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 31

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 31
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 31

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).

Mr. Moon survived his wife and contracted a second marriage with Mrs. Diana (Reeves) Shaner. This lady had lost her husband and three children in one day from cholera. leaving two sons. After his sceond marriage Mr. Moon carried on farming in Jefferson Township until his death April 21, 1884, at the advanced age of eighty-onc years. Ilis last wife is still living, making her home with a daughter of Berrien County, Mich., and is now

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sixty-seven years old. Mr. Moon and his first wife were members in good standing of the Metli- odist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Diana Moon is a Baptist of the old school and her father had been a minister of that church for many years.

Mrs. Ross was carefully reared by her mother and step mother, and remained a member of her fatlier's household until lier marriage. She is now the mother of five eliildren, the eldest of whom, Clement P., married Miss Ella White, of Clinton County, and they have one child, a daughter, Edith M .; Miss White formerly followed the profession of a teacher for many years; Susannah is the wife of M. F. Beal and they live at the homestead. Mary married Asa Kline and they live in Jefferson Township. Jolin and Lena P. are at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Ross and their chil- dren are members of the Christian Church. Politi- cally, our subject is a stanch Demoerat. He keeps himself posted upon eurrent events and has served as a Justiee of the Peace.

E. GREENAWALT. A visitor to Greene County would not long remain in ignorance of the name and person of the above- named gentleman, who is pastor of the Osborn charge of the Lutheran Church, which in- eludes three ehurches, one at Osborn, one at Don- aldsville, Clark County, and a third at Brandt, Miami County. He is quite young, having been born February 27, 1859, but possesses a fine edu- cation and exceptional qualifications for the minis- try. He is a master of pulpit oratory, his fine figure and countenance adding to his pleasing ap- pearance, and aiding in the graceful delivery of his sermons. Among his congregations he is extremely popular, while beyond the Lutheran connection he is favorably regarded, and is very influential. He rejoices in tlie degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity, to which his learning entitles him, and which have been earned by unremitting application and determination.

The Greenawalt family is of German extraetion. The grandfather of our subject, John Greenawalt, was born in Pennsylvania and was a farmer in

Franklin County. He became an carly settler in Mahoning County, Ohio, where he continued his agricultural pursuits, becoming quite well-to-do. Ile was a soldier in the War of 1812. His wife, Elizabetlı Connor, who was of English descent, died in this State, in the fall of 1889, at the extreme age of ninety-two years.

Jesse Greenawalt, a son of the couple above mentioned, was born in Franklin County, Pa., and removed to Mahoning County, Ohio, when a young man. He had learned the trade of a carpenter and occupied himself in contracting and building. After his marriage be removed to Allen County, Ind., being one of the first settlers near Ft. Wayne, and continuing his previous occupation for some time. He then located upon and cleared a farm fourteen miles from Ft. Wayne and began a successful ca- reer as a tiller of the soil. He is still living there, being now about sixty-eight years old. He has held various township offiecs, among them that of Assessor, in which he has served twenty years. In politics he is a Republican, and in religion a Lu- theran, being a Deacon in the congregation. IIis wife, in her girlhood Miss Susan Shimp, was also born in Franklin County, Pa. Her father, John Shimp. was a native of the same State, in which he died, the family afterward removing to Columbi- ana County, Ohio. Mrs. Shimp, whose maiden name was Catherine Stauffer, also a native of the Keystone State, died at the age of seventy-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Greenawalt are the par- ents of four living children and lost one in infancy. John E. is a prominent farmer in Allen County, Ind .; George L., now practicing medieine in Ft. Wayne, was graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medieal College, N. Y .; Oliver J. is a teacher in the Hoosier State. The youngest child is the sub- jeet of this biographical notice.

The birth of the Rev. Mr. Greenawalt oceurred in Allen County, Ind., where he was reared upon a farm, learning the rudiments of agricultural life while attending the district and graded schools near his home. At the age of fifteen years he en- tered the Normal School at Ft. Wayne, and after studying one term, entered the school at Valparaiso, where he began a teacher's course in selected stud- ies. He pursued his studies there about two years

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although the attendance was not consecutive, ex- cept one year, which he devoted entirely to study before he was seventeen years old. In 1876 and 1877 he taught in the home township, returning to Valparaiso in the summer and in the fall becoming principal of the Leo Village or Cedar Creek Town- ship graded school. For three successive years he held that position, spending the summers in Val- paraiso and continuing his own pursuit of knowl- edge, except the last year, when he taught eleven monthis.

