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 114

Author: Bryan, Chester Edwin
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : Bowen
Number of Pages: 1150

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 114

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Henry Kelly has lived at Summerford since he was thirteen years old. He attended the district school and about the time he finished his education enlisted, in September, 1861, in the Fortieth Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving three years and nine- teen days in Company C. Most of the time he was on detail in pioneer service, but he was engaged in several battles, including those of Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga In the Atlanta campaign he was captured while detailed to secure beef cattle for the army. He had started to camp with a drove of stock when he rau into the Rebel cavalry. He knew a squad of Union cavalry was following him and they had not gone over a half mile until they ran into the Union squad, and he had the pleasure of escort- ing his own captors back to camp. He was not wounded during the eutire war and was with his command from the beginning of his enlistment until his discharge. Since leaving the army he has followed the carpenter's trade continuously.

In 1865 Heury Kelly was married to Elizabeth Henderson. a native of Summerford, the daughter of G. D. and Catherine (Kelly) Henderson. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have lived together for fifty years. They have been the parents of five children, as follow :

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Ilelena the wife of William MeKinley, of Plattsburg, Clark county, Ohio; Harley, who lives in London ; Edna, the wife of Raleigh Cartzdafner, a machinist, at Springfield, Ohio; Eugene, who is associated with Howard Lewis on the farm; and Nora, the wife of Cade Powers, of South Charleston, Ohio.

Henry Kelly is a member of Lyon Post No. 21, Grand Army of the Republic, and has served in almost every official capacity in this post. Ile is one of the substantial citizens of Somerford township, and is widely admired for his sterling integrity and his upright moral worth.

JOHN FLORENCE.

John Florence, an active farmer of Monroe township, Madison county, Ohio, was born in Paint township, Madison county. His great-grandfather, William Florence, Sr., came from England in 1700 and settled in Faruquier county, Virginia. He was a sol- dier in Washington's army, a member of the Virginia militia and a delegate from the commonwealth of Virginia in 1778. He was the father of five children, three daughters and two sons.

William Florence, Jr., the youngest son of William, Sr., and the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came to Ohio in 1806 and located in Pickaway county, making a purchase of sixteen hundred acres of land. He became very prominent, having repre- sented his county in the Legislature a number of times and served as circuit judge for several terms. Hle was married in Virginia to Fanny Robinson and to them were born three daughters and three sons, all of whom were born in Virginia except the youngest son, William, he being born in Pickaway county, Ohio.

Robinson Florence, the father of John Florence, married Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of John and Mary (Phifer) Williams, of Virginia. Mary Phifer, the maternal grandmother of the subject of this sketch, was the daughter of John and Catherine (Rader) Phifer, also natives of Virginia. Before his marriage, Robinson Florence came with his father to Ohio and settled in Piekaway county. He later settled on land in Paint township. Madison county. after his marriage. To this union were born eleven children. The father and mother and four of the children have passed away. Elias Richard Florence, the eldest son, was elected to the office of sheriff for two terms and the office of treasurer for a like period of time. Ile being an ardent Democrat. these elections speak highly of him. as his party is greatly in the minority in Madison county. After his services in public affairs, he embarked in the Inmber business and built and operated the Florence planing-mill and Inmber yards for twenty years. He died in London, Ohio, at his beautiful home on Water street, in February, 1912.

Robinson Florence settled in Paint township. Madison county, on a farm six miles west of London, between the London and Xenia road and the Little Miami rail- road, the station of Florence being named for him. At the present time there is an np-to-date elevator at this station, from which a large amount of grain is shipped to market, and also a large warehouse. Williams Chapel is built on a lot given by Grand- mother Williams and named in her honor.

John Florence, after leaving the district school. was a student in the "Old Academy" in London, Ohio, for two years, but completed his education at Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity. Delaware, Ohio. After returning home he engaged in farming and has followed this occupation since that time.

In 1875 John Florence was married to Blanche Morgridge, the daughter of Joshua Bailey and Harriet (Tuttle) Morgridge. The history of the Morgridge family will be found in the sketch of William Morgridge, presented elsewhere in this volume. After their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Florence moved to Monroe township. Madison county.

