History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 109

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

USA > Ohio > Pickaway County > History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 109

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Judge Finkel was born in Maryland and in

boyhood accompanied his parents to Pickaway County, where they settled on a farm in Wal- nut township. Judge Finkel was reared among pioneer suroundings. In early manhood he went into a mercantile business, first at East Ringgold and later at Circleville and continued in business until he was elected probate judge. He served two terms and then completed the unexpired term of Judge Taylor, who died in office. During the second term of Judge Finkel he was taken seriously sick, necessitating call- ing his son, Israel U. Finkel, from Tiffin and making the latter his deputy.

Israel U. Finkel was 14 years old when his parents moved to Circleville, where he con- tinued some years at school and then went to Tiffin to take advantage of the opportunities offered by a commercial college. He was at school in Tiffin when recalled to Circleville by his father's illness as above stated.

Soon after the close of his official duties, which were satisfactorily performed, Mr. Finkel became clerk and bookkeeper in the Peirce dry goods store, in June, 1873, and he continued as bookeeper and head clerk until the death of Mr. Peirce in February, 1888. The stock was then sold to C. W. Wooden, of Lancaster, Ohio, and Mr. Finkel remained with the new firm for one year. In 1890, Mr. Finkel, in association with Mr. Henderson and Mr. Heckle, formed a business partnership under the firm name of Finkel, Henderson & Heckle. They conducted a mercantile business for 10 years, when Mr. Heckle sold his inter- est to his partners. The business was then caried on under the .style of Finkle & Hender- son, but two years later Mr. Henderson sold his interest to Oscar Howard. The firm of Finkel & Howard continued five years, when Mr. Finkle bought Mr. Howard's interest and consolidated with Schleyer & Henderson, the new firm doing business under the name of Finkel, Schleyer & Henderson. Three years later Mr. Finkel and his son Charles J. bought out Messrs. Schleyer and Henderson and the firm name then stood I. U. Finkel & Son, as at present, although the junior member is de- ceased.

Mr. Finkel was married in 1871 to Ella

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Bitzer, who was born in Ross County, Ohio, and they had two children, viz. : Mame W., who became the wife of C. E. Blue, a promi- nent attorney at Columbus; and Charles J., who died May 26, 1905. Mrs. Blue died in October, 1894, leaving a little daughter, Lu- cile, now six years old.

Mr. Finkel has always taken a good citi- zen's interest in politics but has always declined to assume the cares of office. He is a Knight Templar Mason and belongs to the various Masonic bodies at Circleville. He is also a member of the Elks and the National Union. For many years he has been a member of the official body of the Methodist Church.

J OHN GROCE BOGGS, manager of an extensive grain elevator business at Elmwood, belongs to one of the oldest and most prominent families of Pick- away County. Mr. Boggs was born on the old Boggs homestead, "Elmwood," in Pickaway township, in 1884, and is the only son of Lemuel and Jennie (Groce) Boggs.

The mother of Mr. Boggs was a daughter of Hon. John Groce, one of Pickaway Coun- ty's distinguished men. His father, the late Lemuel Boggs, was long one of the county's enterprising, useful and honored citizens. He was born in Pickaway township, Pickaway County, Ohio, January 16, 1845, and was a son of Moses and Margaret S. (Cook) Boggs, and a grandson of Maj. John Boggs, the founder of the family here, who came from Virginia in 1798.

John Groce Boggs spent his early boyhood on the farm, being 13 years of age when his parents moved to Circleville. They were peo- ple of education and substance and the only son had every educational advantage he de- sired. After graduating at the Circleville High School he entered Kenyon College, where he spent three years. Immediately upon his return home he took charge of the Elmwood grain elevator which had been built by his father. The business is conducted by Boggs & Weldon, Mr. Boggs being the manager. The

business in corn and wheat at this point is one of the largest in the State.

Mr. Boggs has much of the energy and enterprise which made his late father one of the capitalists of this section. He is also a young man of personal popularity. He retains his college membership in the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, and he belongs also to the Elks.' He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

A BRAHAM LINCOLN ALKIRE, one of Williamsport's leading business men, manager of the Heffner Grain Company, incorporated, of this city, was born at Williamsport, Pickaway County, Ohio, September 10, 1868, and is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Simons) Alkire, and a grandson of Michael Alkire, who was the founder of this prominent family in Ohio.

