USA > Ohio > Madison County > History of Madison County, Ohio : its people, industries and institution with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 113
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Mr. Warner's wife, before. her marriage, was Sarah Kelley, who was born in Vir- ginia. She died in 1883 and Mr. Warner died in 1887 at the age of ninety-three. Of their children, Helen is the governess in the girls' department of the Madison County
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Children's Home and is the only surviving child of the family. The deceased children are, Mary, who was the mother of William Cowling; Ann, who married James Rankin, a stockman, and who left a daughter, Mrs. Lou Stone, of Columbus Ohio, who has two children, Elizabeth and Warner, the only grandchildren of William and Sarah Warner; Josephine married Nathan Marble.
Helen Warner has held her position as governess of the girls' department of the children's home for thirteen years. She was born at Lafayette, in Madison county, and at the age of sixteen years began to teach school, boarding around in the meantime. She taught both in Delaware and Madison counties. She was also for a long time cashier of the Cowling store at London. Her employer, William Cowling, was her nephew. In partnership with a Miss Dickey, Miss Warner conducted a millinery store in London until 1902, when she accepted her present position. Miss Warner has seven- teen girls in her charge. She is a splendid Christian woman and has a fine influence over the girls who are directly under her supervision.
MARTIN H. WATKINS.
Martin H. Watkins, the manager of the Ellsworth farin of Somerford township, Madison county, Ohio, has spent all his life on the farm, having been born in Stokes township, Madison county, December S, 1877. He is the son of D. W. and Caroline ( Griffith) Watkins, both of whom were reared in the Buckeye state and who spent their married lives in Madison county until fourteen years ago, when they removed to Indiana. They have four children still living in Madison county. Jesse is a retired farmer and stockman of London. Lizzie is the wife of Ray Moeland, of London. Anna is the widow of Will Schurr, of London, and Samuel is a farmer near Florence, Ala- bama. Martin H. Watkins worked out by the month for about a year when he was twenty-one years old. Since that time he has rented large farms in Range and Union townships. For twelve years he lived on the Minchell farm, in Range township. Pre- vious to removing to the Ellsworth farm he lived on the Garrard Brothers' farm of five hundred and sixty acres, located on the Springfield pike, four miles southwest of London.
The Ellsworth farm consists of two hundred and forty-five acres, and is located on the National pike one mile west of Summerford. It is a fine body of land and well tiled. It has excellent barns and feeding pens. Water is supplied by one of the best springs in the county, which is forced to the tank by a hydraulic ram. A new house is to be erected shortly on a beautiful elevation, and when this is completed the Ells- worth farm will be one of the most desirable in Madison county.
Mr. Watkins and Mr. Ellsworth are in partnership in everything on the farm. They feed from one hundred to two hundred head of hogs every year. Having started in debt for all his stock and tools, Martin H. Watkins has been pre-eminently success- ful as a farmer. He keeps some of the finest draft horses to be found in Madison county and is well known, particularly in fraternal circles.
In the Odd Fellows fraternity he is both a past grand and past district grand master. He is also past grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias. Politically, he is nominally connected with the Democratic party, but he is very independent in voting. In minor politics he has been more or less prominent, having filled several offices, including that of township assessor.
Mr. Watkins enjoys hunting and shooting, and is one of the most deserving citizens to be found in this county. He has a host of friends and not very many people have been known to speak an unkind or unfavorable word of him. As a matter of fact, he well deserves the confidence and high regard which he enjoys.
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JONATHAN E. BUFFINGTON.
The proprietor of the Summerford hotel, at Summerford, Madison county, Ohio, is Jonathan E. Buffington, who was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1859, and who was brought to Ohio in 1861. and lived at Mechanicsburg. About 1SSO he came to Madison county. Mr. Buffington has been engaged in farming, in paper-hanging, in painting and in the mercantile business, and followed these various lines until ten years ago, when he engaged at Summerford in the hotel business.
In 1880 Jonathan E. Buffington was married to Emma Alice Comfort, the daughter of Henry M. and Catharine ( Heffley) Comfort and the grandniece of Valentine Wil- son, a pioneer settler of Madison county. Mrs. Buffington is a native of Somerford township.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E. Buffington there have been born five children, three sons and two daughters: Henry Floyd is a painter at Summerford; Jolm Fremont is engaged in the general mercantile business at Big Plains, Madison county ; Raymond Forest died at the age of eighteen; Catherine Ruth and Chella May both live at home and assist their parents in operating the hotel. Mr. Buffington has dealt considerably in cattle and hogs. He is a man who was reared under Whig and Republican influences and is an ardent Republican worker. He is also a man of very strong temperance inclinations.