John Florence

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Pu Florence

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and there purchased a farm. To this union were born one daughter and one son, Mary and Walter. Mary, who is a graduate of St. Mary's Convent at Columbus, Ohio, mar- ried Mark Taylor, a farmer of Lafayette, Ohio. Walter attended Otterbein College for one year and is a graduate of Ohio State University and the Bliss Business College. He married Cleo Thompson and is largely engaged in cattle ranching in Oklahoma. Besides rearing these two children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Florence have also reared three other children, Cleo Thompson, who came to make her home with them when twelve years of age and remained until her marriage. and two grandchildren. Robert Thompson Florence makes his home with them at the present time.

Mrs. Blanche ( Morgridge) Florence was a student of Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, was one year in Rodger's Private School in Springfield, Ohio, and completed her education in Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. She has always been a progressive woman, and in everything that was beneficial to the community she has been among the first to assist. In a large measure it was due to her that Resaca got its first tri-weekly mail and finally daily mail. Resaca now has a rural free delivery.

Mr. Florence owns the old Florence farm, on which he was born, and a beautiful home in Plain City. He attributes much of his success to the foresight and good judg- ment of his good wife. When they moved to Monroe township there were but few graveled roads in that section of the state, and the land on which they settled was in a state of nature, there being only a few open ditches on it about one spade deep. Since that time Mr. Florence has put in tile ditches, his being the first in the neighbor- hood, and has been taxed to help build fifteen or twenty graveled roads and several large county ditches. He has been at a great expense to make his land productive and has often considered his assessments on these improvements very discouraging.

Although not a member of any church, Mr. Florence attends the Methodist church and his wife is a member of the Episcopal church. They helped to build the Christian church at Resaca, Ohio. Mr. Florence is a member of the Grange but does not belong to any secret order. He is a charter member, a stockholder and a director in the Farmers National Bank at Plain City. Mr. Florence's family prefer to live in Plain City, but he divides his time between the city and his farm in Monroe township, where he has a fine herd of purebred Shorthorn cattle.

CALEB GRIFFIN WILSON.

Caleb Griffin Wilson, the proprietor of "Forest Home," three miles west of the village of Summerford, in Somerford township, Madison county. Ohio, is the son of Washington and Linnie ( West) Wilson, the former of whom was the son of Valentine and Susan ( Umble) Wilson. The life history of Washington Wilson and his forbears is contained in the sketch of the Wilson family: presented elsewhere in this volume.

Caleb Griffin Wilson was one of eight children born to his parents, and one of the last two surviving. He was born on the old homestead farm, November 16, 1859, and is next to the youngest of his father's family.

Mr. Wilson lived at home until his marriage, after which he came direct to his present home, which he had just erected. Originally he had one hundred and twenty- five acres of land. He had just cleared a big pasture and from the time he removed to the farm has made many improvements. In recent years he has added twenty-five acres to his farm. He is an extensive breeder of live stock, besides which he buys a great many cattle and hogs to feed them for the market. He has a feeding barn forty by sixty feet, which was erected in 1910, and a very large silo, and feeds ensilage to his cattle. Since removing to the farm he has installed a great deal of drainage, and the land which was originally of little value on account of being wet and swampy, is .now

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being made to produce enormous crops of corn and clover. He feeds about seventy-five to one hundred hogs every year. Mr. Wilson's farm is located on the county line and includes twenty-five acres in Clark county.

At the age of twenty-one years Caleb G. Wilson was married to Lettie West, of Clark county. Although the latter lives in Clark county his home is in the township adjoining Somerford. Mrs. Wilson is six months her husband's junior. They are the parents of three children, all of whom are living: Ross W., who is a farmer; Esther, the wife of Clem Fossett, lives in London; Rodney Robert, the youngest child, lives at home with his parents.

Mr. Wilson is a Republican, but has never held office, nor has ever aspired to office. He is a man who is very much in love with life in the open. In the community where he lives he is highly respected and esteemed as the scion of a noble and worthy family of the county. He and his family are earnest and faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which they take an active and interested part, Mr. Wilson being a steward of the church at Summerford.

JOHN THOMAS LINDSEY.