Michael Alkire was born in Kentucky in 1771. There he married Dorothy Phebus, on January 6, 1793. They had three children born in' Kentucky and seven more after set- tling in Ohio. In 1800 they removed from Harrodsburg, Kentucky, to Pickaway County, Ohio, Michael Alkire securing large tracts of land in Deer Creek township. He erected the old log cabin of two rooms which remained the . family home for a long term of years and in which he spent the remainder of his life. The historic old structure was demolished in 1906. Michael Alkire died February 11, 1843, and his wife, on May 11, 1854.

Alexander Alkire, father of our subject and son of Michael, was born at Williamsport, Ohio, but later removed to Mount Sterling and now lives retired at Washington Court House. He was an early volunteer in the Civil War and his faithful service continued almost to the close. He was a member of the 26th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., which was a part of the Army of the Tennessee, and par- ticipated in all the great movements, marches and battles, which culminated in the notable "March to the Sea." Mr. Alkire survived the many hardships of war but returned home

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MR. AND MRS. JAMES McCOLLISTER AND SON.

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with health undermined and he has never re- gained his former robustness. For some years he has lived in quiet retirement. He married Elizabeth Simons, who was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, and they had seven children, the four survivors being: Charles C., a resi- dent of Big Plain, . Madison County; George W., of Columbus; Abraham Lincoln, of this sketch ; and Harry S., a minister of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, at Greenfield, Ohio. Mr. Alkire has been a lifelong Republican.

Abraham L. Alkire was about eight years old when his father moved to Mount Sterling, where he attended school and later became a member of the family of Wesley Sidner, resid- ing in the vicinity of Mount Sterling. Mr. Alkire completed his education at the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, then returned to his former home and soon after was married. He then settled at Ashville, where he engaged in a real estate and loan business for a few years, after which he re- moved to Woodlyn, Deer Creek township, lo- cating here in 1895. He purchased the Betts elevator, which he operated alone until July, 1900, doing a very large grain, coal and im- plement business. He then rented this ele- vator to the Woodlyn Grain Company, which also had the S. W. Dunlap elevator. He owned a third interest in this company and was concerned here until October, 1904. Mr. Alkire then sold the property and for a time was out of business.

In the spring of 1905 Mr. Alkire erected a fine home at Williamsport, and took posses- sion on the first of the following July. This is one of the most spacious modern homes of the town and is equipped with every con- venience conducive to comfort. It is heated by a furnace and is lighted by acetylene gas. On July 15, 1905, Mr. Alkire assumed the man -. agement of the business of the Heffner Grain Company, incorporated, an important enter- prise at Williamsport, with which he has since been identified.

On February 22, 1891, Mr. Alkire was married to Mary J. Hughes, who was born . in Pickaway County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Robert and Emily T. (Durrett) Hughes,

and a granddaughter of the late J. W. Durrett, formerly a prominent citizen of Sci- oto township. The father of Mrs. Alkire was the founder of the grain business at Millport, on the Ohio Canal, and after the railroad went through Ashville he built an elevator which he operated until his death in 1890.

Mr. and Mrs. Alkire have three children, namely : Maud, born March 18, 1893; Mabel, born August 8, 1895; and Minnie, born August 10, 1896.

Mr. Alkire has always been a Republican. He is a very popular citizen as was shown in November, 1905, when he was re-elected to the position of justice of the peace, in Deer Creek township, by a majority of 168 votes, the larg- est majority ever given a candidate in the township. He was first elected to the office in April, 1902, and served so acceptably that his re-election was the desire of both political parties.

Mr. Alkire is prominently identified with the Knights of Pythias. He was a charter member of the Ashville lodge and is connected with the Williamsport lodge. A thorough business man and a good citizen, he is a worthy representative of a family which has just claims to prominence in Pickaway County.

J AMES McCOLLISTER, a substantial farmer of Wayne township, was born August 26, 1845, in Pickaway County, Ohio, and is a son of Nelson and Elizabeth (Thompson) McCollister and a grandson of Jacob and Margaret Mc- Collister.

Jacob McCollister was born June 16, 1778, and died April 21, 1844. His wife Margaret was born June 1, 1783, and died July 24, 1852. They were married in Maryland, their native State. Nelson McCollister was born in Ross County, Ohio, November 6, 1809, and on No- vember 8, 1837, was married to Elizabeth Thompson, who was born December 26, 1817. They became the parents of five children-four daughters and one son, James, the subject of this sketch.

