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 78
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 78
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Mr. Dunn was married in Fairfield, December 31, 1866 to Miss Mary Scudder. She was born in Fair- field, July 31, 1847, and is the daughter of William Scudder a native of New York State and a sad- dler by trade. Mr. Scudder in early life removed to New Jersey and thence to Fairfield, this State, where he occupied himself at saddlery and harness- making, doing a large and lucrative business. He finally retired upon a competency, and is now liv- ing with our subject, being seventy-seven years old. He was, during his younger years, a promi- nent man in the community and for a quarter of a century, officiated as the Postmaster of Fairfield.
The mother of Mrs. Dunn bore the maiden name of Sarah M. Hart. She was born in New Jersey and died in Fairfield New Year's day, 1885. To her and her husband there were born five chil- dren, three girls and two boys. The brothers and
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sisters of Mrs. Dunn are named as follows: Sarah C. married Noah Sipes and lives in Yellow Springs; Ralph H. lives in Atehison, Kan .; Lewis is a cigar maker of Springfield, Ohio; Mrs. Dunn, the wife of our subjeet, and Lillie M., who married Grover Bea- ton and lives in Fountain City, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn are the parents of two children only, the eldest of whom, a son, Walter, is a very bright and promising young man, possessing decided ability as an artist, making a specialty of crayon portraits. He is also a fine penman. He was graduated from the Fairfield High School and learned the miller's trade of his father. Carrie, the daughter, remains at home with her parents.
Mr. Dunn's mill property comprises two and one-half acres of ground and the mill as it now stands with the improvements he has made, is val- able property. He has a fine residence adjacent and Mrs. Dunn is also the owner of two residenees in Fairfield. Politieally, Mr. Dunn votes the straight Republican tieket and has been quite prominent in party polities, officiating as a delegate to the State and county conventions and filling other positions of trust and responsibility. He has been a member of the School Board of his district six years. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republie at Fairfield, in which he is Quartermaster, also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Mad River. His religions views coincide with the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church in which he is one of the pillars, being a Trustee, Chor- ister and Superintendent of the Sunday School. He contributes Jiberally to the support of the society and rendered substantial aid in the erection of the - church building. He has also been sent as a dele- gate to the Annual Conference.
The subject of our sketch is the offspring of a fine family, the son of Elnathan and Naney ( Friend) Dunn, who were natives of Ohio, both born in Hamilton County. The paternal grandfather, Bar acha Dunn, was a native of Nova Scotia, whence he removed to New Jersey early in life, where he followed his trade of a shoemaker and also engaged in farming. In 1801 he emigrated to Ohio, set- tling in Hamilton County with the Longworths and when Cineinnati was a mere hamlet. He put up one of the first shoe shops in the place and while
working at his trade invested his capital in lands near which afterward grew up the town of Lock- land. "Old Nick" Longworth finally got the bet- ter of him so that he lost a large amount of prop- erty. He prosecuted farming however, and also engaged in milling. He lived to a ripe old age, spending his last days at Lockland. He served in the War of 1812 and in religious belief, adhered to the doctrines of the Baptist Church.
The paternal great-grandfather of our subjeet was George Dunn, a native of Ireland, who erossed the Atlantie in Colonial times and settled in Nova Seotia. He occupled himself as a fisherman along at the coast, both at the time and after his removal to New Jersey. The father of our subjeet learned the trade of a millwright at which he became skill- ful and sueeessful. He engaged in building mills in his native State until 1839, when he emigrated to Illinois, and in Sangamon County, put up a mim- ber of mills, along the Salt River. In 1846 he re- turned to Cineinnati, where he worked at his trade until the outbreak of the Civil War. He then entered the service at the age of fifty-nine years, becom- ing a member of the famous pioneer regiment which was mostly engaged in repairing and eonstrnetion. He was finally obliged to return home on account of illness. He lived, however, until 1875, dying in the faith of the Methodist Church and was a stanch supporter of the Republican party.
