History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 63

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

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In politics Mr. Hensel is a stanch Denio- crat. As a citizen he supports all public meas- ures which in his judgment will benefit. his neighborhood and is a highly respected resi- dent of his township.

J OSEPH WRIGHT VAUSE, one of the leading agriculturists and well-known citizens of Harrison township, has al- ways resided on the old homestead farm of 470 acres. He was born June 22, 1858, in Harrison township, Pickaway County, Ohio, and is a son of James Inskeep and Eliza (Wright) Vause.

The Vause family was founded in Ohio by Thomas Vause, the grandfather of Joseph W., who came as a pioneer to Clark County from Virginia. He served in the War of 1812 and later became a large farmer and stock-raiser. He married Elizabeth Decker in 1817, and they had these children : John D., Rachel, Will- iam, Luke I)., James 1., Thomas B. and Han- nah Decker, all of whom have passed away with the exception of James I .. the father of Joseph W. In 1823 Thomas Vause sold his property in Clark County and removed to Franklin County, where both he and his wife died, at their home near Lockbourne.

James Inskeep Vause was born September 12,. 1827 .. Since 1858 he has been a resident of Harrison township, Pickaway County, hav- ing purchased the homestead farm from Jo -. seph Renick, in 1857. On November 7, 1854, he was married to Eliza Wright. who was born April 17, 1827, in Madison township, Pickaway County, Ohio, and died June 25, 1878, aged 51 years, 2 months and 8 days. She was a daughter of Joseph and Sarah ( Platter)

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Wright, the former of whom was born in County Down, Ireland, and came to the United States prior to his marriage. The children born to James and Eliza ( Wright) Vause were five in number, as follows: Sarah Elizabeth, born October 17. 1856, who died aged 8 years, 10 months and 17 days. Joseph Wright, of this sketch: William Thornton, born January 5, 1860, who died March 29, 1861 ; James Edward born July 24, 1863:and Mary Agnes, born Sep- tember 12, 1865. who married I. J. Swayer, of Harrison township, and has two sons-Herbert Edwin and Ray Vause. The only brother of our subject is a civil engineer by profession. He was educated at the Ohio Normal Uni- versity at Ada. then located in South Dakota, removed to Sioux City, Iowa, thence to Chi- cago and is now established at Milwaukee. Ile married Ella Conner, of Sheboygan, Wis- consin, on March 24, 1896.

Joseph Wright Vause was educated in the district schools of Harrison township and has devoted his whole life to farming on the family estate. Ile has always resided with his father and assisted in the management of the 600 acres of fine land which they have so success- fully cultivated. Mr. Vause devotes about 100 acres to corn and wheat and realizes from 3,000 to 3,500 bushels of corn and about 1.500 bushels of wheat. Much attention is given to the raising of good stock and this has long been a feature here.

On .August 12, 1878. Mr. Vause was mar- ried to Lucy Swartz, who was born in Pick- away County, and is a daughter of Jacob and Nancy ( Reed) Swartz, old residents of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Vause have had four children, as follows: Orville R., who married Cleo Baum. daughter of W. C. Baum, of Har- rison township, and is engaged in farming on the homestead; Benjamin, who is also a farmer on the home place; Lydia, who died March 15. 1905, aged 22 years; and Gladys, who is at home.

Mr. Vause is one of the enterprising and progressive agriculturists of the northern sec- tion of the county and follows modern methods and utilizes modern machinery. The modern farmer, more than almost any other business

man, must have a working understanding of half a dozen professions, the time having gone by when farming means nothing more than sowing and reaping and the chance additions to the herds in the fields. The prosperity which has been marked on the Vause estate shows very conclusively the value of the meth- ods employed here. In addition to agricultural prominence. the family has always stood high in the social circles of Harrison township and in every way represents its best citizenship.

P ETER B. PONTIOUS, one of Salt Creek township's representative men and old and honored citizens, has re- sided on his present farm of 102 acres, situated in section 31, for al- most a half century, coming here in 1858. lle belongs to a family which came very early to Ohio, bringing his habits of Pennsylvania thrift. He was born in Ross County, January 8, 1832, and is a son of Andrew and Mary ( Betzer ) Pontious. The grandfather of Peter B. Pontious was born in Berks County. Pennsylvania, and removed thence to Ross County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming in Green township.

