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 54
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 54
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Mr. Brock was reared as a Democrat and voted that ticket until 1881, when he threw his influence into the Prohibition party, for which he now works and votes. He has been nominated on that ticket for Sheriff of the county, thus offering himself as a sacrifice for the good of the party. The energy which he has manifested in his personal career and his sturdy qualities of character have been consid- ered in his choice as a candidate, and are duly rec- ognized by all those with whom he associates or with whom he comes in contact.
Francis Brock, the grandfather of our subject, came from North Carolina to Ohio in 1808, settling on the line between Greene and Madison Counties,
later removing to Ross Townslup, Greene County, where he became the owner of a large landed estate, having at one time as high as fifteen hundred acres, more than nine hundred and fifty-five being in Ross Township, this county. There his son, William Brock, was born, January 8, 1817, on the line of Madison and Greene Counties, and after his mar- riage to Miss Sydney Hidy, of Fayette County, settled on the place where he now lives, about three miles from that of his son, our subject. The land was received by him from his father, and was opened up and developed under his supervision and personal efforts. Their family, in which no death has ever occurred, includes three children besides our subject. M. Louisa, the second child and eldest daughter, became the wife of L. S. Car- per, of Grape Grove, and the mother of four chil- dren; the family is now living with her father. Joseph H., the second son and third child, is a farmer at Jeffersonville, Fayette County, is married and has six children; Francis W. is now in Cali. fornia. The Brock family belonged to the Meth- odist Church in former generations, but William Brock is not a member of any religious organiza- tion. His wife belongs the Universalist Church, of which our subject is also a member.
ILLIAM POTTLE bears the distinction of being the oldest resident of Enon, Clark County, and is nearly seventy-one years old, having been born August 10, 1819. His na- tive place was New Carlisle, and his father was James Pottle, a native of Stockbridge, England, who sailed on a British man-of-war in the English navy for twelve years, going all over the globe. Finally touching at Maldon, Canada, James Pottle and one of his comrades bethought themselves of the opportunity for making their escape from the cruelty of the English officers, and finally put their plan into execution. crossing the river on the ice in the night. In the morning there was no ice in the river and so their taskmasters could not pursue them.
The above-mentioned events occurred 'about
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1814. The fugitives slept neither day or night until putting many miles between them and their persecutors, and then halting at Urbana, this State, the father of our subject started a barber-shop. Later he abandoned this and removed to Dayton, where he was variously employed until the spring of 1819. IIe then took up his residenee in New Carlisle, where he lived until 1850. Afterward he made one more removal, this time to Enon, where he resided until his death, March 22, 1852, when he was sixty-nine years old.
The mother of our subjeet bore the maiden name of Catherine Oiler. She was a native of Ger- many and emigrated with her father, Daniel Oiler, to America when a girl of eleven years. The fam- ily settled in Maryland, whenee they removed later to Dayton, this State, where the father died in 1878. The mother subsequently made her home with her son in Xenia, where she died, at the ad- vaneed age of eighty-three years, in the faith of the Christian Church. Four sons were born to the parents, the eldest of whom, Jolmn, died in Cincinnati; William, our subject, was the second born; David died at Dayton, in 1878; George W. enlisted in the Union Army, in 1863, and served until obliged to receive his discharge on account of disability. He is now in the Soldier's Home at Dayton.
The subject of this notice remained a resident of his native town of New Carlisle until a youth of eighteen years. In the meantime, when a boy of eleven, he began "paddling his own eanoe," working for the neighboring farmers, and later he was for three years employed in the tanyard of Shellabarger Bros., at $5 per month, where he did a man's work. When eighteen years old he com- menced an apprenticeship under Thomas Barton, a blacksmith, with whom he served three years, and for two years afterward worked as a journeyman.
In 1839, Mr. Pottle came to Enon, and was in the employ of others as a journeyman blacksmith until 1849. He then started a shop of his own. During the late war he prosecuted his business in partnership with John Feeser, until May 2, 1864. That day they elosed the shop and enlisted as Union soldiers in Company F, One Hundred and Fifty-third Ohio Infantry. Mr. Pottle was inus-
tered into serviee at Camp Denison, wlienee he accompanied his regiment to Virginia and partiei- pated in the battles of Oldtown and Green Springs. At the latter place, October 2, 1864, he was eap- tured by Jolinston's men, but was soon paroled and afterward remained in eamp at Cumberland until the 21st of the month. Then returning to Camp Denison, lie was mustered out on the 9th of Sep- tember following.
