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 73

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 73
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 73

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. Mowatt, of whom we write, spent his early years in his native village acquiring a practical ed- ueation in the common schools. When a youth of nineteen he left home, going to London, England, where he was employed as a clerk in the warehouse of Bowman & Mays two years. He then went to Ipswich where he had charge of a warehouse four years. Afterward he for sometime traveled quite extensively over England and finally accepted a situation as a fireman on the Cunard line of steam- ers, plying along the European coast. In 1855, he came to America and located in Springfield, this State, occupying himself as a stonecutter with his brothers, Alexander and William, for six months. He then embarked in business as a contractor and lime-burner and soon bought a stone quarry on North Street which he operated and where he burned lime a number of years. He still operates quite extensively as a contractor.

Mr. Mowatt was married in Springfield, October 23, 1855, to Miss Janet Gibson. There were born to them two daughters, one of whom, Janet, died in the twenty-third year of her age; Martha E. is the wife of John II. Wilson, a sketch of whom ap- pears on another page of this work. Mrs. Mowatt, like her husband, is a native of Scotland and was born near Cumnoek, Ayrshire. Her father, Alex- ander Gibson, was born at Burnside, in the same shire of which her paternal grandfather, James

Gibson, was also a native and a life-long resident. Alexander Gibson, during his earlier years oeeu- pied himself as a shepherd. He spent his entire life in his native county and was buried in Sanqu- har Church-yard in Dumfries-shire. His wife whose maiden name was Janet Thompson, who was born in Sanquhar and was the daughter of Robert and .Janet (Johnson) Thompson, who were born and spent their entire life in Dumfries-shire.

Mrs. Mowatt had two brothers, James and George. James died in youth when about sixteen or seventeen years old. George joined the English Army in London in 1857, and shortly afterward was ordered to India where he did service as an officer during the Indian mutiny, and was thus em- ployed for twenty years, at that time he was retired on a pension and returned home; but the climate not being suitable to him after so many years in India he went to Australia and there died in 1887. He was man of very fine appearance and through bravery and other meritorious deeds had been pre- sented with numerous costly medals.

Mrs. Mowatt was but a child at the time of her father's death and went with her mother to the home of her maternal grandparents in Dumfries- shire, where her mother spent her last years. Mr. and Mrs. Mowatt are members of the First Presby- terian Church at Springfield and Mr. Mowatt, po .. litically, supports the Republican party.

S AMUEL A. ORT, President of Wittenberg College and Professor of Systematie Divin- ity and Mental Philosophy, is recognized as one of the leading educators of this eoun- try, a man admirably adapted to the duties of his responsible position. He comes of reliable Penn- sylvania stock and was born in Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pa., November 11, 1843, being the younger of two brothers, the offspring of Samuel and Christina . (Aurand) Ort. The parents of President Ort were likewise natives of the Key- stone State, the father of Danish descent and the mother tracing her ancestry to France. The pater-

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nal grandparents emigrated from Germany to America in the year 1770, and settled near Lewis- town, Pa., where, in 1804, their son Samuel, was born. The latter upon reaching man's estate mar- ried a lady who like himself was very pious and who died when her son, Samuel Jr., was a lad of ten years. She had, however, already by her Chris- tian example and training imbued her son with the spirit of her own piety and though he did not openly identify himself with the Church until approach- ing manhood, those early impressions became the underlying principles and motives of his after life.

Almost from his infancy Samuel Ort had been consecrated to the service of the church,and shortly after the death of his mother he was sent by his father about ten miles from Lewistown to the semi- nary in the beautiful Kishacoquillas Valley, where he spent three years, chiefly in the study of the Latin and Greek languages. At the expiration of this time, coming to Ohio, he entered Wittenberg College, where he distinguished himself as a close student of literature and from which he was grad- uated in 1863 with the honors of his class. Subse- quently he spent two years in the study of theology at the same institution and in the meantime had been employed as a tutor in the preparatory de- partment.

