USA > Ohio > Preble County > History of Preble County Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions > Part 79
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To William and Hannah (Stubbs) Maddock were born nine children, Elija, Nathan, Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Amos, Louisa, Henry and Nancy, all of whom are deceased. Mrs. Maddock passed away after twenty-
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two years of married life, and Mr. Maddock later married Sarah Huffman. The second union was blessed by seven children, Nancy, the widow of Benja- min F. Gardner, living in Camden, Ohio; Susan (deceased), who was the wife of William L. Murphy, who died in California in 1914; Edward, the subject of this sketch; Allen (deceased) ; Elzina, who lives in Camden, Ohio; Wesley (deceased) and Riley (deceased).
William Maddock was brought up in the Quaker religion, but he after- ward joined the Baptist church. Later, when that branch of the Baptists be- came identified with the Campbellites, he affiliated with the Methodist church, in which faith he became a teacher of the class meetings and prayer meetings. He followed the occupation of farming until about 1876, when he retired and moved to Camden, Ohio. There Mrs. Maddock died March 1, 1878, and was buried in the Camden cemetery. She was born on October 9, 1809, and was brought up in the faith of the Baptist church, but later became a Meth- odist. After her death Mr. Maddock moved to Edgar county, Illinois, where he lived with a son until the time of his death, March 22, 1878. He was buried in the Wilson grave yard, near Marly Station, Edgar county, Illinois.
Edward Maddock was married on February 7, 1861, to Millicent Felton, a daughter of Edward and Tillitha (Wright) Felton. Mrs. Maddock's father was born in North Carolina and came to this county when he was a boy fourteen years of age. Her mother was born in Gasper township, this county, where she and Mr. Felton were married. To Mr. and Mrs. Felton were born fourteen children, William (deceased), Millicent, Susan, John, Sarah Ann (deceased), Leah, Lerton D., Samuel, Nancy, Rachel, Edward, Caroline, Alonzo, and Mary, the latter of whom died in infancy. Mr. Felton followed the calling of a farmer. Both Mr. Felton and his wife are deceased.
To Edward and Millicent ( Felton) Maddock were born six children, Emma, the wife of Oscar Brubaker, of Columbus, Ohio: Anna, the wife of James H. Reynolds, of this county; Charles, who died at the age of five months : John, who lives in Israel township, this county; Sarah, the wife of Elmer Morton, of Ayrshire, Iowa, and Oscar, who died at the age of seven years.
When Mr. Maddock started life independently his father gave him eighty acres of land, to which he has gradually added until his land holdings now amount to two hundred and forty-eight acres. situated in section 6 of Somers township, about four miles northwest of Camden. On the land he has erected a fine residence, and has made many improvements on the farm as a whole. He operates his place as a general farm, but makes a specialty of raising high-grade stock.
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Mr. Maddock always has been a hard worker and a good farmer and still takes active charge of the operation of his large farm. Mr. and Mrs. Maddock celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1911. In politics Mr. Maddock supports the Republican party, but has never taken any par- ticularly active part in the politics of his community.
Throughout his life Mr. Maddock has proved himself a most worthy representative of the family which was established by his hardy pioneer an- cestors. Few men can point to greater achievements in the face of difficul- ties than those accomplished by Mr. Maddock and his ancestors. Their suc- cess has been gained entirely through their own efforts and perseverance and without the intervention of any outside. assistance. The result, under such circumstances, could be no other than the elevation of the Maddock family to a high point in the regard of all residents of Preble county.
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JOHN E. BRUCE.
One of the best-known men in Preble county is the gentleman whose . name appears above, a grandson of William Bruce, who laid out the town of Eaton, this county. It is a distinction of no little consequence to be descended from such a worthy progenitor as William Bruce, whose name will live as long as Preble county and the city of Eaton endures, and in every respect the subject of this sketch merits the distinction conferred upon him by this worthy ancestor.
John E. Bruce was born in the house where he now lives on January 5, 1847, the son of Hardin and Susanna (Danford) Bruce, the former of whom was the son of William Bruce, the first settler in Eaton.
