The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 90

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081

USA > Ohio > Warren County > The History of Warren County, Ohio > Part 90

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labor, and devotes his time principally to fancy and ornamental farming and horticulture, in all of which he is an enthusiast. He is also now engaged in buying, selling and renting real estate. Although nearly fourscore years of age, he has a robust constitution, sound health and a very active disposition, and promises to exceed the allotted age of man by many years.

J. C. PENCE, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Turtle Creek Town- ship Dec. 3, 1833; he is the son of John M. and Maria Pence, both of German descent, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Warren County. Our subject received a limited education and has followed farming all his life. He was married, in 1859, to Annjenette Earnhart, a native of Clear Creek Township, by whom he has had eight children, viz., Edgar C., Eva M., Mary A., George B , Carrie M., Nettie Ray, Carrie L. and Jacob O. Mr. Pence owns a fine farm where he lives, of 92} acres, in addition to other lands, amounting in all to 313 acres. He is a Democrat in politics, and for many years was one of the Board of School Directors of his district.

WILLIAM C. PERRINE, retired farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Mason Co., Ky., Feb. 23, 1806; he is the son of Joseph and Susan (Downing) Perrine, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of Pennsylvania. Our subject was raised on a farm, where he continued until 17 years of age, when he commenced learning the carpenter trade, at which he has continued to work at intervals since, when he could do so without interfering with his farm work. He was married, in 1838, to Miss Ann R. Hatfield, daughter of John Hatfield, of Turtle Creek Township. They have had five children, viz., Mary (the wife of Samuel Kersey, a farmer of Turtle Creek Township), Lydia, Charles D. (who was killed in the late war), John H. and Joseph, the latter being mar- ried and farming in this county. Mr. Perrine is the owner of a 315-acre farm, well stocked and improved. He is a Republican in politics, and has held sev- eral offices of trust in the township, among which are School Director and Treasurer of the school fund.

DANIEL PERRINE, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Mason Co., Ky., Oct. 25, 1820; he is the son of Joseph and Susan (Downing) Perrine, who came to Warren County six years after he was born; his mother was a daughter of Timothy Downing, a native of Pennsylvania, of English descent. Our sub- ject is by occupation a farmer; he owns a nicely improved farm of 351 acres; he devotes much of his time to fancy farming and fruit raising; in the latter he has gained quite an enviable notoriety; he has an orchard of 2,000 apple, peach, plum, pear and cherry trees, all in the finest condition, and yielding annually a handsome profit to the cultivator. He was married, in 1843, to Miss Mary Luce, a native of Warren County, and the oldest of twenty-two children born to her father. Mr. and Mrs. Perrine had four children, viz., Kate, Lewis A. (deceased), Lydia Ellen and Amanda B.

STEPHEN B. PROBASCO (deceased) was born in Warren Co., Ohio, May 27, 1811; his parents, Abraham and Jane (Barkalow) Probasco, were na- tives of New Jersey, of Dutch descent; they emigrated to Warren County in 1810, and settled near the town of Mason, where they resided until 1823, when they moved to a farm adjoining Shakertown. On the death of his wife, in 1844, he moved with his son to near Monroe, Ohio, where he died in 1860. Our subject received his education in the subscription schools of his day, and early commenced the work on a farm, at which he continued until his death, which occurred July 9, 1875. He was married, Oct. 16, 1834, to Miss Dorcas Boyd, of Butler Co., Ohio, by whom he had eight children, viz., Martha J., now the wife of James I. Benham; Nathan, deceased; Elizabeth A., wife of Clem Beachey: Lydia E., wife of Thomas B. Hutchinson; Abraham; Eliza, wife of Lewis Iorns; Mary F., wife of John Hufford; and Emma Kate, wife of J. A.

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Gilchrist. The survivors are all married and living in Warren County. Mr. Probasco was a hard-working, ambitious farmer, and, at the time of his death, had acquired a fine farm of 200 acres of rich, arable, well-improved land. He left a fine property, upon the income of which his widow now supports herself in ease and comfort, having retired from the farm and taken up her residence in Lebanon.

GEORGE W. PROBASCO (deceased) was the son of Abraham and Jane (Barkalow) Probasco, born in Turtle Creek Township, Warren Co., Ohio, in July, 1824, and educated in the district schools of Warren County. His life was spent on a farm in Warren County, which his father settled in 1811, and on part of which he died, Jan. 23, 1865. He was married, Oct. 2, 1847. to Elizabeth A. Perrine, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Davis) Perrine, a na- tive of Warren County, who still survives him. They had a family of three children, viz., Eliza J., Abraham and Elizabeth May. Though not prominent in politics, he always voted the Republican ticket, and took a deep interest in the work of that party.

