History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 60

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

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William Drum, father of Allen Dram, was a lifelong resident of Salt Creek township. Like his father, he was a man of sterling char- acter. honest, industrious and moral and in his death the township lost an excellent .izen. He served on several occasions as to trustee and so enjoyed the confidence is fellow-citizens that they consulted his g- ment very frequently on matters of loc 11- portance. He was a stanch Democrat.

He belonged to the German Reformed Church. His death took place October 5. 1896. He married Sarah Bowman, who died April 25. 1895.

The surviving children of William and

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G. F. WITTICH

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Sarah (Bowman) Drum are: Josephus, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio; Allen, of this sketch: Mary A., wife of Capt. Henry Hinson, of Tarlton, Ohio; and Emily, wife of Walter Gray, of Circleville.

Allen Drum was reared on the paternal farm in Salt Creek township and was educated in the district schools. From youth he has been associated with agricultural operations and has always been a farmer. He owns 130 acres of good land, which he has developed into one of the best farms in the township. He is also a good business man and understands how to gain the full measure of return for his efforts, intelligently watching the markets and keeping in touch with outside affairs which affect agricultural conditions. He raises the grains best suited to this locality and breeds excellent stock.

On January 19, 1865, Mr. Drum was mar- ried to Louisa Heffner, who was born in Wash- ington township. Pickaway County, Ohio. September 24. 1839, and is a daughter of David and Lydia ( Bear) Heffner. Mrs. Heff- ner died June 19. 1897. David Heffner, who was a native of Salt Creek township, Picka- way County, was a son of Abraham and Cath- erine Heffner. natives of Pennsylvania, who were early settlers in Salt Creek township. Of the children born to David Heffner and wife, six survive, as follows: Eliza A., widow of Edward Dresbach, residing at Stoutsville, Ohio; Mary A., wife of David Leist, of Pick- away County : Caroline, widow of Amos A. Leist, residing at Circleville; Louisa, wife of our subject; Lydia, widow of Rev. John W. Walkey, of Stoutsville; Sallie A., widow of Andrew Leist, residing in Washington town- ship: and David J., of Washington township. David Heffner died March 28, 1882; Mrs. Heffner died June 19, 1897. They were mem- bers of the German Reformed Church.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Drum were: Omer C., deceased ; Starling A., of Salt Creek township; Minard, of Fairfield County; Guy T., of Washington township; and Orton E., who is living at home.

Allen Drum and wife are leading mem- bers of the Evangelical Association. In poli-

tics Mr. Drum has always been identified with the Democratic party. He has served for nine years as school director of District No. 3. during this time taking great care as to the proper equipments for the schools, the selection of competent teachers, the comfort of the pupils and also for the economical management of all the affairs of the school district. He is a good citizen whose value to his community is recognized and who stands high in public esteem.

F. WITTICH, the leading confectioner at Circleville and a pioneer settler of 1836, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was born at Ebingen. Kingdom of Wurtemberg. Germany. on November 28, 1819, and is a son of Im- manuel Fr. and Maria Catherina ( Wolfer ) Wittich.

In 1836 the father of Mr. Wittich, accom- panied by his wife, his son. G. F., his daugh- ter Sophia and her husband. Christian G. Hart- meyer, with their little son. Charles F .. mak- ing a party of six, crossed the Atlantic Ocean. landing at the port of New York in August of that year. The eldest son, Ferdinand Freder- ick Wittich, had preceded them to the United States, coming in 1833. From New York the party went up the beautiful Hudson to Albany. thence by the Erie Canal. to Buffalo, where they took passage for Cleveland and from there traveled by way of the Ohio Canal to Circle- ville, where they met the son and brother.

The father was a bookbinder by trade and both of his sons had learned the business in Germany and Ferdinand Frederick was work- ing at that trade in Circleville. While he knew that his younger brother was a capable workman, he probably felt that there would be a better business open- ing in a small town, in some other line. and he suggested to G. F. that he turn his attention to the manufacture of confection- ery. The younger brother consented very read- ily and went to Cincinnati and became an ap- prentice to this business under Joseph P. Mayer. He made a contract with his employer,

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by which he was to receive the sum of $4 per month, with board, lodging and washing, dur- ing the first year and during the second year he was to have $2 per month additional. He soon became very useful to his employer and he recalls an occasion, when, in 1838, he was obliged to cut short a visit he was making to his parents, in order to hasten back to Cincin- nati to assist Mr. Mayer in filling large orders. He remembers also, at this time, that he walked from Portsmouth to Circleville, it being March and the canal not yet opened for traffic. He remained in Cincinnati until 1839, becoming an expert in the bakery and confectionery business.

