The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 73

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1254

USA > Ohio > Union County > The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record; > 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).

Stephen Winget, Jr., was born in Darby Township, Union Co., Ohio, in April, 1807, a month after the death of his father, Stephen Winget, Sr. In 1829, he mar- ried Matilda Marshall, daughter of Thomas Marshall, and in May, 1830, removed with his wife to Marysville and entered into the cabinet-making business. His health afterward failed and he moved upon a farm he had purchased on the Milford road, but finally returned to Marysville and resumed his former occupation. For eight years he was associated with Jesse Gill in a saw-mill at North Lewisburg, Champaign County; both men are now deceased, Mr. Winget's death occurring at Marysville, December 19, 1879. Upon his arrival in this town in May, 1830, Mr. . Winget moved in with his brother Calvin and lived for a few months in the upper part of the house occupied by the latter. He afterward occupied for a time. a small frame building owned by Silas G. Strong, which stood opposite the present site of the Presbyterian Church, on the south side of West Center street. Strong bad kept store in said building, carrying probably a general country stock. Stephen McLain was then a prominent citizen of the town, and occupied a central

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

location, somewhere near the spot on which the Union Block now stands. The surroundings of the village at that day were rather dreary and unpleasant; scrubby brush, wet land and heavy timber made up the landscape, and about where the Presbyterian Church now is, and for a considerable space around, a " cat-tail " and willow swamp presented its beauties to the eye of the beholder. There was scarcely an indication that the village in a mud-hole would ever become the prosperous, thrifty and beautiful town which is the pride of its citizens to-day.

In May, 1830, there were but two or three frame houses in the place. Levi Phelps lived in one, a man named Powell in another, and Cornelius Sheltman, a wheelwright, in another. Silas G. Strong was then keeping hotel on the ground lately occupied by Judge Woods, in a two-story log building, part of which was weather-boarded. Mrs. Stephen Winget was one of the ladies who attended the first Fourth of July celebration in Marysville, in 1828, and remembers it well ; six couples of young people were present from Darby Township. Mrs. Winget was born near Culpepper Court House, Fauquier Co., Va., and her father, Thomas Mar- shall, removed with his family to Logan County, Ohio, when the daughter was five years old. In 1814, he changed his place of residence to Darby Township, Union County, and died, in the neighborhood of 1840, while living on Sugar Run.

Thomas Marshall Winget, oldest son of Stephen and Matilda Winget, was born in Marysville in August, 1830, and died at his home in the same town, De- cember 27, 1877. He had been a respected citizen all his life. His occupation had been that of a carpenter and cabinet-maker. He married Tabitha A., daugh- ter of William M. Robinson, who, with three children, survives him.

" Philander B. Cole,* now the senior member of the bar of Union County, was born in Columbus, Ohio, October 10, 1815. IIc was the only child of James Cole and Jerusha, his wife. His father, James Cole, removed to Delaware County, where he bought land, about one-half of which was in Delaware and the other half in Union County, the family residence being in the former. This land was cleared and made into a farm, Philander assisting to clear and cultivate the same until the death of his mother, which took place in May, 1831. He was then in his sixteenth year. His father subsequently married again, at the happening of which event the young man carefully considered the situation and made up his mind to retire from the old home and seek his own fortune in the world. The first move he determined on for himself was to procure an education. To that end he immediately commenced attending school in the home district ; this was in the fall of 1831, and he continued at the same school, which was taught by three different teachers, until December, 1832, when the teacher, a Mr. William Porter, frankly admitted that the pupil was as good a scholar as the master, and recom- mended him to seek better means of education elsewhere, advising him to go to Marysville and attend a school taught by his cousin, William C. Lawrence, which course he adopted ; and these are the circumstances which brought Philander B. Cole to Marysville. In the latter part of December, 1832, he called on Mr. Law- rence, at Marysville, and found him a very courteous and affable gentleman. He said he could receive him into the school if he could recite in classes already formed, and gave him a letter to Judge Silas G. Strong, recommending his adınis- sion. Mr. Strong was one of the Directors, and very readily assented to the re- quest of Mr. Lawrence. The kind treatment that Mr. Cole received from both those gentlemen on that occasion still remains fresh in his mind as a most pleas- ant remembrance. So the arrangement was made and he came to Marysville and entered the school on the 7th of January, 1833. He was then past seventeen years of age. He had been very carefully taught the rudiments of education, was a good speller and reader, was quite well informed on the rules of pronunciation, and had some superficial knowledge of arithmetic, geography and English grammar. He had a passion for reading, and perused over and over again the few books that had then come in his way; and he remembered their contents, for

* This sketch of Judge Cole is contributed.

