USA > Ohio > Delaware County > Memorial record of the counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow, Ohio > Part 30
USA > Ohio > Morrow County > Memorial record of the counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow, Ohio > Part 30
USA > Ohio > Union County > Memorial record of the counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow, Ohio > Part 30
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Henry, the second son, was the father of our subject, and he was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1789, coming with his parents to the Buckeye State at the age of eleven years, and growing to maturity on the farm, with whose manifold duties he became early familiar. After he had commenced opera- tions on his own responsibility he erected a sawmill, and later on a gristmill, -two es- tablishments which proved of inestimable benefit to the community in which he lived, inasmuch as development was slow and im- provements made very conservatively. His brothers had taken up their residence in Union county in 1817, but he did not come until three years subsequent to that date. He conducted his farm and his flour- ing mill consecutively until the time of his death, his sons proving most efficient coad- jutors in both lines of enterprise. In his political adherency he was an old-line Whig, and was tenacious of his beliefs, being a man of distinct individuality and strong character. His death occurred in 1864. Henry Amrin married Mary Powers, who was born in Pennsylvania, and who died in this county in 1851, at the age of sixty-five years. They reared a family of nine chil- dren, of whom we offer the following record:
RESIDENCE OF HENRY AMRIN. .
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John was engaged in gardening at Piqua, this State, where he died; Betsy married Elijah Woolford, of this county, and is now deceased; Josiah, deceased, was a farmer in this county; Susan, deceased, was the wife of Samuel Reed, of this county; Abraham was engaged in farming in this county and is now deceased; Mercy married Henry Bell, and died in Logan county, this State; Henry is the immediate subject of this review; Smith M. was a fariner in this county, where he died; Andrew is engaged in farming in this county.
Henry Amrin, to whom this sketch is mainly devoted, is a native of the county in which he still retains his residence as a prosperous and honored pioneer, the date of his birth having been November 21, 1821. His boyhood days were passed amid the sturdy discipline and plain fare of the paren- tal homestead, and he early became familiar with the arduous duties incidental to clear- ing and cultivating a farm. His educational advantages were confined to those afforded by the subscription schools of the period, but as maturity approached he found him- self ably fortified for fighting the battle of life, and making for himself a place in the world, -honesty, integrity and industry coming to him as a legitimate heritage.
April 26, 1842, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Martha Irven, daughter of William and Amelia (Evans) Irven. She was born near London, Madison county, Ohio, April 14, 1820. After their marriage our subject and his wife settled on a tract of 100 acres, which had been given to them by the former's father, the tract being timber land, upon which practically no improvements had been made. Upon this primitive farmstead in Paris township they erected a modest domicile of hewed logs and began to
encroach upon the domain of the forest, whose monarchs fell before the sturdy axe of our subject. The devoted wife contributed of her strength, both physical and mental, toward aiding her husband in his efforts; like his did also her hand become roughened with toil, but mutually sustained and com- forted they struggled along with a deter- mination to succeed, and finally success grate- fully took up its abode with them. As the years passed by the evidence of their labors became more palpable, for they found them- selves the possessors of 700 acres of land, prosperity withheld not its hand and the bountiful harvest, for whose securing they had labored so long and patiently, was not denied them in its due season. They con- tinued to reside on their home farm from 1842 until 1888, their little cottage having been replaced after some twenty years by a substantial and commodious dwelling in keeping with their position and their pros- perity. In the latter building they made their home until 1888, when they removed to their present attractive home, one mile and a quarter west of the county seat, Marysville.
Mr. Amrin is over all and above all a self made man and his success comes as the legitimate recompense of his efforts. He has been a close observer, a keen, shrewd business man, but has never abated by one jot or tittle his sturdy rectitude of character nor swerved from the straight path which justice defines. His life has been devoted to the noble art of husbandry, which he has honored as it has also honored and enriched him. He was for many years extensively engaged in stock-raising and his operations in this line were ably directed as to return him good profits.
In the fall of 1887 marked that event in
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his life which showed most clearly the char- acter of the man and his gratitude for the good gifts that had come to his portion. A spirit of genuine philanthropy was that which must have animated him when he determin- ed to award a princely benefaction to the noble work of education, for he arranged his affairs and gave the sum of $25,000 to the Ohio Wesleyan University, which is located at Delaware, the donation being held by the institution as endowment fund.