Resuming now the business which had been thus interrupted, Mr. Pottle built a blacksmith shop in Enon, in which he still labors to a certain extent, although his son attends to most of the business. Mr. Pottle retains possession of the anvil on which the first steel plow in America was made, at Brandt, Miami County, this State. It was manufactured in England for old Benjamin King, and cost him $50 in New York City. Mr. King subsequently had it in his blacksmith shop at Enon, and at his sale, which occurred later, Mr. Pottle purchased it for $30. It is a relie which he naturally values very highly. Besides his shop, Mr. Pottle owns his residenee and a number of town lots. He has been an honest, hard-working man and enjoys the respect of his neighbors.
Mr. Pottle was married in New Carlisle, Decem- ber 15th, 1845, to Miss Harriet Brandenburg, a native of Frederick County, Md. There were born to them five children, of whom the eldest, Mary E., is the wife of August Brookey, a eooper of Dayton; Fanny is the wife of Aaron Dunkel, a buteher, and they reside in Covington; Susan and William E. are at home with their parents.
Isaae N. W. Pottle, the partner of his father, was born in Enon, May 19, 1855, and at an early age gave evidence of having inherited the faenlty of handling blacksmith's tools, and took naturally to the shop. He conducted the business while his father went to the Centennial Exhibition, in 1876, and has had the principal management of the bus- iness sinee then. In 1885 he began setting up binders, and is now employed by the Whitley Company, of Springfield, as a traveling salesman three or four months in the year. He was married in 1883 to Miss Jennie Ford, a native of Mad River, and they have one child, Ada M. Isaac N. has been Constable for seven years and City Mar-
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shall four years. He is also Captain of the Sons of Veterans, Camp No. 189.
Mr. Pottle, for the long period of thirty years, has been a member of tlie City Council of Enon. HIe belongs to James B. Cross Post, No. 367, . G. A. R., at Enon, and politically, votes the Democratie ticket. Mrs. Pottle is a member, in good standing, of the Christian Church.
HOMAS C. ACKERSON. The business in- terests of Springfield, find a worthy repre- sentative in the subject of this notice, who is a dealer iu slate roofing material, understanding it in all its details, and is senior member of the well-known firm of T. C. & E. H. Ackerson. He is located many leagues from the place of his birth in Monmouth County, N. J., where he first opened his eyes to the light June 5, 1829. IIe is the off- spring of a good family, being the son of John and Eliza (Hayward) Ackerson, also natives of that State.
The Ackerson family is of German descent, and the paternal grandfather of our subject was Thomas Ackerson, a native of the Fatherland, who emi- grated to America in time to have a hand in the Revolutionary War. On the maternal side of the house he is of English extraction, his grandfather, Abraham Hayward, having emigrated directly from England. His father, John Ackerson, was a stone- mason, brick-layer and plasterer by trade, and emi- grated to Ohio about 1847, at that time changing his occupation, and locating on a farm in Spring- field Township. He only lived six years thereafter, his deathi taking place in 1853.
The mother of our subject survived her husband a number of years. The household eirele included five sons and three daughters, and only three of the family are living. Thomas was the fourth child and remained with his parents until a boy of eleven years, going then to live with his uncle, Dr. J. S. English, of his native county. He attended school and assisted the Doetor on the farm until a youth of seventeen years. He was then apprenticed to one Amos Helvean, to learn the trade of a black-
smith, and this accomplished, came to Ohio, and locating in Harmony, Clark Township, set up a shop and did business on his own account for seven years. Then removing to Springfield, he en- tered into partnership with James Neily, and they conducted a successful blacksmithing business until the outbreak of the Civil War. Mr. Ackerson then enlisted as a Union soldier in an independent com- pany of light artillery which was assigned to the Sixteenth Ohio Regiment, which he accompanied to St. Louis, Mo. There they joined the command of Gen. Fremont, and three months later our sub- jeet was made wagonmaster of a train. Subse- quently he was appointed Quartermaster of the Battery, a position which he held until being mus- tered out in 1864, at Columbus, Ohio.
