Portrait and biographical album of Greene and Clark counties, Ohio, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county; together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, Part 107

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Portrait and biographical album of Greene and Clark counties, Ohio, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county; together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States > Part 107
USA > Ohio > Greene County > Portrait and biographical album of Greene and Clark counties, Ohio, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county; together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States > Part 107

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Our subject attended school, public and private, from early childhood until thirteen years old, and then spent eighteen months in the printing office of the Mirror of the Times, a weekly religious and temperance paper, published in Frederick City, by the Rev. S. W. Harkey (now D. D.) and the sub- ject's brother, Josiah. In the summer of 1847 he entered a retail dry goods house in Frederick, where he remained four years, then engaged in

the groecry business in the same city on his own account, until the latter part of the summer of 1853, when he set out for the West, for the pur- pose of acquiring a practical education. In the fall of this year he entered the Commercial and Teachers' Department of Wittenberg College and so rapid was his progress that during the following winter he was appointed by the faculty of the in- stitution an assistant teacher, but from almost the day of the appointment was at the head of the de- partment, and, at the age of twenty-two was ap- pointed Principal, which position he held until the summer of 1857.

Mr. Harrison then resigned his place and opened a commercial school in Springfield, which he con- dueted with gratifying success until the spring of 1865, when he went with his family to Mt. Pleas- ant, Iowa, where for eighteen months he was at the head of a business college, and successfully taught the several branches pertaining to a com- mercial education. In the fall of 1866 he was so- lieited to return to Springfield. He was one of the incorporators, and the first Treasurer, of the Republie Printing Company, which position he resigned in the spring of 1868, and went to his native city, where he conducted a commercial school one year. He then returned to Springfield and engaged in teaching and expert work pertain- ing to his profession until the latter part of Janu- ary, 1871, when he entered into an engagement with James Leffel & Co., water-wheel manufact- urers, as head book-keeper and collector, and is with them at the time of this writing, 1890, being now on his twentieth year.

Mr. Harrison was a successful teacher, and as an expert accountant has few equals and perhaps no superior. Since he first engaged in the profession of book-keeper, expert work has been a large part of his duties. He has been an acceptable con- tributor to the agricultural press, but has written sparingly and to the point, preferring to write too little rather than too much.

He was first married in Hagerstown, Md., Au- gust 21, 1855, to Miss Virginia Franeis Gelwieks, a mnost estimable young lady, a native of Freder- ick City, and the daughter of George C. and Mary M. Gelwicks. The living children by this mar-

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riage are: Frank, publisher of Frank Harrison's Short-hand Magazine, at Newark, N. J., and pro- prietor of two popular short-hand sehools, one in Newark and the other in New York City; May, the wife of Charles E. Miekle, of Lagonda; and Jessie, the wife of Colgan W. Burns of Spring- field. The wife and mother died suddenly at her home on Dibert Street, Springfield, February 10, 1871.

Mr. Harrison contraeted a second marriage October 9, 1872, with Miss Mary Anne Woods, daughter of the late Col. Joseph H. and Sarah H. Woods, of Jackson Township, Champaign County, Ohio. The present Mrs. Harrison is a Christian lady of fine eulture, possessing rare intellectual and social qualities. For several years before lier marriage she was a popular teacher at Urbana, where she still has many friends.

Lagonda View Farm, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, is located in Moorefield Township, three iniles northeast of the Springfield post-offiee. This farm has a world-wide reputation as having been the home of the famous Lagonda View herd of Jersey cattle, from which was made the La- gonda View brand of gilt-edge butter, the demand for which, at faney figures, was equal to and often greater than the supply. It has been much re- gretted by his numerous friends that Mr. Harrison was compelled, on aeeount of laek of time and physical strength, to abandon eattle breeding and the mannfacture of butter. In these branches of rural pursuit, assisted by his most excellent wife and daughters, he has had few peers. Mr. Harri- son is a self-made man, thoroughly praetieal. He has not acquired any considerable wealth, but is in comfortable circumstances. Politieally, he is a sound Republiean, decided in his opinions and be- lieves in progress and reform.