ROBERT RALSTON, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Turtle Creek Township, Warren Co., Ohio, May 18, 1805; his parents were Edward Ralston, a native of Scotland, and Martha (Buchanan) Ralston, a native of York Co., Penn., of Irish descent. They emigrated to Ohio in 1798, and settled in Tur- tle Creek Township, where our subject was reared and educated, and where he has spent the whole of his long life. He has witnessed the many changes that have taken place since the wilderness that then surrounded him was made to become the thickly settled and highly cultivated country that it is to-day. He was married, in 1848, to Miss Maria D. Buckley, who was born in Baltimore, Md. Her father was born in 1792; was a Captain in the war of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Ralston have had two children born to them, viz., Edward C., who is married and well-to-do, and Joseph T. The parents are both members of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. R. is a woman of remarkable energy and very ear- nest in whatever she undertakes. Mr. R. is a Democrat in politics.

JOSEPH W. RHODES, farmer, Lebanon; was born in Highland Co., Ohio, Nov. 20, 1817; he is the son of Gustavus and Margaretta (Eddenfield) Rhodes, natives of Fredericksburg, Va. Our subject was educated in Highland County; he learned, and for some time followed, the trade of hatter; since his residence in Warren County he has for thirteen years been engaged in running a hack from Lebanon to Cincinnati and Sharon. He was married, Nov. 23, 1848, to Martha A. Roosa, whose father was born in Orange Co., N. Y., in 1791, and emigrated to Ohio when 11 years of age, settling near Montgomery, Ham- ilton Co., where his father had purchased a farm; he was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was married in 1818 to Elizabeth Daniels, of Clermont County, by whom he had five children; he lived at Montgomery until 1827, when he moved to Deerfield, and there died in 1846, his wife having died in 1833. Mrs.

Rhodes has in her possession a Psalm Book, or Bible, brought from Holland by her great-grandfather, Abraham Roosa. Mr. Rhodes, by his marriage, has had the following children: J. A. (deceased), Charles M. (deceased), Maggie (deceased), Emma and Eunice. Mr. Rhodes owns and occupies a nice farm adjoining Lebanon.

NATHAN RICHARDSON, deceased; was born in Massachusetts, March 21, 1790, and died Sept. 24, 1864; he was the son of Asa and Abijah (Whiting) Richardson, who were married in Massachusetts July 19, 1788, and had four children, of whom Nathan was the oldest; he received an ordinary education, learned the carpenter's trade, and, on February 1, 1819, married Miss Rebecca B. Boothby, by whom he had the seven children following, viz. : Mar- tha Jane, who owns and lives on the old-home farm; Mary, the deceased wife of

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Dr. Charles Grant, of Cincinnati; Nancy G., the wife of Dr. Bryant, of Springfield, Ohio; John (deceased); Nathan S., a physician in Macon, Mo .; Frank, who is now married and living in Illinois, and William, a farmer in Turtle Creek Township. Mr. R., at the time of his death, owned 250 acres of land, where his family now lives. He was one of the early settlers of Ohio; his father died when he was 12 years of age, and at that tender age he was obliged to work for himself; he commenced by driving a team from Cincinnati to Detroit, and on one of these trips he stuck so deep in the mud as to be unable to extricate himself, until a detachment of troops under Gen. Harrison came by and assisted him. For five years prior to his death he was blind, and was constantly attended by his daughter Martha. He is said to have helped in hauling the brick for the first brick house in Cincinnati. He died full of years and good works, on the land where he had settled when the country was yet peopled by the denizens of the forest.

WILLIAM RITCHEY, deceased, was the youngest of a family of three girls and five boys, children of Robert and Rachael (Fraley) Ritchey; he was born Jan. 29, 1819, and died Sept. 7, 1877. On May 19, 1846, he was married to Miss Rebecca P. Bretney, daughter of Tobias and Nancy (Butler) Bretney; she was a native of Ohio, born Feb. 18, 1814. Mr. Ritchey was engaged in the tannery and leather business until 1845, when he retired from business; in 1848, he engaged extensively in the culture of rare and valuable plants and flowers for his own gratification; for many years he owned the stock and con- trolled the business of the Lebanon & Dayton Turnpike Company. He was a true philanthropist, whose loss was deeply deplored by the whole community; he was kind, affable and liberal, contributing freely to both church and State. He had a beautiful flower garden at his residence on Main street, filled with the choicest flowers of every clime, which he dispensed gratis to all lovers of the beautiful. His widow still occupies his comfortable home in the suburbs.

