USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > Zanesville > Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio > Part 113
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Mr. Lee was an honest man in every sense of the word. A strict disciplinarian, he was never cruel, unjust nor hasty. A tireless worker him- self, he always attended to the wants of his men before his own and he never ate when a large number of men were engaged until they had been provided for. Duty and fidelity to the company were the only credentials needed to secure his support and men were retained in the service for
whom he had personal dislikes because they were faithful. Personal courage was a prominent trait in his character and he never asked a man to do a thing he would not do himself or share the risk with others. Conscience was his guide in all things and it was never lulled by specious argu- ment nor by years of inattention to its dictates ; it was ever active, sensitive and just, and these lines are written by one who was associated with him for a quarter of a century in the closest busi- ness and social relations and knows how upright the man was.
Mr. Lee was independent in politics and was interested and active in affairs for the general progress and welfare of Zanesville. Associated with General Daniel W. Caldwell, he was chiefly instrumental in the annexation of West Zanesville to the city and in connection with S. Moore, through the entertainments which were given for the purpose of securing a fund, he built what is now known as the Moore schoolhouse. He affiliated with the Legion of Honor, the Improved Order of Red Men and both branches of Odd Fellowship ; the Royal Arcanum ; and the lodge, chapter and commandery in Free Masonry, and his obsequies were conducted by the Masonic lodge in Woodlawn cemetery late in the after- noon, his honored remains being placed in their last resting place as the sun sank from sight in the west, as his form had passed from his fellows.
David Lee married Jane E. Hart, a native of New Jersey and a daughter of James Hart, who removed to Perry county, Ohio, in her early girlhood and there followed the occupation of farming. Mrs. Lee was a devoted and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and died October 20, 1903, at the age of sixty-eight years. In their family were six children : Thomas W., who is general passenger agent for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad with headquarters in New York city ; David S., a retired manufacturer of Peoria, Illinois ; George F., who is general baggage agent at Chicago for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company ; Mary, the deceased wife of Stacey B. Hart, who is a manufacturer of Peoria, Illinois ; James H., who is represented on another page of this volume; and Carrie Grace, who is the wife of Professor Charles S. Hoskinson, principal of the Zanesville high school.
THE MUSKINGUM VALLEY WOOLEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
The Muskingum Valley Woolen Manufactur- ing Company, one of the leading productive in- dustries of Dresden, owes its origin to J. S. Prettyman and W. H. Bush, who, forming a
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partnership established the Caldwell Woolen Mill in March, 1889. In the spring of 1892 a stock company was formed by J. S. Prettyman, W. H. Bush, B. F. Penn, Isaac Hatcher, Henry Large and P. C. McGovern. The mill is located on North Chestnut street and is two hundred and fifty by seventy feet in one department and one hundred and fifty by two hundred feet in an- other. The structure is two stories in height and the entire building is occupied by the company in the conduct of woolen manufacturing enter- prise. J. S. Prettyman has served as president and secretary since 1892 and for four years George W. Hirst has been superintendent of the mills. About eighty people are employed in the mill, which is thoroughly equipped with the latest improved machinery utilized in the manu- facture of dress goods and cashmeres. On the lower flour are the dyeing, filling and wool-wash- ing rooms and the annex is devoted to what is known as the "piker house." The latter is fire- proof. The machinery is operated by two boilers, eighty-horse-power each and one eighty-horse- power and one thirty-five-horse-power engine. There is an electric plant with a six-hundred light dynamo, three steam pumps and engine room and a steam elevator. There are twenty sets of looms each with an operator and these looms are one hundred and eight inches wide. On the second floor are two sets of sixty-inch wool cards. A glance into this establishment from any one well acquainted with woolen manufacturing would serve to indicate that this is a splendidly equipped factory, its business being conducted along mod- ern lines and the product of the factory is of very marketable quality.
GEORGE W. HIRST.
George W. Hirst, the superintendent of the mill, was born in Oxford, Maine, April 20, 1865, and is a son of William and Elizabeth ( Hartley) Hirst, both of whom were natives of England, whence they came to the United States, locating first in Maine and afterward in Kentucky. The father was also engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods.
