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 85
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After living for forty-five years on the home place. Mr. Plymell purchased two hundred and five acres, located two miles south of Upper Glade, which he farmed for twenty-four years. In November, 1913, he removed to London where he had previously purchased a comfortable home on North Main street and where he hopes to spend the remaining years of his life in peace and quiet as a fitting climax to a career of usefulness and thrift.
On December 20, 1877. George W. Plymell was united in marriage to Annie Brad- shaw. daughter of David and Helen (Tevis) Bradshaw, of Lancaster, Ohio, where both Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw were born and which also was the birthplace of their daughter, Annie. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Plymell, though four only are living to make happy their evening of life and reflect the glories of parental love and affection. Flora, the wife of Ed Blaugher, the only daughter and eldest child,
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resides at Newport, Ohio. The second child, Roland Plymell, now living on the farm, married Fay Long and they have one child named Francis. Russell lives on the home place. Rodney married Mary Berry. They have one daughter, Viola Bell, and live on the home place.
The maternal grandfather of George W. Plymell, was Henry Helverson, whose father was Maj. Peter Helverson, one of the first settlers in Madison county. Among the brave men, whose deeds of courage and wise counsel make prominent the early history of those days the name of Maj. Peter Helverson has wielded a power none could gainsay. He was a brave soldier and a very large landowner, owning most of the land on which the town of London now stands.
Mr. Plymell is a very active and highly-respected citizen and much loved by all who know him. His wonderful trait of loyalty to those dependent upon him and his financial achievements will act as an inspiration to future descendants and keep green their love and admiration for one whose life has been filled with good works.
WILLIAM L. PLYMELL.
William L. Plymell, a successful farmer of Deer Creek township, this county, has had a large part in the agricultural development of Madison county, especially in the growing and development of fine seed corn. His efforts in this direction have made him widely known among the farmers of this county, and have had an incalculable effect upon the yield of corn in this county.
William L. Plymell is the son of William and Frances (Helverson) Plymell, the former of whom was born in 1810 on the farm now occupied by his son, and who died in 1855, at the age of forty-five years. William Plymell's parents were pioneers, who came to Ohio from the state of Pennsylvania, and who probably were born in Germany. His father was John Plymell, who literally carved the original homestead out of the wilderness. His old log, weather-boarded house stood until 1914, when it was replaced by a modern house. He owned about two hundred and twenty-five acres, and, during his life, was enabled to put about one-third of it into cultivation, Late in life he made a trip to Missouri in an open wagon, intending to sell out and remove to Missouri. He died, however, before his intentions were realized. In coming back from Missouri, he brought twenty-two head of cattle, all of which died of milk-sick. Besides William, John Plymell had one son. John, Jr., who received one-half of the old farm, and spent his life in this vicinity, dying at the age of seventy-five, after which the farm passed out of the family. His grandson, Horace Plymell, is now a merchant in London. Another son, James, lives in Deer Creek township, this county.
Upon his death, William Plymell left a widow and seven children. The mother remained on the farm and died there, February, 1891, at the age of seventy-three years. One son, John, died on his way home after serving in the Union army during the Civil War. A half-brother, Chris Plymell, also served during the latter part of the Civil War. George Plymell lives in London. Hester Plymell married Henry Craig and died before reaching middle age. Nan Plymell married Oren Snodgrass. Lida Plymell married Lloyd Wheeler, of this county. Bertha Plymell married Lester Somers, of London, and William L. Plymell is the subject of this sketch.
William L, Plymell has spent his whole life on the farm. In conjunction with his brother, he bought out the heirs to the old home farm and finally bought George's interests, so that he now owns the entire farm. All of Mr. Plymell's brothers and sisters, except George, were teachers. He has taken many premiums on fancy seed corn, especially on Johnson County White, Reed's Yellow Dent and Reed's Red Clarege. Mr. Plymell keeps pure-bred and registered stock, but raises stock principally for
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feeding purposes. He feeds all of his crop to his hogs, and even bnys a considerable amount of corn. He took honors at both the national and state corn shows, and his efforts as a corn grower have been independent of the help of any college or other organization. He enjoys hunting and fishing, and especially, bird shooting. During recent years, he has made some extensive improvements on the farm, including a fine barn and house, the latter having been built in 1914 and the former in 1913.