MIrs. Buffington's father was born in York county, Pennsylvania, and died on December 5, 1895, at the age of seventy-one. Her mother died on November 22. 1895, at the age of sixty-one.
Henry Miller and Catharine ( Heffley ) Comfort were married in Madison county. Catharine Heffley was the daughter of Charles Mathias and Elizabeth ( Wilson) Heffley and was one of nine children born to her parents. Charles Heffley settled on the north bank of Deer creek, one mile north of Summerford village, about 1820. His wife was the sister of the original Valentine Wilson. He passed his entire life on the farm and died at an advanced age.
Henry and Catharine Comfort began housekeeping at Summerford. He was a car- penter by trade and did his first work on the Christian church. When he came to this community he was unable to speak English, being German by birth. In later years he often said that he did not know whether a man was called "he" or "she." Eventually. he took up contract building and among the many structures he erected in this com- munity is the Sawyer house, now the residence on "Housatonia Farm." Later he removed to Columbus and became assistant master car builder in the Pan Handle car shops, at Columbus. He was one of the finest mechanics that Madison county has ever produced. After six or eight years he was made foreman and remained so until his death. He had between fifteen and twenty men working under him. No car was sent out from the shop which had not passed his inspection.
While Mr. Comfort worked at Columbus his residence remained at Summerford, except a few years when he operated the old Wilson farm. Mrs. Elizabeth Comfort preferred to live at Summerford, and the old place is still owned by members of the family, being the property of a daughter, Mrs. Cartzdafner. Mrs. Comfort's death, coming suddenly, as the result of a stroke of apoplexy, was such a severe shock to her husband that he died within two weeks. Their remains are buried in the Summerford cemetery. Both were members of the Christian church and active throughout life. They had five children, of whom three grew to maturity: Leah, Mary Ellen and Emma Alice. Leah married W. J. Baird, of Springfield, who was an oil operator. now retired. They have two children, Ella, who married Henry Sholtz, of Springfield, Ohio, and Ernest Comfort, of Lima, Ohio. Mary married George Cartzdafner, a merchant at
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Summerford, Ohio, and they have one daughter, Belva E., who married Henry MeSav- eney, of Springfield, Ohio. Enuna Alice is the wife of Jonathan E. Buffington. Mrs. Buffington and daughters are active in the work of the Christian church.
Jonathan E. Buffington is the last surviving son of Jonathan H. and Marian E. (Hunt) Buffington, who were the parents of the following children: George R. deceased, lived at Springfield, Ohio; Laura, widow of Charles Smith, lives at Dayton, Ohio; Thomas W., deceased, lived at Milford Center, Ohio; Lizzie married Pearl Gray, of Mechanicsburg, Ohio: Celia married Samuel Leggue, of Mechanicsburg; Rose mar- ried James Dickman, of Danville, Illinois. and they have two daughters, Bessie and Grace; Vergie C. married Dr. Edward Dill, of St. Louis, Missouri, and they have two children, Raymond and Lillie, who married a Mr. Broadrick, son of Judge Broadrick; Jonathan E., the subject of this sketch; Carrie died young; Jonathan H. and three others died in infancy.
JOHN A. GOSSARD.
Not only are the various members of the Gossard family well known in Madison county, but they have always been successful farmers. John A. Gossard, a prominent farmer and citizen of Stokes township, formerly was engaged in educational work in Madison county. In 1913 his three children won the contest in Madison county for the most corn raised on an acre of land. One of Mr. Gossard's children, Jay, won another contest by raising one hundred and two bushels of shelled corn. The three averaged ninety-nine bushels to the acre and won the trip to New York, Washington, Mt. Vernon and other eastern cities. Mr. Gossard has always given his children proper encourage- ment, suggestion and counsel.