In Somerford township. Madison county, Ohio not a great distance from the county seat, London, may be found the ancestral home of the Arbuckles, of whom John Thomas Lindsey, who married the youngest child of Jacob Arbuckle, is the present proprietor, and which farm at the death of Mr. Lindsey will pass into the possession of his daugh- ter. Mildred, now a child of eleven years. The old Arbuckle farm now contains one hundred and sixty-nine acres and has a most interesting history.

John T. Lindsey was born in Marion county, Ohio, August 8, 1865, the son of Joseph R. and Lydia (Cope) Lindsey, natives of Ross and Marion counties, Ohio, respectively. Mr. Lindsey's grandparents came from near Halifax, Virginia, and were pioneer settlers in the Buckeye state.

Reared on the farm and educated in the public schools of Ohio, John T. Lindsey was married on May 22, 1902, in Springfield, Ohio, to Flora A. Arbuckle, the youngest child of Jacob Arbuckle. She died on May 4, 1911, at the age of forty-four. her whole life having been passed in Madison county. She was educated in the old Arbuckle school. in Somerford township, and later attended the London high school, but did not graduate. Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey are the parents of only one child. Mildred. born on November 23, 1903.

The Arbuckle family in America came originally to this country from Scotland, but Col. John R. Arbuckle. the founder of the family in Ohio, was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, and was first married to Nancy Sturgeon, by whom he had two daughters. Elizabeth and Sarah. With his wife and two daughters he came to Ohio in 1805. He had come previously, in 1803, and obtained a tract of eight hundred acres of land, which his brother, Charles, a soldier in the American Revolution, had received for services in that great war. In the meantime. Col. John R. Arbuckle who had received this tract of land from his brother, Charles, made his home at what is now the first house east of the Arbuckle school, now the residence of John T. Lindsey. Here he built a double log cabin and put in a crop, but being frightened out by the Indians, he returned to Virginia and remained there two years. In 1805 he returned with his wife and daughters and later brought a nephew, John Barrett, and his sister, Nancy, to this county. Col. John R. Arbuckle's wife died in 1812, and in 1814 he was married to Elizabeth Bishop, who had come from Greenbrier county, Virginia, with her parents and located in Logan county, Ohio. John R. Arbuckle had become a colonel in the Ohio militia and had gone to Logan county to build a fort. There he met and married

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his second wife. He remained in his old house until he built the present frame house in 1842. Three years later, iu 1845. he died, at the age of seventy-five. He not only served a term or two in the state Legislature but was one of the first judges in the county and bore the title of Judge Arbuckle until his death.

The second wife of Col. John R. Arbuckle, Elizabeth Bishop. survived him for twenty years, passing away iu 1565, at the age of seventy-six. He disposed. by will, of his estate to his children by the second marriage, who were as follow: William spent his life on the old home place and died at the age of seventy-five leaving one child, Francis Taylor. of Richmond. Virginia; Matthew moved to Missouri and finally to Texas; Susan died while still a young woman; Charles is hereafter referred to; Rebecca died unmarried, at the age of sixty-eight, after having- been in charge of her brothers' families. heing the housekeeper for her brother. Charles, after the death of his wife in 1855, and reared his family of children: James was the next born; Josiah died in childhood: and Jacob inherited the old homestead and died at the age of seventy- five. leaving a family of four children.

Charles Arbuckle. who was born on February 1. 1821, died on July 12, 1896. He was a farmer hy occupatiou and lived on the old home farm until his father's death in 1845. when he inherited one hundred and seventy acres. where his family now lives. All but sixteen acres of the farm was in woods. His life work was devoted to this farm, and at his death he had one hundred and twenty acres in cultivation. He built the present house in 1847, and afterward settled on the farm with his wife, to whom he was married in 1846. Before her marriage she was Eliza Richmond, the sister of Hiram and William Richmond, and the daughter of David and Ruth (Johnson) Richmond, natives of New Jersey. They located near Dayton, where she was born, and later, when she was still a child. brought her to Summerford, where she grew up and was educated. Her father had died near Daytou and her mother came to Summerford as a widow. Eliza Richmond was seventeen years old at the time of her marriage. She died on June 20 1855. at the age of twenty-six. leaving a family of four children, of whom Ann mar- ried Christian Bryan, of Madison county. Ann died, leaving two sons. Herbert and Charles, both of whom were reared by their grandfather, Charles Arbuckle. They are engaged in operating the home farm, Herbert being a farmer in Madison county. Eliza Jane. the second child born to Charles and Eliza Arbuckle, and Laura Frances, the third child. both passed their lives in the house where they were born. George Edwin died in infancy. Rebecca Arbuckle. the daughter of Col. John R. Arbuckle and the aunt of these children. at the death of Charles Arbuckle's wife. took care of his children and reared the three to maturity devoting her whole life to their interests. Not only that but she cared for Jacob Arbuckle's four children, giving them the same consideration as if they had been her own children. Rebecca Arbuckle died on October 10, 1900, at the old home farm of her brother. Charles. Charles Arbuckle was one of those men who are naturally leaders in public affairs and was always to be found in the front ranks of men who were working in the interest of the public welfare.