The mother of our subjeet, a lady of more than ordinary intelligence and great worth, was the daughter of Charles H. Friend, a native of Vir- ginia, a graduate of one of its best colleges and a genuine_offshoot of the F. F. V's. After leaving college he followed the profession of a teacher and he was also a shoemaker by trade. He finally went to Canada where he married into the Schroetz fam- ily, who were of German descent. He was eon- scripted into the British army and compelled to fight the Americans. After the war, returning to the States he settled at Fulton, a suburb of Cin- einnati and engaged for a number of years in the shoe business. Finally removing to Charleston, this State, he established a paper-mill in which the machinery was first operated by hand power. Later in life he removed to Lockland where he spent the remainder of his days. He was a Republican in
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politics, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Nancy (Friend) Dunn is still living, making her home at Lockland and is now sixty- eight years old. One of her brothers, C. W. Friend, an early settler of Lockland, was a paper-maker by trade, very enterprising and successful and was largely instrumental in the building up of the town. During the Civil War he served as a Lieutenunt- Colonel in the Seventy-fifth Ohio Infantry. He left a large estate at his deatlı, which occurred in 1882. Another brother, George Friend, was the leading paper-maker of the west, and was likewise prominent in the growth of Lockland, being in no way behind his brother in enterprise and persever- ance. He died in Lockland in March, 1859.
To the parents of our subject there were born the following children, of whom Andrew M. was the eldest. George F. is superintendent of the Detroit Sulphite Fiber Co. of Detroit, which oper- ates upon a capital of $10,000,000. Silas S. is in the flax business at Circleville, Dak .; John W. is a member of the firm of Laidlow. Dunn & Co., pump manufacturers of Cincinnati; Elizabeth, Mrs. Wigle, resides in Kingsville, Canada ; Annie is a resident of Detroit, Mich. Silas, during the Civil War served in the same regiment as our subject and the same length of time, George serving with his father in the pioneer regiment. Silas was shot through both thighs at Stone River and was carried by his brother, Andrew M., a mile to the field hospital. Ile recovered in due time sufficiently to be re- tained in the invalid corps, and remained in the army until the close of the war.
G EORGE W. JANUARY. The farming ele- ment of Greene County finds a worthy rep- resentative in the gentleman above named, whose home is in Silver Creek Township, south of Jamestown. He is now quite advanced in years, having been born June 13, 1810, and is spending his declining years in merited repose, after a long and busy life. The farm which he now occupies, has been his home since 1866, and is a valuable piece of property which has been carefully and in-
telligently managed, and supplied with a full line of buildings and other improvements.
The birth of our subject took place in Adams County, whence his parents removed to Highland County when he was very young, and to Greene County in 1820,he being then about ten years of age. Here he was reared and engaged in farm pursuits, carrying on a successful career within the borders of Silver Creek Township, and while pursuing the even tenor of his way, securing a high degree of respect from all to whom he is known. Although not an office seeker, he has held the minor offices, discharging their duties faithfully and creditably. Since he became a voter, his support has been given to Whig, the Abolition, and the Republican par- ties.
In Buckingham County, Va., he of whom we write was united in marriage with Mary S. Garnett, a native of that county, who was well reared by worthy parents, and was a noble specimen of Chris- tian womanhood. IIer parents, Armsted and Jo- hanna V. (Cook) Garnett, lived and died in that county, where her father was engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. They were slaveholders, and in excellent financial circumstances. They lived to be quite aged. Their daughter, Mrs. January, re- mained with them until her marriage, when she came to Ohio and assisted her husband to build up their home, being his cherished companion until October 13, 1888, when she was called hence. She had reached the allotted age of inan, having been born in 1818. She was a member of the Baptist Church, aud was well beloved not only by her im- mediate family circle, but by many acquaintances.
