History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 105

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923

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M. GOLDFREDRICK, dealer in fancy and staple groceries at Circle- ville, and one of the city's representa- tive business men, was born in this city in 1864, and is a son of C. R. Goldfredrick. The latter was born in Ger- many and in 1862 he located at Circleville where he was engaged in a grocery business for almost 40 years. In 1900 he retired and is now enjoying a life of ease, having reached the age of 70 years. He married Cecelia Stel- zig, who was also born in Germany, but who has now passed away.

H. M. Goldfredrick was reared and edu- cated in Circleville. After leaving school he entered his father's grocery store, in which he later became a partner and assumed full control when his father retired in 1900. He is a very enterprising and progressive young man and is highly considered in the city's commercial circles.

In 1887 Mr. Goldfredrick was married to Alice Dunkle, a daughter of George S. Dunkle, of Yellow Bud, Pickaway County. One daughter, Clara, has been born to this union, a talented young lady who will graduate at the Everts High School in the graduating class of June, 1906.

Mr. Goldfredrick is interested in various business enterprises here, owning stock in the Circleville Savings Company and being one of the promoters and organizers of the new arti- ficial ice plant.

m ELVEN HINSON, a capable and successful farmer who operates the Millar farm of 650 acres in Harrison township, was born in Ross County, Ohio, March 12, 1849. He was reared on a farm and with the exception of a short period of work in a tan- nery he has followed agricultural pursuits his entire life.

Mr. Hinson's ancestry is of the South, his grandfather being a Virginian and his grand- mother a native .of Scotland, who came to South Carolina when quite young. While they were still children, their families migrated to Ohio, and they reached maturity, met, mar- ried and finally settled at Richmonddale, Ross County, Ohio. Their homestead still remains as one of the old landmarks of that section. It was at this place that the good old couple passed their last days, the husband dying at the age of 80 years, and the wife when 84 years of age.

The father of our subject, who died in 1885, at the age of 75, and the mother, who passed away in the same year at 76, were the parents of 12 children, the following six of

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whom are still living: Allen and Titus, who are residents of Illinois; Emza who resides in Ross County, Ohio, on the old home place ; Melven; and Marvin and Raymond, who both live in Ross County-the latter near Rich- monddale.

Our subject passed his earlier years in Ross County, and after leaving Richmonddale resided two years in Pike County. For the succeeding 10 years he was a substantial farmer citizen of Scioto County, this State, and in the fall of 1887 located permanently in Pickaway County. Mr. Hinson was associated with Charles Frye for about three years, and in 1892 moved to the Millar farm of 650 acres, upon which he resides and which he has oper- ated with great success. He has 125 acres in wheat, 215 in corn and 30.in grass. Consid- erable live stock is raised and fed. In 1905 Mr. Hinson grew 8,000 bushels of corn and about 1,800 of wheat, and in his various agri- cultural operations employed seven teams con- stantly. He raises on an average 60 head of hogs and feeds 30 head of cattle.

Melven Hinson's wife, to whom he was married December 25, 1869, was formerly Nancy Darr, daughter of Jacob Darr. They have the following 10 children, all living : Carrie Belle, wife of James Shook, a successful farmer in Nebraska; Charles, who married Daisy Miller, daughter of John Miller and re- sides on the farm with his father; Effie, living at home; Andrew, a resident of Chicago, who married Nettie Wellington; Alfred, also liv- ing on the home farm; Harmon, connected with the United States Navy; Emery E., a resident of Indiana; Maria Jane and Mary Frances (twins), the former of whom is the wife of Albert James and a resident of Colum- bus; and Bessie, who lives at home with her parents.

Mr. Hinson has been a member of the Knights of the Maccabees since 1895, and three of his sons are identified with the same order. He has been a consistent Republican, but neither politics nor fraternities have drawn much of his attention from his lifelong avoca- tion of husbandry, in which he has been so successful and continuously progressive.

R OBERT C. HILL, a prominent resi- dent and a trustee of Muhlenberg township, where he owns a farm of 50 acres, was born on this farm on September 8, 1851, and is a son of Thomas and Julia A. (Sharp) Hill.

Capt. William Hill, the paternal grand- father, was born in Virginia and came in 1815 to Pickaway County, Ohio, where he died in advanced age. He was the first magistrate in Muhlenberg township and was a man of promi- nence and substance, owning some 700 acres of land which in 1847 he divided among the six of his eight children that grew to maturity.