Mr. Amrin has been strongly arrayed in the support of the Republican party and its principles from his early manhood, has taken an active interest in local affairs of public nature and has held certain of the township offices. He and his wife have always been prominent workers in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and that to advance its cause they have done much, none can doubt, for, in addition to his gift to the church institution noted, Mr. Amrin has al- ways contributed liberally to the support of the church, giving "not grudgingly or of necessity," but with that cheerfulness which is acceptable to the One in whose hands rest the destinies of men.
Our subject still retains upward of 470 acres of land in the county, and is still ac- tively concerned in supervising its cultiva- tion. Mr. and Mrs. Amrin are the parents of two children: Alfred and Mary A. The former, who resides on the paternal farm, was born February 7, 1843, and grew to manhood at home. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted for service in the late war as a member of Company F, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the ranks until the close of the conflict. Within the final year of the war he was taken pris- oner and was held in captivity at Anderson- ville for seven and one-half months, his re-
lease coming only when victory had crowned the efforts of the Union forces. He married Miss Lucy Edsam and they have two chil- dren, Curtis and Nellie.
Mary A., daughter of our subject, is the wife of Hilas Whelpley, a resident of Wash- ington Court House, Fayette county, this State, where he is in the employ of the Pan Handle Railroad Company. They have . two children, Edward and James H.
PILLIAM MILLIGAN, general merchant, Raymond's, Union county, Ohio, forms the subject of this article.
Mr. Milligan is a son of William Milli- gan, deceased, one of the early settlers of Ohio. The senior William Milligan was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and remained there until 1826, when he came to Ohio. Upon his arrival here he located in Allen township, Union county, where he purchased 200 acres of timber land and where he made his home for four or five years. During his residence at this place he was elected the second Justice of the Peace in the township. About 1833 he moved to Lewisburg, Ohio, and started a tannery. He had learned the trade of tan- ner before coming to Ohio and had worked at that business for some years in Pennsyl- vania, and he continued to run his tannery at Lewisburg up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1849, at the age of fifty- eight years. Politically he was a Whig, and, religiously a member of the Christian Church. Of his wife and family we make record as follows: Mrs. Milligan was before her marriage Miss Eliza Palack. She was born in what is now West Virginia, in 1807, and died in Taylorsville, Illinois, at the home
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of her son William, November 6, 1870. They had seven children, namely: Samuel, who died in Christian county, Illinois; Wil- liam, whose name heads this sketch; James R., a lumber dealer of Mississippi; Jesse, deceased; Rachael, wife of Charles Powell, resides in Tennessee; Morgan B., a resident of Taylorsville, Illinois; Amos, deceased.
William was born in Allen township, Union county, Ohio, January 10, 1833. Un- til he was fifteen he spent most of his time assisting his father in the tannery, his school advantages being meagre. Then he served an apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter, under Samuel V. Caston, in whose employ he remained two years, after which he worked at the trade in different places for some years. In 1866 he moved to Taylors- ville, Illinois, where he was for some time engaged in the grocery business. He pur- chased, in 1876, 200 acres of land in Lib- erty township, this county, to which place he removed and where he resided two years. . Then he sold out and engaged in the mer- cantile business at Raymond's, where he has since remained, with the exception of four years he spent at East Liberty, Ohio, in the same business. He carries a full stock of all kinds of general merchandise and has a large trade that extends for miles into the surrounding country.
Mr. Milligan has been twice married. In 1854 he wedded Miss Hope Ann Inskip, daughter of Rev. William Inskip, a Method- ist minister. She died about a year after their marriage, and in 1859 Mr. Milligan married Sarah Ann Hemminger, daughter of George Hemminger, of Liberty township, this county. Their family is composed of the following members: Ida Belle, wife of Jacob Orahood, Logan county, Ohio; Frank- lin E., a merchant and miller of East Lib-
erty, Ohio; and Fannie, Kittie, Sadie, Jes- sie and Samuel, at home.
Mr. Milligan is a stanch Republican. He has held the office of Township Trustee for several years and is its present incumbent. He has also served as a member of the School Board. Socially he is identified with the K. of P. and the F. & A. M., hav- ing been a Mason for forty years. He and his family are members of the Disciple Church.