For the benefit of those interested in Jersey eat- tle and dairy products, we append the following: The Rev. Ross C. Houghton, D. D., late pastor of Roberts Park Church, Indianapolis, writes to the Jersey Bulletin, under date of Mareh 1, 1884:

"A pleasant ride of half an hour from the railway station at Springfield, Ohio, brought me to La- gonda View Farm, the residence of Edward Harri- son, one of the most intelligent and genial among

my somewhat numerous "Jersey" friends. The farm itself is "most beautiful for situation," and just the spot in which a man, whose mornings are given to the exaeting labors of eity offiee work, ean so oeeupy the latter hours of the day as to combine profitable employment with restful recreation. It is, however, chiefly of interest, so far as these notes are concerned, as the home of one of the ehoieest Jersey herds in Ohio, and the place where some of the best families in Spring- field purehase "gilt edged" butter, which is be- yond all praise, and for which they cheerfully pay a long priee. If any man doubts the sueeess of the Jersey dairy business, in the neighborhood of a large city, let him compare notes with Mr. and Mrs. Harrison.

The herd is headed by Lagonda 4078, the only living son of Chrissy 1448, who yielded sixteen and one-half pounds of butter in one week, and whose dam, Kitty Clover 1113, was a fourteen pound eow. Lagonda's sire is Grand Duke Alexis 1040, one of the most noted butter bulls, whose daughters and granddaughters will rival, in butter yield and in the large prices for which they have been sold, any family of Jerseys that can be mentioned. Twenty-four cows, and four bulls, with from 12} per cent. to 50 per eent. of his blood, have sold for $31,985, an average of $1,142.35 each. La- gonda is really a grand bull. Dark gray shading into blaek, with evenly ineurved horns, a soft and rich hide, and, in all points combined, seoring well up towards perfection. His get, an unusually large proportion of which are heifers, are almost invariably very handsome and promising. Thus far there are no failures at the pail among his daughters, and they are, to my personal knowl- edge, highly prized in the herds where they are found. Baron De Alphea 5411, a son of the fa- mous Chief of Mad River Valley 2934, and Cre- mona 6721, stands next in this herd, and is fully worthy of his place. He is a rieh golden fawn, blaek points, and a little white upon his flank. He traees, by only a few removes, to such noted ani- mals as Mereury 432, Alphes 171, Sultan 58, and Pansy 8.

Of the cows in this herd I have space to men- tion but few. Cremona 6721, Lady Felter 5059,

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Queen of the Miamis 6793, Dimple's Matchless 6794, Daphne of Clark 11621, and several others . will compare favorably with the leading cows in any Western herd I have examined. There are eight great-granddaughters of Sultan 58, with a liberal per cent. of the blood of Albert 44. I found, on examining the pedigrces of the entire herd, that the blood of some old and well estab- lished family predominates in every animal. No testing has been done at Lagonda View, but an examination of the private dairy record not only shows a very high average butter yield, but also reveals the fact that a number of the best cows could undoubtedly, by special care and feeding, be brought to the figures of which we read in con- nection with more noted animals. Quite a number of the very best cows and heifers are liberally marked with white, a fact which the ow- ner does not depreciate, and which does not seem to prevent their sale, cr the sale of their progeny at most satisfactory prices. Mr. Harrison breeds for quality, not for fancy colors.

I am not friendly to such rapid breeding as is practieed by Mr. Harrison, but I am free to confess that I saw no inferior cattle, either old or young, in his herd, and I am sure any good judge of Jersey affairs could not fail to be satisfied with the results, in every particular, of his manage- ment.

Any breeder of Jerseys will be both interested and profited by a visit to this choice herd, and an acquaintance with its courteous owner and family."

From the American Dairyman, February 19, 1885: "We have lately been the recipients of two baskets of butter, addressed to the proprictor and editor of this paper, that were the finest samples of winter butter we ever put into our fathom- less editorial maw. The latest stylc, you know, for butter on the table is in small lumps, fashioned after strawberries or other convenient forms. Well, in the center of these baskets was one large lump, slightly figured, while surrounding it like a basket of nuts, werc two or three pounds of double cones, containing an ounce of butter each, fresh, crisp, nutty-flavored, hard and dry as rocks, and with an aroma almost as rich as June butter. It was worked almost perfectly dry and yet the grain was

perfection. The color was a light straw, natural, we take it, as the butter was made from Jersey milk, and there was just a trace of salt in it. It reminded us more closely of the unsalted butter we ate in the best restaurants of Paris, than any butter we have ever tasted outside of that heaven of high living.