In the fall of 1880 young Greenawalt entered the Freshman Class in Wittenberg College, at Springfield, Ohio, carrying on his studies there until 1884, when he was graduated with the de- gree of Bachelor of Arts. From boyhood he had felt a desire to enter the ministry, but did not de- termine to do so until during his senior year. In the fall after his graduation from the regular course lic entered the theological department of tlie college, of which he remained a student for three years. Ile made his own way through college, the summers finding him busy earning money to pay his expenses through the college year. On the 1st of February, 1886, he became pastor of the church at Osborn, serving it while continuing his studies. On May 28, 1887, he was graduated with the de- gree of Bachelor of Divinity, and in June follow- ing received the degree of Master of Arts. His labors at Osborn still continued, and on October 2 of the same year he was ordained by the Miami Synod, which met in this place.

After his ordination, the Rev. Mr. Greenawalt located permanently in Osborn, and has since de- voted his time to his charge, keeping up various societies in the three congregations and pushing forward the work of the church with conscientious zeal and fervor. He has entirely refurnished the Osborn Church. He possesses decided literary ability, and while in college contributed to the college paper, besides being its editor for two years. His fervid utterances in the pulpit are not confined to dogmatic statements of denominational differences, but include all morality and Christian living, temperance particularly being dwelt upon as a sterling virtue.

It will be reasonable to suppose that a man of

Mr. Greenawalt's character, attainments and aspir- ations would desire for a companion in life a woman of noble heart, cultured mind and sympathetic na- ture. Such he found in Miss A. Mary Mitchell, of Springfield, with whom he was united in marriage at her home March 2, 1889. Mrs. Greenawalt was born in Springfield, Clark County, and completed her education at Wittenberg College, Springfield, and at the Western Female Seminary in Oxford. Her father, Ross Mitchell, was connected with the Champion Reaper Works, at Lagonda, until 1880, when he withdrew from that business. He resides in Springfield, where he is identified with import- ant business interests.

W ALTER HAGAR. Xenia has become well known among neighboring cities on ac- count of the number and importance of its business establishments and manufactories, which have wielded an immense power in developing the commercial interests of the State of Ohio. Among these the stranger especially notices the mills of the Xenia Paper Company, which was organized in May, 1881, with a capital stock of $20,000. The first officers of the company were the Hon. Jolin Little, President; F. C. Trebein, Vice President; C. C. Shearer, Secretary ; John S. Ankeney, Treasurer, and Walter Hagar, Superintendent.

The first move toward incorporating this con- pany was made by Mr. Hagar, who secured the assistance of Mr. Ankeney, Cashier of the Second National Bank. At first. there was put up about one-half the present plant, with machinery to com- plete a first-class mill capable of producing six thousand pounds of paper daily. Later by in- creasing the speed and doubling the amount of machinery with enlargement of buildings, the quan- tity of paper produced will now average nearly thirty thousand pounds daily. The present official Board of the company is as follows: Hon. John Little, President; F. C. Trebein, Vice-President; Edwin W. Hagar, Treasurer; Horace Ankeney, Secretary ; and Walter IIagar, Superintendent and Manager.

Capt Joseph Thewin AGED 90.

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Walter Hagar was born March 4, 1823. At the age of fifteen years he commenced work in the paper mills of his native place, Newton Lower Falls, Mass. In the year 1857 he removed to Ken- tucky where for two years he was Superintendent of the paper mills near Frankfort City. Half the force employed here was slave labor.

Removing to Ohio prior to the late war, Mr. Hagar engaged with the firm of Bachelor, DeCamp & Co., of Cineinnati as Superintendent of their mills at Loekland. After remaining there six years he re- moved to Dayton, where for three years he had the management of the business of one of the mills in that city. Removing thence to Clifton, Greene County, lie was for six years engaged in paper manufacture under the firm name of King & Hagar. At the expiration of six years this company dis- solved. Mr. Hagar then removed to Enon, this State, where he engaged in the construction and management of the paper mills of the Springfield Republie Company. After eight years' serviee at Enon he took up his abode in Xenia, his present place of residence. After eight years in business in this eity Mr. Hagar, at the age of sixty-seven years, is still actively engaged in his life work and enjoys good health with the promise of years of active serviee yet before him.