John A. Gossard was born on October 11, 1867, in Stokes township, Madison county, Ohio. He is the son of Robert and Barbara C. (Huffman) Gossard, the former of whom was born on September 9. 1833, in Ross county, Ohio, and the latter was a daughter of Amos and Nancy Huffman. Robert Gossard was the son of John V. and Hannah (Brown) Gossard, the former of whom was born in Ross county, the son of Philip Gossard, who was a native of Pennsylvania and of German descent. The family came west in pioneer times and settled in Ross county. Both Philip Gossard and his father died in Ross county, and are buried at the Laterville Cemetery. Philip Gossard was a member of the Presbyterian church. John V. and Hannah (Brown) Gossard had only one child, Robert. Mrs. John V. Gossard died in 1833, nine days after Robert was born. After five years, his father married, secondly, Nancy Ritenhour, who died eleven months after their marriage. His father was then married to Phoebe Cox, who bore him five children, three of whom are living. The five children were Joseph C., Artie, Marcellus, John A., and David. Joseph C., who was born in Madison county. died about 1809. Artie married Samuel Thomas, who is now deceased, and whose widow lives in Stokes township. Marcellus is a resident of London. John M. was the fourth born. David died in 1913. John V. Gossard settled in Madison county some time in the forties, leasing a large tract of land in Stokes township. At the expiration of the lease he bought the land and owned at one time about two hundred and thirty acres. He died in Stokes township in 1883, and his wife died in 1905.
Robert Gossard received a common-school education. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted, November 23, 1861, and served three years or until his discharge at the expiration of his term of service. After the war he returned home, and on December 1, 1866, was married to Barbara C. Huffman, who bore him nine children, all of whom are living. John A., the subject of this sketch, was the eldest. The others were as follow : Elva lives at home; Laura is the wife of O. E. Duff of London: Gertrude is
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the wife of William J. Nevills, of Springfield, Ohio; Aury is the wife of A. C. Dun, of South Solon; Osa is the wife of Scott Rowe, the principal of the Midway high school ; Grace is the wife of Leo Hartman. of Toledo; Blanche is the wife of Harry Vent, of Washington, D. C .; Ida is the widow of Ernest Klever, deceased.
Robert Gossard owns one hundred and thirty acres of land in Stokes township. He is a stanch Republican, but has never aspired to office. In 1911 he retired from active life. Both he and his wife. are members of the Christian church, and have been members for the past thirty-five years.
Born and reared on the farm, John A. Gossard received his education in the public schools, in the high school at South Solon and London, and in the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio. Mr. Gossard taught school for eleven years in Madison and Fayette counties.
On March 24. 1894, John A. Gossard was married to Sarah Brock. a daughter of 1. C. and Amanda (Gordon) Brock. They have had four children, all of whom are living. Marguerite, the wife of Roy Shough, of South Charleston; Robert L. is a studeut in the South Solon high school; John J. and Tressie are in school.
Mr. Gossard has farmed while engaged in educational work, and now handles two hundred and forty acres of land. He raises a high grade of horses, and also a high grade of cattle. In every respect he is a first-class farmer.
John A. Gossard is a member of the Knights of Pythias, at South Solon. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gossard are members of the Grange lodge, at South Solon, and both are mem- bers of the Grassy Point Christian church. Mr. Gossard is a Republican in politics and has served as a member of the school board.
CLOUDE L. SMITH.
One of the most extensive farmers of Madison county, Ohio, is Cloude L. Smith, the member of the firm of Smith & Houston, breeders of Percheron and Belgian horses, and the operators of "Houstonia Farm," No. 6, comprising one thousand and eighty- four acres. This tract includes the old Robert Dunn homestead, in Somerford township, and is a part of the great "Houstonia Farm" of fifty-two hundred acres. The opera- tions carried by Messrs. Smith and Houston are little short of gigantic. They have eleven head of registered Belgian horses, nine head of registered Percheron mares, and five stallions on the farm, all of which are purebreds. Altogether they keep one hun- dred and twelve head of horses, all of which are very high grade. For some time they have been engaged in raising cattle and hogs, and turned off on an average three hundred head of hogs every year. Stock breeding was begun as an important depart- ment in the operation of this great farm about five years ago.
Cloude L. Smith, one of the enterprising managers of this immense farm, was born on August 12, 1886, in Ross county, Ohio, and came to Madison county some years ago to take charge of this farm. He is a young man who is well experienced in the stock business and he came here especially to take charge of this department of the farm work. Twenty men are employed on "Houstonia Farm" No. 6, and crops are rotated on the three-year plan. There is grown on this tract about three hundred acres each of corn, wheat and clover annually.
Mr. Smith has exhibited live stock at all the fairs in this section of the state, and in all classes, including the county and state fairs. In 1914 he won a total of more than one hundred ribbons at the various fairs where his stock was shown.