In this year, in association with his brother, Ferdinand Frederick, he established the busi- ness which has developed into what it is to- day, beginning as a fancy bakery, under the firm name of F. F. & G. F. Wittich. The only business of the kind then carried on here was a very small one, owned by a Mr. Leggit, who conducted an ice cream room, the product be- ing of a very indifferent kind, in a corner room of the old National House. Mr. Leggit sold the business to a Mr. McBride and from him the Wittich brothers purchased some of their earliest fixtures. Their first establishment was located on North Court street.

In 1842 the firm moved the business on the circle, where they continued until 1857, when Mr. Wittich moved into his present establish- ment at No. 105 West Main street, where fine quarters are maintained, equipped with every modern improvement. He is the recognizel leader in the business. Even as far back as 1855, his establishment was noted for its well- arranged comfort and for the excellence and variety of the goods handled. He had come back from Cincinnati with many modern ideas and, with characteristic enterprise, was anxious to build up a business similar to those with which he had been familiar in the large city. He was very ably seconded by his brother. An early innovation was the introduction of a soda water fountain. which they put in in 1841.

To give some idea of the scope of the busi- ness even at that early date (1855), we are per- mitted to quote from Mr. Wittich's "Family History," describing his salesrooms :

"The first floor store room on the east side was to be used for a salesroom for confection- ery, fruits, nuts and toys. The rear room was for storage and a kitchen for use in cooking "oysters, etc. The west side rooms were for ice cream parlors, for the serving of oysters and general lunch rooms. The basement was furnished with a bake oven, furnace, tool shed, and was also used in the making of candy of all kinds, sugar toys, syrups, jams, soda water, ice cream, etc. The hall above was rented out for public entertainments, concerts and meet- ings of all kinds."

On October 4, 1842, G. F. Wittich was united in marriage with Henrietta Keffer, who was the youngest daughter of Col. Valentine Keffer, who was an old pioneer of Pickaway County, settling here in 1805. Mr. and Mrs. Wittich became the parents of nine children, as follows: Albert Theodore, Melanchthon, Theophilus Keffer, Clara, Rose Cornelia, Willis, Ella, Edward, and Frank.

Albert Theodore, the eldest son, is a resi- dent of Toledo. He was born November 29, 1843. On September 1, 1864, he was married to Amanda M. Schultz, of Miamisburg. After her death, he married Rose Hirsch, and his third union was with Mrs. Amanda Parkhurst, of Gloversville, New York. Melanchthon, the second son, was born October 7, 1845. On April 20, 1867, he was married to Julia Horn. He died December 27, 1900. The third son, Theophilus Keffer, was born May 3, 1847, and was married to Lizzie Cook, on December 25, 1878. He is greatly talented in music and teaches the same in San Francisco, California. Clara, the eldest daughter, was born July 15, 1849, and died September 24, 1850. Rose Cor- nelia, born June 20, 1851, was married July 24, 1888, to S. C. Gamble, who is a well- known attorney at Circleville. Willis, who is a retired officer of the United States Army, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, resides at Plattsburg, New York. He was born February 21, 1853, and was married to Lillian Mearns, of Highland Falls, New York, on December 27, 1876. Ella, who was born January 17, 1855, married Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, of High- land Falls, New York, on December 14, 1881. Dr. Mearns is a surgeon in the United States

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Army. Edward, who was born. February 16, 1857, was married on April 20, 1882, to Lois Jones. He is the manager of his father's es- tablishment. Frank, the youngest of the fam- ily, was born October 8, 1859, is unmarried and resides at St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Wit- tich has a family which reflects credit upon him and the community. There are five grandchil- dren to give him respect, affection and obedi- ence.

In politics, Mr. Wittich has always been a stanch Democrat, but has rarely consented to hold office. The exception has been as a mem- ber of the Board of Education, on which he served for 38 years, being secretary of this body for 30 years. In 1833 he was confirmed in the Lutheran Church and has lived consist- ently in its faith ever since: For many years he was a member of the church . council and its secretary. From boyhood he has been a musician and all of his family have inherited the talent in more or less degree. When he was but 14 years of age, he became second flutist in the church orchestra, and for several years after coming to this country he was identified with musical organizations. It is a pleasure which he still indulges.

1 RA M. SCOTHORN, a well-known agriculturist, successful teacher and most worthy citizen of Walnut town- ship, resides on the homestead farm of 167 acres, which is situated in sec- tion 8. He was born on this farm on June 20, 1870, and is a son of Monroe and Margaret (Morrison ) Scothorn.