Andrew Pontious was born in Ross Coun- ty, Ohio, was there engaged in farming all his life, and died there in February, 1880. He married Mary Ann Betzer, who was also born in Ross County, and they had 12 children. the six survivors being : John R., of Mount Pleas- ant, lowa : Frederick B., of Lawrence, Kansas; Peter B., of this sketcli; Jane, wife of Reuben May, of Ross County. Ohio; Sarah, wife of Martin Socin, of Chillicothe; and Andrew J., of Salt Creek township.

Peter B. Pontious spent boyhood and youth in Ross County, attending the best schools in his neighborhood, and learning the practical facts about farming and stock-raising on his father's farm. Agricultural pursuits have continued to be his business and pleasure all his life and his well-cultivated farm testifies to the careful tillage it has received.

On September 1, 1856, Mr. Pontious was

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MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL. W. MILLER AND SON.

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married to Mary E. Frederick, who was born in Salt Creek township, Pickaway County, Ohio, March 31, 1835, and is the only surviv- ing member of the family of three children born to her parents, who were Peter and Cath- erine (Zimmerman) Frederick. The father of Mrs. Pontious was born in Seneca County, Ohio, and the mother in Ross County; they were early settlers in Salt Creek township, Pickaway County, where they died.

Mr. and Mrs. Pontious had seven children born to them, the six survivors being : Win- fred C., of Salt Creek township; Olive E., of Columbus; Harlan A., of Bridgeport, Con- necticut; Kate E., wife of John Spencer, of Pickaway township; Ida B., wife of Samuel Famuliner, of Salt Creek township; and Will- iam M., a business man of Kansas City, Mis- souri.

Mr. Pontious has been a consistent Demo- crat all his life and still takes a deep interest in the issues facing the country. Both he and his wife are worthy and valued members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, at Whisler, Ohio. He is an elder in the church and one of the charter members and assisted in the erection of the present church edifice. Few residents of their locality are better known or more highly esteemed than are Mr. and Mrs. Pontious.

S AMUEL W. MILLER, a prominent and substantial citizen of Pickaway County, resides on his fine estate known as "White Oak Grove Hill Farm," a finely improved property consisting of 320 acres, located in Muhlenberg township, on the Darbyville and Circleville turnpike and situated one mile south of Darby- ville. Mr. Miller was born March 21, 1858, at Darbyville. Pickaway County, Ohio, and is a son of William A. and Paulina Hill (Thomp- son) Miller:

Mr. Miller comes of very distinguished an- cestry and among his kindred are found names which carry with them the memory of brilliant gifts and solid services to their country. On

the maternal side, the great-great-grandfather of Samuel W. Miller was Thomas Lewis, most probably a native of Wales or of Welsh parent- age. His three eldest sons bore the names of John, Andrew and Thomas. Of these, all were officers under General Washington in the Revolutionary War and were members of that little band who assisted their chief by their courage and advice, during the terrible winter at Valley Forge. They accompanied Wash- ington in the New Jersey campaign and it is on record that John and Thomas Lewis were present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. Andrew Lewis' military career did not end here as we learn that he was with General Wayne in the expedition against the Indians and in this campaign lost an arm.

Thomas Lewis appears to have added statesmanlike qualities to his military valor. He was the colonial surveyor of Augusta County, Virginia, and became a member of the House of Burgesses. In 1776 he was elected a member of the Virginia Convention and in 1777 he was one of a committee appointed to treat with the defeated Indian tribes.

Col. Fielding Lewis, a son of Thomas Lewis, was associated closely with the family of George Washington. He married (first) Catherine Washington, who was a cousin of George Washington. His second marriage was to Betty Washington, a sister of George Washı- ington, and the children of Colonel Lewis were subsequently adopted by their distinguished un- cle. A great-great-uncle of Samuel W. Miller was Meriwether Lewis, the American soldier, traveler and explorer and later the Governor of Louisiana, whose exploits in the Lewis and Clark expedition have so recently been cele- brated by a great Pacific city.

The paternal grandfather of Mr. Miller was William Miller, who also took part in the Revolutionary War, a member of a Virginia contingent. He died in Ohio while visiting his son, William A. Miller. The latter. the father of our subject, was born at Shepherds- town, Virginia, January 3, 1818. In 1848 prior to his marriage, he came to Ohio, locat- ing at Darbyville, Pickaway County. Here he engaged for many years in a general mer- .

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cantile business and became a man of sub- stance and was held in universal esteem. Dur- ing the Civil War he testified to his loyalty by generous assistance given to the government. His death occurred October 30, 1875. From being an old-line Whig, in 1852 he identified himself with the Republican party.