PARIS FOWNSHIP.

his memory was one of the most retentive. At the age of seventeen years, with these slender acquirements, he left home and entered in earnest upon the career of life. He entered the school of Mr. Lawrence, where he remained until the following spring, and the next summer pursued his studies in the office of his preceptor, reciting to him privately. He entered the Baptist College, at Granville, Ohio (now Dennison University), at the beginning of the spring term in 1834, and remained until the end of the school-year, when, on account of ill-health-but more especially on account of lack of funds-he reluc- tantly abandoned the idea of obtaining a regular college education. He returned to Marysville and commenced the study of law with William C. Lawrence, and was admitted to the bar by the Court in Banc, at Columbus, Ohio, in December, 1836.

" He returned to Marysville feeling elated and happy, for, notwithstanding he had no money or other valuable possessions, and was in debt over $200, incurred in prosecuting his studies, yet he was only twenty-one years old, and had succeeded in becoming a member of the bar under the most unfavorable conditions, and had secured the respect and confidence of the best men in the community where he resided. These were the fruits of his four years' labor, and he felt he had made substantial progress in his career.

" In the fall of 1838, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of the county, be- ing the Whig candidate. His competitor was John F. Kinney, since a Judge of the Supreme Court of Iowa. He was re-elected in 1840, without opposition, and defeated in 1842 for the same office by Augustus Hall, on account of a division in the Whig party. Mr. Hall had sixteen votes majority. Mr. Cole was elected again in 1844, over C. W. B. Allison. In 1844, he and W. C. Lawrence started at Marysville the Argus newspaper; it supported Mr. Clay for the Presidency. They published it for one year. In 1846, Mr. Cole resumed the publication of the Argus, and continued to publish it until the fall of 1849, when he sold out to Cornelius S. Hamilton. It was a Whig paper.

"In the fall of 1850, Mr. Cole was nominated and elected Representative in the Legislature from the district composed of Union and Marion Counties. This was the last session under the old constitution. In 1851, he was re-elected for the county of Union, it being entitled to a Representative alone under the new constitution. In his second term, he received the vote of his party for Speaker, but it being in the minority, his competitor, James C Johnson, of Medina County, was elected. The principal legislation of the sessions of 1850-51 related to the interest of railroads; bills authorizing counties, townships and cities to take stock consuming much of the time. Mr. Cole supported these bills, which were the foundation of the present railroad system in the State, against strong party oppo- sition, and drew all the laws authorizing Union County to take stock in the roads passing through its territory. The first term under the new constitution was oc- cupied in changing the laws so as to conform to its provisions, which necessitated the amendment of almost every act in the statute books. Mr. Cole took an active

and leading part in the work of the body, and participated in most of its discus- sions. After the close of the Legislature in the spring of 1853, he turned his at- tention to personal and professional business, and pushed both for several years with marked success. During the Presidential canvass of 1860, he was an earnest advocate of Mr. Lincoln's election, and supported the Government when the re- bellion broke out, both with purse and as a public speaker and writer, and as Chairman of the County Military Committee to raise troops. In 1864, he was a Delegate to the National Republican Convention, and supported Mr. Lincoln for President and Daniel S. Dickenson for Vice President. The Ohio delegation agreed to vote as a unit for the man having a majority of the delegates, and as Mr. Jolm- son had a majority of one he received the whole vote of the State. In June, 1864, Mr. Cole was a candidate for Congress, receiving the vote of Union County solid and considerable support from Marion and Morrow, but Mr. Hubbell, of Delaware, succeeded in getting the nomination.

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY,

" Mr. Cole was elected to the State Senate in 1865, Col. Ramsey, of Kenton, being his opponent. He was appointed Chairman of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, and a member of the Standing Committees on Claims, Federal Relations and the Judiciary; and the Committee of Conference between the two Houses on the proposed amendment to the constitution allowing the right of suffrage to colored men. He was an active and prominent member of the Sen- ate during his term. After its close, he continued to practice his profession until 1871, when he was elected a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, which position he held for the constitutional term of five years. During his incumbency of this office, the subdistrict was composed of Union, Logan and Hardin Counties, and, the first two years, Shelby.