When eight years of age George W. Hirst did his first work in a woolen mill and was there employed until sixteen years of age, when he attended school for six months. He afterward worked until twenty-one years of age and at that time he entered upon a three-years' course of study in the Textile College of Philadelphia. On the expiration of that period he resumed his for- mer employment with renewed capability and capacity. He served as overseer and superintend- ent of the mill before he had attained his ma- jority. He has been employed in woolen mills all over the United States and has been super-
intendent of the Dresden mill since 1901. His long experience well qualifies him for the posi- tion, for he is an expert, thoroughly understand- ing every branch of the business. His services have given entire satisfaction to the company which he represents and he enjoys their entire confidence as well as the respect and trust of the men who serve under him. Mr. Hirst was united in marriage to Miss Etta Sippy, who was born in Tennessee, and they have two children, George and Ray.
CLARENCE E. DRAKE, M. D.
Dr. Clarence E. Drake, one of the younger members of the medical fraternity of Zanesville. whose years, however, should not bar his capa- bility to his success in practice, was born in Ma- rietta, this state, in 1872. His father, John C. Drake, is a native of Zanesville and a son of Thomas Drake, who came from England, set- tling in this city at an early day. He secured land and engaged in farming in Falls township, but was closely identified with agricultural interests here during the pioneer epoch of the history of Muskingum county. His son, John C., who was reared under the paternal roof and removed to Washington county, Ohio, where he engaged in farming for about twenty-one years and his well- tilled fields returned him golden harvests as a re- ward for his labors and his crops found a ready sale on the market, so that he became well-to-do. After more than two decades had passed he re- turned to Zanesville and here embarked in the lumber business, becoming one of its representa- tive citizens. He is still in the prime of life, being now fifty-six years of age, and in all matters re- lating to the public welfare he displays the same progressive spirit and undaunted energy that has characterized his business career. He is a re- publican in politics and belongs to the Congrega- tional church at Zanesville, which was the first church organized in the Northwest Territory. He married Lucy Stowe, who was born in Wash- ington county, Ohio, a daughter of James Stowe, a large landowner, living near Lowell, this state. She, too, is a member of the Congregational church. Mr. and Mrs. Drake became the parents of two sons, the other being Fred, chief engineer with the Mark Manufacturing Company.
Dr. Drake, the elder son, began his education in the country schools and later enjoyed the ad- vantages of a course in Marietta College, from which institution he was graduated in the class of 1802. He read medicine with Dr. E. C. Brush and attended lectures at Starling Medical Col- lege, being graduated therefrom with the class of 1808. In 1897. however, he had enlisted as
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a private in the First Light Artillery of the Ohio National Guard, of which he was made corporal. On the 16th of April, 1898, he was chosen captain and on the 10th of May of the same year was made assistant surgeon of his regiment. The day following he became sergeant-major of the Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery by appointment and went to Camp Bushnell with the volunteers of the Spanish-American war. The regiment was then sent to Chickamauga, where he remained in camp until it was seen that the troops would not be needed. He was commissioned major- sergeant of his regiment August 19, 1903, and is thus connected at the present time with the National Guard of Ohio.
Following his return from Chickamauga, Dr. Drake began the practice of his profession in Zanesville and now has a large patronage in Putnam. He is examining surgeon for the re- cruiting service at Zanesville for the regular army, is a member of the County and State Medi- cal Associations and a member of the Association of United States Military Surgeons.
On the 24th of October, 1901, Dr. Drake was married to Miss Garnett L. Dunn, who was born in Zanesville in 1871 and is a daughter of B. F. Dunn, a tobacco dealer. Mrs. Drake belongs to the First Presbyterian church. Dr. Drake is a republican and he and his wife are well known socially in Zanesville, where they have a large circle of warm friends.
JONATHAN A. COHAGAN.