Jacob Arbuckle had four children, namely: Viola, who married Thomas Cloud. of London : Walter, who died at the age of about thirty; Lizzie Maria, who died unmar- ried. at the age of fifty; and Flora, the wife of John T. Lindsey, the subject of this sketch.

John Lindsey is a man whose material interests are devoted to his farm. He is interested in good driving horses and always keeps several horses on the farm. He has inherited from his parents a liking for animals, and finds the farm a most congenial place to live. Mr. Lindsey is a highly-respected citizen and one who is well known throughout Somerford township. He usually votes the Republican ticket and is a member of Lodge No. 481, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Summerford, Ohio.

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Mrs. Lindsey was a member of the Universalist church, of London, Ohio, and took a good deal of interest in church work. She was a member of the Evergreen Club and was secretary of the Winchester Association for several years. She was a woman who was well known in the county.

WALTER A. DEN.

Some time before 1850 four brothers and a sister, whose father had died, came to Madison county, Ohio, and occupied a large tract of land, which their father, before his death, had purchased at one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. The three younger brothers and the sister were brought to Madison county by the eldest brother. These children comprised the Dun family, all of whom have occupied a conspicuous place in the history of this county. The sister, Mary, became the wife of the late Allen G. Thurman, who served as United States senator from Ohio. Walter A., the subject of this sketch, spent most of his life in Madison county, passing away on December 2, 1906, at the age of eighty-one years.

Walter A. Dun, who was the sole proprietor of "Oak Forest." was born at Chilli- cothe, Ohio, in 1825, and was one of a family of five children born to Walter Dun, Sr., and wife. The others were John T., James, Robert and Mary. Some time after his father's death, Walter A. Dun obtained about seven thousand acres of land in three or four traets, situated in several counties. There were over twenty-one hundred acres in the home farm, where he lived and died.

The late Walter A. Dun was married in Kentucky, while still a young man, to Mary Catherine Thompson, of the Blue Grass state. She died on December 2, 1896, just ten years to the day before the death of her husband. It is a coincidence of no small moment that their deaths occurred ten years apart, lacking perhaps less than two hours. The Dun home was a fine old mansion built in 1851. It had a big fireplace and was a quaint structure. On November 2. 1902, it burned to the ground and afterward Walter A. Dun set to work to build the present house, which, however, is not so pretentious as was the old mansion.

For ten years the Dun farm was operated by Robert Hanson, who was born six miles south of London and whose wife before her marriage, was Lucy Rumer, a native of Fayette county. Mrs. Hanson is a most estimable woman, who gives her home an atmosphere of hospitality, and she has been a large factor in the success of her hus- band. With their two children, Mabel and Ray, when the latter was two years and six months old, Mr. and Mrs. Hanson came to the Dun homestead. Mr. Hanson had been recommended to Mr. Dun by George Van Wagoner, of London. At the time of their coming. Mr. Dun became very closely attached to the children and especially to Ray. It was only a short time before he said he would leave his property to the lad and he did. At the time he was in need of some one upon whom to bestow his affections and finally left the lad all of his real estate, which consisted of the home farm of one hundred and fifty-three acres, worth approximately twenty thousand dollars. It is sit- uated ten miles north of London.

The remains of Walter A. Dun are buried in the Greenlawn cemetery, at Columbus, as are also his brothers and his wife. He and his wife had no children. He was a Democrat in politics and a stanch one. Ile was a student of political questions and well informed, particularly in foreign politics. He had a large library and spent a . great deal of time with his books. He was also very fond of race horses, and for twenty years harness horses were his chief concern. He owned the best horses to be found in Ohio, and long after he had quit the racing game kept on breeding fast horses. Many of his horses were sold at Latonia and other places. He was also interested in breeding Shorthorn cattle.