. During his long residence in the county, he has been the steadfast friend of every enterprise and movement which tended to promote the material and educational interests of the people, and his voice and pen have exercised a potent influence in placing the county in its present advanced condition. He was a member of and President of the School Board in 1860, when the first new school building was erected, and he has served as President of the Town Library Associa- tion since its organization. The free turnpike system of the county is much in-

debted to him for its existence. He has held many important private trusts, all of which he has discharged with ability and fidelity. As an advocate and speaker, he appears to the best advantage in the argument of equity cases to the court, the philosophical discussion of principles enlisting all the powers of his mind and arousing his energy and enthusiasm. He is still energetically engaged in prose- cuting his private and professional business, takes the same interest in public af- fairs as in earlier life, and bids fair to enjoy many years to come of usefulness and activity.

"Mr. Cole was married to Dolly B. Witter, daughter of David Witter, third Sheriff of Union County, on the 30th of July, 1839. They have six living chil- dren, all of whom were born in Marysville, and all now past the age of majority, as follows :

" Ulysses D. Cole, residing in Rushville, Ind. He graduated at Kenyon College, Gambia, Ohio, in June, 1862. He soon after enlisted as a private in the Eighty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until discharged by reason of expiration of term of service. He re-enlisted in the same regiment upon its re-organization, and was elected First Lieutenant. In 1864, he was com- missioned a Captain in the One Hundred and Seventy-fourth Regiment, Company B, which he recruited, and served until the close of the war. He studied law with his father, took a course at the Harvard law school, and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He practiced law in partnership with his father one year, and removed to Huntington, Ind., where he followed his profession and owned and edited the Huntington Herald for nine years. In 1876, he was elected Joint Representa- tive of Huntington and Wabash Counties to the Lower House of the Indiana Legislature. In 1880. he removed to Rushville, Ind. He was married in 1873 to Miss Ella Purviance, who died in 1876, and again, in 1880, to Miss Siddie Mauzy. of Rushville.

"James B. Cole, residing in Marysville, Ohio. He graduated at West Point Military Academy in 1866, and served as Second and First Lieutenant in the Fourth United States Cavalry for five years. He resigned in 1871 and returned to Marysville, where he studied and has since practiced law. He was married in 1872 to Miss Mary McAlister, daughter of R. T. Mc Alister, of Union County. " Cornelia, married to Charles W. Fairbanks,* residing in Indianapolis, Ind.

: The branch of the Fairbanks family residing in Union County, Ohio, is descended from one of five brothers who emigrated from Wales to America at an early period. The first of the family of whom there is anything de- finite known is Luther Fairbanks, Sr., whose home was Pittsfield, Vt. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, was captured in the attack on Quebec, and suffered great privations during his imprisonment. His son Lnther was born September 10. 1780, and married Lucy Lewis, ot Barnard, Vt., early in 1800. In 1835, they removed with their family to Ware Village, Mass. In the fall of 1837, they made another move, this time to the Darby Plains, Union Co., Ohio, where Mr. Fairbanks engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1842, when the death of Mrs. Fairbanks cansed

Jeho Gray

PARIS TOWNSHIP.

She graduated at the Ohio Wesleyan Female Seminary in 1872, and was married to Charles W. Fairbanks in 1874.

" Edward E. Cole, residing in Marysville, Ohio. He graduated at the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, in the class of 1874 ; studied law, and has since practiced in Marysville.

" Jessie F. Cole, residing at Marysville, was educated at Western Female Seminary, Oxford. Ohio; and Dollie E. Cole, residing at Marysville, who was edu- cated at Monnett Hall, Delaware, Ohio, and the Cincinnati College of Music."

James Turner, Judge of the Probate Court of Union County, died at Marys- ville while holding that office, December 26, 1859. He was a native of York County, Penn., and came with his father to Ohio about 1816, settling in Clark County. The Judge removed to Marysville in 1834, and continned a resident of the place until his death. He was almost constantly in office during his residence in Marysville ; was Justice of the Peace many years, County Clerk several years, the first Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas after the adoption of the new State Constitution, and at the expiration of his term was chosen Probate Judge, which position he held until his death. He was a man greatly esteemed for his excel- lent qualities, and stood very high in the community in which he lived.