The name Cohagan has long been connected with the history of Muskingum county and the subject of this review is therefore a rep- resentative of a pioneer ancestry. He was born in Brush Creek township in 1850. His father, Aquilla Cohagan, was a native of Virginia, born in 1825, and came to Ohio when twelve years of age with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Co- hagan, who were also natives of Virginia. He was reared upon the home farm in this state and after arriving at years of maturity married Per- milla Waxler, who was born in Salt Creek town- ship, Muskingum county, a daughter of Michael Waxler, one of the early settlers of this state, who arrived here when the Indians were more numerous than the white settlers and when cen- tral Ohio was almost an unbroken wilderness. He cast in his lot with the early settlers here, establishing a home in Salt Creek township, where he experienced all the hardships and trials incident to pioneer life.
Aquilla Cohagan is now numbered among the early settlers of the county, where he has followed farming throughout his entire life,
being a well known and respected agriculturalist of Brush Creek township. His wife died several years ago. In their family were five sons and four daughters, of whom seven survive, namely : Jonathan A .; Lloyd, who is employed by his elder brother in Zanesville; G. W., who is living in Guthrie, Oklahoma; Calvin, who cccupies and operates the old homestead farm in Brush Creek township; Uriah, of Zanesville; Mrs. Matilda Elson, of Harrison township; and Hattie, who is living with her father on the home farm.
Jonathan A. Cohagan spent the days of his boyhood and youth under the parental roof and carly became familiar with the work of the farm, continuing to assist in the cultivation of the fields, until, believing that he would find other labor more congenial, he came to Zanesville and began working at the lumber business for J. Smith, Son & Company. He was with that firm for more than thirty years and later engaged in the hard-wood lumber business for himself in the seventh ward. About four years ago he bought the land where he now conducts a saw- mill and is also engaged in the lumber business. As a manufacturer of and dealer in lumber he has made a success and few men are better judges of the quality of lumber than he for throughout his entire business career he has been connected with this line of trade. He has merit- ed a liberal patronage and certainly deserves the success which has come to him.
In 1871 Mr. Cohagan was married to Miss Rachel Mathews, a native of Muskingum county and a daughter of Hiram and Rachel (Bell) Mathews. In politics he is a republican but has never sought or desired office. Though no land is richer in opportunities or offers greater ad- vantages to its citizens than America, success is not to be obtained through desire but must be persistently sought. In America "labor is king" and a man who resolutely sets out to accomplish a purpose is certain of success if he has the qualities of perseverance, untiring energy and practical common sense. It has been along such lines that Mr. Cohagan has won his advance- ment, his diligence and persistent effort gaining him leadership in industrial and commercial cir- cles in Zanesville.
FRED PEMBERTON.
Fred Pemberton is well known as proprietor of a meat market at Roseville. His ancestry for generations has been distinctly American and can be traced back to colonial days when Wil- liam Pemberton, a native of England, came to the new world, locating at Baltimore, Maryland, about 1750. He was a civil engineer and at the time
J. A. COHAGAN.
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of the Revolutionary war espoused the cause of the colonists and fought for the independence of the nation. His son, who also bore the name of William Pemberton, was born in Maryland and becoming a civil engineer contracted to plat Indiana into townships. He started westward for this purpose, becoming a passenger on board a flatboat at Pittsburg, and continued down the river as far as Marietta, Ohio, but there his death occurred. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Odell and was a native of Baltimore, Maryland, came on to Zanesville, Ohio, with her four children, Thomas, Rebecca, Sarah and William, in 1816. The following year she re- moved to Harrison township, Perry county, her home being about two hundred yards from the Muskingum county line, and there she purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land. Her hus- band had been a soldier of the war of 1812.
William Pemberton, grandfather of Fred Pemberton, was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and by his marriage had nine children, of whom six are now living, as follows: Levie, who mar- ried Washington Brown ; William ; Catherine, the wife of James Lewis; Elizabeth, the wife of Al- exander Guy ; Isaac, of Illinois ; and Thomas E., who was born December 19, 1839, in Harrison township, Perry county. He married Miss Motley, now deceased, and his children are Iva Pemberton, who is mayor of Roseville; Robert: Earl; Lenhart ; Philo; and Emma. The father of these children. Thomas E. Pemberton, has re- sided in Roseville since 1862 and was station agent and telegraph operator for the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley Railroad here for twenty years. He is now living a retired life. In poli- tics he is a republican and is serving as a mem- ber of the board of education. while socially he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
William Pemberton, father of Fred Pemberton. was born in Harrison township, Perry county. Ohio, in 1826, and is still living. He learned the carpenter's trade in early life and for a number of years was engaged in building operations. He also followed agricultural pursuits, but is now living a retired life. He wedded Miss Mary Brown, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio. and is a daughter of Benjamin Brown. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pemberton were born five children : Amanda, Fred, Charles, Frank and Jessie, but the last named was killed in a wreck.