C APT. JOSEPH IRWIN. On the opposite page is presented a portrait of this venera- ble eitizen of Springfield, and one who, after having been prominently identified witlı navi- gation on the Ohio River for many years, later was aetively interested in agriculture in this State and Clark County. He came to Springfield, where he owns valuable property, in 1865, and is pleas- antly passing his declining years in his comfortable home at No. 235 West Washington Street. He was born in the city of Pittsburg, Pa., December 9, 1800, and is a son of James Irwin, a native of Scotland. His paternal grandfather, also James Irwin, was of Scotch birth, and eoning to Ameriea from that country in Colonial times, fought in the Indian War under the famous Gen. Wayne.

The father of the subject of this biography was bound out to a Quaker, Joseph Oglesby, of Phila- delphia, to learn the trade of a carpenter. He subsequently went to Scotland to seek a wife among his native hills. On his return trip he met on board the sailing-vessel Miss Martha Carruthers, a native of Ireland. They were fourteen weeks on the trip, and when they landed in New York their marriage took place. After that eventful journey with its happy results he settled down to a domestic life in Pittsburg, of which he was one of the pio- neeis. In that young eity artisans of his ealling were in demand, and he pursued his trade there with good profit and assisted in the upbuilding of that eity, where he spent his last years as did his wife also. The old stoek of Irwins are buried in Pittsburg.

A number of eitizens of Pittsburg, of whom the father of our subject was one, raised sufficient money to pay for the passage of the celebrated Alexander Campbell from S. otland to Pittsburg. Soon afterward they established the eollege aeross the line in West Virginia, and of this Alexander Campbell, who established the Christian Church in America, was President. In that institution Capt. Irwin and his brothers reecived their cdueation. The youngest brother, William Irwin, became a minister in the Christian Church, and died while in charge of the ehureh at Moscow, above Cincinnati. Another brother, Capt. James Irwin, was a very successful business man of Pittsburg, and died worth $500,000. He established the Old Ladies' Home of Pittsburg, and left $10,000 to each of ten different charitable institutions of that eity. Relig- iously, he was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was twiee married. His widow, Mrs. Mary Irwin, is still living. His only deseendant is a grandson.

Capt. Irwin, who is a namesake of Joseph Oglesby, was reared in his native city, and commenced to work for his father when quite young. As has been before stated, he received his education in Bethany College, and while there rescucd from drowning three boys, sons of widows. In youth his employment consisted in making the wooden pins that were then used instead of nails in build- ing frame houses. At the age of nineteen he be-

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gan the life of a boatman on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and was employed as seeond engineer for some time; he continued in a subordinate position on the river for twenty years, and at the expira- tion of that time invested his savings in boat- building in company with his brother James, and built a boat for himself, named the "Brunette," which was for some years one of the finest boats on the river, and in which Gen. Harrison took the trip from Cincinnati to Pittsburg when he was on his way to Washington to be inaugurated President.

In 1819 our subject, though he had by no means attained his majority, took upon himself the cares of a domestic life, having persuaded Miss Martha Cummings, a charming young woman, to unite her fortunes with his. She was born on the State line of Virginia, forty miles from Pittsburg, and at the time of their marriage the groom, aecompa- nied by his father and mother, rode on horseback to his home, and after the completion of his wed- ding festivities, on the return journey to the eity with the bride, they were attended by forty couples all on horseback, truly a gay and merry cavalcade traveling the primeval forest paths. After mar- riage Mr. Irwin continued his residence in Pittsburg until 1844, when, deciding to turn his attention to farming, he bought a farm forty miles above Cin- cinnati on the banks of the Ohio. The next year, when the spring floods eame, his farin went under water, and however much he may have been at- tached to that element when he was a river cap- tain, and liked to have sufficient water under his boat to float it, he was decidedly averse to it when it was over his land, so he sold his property there, and coming to Clark County, bought a more desir- able farm south of Springfield, which he managed successfully several years. In 1865 he disposed of it at a good priee and came to Springfield, and has ever since made his home here. He has invested his money judieiously, and derives a handsome in- come from it. Besides his attractive residenee on Washington Street, he owns other resident property in the city.