To Mr. and Mrs. January three sous were born, of whom we note the following: Robert P., who occupies the homestead, married Miss Maggie C. Smith, of this county; James M. is also mar- ried, and occupies a farm near Sabina, Clinton County, Ohio; William L. is a successful attorney in Detroit, Mich., his wife being Miss Carrie Broker, who like himself, was educated in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Robert January, the father of our subject, was born in the Blue Grass State, but came to Adams County, Ohio, late in the seventeenth or early in the eighteenth century. There he was married to
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Mary Wadman, who was born in Somerset-hire, England, and eame with her parents to the United States, when a miss of fourteen years. The fam- ily landed in Virginia, but subsequently came to Adams County, Ohio, where she became of age and married. In 1808, Robert January enlisted under Capt. Kincaid, of Adams County, and Col. Trim- ble, ex-Governor, becoming a member of Gen. Harrison's army, and serving about a year, when he was discharged. He re-enlisted and remained in the ranks until peace was declared in 1815. Al- though he took part in many active engagements, he escaped unhurt. After the war he removed with his family to Highland County, and a few years later to Greene County, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, dying in Silver Creek Township, when about three-seore years of age. Their family ineluded three sons and seven daughters, our subjeet being the first-born, and all but two being alive at this writing. Both parents were active members of the Christian Church, and instilled into the hearts of their chil- dren upright principles of conduct. In polities, Robert January was a Whig. James January, grandfather of George W. January, was born near Lexington, Ky., and was engaged in the battle of Blue Lick, Ky., against the Indians led by the notorious renegade Simon Girty, and was defeated by the same.
HOMAS W. STRETCHIER. In noting the early pioneers of Cedarville Township, Greene County, he with whose name we introduee this biographical outline can by no means be properly omitted from the list. IIe is the son of Thomas and Ann J. (Warner) Streteher, and was born next door to the old Walnut Street Thea- tre, Philadelphia, September 19, 1811. He lived there with his parents until the fall of 1832, in the meantime learning the trade of a gilder and dee- orator. Having now reached his majority he, with his brother Joseph, sought the West, and made Hillsboro, Ohio, his stopping place. He went to Cinemnati, and for a year thereafter followed his
trade there. Then being thrown out of employ- ment by the burning of the shop, he repaired to Dayton, and for five years thereafter was in the employ of a Mr. Hatfield. Afterward he returned to Cineinnati.
In the spring of 1835 Mr. Stretcher was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary Warner, who became the mother of four children, and died in April, 1868, at their home in Cedarville Township. Ilis eldest son, Wilson, is married and lives on an ad- joining farm ; he has one child. Alonzo Clarence is attending Antioel College at Yellow Springs; Ab- ner was married, but his wife died leaving three children-Clinton M .. Carl and Laura E. Mary A. is the wife of Parker P. Fisher, and they live in Clinton County; Theodore is married and liv- ing in Springfield; he has one ehild, a daughter, Anna.
Mr. Stretcher, in 1872, contraeted a second mar- riage, with Mrs. Lavina (Gill) Baker, widow of Miller Baker, who died in Clark County, Ohio. and they became the parents of two children. Rowena A. was married to James B. Cross, who was killed in Resaea, Ga .; they had two children-Ada and Della. She was then married to Dr. Holmes, and there was born to them one child. Mrs. Holmes died on Thanksgiving Day, 1888. The eldest dangh- ter, Ada B., married Charles E. Begget, a grain dealer of Paris, Ill .; Della C. is the wife of George E. Sperry, a dry-goods merchant of Hamilton, N. Y .; they have two children-James Edgar and Blanche. J. Clarence Holmes is now a resident of Boston, Mass., being employed as a book-keeper in in the large shoe firm of Adolph Myers & Co. James G. Baker, the son of Mrs. Stretcher, died in 1879, leaving a wife and four children; Clinton died in Springfield, Ohio; Maleolm M. is a resident of Tacoma, Wash., where he works at his trade of a printer for $100 per month: Homer C. is learn- ing the trade of a printer with his brother Mal- colm; Harriet E. lives with her mother, Mrs. Eliza- beth Baker, in Springfield, and is attending school. Of this marriage of Mr. Stretcher there were born no children. Carl Stretcher makes his home with them.
John Gill, the father of Mrs. Stretcher, partici- pated in the War of 1812, and witnessed Hull's
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surrender. He married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Richard and Ann (Gregory ) Bloxom, who came from England. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Stretcher were James and Martha (McWilliams) Gill, the latter of whom was a sister of a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The Gills were Irish and the Me Williams of Scotch descent.
When Mr. Stretcher went to Dayton, upon the occasion heretofore mentioned, the only hotel in the place was a log house. In 1841 he purchased one hundred and forty-three acres of land where he now lives, and which he has brought to a fine state of cultivation. There was then upon it only a small log cabin, which they occupied for many years. Mrs. Stretcher can remember when visiting there before her marriage to her present husband, hearing the rain patter on the clapboard roof. The floor of the cabin was of puncheon.