The Scothorn family has been known in Pickaway County since 1805. Like many other old and subsequently prominent families, the early annals were not carefully preserved, a fact much to be regretted, for the Scothorn family has become one of the most numerous and important families of Walnut township, through a virile increase of the old stock and through inter-marriage with a large number of the other old and honorable families of this vicinity. In preparing a family record as near

complete as possible, reference is made to a neat pamphlet pertaining to the family which was prepared by two oi its members in 1905.

The family originated in Scotland. Early in the 17th century two brothers left their high- land glens to seek their fortunes in the great country which looked so inviting across the waters of the Atlantic. After the usual ad- ventures incident to travel in those early days, the brothers reached Greenbrier County, Vir- ginia, and there Lewis Scothorn, the ancestor of the present branch of the family, estab- lished his home and subsequently married, in Virginia, a member of the Bell family, which is known all over that State. Lewis Scothorn had two children, a daughter and son, Mary and Joseph.

In 1805, Lewis Scothorn seems to have left Greenbrier County, with wife and two chil- dren, and crossed to Ohio, probably making the journey in the old covered wagon of that time or possibly on horseback. He took up a goodly piece of land in Walnut township, Pick- away County, which, although then in the center of a wild and unsettled section, was favorably located as to water, the first con- sideration among our pioneer fathers. The mother of Mary and Joseph died while the family was still new in this locality. At a later date Lewis Scothorn married a Miss Tallman and six sons and two daughters were born to them. who bore the names of Lewis, John, Will- iam, George. Charles, Samuel, Eliza and Sarah.

Lewis Scothorn died in 1816, having lived in Walnut township during the whole of his life in Ohio. He was a typical pioneer and gained a great local reputation as a woodsman. He was a man of great industry and began the clearing of the pioneer farm which he did not live to complete.

,The widow of Lewis Scothorn subsequently married a Mr. Turner and in her age was generally known as "Grandmother Turner" in her neighborhood, where she lived to advanced years. Mr. Turner died shortly after mar- riage.

Mary Scothorn, the eldest child of Lewis Scothorn, familiarly known as "Aunt Polly Miller," was born in 1794 in Virginia, and

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married (first ) John Claur. Of . their three children. two died in infancy. The other, a daughter. lived to womanhood and became the wife of Joshua Fridley and died April 16, 1845, aged 29 years. After the death of Mr. Claur, his widow married Peter Miller, who was also born in Virginia and accompanied his parents to Walnut township, Pickaway County. in 1804. He became a man of prominence in the township, served many years as a justice of the peace and is represented as having been a man far above the average in intellect. His death was occasioned by a fall from a horse. in 1849. being then 66 years old. One child of this marriage died in infancy. and the others were: Joash. Nancy. Elizabeth, Stephen, Joseph P., Mary A. and William H. Joash, born in 1822, practiced law at Circleville for a time but sub- sequently moved to the West. He had three children. His wife was a member of the Tall- man family. Nancy. born in 1824. married Shadrach Cole and they removed to Nebraska. They reared eight children. Elizabeth, born in 1827. married Enoch Hines and they had five children-Edward, Ella, Ida, Alma and Clara. Stephen, born in 1829. married Sarah Hines, and they resided for a time in Madison township, Pickaway County, and now live in re- tirement at Circleville. Joseph P., born in 1832, married Mahala Culp; they have two children-Henry and Amelia. Mary A., born in 1835. married Adam Claur, and had two children. They reside in the State of Illinois. William H., born in 1839, married a Miss Glick and had three children.

Joseph Scothorn, the only son of Lewis Scothorn's first marriage, was born March 4, 1796. in Virginia. He assisted his father in · the clearing of the pioneer farm and continued to follow agricultural pursuits to the close of his life. when he left an ample estate. He died September 30. 1864, aged 68 years. He mar- ried Hannah Crum, who was of German an- cestry, but was born in Virginia in 1798. Her parents were pioneers in Madison township, Pickaway County.