That butter was made by Mr. Edward Harrison, Springfield, Ohio, from his herd of Registered Jer- seys, and we will let him tell his own tale. He says: "Our butter is made in strict accordance with the best dairy rules, from healthy and gen- tle Jerseys that are kindly treated, being fed witlı the best that can be given them, and in the making, neither milk, cream or butter ever comes in con- tact with the hands. The sample I send was made principally from the granddaughters and great- granddaughters of 'Matchless,' a cow of some con- siderable fame. Mr. Hardin will remember her and her daughter Dimple." Ah! well do we re- member old Matchless and her beautiful daughter Dimple. She was the first imported or registered Jersey we ever owned, and the best. We bought her off shipboard at Baltimore, and got her cheap because she had a white tail. We always felt grateful to that white tail. The old cow dicd the property of Mr. Burden, of Troy, N. Y., and we know her blood tingles now in the veins of a num- ber of offspring high up in the fourteen pound list. Dimple, that we believe has made over four- teen pounds a week, was bred exactly after our choice; but alas, for us! the Club would not regis- ter her sire, "Wallace Barns." We sold the bull, and never had the luck to get so good a one again. The Club subsequently relented, and allowed him to be registered, but too late to save our system of breeding."

W ILLIAM H. GLOTFELTER. This name is a familiar one to most of the residents of the western part of Greene County, as it belongs to one of the substantial pioneer families of this section. John A. Glotfelter, the grandfather of William H. was born in Lancaster County, Pa .; he

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married Elizabeth Newman, daughter of John New- man, of the same eonnty. He left Pennsylvania and with his wife and family settled in this county in 1815. Hle purchased a farm of two hundred and fifteen acres, two and a half miles west of Harbine Station. This he improved and made a comfort- able home for himself and family. To him and his estimable wife there were born eight children, six of whom lived to mature years, were married and had families of their own, viz: John, Soloman, George A., Susan, Elizabeth and Nancy. John A. was a blacksmith and worked at his trade until his eyesight failed ; he was of German descent and he and his wife both spoke the German language, as it is used in their native State; they were while liv- ing members of the German Reformed Church and died in that faith on the farm where they first set- tled. Mrs. Glotfelter died February 29, 1830, aged sixty years, ten months and twenty-nine days. Mr. Glotfelter died December 22, 1860, at the ripe old age of ninety years and three months.

George A. Glotfelter, the father of our subject, was a lad of five years when he came to this county overland in a wagon with his parents from old Lancaster County, Pa. He married Harriett Smith, a native of Pennsylvania. They lived at the old home place with the grandparents, and to them was born a family of eight children, six of whom lived to mature years. Sarah became the wife of Lewis Maxwell; Margaret C. married Henry C. Darst; Martha married Henry Ridenour; Ellen wedded Perry Snyder; Fanny is the wife of J. A. Aula- baugh ; William H. was the third child. The mother of these children, one of the very best of mothers, died June 25, 1859. IIer age was forty-nine years six months and seven days. For his second wife he married Angeline ( Weller) Ervin. Of this union there were no children. George A. Glotfelter was a popular man, a good neighbor, a first-class busi- ness man ; he served as a Captain in the State Militia and died September 14, 1866. On the other side Grandfather Smith came from Adams County, Pa., to this State in 1822, located near Cincinnati, where he conducted a hotel for a few years and died about 1825. The family soon after moved to Greene County.

William H. Glotfelter was born April 21, 1837,on

the farm where his father and grandfather lived and where they died. As with them this was his home; here he lived as a boy and young man. He acquired a practical education and industrious habits. When the late war seemed a reality and when the people knew that we were to have a war indeed, at the first call of three years troops he entered the service of his country, enlisting in Company B, of the Twelfthi Regiment of Ohio. Infantry, in which company he served as Private and Orderly Sergeant until April 18, 1862, when he received his first commission. He was with his regiment in over forty engage- ments, many of the most important battles of the war, the first being at Scurry Creek, W. Va., on July 17, 1861. After Mr. Glotfelter received his commission in 1862, he was detailed in command, a part of time on special duty, scouting through the mountains of West Virginia. and while so en- gaged with a squad of select men made some dan- gerous expeditions into the enemy's country. In 1863 he was made a First Lieutenant and subse- quently was commissioned as Captain, but was never mustered in as such. On August 11, 1864, he was mustered out of service on account of a wound re- ceived in front of Lynchburg, Va., on June 17, 1864. This wound was a serious one and resulted in making him a cripple for life.