Mr. Stretcher during his younger years was a mechanic and artist of no mean skill, and has some fine specimens of his work, including a couple of fruit pieces done in water colors, and an ornamen- tal carved letter box. Among other relics which he carefully preserves is a badge which he fre- quently wears, and which he calls his "cosmopolitan badge," symbolizing the civilization of the whole world, and uniting all nations and all churches. The design is two disks, two and one-half inches in diameter, an eight-pointed star in a circle fastened together with a wire around the rim. The whole is composed of silver, and was plowed up by one of his hired hands on the farm. It is undoubtedly of Indian origin, and similar to those frequently seen in pictures as a decoration of the wild savage. Mr. Stretcher paid his man twenty-five cents for it, and fastening through it a red, white and blue ribbon wears it upon all occasions. He maintains that the sixteen points are designed to extend to the four quarters of the globe, and the tri-colors are typical of the unity of all nations-thus the name, cos- mopolitan badge.
Educated in the doctrines of the Quaker faith Mr. Stretcher held to these during his early years, but is now a prononneed spiritualist, a medium. and has often talked with his spirit friends, they some- times shaking him by the shoulder and waking him at night. Upon one occasion a cousin, a young
lady who had been a great singer, came and sat on the side of his bed and sang for him. Mr. Stretcher has a clock over one hundred years old, and which was purchased in Philadelphia by the inother of his first wife. Another relic is a fifty-shilling piece, which was used in the reign of King George III, in 1773. On one side is inscribed the words "to counterfeit is death." Mr. Stretcher when a young man took a ride on the first railroad train which went out from Philadelphia to Germantown. It will thus be seen that he is a man of large exper- ience, and has kept his eyes open to what was going on around him in the world. He cast his first Presidential vote for John Quincy Adams, remain- ing with the old Whig party until its abandonment, and has since been a cordial supporter of Repub- lican principles.
HOMAS SHARP, of Springfield, is so fort- unate as to possess abundant means which enables him to travel extensively and in other ways make profitable use of his leisure, and the fortune which he acquired during the years of energetic business life. He is an interesting con- versationalist, having observed keenly and read much, and both profit and pleasure may be derived from an hour spent in his society. He is a native of Cincinnati, born April 28, 1814, and is one of eight children belonging to the parental family. His brothers and sisters are: Mrs. Hester Acker- man, Mrs. Elizabeth Hopper, Mrs. Mary Hopper, Mathias, John, Morris and James.
The ancestral name was Sharpenstein, and the family were formerly residents of Holland. The first of the name to come to America crossed the Atlantic in the third or fourth vessel that landed at New Amsterdam, and John Sharpenstein, the grandfather of our subject, is believed to have been born in the metropolis. He removed to Bergen County, N. J., in Colonial times. and there prose- cuted his business of ship- building, residing there until his death. There Morris Sharpenstein, the father of our subject, was born, and lived until 1812. Ile served three years in the Revolutionary
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War, receiving for his services a land warrant for one thousand acres. After the war he carried on the business of ship-building in his native county, until the year above mentioned, when he deter- mined to remove to Ohio.
Accompanied by his wife, seven children . and two sons-in-law, Morris Sharpenstein turned his face Westward. The removal was made with three large Pennsylvania wagons, each drawn by four horses, the journey being through a wilderness in a portion of which the travelers had to cut their road. With his land warrant Mr. Sharpenstein secured one thousand acres of timber land in Hamilton County, and there began his labors as a pioneer of Ander- son Township. He first built a small house of round logs, but soon afterward crected a more commodious dwelling of hewn logs. At the time of his death, in 1821, he was preparing to build a brick dwelling. His wife, who survived him for twenty-five years, bore the maiden name of Eliza- beth Stagg.
The subject of this sketch was but six years old when his father died, but he continued to reside on the home farm, attending the pioneer schools of the county. The temple of learning was a log schoolhouse, which was heated by a fireplace and supplied with home made furniture, the benches being made of slabs with common wooden pins for legs. When sixteen years old, the lad went to Cin- cinnati,and entering the store of his brothers. John and James. remained in their employ until twenty- one years of age, learning book-keeping. and all the details of mercantile business. He then en- gaged in the dry goods trade on his own account, his store being located on Market Street, this being before Pearl Street was laid out. For some years he carried on the retail business, and then embarked as a wholesale dealer on Walnut Street, continuing in that branch of the dry-goods trade until his re- moval to Springfield.