A. A. ROLAND, editor and puplisher of the Lebanon Patriot, Lebanon, was born at Lancaster, Fairfield Co, Ohio, Feb. 11, 1853. He was formerly a resident of Greenville, Darke Co., Ohio, but is now the editor, publisher and proprietor of the Lebanon (Ohio) Patriot which he purchased in April, 1878. He is conducting the paper on pure Democratic principles, and in the interest of the social and business welfare of the county. Prior to the establishment of the Patriot, several attempts had been made to publish a Democratic paper in the county, but they were all unsuccessful. The Patriot, now in its fifteenth year, is an eight-column folio, containing an epitome of home news and general in- formation . Subscription price, $1.50 per year. It is the only Democratic paper published in Warren County.

THEODORE ROSS, blacksmith, Lebanon, was born in Turtle Creek Township May 1, 1829. He is the son of Isaiah and Mary (Draper) Ross, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Pennsylvania. Our subject re- ceived his education in the common schools of the county, and at the age of seventeen commenced learning blacksmithing, at which he has continued work- ing. He was married April 3, 1856, to Miss Anna Brown, a native of New Jersey, by whom he has had six children, five boys and one girl, namely: George A., John E., Frank S., Oren Q., Alonzo C. and Mary L. The parents are mem- bers of the Christian Church, and are a highly respected couple. They own & neat, comfortable home in the village of Genntown.

CHARLES E. SAUSSER, confectioner, Lebanon. The subject of this sketch is a son of Thomas Sausser, who was born in Berks Co., Penn., July 23, 1797, and died at Lebanon, Ohio, April 18, 1875. His wife, Abigail (Mills) Sansser, was born in Schuylkill Co., Penn., Feb. 8, 1803, and died at Lebanon, Ohio, July 8, 1867. In 1818, Mr. Sausser came from Pennsylvania to Dayton,

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Ohio, where he worked as a tailor for a few years. He then returned to Penn- sylvania, where he married Abigail Mills in 1826, and in 1827 again went to Dayton, accompanied by his brother Joseph. Being unable to find vacant dwellings at Dayton, they continued on to Xenia, where Thomas remained, while his brother came to Lebanon, where he settled. After several years residence in Xenia, where his three eldest children were born, Mr. Sausser removed to Jamestown, Ohio, and in 1832 to Lebanon, where, at the time of his death, he had lived forty-three years. He had eight children, two daughters and six sons. Of the latter, Charles E., our subject, was born June 16, 1834, being the first born in Lebanon. He remained in the place of his birth until 1855, when he went to Indiana and engaged in the bakery and confectionery business, at which he continued until 1859, when he returned to Lebanon. He was married, Dec. 7, 1856, to Miss Mary Fay, of Jefferson, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, by whom he had one child-Jennie, born Nov. 20, 1859. Mr. Sausser enlisted as a private in the late rebellion, but with many others was rejected, as Ohio's quota was filled. He returned to Lebanon and recruited part of a company in June, 1862, and entered the army as First Lieutenant of Co. B, 85th O. V. I. He remained in the army until near the close of the war, and was honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, in the spring of 1865, having been promoted to Captain in the year previous. Since the war, he has been actively engaged in the confectionery and fancy grocery business, being now engaged in the stand established by his father many years ago.

JACOB SCHWARTZ, marble and granite dealer, Lebanon; is a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, where he was born, June 2, 1831, and where he received an excellent education and learned the trade of stone-cutter. When 25 years of age, he emigrated to America, landing at New York City July 26, 1856. His parents and sister followed him in 1872, and his father is yet liv- ing, aged 70; his mother died in April, 1880, in Lebanon, at the age of 68 years. Mr. Schwartz came to Lebanon in March, 1860, to act as foreman of an exten- sive marble shop for Evans & Co., of Franklin, this county. In 1863, he became a partner in the business, and by thrift and energy, was enabled to buy out and own the concern in 1866, since which time he has continued to increase and push his business until it is now in a most flourishing condition. He married Barbara Daler, at Dayton, Ohio, Nov. 10, 1857; she was a native of Alsace, born Sept. 16, 1836. They have had a family of nine children, viz; Emma E., Charles W., Frank A., Katie (deceased), John J., Caroline D., Ferdinand J., George V. and Louis J., Mr. Schwartz is Democratic in poli- tics, and takes considerable part in the interests of his party. He is an hon- ored member of the Masonic order, was raised according to the tenets of the Catholic faith, and is a fair example of the earnest, honest and thriving German element that contributes to the growth and prosperity of this wondrous land.

