USA > Ohio > Logan County > The historical review of Logan County, Ohio > Part 41
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Francis M. Taylor attended the public schools and when he was eighteen years of age his father gave him his time and he began working as a farm hand. Later he took contracts to do ditching and fol- lowed that until twenty-one years of age. In the summer of the year in which he at- tained his majority he had charge of a gang of men at work on the Lewistown and Bellefontaine pike.
Mr. Taylor had saved three hundred dollars by the time he had attained his ma- jority, and on the 30th of September. 1877. he was married in New Hampshire, Au- glaize county, Ohio, to Miss Ida B. Houchin, who was born in Stokes town- ship. July 12, 1857, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Ferrell) Houchin, the for- mer a native of West Virginia and the lat- ter of Virginia. ' They were married and lived in Rockingham county of the latter state where six of their children were born, and then they came to Ohio, living in Springfield for a time. They then came to Logan county, settling in Stokes town-
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ship, near the Taylor farm. Our subject lowing year he was licensed to preach. He and his wife were children together and were rocked in the same cradle during their infancy. They later attended the same school and when they were grown the ties of friendship were consummated in that of marriage. Mrs. Taylor's father became the owner of several hundred acres of land in this county. In his family were nine children : James B., of Stokes town- ship, who married Caroline Richey and had four sons ; Silas W., of Richland town- ship, who wedded Margaret Heffner and has four children : George Washington, who married Hannah Northrup and died in Wapakoneta: Erasmus, who married Rachel Somers and lives in the west ; Elisha, of Stokes township. who married Elizabeth Hover and has five children ; Mary E., who became the wife of James Stevens, by whom she had one child, and after his death she married James Cum- mins, of Auglaize county, Ohio, by whom she has three children ; Jennie L., the wife of Elias Bogart, of Stokes township. by whom she has eight children ; Mrs. Taylor, the seventh of the family ; and Charles, who married Lucinda Akers and since his wife's death has lived with our subject.
After his marriage Mr. Taylor engaged in farming in Stokes township for a time and then removed to Auglaize county, where he worked on the pike for a year. Through the succeeding six years he lived upon his father-in-law's farm in Richland township and during that time they attend- ed the Baptist church at New Hampshire. nine miles from their home. In August, 1883, both were converted and became members of that church. Mr. Taylor soon became a teacher in the Sunday school and a deacon in the church and the fol-
lias always followed the scriptural man- date-Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Soon after he be- came connected with the ministry he was called to the pastorate of the churches of Millertown and Mount Pleasant, serving in the former place for two years and in the latter three years. During this time he made his home on his farm and car- ried on his studies. On the end of Feb- ruary, 1887, in the church where he had first professed Christ, he was ordained. He became pastor of this home church in that year and continued at Mount Pleas- ant for another year. In the spring of 1888 he removed to De Graff, where he served as pastor of the Baptist church for four years, and during that time there were ninety-five additions to the church, most of them by baptism. Rev. Taylor was also pastor at Spring Creek a part of the time and also at Pemberton. to which place he removed with his family, spend- ing about two years there, while for three years he acted as pastor there. He then removed to Milford Center, Union county, where he was pastor for three years, and for eighteen months he engaged in preach- ing at Spring Creek and Gordon.