William A. Miller married Paulina Hill Thompson, who was born at Darbyville, Ohio, March 20, 1827, and died July 17, 1903. She was a daughter of Samuel H. and Hannah (Hill) Thompson, the former one of the pio- neers of Pickaway County, and the latter a daughter of Rev. Hill, who was an early ex- plorer and a missionary in this part of Ohio. The mother of Mr. Miller, although afforded only the meager advantages offered by the edu- cational institutions of Darbyville in her youth, became a well-educated woman and a school teacher. The children of William A. Miller and wife were: William, who died in infancy ; James D., a resident of Tacoma, Washing- ton; Jennie T., wife of Ira W. McCollister, of Tacoma, Washington; Belle G., who died aged 17 years; George W., a merchant at Darby- ville; Samuel W., of this sketch; Mary T., widow of Dr. John E. Miller, late a Repre- sentative in the General Assembly, who died May 8, 1904; and S. Arnold, a practicing physician at Lancaster, Ohio.

Samuel W. Miller resided at Darbyville until 1880. His education was obtained in the village schools at Darbyville, which were ex- cellent for the time. When but 14 years of age, he began to teach school. After one term of teaching he entered the Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, but left this in- stitution in his sophomore year and resumed teaching. He continued to be more or less in- terested in educational work until 1880, when he moved to Ashville and entered into part- nership with his brother, James D. Miller, in a general mercantile business, under the firm name of Miller Brothers. At a later date he bought his brother's interests and continued the business until called to official life, hav- ing been elected auditor of Pickaway County. The election occurred in 1887 and he assumed the duties of the office in 1888, removing then to Circleville, where he resided until 1891.

Mr. Miller was elected to the important office by the Republican party, overcoming the Democratic majority in Harrison township, where he then lived, by a majority of 230 votes and carrying the county by 68 votes, the Democratic majority of which usually footed up to 1,200. He was the first county auditor to have his offices in the new Court House. He entered upon the duties of the position under some discouraging conditions, the defalcation of a prominent official leaving the county a debt of $50,000. Through the tact and fidelity of Mr. Miller, this unfortunate circum- stance was so adjusted that the county lost nothing and a full account may be found on the books of the county. He left office, as he had entered, with a clean record and un- blemished reputation.

During his residence at Ashville, in Har- rison township, Mr. Miller was one of the in- corporators of the village, was its first treas- urer and served as township clerk, being the first Republican ever elected to the office.

On July 14, 1896, in Covington, Ken- tucky, Mr. Miller was married to Jessie Fremont Work, by Rev. J. W. Mitchell, pastor of the Eleventh Street North M. E. Church. Mrs. Miller was born Decem- ber 6, 1869, in the fine old brick Work home- stead, which is situated in Monroe township, Pickaway County, Ohio, near Pherson. She was educated at the Wesleyan University at Delaware. Her parents were Hon. Wesley and Catharine Work, the former of whom died November 4, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had two children, viz .: Samuel Wesley, who was born May 22, 1897, and died January 4, 1905; and Howard Work, who was born De- cember 12, 1900.

In 1891 Mr. Miller purchased his present fine estate, which formerly was known as the William Scott place. It is one of the fine old homes for which this section of Ohio is noted. Mr. Miller devotes his time and attention to the careful operation of this valuable farm. The home is not only known in this community for its beauty and comfort, but also for its hospitality. Its fine library indicates the cul- tured tastes of the occupants of the home.

Mr. Miller is a leading member of the

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Methodist Episcopal Church, is a steward and trustee and is assistant superintendent of the Sunday-school. He is also a teacher and has a class of 35 young men. He is very promi- nent in Masonry, belonging to all the higher branches, having attained the 32nd degree. He belongs also to Jumbo Camp, Modern Wood- men of America, at Darbyville and is presi- dent of the Farmers' Institute at Williams- port.

A picture of Mr. and Mrs. Miller and their son, Howard Work Miller, accompanies this sketch, being shown on a preceding page.

S. CARPENTER, one of the lead- ing capitalists, - native citizens and prominent agriculturists of Muhlenberg township, was born in this township on November 20, 1849, and is a son of Baldwin Clifton Carpen- ter.and Anna (English), his wife.