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James McCollister lived in Jackson town- ship until he was four years old when his par- ents moved to his present home in Wayne township, where his father died on October 15, 1888. His mother lived until August 16, 1894. Mr. McCollister received his educa- tion in Pickaway County. He was married October 9, 1888, to Mary E. Neff, a daugh- ter of John S. Neff, of Jackson township, and started to keeping house on the farm where he now lives. This farm consists of 93 acres, and he also owns another farm of 122 acres on the same side of the road, and a third tract of 86 acres on the opposite side of the road from the residential property. Mr. and Mrs. McCollis- ter have had two children : John N., born Au- gust 11, 1889, who is living at home; and James L., born July 15, 1891, who died in infancy. Mrs. McCollister died January 5, 1892. Mr. McCollister attends the Methodist Church. ' In politics he is a Democrat. A group picture of Mr. and Mrs. McCollister and son, John N., accompanies this sketch, being presented on a foregoing page.

ARRY D. JACKSON, a well-known business man of Circleville, and a member of one of the old established families of this city, was born here and is a son of Henry Allen and Ella M. (Demuth) Jackson.

The late Henry Allen Jackson was identi- fied with many important business interests of Pickaway County for many years. He was born at Circleville in 1847 and died here in 1896. His father, William Jackson, was born in Pennsylvania and came at a very early day to Pickaway County, Ohio, where, in associa- tion with a Mr. Metzger, he established the first tannery at Circleville. Henry Allen Jack- son was reared and educated at Circleville and after completing his schooling he entered an express office at Circleville, but soon went into business for himself, forming a grocery part- nership with Amos Beach. In 1885 he became interested in a grain business, leasing the old Florence elevator, which he operated until it

was burned in 1887, when he purchased land on North Canal street and built an elevator, which he conducted with large returns until the time of his death.

In 1877 Mr. Allen married Ella M. De- muth, a daughter of Daniel Demuth, who be- longed to one of the pioneer families of this county. To this union was born one child, Harry D. Jackson, of Circleville.

Our subject completed the common-school course at Circleville and in 1901 he was credit- ably graduated at the Everts High School, fol- lowing which he was engaged as a reporter for two years on the Circleville Daily Herald. He was concerned in the grain business for two years, and then managed his father's elevator for one year for the Crites Mill Company. He is now connected with the Ohio Cereal Com- pany.

Mr. Jackson is a popular young man in social circles and when Company F of the Fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, was organized, he was commissioned Ist lieutenant and in 1905 was elected captain. He is a 32nd degree Mason, a member of the blue lodge at Circleville, and of the consistory and shrine at Columbus. He belongs also to the Knights of Pythias. He was reared in the Presbyterian Church. .

AMES I. SMITH, secretary and treas- urer of the Ohio Cereal Company, vice- president of the Esmeralda Canning Company, and a director in the Third National Bank, is one of the prom- inent men and leading capitalists of Circleville. He was born in this city in 1867 and is a son of Edward Smith. With the exception of four years spent at the University of Notre Dame, he has resided continuously in Circleville.

In 1889 Mr. Smith became a member of the firm of J. S. Smith & Brothers, millers and dealers in grain, flour and feed. This firm was succeeded by the Smith Mill Com- pany, which was organized in 1893, and in which our subject held an interest. In 1900 the Ohio Cereal Company was incorporated with a capital stock of $260,000, with Joseph

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S. Smith as president; Edward E. Smith, vice- president, and James I. Smith as secretary and treasurer. This company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Maine and was authorized to do business in the State of Ohio. This company took over the interests of the Smith Mill Company and Crites Brothers & Company. They manufacture flour, corn meal and all kinds of feed.

Mr. Smith and his two brothers form the Ideal Stock Food Company, which manufac- tures the "Ideal" stock and poultry condition powders and various veterinary remedies.

Mr. Smith is also vice-president of the Es- meralda Canning Company, a very successful business enterprise, an incorporated concern, with R. G. McCoy as president ; James I. Smith as vice-president; Edward E. Smith as treas- urer and M. B. Trout as secretary. He is one of the directors of the Colonial Carriage Com- pany and a director in the Third National Bank of Circleville. He owns a fine farm of 500 acres in Pickaway County.