In the year 1865, Prof. Ort received a call from the Lutheran Church at Findlay, this State, of which he was pastor from that time until 1868. The following year he was the teacher of Latin and Literature in Hagerstown, (Md.,) Female Semi- nary. In 1869, he returned to Wittenberg and the following year was elected Assistant Professor of Mathematics and taught rhetoric, English Litera- ture and logic. The Chair of Belles Lettres and English Literature was proffered him but he did not accept. Subsequently he was elected Professor of Mathematics. In the fall of 1874, he accepted a call from Louisville Mission, at Louisville, Ky., and once more, very much in opposition to the wishes of friends, left the college, entering upon his work there November 1. The erection of a church building was at once begun and from a small be- ginning the congregation increased in numbers un- til at the expiration of four years the membership, originally twenty-five, now aggregated three hun-

dred and fifty and the Sunday School had grown from forty pupils to the neighborhood of six hun- dred, becoming the largest in the city and contin- uing such.

In Louisville, in 1875, Dr. Ort was joined in wedlock with Miss Anna Senteny. She is the daughter of Dr. W. W. Senteny, a noted physician of Louisville, Ky. There have been born to them seven children of whom two sons and four daugh- ters are living. Dr. Ort was called to St. James Church,New York City, in 1879,and there as at other places where he had been the church received a new impetus. In the summer of 1880, he was elected to the Chair of Sacred Philology in Wittenberg Col- lege. Although he had entered upon a promising work in the great metropolis he was scarcely able to resist the call of his Alma Mater once more and accordingly accepted and entered upon the dis- charge of his duties as Professor of Theology in October following. In the spring of 1882 he was elected to the President's Chair.

About this time the erection of a new college building was being agitated and in the canvassing of the city of Springfield which followed for the purpose of collecting funds, Dr. Ort in addition to his other duties took an active part. Notwithstand- ing the financial depression of that time, the work was successfully carried on until the necessary amount-$67,000-was raised. The building was completed and dedicated June 16, 1886, and stands as a monument to the perseverance and labors of President Ort, besides being the finest college build- ing in the State. Dr. Ort, in 1884, was elected Pro- fessor of SystematicTheology and this entailed upon him still further duties and labors. Wittenberg College, however, is the child of his fostering care and he regards no efforts too great and no labors too irksome so long as he has strength mentally and physically to perform them. Each term in the history of the college gives ample indication that it is steadily advancing in everything pertaining to the best good of its pupils, numbers of which are graduated each year and go to take honorable posi- tions in the world.

For a period of six years, beginning with 1873, Dr. Ort officiated as Secretary of the General As- sembly of the church. He preached a sermon at its

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opening in Baltimore in 1875, also at Wooster, Ohio, in 1879, and was elected President of that body at Omaha, Neb., June 2, 1887. He was edi- tor-in-chief of the Lutheran Evangelist published at Springfield from 1881 to 1885. In 1887, he de- livered the first lecture in the Holman course before the theological students at Gettysburg, Pa.

Dr. Ort possesses literary talents of a fine order and has been a deep thinker and a close Bible stu- dent. Noticeable among his productions are "The Doctrine of theResurrection;" "Criticism ofTheistic Argument;" three articles on the "Ministerium ;" an address on the "True Idea of Brotherhood,"in pam- phlet form ; "Jesus and the Scientist;" "Christ the Climax of Humanity," and others of equal impor- tance and interest. As an instructor, Dr. Ort pos- sesses in a marked degree the faculty of interesting his pupils and elucidating the great questions with which they have to deal in a manner which fastens it upon their memory. As an orator, he stands second to none in his particular field of labor and lie possesses a bright originality of thought which exercises a charm over his hearers. Personally he is genial and companionable and has gathered around him hosts of friends, not only in educational cir- cles, but in the entire community. He occupies with his family one of the pleasantest homes in the city of Springfield, this being located near the col- lege and in all its surroundings indicating cultured tastes and the refinements of modern life.