WALTER A .DUN

ROBERT HANSON.

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Walter A. Dun had a very kind heart and a neighborly disposition but lived some- what secluded during his entire life. He was kind to the poor and always ready to assist the needy. His old employees had the highest words of praise for him. Mr. Dun counted the Hanson family as among his own people and treated them accordingly.

Robert Hanson is the nephew of Robert Hanson, Sr., ambassador to Italy under President Hayes. The senior Robert Hanson was a captain in the United States army and an attorney-at-law at London. His health failing in Italy, he started home and died on the ocean two days before landing. His remains were buried in the Paint township cemetery. Mrs. Hanson's parents were natives of the Old Dominion state, who located in Fayette county, Ohio, where both died. Mrs. Hanson is a sister of Mrs. Richard Kilgore, of Paint township. The Hanson family includes only Mabel and Ray. The former is the wife of John Roseberry, of Rosedale, Madison county, and has two children, Robert, seven years of age. and Marion, three years of age. Ray, who was born on July 16. 1893. lives on his farm. He is a graduate of the London high school and spent one year at Ohio State University and is now a student at Ohio Wes- leyan University at Delaware, Ohio, in the class of 1917. He is an active member of the Sigma Alpha fraternity, and is very much interested in athletics, particularly foot- ball and baseball.

GEORGE W. CARTZDAFNER.

George W. Cartzdafner, a general merchant at Summerford, where he is engaged extensively in the mercantile business, dealing in dry goods boots, shoes, groceries and queensware, began business in Summerford twenty-four years ago. Mr. Cartzdafner was born on August 15, 1856. in Union county, Ohio, and came to Madison county. Ohio, at the age of ten years with his parents, J. W. and Julia Ann Cartzdafner, the former of whom was a native of Maryland and the latter of Franklin county, Ohio. They were married in Columbus. He was a millwright by trade and a mill operator. He operated the old Roberts mill for three years and the old Linck mill, one mile north of Summer- ford. He also had a saw-mill and a flour-mill, which he purchased and afterward converted into a modern process mill operating it for twenty years, then selling out. The site of this old mill is now covered by the Summerford cemetery, the buildings all being gone.

J. W. Cartzdafner moved to Summerford late in life, and died there in his eighty- first year. He was a well-known member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. having passed all of the chairs and was reliably informed as to all phases of lodge work. "Uncle Johnny." as he was familiarly known, served several terms as trustee and nine years as assessor. He was a Democrat in politics, but he never sought office and served only when he was solicited to do so. Although he was not a member of any church he was a prominent Sunday-school worker until very late in life. He was well informed upon all current subjects and a fluent conversationalist. A natural mechanic, he was an expert in all phases of engineering. He served nine years on the school board. His widow, who survived him two years, was an active worker in the Christian church. They had a family of thirteen children, among whom are the fol- lowing : Frank is a resident of Pasadena, California : Irvin lives at Columbus; Byard resides in Columbus: Raleigh lives in Springfield : Albert lives in London ; George W. lives in Summerford; Mrs. Hettie Woosley lives in Springfield; Sophia is the wife of William Dixon : Fidelia, who was the wife of Charles Heffley died in Columbus; and Ada, who married James H. Clingan, died at Summerford.

Of these children, George W. Cartzdafner has lived in Madison county since he was ten years old, except eight years spent in the Pan Handle car shops as a car builder.

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George W. Cartzdafner was married in 1880 to Mary E. Comfort, whose parental history is given elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Cartzdafner was born in Clark county. 'To this union has been born one child. Belva E., who is the wife of Henry McSavaney, of Springfield, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. McSaveney have one daughter.

Mr. Cartzdafner is prominent in the work of the Masonic lodge and in the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. Ile is a man who has always paid strict attention to his personal business, and this perhaps as much as anything else accounts for his very satisfactory success.

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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 114

Author: Bryan, Chester Edwin Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : Bowen Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Bryan, Chester Edwin
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : Bowen
Number of Pages: 1150