Reared on the farm where he now lives, just south of the corporation of Eaton, John E. Bruce received his education in the public schools of Eaton and took up farming early in life. On February 20, 1872, he married Ida M. Mitchell, the daughter of Theodore C. Mitchell, of Logansport, Indiana. Mrs. Bruce was born in Preble county, Ohio, but her family moved to Logansport when she was two years old, living there until 1870 when they returned to this county. She was educated in the public schools of Logans- port and the Western College for Women at Oxford, Ohio.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce located on the old Bruce homestead where Mrs. Bruce died on August 20, 1904. She was a kind and loving wife and a devoted companion to her family. Mrs. Bruce was the
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mother of five children, Robert H., who was educated in the public schools of Eaton, and is unmarried, living at Chicago, Illinois; Horace V., a gradu- ate of the Eaton high school and a student of Ohio State University, mar- ried Jeanette Hallanan and is now secretary of the Co-operative Market of New York City; William W., who married Mabel Cail, resides in Eaton; Ethel, who is a graduate of the Eaton high school, and Frances, both single and at home.
John E. Bruce owns eighty-eight acres of the old homestead of sixteen hundred acres entered by William Bruce. In October, 1890, he entered the dairy business and has been engaged in this business in connection with farming since that date. Almost all of his dairy cattle are thoroughbred and registered. Mr. Bruce finds a market for all of his products in the city of Eaton.
The Bruce family are all members of the Presbyterian church at Eaton. Mr. Bruce is a Republican, but has never taken an active part in the councils of any party. He is a man who is well and favorably known and is devoted to his personal and business interests and to the welfare of his family.
The history of the Bruce family, however, would be incomplete unless it contained the story of the life and career of William Bruce and his de- scendants. This story, taken from an old history of Preble county, is here- with appended: "A high type of pioneer life and character was exemplified in William Bruce, the founder of Eaton. He was of Scotch descent and in him were preserved many of the distinguished and admirable traits of the people to whom he belonged. His father and five brothers, Highlanders, came to America during the Scottish rebellion of 1746, and located upon the waters of the Potomac in Virginia. Here the subject of our sketch was born on September 20, 1762. When he was nine years old, his father removed to Redstore, Pennsylvania, near Fort Pitt, now Pittsburgh. Young William Bruce sought employment and was engaged while a mere boy as a packer of goods across the mountains. In this vigorous and perilous occu- pation, he developed that physical vigor and fearlessness, as well as sturdi- ness of character, which fitted him for the life he was to lead. When of age. Bruce abandoned the toilsome vocation at which he had served for several years and with a brother-in-law, immigrated to Kentucky where he settled in the famous Cane Ridge locality. included in the civil division of the terri- tory now known as Bourbon county. In Kentucky, William Bruce married, about 1791, Frances Lewis, born in 1771. They immigrated in 1793 to Warren county, Ohio, and for six years lived near Shakertown. They then moved into Butler county, Ohio, and from there to Montgomery county,
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from which locality they moved to Eaton, their permanent place of resi- dence, in 1806.
"Prior to this time, Mr. Bruce had prospected for lands along Seven Mile, and, doubtless, had then conceived the idea of founding a town, for he purchased three sections or nearly two thousand acres of land, including the site of Eaton, the 'Old Garrison' and all the ground between, being led to this measure very likely because of the general attractions of the lands and the particularly fine mill site which the falls of the creek afforded. Mr. Bruce built a cabin on the hill south of the site of Eaton, laid out the town and built a saw and grist mill, which proved of great convenience to the set- tlers in the surrounding country.
"The village fast gained population under the proprietor's generous scheme of management and, in a few years, almost entirely through his in- fluence, it excelled in good morals and in true prosperity many of its young rivals which had better natural advantages. Mr. Bruce made liberal dona- tions of public land for public buildings, churches and schools, and also gave lots to numbers of settlers, beside encouraging the worthy poor by various other methods. It is related of him that he seldom took 'toll' for grinding of the poor man's grist, quantities of flour, meal and other simple provisions which were in use among the pioneer settlers. He was a very humane man, kind-hearted and, if such a thing is possible, generous to a fault. His life was a long and constant exercise of a very unusual energy, and his labors were given as much to the good of the general public as to himself or immediate family. With all his earnestness of purpose, his un- swerving devotion to the right and scrupulous regard for morality, he was original in his ideas and refused to be governed by popular opinion, a trait of independence which gained for him in some quarters the reputation of being eccentric and in others created positive ill-will.