UGUSTUS G. PRATT. There are few men in Clark County who have made a greater success of their agricultural labors than the subjeet of this sketch, who occupies one of the finest farms in Madison Township and owns a large amount of real estate. He was born in Mil- ford Center, Union County, January 3, 1833, his father being a merchant of that town. Since the age of six years he has lived on a farm, with the exception of a few years spent in Springfield, to which place he went in 1850, to work in his uncle's store. During the college year of 1852-53 he went to Wittenberg College for a finishing course of ed-

ucation. In 1854 he took to himself a wife and began housekeeping on the farm upon which his father had died. There he remained about two years when he removed to his present location. The home estate comprises three hundred and forty acres of fine land which is devoted to general farming and in every part gives proof of the intelligent man- ner in which it has been conducted. It bears ex- cellent improvements of the most complete kind and in every respect is a home of comfort and prosperity.

During the late war Mr. Pratt was a member of the celebrated "squirrel hunters" and also of the National Guards of the State. He saw something of campaign life in repelling the raid of the rebel Gen. John Morgan. His political adherence has been given to the Republican party since the or- ganization of that body. He has been useful in his day and generation, not only in setting an example of persistent industry and good citizenship, but in serving his fellow-men in local affairs. For eleven years he has been Township Trustee and for twenty-one years he has held the office of School Director. His continuation in these positions year after year is a sufficient proof of his able ef- forts to advance the cause of education and build up the material prosperity of the township, and of the appreciation of his merits which is felt by those about him. Mrs. Pratt is a respected mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, as the family was before her.

The lady who for a number of years has held a place at the head of Mr. Pratt's household, was known in her girlhood as Mary C. Clark. She became the wife of our subject April 27, 1854, and since that time has been his most cherished com- panion, highly valued for her fine character which endears her to many beyond the family circle. She is the daughter of John D. and Susannah (Foley) Clark, who became man and wife .December 24, 1823. John Clark was a native of Hampshire County, Va., but of English descent and came to the vicinity of Springfield when but a boy, accom- panying his parents, James and Martha (Davis) Clark, His wife was a daughter of James and Mary (Marsh) Foley and in the maternal line was of Welsh extraction. James Foley was Captain of a

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light horse company and served in the War of 1812.

Mr. and Mrs. Pratt are the happy parents of eight children whose record we subjoin. Charles E. is a resident of Chicago, working in the stock yards; he has a wife and four children-Mabel. Edna, John A. and Harry C. A. Irene, is the wife of Ed. Gilroy, of Darlington, I. T., where he is Indian agent. John Clark is farming on the old homestead where our subject owns five hundred and fifty- three acres of land; he is married and has one son-Wyatt C. Ida F. married Frank M. Murray of South Charleston, a son of Cyrus Mur- ray, and a farmer. Josie is the wife of Edward Flynn, editor of the South Charleston Sentinel. Norma E., a miss at home, is devoting herself to the study of shorthand. Anna Blanche and Mabel E. complete the family circle.

The first of the Pratt family to take up their abode in this vicinity was Elijah Pratt, the first physician in the township, who came hither from the Empire State in 1816. It was under his tuition that the aged Dr. Houston studied his profession. He owned the land just west of the village of South Charleston and a large tract of other land in the neighborhood. The mortal remains of himself and wife were deposited on a lot back of where John Murray now lives. His wife was a Miss Martha Woodruff, who bore him five children, all being born in the Empire State. They were: Hannibal, Fletcher W., Elwell, Anna and Martha. The sec- ond son married a Miss Lightfoot and reared a family of eleven children; Martha spent her life in single blessedness; Anna died in childhood.

Hannibal Pratt was the hero of a runaway match, his companion in the elopement being Miss Char- lotte Murray. There being some opposition to their union, they went on horseback to the resi- dence of Squire Whitely, which was about half way between South Charleston and Springfield and routing the official from his bed persuaded him to tie the knot which made them one. At that time Mr. Pratt was keeping store at Fairfield.

Some time after their union Mr. and Mrs. Han- nibal Pratt removed to Milford Center, where they remained until after the birth of their three chil- dren. They then took up their abode on a farm

in Darby Plains, Madison County, where the hus- band and father died of typhus fever in 1836, hav- ing been ill but eleven days. The widow with her children removed to Charleston, but in 1843, moved onto her farm which is a part of the place upon which our subject now lives. Here she lived until 1863, when she was stricken with typhoid fever and died at the age of sixty-four years. She was the daughter of Mongo and Catherine Murray, and a native of Scotland, where her father was a blacksmith to the Duke of Arthel. When she was but an infant her parents came to America, and she learned to walk on shipboard, their voyage occu- pying many weeks. Her children are Amanda J., who is unmarried; Marilla A., who was married but has no children ; and he who is the subject of this sketch.