Joseph and Hannah (Crum) Scothorn had five sons and five daughters, as follows : Lewis, Sarah and Mary, deceased in infancy ; Thomas

J., Elizabeth, Monroe, Nancy, Eliza, Francis A. and Thornton. Thomas J., born August I. 1820, married Rebecca Pritchett and to this marriage were born three children, two of whom died in infancy. The third, Amelia, be- came the wife of Henry B. Morris, of Circle- ville. Elizabeth. born March 16, 1824. mar- ried Jackson Hoover and six of their seven chil- dren survived infancy. namely : Lewis C., Mon- roe. William F .. Sophronia. Sarah and Nancy. Monroe, born March 20, 1830, married Mar- garet Morrison, who was born April 23. 1833. and died April 23, 1906, aged exactly 73 years. They had three sons and three daughters : Thomas J. died aged seven and a half years : George M .. who married Jennie Faust and had two sons-William H. and Harley Ed- ward ( who died in infancy ) : Olive, born June 26, 1859, who is the widow of Peter E. Hoover and the mother of two daughters-Laura and Dora : Lida, who married Charles F. Brinker. of Ashville, Ohio, and has two daughters- Marie and Dorothy: Emma, who married Jacob L. Hoover and has one son-Ira; and Ira M., always a resident of the old homestead, who married Mary Altha Burgett. Nancy. born April 1, 1832, married Silas A. Peters, and one of their three children grew to matur- ity-Josephine. Eliza, born June 20, 1834. died aged 19 years, unmarried. Francis A .. born March 7. 1837, married Josephine Kenard, and of their II children seven grew to maturity, namely : Mattie, who married Carl Pickering and has three children; Anna, who married Charles Werst and has three children ; Rose, who married a Mr. Bradbury and has one child, a daughter; and Frank M., Clarence. Thomas and DeWitt, all of whom reside in Kansas. Thornton lives in the northern part of Ohio.

" The second marriage of Lewis Scothorn resulted in the birth of two daughters-Eliza and Sarah, and six sons-John, Lewis, Charles, George, William and Samuel. Eliza died soon after her marriage to a Mr. Swisher in Frank- lin County. Sarah married Asa Trone and they had three children : Catharine, who mar- ried Harvey Long; William, who married a Miss Whitehead; and Eliza, who mar-

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GEORGE PHILIP TEEGARDIN.

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ried a Mr. Whitehead. John settled near Find- lay, Ohio, but later moved to Fort Scott, Kan- sas, where he died. He married a Miss Glick and is survived by some of his children who are located in the West. Lewis married Susannah Westenhaver. For a year or two after mar- riage he lived on the farm of Peter Miller and then moved over on Walnut Creek, where he built a sawmill. After running his mill for several years, he sold out and built a residence a short distance away on a farm he had bought, where he lived until his death. Lewis and his brother John were both good carpenters. They built many large barns and other buildings throughout the neighborhood. Lewis Scot- horn and wife had eight children, of whom five grew to maturity, namely : George W., who married Hattie Pontius, settled first in Walnut township and after some years moved to Win- field, Kansas-they have two sons; Rebecca, who married John H. Hott and had four chil- dren: Sophronia, who married Frederick Plazier, a miller by occupation, settled for a while in Walnut township and later moved to London. Ohio-they had several children; Frances, who married Isaac Noggle and had one daughter, who is now the wife of Edward Weiser; and W. H., who married Fanny Moyer and has four children-Calvin, Samuel. Cora and Florence. Charles and George were lost sight of in young manhood. William married in Hancock County, Ohio, resided a number of years in Washington and Oregon, after his wife's death, but subsequently returned to Wal- nut township, Pickaway County, and spent his last days with his brother Lewis; his one daughter married a Mr. Clark, of Cir- cleville. Samuel, the last of the brothers, was born in Walnut township, later resided in Franklin County and still later in Seneca Coun- ty, Ohio, whence he removed, in 1855, to Hastings. Barry County, Michigan, where he died in 1861. He was thrice married and had II children.

Lewis Scothorn, the founder of the family in Ohio, lies in an old burying ground north of East Ringgold, in a spot not far distant from the place where he first located when he came to Ohio. Years have passed since his long

sleep began. Where, in his day, waved the tall grass that concealed the richness of the fertile land beneath. or grew the dense forest that harbored both wild beast and savage, now smile cultivated- fields and on the pleasant slopes live his descendants, who, in his memory, wish to preserve the old records. Full as they may be, they can never portray entirely the type of man who was able to leave an old civilize.1 section and to successfully combat the hard- ships and face the discouragements incident to establishing a home in an unbroken wilderness.

Ira M. Scothorn, the immediate subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in Wal- nut township and has always remained on the old home place. He has always followed an agricultural life in combination with that of a teacher. Mr. Scothorn is one of the best known educators in his section, having been a popular teacher in Harrison and Walnut town- ships since 1891.

On September 1. 1898, Mr. Scothorn was married to Mary Altha Burgett. who was for some years a teacher in Pickaway County. Mr. and Mrs. Scothorn are members of the United Brethren Church. Fraternally our sub- ject is connected with the Knights of Pythias.