On December 24, 1911. Cloude L. Smith was married, in Madison county, to Ola O'Donnell. the daughter of Patrick O'Donnell, of Deer Creek township, where Mrs. Smith was born and reared. They have no children.
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CLOUDE L. SMITHI
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MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.
Cloude L. Smith is identified with the Republican party, and takes an active and interested part in all public measures having for their object the welfare and better- ment of his community. He is a member of the Houstonia Athletic Club and the Social Club at South Charleston.
DAVID O. KEEFER.
Madison county has few farmers who better understand all of the aspects of present- day agriculture than David O. Keefer, the manager of the Thomas Babs estate, con- sisting of two hundred and eighty-nine acres, located in Somerford township. Here Mr. Keefer has lived for the past twelve years, engaged in general farming and stock raising. He raises large quantities of grain and feeds most of his grain to hogs. He pays cash rent for the Thomas Babs farm.
David O. Keefer was born on October 28, 1856, in Carroll county, Maryland, and at the age of six years was brought to Madison county, Ohio, by his parents, William and Rebecca Keefer. the former of whom died at Newport at the age of fifty-three, and the latter is still living in London.
Mr. Keefer has spent practically all of his life in Madison county. He began, early in life, working out on the neighboring farms, but for the past eighteen years has managed the operations of various farms in Madison county. He has lived on the present farm for the past twelve years.
At the age of twenty-four, David O. Keefer was married to Mary Mills, of Pickaway county. Mr. and Mrs. Keefer have been the parents of four children, namely. Roy, who lives in Loudon; Pearl. who lives at home on the farm and works with his father ; Walter and Mabel, at home with their parents.
Mr. Keefer has never taken an active part in political or religious affairs, but has devoted his time almost exclusively to farming. a vocation which he truly loves and one in which he has made very satisfactory progress.
CHARLES HENRY WALLACE.
Charles Henry Wallace, a successful stockman and farmer of Summerford, was born in Somerford township, on a part of the old Wilson farm, January 22. 1860. He is the son of Mark and Harriet ( Littler) Wallace, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively.
Mark Littler was brought by his parents, Joshua and Matilda Littler, to Madison county when a child. He was a farmer in this county and died at an advanced age. Mark Littler served three years and six months in the Civil War as a member of the One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged for disability, having been wounded at the battle of Chickamauga by the bursting of a shell. He was wounded in the hip and remained an invalid for twenty years. He died on his home farm, a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic. His wife had died several years before. They had a family of four children: Joshua, who is unmarried, lives in London : Charles H. is the subject of this sketch: George W. was a farmer and died at Plumwood, at the age of forty-four: Pauline is the wife of Matt Landers, who lives near Plumwood. Ohio.
Charles Henry Wallace lived at home with his parents until he was eighteen years of age. Afterward he spent two years in Champaign county. There he rented land and farmed for two years. Upon returning to Madison county he operated the Joe Ward farm, but after working for wages for one year he spent two years in Van Wert county. Selling out there he purchased a home in Summerford and for the next five years
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operated one of the farms owned by Mrs. Lucy Beach. While Mr. Wallace has cou- tinued to farm he has bought and sold several tracts of land. After spending another year in Van Wert county he bought the old Kennedy farm, which is now kuown as the Clay Rogers farm. Mr. Wallace's father had formerly owued this farm. It is set iu catalpas and is a fine tract of growing timber. Mr. Wallace has bought and sold many thousand mules and draft horses. He keeps a Missouri jack and as far as he can encourages the raising of mules in this county.
Not only does Mr. Wallace raise mules on his own farm, but also buys and sells them in large numbers. He is interested in several small tracts of farm real estate, and owns a tract of five acres where he lives. During late years he has been engaged in: buyiug young mules, breaking them to the harness and theu selling them in broken teams. His brother has been associated with him in this business. Frequently they get as high as five hundred dollars for a team of good mules aud as much as six huu- dred dollars for a team of draft horses. Mr. Wallace keeps from tweuty to thirty head of horses all the time. Corn raised on his farm is fed to the hogs.