D. MITCHELL, one of the promi- nent men of Union township, Union county, Ohio, was born in Milford Centre, this county, October 15, 1834, son of John Mitchell, one of the well- known early settlers of the township.
John Mitchell was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 18, 1800. His father, also named John, died when the younger John was a small boy. The Mitch- ells are of Irish descent. Our subject's father spent the first eighteen years of his life on a farm in his native county. . Then he came to Highland county, Ohio, where he was subsequently married to Susanna Kingery, a native of Virginia and a descend- ant of German ancestors. Some time after their marriage, they came to Union county and located at Milford Centre. Later they removed to a farm near the one now owned and occupied by G. D. Mitchell, where they resided until 1882, when they sold out and removed to Marysville, Ohio. There they spent the residue of their lives and died, Mr. Mitchell being eighty-two at the time of death and Mrs. Mitchell eighty-five. By trade he was a hatter, which he followed in early life, but later gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. Religiously they were
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Presbyterians; politically he was a Democrat. Of their eight children record is made as follows: Ross, an ex-Postmaster and farmer in Illinois; John, of Anderson county, Kan- sas; William B., a member of the Thirty- second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was killed at Peach Orchard; Mary Ellen King, of Marysville, Ohio; James, of Marysville; G. D., whose name heads this article; Isabelle, of Marysville, and Susan Ivy Goff, also of Marysville. All had good educational ad- vantages, and two of the sons-Ross and John-were teachers.
G. D. Mitchell was reared on his father's farm, and, with the exception of six months, has spent the whole of his life in Union township. He owns a good farm of 124 acres, well improved with good buildings, and everything kept up in first-class order.
Mr. Mitchell was married October 28, 1857, at Unionville Centre, this county, to Sarah C. Converse, who was born near Plain City, Madison county, Ohio, and who, pre- vious to her marriage, was a popular and successful teacher. Her father, Caleb H. Converse, a native of Vermont, was for many years engaged in teaching in this county, where he is well known and highly respected. He is now a resident of Union- ville and is eighty-four years of age. His wife, neé Levisa Ketch, was born in Madi- son county, Ohio, and died at the age of seventy years. They had eleven children, eight of whom reached maturity, namely: Lewis, who died at the age of twenty-three years; Nathan, of Delaware county, Ohio; Obel, of Allen township, this county; Sarah C .; Orson P., an attorney of London, Ohio; J. Q., of Plain City, Ohio; B. W., of Union- ville, Ohio, and Jennie Smith, of Marysville, Ohio. Those who died in childhood were: Martha, Emma and Walter.
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have five children: Elsie J., wife of Simon Boyd, of Marysville, Ohio; James W., married Ella Predmore and now resides at Broadway, Ohio; Will- iam B., married Ollie Blake, and is now an artist at La Rue, Ohio; George R., married Etta McCliment and settled on the home place, and Guy D., at home.
Mr. Mitchell affiliates with the Deino- cratic party, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
J EROME RITCHIE, who resides on a farm near Marysville, in Leesburg township, Union county, Ohio, is ranked with the representative men of the county.
Mr. Ritchie was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, February 23, 1839, son of Joseph and Susan Ann (Stoolfire) Ritchie, the father of Scotch descent and both natives of Washington county, Penn- sylvania. They resided in the Keystone State until 1843, when they came to Ohio and settled in Licking county, near Column- bia Center, where they still reside, both having passed their three-score years and ten. They have had a family of eight chil- dren, namely: Jerome, Louisa White, Wil- liam B., Lucius, Mary Lee (a music and school teacher), Nathan B., Charles and Joseph, Jr. Lucius died while in the service of his country. Two of the sons, Nathan B. and Charles, are teachers. The father learned the blacksmith's trade and worked at it in early life, but later turned his attention to farming. Politically he is a Republican; religiously a member of the United Brethren Church. Both he and his
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wife are active in church work. For many years he has been a class-leader.
Jerome Ritchie was four years old at the time he came with his parents to Licking county, and on the farm he spent his boy- hood days, receiving his education in the common schools. A year after his marriage, which event occurred when he was twenty- three, he removed to Union county. Since 1870 he has resided on his present farm, 126 acres of fine land, well improved with modern two-story residence, nice barn and other substantial farm buildings, and all arranged with regard to taste and conven- ience. In short, everything about the prem- ises points to the fact that the owner is a man of enterprise and good management, and that he is making a success in life.
