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 37
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 37
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Frank Grinnell was the eighth child born to his parents, his natal day being November 5, 1821. He was educated in New Bedford, Mass., under the tuition of private instructors until sent to boarding school at South Kingston, R. I. After a time he was transferred to a school at Cambridge, Mass. He also attended au educational institution at Ja- maiea Plain and then at Northboro, where he was under the instruction of the Rev. Joseph Allen, now deceased. Upon reaching maturity he bought his father's old country place known as the Potomska Place, near New Bedford, and also engaged in oil speculations for a time with his brothers. In 1846 he took a companion in life and settled down on the New Bedford farm, where he remained about eight years. He then turned his footsteps westward and
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June 9, 1855, arrived at Yellow Springs, Ohio. The old hotel was then owned by his uncle, Moses H. Grinnell, who still holds the title to much valua- ble land, now in the northern part of the city of Yellow Springs. Buying the farm and mill prop- erty which he yet owns, our subject began his resi- dence in the Buckeye State, where he has since remained, winning success by diligence and pru- dence.
The lady who became the wife of our subject and who throughout their married life has mani- fested the qualities of noble womanhood, was for- merly Miss Marion Gales Johnson, daughter of Robert R. Johnson, of North Carolina. She is a neice of William R. Johnson, who has a very prominent position among turf men, and of Gales and Seaton of the old National Intelligencer. The Gales family was of English ancestry and the Sea- tons of Scotch origin. Mr. and Mrs. Grinnell are the parents of nine children, all living. Cornelius H., who married Clara Saberton and is the father of two children, is a stockman in Wyoming; Al- tona Halstein became the wife of Bailey Willis, son of N. P. Willis, the poet; their home is in Wash- ington, D. C., Mr. Willis being a member of the United States Geological Survey. They have one child. Robert J. married Adda Sylvie Goe, who has borne him four children; they live 'on his fa- ther's place and he is now Trustee of Miami Township. Frank M. married Minnie H. Robison, lias one child, and also lives on his father's estate; Gales M. married Millie Goe and lives with his parents ; Ernest A. is a widower ; the next member of the family is Nellie W., who is unmarried and at home; William L., whose home is in Portland, Ore., married Ethel Galloway, and Morton R. is still with his parents.
Mr. Grinnell was originally a Whig and later a Republican. He has been active in political affairs so far as to work diligently for a pure ballot. By birthright he was a Quaker but has not retained his connection with that body ; his wife is a member of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Grinnell takes a great pride in the ancestral history of both lines of his progenitors, justly feeling honored by their achiev- ments and reputation, while in his own person lie carries out the principles that brought them
worldly success, and lives an honest industrious life. In the features of the portrait of Mr. Grin- nell, which we herewith present, may be discerned some of the lincaments belonging to an old and worthy race of people.
NDREW R. BULL. Among the honored pioneers of Greene County may be properly mentioned Mr. Bull, who owns and occu- pies a comfortable homestead, one hundred and fifteen acres in extent and lying in Cedarville Township, this county. He is the son of James Bull who was born in Pennsylvania and reared in Virginia, whence lie came to this county when a young man. Not long afterward he was married, in 1802, to Miss Anna Goudy. James was the son of William Bull, a soldier of the Revolutionary War. The family is of English origin. The father of our subject served in the War of 1812. Afterward he settled on land within a half mile of the present home of Andrew R. where the latter was born June 8, 1824. The present homestead of our subject is a part of the original farm. The first dwelling of James Bull and his wife was a rude log cabin and their stable was also built of logs. A large rattle- snake was killed at the spring near the house on New Year's day. James Bull came to this county in advance of the family and secured about one . thousand acres of land for himself and his brothers. Ile was joined by the family a few years later.
After their marriage the parents of our subject lived in a little cabin in the dense forest and deer would often come close to the house as if to inspect it and find out what it meant, and they did not run away when the mother would go to the door and shake her tablecloth. The father was a natural mechanie and subsequently employed himself as a carpenter, assisting in building the first jail in Xenia and later putting on a building in Xenia the first shingle roof in that place. The nearest flour- ing mill was in the vicinity of Springfield, when the trip involved a two days' journey and Mr. Bull would stop over night at the camp of a friendly tribe of Indians near Clifton. In 1834 Mr. Bull
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harvested thirty acres of wheat with a sickle-a long and tedious process and in which he was ob- liged to employ a number of men. The custom had been to furnish the hands with whisky. Mr. Bull felt that this was wrong and determined this year to change the order of things and give no liquor to his men. The consequence was Mr. Bull and his sons had to cut their wheat alone. The next year he managed to hire a few men who would consent to work without the intoxicating beverage. Ile was the first man to take that stand in this section.