In 1893 Mr. Smith was married to Ellen B. Renick, who is a daughter of Felix Renick, one of the old settlers of Pickaway County. They have three children, viz. : Regina, James I., Jr., and Felix E. The family belong to St. Joseph's Catholic Church.

M. CRITES, a prominent citizen of Circleville, who is identified with the leading business interests of the city, was born in 1870 in Fairfield County, Ohio, and is a son of Levi S. Crites, one of the most highly esteemed retired resi- dents of Circleville, whose life is sketched on another page of this work.

H. M. Crites was reared in Fairfield County and attended school there until 20 years of age. In 1890 he came to Circleville, and en- tered the employ of his brother, E. B. Crites, as a bookkeeper. In 1892, in connection with his brother, he built a flour and corn meal mill, which was operated under the style of Crites Brothers & Company until 1900. In the mean- time, E. B. Crites died in 1899. In 1900 the

firm of Crites Brothers & Company was con- solidated with the Smith Mill Company and a new concern was organized and incorporated as the Ohio Cereal Company, of which Mr. Crites remained a member and president of the company for two years.

In 1899 Mr. Crites bought a one-third in- terest in C. E. Sears & Company's can- ning factory, and in 1903 he bought the entire plant. Later he sold a one-half in- terest to the Sears & Nichols Company, of Chillicothe. He is the present manager of C. E. Sears & Company, and is also half owner. The capacity of C. E. Sears & Com- pany's establishment is 5,000,000 cans of corn annually ; in 1904 they packed 6,300,000 cans of sugar corn. This is the largest plant of its kind in the United States or the world. This company also owns a tomato canning plant which is located at Laurelville, Ohio, which has a capacity of 500,000 cans of tomatoes annually. Mr. Crites is also interested in the Crites Milling Company. He owns 1,200 acres of land in the Pickaway Plains, the finest improved land in this section, and also owns 260 acres of bottom land adjoining Circleville. He is a man of splendid business capacity. With a capital of but $4,000, he has developed one of the greatest industries of this part of the State, has furthered many other successful enterprises and has accumulated property of very large value. He carries life insurance amounting to $124,000.

In 1892 Mr. Crites was married to Mary Minnie Van Hyde, who is a daughter of the late G. M. Van Hyde, formerly one of the prominent men of Circleville, where he died in 1903.

J OHN J. MAST, an enterprising and up- to-date farmer of Pickaway County, residing on a farm of 140 acres in section 9, Washington township, was born in York township, Morgan Coun- ty, Ohio, April 3, 1853, and is a son of John and Phoebe (Miller) Mast, who were both natives of Germany.

John Mast came to this country when 12

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years old with an uncle, who settled in Mus- kingum County, Ohio. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Mast, the grandparents of our subject, came to this country later and located in Muskingum County, Ohio, where they passed the remainder of their days. John Mast moved to Morgan County after his marriage and bought a farm of 120 acres, upon which our subject was born. John Mast and his wife both died in Morgan County.

John J. Mast was reared and educated in Morgan County and at the age of 21 years moved to Circleville, where he husked corn the first five days. He then worked for a week at hauling corn and from the fall of 1874 until the spring of 1875 he hauled corn, chopped wood and worked at any and all odd jobs he could find. In the spring of 1875 he went to work for Mrs. Eliza Newman, and for 17 years superintended the operation of her farm of 190 acres. On February 14, 1891, he was married to Emma A. Brinker, a daugh- ter of George Brinker, of Walnut township. They have three children : John, Phoebe and George. After his marriage, Mr. Mast con- tinued for five years more to operate the New- man farm, making in all 22 years that he lived on this farm. In 1896 he bought of Daniel Stein 89 acres and two years later purchased of Jacob Balthaser 511/2 acres. His farm now consists of 140 acres, on which he has made many improvements. In the summer of 1905 he erected a fine large 10-room brick house, which has all the modern improvements, in- cluding furnace, running water, illuminating gas, etc. Mrs. Mast is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. Mr. Mast is a member of the Foresters and Knights of Pythias.

ENRY GREEN CLAY ALKIRE, a worthy member of one of the most prominent families of Darby town- ship, Pickaway County, and a highly esteemed citizen and representative agriculturist, resides on a farm of 195 acres, which extends through Darby township, Pick- away County, and Pleasant township, Madi-

son County, Ohio. Mr. Alkire was born in Fountain County, Indiana, December 2, 1834, and is a son of Joseph and Tillitha C. (De- haven) Alkire.