In 1897 Mr. Taylor purchased the farm upon which he now resides, remov- ed to it in 1898 and undertook the task of paying for it. His courage and perse- verance are perhaps best illustrated by the effort he made to secure a farm. He had long been determined to have one, and at the time he arranged for the pur- chase he incurred an indebtedness of four thousand dollars. No one but his wife, who has indeed been a helpmate to him, knew of this. He began the task of earn-
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ing the money to pay for it. but many hardships were yet to be encountered. He purchased more than a hundred hogs, but one year lost sixty-five of these through cholera. He also lost three horses and some cattle. but the greatest trial of all came January 31. 1900, when the mercury was several degrees below zero. His home was entirely destroyed by fire and the lives of his children en- dangered, but fortunately all were rescued from the burning building. With the few things which were saved from the fire Mr. Taylor went to De Graff and rented rooms. He and his daughter had to make daily trips to the farm to milk and feed the cows and care for the other stock. Mr. Taylor determined that he would be in town only over one Sunday and on Monday morning the lumber for a new house was on his place and by Saturday night the family moved into the present home. the workmen shingling the building when the thermometer registered several degrees below zero. In his effort to secure a farm ard home for his family, Mr. Taylor has displayed much fortitude, but has come off conqueror and is now the owner of a good property. He is also continuing his ministerial labors and recently began his eighth year as pastor of the Baptist church at Gordon. He has performed over four hundred marriage ceremonies and has done much good through his preaching. his influence being widely felt.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor was blessed with ten children: Grace Ger- trude, the wife of Richard Davis, of Union county, by whom she has two children, Daisy_and Cloyce : Cyrus O., of De Graff. who married Jessie Barr and has a son. Kenneth O .; Avice E., Olive A., Gary C., in contact.
Anna A., F. Hammer. Bonnie May, Floyd M. and C. Ferrell. all at home.
Rev. Taylor votes with the Republican party and he belonged to Boggs Lodge. No. 292, F. & A. M., in which he has filled all the chairs and also represented the lodge in the grand lodge at Cleveland in 1901. He likewise belongs to the chap- ter at Bellefontaine and the commandery at Sidney, and of the latter he is now prelate. He has also taken eighteen de- grees of the Scottish rite at Columbus. He is a member of Helmet Lodge. K. P., in which he has filled all the chairs and was its representative to the grand lodge in Cincinnati, in 1902, and belongs to the Odd Fellow's Lodge of Ithaca, Ohio.
WILLIAM T. HAVILAND.
For a number of years Bellefontaine has numbered William T. Haviland among its most prominent and progressive citi- zens and his prominence is indicated by the fact that he is now serving in the high- est office within the gift of his fellow townsmen. being the mayor of the city. His administration is practical, business- like and beneficial and his supporters feel that the trust which they reposed in him was well placed. He is also prominent in connection with the successful conduct of a number of important business concerns here and has earned for himself an en- viable reputation as a careful man of busi- ness, and in his dealings is known for his prompt and honorable methods that have won him the deserved and unbounded con- fidence of those with whom he has come
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Mr. Haviland was born in Dutchess county, New York, in 1860, a son of Jus- Miss Tempa Lawrence. a daughter of tus and Elizabeth (Townsend) Haviland, William Lawrence. and they have one child. Elizabeth. Socially Mr. Haviland is connected with the Royal Arcanum. with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the Knight Templar de- gree. He is widely and favorably known throughout Logan county, his ability well fitting him for leadership in political, busi- ness and social life. His interests are thoroughly identified with those of this portion of the state and at all times he is ready to lend his aid and co-operation to any movement calculated to benefit this cou ty or advance its development. both of whom were natives of the Empire state and the mother is still living but the father has departed this life. The son, William T. Haviland. is indebted to the public school system of this native county for the early educational advantages which he enjoyed. while later he had the oppor- tunity of attending Oswego College and the Poughkeepsie Collegiate Institute. Entering upon a commercial career he be- gan dealing in carpets in Poughkeepsie. New York, and subsequently removed to Chicago, Illinois, where he was engaged in the manufacture of chairs. From that city lie came to Bellefontaine, where he established a chair factory, which he con- ducted until the country became involved in the financial paric of 1893. when he NICHOLAS J. WILLIAMS. sustained heavy losses. In April. 1894. he was appointed postmaster of Bellefontaine by President Cleveland and continued to fill that office acceptably until 1898. He was elected mayor of Bellefountaine on the Democratic ticket in 1902; succeeding John R. Cassady, and thus he today stands at the head of the business affairs of the municipality, controlling its interests in a wise and business-like manner. advocat- ing measures of reform, progress and im- provement. In the meantime he has be- come associated with a number of impor- tant business concerns and is to-day a stock holder in the Commercial & Savings Bank. in the Bellefontaine Bridge & Iron Com- pany and the Urbara. Bellefontaine & Northern Railway Company, of which he is the vice-president. He is also a trustee of the estate of the Hon. William Law- rence.