Mr. Sharp (by whom and his brothers the family name was shortened to its present dimensions) had frequently visited and passed through Springfield, where his attention had been attracted by a certain piece of property. He told a friend to let him know if it was ever for sale. One day, in 1868, he received a telegram from this friend, informing
him that the place was for sale, and he at once came to this city and purchased it. It is a country residence in the city, the dwelling being sur- rounded by large grounds, adorned with a grove of oak trees, and occupying a rise of ground suf- ficiently high to command a view, not only of the city, but of the surrounding country. The dwell- ing is a commodious brick structure, home-like in its appearance, and furnished with every comfort and the adornments which the taste of the occupants has made desirable.
For nearly fifty years the joys and sorrows of life which have befallen Mr. Sharp, were shared by a devoted wife. The rites of wedloek werc cele- brated between them in March, 1836, the bride having been known as Miss Eliza J. Wood. She was born in the Empire State, and was a daughter of Ebenezer Wood, one of the pioneers of Cincin- nati. She died in 1884, and her remains are in- terred in Ferncliff. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Sharp died in infancy. Mr. Sharp has been a member of the Methodist Church since early youth, and is now connected with the society wor- shipping on High Street.
OHN D. STEELE, A.B., A.M., Secretary of the Hooven & Allison Cordage Company at Xenia, is a son of David Steele, of this county, and the grandson of John Steele, one of the carly pioneers of Southern Ohio. He was born in Beaver Creek Township, this county, November 4, 1855. Here he grew to mature years and acquired a good education, completing the course at the Union School in Xenia, from which he was graduated in the class of '72. Subsequently he was graduated from the University of Wooster, Ohio, with the degree of A. B.
The business career of Mr. Steele commenced in the office of his uncle, J. H. Harbine, a grain dealer of Xenia, and with whom he remained until 1881. That year he became a member of the firm of Eavey & Co., wholesale grocers, disposing of his interests in the business in July 1889, when he became connected with the Hooven & Allison Cor-
1
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dage Company. further details of which will be found on another page of this work. He attends strictly to business during business hours, and evi- dently has before him a successful career. IIe votes the straight Republican ticket, is a Royal Arch Mason, and a member in good standing of the Reformed Church.
In connection with the interests already men- tioned, Mr. Steele bolds the office of Vice-President of the Xenia National Bank, is a member of the pork packing firm of Millen, Harbine& Co., and is also a member of the wholesale grocery firm of Steele, Hopkins & Meradith, at Springfield, who succeeded to the business of B. F. Funk & Co., in May, 1889. He is also a stockholder of the Xenia Gas Com- pany. His business integrity is unquestioned, and he holds a good position in the social circles of Xenia and vicinity.
David Steele, the father of our subject, during the Civil War enlisted, about 1861, in the Third lowa Infantry, but on account of ill-health was soon afterward obliged to accept his honorable dis- charge. He then returned to Xenia, and having somewhat recovered was not content to rest at home while his country needed the assistance of every patriotic son. He accordingly re-enlisted, and raised Company E, Ninety-fourth Ohio In- fantry. He was presented with a Captain's com- mission, and going to the front with his command, fell mortally wounded at the battle of Stone River in January, 1863. He lingered for a time after being wounded, and his remains were laid to rest at Beaver Creek Cemetery, Alpha, Ohio. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Harbine, daughter of John Harbine, who was the first representative of that name in this county.
John Harbine was born in Washington County, Md., January 17, 1804, and lived there until com- ing to this county, in 1828. He was married in Lancaster County, Pa., August 21, 1827, to Miss Hester Herr, and not long afterward started with his young wife for their new home. They drove through in a carriage, and Grandfather Harbine bought the court-house in Beaver Creek Township, together with a tract of land. They moved into the dwelling thus obtained, and the husband occu-
pied himself as a miller, having likewise purchased the mill which stood on the property, and which was the first structure of the kind in this county. The first flour which he manufactured was called the Alpha Brand, from the first letter of the Greek alphabet. From this the post office was also named when first established.
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