Mr. Ritchie was married January 15, 1863, at Reynoldsburg, Franklin county, Ohio, to Sarah Jane Gardener, who has proved herself a worthy helpmate in the truest sense of the word. She was born in Licking county, September 18, 1841, daugh- ter of William and Grace (Aris) Gardener, natives of Virginia, the father of Scotch- Irish extraction; both are now deceased, their death occurring in Union county, the mother at the age of seventy-one years, and the father at seventy-eight. He was a member of the Christian Church, and in politics was a Democrat. They had twelve children, viz: William, Barbara, Mary Jane, Phillip, James E., Asbury, Sarah Jane, Martha, Willson, Mary Rinehart, Al- bert and Caroline. Four of the sons, Wil- liam, Phillip, Willson and Asbury, were in the late war. Willson was afterward killed in a railroad accident. Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie have four children, as follows: Etta May, wife of Cassius McAlister, has two children, Ivy May and Anna Jane; Herbert Sheridan
married Retta Scott and has one child, Jerome B .; Joseph W. has just attained his majority, and is still at home; and Nannie Blanche, also at home. She is not yet thirteen years old, and has been organist in the church over two years.
In his political views Mr. Ritchie is in harmony with the Republican party. He has served the public as a member of the School Board. Both he and his wife are identified with the Christian Church, and are among its most active workers. He has served as Treasurer, Clerk and Deacon, and also as Sabbath-school Superintendent. At this writing Mrs. Ritchie is Superintendent of the Sabbath-school. They are among the leading and influential people of the com- munity and are as highly respected as they are well known.
IRAM DE WITT follows farming in Delaware county, where he owns and operates a valuable tract of land, which has been his home for the long period of forty consecutive years. He was born in Morrow county, Ohio, on the 22d of April, 1827, and is a son of Amos and Rachel (Harris) De Witt, both of whom were natives of Virginia. When a lad of fourteen years, the father caine to the Buck- eye State and a few years later began farm- ing, which he followed throughout his life. He was called to the home beyond in June, 1876, and his wife, who survived him about ten years, passed away in 1886. In their family were nine children, seven sons and two daughters, namely: Simon; Hiram; Martha; Jane, wife of George Deets; John U., who resides in Knox county, Ohio; Abram, deceased; Mason, who is living in
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Nebraska; Maria, wife of William Huston; and Charles, who also makes his home in Nebraska.
Hiram De Witt received but limited school privileges. The building in which he conned his studies was a rude structure with clapboard roof, and the training therein ac- corded with the exterior. At farm labor, however, he had ample drill, for as soon as old enough to handle the plow, he began work in the fields, and from an early age he earned his own livelihood by working as a farm hand for the agriculturists of the neighborhood. For his labors he received the munificent sum of $10 per month, and out of this he saved the capital with which he made his first purchase of land, -an eighty-acre tract in Michigan. He bought, in 1854, his present farm, then a tract of wild land covered with timber. This he at once began to clear away, and in course of time the once raw tract was converted into rich and fertile fields. The farm comprises seventy-three and a fourth acres, and yields to the owner a golden tribute in return for the care and cultivation which he bestows upon it.
On the 5th of February, 1852, Mr. De Witt was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary J. Huston, daughter of William and Sarah (Kelly) Huston, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Virginia. Seven children have been born to our subject and his wife, who in order of birth are as follows: Eva, wife of Irvin Davy; Maria Caroline, now de- ceased; Charles M., who is engaged in busi- ness in Columbus, Ohio; John W., who also resides in that city; Fletcher A., who is now serving as Recorder of Morrow county, Ohio; Hettie A., wife of Warren W. Field, a resi- dent of Summit county; and Josephine, who is still at home with her parents.
Both Mr. and Mrs. De Witt are members of the Methodist Church. Their home is noted for its hospitality, and the worthy couple have a large circle of friends and ac- quaintances in this community, where they have so long resided. In his political views Mr. De Witt is a Republican, but has never been an office seeker, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his business in- terests. He has led a busy and useful life, and his career has also been one of straight- forward and honorable dealing.