Returning now to Springfield with his health much improved, Mr. Ackerson went from there to his native State, where he carried on farming three years. At the expiration of this time he returned to Springfield and engaged in his present business. IIe was married in 1873 to Miss Jennie, daughter of Louis C. and Eliza J. Huffman. This lady was born in Clark County, this State, February 24, 1841, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of two children, Lyda and Bessic. Mr. Ackerson is a member of Mitchell Post, No. 45, G. A. R., and is a stanch supporter of the Republican party. His religious views coincide with the doc- trines of the Methodist Church.
EDWARD HARWOOD, publisher and pro- prietor of the daily and weekly Gazette, at Springfield, established this paper in 1872, and confined himself to the weekly issue until 1878. He then began running the daily, which has the largest circulation of any paper in the city of Springfield. It is independent in politics and is devoted to the local news of Clark County in ad- dition to giving a resume of the important hap- penings all over the world.
Mr. Harwood was born in the city of Cincinnati May 26, 1848, and is a son of Franeis Lee Har- wood, who died in Newark, Ohio, in 1863, having
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removed to that place from Cincinnati several years previously. The mother, Mrs. Mary (Coffman) Harwood, is now a resident of Champaign County. The parental family included six children. T. Ed- ward attended a district school near Newark, and at the age of thirteen years entered the office of the Newark Advocate, where he served a regular ap- prenticeship of four years and six months at the "art preservative, "acquiring a thorough knowledge of all branches of the business. Subsequently he traveled as a journeyman through several States, sojourning a brief time in the principal cities and in March, 1865, landed in Springfield.
In due time Mr. Harwood purchased a small of- fice and established the Weekly Gazette, which he soon placed upon a sound footing. He has been uniformly prosperous, having good business capae- ities, exercising good judgment in the conduct of his paper. In 1868 he was joined in wedlock with Miss Anna M. Hartstone, who was born in Lincoln- shire, England, and came to America with her par- ents when a child. The latter were Frederick and Lettice (Manton) Hartstone, who were of English birth and ancestry. Of this union there have been born nine children, seven sons and two daughters, namely : Francis C., who is city editor of his father's paper; Jessie M., at home, Frederick H., Lee E., Charles A., Ralph C., Kenneth S. and Leonard A.
In politics Mr. Harwood is a pronounced Repub- lican. He is a member of the Ohio Associated Dailies, also of the National Editorial Association, of which he served as a delegate to the convention which met at Detroit, Mich., in 1889, and he is a member of Ephraim Lodge No. 146, I. O. O. F. He occupies a neat home in the southern part of the city and enjoys the friendship and companionship of its best people.
RANK B. DREES. Prominent among the leading and influential young men of Greene County, and an excellent represen - tative of its worth and push in business directions, is this gentleman, who has passed all his life in Xenia, and is consequently well known, not alone in
business, but also in social circles. Having re- ceived a fine education, and being gifted by nature with those particular characteristics essential to the most satisfactory results, he has, at the commence ment of his career, won a reputation for sagacity, honesty and fair dealing with all men.
A native of Xenia, Mr. Drees was born August 17, 1860, and is the son of Tobias and Maria H. (Hypes) Drees, natives respectively of Germany and this county. After their marriage they settled in Xenia, and became the parents of six children, of whom our subject was the fourth in order of birth. He was reared in Xenia, receiving splen- did educational advantages, first completing the studies in the ordinary public school system, then entering the Ohio Wesleyan University, located at Delaware, from which, after a thoroughi course of training, he was graduated in the class of 1882.
Having learned the carpenter's trade when a boy, under the immediate supervision of his father, he for a time was engaged in the duties of his trade, but soon after completing his college course, in January, 1883, he formed a partnership with W. H. Mc- Whirk, in the Xenia Twine and Cordage Company. In the spring of the same year the works were in. corporated, with a capital stock of $50,000. Of this company our subject has been Secretary con- stantly since its organization, and on January 1, 1890, was elected Treasurer of the same. The du- ties and responsibilities attaclied to these offices he has ably discharged, and the present flourishing condition of the company is largely due to his ef- forts.