Mr. Haviland was married in 1888 to
Nicholas J. Williams, an honored vet- eran of the Civil war, who now follows farming in Rush Creek township, was born on the 25th of April. 1842, in the town- ship which is still his home, his parents being Clark and Margaret (McClure) Wil- liams. The father. a native of Champaign county, Ohio, was born February 8, 1814. ard he, too, carried on agricultural pur- suits, thus providing for his family. He wedded Miss McClure, who was born March 13. 1815. and they became the par- ents of six children. namely: Mary E., Enos B., Nicholas J., Philander, Flavius and Edgar, but the last two are now de- ceased. The daughter Mary is the wife of Mathew Hale, of Bellefountaine and they had three children: John, deceased : Lanson and Carrie Bell.
At the usual age Nicholas J. Williams
-
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entered the common schools, wherein he Rachel E., September 21. 1853; and Au- pursued his education until he had reached gusta A., March 12, 1857. the age of eighteen, and in the summer The children of Mr. and Mrs. Williams are: Flavius, born February 23, 1869: Charlie H .. born August 17, 1873: and Joy M., born October 2, 1884. The eldest married Myrtle Lyle and is a farmer liv- ing in Rushsylvania. Charles married Sarah Wright, by whom he has one child, and they live in Bellefontaine. months, during his minority. he assisted his father in the farm work on the old homestead. He was just twenty years of age when on the 15th of October, 1861. he offered his services to the government and became a member of the regimental band, with which he served for three months. when he was honorably dis- charged. He then returned home but on the 8th of August. 1862, he re-enlisted. be- coming a member of Company H. Ninety- sixth Ohio Infantry under command of Captain Nevin. He then saw active serv- ice at the front and rendered valuable aid to his country. At the close of the war he was mustered out and at once returned to Logan county, where he has since made his home.
Mr. Williams has always carried on farming and throughout his entire life has resided in Rush Creek township, where he now has two hundred and five acres of land, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation. The well tilled fields produce good harvests and everything about the place is kept in good condition, showing the supervision of a progressive owner. Mr. Williams holds membership in the Disciples church and has guided his life by his Christian faith and belief. He votes with the Republican party and in matters of citizenship is as loyal as he was when he donned the blue uniform of the nation and followed the stars and stripes upon southern battle-fields.
In 1866 Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss Mary S. Knowles, who was born May 9. 1851. Her father, Levi Knowles, was born April 4, 1810. acquired a good education and left school at the age of twenty years to enter upon his busi- ness career, following the pursuit of a carpenter. In his political views he was an earnest Republican, and was a faith- ful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Eliza A. Bruglar. ANDREW JACKSON SMITH. who was born in Warren county, New Jersey, and unto them were born the fol- Andrew Jackson Smith was born in Fairfield county. Ohio, September 28, 1841, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Runkle) Smith. . The father. also a na- tive of Fairfield county, was a son of Jacob and Magdalena (Hall) Smith. The grand- father of our subject came from Pennsyl- vania to Ohio with his parents when a lowing children: Samuel B .. born March 12, 1833; Teresa, born April 6, 1834; Mary, born December 19, 1835; Martha T., born May 5. 1837 ; John L., born April 24, 1839; Ralph B., born October 15, 1841; Nancy J., born June 12, 1844; Charles V., September 18, 1847 ; Sarah A., February 16, 1849: Mary S., May 9, 1851; boy of but twelve years, the family home