"He was once a member of the Christian or 'New Light' church, and a very constant one indeed, with the exception that he could not be persuaded from the idea that it was not wrong to grind corn on Sunday for the poor and, in some cases, absolutely destitute settlers. Being remonstrated with by some members of the church, he withdrew his fellowship. His creed was that the great practical good to be obtained was superior to the harm of nominally infringing a law of the church, and he continued to run his mill down by the Seven Mile on Sundays as well as week days, when there was a necessity for so doing and the water was high enough. This cir- cumstance served well as an illustration of the character of William Bruce. He was a plain matter-of-fact man, a utilitarian, very decided in his views, and direct in giving them expression. He wished to infringe upon the
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rights of no man and would allow no man to infringe upon his. He pre- ferred to do right in his own way and always unostentatiously. His dona- tions were usually accompanied by some provision enjoying the recipient to perform some work for himself though he secured to the community and individuals the fullest benefit, both directly and indirectly, of his benevo- lence.
"Mr. Bruce's sterling traits of character gained and maintained for him the universal and unqualified respect of the people, a fact that he evinced when he was made first treasurer of Preble county and in later years by the number of private trusts reposed on him. The subject of our sketch was a jovial man of high spirits, enjoyed life and was very fond of association with his fellowmen. He was good-humored, fond of conversa- tion and a man of far more than ordinary mind. His personal appearance was prepossessing, at once commanding and benign. Mr. Bruce died in 1830 and was buried in Mound cemetery, where an appropriate monument, formed in part of the grinding stones of the old mill, marks his resting place. Mrs. Bruce's death occurred prior to that of her husband, in 1827.
"This pair of pioneers were the parents of nine children, nearly all of whom grew to maturity and reared families, whose members have, as a precious legacy, the good name and fame of the patriarch, William Bruce. George, who for the past fifty-three years has lived in Indianapolis, Indiana; Washington, who married Sarah Redmond; and James, residents of Preble county; Hannah, the eldest of the family, married Jacob Spacht; Charles, the second child born January 15, 1796, married Eliza Lease; Hardin was born July 1, 1798, and married for his first wife Jane Cook and for his second wife Susannah Danforth (Swihart). Mary, familiarly called Polly, was first married to James Holliday and after his death to Levin T. McCabe. George, born July 27, 1802, married Dove Regan; John L., born in 1809; James and Alexander, twins, were born April 15, 1815. The latter died in infancy and the former is now living in Washington township."
Charles Bruce was the father of nine children, George, deceased, for- merly a physician in Winchester, Indiana; Mrs. Jerusha Morgan, of Eaton; William, deceased; William C., deceased; Mrs. Melvina Curry, deceased; Mrs. Mary Danford, deceased; Mrs. Josephine Williams, of Cardington, Ohio; Mrs. Julia Minor, of Eaton, and John H., of Cardington, Ohio.
Hardin Bruce had several children by his first wife, of whom Mrs. Margaret A. Redmond (deceased). of Cynthiana, Kentucky, is one. By his second wife there were John Ervin, Mrs. Mary Deem, Mrs. Frances Deem. deceased : Mrs. Catherine Brouse, deceased; Emma and Mrs. Laura Sayre.
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ASA R. MORROW.
. The oft-repeated statement that a man can make himself what he will has been exemplified many times in the history of Preble county, where many of the present citizens have descended from pioneers, or have struck out for themselves as early settlers of the county. Probably one of the best ex- amples of this type of solid citizens is Asa R. Morrow, of Somers township, this county, who started life with a capital of fifty dollars and through his own efforts gained and developed his present farm of one hundred and sev- enty-four acres, on which he has spent over eighteen hundred dollars in im- provements.
Asa R. Morrow was born in Preble county, Ohio, April 1, 1870, the son of Samuel and Mary Jane (Newton) Morrow, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in this county. Samuel Morrow was a farmer in Somers township, this county, and followed that calling until his death in 1886. His wife was twice married, her first husband having been Joseph Craig. By her first marriage she had three children, Charles, who lives in Camden, Ohio; Sarah, who is the wife of Robert L. Patterson of Somers township, this county, and Miranda, who is the wife of Wilson Pollett, of Richmond, Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Morrow were born five children, Isaac, who lives in Israel township, this. county ; Emma, who lives in Hamilton, Ohio; Asa R., the subject of this sketch; James F., who lives in Indiana, and Lucy, the wife of Clem McFall, of Hamilton, Ohio. Mrs. Morrow died about 1877.