L. E. SCHWARTZ, merchant tailor, Lebanon; was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, Dec. 7, 1838, and emigrated to America in July, 1853, at the age of 14 years. He landed in New York, and after remaining there ten days, went to Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, where he engaged in the tailoring business, at which he has since continued. In 1857, he left Hamilton and commenced bus- iness in Lawrenceburg, Ind., where he remained until the breaking-out of the rebellion, when he went to Europe, taking a. tour through Ireland and his native country. He returned to America in the fall of 1861, and enlisted in Co. D, 11th Regiment O. V. I., from which he was discharged after three months' service. He then engaged in the fruit business in Cincinnati, and so continued until July, 1863, when he came to Lebanon, and purchased the clothing store, where he has since remained. He was married in Cincinnati, Sept. 8, 1863, to Adeline Schuler, daughter of Martin Schuler, a native of

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Rhine, Bavaria. This union was blest with eight children, seven girls and one boy, of whom two girls are now dead. Mr. Schwartz was one of twelve chil- dren, born to Jacob and Emerenzia (Krauzberger) Schwartz, natives of Wurtem- burg. He is a member of the Masonic order of the Royal Arch degree. He has never aspired to official honors and devotes his time entirely to his busi- ness, which he conducts with the best possible success.

HON. JAMES SCOTT, member of the Legislature, Lebanon; was born in Washington Co., Penn., of Scotch Irish parents, on the 15th of April, 1815. He was educated in Washington College, in that county, studied medicine with R. F. Biddle, M. D., in Monongahela City, Penn., and graduated from the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati. He was married to Hannah A. Fowler in Cincinnati in 1841, and commenced the practice of medicine in Greenfield, Washington Co., Penn., in that year. In 1843, he removed to Morrow, War- ren Co., Ohio, where he continued in the practice of medicine until 1851, when he moved to Lebanon and continued the practice of medicine there until 1857, when he purchased the " Western Star " paper and became its editor and pub- lisher. In 1859, he was elected to represent his county in the Ohio House of Representatives, in which capacity he was continued until 1866, when he was appointed by Gov. Brough to fill a vacancy in the office of Probate Judge of Warren County. In the fall of 1867. he was again elected to represent his county in the Ohio Legislature. In 1869, he was appointed, by President Grant, Secretary of Washington Territory, which position be resigned in 1870, and in that year was re-elected to the Legislature, where he continued until 1874, when he was appointed United States Consul at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands. In 1879, he resigned the consulship and was again elected to the Legislature, where he is now serving. During most of the time he filled the position of Secretary of Washington Territory, on account of the removal of the Governor of that Territory, he was Acting Governor. During part of the time he occu- pied the position of Consul, he acted as Charge d' Affaires, and represented the American Government at the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom. During almost all his legislative career, he has been either Chairman of the Committee on Finance or of the Committee on the Benevolent Institutions of the State. During his service in the Legislature, almost all the public benevolent and correctory institutions of the State have been erected, and are very largely indebted to him for the qualities that make them the pride of our people and the admiration of other States. While Chairman of the Committee on Finance, he did much toward simplifying the financial methods that have proved so suc- cessful in Ohio. In the years 1880-81, while Chairman of that committee, by his indefatigable energy and scrutiny, he reduced the expenditures of the State over $800,000 below what they were in the years 1878-79, when he was not in the Legislature, as is shown in the official records of the State. The following is taken from the Hawaiian Gazette, published at Honolulu, at the time Mr. Scott left that island to return home, will show in what esteem he was held by the people of that kingdom:

" It rarely happens that a man so well qualified for consular duties is appointed from the United States, owing to the peculiar and sudden changes that take place in the administration of national affairs almost every four years. President Grant, in the selection of Dr. Scott for Consul at Honolulu, and Pres- ident Hayes in continuing him, have done the States some service. The ripe experience, good sense, prompt business qualifications, urbanity of manner and strict integrity which have signalized every act of Consul Scott, have proved him to be the right man in the right place, and every American who has come to these Islands has had cause to congratulate himself that such a man is charged with high official duty. As the best proof of all we have said in LE

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behalf of Consul Scott, we refer to the undeniable fact, that since the consulate has been organized under his charge, it has been a source of pecuniary profit to the Government, to the amount of about $1,000 per annum, after paying all expenses; whereas, previous to his time, it was a source of expense to the amount of from $25,000 to $50,000 per annum.