Fred Pemberton, whose birth occurred in Clay township, Muskingum county, July 30, 1853. was a public-school student and thus was qualified for the responsibilities of business life. For thirteen years he has been engaged in the butchering busi- ness and now conducts a good meat market at Roseville, where he has many patrons and is en- joying a constantly increasing trade. He enjoys
the confidence of the community, for he has never been known to take advantage of the necessities of his fellowmen in any trade transactions and as the years have passed he has gained a well- merited prosperity.
Mr. Pemberton wedded Miss Adeline McLain, who was born in Clay township and is a daugh- ter of A. McLain, a native of Perry county, Ohio. Her paternal grandfather was a native of Vir- ginia and came to Ohio at an early day. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pemberton have been born the follow- ing children: Catherine, Nellie, Earl, Maurice, Thomas, Emma, Clara, Harry, Margaret and Lucy. The family is well known in Roseville and in this section of the county and the members of the household enjoy the hospitality of many of the best homes of the town. Mr. Pemberton votes with the republican party, but has never sought or desired office. Socially he is deservedly popu- lar for he is affable and courteous in manner and has the faculty of making friends rapidly and strengthening the ties of friendship as time ad- vances.
CAPTAIN BENJAMIN F. POWER.
No history which tells of the valor and loyalty of Muskingum county's citizens at the time of the Civil war would be complete without men- tion of Captain Benjamin F. Power, who for many years was an esteemed and honored resi- dent of this place. His birth occurred near Mc- Connelsville, Ohio, June 22, 1837, and in his death the community lost a citizen who was sin- cere, upright and conscientious in word and deed. His life was a busy and successful one, not how- ever. given up to self-aggrandizement, but ever dominated by the noble desire to aid his fellow- men. He was one of a large family and his ad- vantages in youth were extremely limited. He did not have the opportunity of attending school until he was sixteen years of age, when, realiz- ing that he was handicapped by its lack, he de- termined to improve his education and devoted two years to earnest and unremitting study. ap- plying himself with such diligence that his re- ceptive mind was stored with a broad vein of in- formation and at the end of two years he was enabled to secure a certificate. He then engaged in teaching school in Perry county for some time. or until he had earned sufficient money to enable him to continue his own education as a student in the Ohio University at Athens. There he pur- stied his studies for two years, after which he resumed teaching and was thus identified with educational work until the outbreak of the Civil war.
Soon after the news reached him that Fort Sumter was fired upon and that a call had been
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issued for troops he dismissed his school and made his way to Zanesville, where he placed his name on the roll of enlisted troops that formed the One Hundred and Twenty-second Ohio Regi- ment, commanded by Colonel W. H. Ball. While in Zanesville he was also examined by the dis- trict court for admission to the bar and success- fully passed the examination, his leisure hours having been devoted to the reading of law. Cap- tain Power served throughout the Civil war and participated in some of the hardest fought bat- tles of the Rebellion. He never faltered in the performance of any duty whether it led him to the lonely picket line or to the firing line and his merit for conduct in action led him to the rank of captain of Company C.
Following the close of the war Captain Power entered upon the practice of law, forming a partnership with Judge Ball, who was his colonel during his army life. Later he took up his abode in Zanesville and entered into partnership with W. A. Brown, late probate judge of Morgan county, Ohio. Afterward Captain Power became a resident of Dresden, Ohio, where he remained for six years and upon his election to the position of prosecuting attorney of Muskingum county, he removed to Zanesville. He filled the office so acceptably that he was re-elected and served for two terms and upon his retirement from that posi- tion he formed a partnership with H. F. Achauer, which relation was maintained for two years. After its dissolution Captain Power admitted his son, Edwin E. Power, to a partnership. The latter is a rising young attorney of Zanesville and a recognized leader of the democratic party. Since his father's death he has continued in prac- tice alone with much success.