The Alkires originated in Holland and the family records can be traced as far back as William II, Prince of Orange. The Hague records present the information that near Arn- heim, on the Rhine, in Holland, in 1626, there lived a family bearing a coat of arms which was given by this Prince of Orange, with the baronial name of Algire. This insignia may be thus described : Arms on a silver shield; crest, a falcon, red beak and feet, a bunch of grapes and a wineglass, a pike and cross swords, with the motto, Cum Salus. It would not be very difficult for the present generation to decipher the meaning of these symbols, helped out with the Latin inscription. That the Algires were noblemen was proved by the composition of the shields, only men of rank being permitted the use of gold or silver. The middle class used leather and wood shields. In religious belief the Alkires became notable during the Reformation, espousing the Luth- eran cause.

.Still other Alkires or Alkirks were found in Scotland and that they were of the same family is proven by their possessing the same coat of arms. In the 17th century, one Al- monas Algire left the British Isles and accom- panied Lord Baltimore to the English Colonies. He subsequently settled on Albemarle Sound and assisted the Governor of Virginia in his various campaigns against the Indians. There was an Alkire at the battle of Fort Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio.

The Algire or Alkire family of Pickaway County trace their direct ancestry to Almonas Alkire who was married to Mary Crayman in 1720 near Moorefield, Virginia. They had four children.

Joseph W. Alkire, father of our subject, was born in Kentucky November 24, 1805, and was quite young when his parents moved to Ohio and settled in Pleasant township, Mad- ison. County, where he lived until the death of his father. At the age of 18 years he went to Indiana and took possession of a piece of land

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which he probably had inherited, and shortly afterward was married to Tillitha C. Dehaven. She was born in Kentucky, January 7, 1805, and had been taken to Indiana with her par- ents. She died in Pike County, Illinois, whither the family had moved in 1843, after selling the Indiana farm. Our subject and a sister, Nancy, who married Hiram Smith, both now being deceased, were born in Indiana. While the family lived in Illinois, two more children were added to the household: Jacob, who died in Illinois, at the age of II years, and Mahala, who subsequently married Amer- ica Murry, and died also in Illinois.

The first wife of Joseph W. Alkire died about 1855 and he was later married to Kath- erine Taylor. Before they left Illinois, they had one child-Louise. Mr. Alkire then de- cided to move to Southwestern Missouri and sold his Illinois property. He died in Mis- souri in 1872.

Henry Green Clay Alkire was nine years old when his parents moved to Illinois, but when his father married again he returned to Ohio, leaving his farm of 40 acres in his father's care. He made his home until his mar- riage with his uncle, Henry Green Clay Al- kire, on the farm he now owns and occupies. This property was willed to his son, Stephen A. Alkire, by the uncle above mentioned, and in 1879 our subject bought the farm and has resided here ever since.

On May` 10, 1857, Henry G. C. Alkire was united in marriage with Harriet Snyder, who had also made her home with the elder Henry G. C. Alkire, and they continued to reside on the farm until 1864. During this period four children were born here, three of whom they lost in 1863. The survivor, Stephen A., grew to manhood and subsequently married Maggie Leach, who was born in Ohio. They have four children-two sons and two daugh- ters.

In 1864 Mr. Alkire with his wife and re- maining son moved to Illinois and settled on the 40-acre farm, which he had owned for a long time. They remained there until 1866. when he disposed of the property and removed. to Quincy. While living there they had one

daughter, Vola May who was later married, in Ohio, to Edward Mantle, whose widow she now is. She resides at Derby with her five children. In 1868 Mr. Alkire removed with his family to Missouri, but after trying agri- cultural conditions in that State decided to return to Ohio and in 1872 settled again on the farm he now owns. During the family's .stay in Missouri another daughter was born-Mag- nolia. She resides at home as does Dora. her younger sister, who was born after the family's return to Ohio. Frank, also born in Ohio, the youngest of the family, resides at home. Mr. Alkire's other son, Charles W., was born in Illinois and married Margaret Horton. Charles W. Alkire and wife reside on a farm in Darby township, Pickaway County.

The Alkire home, a two-story frame dwell- ing of II rooms, is set in the midst of one of the most beautiful groves in Pickaway County. The other buildings are substantial in charac- ter and the whole appearance of the place gives testimony as to the pride and affection its resi- dents feel in it.

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 109

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