"Before Dr. Scott's time, the Consulate at Honolulu was looked upon by the wily and unscrupulous politicians of the baser sort in the United States, as a good place to get rich, and was sought with avidity by that class of individ- uals who, through political wire-pulling and influential friends, were unhap- pily too often successful, and the United States Treasury was fleeced to the tune of hundreds of thousands to gratify the cupidity of such political favor- ites. In this way, many fortunes were made by unfaithful officials, until the Consulate became a by-word and a reproach in the United States. All this was stopped when Dr. Scott came here, and now, not even the suspicion of scandal attaches to the office. For this, we honor Dr. Scott, and for this he is hon- ored at home and abroad. In this community where he is so well known, he is honored, with it may be, the exception of a very few, whose little games were squelched by the stern integrity of the noble old Roman, who can neither be browbeaten, bribed nor badgered into the commission of official wrong. Some people may think we use strong language on this occasion, and so we do. because it is our habit to call things by their right names, and in characteriz- ing official, as well as personal integrity and ability. language cannot be too strong. If the United States was so fortunate in the selection of all its diplo- matic agents as in the case of Dr. Scott, it would be a proud era for the diplo- matic history of the country. Our familiarity with the records of the State Department at Washington enables us to speak of what we know; and, there- fore, we do not hesitate to assert that the administration of President Hayes is thrice honored in the person and official conduct of its Consul at Honolulu."

DR. SELDON SMITH SCOVILLE, physician, Lebanon, was born in Vienna, Trumbull Co., Ohio, Sept. 9, 1824. He is of English, French and German descent; his father's great-grandfather, Noah Scoville, came from En- gland and was one of the first settlers of Waterbury, Conn .; his mother's grandfather, Jonathan Griffin, was one of three brothers who emigrated from the North of England, and settled near Oxford, Conn. His grandfather, John Griffin, son of Jonathan Griffin, was the first white person born at Oxford, and was afterward a Lieutenant in the French war. His paternal grandfather. Amasa Scoville, was a native of Waterbury, Conn., and was a soldier in the

Revolutionary war. He and several brothers emigrated to Northeastern Ohio in 1811. Asahel Scoville, Amasa's son, came to Ohio with his family, consisting of his wife and two children, about the same time. Dr. Scoville commenced the practice of medicine at Niles, Trumbull Co., Ohio, in the spring of 1850, and in the year following came to Southern Ohio, and located at Bethel, Cler- mont County. Upon the breaking-out of the rebellion he assisted in raising a company of State Guards, and was elected its Captain, but under an order from the Governor this company was merged into a regiment then organized. and he was appointed and served as Surgeon of the regiment. In September 1861, this regiment being disbanded, he served on a military committee and assisted in organizing the 59th O. V. I., which was made up of enlistments from the counties of Clermont and Brown. The following summer. he served on the County Military Committee, and assisted in organizing the 89th O. V. I. Sept. 1, 1862, he entered the service as Senior Assistant Surgeon of the 121st O. V. I., but in consequence of a severe attack of illness he was com- pelled to resign in the following summer. In July, 1863, he moved to Leb- anon, where he has since continued in the practice of medicine. Dr. Scoville

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gives considerable attention to the study of natural sciences, and is a member of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has discovered many rare and valuable fos- sils, and contributes largely to many of the standard scientific journals of the country. He was married at Bethel, Clermont Co., Ohio, in 1852, to Miss Mary Ann Blake, a native of Maryland, by whom he has had four children, a son and two daughters living, and a daughter who died in infancy.

L. M. SEE, farmer and trader; P. O. Mason; was born in Turtle Creek Township Dec. 6, 1823; he is the son of Felix and Elizabeth (Keever) See, the former a native of Virginia, of English descent, and the latter a native of Penn- sylvania, of Dutch descent. Our subject was reared on the farm, attending school during the winter months, and following the various pursuits of a farm- er during the summer. He has always been a careful, industrious man, and has met with the success for which he has striven. In connection with his farm- ing operations, he makes a specialty of trading in horses and sheep, but will buy anything on which he can realize a profit. He was married, Nov. 22, 1859, to Miss Nancy L. Gordon, a daughter of William Gordon, of Jefferson Co., Ind., where she was born Nov. 14, 1838. They have had the following children, viz .: Clara C., born Feb. 3, 1860; Felix Gordon, born Oct. 5, 1862, and Charles Grant, who was born Jan. 3, 1867, and died on June 3, 1873. Mr. See is well and favorably known as a good farmer and a fair trader. He is a Republican in politics.

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The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 90

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1081

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081