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being established on a farm in Fairfield he followed for one term in Logan county, county, where he was reared to manhood. having removed to this county in 1862. At the time of his marriage he took up his abode upon land which his father owned and has placed all of the improve- ments upon that property. He first pur- chased three hundred and thirty-three acres, but because of going security for friends he had to sell, doing this in order to meet the indebtedness incurred, and he now has two hundred two and a half acres. He afterward married and followed farm- ing and weaving, living in the house built by the great-grandfather of our subject. There he resided until called to his final rest at the age of seventy-six years. The father of our subject also carried on agri- cultural pursuits after attaining man's es- tate. He was married in Fairfield county and in 1851 he came with his family to Logan county, where he purchased land On the 15th of October, 1863. Mr. Smith was married to Miss Christina Coover of Bloomfield township. She was born in Logansville. September 25. 1846. a daughter of Abraham and Mary Ann (Pegan) Coover. Eleven children have been born unto our subject and his wife. of whom seven are yet living: Henry S .. Mrs. Mary E. Melvin, Mrs. Alberta Bayer. Mrs. Ora Belle Shawver. John A .. Roy Thurman and Monroe Hoadley. on which he lived until 1856. He then bought another farm of three hundred acres. for which he paid thirty-seven hun- dred dollars. This was situated in Logan county. but he returned to Fairfield county in order to educate his children. He lived in that locality until his death, which oc- curred when he was fifty-five years of age. His wife. also a native of Fairfield county, was a daughter of John Runkle, who mar- ried Miss Fellers. He removed from Shenandoah county. Virginia, and her mother came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, their marriage taking place in Fairfield county. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of nine children. of whom two died in infancy, while seven reached mature years, Andrew J., being the second in or- der of birth. Of those still living J. J. Smith is a resident of Bloomfield township, about one-half mile south of Bloom Cen- ter and another brother. H. S. Smith, lives in Fairfield county.
The boyhood and youth of Andrew J. Smith were passed on the home farm and he obtained a good common-school edu- cation. At the age of fifteen he went to Lithopolis, where he continued his studies for two years and at the age of twenty- one he began teaching, which profession
Mr. Smith votes with the Democracy, his first ballot having been cast for Gen- eral Mcclellan in 1864. For fifteen or eighteen years he served as township clerk and then refused to keep the position longer. He was also land appraiser in 1870 and in the discharge of his official duties he has ever been found prompt and faithful. His attention, however, has been more largely given to his business affairs, and he is well known as a successful far- mer and stock-raiser. He makes a spec- ialty of the breeding of Berkshire and Po- land China hogs and in this department of his business is meeting with good suc- cess. His is a well developed property, supplied with modern equipments and the latest improved machinery and in his work he manifests marked enterprise and execu- tive force.
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WILLIAM T. G. SNYDER.
William T. G. Snyder, a general con- tractor in Bellefontaine, is one of the most prominent representatives in his line of business in this section of the state, and his marked ability and excellent workman- ship contain the secret of his successful career. He was born in Page county, Vir- ginia, March 26. 1852. a son of John W. and Cinderella (Dovel) Snyder. The fam- ily. home was a plantation located in the vicinity of some of the battlefields and camping places of the Civil war and troops were, therefore, all around them. Many a night our subject fell asleep to the sound of firearms. As a boy he attended private schools, walking from two to two and a half miles across the fields, and in the winter time the snow was often knee deep. His mother died in April. 1861, and was laid to rest in the family burying ground on the old homestead. The father was a stanch Union man, and at the time of the Civil war left his Virginia home and came to Ohio, but later went on north to Canada, where he remained until the close of hostilities. In 1865 he returned to his old home in Virginia and in 1867 again came to Ohio, locating in Westville. Champaign county, where he lived a re- tired life until his death, which occurred in February. 1871. He was laid to rest in the Westville cemetery, but in 1875 his re- mains were removed to the old homestead in Virginia, and in 1902 both he and his wife were removed to the Graves Chapel cemetery in Page county, Virginia.
