics, and never sought a public office, but as a member of the school board he took an active interest and served his fellow citizens with honesty and distinction. Valentine H. Wilson will be long remembered for his domestic virtues and high-minded principles. He was a kind father and a most loving and devoted husband.

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History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 138

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

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