On the 28th of October, 1883, occurred the cer- emony by which Miss Hannah J. Hartwell became the wife of Frank B. Drees. She is a daughter of J. W. and Virginia (Howell) Hartwell, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of the Old Dominion. They settled in Clark County after their marriage; the mother is now residing in Xenia, and the father is deceased. Three children bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Drees, namely: Vir- ginia, Berthia and Helen. They are bright and in- teresting and especial favorites with old and young. They will in time be given all the opportunities possible for mental and physical culture. Mr. Drees and his wife hold membership in the Metho-
O. W. MARSHALL.
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dist Church, and are faithful in attendance there, while all benefieent objects are aided by them willingly and generously. He attends strictly to his business, and takes very little interest in poli- tics, though he votes the Republican tieket in gen- eral eleetions. Ile cast his first ballot for Blaine as President. He is a most prosperous and excellent business man, and well deserves the suceess which has erowned his efforts.
C SCAR W. MARSHALL, senior editor of the Xenia Republican, has been connected, withi searcely an intermission, in an editorial capacity with the newspaper press of Greene County for nearly twenty-four years. Ile is a native of this county, and was born at Xcnia, September 27, 1839, his parents being Thornton and Mary ( Wal- ker) Marshall. The father was by profession a physician, but for many years was an honored official of the county of Greene and city of Xenia, having served as Clerk of Court, Probate Judge, Mayor of Xenia and Justice of the Peace.
Our subject received his primary education at the Xenia schools, finishing in the Ohio University at Athens, where he was graduated in 1857. On completing his studies he returned to Xenia, and engaged in the drug business until the firing of Ft. Sumter in April, 1861. Two days after the news of that event had arrived at Xenia hic enlisted in Company D, Twelfth Regiment Ohio Infantry, having responded to a call for ninety-day soldiers. At the expiration of his term of service he re- turned to Xenia, but the conflict continuing, he again enlisted, in 1863, in the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Ohio Infantry. Being a druggist he served most of the time on detached duty as Assistant IIospital Steward and Medical Clerk. Ile was with his regiment in West Virginia, and at the battle of New Creek, in which his company participated.
In 1864, his term of enlistment having expired, Mr. Marshall again took up his abode in Xenia, where for nearly two years he served as Deputy Clerk of the Common Pleas and Probate Courts.
In 1866 he first became identified with the press of Greene County, by buying a part interest in the office and plant of the Xenia Torchlight. In the fall of 1878 he severed his connection with that paper, selling his interest in it and engaging in other pursuits. In 1880 he again entered the news- paper field, forming a partnership with Warren Anderson in the publication of the Xenia Sunlight; three months later our subject became sole pro- prietor by the purchase of Mr. Anderson's in- lerest.
In 1881 John A. Benendje entered into partner- ship with Mr. Marshall in the newspaper and job-printing business under the firm name of Mar- shall & Benendje, when the name of the paper was changed to the Xenia Republican. It is a nine. column folio, is Republiean in politics, and has a large eirculation. The Republican office is well equipped with everything required for a first-class newspaper and job-printing establishment, inelud- ing two eylinder presses, several bed and platen presses, gas engine, stereotyping outfit, cte.
Mr. Marshall was married April 23, 1884, to Miss Sarah A. Adams, a native of Jamestown, Greene County, and both are members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church at Xenia. Mr. Mar- shall, socially, is a member of Xenia Lodge, No. 45, F. & A. M.
A portrait of Mr. Marshall is presented on another page of this volume.
C HARLES M. CLARK, a native-born eitizen of Ohio, is distinguished as being one of the oldest settlers of this county now living in Springfield, and he is honored for the active part he has taken in developing its resources and in furthering its material prosperity. He has retired from the aetive duties of life, and is living in an attractive home at No. 359 East High Street. By energetic and shrewd business methods and by hon- orable dealings he has acquired a valuable property, and is numbered among the substantial and wealthy citizens of this seetion of the State. He has been for a long time closely identified with the agricul-
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tural interests of Clark County, engaged in tilling the soil. He improved a valuable farm, carried on a large eattle business, and for many years was the most extensive wool buyer in this part of the eoun- try.