Abont 1835 Mr. Bull and Mr. Poge, a minister of the Presbyterian Church conducted the first temperance meeting in the county. Others joined them in their good work and finally seven of them went from Cedarville and Clifton to Xenia, where they tried to hire a room and have a lecture. The citizens of Xenia would not allow them to hold the meeting, stating that it would ruin their busi- ness, so they were obliged to abandon the project for that time. The next year, however, the same party failing this time also to obtain a room, held a meeting in a shed and thus was inaugurated the temperance movement in this county.
To the parents of our subject there was born a family of eight children, viz: William, John, Sus- annah, Margaret, Law, Scott, Amos and Andrew Rankin. They all lived to mature years and all became members of the Associated or the Seced- ers Church. During the war our subject belonged to the State Militia and assisted in driving John Morgan from the soil of Ohio. He was married in December, 1851, to Miss Elizabeth Orr, daughter of Jolm Orr who came from South Carolina in 1832. Mrs. Bull's mother bore the maiden name of Janet MeMillen. She was the daughter of John McMillen, an early settler of Cedarville. The paternal grandparents were John and Rosanna Orr who were natives of Scotland and further mention of whom will be found in the sketch of Dr. Stewart on another page in this ALBUM. Grandfather Orr was a well-educated man and spent his last years in Cedarville. John Orr, Jr. served as a soldier in the War of 1812.
Mr. and Mrs. Bull have lived on the place which they now occupy for the past thirty-two years. It lics two miles west of Cedarville on the Xenia Pike
and makes a very attractive picture in the land- seape of that region. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bull, eight children, only four of wbom are living. Nettie became the wife of William Lewis and died six months after ber marriage; Addie remains with her parents; Edward, a car- penter by trade, is married and living in Cedar- ville; Mack is married and is engaged in the mer- chantile business in Cedarville; Laura died when five years old; Riley died at the age of two years; the next child died when an infant unnamed ; Clif- ford, the youngest, remains with his parents and assists in the operations of the farm.
Mr. Bull, politically, is a sound Republican, and a very strong temperance advocate. He never tasted a drop of liquor in his life and has never used tobacco in any form. Both he and his esti- mable wife are members in good standing of the United Presbyterian Church of Cedarville.
ACOB C. KISSINGER. After a well-spent life, industriously employed, and with the exercise of industry and economy, the sub- ject of this notice has retired from active labor, and is spending his declining years quietly amid the comforts of a beautiful home in the town of Osborn. Ile learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner, early in life became a skilled workman, operating as a contractor and builder, and during his active years, was excelled by none in this indus- try. Many of the important buildings of Mont- gomery County, are the work of his hands, and stand as a monument to his skill and ingenuity.
A native of Spring Garden Township, York County, Pa., Mr. Kissinger was born July 1, 1829, and received such education as was afforded by the primitive schools conducted in a log schoolhouse, with slab benches and desks, under a system of instruction conducted on the subscription plan. Ilis education was mostly carried on during the win- ter season, while in the summer he worked as a farm laborer for different parties, and remained under the home roof until a youth of eighteen years. Then, in 1848, he began his apprenticeship at the
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carpenter's trade under Peter. Smuek, with whom he remained two years, and for which he received the inunificent sum of $24. In the meantime he worked three weeks on a farm in the summer, and in this way added somewhat to his cash account.
Upon completing his apprenticeship, Mr. Kis- singer followed his trade as a-journeyman for three years, then in 1853, began operating as a contractor and builder, and remained in his native county until the fall of that year. Coming thence to Ohio, he spent six weeks in Dayton, working at his trade, and we next find him in Bethel Township, Clark County, where he occupied himself as a contractor and builder until 1856. That year, returning to the home farm, he followed agriculture for three years, and at the expiration of this time resumed his trade in Greene, Montgomery, and Miami Counties.