AVID S. HARNER, of Xenia Township, presents another instance of a native- born citizen of this county who has con- sidered its soil sufficiently good for him to remain upon, and who has reflected credit upon himself for what he has accomplished in life. IIe was born June 27, 1840, in Beaver Creek Town- ship, where he spent his early life upon his father's farm learning the arts of agriculture and acquiring a practical education in the common schools. Af- ter his marriage he settled in Xenia Township of which he has since been a resident. His prop- erty includes one hundred and seventy-five acres of well-tilled land with good improvements and where have been expended much time and labor to ex- cellent purpose.

In addition to being a thorough master of his call - ing as an agriculturist Mr. Harner possesses in- ventive genius of no mean order. Among the contrivances which he has perfected, is a machine for marking corn ground. Ile has in process of construction a machine for cutting and shocking corn by horse power and he has invented various attachments for the reaper and mower which are gradually coming into practical use. He thus em- ploys considerable of his spare time and from the

Respectfuly Jours Juro Luiting

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nature of lis inventions it would be natural to sup- pose that he will in the near future be able to realize something substantied therefrom.

Mr. Hammer was worried in Beaver Creek Town- ship. this county, October 23, 1865, to Mrs. Lavina ( Wall) Koogler. This Fuly was the widow of Jacob Koogler who died of disease contracted in the army during the late Civil War. Her daughter, Anna, by her first marriage, is now living in Xenia. Mrs. Harner, like her husband, is a native of Beaver Creek Township and was born December 5, 1842. Of her union with our subjeet there are four cliil- dren, Casper B., Mary L., Emma and Frank E. Mr. Ilarner votes the straight Republican ticket while he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Reformed Church.

The parents of our subject were Daniel and Anna (Snyder) Harner, the former of whom is still liv- ing and a resident of Beaver Creek. The mother died about 1878. Their family consisted of four children.

OHIN LUTZ. The industrial interests of Xenia are worthily represented by this reli- able and substantial citizen, whose portrait appears on the opposite page, and who for more than thirty years has successfully carried on blacksmithing and wagonmaking, and is now finan- cially well-to-do. His shops are located on West Main Street, upon the ground where he began bus- iness in the spring of 1859. In 1872 he added a commodious brick building, and has always given employment to a goodly number of men. He is thus one of the old landmarks, and his industry and perseverance have reared for him a monument which will endure long after he has been gathered to his fathers.

A native of Washington County, Md., the sub- ject of this notice was born January 5, 1829, near Clear Spring, and lived with his parents until he was twenty-three years old, acquiring a limited ed- ucation in the common school, and being trained to those habits of industry and frugality which have served him so well in later life. At an early age

he commenced learning the trude of a blacksmith, and remained a resident of his native State until a young man of twenty-three years. Then, in November, 1853, coming to Ohio, he located in Xenia, and for fourteen months was in tlie em- ploy of James White. He had, however, left be- hind him, in Maryland, a maiden to whom he was betrothed and to whom he now returned and was married. The following spring he came back to Xenia accompanied by his father and they estab- tablished themselves in business on Church Street, where he conducted his trade as a blacksmith four years. In the spring of 1859 our subject pur- chased the wagon works of one of the early set- tlers and, with the exception of the first year, he has conducted the business alone.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Lutz watched the conflict closely until the early part of 1864, hoping that there might be a settlement of difficulties between the North and South without his interference. In May of that year, however, he resolved to not wait any longer and accord- ingly arranged his business affairs as well as he could, and proffered his services as a Union soldier to Company E, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Ohio Infantry, going with his regiment to New Creek, Va. He fought at the battle of New Creek, which was his only experience of a hand to hand con- fict with the enemy, as the war was nearing its close, but he had ample taste of the hardships and privations incident to a soldier's life. After the surrender of Lee he received his honorable dis- charge at Camp Denison, Ohio, and in due time returned to the peaceful pursuits of civil life.