William L. Plymell's first wife was Lonise Timmons, who bore him three children. Ray, Homer and Roy, the latter of whom died on July 11, 1915, the others living on the farm. Mr. Plymell married, secondly, Emma Fingge, which nion has been without issne. Mr. Plymell's home is one of the most modern and up-to-date to be found any- where in Madison county. He was a member of the school board for ten years, and is a Republican in politics. He has contributed liberally to all churches, although he is not a member of any religious organization.
CHARLES EMERY GAIN, M. D.
Of the well-known citizens of London and Madison county, there should be men- tioned Dr. Charles Emery Gain, a well-known physician of London, who, on August 29, 1913, was appointed by President Wilson as postmaster of the city of London. The London postoffice has attached to it eight rural routes, three city carriers, three clerks and an assistant postmaster. It is a second-class postoffice and the year 1914 showed the largest business in the history of the office.
Charles Emery Gain was born in the house where he now lives, at the corner of West High and Water streets in the city of London, July 1, 1866, son of Jesse and Sarah J. (Crowell) Gain, the former of whom was born near Martinsville, Virginia, and the latter in Greene county, Ohio, where they were married. Jesse Gain was a farmer by occupation, who, immediately after his marriage, in 1857, came directly to this connty, locating in London, where he took up contracting and farming. He was never engaged in any public activities of considerable consequence, but led a quiet and unassuming life, passing away at his home in 1892 at the age of fifty-seven. His widow died in 1893 at the age of fifty-six. Some time before his death, he rebuilt the old home, making it a substantial residence. He and his wife were active in the Methodist Episcopal church. Although he had been a Democrat earlier in life, he became a Prohibitionist and was one of the first men in the county to take up the cause of temperance as a political proposition.
The Gain family have long been prominent in the history of Virginia and, before the days of the Civil War. were prominent in the anti-slavery movement in that state. The family of Jesse and Sarah J. (Crowell) Gain consisted of two sons and one daugh- ter-James W., Sarah Elizabeth, and Dr. Charles Emery, the subject of this sketch.
Dr. Charles E. Gain has spent practically all of his life in London. He was grad- nated from Ohio State University, with the class of 1889, and from the Starling Medi- cal College at Columbus, with the class of 1891. From 1891 to the time of his appoint- ment as postmaster, he practiced medicine continuously in Madison county, with the exception of the years 1910 and 1911, during which time he was a student in the Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat College. Since his appointment as postmaster, he has retained his office in London.
In 1894 Dr. Charles E. Gain was married to Rose Markly, daughter of Philip and Tabitha Susan (Bales) Markly, a native of Greene county, Ohio, who was educated in the Greene county public schools and in the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio. Doctor and Mrs. Gain have no children.
Mrs. Gain is prominent in the Methodist Episcopal church and is active in several
CHARLES E. GAIN, M. D.
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literary clubs of London, of one of which she is president. She is also active in the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Doctor Gain is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Masons, being both a Knight Templar and a Shriner in the latter order. He is a man who is fond of outdoor life.
JERRY NEVILLE.
There is no positive rule for achieving success, and yet in the life of the successful man there are always lessons which may well be followed. The man who attains success is one who can utilize opportunities that come in his way. The essential con- ditions of human life are ever the same, the surroundings of individuals differing but slightly. When one man passes another on the highway of life it is because he has the power to use advantages which follow in the purview of the whole human race. Today among the prominent citizens and successful business men of London is Jerry Neville, a prominent contractor of Madison county. Having learned this business from his father, he has made a remarkable success in this and other Ohio counties.
Jerry Neville, a general contractor of London, Ohio, was born on a farm in Fayette county, Ohio, May 27, 1863. He is the son of Morris and Margaret (Campbell) Neville. At the age of seventeen, Morris Neville removed to Springfield, Ohio, and later to a farm in Fayette county, and still later, in 1865, to a farm in Madison county, Ohio. After 1879, he was engaged as a general contractor at London, and, from 1879 to his retirement in 1897, built many pikes and ditches under contract. Since 1897 he has been living retired. Of his children, Jerry and Edward live in Madison county. Both are engaged in the same business. Charles is a contractor at Mingo Junction. Jeffer- son county, Ohio. Arthur, who was proprietor of a restaurant in London, died at the age of thirty-four years. Mary and Elizabeth are engaged in a millinery and dry- goods business at Mingo Junction. Morris is general manager of the Cincinnati North- ern railroad, and resides at Van Wert. Formerly, he was district superintendent of a division of the Big Four railroad. and was located at Indianapolis. The mother of these children died on January 5, 1909, at the age of seventy-three.