After the war was over Mr. Glotfelter engaged in mercantile business, at Alpha in this county, for a short time and on the 11th of May, in the year 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Annie E. Ilyland. Her father was Ilugh H. Hyland, a native of Washington County, Md. Mr. Hyland came to Ohio with his widowed mother and her family in 1832. They settled in Knox County, where Mr. Hyland taught a winter term of school and in the following spring they moved to this county. Mr. Hyland was an educated man and did much to place Beaver Creek Township in the lead, so far as education is concerned; and to its horor it holds that position to this time. He served the township for many years as Justice of the Peace and was a wise counselor for his neighbors and friends. His wife is still living and mades her home with Mr. and Mrs. Glotfelter. She was a daughter of Jona- than Snyder who was an honored pioneer. He owned the land where Trebein Station now is. He

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was largely instrumental in the building of Beaver Church; it still stands as a monument to tlie sturdy. pioneers of an early day. In 1867, Mr. Glotfelter located on a part of his present farm. At first he purchased twenty-two acres, but from time to time he has added to it until he now owus over two hundred acres, nicely improved and well stocked. Mr. and Mrs. Glotfelter are the parents of two in- teresting children, Jessie M. and Martha B. Mr. Glotfelter is an uncompromising Republican in pol- itics. In 1871, he was elected Sheriff of Greene County, and served two terms to the satisfaction of the people, who in 1889, eleeted him County Com- missioner, in which position he is now serving.

OHN DUNKEL, one of the most substan- tial farmers of Mad River Township, Clark County, has a very fine body of land, two hundred and eighty-one acres in extent, and located on section 11. He is widely and favorably known throughout his township. and is looked upon as one of its leading citizens. He was born near Lancaster, Pa., October 23, 1821, and is the son of John Dunkel, Sr., likewise a native of that county, and of German descent.

The father of our subject was a farmer and hotel keeper. operating as "mine host" on the pike between Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pa. He was familiarly known as Capt, Dunkel, on account of his services in the State Militia. IIe died in his native place in 1859. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Susan Kline, was a native of the same county as her husband, and the daughter of Jacob Kline, a native of Pennsylvania, and a stonemason by trade. After the death of her hus- band, the mother, in 1868, came to Clark County, and made her home with her granddaughter, Mrs. Fanny Kreider, where she died in 1883. She Was a member of the Mennonite Church.

The parents of our subject had eight children : Jacob is a resident of Enon; Mary died in Mad River Township, when about sixty-cight years old ; John, Jr., was the third child; Elizabeth, Mrs. Long, lives in Mad River Township; Samuel died

there about 1878; Henry lives in Shelby County, Ind .; Susan, Mrs. Landis, died in that county ; Aaron died in Philadelphia, Pa. ; Henry and Aaron served in the Civil War, the former in an Ohio regiment, and the latter as Captain in a Pennsyl- vania regiment. Aaron was confined nine months in Libby Prison. He was a printer by trade, and a man of prominence in the Keystone State, hav- ing served two terms as State senator.

John Dunkel, Jr., attended school with his brothers during his boyhood and remained a mem- ber of the parental household until reaching his majority. Shortly prior to this he was married, September 15, 1842, to Miss Elizabeth Binkly, a native of his own county, and the daughter of John Binkly, who had a mill on Welsh Hill. After his marriage Mr. Dunkel employed himself variously for three years, and then went into the hotel with his father, where he continued seven years. Ile next purchased ten acres of land, and afterward added to it forty. acres, carrying on farming and hotel keeping jointly. He put up a good house and bought more land, and thus op- erated for eleven years.

In 1865 Mr. Dunkel sold this farm and pur- chased his present place in Mad River Township, this first consisting of one hundred and sixty -five acres. There was only a small house upon it, and the later improvements are the results of his own perseverance and industry. He has gradually added to his possessions, and in the meantime has given considerable attention to stock-raising. His land is very fertile, with a good supply of water upon it. He has three sets of farm buildings, and every- thing about him convenient for the prosecution of agriculture after the most approved methods. His residence is one of the finest in the county. The homestead is located nine miles from Spring- field and two miles from Enon. Mr. Dunkel keeps twenty head of horses, and uses two teams in the farm operations. He has a fine large flock of sheep, besides numbers of cattle and swine.

Of his first marriage there were born to Mr. Dunkel six children, namely : Henry and Phares, deceased; John B., a merchant of Enon; Eliza- beth, Mrs. Esterline, who lives in Mad River; Amelia, Mrs. Lipp, of Bath Township, Greene

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County ; and Abraham, also merchandising at Enon. The mother of these children died in Pennsylva- nia in 1853.

Mr. Dunkel contracted a second marriage in the Keystone State, in 1857, with Miss Mahala Hock- man. This lady is likewise a native of Lancas- ter County, and the daughter of Jacob Hockman, a shoemaker by trade. Her union with Mr. Dun- kel resulted in the birth of six children, namely : Susan is the wife of John Bowman, an engincer, and they reside in Springfield; Frances married Earl Miller, a butcher of Springfield; Aaron wed- ded Miss Lura Schrader, is operating the home farm, and like his father is a shrewd business man; Annie M. is the wife of John Hower, Jr., a farmer of Bath Township, Greene County; Emma married Joseph Ervin, and lives eight miles north of Springfield, Ohio; she is a teacher by profession; Ora remains at home with her par- ents. Mr. Dunkel affiliates with the Democratic party, and has served as School Director, but is not ambitious for office, preferring domestic life to the excitement of a public career.