Rev. James Ryan, who died at Marysville, March 14, 1868, aged nearly sev- enty-seven years, thus wrote of himself in 1856: "James Ryan was born July 27, A. D. 1791; joined the M. E. Church August 13, 1813 ; converted August 26, 1817, and received a greater blessing of love November 7, 1827. Received license to exhort in 1826 ; license to preach in September, 1832. Traveled Ran- dolph Circuit three-fourths of the conference year, and in 1833-34 traveled all the conference year. Moved to Ohio in 1836, and settled in Union County, and here I expect to live out my days. * *" Mr. Ryan acted as a lay minister in the M. E. Church after coming to Union County ; was ordained Deacon by Bishop R. R. Roberts, at Urbana, Angust 29, 1849, and Elder at Columbus, by E. S. Jones. in September, 1847. "In connection with Rev. Ebenezer Mathers, he organized the first Methodist society on Dan's Run, now called Mt. Hermon. The first class was composed of thirteen members. They met first in a private house, then the schoolhouse, and about twenty-nine years ago [1839] in the Mt. Hermon Church, which they built. Within six months, the old church has been evacuated and the society has resolved itself into two churches. The one at Dover is now [March, 1868] worshiping in a new house, and the other at Bonnet's is preparing to build. The thirteen have increased to 200, and many have gone to the Better Land.+"

James M. Wilkinson died at his home in Ulysses, Butler County, Neb., March 25, 1882, aged nearly seventy-five years. He was born June 21, 1807, at

him to break up housekeeping and return, in 1843, to Massachusetts, where he remained twelve years, returning to Union County in 1855, where he remained until the time of his death, residing with his youngest son, Lorreston M. Fairbanks, at his residence near Unionville Center, Union Co., Ohio. The death of Luther Fairbanks occurred Octo- ber 21, 1857. His family consisted of five sons and four daughters, the eldest of whom, Lewis Fairbanks, was the first of the name to settle in Union County. He emigrated from Barnard, Vt., in 1833, married Lavinia Tucker, and set- tled on the Darby Plains, where he pursued the trade of clothier and also engaged in farming until 1843, then re- moved to Madison County, Ohio. He resided here until 1870, dying at the residence of his daughter, Lucy Ewing. One child survives him, Joel Fairbanks, residing in Madison County, Ohio. Lorreston M. Fairbanks, the youngest son of Luther, was born at Barnard, Vt., in 1824, and in 1837 came with his father to Union County, where, saving two years' absence (1842-44), he has since resided, prominently connected with the improvements in his county and interested in the politics ot his State. January 1, 1846, he married Mary Adelaide Smith, who was born in New York State in 1829. Mr. Fairbanks was engaged in carriage manufacturing at Homer, Ohio, for five years after his mar- riage, when ill health compelled him to abandon the business and engage in farming on his land near Unionville Center, Union Co., Ohio, where his home still is. He is at this time (December, 1882) absent in the West, where he is extensively engaged in farming, stock-raising and the grain business. The living family of L. M. Fairbanks consists of his wife and seven children, five sons and two danghters, all of whom are grown with the exception of the young- est son. The eldest son, Charles W. Fairbanks, resides in Indianapolis, Ind. He is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, and of the I tw school at Cleveland, Ohio. He is prominently connected with the rail- road business, being General Attorney of the I. B. & W. system, attorney for the bondholders of the Danville & Olney road, and counsel for many other corporations. He owns a large tract of the richest farming land in Central Illinois. The second son, Luther M., has been for several years connected with railroad business, but of late he has been largely engaged in speculating in coal and timber lands in Virginia. He also carries on an extensive grain business at Mans- field, Il1. The third son, William D., is engaged in farming at Blue Ridge, Ill. The fourth son, Newton H., is a student at the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. The elder daughter, Jennie, is a student at Monnett Hall, Delaware. The youngest daughter, Nellie M., and youngest son, Henry S., are at home with their parents.

+Obituary in Marysville Tribune.

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Penn., and about 1821 removed to Waterloo, Seneca County, N. Y., where he married Laura R. Kinney, daughter of Dr. S. F. Kinney, who was long a resident of Marysville. In October, 1836, Mr. Wilkinson came to Marysville to reside. He was a carpenter by trade, and his first work here was to finish the interior of the court house, then being built. He was a fine workman. He held the office of Justice of the Peace several years, and was in all respects an exemplary and honored citizen. In 1857, he removed to Ne- braska, in which State he died. While a resident of Butler County, in said State, he was elected to the position of Probate Judge.