Charles H. Wallace was married, when still a young man, to Addie Kelley, who died nineteeu years ago, leaving three children: Will lives at London; Mark is a molder at Springfield; Belva is the wife of Frank Pyles, of Springfield. Some years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Wallace was married, in 1901, to Ada (Burt) Brunty, widow of Thomas Brunty. Mr. and Mrs. Brunty had two children, Nora aud Floyd. The former is in London aud the latter lives with Mr. Wallace. To this second marriage there have been born two children, Isabel and Alice, both of whom are attending school. Charles Henry Wallace is a Democrat.
DANIEL LUCY.
The proprietor of "Diamond Rock Stock Farm" iu Somerford township, a maguifi- cent tract of one hundred and seven acres, devoted to general farmiug aud stock raising, Daniel Lucy was born near Danville, Madison county, June 24, 1863, the son of John and Laura (Campbell) Lucy. John Lucy was a native of County Cork, Ireland, but was married iu the state of Ohio.
For some years John Lucy worked on the Gwynne farm. in Deer Creek township. After his marriage, however, he settled on the farm where Daniel Lucy now lives. When Daniel was a child the family moved to Clark county and settled ou a farm two miles west of the village of Summerford. There John Lucy spent his life on a farm of Que hundred and eighty-six acres, most of which he cleared out of the famous Bailey woods. At the time of his death, in May, 1898, at the age of eighty years. he had almost all of the farm under cultivation. He also laid a great deal of tile and had good buildings on the farm. Mrs. Laura ( Campbell) Lucy died some years before her hus- band. They were the parents of six children. as follow: Michael, who is in the rail- road service at Missouri Valley, Iowa : Daniel is the subject of this sketch; Dennis is a thresherman of Clark county and owns two farms. eighty acres in Somerford township, and a farm iu Pleasant township, Clark county; Lizzie is unmarried and lives in Lon- don ; Ella is the wife of John Kennedy, who owns the old home farm and resides in Springfield; Ohio ; and Cornelius, who was a farmer, died at the age of thirty years
Daniel Lucy remained at home until his father's death, when he moved to his present farm. It is the old Samuel Prugh farm and is located on the Markley road. It had a good house when Mr. Lucy received the farm and also a good barn, which was burned. The present barn was built in 1904. It is a bank barn, thirty-six by fifty-eight feet. Besides the home farm of one hundred and seven acres which Mr. Lucy owns, he also owns eiglity-seven acres about a mile distant. He breeds Duroc- Jersey hogs and feeds them for the market. Practically all of the stock raised and fed
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on the farm is purebred. The Lucy farm is well equipped for stock raising, since the water is piped to the house aud barn from the very fiuest springs, being forced by a hydraulic ram installed in 1904. A large tank is situated in the barn and from this tank water is drawn for the stock.
Daniel Lucy has never been married. He is a member of St. Patrick's Catholic church at London. He votes the Democratic ticket.
HENRY KELLY.
The London Guu Club, of which Henry Kelly is president, is an institution of which the people of Madison county, who are interested in sports, are very proud, since the club has attained distinction for having developed several men who are among the leading shots in the country. Its members take part in state, national and international trap-shooting contests. It is no small honor to have been the president of this organiza- tiou since its establishment about eight years ago. Mr. Kelly has won honors iu state. nation and international meetings, and is perhaps the oldest man in Ohio to shoot on the line. He holds his own well with the younger men and he also eujoys huuting large game and frequently visits the huuting preserves of Virginia, Maine, Moutana and Minnesota. He has hunted moose and other big game iu the Northern woods. He also enjoys fishing and spends his vacation in this sport.
Henry Kelly, a native of Auglaize county, Ohio, was born on April 24 1839, and was taken to Columbus, Ohio, at the age of three years, by his parents, Reubeu and Elizabeth (Baughman) Kelly, both of whom were natives of Peunsylvania. Mr. Kelly's father was a farmuer, but operated the mill at Columbus. Henry atteuded school at Columbus until thirteen years of age. when the family moved to Madison county, where his father purchased a farm two miles west of Summerford, on the National road and on the county line. He lived on that farm until an advanced age. A short time before his death he built a house iu Summerford, where he died iu 1904 at the age of eighty-three. His wife died about one year later. They had a family of nine children, three of whom died in infancy.
Of the children born to Reuben and Elizabeth ( Baughman) Kelly, one child, Mary, died early iu life; Laura, who is unmarried, and Elizabeth, the widow of William Buz- zard, live together iu London: Frank is located iu California, but was a carpenter in Delaware, Ohio, until about two years ago; John lives in the soldiers' home at San- dusky, Ohio, having served in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for a period of one year during the Civil War.
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