EORGE PHILIP TEEGARDIN. one of the really successful business men of Ashville, prominent in all its com- mercial life, whose portrait accom- panies this sketch, was born in Madi- son township, Pickaway County, Ohio, on July II, 1848, and is a son of Aaron and Sarah (Hoy) Teegardin and a grandson of George Teegardin.

The Teegardin family originated in Prus- sia where the family name was spelled Tie- garden. According to the Pennsylvania State records, Abraham Tiegarden, Sr., aged 48 years, and Abraham Tiegarden, Jr., aged 18 years, emigrated from Prussia to Philadelphia. where on September 1, 1736, they took the oath of allegiance to the Province of Pennsylvania.

Abraham Tiegarden, Jr., was a member of the Rangers on the frontier from 1778 to 1781,

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and his sons, Thomas and William, were also Continental soldiers in the Revolutionary War. He married Mary Parker (known at the time as Lady Parker), who was born in England and was a resident of Annapolis, Maryland. Part of their family. was born in Philadelphia and the remainder in Fayette County, Penn- sylvania, to which place they removed. Their children were as follows: William, whose de- scendants live for the most part in Western Pennsylvania; George, whose descendants are mostly in Eastern Ohio; . Moses, whose de- scendants are in Western Ohio; Abraham, whose descendants may be chiefly found in Southern Indiana; Thomas, whose descend- ants live in Central Pennsylvania; Susanna, who married Colonel Shyrock; and Aaron, who with his entire family came to Pickaway County, Ohio.

Aaron Teegardin was born in Pennsylva- nia in 1754 and was there married to Mar- garet Dieble. He came to Ohio in April, 1811, and died in Pickaway County March 21, 1823, his burial being in Madison township. His seven children were as follows: George, Wil- liam, Annie, Elizabeth, Jacob, Daniel and Sol- omon. Of these, George and William were soldiers in the War of 1812; the latter, who was in Captain Reed's company, Colonel Denny's regiment, from Pickaway County, was commissioned as lieutenant during his service.

George Teegardin, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Western Pennsylvania on April 25, 1782. He was commissioned as captain of Pennsylvania State militia and served from 1807 to 1812, when he migrated to Ohio. He was married to Christina Brobst and their children were as follows: Barbara, Annie, Mary, John and Aaron.

Aaron Teegardin, our subject's father, was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, February 18, 1810, and with his parents came to Ohio when one year old. In 1833 he was married to Sarah Hoy, who was born in Fair- field County, Ohio, in 1814. He lived on the Teegardin homestead all his life except one year. He filled numerous township offices and was lieutenant, captain and major of militia,

at the time of the Mexican War. He and his wife celebrated their "golden" wedding anni- versary in March, 1883. Eight children were .born to them, as follows: Ephraim, who re- ssides in Southern Illinois; Mahala, deceased ; John R., also deceased, who was a Union sol- dier in the Civil War, serving from 1862 to 1865; Augustus P., who resides at Ashville; Henry, who died in Idaho in 1863; George Philip, the subject of this sketch; Mary; and Levi, the youngest of the family, who resides at Canal Winchester, Ohio.

George Philip Teegardin received his lit- erary education in the common schools of this county and completed his business education at the Lebanon Normal School in . 1869. After leaving this institution, Mr. Teegardin clerked in the dry goods store of Dr. George L. Smith, late of Groveport, Ohio, for about a year and then entered into partnership with his brother, John R. Teegardin, at St. Paul, this county. This connection continued until 1878 when his health failed and he was obliged to return to the farm where he remained until December, 1884, when he went to Florida, where for two years he was engaged in growing fruit.

In 1886 Mr. Teegardin returned to the old homestead and in December of the following year resumed his connection with the mercan- tile business at St. Paul. His health continu- ing to be uncertain, he spent the winters of 1890, 1891 and 1892 in Florida. In the mean- time, in 1891, he retired from business at St. Paul, trading his interests there for property in Ashville and remaining on the farm until 1894. For a short time thereafter he clerked for Teegardin Brothers in their hardware and grocery store at Canal Winchester, Ohio. Lo- cating at Ashville in July, 1894, he clerked for a short time for Ward & Miller, previous to becoming a member of the firm of Ward, Miller & Company, grain dealers. This firm was succeeded by Rockey & Teegardin in the fall of 1895 and in 1897 the latter gave place to Ward & Teegardin. In August, 1902, he became the sole proprietor and successfully conducted his expanding business with the as- sistance of D. F. Taylor, who on July 1, 1906, was admitted as a partner, the firm now being

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 60

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