Captain Power was recognized as one of the strong and able members of the Muskingum county bar, absolute fidelity to the interests of his clients, a wonderful capacity for hard work and systematic preparation of all cases intrusted to him, were some of the noteworthy factors in the achievement of his success. He had little leisure time and it was known therefore that he found genuine enjoyment in the line of endeavor which he chose as his special work. Early in life he learned the hard but necessary lesson that "nothing of value can be gained without its equiv- alent." Therefore, when he entered upon the practice of law he brought to bear all of the talents with which nature had liberally endowed him, industry and perseverance being among these.
On the 2d of July, 1868, Captain Power was married to Aurelia M. Scott, a native of McCon- nelsville, Ohio. They became the parents of five children, but lost one son, Benjamin F., on the 15th of February, 1901. The surviving mem- bers of the family are: Edwin E., Leo O., Scott
T. and Fred B. Captain Power was a much re- spected citizen and was highly esteemed through- out the county and in many fraternal organiza- tions with which he was connected. At his death the press passed high ecomiums upon him by rea- son of his splendid record as a soldier, his un- faltering fidelity in government positions and his loyalty to the trust reposed in him, whether of a public or private nature. When with his friends he displayed a genial cultured manner that gained him warm, personal regard and his best traits of character were reserved for his family and his own fireside.
W. V. WENTZ.
W. V. Wentz, one of the younger and suc- cessful farmers of Brush Creek township, was born February 14, 1865, his parents being Philip and Kate (Longstretch) Wentz. His father was born in Germany and at an early age came to America with his parents, the family landing at New York. They did not tarry in the eastern metropolis, however, but came at once to the mid- dle west, settling in Morgan county, Ohio, where the grandfather purchased land. Philip Wentz had acquired a good education in Germany and is a man of considerable talent and business ability. He still resides in Morgan county, where he owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, devoted to general agricultural pursuits and stock- raising. In all of his business affairs he has been energetic and determined, brooking no obstacles that could be overcome by persistent and honor- able purpose. He is one of the leading advo- cates of the democracy in Morgan county and is active in the Odd Fellows lodge, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of the fraternity. He married Miss Kate Longstretch, a daughter of William Longstreth, whose wife is still living with her daughter, Mrs. Philip Wentz, and her grandson, W. V. Wentz, so that four generations are represented in the household of our subject. Mrs. Longstretch is still in good health, her phys- ical and mental faculties being unimpaired, al- though she is now in her ninety-second year.
W. V. Wentz was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of the period, pursuing his educa- tion in the public schools and working in the fields when not busy with his text-books. After arriving at years of maturity he was married to Miss Emma Bluthart, whose parents were na- tives of Germany and came to the United States during the early girlhood days of their daugh- ter. Mrs. Wentz, after suffering for a long time from consumption, departed this life in the year 1899, leaving one child, Clarence, who is now a bright little lad of seven years and is the repre-
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sentative of the family in the fourth generation now living upon the old homestead farm.
The place upon which W. V. Wentz resides is a rich and arable tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres, to the cultivation of which he devotes his time and energies. He raises the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and also has some good stock upon his place. He is an only son and in recent years has entirely relieved his father of the active work of the farm, in the management of which he displays excellent busi- ness ability as an agriculturist. In politics he is a democrat, voting for the men and measures of the party, though otherwise taking no active in- terest in political affairs. He holds membership in the Catholic church, which has been the re- ligious faith of the family through many suc- ceeding generations.
T. C. CONNAR.
T. C. Connar, civil and mining engineer and geologist, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, December 3, 1845, his parents being John and Frances (Cowan) Connar, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the father born in Can- nonsburg and the mother in Westmoreland county. John Connar came to Ohio in 1832 and his wife arrived the following year. They were not married at that time, however, 1.ut became acquainted in Guernsey county and there their marriage was celebrated. Mr. Connar was a car- penter by trade and purchased a farm, upon which he lived until his death in 1846. His widow afterward married again and removed to John- son county, Missouri, where she died in 1889.
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