After a wedded life of fifty-two happy years, Capt. Irwin's wife passed to the better world, October 14, 1871. Of her marriage with our sub- ject five children had been born, thirce of whom

died young. Of the other two-Rebecca, the wife of Thomas Jennings, lives in Indiana; Virginia, who married Charles Knott, died in 1876.

The marriage of Capt. Irwin to his present wor- thy wife was solemnized April 10, 1873. She comes of a family of early pioneers of this State, and is herself a native of the soil, born nine miles east of London, Madison County, February 26, 1842. Her inaternal grandfather was Nehe- miah Vaughn Town, who was born in 1759, in Utica, N. Y. He married Susan Sholbridge, whose parents had cmigrated from Germany and settled iu Virginia. Both grandfather Town and his wife died in 1849, she at the age of seventy years, while he had reached the advanced age of ninety.

The father of Mrs. Irwin, Joseph Heath, was born amid the beautiful seenery of Harper's Ferry, Va. Grandfather Heath and his wife both came from England, and settled on a plantation near Harper's Ferry. Five sons and two daughters were born to them, among whom was Joseph Heath, the father of Mrs. Irwin. A daughter, Nancy, mar- ried Joseph Russell, a merchant in Charleston, Va., where he and his wife both died. Grandfather Heath and his wife died in the Old Dominion. A grandson, Capt. Heath, was an officer in the Con- federate Army during the Civil War, and the cannon which is now at Ferncliff Cemetery, in the Soldier's Square, was captured from the command of Capt. Heath, above mentioned.

The father of Mrs. Irwin, Joseph Heath, was born in Virginia, in 1784, and was there educated. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and politi- cally, was a Whig. By oeeupation he was a planter. In the early days of Ohio he and three of his brothers eame to this State, settling in what is known as Darby Plains. All were farmers, and became prosperous, living and dying in Ohio. One brother located in Champaign County, and the others in Madison County ; the father of Mrs. Irwin bought a large tract of wild land in Darby Plains, and there extensively engaged in farming until his death in the fall of 1861, he being then the owner of a finely-improved farm of five hundred acres. He was a man of wide-spread influenee in that re- gion, a sincere Christian, and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which he was

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prominent in establishing in that county. At an early day religious services were held in his house, which was the home of the itinerant preacher. He was three times married, and was the father of twenty-five children. The maiden name of his second wife, mother of Mrs. Irwin, was Elizabeth Town, who was born in Massachusetts, of English parentage, November 12, 1805. By her marriage with Joseph Heath eleven children were born, of whom Mrs. Irwin is the youngest. Mrs. Elizabeth (Town) Heath passed away in July, 1842. Mrs. Irwin was an infant when her mother died, and she remained an inmate of her father's home until she was eleven years of age, and then resided with an elder sister in Madison County. She is a woman of decided character, possessing amiable qualities, and in the care of her husband's property that de- volves on her, shows herself to be an excellent manager. Both Mr. and Mrs. Irwin are valued members of the St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, the Captain having been admitted to mem- bership on his eighty-sixth birthday, by the Rev. Henry Tuckler, to whom he remarked after his admission, in his humorous way, "I am the oldest fish you have ever caught."

The Captain in his day has been an able man, wide-awake and decisive in his business, sound sense and rare judgment being among his attrib- utes. He must have been endowed with an ex- traordinary physique and powers of endurance, for, notwithstanding his remarkably advanced age, he enjoys good health, and is regular in his attend- ance at divine services, not only on Sunday, but also through the week whenever a meeting is ap- pointed he is sure to be there. His genial wit and kindly presence make him a general favorite, and his many friends never tire of listening to his in- teresting conversation, especially when the subject turns on the incidents of his youth. Born in the opening year of the nineteenth century, many mar- velous changes have taken place in this country since he opened his eyes to the world. At the time of his birth not many years had elapsed since the close of the Revolution and the establishment of the Republic, and still another war was to be fought before it could find full freedom from British oppression. Ninety years ago there were