In 1872, Mr. Kissinger deeiding upon a ehange of occupation, abandoned his trade, and purchased one hundred and thirty acres of land in Wayne Township, Montgomery County, and cecupied him- self as a tiller of the soil until 1886. IIe was suc- cessful in his labors, aceumulating a competence, and wisely decided to lay aside the active labors of life. Ile accordingly rented his farm, and removed to Osborn, where he has three lots, and one of the hamdsomest residences in the place. He was wel- comed as a valued addition to the community, and is held in respeet by all who know him.
Mr. Kissinger, on the 2d of October, 1855, took unto himself a wife and helpmate, Miss Sarah Kline, the wedding being celebrated at the bride's home in the eity of Springfield. Mrs. Kissinger, like her husband, is a native of Pennsylvania, and born De- cember 28, 1832, near Aurora, Lancaster County. IIer father, Samuel Kline, was likewise a native of that county, and a mason by trade. IIe eame to Clark County in the fall of 1839, and taking up a tract of land in Bethel Township, in the Mad River Valley, followed agriculture until his death, in Au- gust, 1881. The mother, who bore the maiden naine of Sarah Ghetz, was a native of the same county as her husband, and the daughter of Peter Ghetz, a well-to-do. Pennsylvania farmer. She passed away many years prior to the death of her husband, dying in June, 1864. Both parents were members of the Mennonite Church, There was
born to them a family of fifteen children, eight of whom grew to mature years: Samuel is a resident of Osborn, this State; Elizabeth, Mrs. Smith, is a widow, and also lives in Osborn; the next in order of birth was Sarah, Mrs. Kissinger; Michael, and Martin are residents of Bethel Township; Mary, Mrs. Metzger, lives in String Township; Ann, Mrs. Metz, died near Osborn, in 1890; Jacob lives in Bethel Township.
Mrs. Kissinger was seven years old when her par- ents emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and she still remembers many incidents of the trip, which was made overland with a team, occupying three weeks' time. The family lived in a log cabin a number of years, and Miss Sarah acquired her edu- cation in a schoolhouse of similar description, while at home she was subjected to the careful training of an exeellent mother. IIer union with our sub- jeet has resulted in the birth of nine ehildren, only six of whom are living: Annie became the wife of C. Graber, and died in February, 1888, at the age of thirty years, leaving one ehild, a daughter, Ada; Emma is the wife of Dr. C. Herr, a dental surgeon of Osborn; Elizabeth, Mrs. John Byel, lives on a farm in Wayne Township, Montgomery County ; Samuel lived for a time in Montgomery County, and then returned to the old homestead, where he now resides; Jacob is a resident of Peoria, Ill .; Sally, a very intelligent young lady, remains with her parents; Johnie, the youngest boy, is also at home; Benjamin Franklin died aged sixteen months; and Mary when a few days old. Mr. and Mrs. Kis- singer are members in good standing of the Re- formed Mennonite Church.
The father of our subject, William Kissinger, a native of York, Pa., was born January 1, 1805, and was the son of Conrad Kissinger, who was also born in that city. The latter followed the trade of a earpenter in his earlier years, then became inter- ested in brickmaking, and operated a large yard. He served as a militiaman in the War of 1812. IIe spent his last years in Pennsylvania, dying when quite aged, in 1844. The paternal great-grand- father of our subjeet, came from Switzerland,and set- tled first on the Sehuylkill River, in Pennsylvania, whence later he removed to York County, where he probably spent the closing years of his life.
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William Kissinger, like his father before him, fol- lowed briekmaking in his native town,. and then operated a distillery. He was sneeessful as a finan- eier, and finally retired from active labor, and re- moved to Lancaster County, Pa. IIe died in 1889 at the advanced age of eighty-three years. IIe be- longed to the Lutheran Church. The mother bore the maiden name of Rosanna Swartz. She was born in York County, l'a., and spent her early years with a family named Ieenberger, as her father died when she was quite young. She died at York in 1881. She likewise was a member of the Lutheran Church. Fifteen children were born to the par- ents, tne following of whom lived to mature years, and are recorded as follows, viz: Jaeob C., our subject, is the eldest child living; William eontin- nes to reside in Lancaster County, Pa .; Benjamin operates an extensive brickyard in York, Pa .; John is farming in Hamilton County, Mo .; Conrad is a blacksmith by trade, and living near Hebron, this State; Philip also follows briekmaking in York, Pa .; Maria, Mrs. Stusser, is a resident of California; Barbara, Mrs. Andrews, lives in Washington, D. C .; Elizabeth, Mrs. Slonneger, is in York, Pa .; Rebecca, Mrs. Van Ostrum, is in Mechaniesburg, this State; Annie is in York, Pa. William and John Kissinger served during the late Civil War in a Pennsylvania regiment from 1862 until the elose. Conrad served from 1861 until the close, and three brothers-in- law, also assisted in the preservation of the Union. One of them, Mr. Andrews, was confined for a time in Andersonville prison.