Thomas Hill, father of our subject, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, February 21, 1807, and came here with his parents in 1815, where he spent the rest of his life, dying here September 10, 1885. He owned an estate consisting of about 215 acres of land and for about a quarter of a century was trustee of Muhlenberg township. Politically he was a Whig and later a Republican. Both he and his wife were Baptists. He married Julia A. Sharp, who was born in the State of New York, July 1, 1813, and came with her parents and a sister, to Westerville, Ohio. She died in Muhlenberg township May 16, 1895. Nine of their 10 children grew to maturity and are still living. The record is as follows: Mrs. Margaret Darst, of Muhlenberg township; Mrs. Elizabeth Whiteside, of Darby township; Mrs. . Mary Bolin, of Darbyville; Mrs. Ellen Mckinley, of Franklin County; William C., of Jackson township; Mrs. Matilda Wilson, of White County, Indiana; Robert C., of this sketch; Ezra Florence, of Darbyville: Mrs. Sarah Stiverson, of Columbus; and Marcus, who died aged three years.

Robert C. Hill is one of the best known residents of Muhlenberg township, having spent his whole life here, one of activity and usefulness. In addition to farming his own land, he operates a farm of 97 acres adjoining his own, which belongs to an aunt. For the past 28 years he has practiced veterinary sur- gery, although he never attended any school, doing all his reading by himself. He has filled a number of the important township offices and

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served one term as a justice of the peace. As a Republican he was elected assessor of the township for three terms and after 1886, when he became identified with the Democratic party, he continued to be elected to office. He was reared a Republican, his father having voted for Lincoln in 1860 and supported the principles of the Republican party until his death.

On May 10, 1893, Mr. Hill was elected trustee of the township and served as such for nine consecutive years. In the fall of 1905 he was again elected to this office. He has been a member of the School Board for six years, and for three years has been road super- visor. For 27 years he has been officially con- nected with Muhlenberg township.

In 1874 Robert C. Hill was married to Mary E. Wilson, who was born in Scioto town- ship, Pickaway County, Ohio, April 11, 1854, and is a daughter of James and Anna (Hite) Wilson. Her paternal grandfather served in the War of 1812 and she has one of the old camp kettles he used when campaigning. One of her uncles, Hon. John Sites, was a member of the Ohio State Senate and she had the pleas- ure of hearing him make a memorable speech in 1896, at Columbus, being then in his 80th year. Her mother died when she was four years old and she was reared in the family of an uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have four chil- dren, viz .: Thomas, born November 20, 1874; Harry M., born December 29, 1876; Clarence V., born September 2, 1881, who died June 10, 1905; and Addie R., born August 14, 1891.

Mr. Hill gave liberal assistance in the build. ing of Florence Chapel Presbyterian Church and was one of the trustees. Recently he has united with the Darbyville Methodist Episco- pal Church.

J OHN W. WOLFORD, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Pickaway County, whose well-improved farm of 191 acres is favorably located in Jack- son township, on the old Columbus road, six miles northwest of Circleville, was born near Marietta, Ohio, January 11, 1856,

and is a son of Isaac and Nancy ( Price) Wol- ford.

Isaac Wolford and family moved from Ma- rietta to a farm in Ross County about 1868, living there until 1873, when removal was made to a farm in Harrison township, Picka- way County, on which Mrs. Wolford died, at the age of 58 years. Mr. Wolford has reached his 80th birthday and now lives retired at Ash- ville. Until within a few years he followed agricultural pursuits. His children were : Mrs. Mary Jane. Green, of Ashville; Mrs. Sarah Ann Barkley, of Hardin County; James Wesley, deceased; Mrs. Martha Ellen Dixon, of Chillicothe; John W., of this sketch; Charles, of Columbus; Jared, of Harrison township; Mrs. Susannah Margaret Hoffman, of South Bloomfield; and a child that died in infancy.

John W. Wolford was 12 years old when his parents settled on the farm in Ross County, some 10 miles east of Chillicothe. He accompanied them to Harrison township and remained on the home farm until his marriage, assisting in the work. Following this event, he rented a farm in Scioto township and later moved to other farms in the county, in the meantime making preparations to purchase when the land he desired came into the market. In 1901 he bought his present farm which was then totally unimproved but otherwise was very desirable. Mr. Wolford has made all the improvements now to be seen, erected build- ings, made fences and set out orchards, in fact converted the farm into one of the most valua- ble properties in his locality. He devotes his attention to the growing of grain and to the raising of stock.