Educated in the public and parochial schools of London, Jerry Neville worked for his father as a foreman, and from the time he was seventeen years old, much of his father's contracting work was done under his supervision. Mr. Neville continued with his father until 1897, when he succeeded to his business and continued the contracting business in Madison county, building pikes and ditches until 1901, when he removed to Mingo Junction, three miles from Steubenville, and there began sewer and street paving work. He was engaged in this business for ten years at Steubenville, Ohio, and during that period built many culverts, pikes and bridges. Ordinarily, he employed about fifty men on sewer work. He has also been engaged in asphalt and brick paving. In 1911 Mr. Neville returned to London. and has since been engaged largely in con- structing concrete roads, bridges, and street paving. 'He also operates a gravel and sand pit on his farm three miles out of London. During his career as a contractor, he has built many miles of fine gravel roads in Madison county. He has property at Mingo Junction and at Follansbee, West Virginia.
On February 2, 1903, Jerry Neville was married to Mrs. Minnie (Hall) McGrew, a native of Jefferson county. Ohio, whose parents were Henry and Mary (Carey) Hall. both natives of Jefferson county, Ohio, both descended from old families in that county. Mrs. Neville's mother is descended from the MeDavitts, an old family of Jefferson county. She was the widow of Alexander McGrew, by whom she had four children. Mary married Edward Triplett. of Steubenville, Ohio, and they have two
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daughters,, Minnie and Helen. George lives in Detroit, Michigan. Eva and Martha live at home. The former is supervisor of the telephone office. Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Neville have had one daughter, Margaret.
Mr. Neville and daughter, Margaret, are members of St. Patrick's Catholic church at London. His parents were members of the Catholic church. Mrs. Neville and the children by her first marriage are members of the Presbyterian church. She is active in the various societies of the church. Although nominally a Democrat, Mr. Neville is independent politically. He served as city councilman at Mingo Junction. At London. he is a member of the board of trade and the Fish and Game Protective Association.
MATTHEW L. REA.
Matthew L. Rea, who occupies a handsome home on the corner of the public square in the city of London and who owns a part of the old farm handed down through generations of the Rea family, located in Oak Run township, is a well-known citizen of Madison county. Mr. Rea was reared on the farm and educated in the public schools of Madison county.
The paternal ancestry of Mr. Rea dates from his great-grandfather. Joseph Rea, who was born probably in Pennsylvania, in January. 1754, and who, in 1783. was mar- ried to Elizabeth Conn. born in 1762. They became residents of Rockbridge county, Virginia. They removed to Ross county, Ohio, in 1810, and to Madison county, Ohio, about 1818. Here they settled on Walnut run in Union township, and there Josepli Rea died about 1829, leaving a family of nine children, all of whom grew to maturity. No one of these children is now living. The next member of the Rea family in line of descent was Matthew Rea, who was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, in 1793, and who came with his parents to Madison county in 1818, and until 1835 lived in Union township, Madison county. In 1835 he settled on Deer creek in what is now Oak Run township. where he died on September 23, 1873. His wife was Ann Amos, who was born in Harford county, Maryland, November 15, 1802. She died in 1857, leaving the following children who had reached maturity. Robert is deceased. Margaret is the wife of Marion Chenoweth, deceased. Jeremiah, whose father, Matthew Rea, once owned two thousand acres and who at the time of his death owned eight hundred acres, was born in Union township on the farm since taken into the corporation of London, August 19, 1824. On August 23, 1850, Jeremiah Rea was married to Catherine Leach, the daughter of Benjamin Leach. They began life on the present Rea farm. adding to the tract received by Jeremiah Rea's father until they owned about fourteen hundred acres. He built a fine residence and had one of the best farms in Madison county. He was a Democrat in politics, and served both as township trustee and town- ship clerk in Oak Run township.