Reuben L. Partridge was born September 10, 1823, in Essex County, N. Y., among the Adirondack Mountains, and in 1833, came with his father and family to Ohio, and settled near Worthington, Franklin County. His father, Cyrus Partridge, died in 1836, and the widow removed with her children the same year to Marysville, and made her home with her oldest son (by a former marriage), Rowland Lee. He was a wagon-maker, and had resided in Marysville a few years before the rest of the family arrived, which was on the 28th of April, 1836. The town had then about 100 inhabitants. The Presbyterians had the only church in town, and that had not yet been supplied with seats, the congregation using benches made of slabs. The Methodists were using the old frame court house, on the south side of Center street, and occasional meetings were held by other de- nominations in the same building. The present depot grounds were covered with timber, which extended northward nearly to Center street, and Mr. Partridge states that he has shot squirrels ont of the trees where the depot grounds now are. Mr. Partridge learned the wagon and carriage maker's trade of his half- brother, Mr. Lee, and remained with him eight and a half years. He worked one year as a journeyman in that business, and then commenced taking contracts in the carpenter and joiner line, which he has followed more or less since. He took the contract and built the first self-supporting bridge in the county, in 1855, and has built about 125 bridges in Union and adjoining counties since that time, of all forms and sizes, of wood and iron, at an average cost of nearly $500. He took out a patent on high truss bridges in 1872, and the large class of bridges has been built principally under that patent. Mr. Partridge has constructed seven-eighths of all the bridges in Union County, as he himself states. His brother, Rowland L ee, re- moved from Marysville to Indiana, and died at Columbia City, Whitley County, in that State, about 1878-79.

Rodney Picket, born in New Berne, N. C., in 1800, was the son of a sea cap- tain, who was lost at sea. The widow subsequently married again and removed to Connecticut, but died a few weeks later. The boy had no settled home for some time, but was finally taken as an apprentice to the tanning and shoe-making business, at which he served until he was twenty-one years of age. In 1837, he removed to Marysville and engaged in tanning, afterward entering mercantile business. He was a man of excellent business capacity, and, had he lived, would doubtless have accumulated a large property. His death occurred September 18, 1852.

Thomas Turner, a native of Maryland, removed with his parents to Ohio about 1816-18, and settled in Clark County. At the age of twenty-one years, while yet a resident of that county, he married Diana MeMullin, who died before his removal to Union County. He came to Marysville in the spring of 1838, and in 1840 was married to Jane Teas. Mr. Turner was a blacksmith by trade, and worked at blacksmithing and wagon-making during his residence here. He died October 13, 1868 ; his widow is still living in Marysville. Her father, Samuel Teas, from Nova Scotia, came to Ohio with his wife and two children, about 1802, and located in Chillicothe. He afterward took up his residence in Greene County, and in 1834 removed to Union County, and settled in Paris Township, about half way between Marysville and Milford. He was a carpenter by trade. In the spring of 1837, he located in Marysville, where he died in 1843, aged

PARIS TOWNSHIP.

seventy-four years ; his wife died in 1847. His daughter, Mrs. Turner, is the only survivor of the family, and was born near Xenia, Greene County, Ohio.

Samuel A. Cherry, from Oswego County, N. Y., came to Union County, Ohio, with his wife, in May, 1839, locating at Marysville, and opening a tailor shop in a small one-story frame building which stood on the south side of East Center street, west of the alley, where F. H. & W. Otte now have their tailoring establishment. In this Mr. Cherry had his shop and his residence, and in it, also, his brother, George W. Cherry, who had settled in the place a year or two previously, was carrying on the grocery business. The latter is now a resident of Baltimore, Md. W. H. & J. W. Frank were at the same time proprietors of a cabinet shop which was located in the old frame court house, on the opposite (east) side of the alley. S. A. Cherry continued most of the time to work at the tailor's trade until about 1863-64. He had been somewhat interested in the saw-mill business, and had a mill north of where the fair ground now is. In the fall of 1865, he engaged ex- elusively in milling, operating a mill in the north part of the town where Thomp- son's saw-mill now is. He sold out to Miller & Snodgrass, who in turn disposed of the establishment to Moses Thompson, the present proprietor. In 1874, after working with a portable mill in various localities, in company with J. Smith Alex- ander, they located on the ground at the foot of Main street, near the railroad, where Mr. Cherry's mill now is, and continued together for a time. Mr. Cherry is now conducting the business alone, employing four or five hands at the mill, besides others engaged in hauling timber for him. He works entirely in hard lumber, cutting shafts, felloe-strips, cross-bars, etc., but not bending them, and ships mostly to Columbus ; he fills occasional orders from Dayton, Miamisburg, Erie, Penn, New Haven and North Haven, Conn., and other places. He has shipped as many as seventy-five car loads in a year. The mill is run by a twenty-five horse power steam engine.

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The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 73

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1254

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1254