In connection with the biographical sketch of Mr. Dunkel, a lithographie portrait of himself and wife are presented. Mrs. Dunkel enjoys the universal esteem of her acquaintances, and is a lady of refinement and culture, possessing those characteristics which form the elements of true womanhood. In the best circles of society she and her husband find a cordial welcome, and are worthy representatives of the honorable and up- right residents of Mad River Township.

ENRY C. DARST. The farming and stock- raising interests of Beaver Creek Township, Greene County, have been greatly augmen- ted by the subject of this notice, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and ninety- five acres on section 12. This property under his careful management has become valuable and pre- sents a picture of one of the finest homes in the county. He is a native of the Buckeye State and

born in the city of Dayton, November 16, 1830, at a time when the now flourishing town bore little resemblance to its present proportions. IIe spent his early years under the parental roof, acquiring a common-school education, together with those habits of industry and economy which have con- tributed largely to his later success.

The father of the gentleman of whom we write was Jacob Darst, who is of German and Scotch de- scent. He was twice married, his first wife being Mary Coy, a native of this county, by whom he became the father of six children. Mary, the eldest of these, is the wife of L. D. Cottrell and they live in Dayton, Ohio; Susan is the wife of David Hus- ton, of Paris, Ill .; Sarah A. is deceased; Jolm makes his home in Eureka, Ill .; Elizabeth is the wife of Robert Hanes and they reside near Topeka, Kan .; Jacob died when about sixty-three years old.

Later Jacob Darst was again married, his second wife bearing the maiden name of Ruhamah Mohler and being of Welsh extraction. Our subject was born of this marriage; he spent his boyhood and youth amid the quiet scenes of farm life and wlien reaching manhood was joined in wedlock October 11, 1855, with Miss Margaret, daughter of George and Harriet (Smith) Glotfelter. Mrs. Darst was born in this county, September 23, 1835. Her par- ents are represented elsewhere in this volume.

Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Darst there were born five children, four of whom arc living. Edward is a minister of the Disciples Church and lives in the city of Boston, he married Miss Minnie Souders and they are the parents of one child, a daughter, Margaret J .; William H. married Miss Sallie May Sourbray and manages the home farm; Mary L. and Emma R. remain under the parental roof; Martha J. died when two and one-half years old.

Mr. Darst is classed among the solid and influ- ential citizens of the county and uniformly votes the Republican ticket. Both he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Disciples Church. Socially, they are highly respected for their many noble qualities of heart and mind, and deserve special mention as belonging to that class of people who have assisted in bringing Greene County to its present state of development and thus have aided in making America what it is to-day, "the

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land of the free and the home of the brave." Now in the evening of their well-spent lives Mr. Darst and his wife can look back upon years of fruitful labor and forward to the great unknown with pleas- ure, knowing that they will leave behind them at death the priceless memorial of a world made better by their lives.

OHN N. GARVER, one of the proprietors and advertising manager of the Springfield Republic-Times, one of the leading journals of Southern Ohio, and a member of the firm of A. D. Hosterman & Co., publishers of that and other papers, is classed among the ablest and most scholarly members of his profession in this part of the West. He is a native of Clark County, born in Bethel Township, September 28, 1858. His father, Benjamin C. Garver, was born near Harper's Ferry, Va., while his [grandfather, _Abraham C. Garver, was a native of Beaver Creek, Md., a son of Christian Garver, one of two brothers who came to this country from Germany late in the eigh- teenth century and located in Maryland. He was a farmer, and bought land on Beaver Creek, Wash- ington County, and resided there until death closed his mortal career. He was the father of eighteen children. The grandfather of our subject was reared in Maryland, and about 1820 bought land near Harper's Ferry, and resided there until 1830, when he came to Clark County, accompanied by his wife and seven children, making] the journey with a team. He cast in his lot with the pioneers of Bethel Township, buying seven hundred acres of land, which was heavily timbered, a small por- tion cleared and Da log house standing thereon con- stituting the only improvements. The family moved into the log building, which he afterward included in a more pretentious frame house, which is still standing. His death occurred in 1857, in' that home which he had reared with hard pioneer labor. He had in the meantime cleared the greater part of his land and had a fine large farm. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Ricc, and

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Portrait and biographical album of Greene and Clark counties, Ohio, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county; together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, Part 107

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 918