The grandparents of Mr. Carpenter were Simon and Sally (Fee) Carpenter, natives of Virginia. From that State they moved to Kentucky and settled in Fleming County, where their son, Baldwin Clifton, was born, April 22, 1811, and his boyhood spent. He was 27 years of age when he visited Muhlenberg township, Pickaway County, for the first time. At that time he came to this locality on horse- back, in charge of a drove of cattle which he soll in this vicinity. He was so pleased with the lay of the land and the agreeable climate and other conditions, that he returned shortly afterward and established his home here. For 20 years he was in a mercantile business at Darbyville, but in 1857 he sold out and in part payment took a farm of 250 acres. When Mr. Carpenter first settled in Muhlenberg township, he was a poor man and borrowed the money with which to buy cattle. For many years he bought, sold and traded and amassed a large fortune. He also was in the employ of Colonel and William Florence, who at that time were the leading capitalists of the county, and on many occasions Mr. Carpenter drove cattle, and sometimes cattle and hogs, to New York, a herd of 500 cattle being no unusual

number. At the time of his death he owned some 1,200 acres of land. During his earlier years he was a man of surprising robustness, but a fall crippled him and his later life was necessarily less active. His death occurred January 5, 1893. He was Presbyterian in re- ligious faith. .

The mother of our subject, Anna (Eng- lish) Carpenter, resided in Darbyville at the time of her death, May 21, 1906, aged 77 years. The children born to Baldwin C. and Anna (English) Carpenter were: W. S., of this sketch; Theodosia, who is the widow of N. F. Kinnear, of Madison County; Thomas Henry, of Muhlenberg township; Florence, deceased at the age of three years; Simon New- ton, of Mount Sterling; Job R., of Columbus ; Cora, who married Dr. S. E. Boggs, is de- ceased; Harry B., of Ashville; and Minnie, who died in 1883, aged II years.

W. S. Carpenter remained with his parents until his marriage. He was educated at Darby- ville. His choice of occupation being farm- ing, his parents gave him half of a 145-acre tract of the old Judge Florence farm, and his wife's parents gave her the other half: to this Mr. Carpenter subsequently added 130 acres. He secured 870 acres from his father- in-law's homestead and he also bought adjoin- ing property until his home farm now aggre- gates 1,270 acres. He also bought 177 acres on Dry Run in Monroe township and subse- quently purchased the old Muhlenberg farm of 281 acres, which is located near the home farm. All his land, aggregating the grand total of 1,880 acres, is located in Muhlen- berg township, with the exception of 177 acres in Monroe township, making him the largest landowner in Muhlenberg township. The place in Monroe township is known as "Locust Hill. top Farm" and formerly was the homestead of M. M. Thomas. In 1841 a fine home was built on this farm, on a high elevation, the finishing lumber for which was conveyed all the way from Chillicothe. ·

On the Florence farm our subject built a handsome residence. All his property is well improved with substantial buildings. In days gone by, before it was cleared, 100 acres of this land was covered with cherry, blue ash and

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walnut timber. A fine lot of lumber was cut for the old Harness Renick homestead, but it was accidentally burned and for this reason lumber had to be brought from a distance. Mr. Carpenter retains the direct management of all this magnificent extent of land, but some of it he rents for the grain rent. He raises quantities of stock of all kinds and makes a feature of stockraising and grain growing.

In 1873 Mr. Carpenter was married to Alwilda Thomas, who was born at Mount Sterling, Ohio, February 2, 1854, and is a daughter of Milton M. and Urania (Loof- bourrow ) Thomas.

Mr. Thomas was born in Pickaway Coun- ty, and Mrs. Thomas in Madison County. They were married at Columbus and moved to Mount Sterling, purchasing the Harness Renick place in 1866 and moving upon it in 1869. In 1874 they returned to Mount Ster- ling, where Mr. Thomas died in November, 1876, aged 51 years. For a number of years he was one of the leading men of that town. He organized and became the first president of the Farmers' Bank, which is now the First National Bank of Mount Sterling. In Muhlen- berg township he was a large stock-raiser and dealer and an extensive and successful farmer. His rise from comparative poverty to affluence was through his own perseverance, industry and good management. He was left with a widowed mother and a number of brothers and sisters to care for, being the oldest son. Hc purchased the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter from Harness Renick and carried the money to pay for it a long distance in his saddle-bags. Through life he was looked on with esteem and respect in every community in which he lived.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were: Alwilda, who became the wife of W. S. Carpenter; Rufina, who died aged three years; Sarah Elizabeth, who died aged 18 years; Laura Alice, who married Charles Mc- Cafferty, and died June 2, 1881, aged 20 years and 5 months, leaving an infant son, Milton William, who passed away at the age of two months. Mrs. Carpenter is the only survivor of the family.