In 1880 Mr. Wolford was united in mar- riage with Mary Crowman, who was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, and died on March 17, 1904, aged 49 years. Her parents were William and Nancy (Hershaw) Crowman. Mrs. Wolford left five children at death, name- ly: Isaac, Samuel, Ethel, James and John. Ethel married Wales Florence, of Jackson township and they are the parents of one child -Nelson.

Mr. Wolford is a Republican in politics.

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SAMUEL HARVEY RIDGWAY.

MRS. CLARA C. RIDGWAY.

HARRY R. RIDGWAY.

RAY C. RIDGWAY.

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He is a self-made man. When he looks over his fine farm, notes its improvements and counts his sleek cattle in many fields; he has the proud satisfaction of knowing that every dollar represented he has laboriously and hon- estly earned. He has always been frugal and industrious and is now in a position to enjoy the fruits of his labor when he desires.

S AMUEL HARVEY RIDGWAY, whose two fine farms in Pickaway County aggregate 308 acres of ex- cellent land, is a highly respected and substantial citizen of Darby town- ship. He was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, June 8, 1857, and is a son of Thomas D. and Rebecca A. (Smith) Ridgway.

The Ridgways originally belonged to Ken- tucky and from that State Joshua Ridgway, the grandfather of our subject, emigrated to Ohio when his son Thomas D., was three years old. He settled near Chillicothe and reared a large family, among whom were: Samuel H., who organized a company and served. through the Civil War; Alexander; Kane; Mary; and Thomas D.

Thomas D. Ridgway was reared in Ohio and when he reached maturity married Re- becca A. Smith, the ceremony taking place on the old Smith farm, in Darby township, which now belongs to Richard N. Dick. She was a daughter of Sampson B. and Margaret (Hill) Smith, who shortly after their mar- riage came to Ohio from Maryland and set- tled in Pickaway County. The larger num- ber of their children were born in Ohio. The eldest was Rebecca A., mother of our subject, and the others were: Martha, who married Woodson J. Shockly; Elizabeth, who married (first) Lewis Ballah and (second) Martin Bailey; Editha M., who married Richard N. Dick and died February 24, 1905; Polly, who died in young womanhood; George, who mar- ried Ellen McGillen; William, who married Nancy Polson; Isaac, deceased; and Samuel, who married Martha M. Dick and now resides

near Derby-one of their sons is Dr. Charles Smith, who is a member of the Oregon State Senate.

After marriage, Thomas D. Ridgway bought the farm in Darby township now owned by T. Stanton Ridgway, and there the larger number of his children were born, these be- ing: Sarah, deceased, who was the wife of J. T. Smith, also deceased; Smith, who died in February, 1906; George W., who married Mrs. Amanda Shriner and is in business at Co- lumbus; Alice, formerly postmistress at Derby, who was married in the spring of 1906 to A. E. Brown and died soon after her marriage, on June 9, 1906; Newton, who died aged 20 years; T. Stanton, one of the trustees of Darby township, who married Margaret Bauhan and owns and operates the old home farm; and Samuel Harvey, of this sketch, who is the youngest of the family.

Samuel Harvey Ridgway was reared in his native township and was educated in the local schools. He remained on the home farm until his marriage in 1884 and was engaged in farming on the homestead until after the birth of his first child, moving then to Derby, where he embarked, with his brother, in a general mercantile business. This enterprise was conducted for the succeeding 11 years, although during all this period Mr. Ridgway was also engaged more or less in agricultural pursuits. Subsequently he purchased a farm near Era, on which he lived for three years and then purchased his present property. In 1898 he bought the home farm from A. L. Linebaugh, and the rest of his land from dif- ferent parties-Henry Sterns, Hannah Mc- Kinney, G. M. Starks and Martha Holtz. The home farm had a comfortable residence on it and this Mr. Ridgway has remodeled and im- proved so that it is very attractive and makes an excellent home.

In 1884 Mr. Ridgway was married to Clara K. Caldwell, who is a daughter of John H. Caldwell, an old pioneer of the county. She has two sisters and three brothers, namely : Jennie, wife of William Huffvines; Cynthia, who married Simon Girton-both now de- ceased ; James, who married Susana Huffvines;

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Charles, who married Millie Smith; and Jo- seph H., who married Hattie Miller.

Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway have two sons- Harry R. and Ray C., both of whom reside at home. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway and their two sons accompany this sketch.