but sixteen States in the Union, now it is a power- ful nation of forty-two States, with a population then of between five and six millions, now more than sixty millions of people find homes here. In the year that he was born the seat of government was removed to Washington, which was then scarcely more than a rude frontier village, and John Adams, the second President of the United States, was in the chair. Ohio had not yet become a State, and was, with the exception of a few scattered settle- ments, almost an unbroken wilderness, and the site of its present capital was a dense forest, our sub . ject being a lad of between twelve and sixteen years before the first building was erected within its present limits.

As with Ohio, so with other Western States; in fact the greater part of the magnificent territory from the Mississippi to the Pacific was still in the hands of a foreign power, as President Jefferson's celebrated Louisiana Purchase did not take place until the century was three years old. The changes have been no less great in the manner of living and in the customs of the people. When the Captain was young, large fireplaces were used for heating and cooking purposes, though Dr. Franklin had invented his celebrated stove. The rush light and tallow candle of those days have been superseded by gas and electricity, and other modes of illumi- nation. Since he first began to live, many wonder- ful inventions have made a revolution in commerce, manufactories, agriculture, and in nearly every department of life.

Capt. Irwin was twenty-nine years of age wlien steam was first applied to railway travel in Amcr- ica, and he has lived to sec electricity used as a motor power. When he was a boy of seven years Robert Fulton lannched the "Clermont" on the Hudson, and proved to the world that steam could be successfully applied to navigation. When the future captain was eleven years old, he might have seen the departure from the wharves of his native city, in October, 1811, of the steamboat "Orleans," which was, to quote a leading historian of this State, "first of the mighty fleet whichi put the cur- rents of the great river to naught," and when he was eighteen years old that great event in the commerec of the lakes took place, the first steamer

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to navigate Lake Erie, the "Walk-in-the. Water," making her appearance in August, 1818, just eleven years after Fulton first ventured his stcamer on the Hudson. Thus we might go on enumerat- ing indefinitely the wonderful things that have been wrought by the hand and brain of inan within the memory of our venerable subject, but enough has been written to show what ninety years have brought to this Nation, of which he is a loyal citizen.

F6 RANK FULTON. There is probably not within the limits of Bath Township, a gen- tleman who stands higher in its social and business eircles, or who has been more successful as a farmer, and praiseworthy as a citizen. He is more than ordinarily genial and agreeable, very intelligent, and a man with whom an hour may al- ways be spent in a pleasant and profitable manner. He is shrewd in business matters, but strictly lion- est and upright, and enjoys the esteem and confi- dence of all with whom he has dealings.

The immediate progenitors of our subject were James and Elizabeth (Leahow) Fulton. the former born on the Mad River, Bath Township, Greenc County, in 1815, and the latter a native of North- umberland County, Pa., and born in 1810. The paternal grandfather, William Fulton, a native of Rockingham County, Va., was born November 3, 1773. He was married June 15, 1802, to Miss Martha Grimes, and about 1803 came to Greene County, and entered a tract of Government land in Bath Township. He occupied himself in farm- ing, operated a distillery, and became well-to-do, leaving among lis possessions about one section of land. He departed this life in 1830. The pater- mal great-grandfather came from Ireland, probably during the Colonial days.

The father of our subject was orphaned at the age of fifteen years, and learned millwrighting. He became skilled in his business, and was employed in the crection of a large number of mills all over the county. He, however, in 1852, abandoned this trade, and turned his attention almost exclusively to farming. In 1850 he returned to his native

State, and was married in the city of Philadelphia. Coming back with his bride to this county, he lo- cated upon one hundred and sixty acres of land, from which he built up a homestead now occupied by his son, our subject. He was prospered in his labors, and later added two hundred and forty- seven acres. Finally, he made a specialty of loan- ing money, and was numbered among the wealth- iest farmers of the county. Ile was prominently connected with the Presbyterian Church, in which he officiated as an Elder and as Superintendent of the Sunday-school. He departed this life Decem- ber 31, 1885. Politically, he was a stanch adler- ent of the Democratic party.

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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 31

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