The children born to W. S. Carpenter and wife were : Florence Thomas, born August II, 1874, who is the wife of Harness Renick, of West Virginia; Elizabeth Maude, born October 10, 1877, who is the wife of A. H. Herbert, of Steubenville, Ohio; Eva Anna, born April 4, 1880, who is the wife of Paul C. Hodges. of Columbus; Milton Scott, born July 2, 1882; Alwilda Bernice, born February 29, 1884: Baldwin Clifton, born April 10, 1886; Frank Hicks, born April 5, 1888; Ira Sanford, born July 10, 1892; and Alice Pauline, born June 27, 1895. The six youngest children all live at home. There are two little granddaugh- ters in the family, Alice Wilda and Dorothy Eva Renick, children of Mr. Carpenter's eldest daughter.

Mr. Carpenter has always been one of the progressive and enterprising men of the town- ship, one of the first to recognize the benefits to accrue from modern methods and inventions and to willingly promote their organization. He was helpful in the organization of the Citi- zen's Telephone Company, at Circleville, and has given approval to other enterprises, which in his judgment seemed likely to benefit the community. He was one of the founders of the Grange in Muhlenberg township. In po- litical sentiment, Mr. Carpenter has always been a strong Republican, and since 1895 he has. served as township treasurer and for some eight years previously as township trustee, hav- ing held the latter office four terms. He also was one of the organizers of the Darbyville Presbyterian Church and assisted in the erec- tion of the church building. He is one of the best-known men in his section of Pickaway County.

G. JACOB, cashier of the Third National Bank of Circleville, was 77 born in this city in 1864, and is a son of J. T. Jacob, one of the early settlers of Pickaway County, who passed away in 1874.

W. G. Jacob has spent the greater part of his life at Circleville, receiving his educa- tion in her excellent schools and in 1880 find-

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ing here an excellent business opening as bookkeeper and cashier of the Second National Bank. After five years of excellent training in that institution, he accepted a position with the Third National Bank, as bookkeeper, was later made assistant cashier and since 1896 has been cashier. He is well known in financial circles and stands deservedly high.

In 1893 Mr. Jacob was united in marriage with Alice Albaugh, a daughter of the late W. H. Albaugh, who was one of the early set- tlers at Circleville.

Mr. Jacob belongs to the Masonic and the Elks lodges at Circleville. Both he and wife are representatives of old and honorable fan- ilies of this section of the State.

l EPHAS NEWHOUSE, a prominent citizen and representative agricul- turist of Salt Creek township, re- sides on his well-cultivated farm of 95 acres, which is situated in section 19. Mr. Newhouse was born April 13, 1857, in Pickaway County, Ohio, and he is a son of Isaac and Catherine (Bear) Newhouse.

The Newhouse family came to Ohio from Pennsylvania and was established in Pickaway County by the grandfather. Isaac Newhouse spent his whole life in this township, engaged in farming, and married a member of one of the old families of the county. Of their chil- dren, these survive : Mary, wife of M. Reedy, living in Illinois; Jane, wife of Fred Pontious, living in Kansas; Julia, who married W. B. Miesse, of Stoutsville, Ohio; Catherine, who married L. J. Bookwalter, of Hallsville, Ohio; Ellen, who married Samuel Lutz, of Whisler, Ohio; George W., of Salt Creek township; Hattie, who married Samuel Parker, of Whis- ler; William H. lives in Salt Creek township; John, of Whisler, Ohio; and Cephas, of this sketch.

Cephas Newhouse was reared on his father's farm and obtained his primary educa- tion in the district schools of Salt Creek town- ship and later in the public schools at Whisler. He has devoted the larger part of his life to

agricultural pursuits and on his fine farm has demonstrated what careful methods and intelli- gent management will do. He is counted among the prosperous farmers of his locality. He enjoys the comforts of a very pleasant home and all his surroundings indicate thrift and plenty.

On November 3, 1879, Mr. Newhouse was married to Sarah J. Lutz, who was born July 29, 1857, in Salt Creek township, and is a daughter of the late Jacob Lutz, a prominent farmer of this township. Mr. and Mrs. New- house have five children, namely : Leland, of Cleveland, Ohio; Clayton E., a civil engineer with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Com- pany; and Vinetta, Russell J. and Roland K., all living at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Newhouse are among the leading members of the Cumberland Presby- terian Church at Whisler, in which he is an elder and also a member of the board of trustees. He has always been interested in the work done by the Sunday-school and for a long period served as superintendent. In his political views, he is a Republican.

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 63

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