L. MATHER, M. D., a practicing physician of Byhalia, was born in Union county, December 1, 1868, and is a son of J. D. and Ruth (Tallman) Mather, who are residents of York township. The father carries on agri- cultural pursuits, and upon the home farin the Doctor spent the days of his childhood. The family lived for a time in Jackson township and then removed to York town- ship. He early became familiar with all the duties of farm life, for as soon as old enough to handle the plow he began work in the fields. His primary education was obtained in the common schools, and at the age of sixteen he began teaching, which profession he followed for five years alto- gether. In this way he secured the funds to further pursue his studies, and entered the Ohio Normal, at Ada, Ohio, where he took a thorough course. His education was completed in the Ohio Wesleyan University, of Delaware, Ohio, and soon after he began fitting himself for the medical profession.
Our subject was a young man of eight- een years when he entered the office of Dr. George Miller, of Marysville, Ohio. Later he attended the Starling Medical College, of
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Columbus, Ohio, and was graduated there- from in the class of 1892. He immediately entered upon the work of his chosen profes- sion, locating in Byhalia, where he has since made hishome. His talents and abili- ty soon won recognition and he is now re- ceiving à liberal and constantly increasing patronage, of which he is well deserving, for he is a close student and careful prac- titioner whose duties are never neglected.
On the 18th of August, 1892, Dr. Mather was united in, marriage with Miss Luella Lingrel, an accomplished young lady of Byhalia and a daughter of Henry and Cynthia Ann (Thornston) Lingrel. Their home is made bright and happy by the presence of a little daughter, Ethylene. Both the Doctor and Mrs. Mather are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is now serving as Class Leader, and in the work of the society they take a deep and commendable interest. In social cir- cles they rank high, and the Mather house- hold is noted for its hospitality. The Doc- tor is a warm friend of the cause of educa- tion and is now president of the School Board in Washington township. His entire life has been passed in Union county and those who have known him from boyhood are numbered among his stanchest friends, a fact which speaks well for him.
EORGE H. RUHLMAN, one of the representative business men and honored citizens of the thriv- ing village of Cardington, Mor- row county, is a native son of said county, having been born in Troy township, July 20, 1857.
His father, William Ruhlman, was a native of the old Keystone State, but came
with his parents from Pennsylvania to Ma- honing county, Ohio, when but a child. His father was Lewis Ruhlman, who was born in Pennsylvania and there reared and educated, being of German extraction.
The maiden name of our subject's mother was Elizabeth Koch, and she was a native of Richland county, Ohio, where she grew to maturity, her parents having been natives of Germany.
The marriage of William Ruhlman and Elizabeth Koch was celebrated in Richland (now Morrow) county, and soon after they took up their abode on a farm in Troy town- ship, where they remained for many years. They now reside on a farm in Claridon township, Marion county. They became the parents of four sons, all of whom are living at the present time, namely: George H., subject of this review; Lewis O., a mechanic, of Marion, Ohio; Eli E., a resi- dent of the same city; and Charles E., a farmer in Claridon township, Marion county.
Our subject was reared on the paternal homestead in Troy township, this county, until he had attained the age of ten years, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Marion county. He had at- tended the district schools of Troy town- ship, and after the removal to Marion county, he continued his educational disci- pline, completing his education in the grad- ed schools of Claridon township.
His first business venture was in the saw-milling enterprise, and for four years he· was concerned in this line, in Marion coun- ty, owning one-fourth interest in a mill. He then sold out and, coming to Carding- ton, engaged as a clerk in the hardware establishment of T. H. Ensign. Out of a very diminutive salary he saved $3 per month for six months, and at the end of
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three years he had accumulated quite a suni by his industry and economical habits, and was enabled to purchase a half interest in the hardware business liere conducted by J. W. Shaw, the firm name of Shaw & Ruhl- man being retained for three years, after which Mr. Shaw disposed of his interests in the enterprise, his successor being F. C. Stanley, and the business was conducted under the title of Ruhlman & Stanley for a period of three years. Mr. Stanley was then succeeded by G. C. Miller and this as- sociation has remained intact since that time, the firm name being Ruhlman & Miller. They have commodious and conveni- ent salesrooms, with all essential equip- ments, and carry a large stock, the estab- lishment being one of the finest in the line that the county can boast.
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