Mr. Ridgway was one of the founders of the old Renick Church which has been re- cently torn down. He is a director of Pleas- ant Cemetery, at Palestine, has served as presi- dent of the School Board and for many years has taken an active part in everything cal- culated to promote the welfare of the com- munity. He belongs to the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.

C HOMAS BLACKSTONE, M. D., who for 27 years has been one of the lead- ing medical practitioners at Circle- ville, was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1847, and is a son of Thomas Blackstone, also a native of Ross County, where he was an extensive farmer for years.

The subject of this sketch was reared in his native county and his early education was secured in the public schools. The higher branches were pursued at the Ohio University at Athens, where he was graduated in 1871, with the degree of B. S. Immediately after- ward, he entered Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York City, probably one of the best training schools in the world. Here he was graduated and received his medical de- gree and then accepted the position of medi- cal assistant in the Athens Hospital for the Insane, where he remained for four years.

Dr. Blackstone then took a trip to Europe, in the interests of his profession, and spent three months in the great schools at Vienna, four months walking the London hospitals, and when he returned to his native country he had had experiences which he could have scarcely found in any other way and additions to his medical knowledge which have resulted to the benefit of his many patients. He has been located at Circleville ever since and is

recognized as one of the most eminent men of his profession here.

Dr. Blackstone is one of the trustees of the Ohio University at Athens, is vice-president of the Public Library Board and is deeply in- terested in the progress and development of his city and country along educational lines. Po- litically he is identified with the Republican party and on several occasions has been put forward as his party's candidate for high State offices. He is a very popular man-but Picka- way County has a very large Democratic ma- jority.

In 1884 Dr: Blackstone was married to Lizzie Carpenter, a daughter of Cephas Car- penter, of Athens, Ohio.

Dr. Blackstone is prominent in Masonry in Ohio, being a Knight Templar and for four years was district lecturer for the fraternity. He stands deservedly high in both fraternal and professional life and numbers his friends among the best citizenship of Circleville.

€ HARLES PIERCE REAY, a lead- ing farmer and citizen of Darby township, and one of the oldest members (in length of service), of its School Board, is the owner of. 531/2 acres of farm land on the Columbus and Washington turnpike. He is a grandson of John Neff, of Virginia, the father of a large family, whose daughter Elizabeth married John Otho Reay, the father of our subject. Before her marriage, her parents came to Ohio, mak- ing the journey from their native State in a covered wagon. The family settled on a farm of 113 acres in Pickaway and Madison coun- ties, the county line running through the farm. Here John Neff lived to the end of his life, and at his death left the property to his son Peter. It was while living here that his daugh- ter Elizabeth was married to John Otho Reay, whom she had met in Virginia and who had also come to make his home in Ohio. After a brief married life, his first wife had died in the former State. He was a shoemaker by

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trade, but his eyesight failing he had been obliged to abandon that calling and resort to farming.

When John O. Reay, the father of our subject, came to Ohio he purchased a tract of brush and swamp land, partly from Michael Collins and partly from Joseph Bridges. This was the foundation of the nice homestead now occupied by Charles P. Reay, who since it came into his possession (in 1884) has cleared 25 acres of the land and radically improved it, making it both attractive and productive.

To John Otho and Elizabeth (Neff) Reay were born seven children, viz .: Mary, who died when an infant; George, who died at the age of seven years; Jane, deceased at the age of five; John W., who married Sarah Eliza- beth Wickell; Charles P .; Henry Thornton, who married (first) Ina Ketchem and (sec- ond) Mrs. Elliott Davis, a widow; and Sarah, who became the wife of James Hughes. Both parents of our subject are dead. The father was born January 23, 1799, and died on the 26th of February, 1884; the mother was born December 24, 1818, and passed away June 26, 1902. Both died in Darby township.

Charles P. Reay was born on the farm where he now resides, on September 22, 1852. On January 22, 1873, at Mount Sterling, Ohio, he married Jennie Lyons, daughter of James and Mary (Justice Lyons, of Ohio). The other members in the family of Mrs. Reay's parents were: Terry, who married Araminta Johnson and is now deceased; Stephen J., who died unmarried at 44 years of age; Ella, who married Samuel Bennett and died in Missouri; Nelson, unmarried; Benton, who married the late Mrs. Neff, the widow of Charles P. Reay's first cousin; George, whose wife, Nancy Rich- ardson, is deceased; William, who married (first) Anna Shade (deceased) and (second) Elizabeth Pemberton; John, who married Mary Weir; and Alice, who lives with her mother at Derby. Mrs. Reay's mother is still living; her father died at Newport, Madison County, Ohio, on the 3rd of June, 1901.