Asa R. Morrow received a common-school education and, at the age of twenty-one, was employed by A. C. Prugh, for whom he worked by the month as a farmhand. After having been employed by Mr. Prugh for two years, Mr. Morrow, on July 24, 1892, married Georgiana Decker, the daughter of Joseph and Amanda (Riggs) Decker, to which union have been born six children, four of whom are living. Clayton, Clyde, Myrtle I. and Robert A. The two other children died at an early age.
After his marriage Mr. Morrow continued to work as a farmhand for two years, at the end of which time he rented a farm, which he operated for eleven years. In 1906 he bought the farm which he now owns. It is southwest of Camden, and contains one hundred and seventy-four acres. Mr. Morrow commenced immediately to develop his farm and to make it one of the best in his community. In that effort he has expended over eighteen hundred dollars since he first purchased the property, having, among other things, remodeled the house, making it a fine residence, built a large
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barn and a silo. He centralizes his farming business about the raising and breeding of full-blooded Jersey cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs.
Mr. Morrow is an ardent supporter of the Republican party and his support of the same has been recognized and rewarded by his election to several local offices, in all of which he has always given the greatest satis- faction to his party and his neighbors. He is now serving his fourth year as trustee of Somers township, and was- a member of the school board,. which latter office he also held for four years.
As a citizen and a neighbor Mr. Morrow enjoys the deepest respect and esteem of all the residents of his community. He is also accorded that regard which must always be the portion of the man who has, single-handed, except for the most able help of his wife and family, forced his way upward through all obstacles until he was ultimately successful in achieving his ambitions and gaining his well-deserved success.
DANIEL M. BROWER.
The people who constitute the bone and sinew of this country are not those who are unstable and unsettled, who fly from one occupation to an- other. who do not know how to vote until they are told, and who take no active or intelligent interest in the civic affairs of their communities. The backbone of this country is made up of the families who have established their homes, who are alive to the best interests of the community in which they live, who attend to their own business in preference to the affairs of others, and who work on steadily from day to day, taking the sunshine with the storm, and who rear a splendid family in habits of honest living. Such people are always welcome in any community. They are the wealth producers, and Preble county is fortunate in being blessed with many of them, among whom is Daniel M. Brower, a farmer living on Rural Route. No. 4, out of Eaton, and who is the proprietor of "East View Farm."
Daniel M. Brower was born in Gasper township, Preble county, Ohio, August 4, 1848, the son of John and Elizabeth (Sharkey) Brower, both of whom were born in Franklin county, Virginia, who came with their respec- tive parents to Preble county, where both grew to maturity, and where they were married. John Brower lived, until his death in 1901, on a farm ad- joining that which is now owned by Daniel M. Brower. His widow is still living on the old home farm. She was born in December, 1827.
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John Brower and wife were the parents of four children, all of whom are deceased with the exception of Daniel M. Delilah was the wife of John Bonner, and died in 1906. William H. married Brookie Harshman, and died in 1912. Marcus married Ollie May, and died in 1912.
Daniel M. Brower spent his early life in Gasper township, on the farm adjoining that on which he is now living. He was educated in the district schools of his home neighborhood, and remained at home until he was married, in June, 1884, to Dora Hildebolt, who died in 1892, leaving two children, Vera and Orva. Vera is the wife of Walter Shaw, and lives in Preble county. Orva is the wife of Glenn M. Spacht, and lives at Dayton, Ohio. In June, 1894, Mr. Brower married, secondly, Emma Clark, to which second union no children have been born.
Mr. Brower is a prosperous farmer and is the owner of ninety-five acres of splendid land, four and one-half miles southwest of Eaton. He is an adherent of the Democratic party and has been highly honored by the people of his township who, thirteen years ago, elected him to the office of township trustee, to which office he has been re-elected in each succeeding election, which fact alone attests to his wise administration of the duties of this office. He is also a school director of his township. Mr. Brower is, in every respect, an honorable citizen and highly esteemed in the community where he lives.