He was born in Coshocton County, August 12, 1808. His father, James Clark, was a native of Virginia, and when a young man learned the eoop- er's trade, which he carried on during his residence in his native State. About 1803, he decided to emigrate to the West, and accompanied by his fam- ily started with a team, and made an overland journey to this State, and became one of the early settlers of Ohio, locating in Coshoeton County, where he lived until about 1811. In that year he again started westward with a team, and eame as far as Clark County. His means were limited, and as he had not the wherewithal to buy land he rented a traet in Springfield Township, on which he re- sided a few years, and then made another move, selecting Champaign County as a suitable location. He had worked hard and saved some money, which he then invested in a tract of land near Meelianics- burg. There he engaged in agriculture, and quietly passed the remaining years of his life. The maiden name of his wife was Martha Davis. She was also a native of Virginia, and, like him, passed her de- elining years on the home farm in Meehaniesburg.
The son of whom we write was a child of three years when his parents eame to the wilds of Clark County : yet he remembers well some of the inci- dents of the journey through the dense primeval forests and over the wild prairies that intervened between the old home and the new. This county was at that time very thinly settled, and deer, bears, wolves, and other kinds of wild animals were plen- tiful. Springfield was but a hamlet, giving no in- dieations of its present size and importanee, and as there were no railways or eanals, all transporta- tion was done by team, and all travel was either by foot, horsebaek or stage. Our subject remained an inmate of the parental household until after attain- ing manhood. His father then gave him a horse, saddle aud bridle, and thus equipped he started out in life for himself. He soon began dealing in eattle, buying them in the surrounding country and driv- ing them to Eastern Pennsylvania, a distance of
upwards of five hundred miles, and usually about six months time would be required in getting a drove together, driving them to market and dis- posing of them. On one of his trips he bought a buggy, which was the first vehiele of the kind ever introdueed into this seetion of Ohio and he recalls with pride that he had the honor of taking the Hon. Thaddeus Stevens to ride in it. He made his home with an older brother until his marriage, and then purchased a farm in Moorefield Township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits, and also eon- tinued the cattle trade, and was for many years an extensive wool buyer, continuing in that business until. 1889. He resided on his farm until 1875, when he came to this eity and purchased his present sub- stantial residence on East High Street, where he lives in retirement, having accumulated an ample fortune.
Mr. Clark's home is made pleasant and his life is cheered by the presence of his amiable wife, to whom he was united in marriage in early manhood. IIer maiden name was Chloe Foley, and she was like himself, a native of Ohio, born in Moorefield Town- ship, this county, and is also of pioneer antecedents. Her father, Absalom Foley, was, like the father of our subject, a Virginian by birth. His father John Foley was a planter and so far as known, spent his entire life in the Old Dominion. Her fa- ther was reared in his native State, and when a young man came to Ohio in pioneer times. He worked for his brother-in-law in this county, and finally bought with his earnings a tract of timber land, on which he began farming on his own ae- eount. He built a brick house, which was the first ever ereeted in that seetion of the county, and was considered a fine residenee in those days. He later purchased another farin near by, and passed the latter part of his life there. The maiden name of the wife of Absalom Foley was Susan Bishop, and she was a daughter of James C. and Chloe (Lake) Bishop. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have eight children liv- ing, namely : Martha J. (Mrs. Jones), Charles E., Janies M., Absalom F., Robert R., Fannie F. (Mrs. Worley ), Sally (Mrs. Lyon), and Alice Belle, sin- gle, living at home.
Though not among the earliest settlers of this county, Mr. Clark was one of its pioneers, having
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settled in Clark County with his parents in 1811, and, as we have seen, ably assisted in establishing it on a firm basis of enduring prosperity, and while thus doing has accumulated wealth for himself. Ilis record through a long and busy life has been such as to command the respect of his fellow-men, and all appreciate his personal worth and the fine qualities of heart and mind that make him a good citizen and true in all the relations of life. Both he and his estimable wife are members in high standing of the First Presbyterian Church. Politi- cally, he was an old line Whig and on the forma- tion of the Republican party became a strong ad- herent of its principles and has remained steadfast to the Republican party ever since.
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