AVID TURNER. Many of the most sub- stantial residents of Greene County are sons and daughters of its earliest pioneers and still maintain their residence at the old homestead built up from the wilderness by their honored sires. Among these may be numbered Mr. Turner and his estimable wife who are located at a finely-developed farm, ouce the property of Mrs. Turner's father and located eight miles south- east of the eity of Xenia. This embraces one hun-
dred and thirteen acres of land, embellished with good buildings and supplied with all the machinery required for the sneeessful prosecution of agricul- ture. The fertile fields yield the richest products of the Buckeye State. The farm lies on Caesar's Creek, in the northern part of the township of that name and, it is hardly necessary to state, possesses more than a moneyed value to the present proprie- tor and his wife.
Mr. Turner was born in this township February 20, 1843. His father, Jonah Turner, likewise a native of the same township, was born in 1807. and his mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary Beason, was born in 1804 in the same township. The parents died in November, 1865, within eleven days of each other. Their family consisted of eleven children, eight of whom were reared to ma- ture years. Mereer B. died in Elk County, Kan. ; Henry N. is in Xenia; Absalom served in an Illi- nois regiment during the late Civil War and is now a resident of Edgar County, that State; Joseph served in the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illi- nois Infantry, and is now a resident of Champaign County, near Sidell; Colby, also a Union soldier, enlisting in an Illinois regiment, met his death at the battle of Ft. Donelson; David, onr subject, was the next in order of birth; Sally A. . married Samuel Minge, and is now a widow, living in Franklin, Warren County, this State; Jonah is a resident of Edgar County, Ill.
Jonah Turner maintained his residence on Cæsar's Creek for the long period of fifty years and then removed to Coles County, Ill., where his death took place. He was a Baptist in religion, was first a Whig, politieally, then a Republican and a strong Union man during the war. The paternal grand- father of our subject was Joseph Turner, a native of North Carolina, who married Miss Dinah Small. They settled on Caesar's Creek, five miles sonth- east of Xenia, where Grandfather Turner entered one hundred acres of land from the Government, from which he built up a good homestead and where he spent the remainder of his days; he passed away about 1849. His wife survived him a num- ber of years, her death taking place a short time prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Grand- father Turner in religious belief was a Quaker. To
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him and his good wife there were born on the old farm four sons and five daughters. Their eldest son, Robert, was born before they settled there and is still living in Clarksville, Clinton County. Ohio, being now ninety-four years old.
₹
Grandfather Turner was the son of John Turner, an Englishman who was born near the city of Liverpool and who came to America as a Captain in the British Army. When peace was declared he settled in North Carolina where he probably spent the remainder of his days. On the maternal side of the house the grandparents of our subject were Mereer and Katie (Kains) Beason. They came from the vicinity of Uniontown, Pa, Grand- father Beason was originally from Kentucky and a Ranger, participating in the Indian War during 1790. He came to Ohio between 1800 and 1803 and settled on Cæsar's Creek, where he and his estimable wife spent the remainder of their lives, living to be quite aged. They had two sons, Henry and John, and several daughters.
Mr. Turner remained on the farm in his native county until twelve years old, then went to Illinois and lived with his parents eleven years, In Febru- ary, 1866, he returned to Ohio and until the follow- ing year was a resident of Warren County. After his marriage in the fall of 1871, he removed to LaFayette Connty, Mo., where he spent a year, then returned to his native haunts. In 1881, he purchased a farm in Grant County, Wis., upon which he lived two years. Once more he came back to the home of his childhood and took up his abode on the homestead which he now owns and occupies.