REV JOSEPH M. HYLAND.
One of the most popular men in Eaton, Preble county, Ohio, is the pastor of the Church of the Visitation, Rev. Joseph M. Hyland. Father Hyland has not been in Eaton a long time, but he has greatly endeared himself to the membership of the parish of which he is the pastor. Father Hyland is a devout, learned, genial and public spirited churchman and citizen.
Joseph M. Hyland was born in Ossining, New York, July 19, 1867, the son of James and Mary (Sullivan) Hyland, natives of Ireland, the former of County Limerick, and the latter of County Longford. James Hyland came to America at the age of seventeen, locating in Ossining. At the out- break of the Civil War he enlisted for service in a New York regiment and served throughout the war, taking part in many of the important battles of that great struggle. After the close of the war he returned to Ossining, married and engaged in the livery business. He is still a resident of that
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city, although retired from active life. His wife died in 1906 at the age of fifty-eight. Both were devout members of the Catholic church.
The paternal grandparents of Father Hyland were Martin and Ellen Hyland, both natives of Ireland, who came to America and settled in Ossin- ing, New York, where both died, he at the age of forty, and she at the advanced age of seventy. They were the parents of four children, James, Patrick, John and Catherine. The maternal grandparents of Father Hy- land never left their native land of Ireland, dying there many years ago. They had two children, Mary and Margaret.
Rev. Joseph M. Hyland was reared in Ossining, New York, and at- tended the public schools in that place. At the age of seventeen he entered Notre Dame University, at South Bend, Indiana, where he took the full classical course. He then went to Mount St. Mary's Seminary, at Cincin- nati, Ohio, and there took the philosophical and theological courses, and was ordained to the priesthood in June, 1894.
After his ordination, Father Hyland was appointed assistant priest at the cathedral in Cincinnati, in July, 1894, and remained there until Septem- ber, 1895, when he was appointed pastor of St. Martin's church in Brown county, Ohio, remaining with that church until January, 1898, at which time he was appointed pastor of the church at South Charleston, Ohio. His next charge was the parish of St. Mary's, at Hamilton, Ohio, and in Febru- ary, 1911, he was transferred to Eaton as pastor of the Church of the Visi- tation, and is still serving in that pastorate. He also has charge of St. John's church at New Paris. The Eaton church has a membership of eighty-one families, while the church at New Paris has a membership of twenty-two families.
The original church at Eaton was a frame residence occupied by the priest during the time of the Civil War. The first resident priest was Father William Daly. The present brick church building was erected and dedicated in 1878.
Father Hyland, since coming to Eaton, has taken a worthy interest in all public enterprises and is popular among all classes of people without regard to politics or creed. He is devoted to the common good and even in circles outside his parish the influence of his ardent Christian spirit and engaging personality are felt, his service as pastor in the community to which he is attached having proved helpful to many who are not members of his flock, in consequence of which he enjoys the highest esteem and the most respectful consideration of the entire community.
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WILLIAM O. MORRIS.
William O. Morris is one of that earnest band of agriculturists who give Preble county a distinguished position agriculturally among the other counties of Ohio, and is doing well his share, by the use of intelligence and per- spicacity, to elevate the standard of farm work and to add dignity to the councils of the civic body.
Born in Union county, Indiana, on May 13, 1867, Mr. Morris is the son of Mahlon and 'Charlotte ( Freeland) Morris, and one of a family of six children, namely : Cora, deceased; Fannie, who lives in Madison county, Indiana; Emma, the wife of W. H. Wilkins, also lives in Madison county ; Nora, deceased; Gilbert A., who lives in Marion, Indiana, and William O., the subject of this sketch.
The paternal grandfather of William O. Morris was Mahlon Morris, who married Nancy Closser. They were both natives of Pennsylvania, and, coming to Ohio, located near Dayton, and later went to Union county, Indi- ana, where they spent the rest of their lives. They were the parents of ten children. After the death of Mahlon Morris, his widow remarried and be- came the mother of six other children. One of her sixteen children, James K. P. Morris, is still living and resides in Elk City, Kansas.
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