Seven children were born to Jeremiah and Catherine (Leach) Rea, of whom two are now living. Sarah married Foster Beery and lives in London. Matthew L. is the sub- ject of this sketch. The latter has entire charge of the management of the home farm, and has had charge of its operation since 1883. Jeremiah Rea died on April 10, 1912. His widow is still living in the city of London. The parents of Jeremiah Rea, Matthew and Ann (Amos) Rea, are buried in the Kirkwood cemetery.
On .December 13. 1882, Matthew L. Rea was married to Grace. Dodds, of Mason, Warren county. Ohio. Mrs. M. L. Rea was educated in Wesleyan College, at Cincin- nati, and in Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. She has been active in woman's clubs during her entire life.
Mr. and Mrs. Rea have had two children. Earl D. married Marie Tanner, daughter of Abraham Tanner, who was county treasurer of Madison county for two terms and
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who lived at Mt. Sterling, dying some fifteen years ago. Mrs. Earl D. Rea was born at London. She has borne her husband two daughters, Jane and Ruth. The family lives on the farm in Oak Run township. Robert C. Rea, the second born, is at home.
As evidence of the standing of Matthew L. Rea in this community, it may be said that he served as county commissioner in a county where a Democrat is seldom elected. In fact, a Democrat is elected to office in this community only when the worth of the man rather than his politics is considered. Mr. Rea was commissioner immediately after the new court house was completed. He is a director in the Central Bank, and served as director of the County Fair Association for nineteen years. During seven- teen years he was the treasurer of the board with possibly one exception. The Madison county fair is the best held in the state of Ohio, and Mr. Rea has had a considerable part in developing public interest in this enterprise. He was trustee of the children's home several years.
WILLIAM MINTER.
The Minter family in Madison county dates from the coming of William and Mary (Stevenson) Minter, who settled in Madison county in 1829. Mary Stevenson was the daughter of Mark and Mary Stevenson, and was born in Kentucky, July 13, 1781, and died on February 13, 1869, at what is now the home of her grandaughter, Mrs. J. B. F. Taylor, at Lafayette, this county. In her girlhood she was taken to Pennsylvania, and at the age of thirteen went to Berkeley, Virginia, to live with an uncle, Col. John Stevenson, a Revolutionary soldier, of Virginia, who had received a grant of six thousand six hundred and sixty acres in Ohio for his services during the Revolutionary War. At the death of her uncle, Col. John Stevenson, Mary Stevenson received, by his bequest, his entire grant in Madison county, Ohio, to which she and her husband removed in 1829. She had been married to William Minter in 1862. They settled on the tract where Lewis Minter now lives, one mile north of Lafayette, but later moved to the village. obtaining the fine brick house where Mrs. J. B. F. Taylor and husband now live and which was erected by a son-in-law, Stanley Watson, in 1837. There she died, at the age of eighty-seven years. The husband was eighty- five years old at the time of his death. From 1811 until 1848 Mary (Stevenson) Minter was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, but in the latter year she joined the Disciples church, and was a faithful member until her death. She was a talented woman and possessed of rare intelligence, one who was an ornament to any society.
William and Mary (Stevenson) Minter were the parents of six children. Sallie married a Mr. Quinn and died on the old homestead in 1900, at the age of ninety-two years. William Crawford Minter is now in his one hundredth year, and lives with his daughter, Mrs. George Van Wagner. Ann married Ransford Rogers. She inherited two hundred acres of the old grant of six thousand six hundred and sixty acres, including the old home. Her husband died early in life, and she died in 1900, at the age of seventy-seven years, leaving one daughter, Lucy, who is now Mrs. J. B. F. Taylor, and who lives in the old home of the family at Lafayette. Mrs. Taylor has two sons, Mark Stevenson Taylor, who married Mary Florence, who bore him two children. Max Rogers and Fanny Florence, and Thurman Minter Taylor, who married Helen Wakefield, and has one son, Thomas Wakefield. The other three children born to William and Mary (Stevenson) Minter were Elizabeth, who married Joseph Bell and died early in life: Effie, who married Stanley Watson and died on the old Wilson homestead, and Margaret, who married a Mr. Tallman and died, before reaching middle age.
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J. J. YERIAN.