The marriage of David Turner with Miss Sarah J. Middleton was celebrated at the bride's home October 2, 1870. Mrs. Turner was born July 11, 1842, at the farm where she now lives, and is the daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Hartsook) Middleton, who were natives respect- ively of Virginia and Maryland. Mr. Middle- ton was born in Berkeley County, May 7, 1802, while his wife, Sarah, was born near Ilagerstown, January 6, 1801. They emigrated to this county in 1827 and located on the land comprising the present homestead of Mr. Turner, and which Mr. Middleton cleared from the forest and brought to
a good state of cultivation. He was a man promi- nent in his community and in polities a stanch Demoerat. He served as Township Treasurer and was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, To him and his good wife there was born a family of six children, viz .: Elizabeth A., Will- iam H., a resident of Wisconsin; Nathan J., of Kansas City; Elijah B., of Nevada City, Mo .; Lewis, Sarah J., Mrs. Turner,
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Turner was Bethuel Middleton, who spent his last years in Ohio. The five children born to our subject and his estimable wife were named respectively, Sylvia M., Sally E., who died at the age of three years, Dora F., Colby M., and Nellie J. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are prominently connected with the Metho- dist Protestant Church.
RTHUR D. HOSTERMAN, head of the firm of A. D. Hosterman & Co., proprie- tors of the Springfield Republic-Times, the Springfield Weekly Republic and the Luth- eran Evangelist, is a journalist of wide experience although so young a man, and oceupies a high place in the editorial profession as represented in Ohio. Ile was born in the town of Shippens ville, Clarion County, Pa., April 12, 1860, a son of David R. and Harriet Hosterman, When he was about a year old his parents removed to Springfield, so that inuch of his life has been passed in this city. Early displaying an aptitude for study, he laid the foun- dation of a liberal education in the city schools, and afterwards became a student in Wittenberg College, from which he was graduated with honor in the class of 1881. Previous to entering college he had worked in a printing office, and during his summer vacations while a student at Wittenberg he was connected with the reportorial staff of the Daily Republic, and during his last year in college he was city editor of the Weekly Transcript. After graduation he retained his editorship six months, and was induced to take a position in the office of Farm and Fireside as compiler and editor of a series of books published by that firm. In the fall of
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1882 he threw np that situation, as he desired to see something more of the world, and visiting Cali- fornia he engaged with the firm of Dewey & Co., as Editor of the Fraternal Record, The Ladies' Home Journal, and the Pacific States Watchman. A year later he went to Santa Barbara as Editor of the Daily and Weekly Press, and at the end of six months he established the Daily Independent in that city, a paper which is still published there. After placing it on a solid, paying basis, he sold it, and late in 1883 retraced his steps Eastward as far as Emporia, Kan., and there he became eity editor of the Daily Republican. A year later he went to Sioux City and joined the Sioux City Printing Company, which issued patent inside papers, and dealt in printer's supplies. In January, 1888, our subject ventured into a similar enterprise on his own account in Lincoln, Neb., where he established a rival institution, known as the Lincoln Newspaper Union. Four months later he sold that business at quite an advance, and returning to Springfield with the proceeds of the sale in his pocket he bought the Daily and Weekly Springfield Republic and the Champion City Times, and consolidated the two papers and has been business manager of the com- pany that lie then formed ever since, and besides superintends the publication of the Lutheran Evangelist. His excellent and methodical business habits, luis education, keen powers of observation, and sound judgment in regard to men and to affairs in general peculiarly qualify him for the position he occupies.
Mr. Hosterman has established a pleasant home in our midst, and to the lady who makes it a center of comfort and attraction to his numerous friends, he was united in marriage May 6, 1884. Her maiden name was Lizzie H. Geiger, and she is a native of this city, and a daughter of Prof. H. R. and Nancy Geiger, of whom see sketch on another page of this volume. Two children complete their household, Helen and Hazel.
A young man of more than ordinary intellectual vigor, taet and practical ability, our subject brings a strong, well-trained mind to his work, and his papers are among the best of their kind published in this part of the State. As a man in his position should with his means for influencing the publie
inind, Mr. Hosterman takes an ardent interest in politics, and is a leader in the ranks of the Repub- liean party as an active member of the Republican Central Committee. He is an important factor in religious and social circles, he and his wife being prominent members of the First English Lutheran Church, in which they do good work, and he is one of the Board of Directors of the Young Men's Christian Association; he is identified with the college society Phi Kappa Psi, and with the Be- nevolent Protective Order of Elks.
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