The marriage of John Lutz and Miss Sevilla Wolford was celebrated at the bride's home in Maryland, in March, 1855, and the young people began the journey of life together in the city which has since been their home. There have been born to them six children, of whom the fol- lowing are living: John E., Laura B. now the wife of Jolin F. Sanders; Cora E. and Ida S., Mrs. George Sinz. Mr. Lutz belongs to the Reformed Church, and is a member in good standing of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

The Lutz family is supposed to be of German ancestry. Henry Lutz, the father of our subject.

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was a native of Lancaster County, Pa., born neal Millersburg, in 1802. His wife, Frances Moudy, was a native of Williamsport, Md. Their family consisted of two sons and three daughters, but only two of the children grew to mature years: John, our subject, and his sister, Mary C., who is the wife of B. Y. Berry, a resident of Xenia, Ohio. In 1859 Henry Lutz removed to Indiana and set- tled on a farm ncar Ft. Wayne. He lived there ten years, then returned to Xenia, where his death took place in 1877. The mother died the follow- ing year. The paternal grandfather, Nicholas Lutz, spent his last years in Pennsylvania; his father came directly from the Fatherland.

L AFAYETTE RUNYAN. Harmony Town- ship, Clark County, has been settled by a class of men more than ordinarily enterprising and intelligent, and among these the subject of this notice holds no secondary position. He has for many years been operating successfully as a farmer and stock-raiser, and while pursuing a career which reflects great credit upon himself, has contributed largely to the growth and development of the country around him. The enterprise and indus- try of one man operates as a stimulus to those around him, who insensibly emulate his example, and like the pebble dropped into the pool, the cir- cle of his influence is thus largely felt and seen.

Mr. Runyan was born near the town of Center, Pleasant Township, Clark County, April 21, 1848, and is the son of one of its representative men, Peter L. Runyan, who with his wife, Jane Wright, was also a native of Pleasant Township. The father of our subject died March 24, 1876, at the age of sixty-two years. He had been four times married. By his first wife, also a Miss Wright, he became the father of one child, Lemuel, who is now a resident of Champaign County, this State. His second wife, Jane, became the mother of two children, Lafayette, our subject, and a daughter, Susannah. His third wife was Sarah Page, and she died without children. By his fourth wife, Eliza- beth Renshaw, Mr. Runyan became the father of

four sons-William, U. S. Grant, George and Charles. The fourth wife is still living, making her home in Catawba, this county. Mr. Run- yan and all his wives were members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church.

The father of our subject was a self-made man in the strictest sense of the word. Setting out with no capital but his own resources, he accumulated a good property, leaving two hundred acres of fine farming land which, with its improvements, con- stituted a valuable estate. His parents were George and Susannah Runyan, who were natives of Vir- ginia. In 1812, after their marriage, they settled on a farm in Pleasant Township, where the grand- father effected many improvements, and became prominent in his community. Both he and his wife were active members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. They made the journey from Virginia on horseback, bringing with them their first-born. That same year Grandfather Runyan was drafted and furnished a substitute for the War of 1812. He became the father of the following children, viz: John, Peter L. and Susan, who married Nathan Martin. All were married and had familes, but all are now deceased. Grandfather Runyan and his wife dicd at their homestead in Pleasant Town- ship.

The subject of this notice spent his boyhood and youth in a manner common to the sons of pioneer farmers, growing up healthy in mind and body, and when twenty years old began farming on his own account at the old homestead. On the 14th January, 1875, he was united in wedlock with Miss Louisa, daughter of Jerry and Jane (Hodge) Tea- zel. Not long afterward he removed to a farm of one hundred and eight acres, which he had pur- chased in Champaign County. Remaining there until 1882, he then removed to his present farm in Harmony Township, this comprising two hun- dred and thirty-eight acres in the northwest corner. Mr. and Mrs. Runyan are now the parents of four children-Nora Myrtle, Lester, Carrie Anna and Ralph M.

Mrs. Janc (Wright) Runyan, the mother of our subject, was a daughter of John and Ruhama (Matthews) Wright who were natives respectively of Jefferson County, Va., and Gettysburg, Pa.

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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 73

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