It is often said that circumstances make the man; but there must be latent good in the man or circumstances, however propitious, cannot make much of him. The "circumstance" that has had, no doubt, the most lasting effeet upon the life of the gentleman whose name is noted above, was pious parenthood and a Christian home. Mr. Yerian is a prominent insurance man and auctioneer, of London, this county, and as a public-spirited citizen his biography deserves a place among those of Madison county's other representative men in this volume.
J. J. Yerian was born on a farm in Jackson county, Ohio, ou July 10, 1870, aud was early surrounded by those subtle influences which emanate from a good home, for he was the son of a minister of the Gospel, the Rev. Samuel Yerian, a native of Mus- kingum county, Ohio, and his wife, Martha (Mikesell) Yerian, who was born in Holmes county, this state. Rev. Samuel Yerian, who came of German stock, was both farmer and preacher, being what was known in early days as a "circuit rider," of the Free- will Baptist faith. He died at his home in Jackson on August 8, 1915, at the age of eighty-four years and six days. During his days of activity as a minister, the Rev. Samuel Yerian was tireless in his ministrations to his flock and the splendid character and boundless charity of this fine old Christian gentleman. whose loss was deeply deplored in the community, left its indelible impress upon the entire region comprised in the sphere of his activities. His widow, a noble woman, who, during their long life together, proved a most competent and valuable helpmate to her unselfish and self- sacrificing husband, is still living at Jackson and is seventy-seven years of age. These worthy people were the parents of nine children, of whom five sons are living, namely : W. S. Yerian, an inspector for the Cleveland Street Railway Company ; Oscar. of Boul- der, Colorado, a fraternal society organizer; Charles, a farmer of Monroe township, this county: Lewis, who lives in Jefferson township, this county, where he owns a farm, and J. J. Yerian, the immediate subject of this biographical sketch.
Besides the public school education received near the farm which was his birth- place, J. J. 'Yerian attended a business college and for a number of years after his school days were over kept books for the Southern Ohio Coal and Iron Company at Jackson, Ohio. Mr. Yerian's business career has been rather more varied than that of the average man. for he seems to be versatile. not only in his tastes, but in his ability to accomplish results. For a while it seemed that he was to follow the occupa- tion of his father inasmuch as this pertained to farming, for coming to Madison coun- ty, in 1895, he worked on the farm and bought live stock. But three years later he established an office in London, the county seat, as general agent of the Union Central Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati. In this business he has been very successful, this success coming as a result of the application of his splendid powers to the task in hand. As evidence of his energy and ability, it may be stated that since the begin- ning of his activity in the insurance line, he has written life-insurance policies aggre- gating the sum of three million dollars. He has an office in the Speasmaker block. Mr. Yerian also has been equally energetic in quite a different phase of mercantile life. In 1906 he became an auctioneer, the firm name being Yerian & Minshall-partners of Robert Minshall of Sedalia. Their sales, which average five a week, aggregate more than those of any firm in this locality, their special line being the sale of farms, in which line they have met with signal success.
Sr. Yerian's home life has been a happy one, for he has had the encouragement and sympathetic co-operation of his devoted wife in all that he has undertaken to do. Mrs. Yerian was formerly Sara M. Minshall, whose father, James Minshall, a successful farmer of Paint township, is now retired and living in London. His wife was Amanda
J. J. YERIAN.
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Watkins before her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Yerian, three children have been born, but death has claimed two of them. Their son, James Orville, who was born on May 26, 1903, is unusually precocious, and by his lovableness and mentality has become very popular in London. He is gifted in music and drawing, and frequently surprises his parents and their friends by his oratorical powers. His mother has been a great inspiration to him, and has directed his education. She is a native of Paint town- ship, this county, having been born there on July 10, 1879, and was educated in the local public schools.
First among Mr. Yerian's interests outside of the business world might be men- tioned the fact that he is president of the Madison County Sunday School Association, a position of honor which grew out of his activities as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, he being a member of the official board of that church and a teacher in the Sunday school. He is a Republican, and is keenly interested in political mat- ters. He also is a leader in the organizations which represent the city's best commer- cial and social life. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and has occupied the chairs of Chand- ler Lodge No. 138; London Council No. 41 and Adoniram Chapter No. 73. As a member of the London Board of Trade, he is considered "a live wire;" a man not only of progressive ideas, but possessed of the capacity for carrying them out, who can always be depended upon to do his share in boosting any civic or religious movement which he thinks should have his support.
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