Eight children have been born to the mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Reay, as follows: Bertha, who became the wife of Wil- liam A. Johnson; Mary, who became the wife

of Harold Winfough; Elta, who married John Tracy and became the mother of three chil- dren-Ray, Harold and Gwynette; Minnie, who maried Elmer Stuckey and is the mother of a son-Charles, the namesake of our sub- ject; John, who married Estella Collopy, and Ursula, Velsa and Emory, who live at home.

Mr. Reay's standing in the community and the township may be partially indicated by the fact that he has served for a period of 20 years on the School Board, a record which is excelled by few in the county. He has also been town- ship trustee for six years. His fraternal con- nections are confined to membership in the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, while his church identification is with the Methodist Episcopal denomination.

L EWIS JUDSON LONG, a trustee of Monroe township, a representative citizen and successful farmer and stock-raiser, resides on his farm of 51 acres, which is situated on the Lester mill road. Mr. Long is a member of a well-known family of this vicinity. He was born on his father's farm in Monroe township, April 8, 1853, and is a son of James Maloid and Mary Ann (Hunter) Long.

The Long family came from Maryland to Ohio in 1816 .. James M. Long, father of our subject, was then four years old. The family set out in a wagon and when they reached the Ohio River went on board a flatboat; while floating to their landing, the mother died. It was impossible to return to the old home and thus the mortal remains of the grandmother rest in an unknown spot. The grandfather kept on his way and settled with his children on a farm in Ross County, Ohio, but only for a short time. Grandfather Long soon removed to Pickaway County and rented a farm in Mon- roe township, not far from Five Points, on which stood an old log cabin, and in this he died. The remembered names of his children are: Mrs. Hand, Kendall, Coleman and James.

James M. Long purchased 100 acres of land near Five Points and this became the family homestead. This was about 1852, when land

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was cheap. He possessed considerable business foresight and. although he could only manage at first to take care of the interest, he believed that by industry and good management he could clear off the principal in the time re- quired by the party from whom he purchased. It was a pretty large undertaking for a poor man, but he succeeded in doing it without ever placing a mortgage on his property, of which he was always proud. When he died he left an estate of 400 acres, which represented years of honest industry. Mr. Long realized a great (leal of money from the raising of cattle and hogs, particularly the latter. In 1865, just at the close of the Civil War, when prices were inflated, he was fortunate enough to have a fine lot of hogs and these he shipped to Cin- cinnati and sold them for $16 a hundred weight and for one dressed hog he received the sum of $75. From this industry he realized enough to complete the payments on his farm bought in 1852. When he first took possession, the country throughout this section was all wild, turkeys and deer being yet plentiful and there was no difficulty found in filling the larder with game. He died in 1891, at the age of 79 years and was laid away to rest in Pleasant Cemetery at Palestine. He was a man of business uprightness, one whose word, at all times, was as good as his bond.

James M. Long was married (first) to a Miss Wilkins. They had one son, William, who married Mary Briggs and settled in Ross County, Ohio. Both William Long and his wife are deceased and they are survived by one son, John B. Long, who is clerk of Concord township, Ross County.

After the death of his first wife, James Long married a Miss Maddox, and two chil- dren were born to this marriage, Hester Ann and Wesley. The latter died aged 27 years. The former married George Ridgway, and she now resides with her daughter, on the home place.

After the death of his second wife, Mr. Long married (third) Mary Ann Hunter, and nine children were born to this last union, as follows : Mary V., widow of John W. Puckett, living in Darby township; James R., who mar- ried Elizabeth Worth, now deceased, living

on the home farm; Ellen, who married John White and lives in Muhlenberg township; Mar- garet, who married Daniel Boisell and lives in Madison County, Ohio; Kendall and McCury (twins), the former of whom married Eliza- beth Upperman, moved to the Indian Teri- tory and died there while engaged in construct- ing a bridge-the latter, McCury, became the wife of Samuel Boyd, reared a large family and finally died on her farm in Madison Coun- ty, Ohio; Edward J., who married Emma Kelly and lives on what is known as the lower farm on his father's old estate; Benjamin Brough, named in honor of Hon. John Brough, Governor of Ohio, who is a justice of the peace in Oak Run township, Madison County, Ohio-he married Rose Rector; and Lewis Judson, of this sketch, who was born on his father's birthday.

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 105

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Number of Pages: 923

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923