In 1867 William T. G. Snyder accom- panied his father to this State and for five years worked upon a farm in Champaign county, where he also attended school
through the winter months. In that county he was married November 10. 1872, to Miss Mary E. Loudenback, who was born in Champaign county, a daugh- ter of Allen and Elizabeth (Kiplinger) Loudenback. Her ancestors had removed from Page county. Virginia. to Ohio at an early day. For a few years Mr. Snyder carried on farming upon rented land in Champaign county, and then purchased one hundred and sixty-two acres of land in Logan county, which he cultivated for seven years. In 1881 hie removed to Bellefontaine, where he has since made his home. In 1874 he had circulated a peti- tion for the building of a' free pike through Washington and Stokes townships, and the petition was granted and the contracts let. Mr. Snyder had made a bid for the first two miles, and then sublet the con- tract. while he gave his attention to his farm work. This was the beginning of his contract work, and as he realized a good profit therefrom, he was encouraged to continue in that way. The next year he secured another contract and that year he personally supervised the work and again did well. The following year he contracted for building a mile through the town of West Mansfield. and the same year he took and executed the contract for the building of four miles of the Wal- nut Grove and Rushsylvania pike. This was followed by the construction of five miles of the West Liberty and Macochee pike, and. superintending this. he realized three thousand dollars clear on his work. The following year he built four miles of the Swonger and Marquis pike, four miles of the Rushsylvania pike to Harper, one mile of the Patterson pike and two miles of the Apple Grove schoolhouse pike.
W. T. G. SNYDER.
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which he took as a private contract from artificial stone, which he has since contin- farmers. This pike was afterward ac- ued, making a specialty of this, and using cepted and dedicated to the use of the it in Bellefontaine. Maryville. Mechanics- county, the only case of the kind in the county's history. burg. Crestline, Wapakoneta and other places. In 1892 he also took a contract to make a deep cut for the Big Four Railroad Company for a double track and also to level the yards for the present switches, and for that work received twenty thousand dollars, Chief Engineer Kittredge awarding him the contract with- out a bond. In 1893 and 1894 he was en- gaged in the execution of a contract for the building of a cement paving of artifi- cial stone entirely around the square of Bellefontaine, which was the first of its kind in the United States. In 1901 he was awarded the largest contract ever given him, the building of eight miles of cement curb and gutter and cement driveways and crossings and park boulevards eight to twelve feet on both sides of each street. and making a macadam roadway three miles in length. He laid three and a half miles of sewer pipes, and the entire con- tract amounted to sixty thousand dollars and gave employment to over two hun- dred men and teams.
In 1883 Mr. Snyder took the contract for the building of the dam and reservoir for the Bellefontaine waterworks, amount- ing to thirty thousand dollars, General Robert P. Kennedy, Judge Duncan Dow and I. N. Zearing, the late postmaster, be- ing the waterworks trustees at the time. It was an entirely new line of work for him, but he did it well. He next took a contract for the building of a big dam on the old farm of General Preston in order to supply water for the city.of Lexington. Kentucky, from the springs on the Henry Clay farm, and the contract price was forty- five thousand dollars. For the execution of this work he employed two hundred and fifty convicts from the penitentiary at Frankfort, Kentucky. Mr. Snyder next took a contract in Frankfort for the building of two reservoirs at a cost of forty thousand dollars, but he there lost all that he had made because of the repudiation of the contract. He sued and obtained judg- ment, and he still has that judgment, but Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have two chil- dren. Carrie E., born on the farm near Lewistown, in Washington township. Lo- gan county, August 18. 1874. married Carl M. Jennings, and unto them were born two children. Mary and William. Imo- gene, born August 12. 1876, is the wife of Charles Fossler. Mr. Snyder attends and supports the Christian church, of which his wife is a member. He was reared a Dem- ocrat and voted first for Tilden. In Wash- ington township he served for one year as clerk and three years as justice of the the work proved to him a heavy loss. From 1885 until 1889. being crippled financially. he did little, but in the latter year he took a contract for building four miles of the Walnut Grove and East Lib- erty pike. He thus again made a little money and in 1890 he built four miles of the Mount Tabor pike, doing well on that work, but his partner secured the money. That work was executed with a steam dredge. In 1891 he built four miles of the Eagle pike with crushed stone, using a stone crusher. In 1892 he began using peace, and though he tried many cases and 21
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some were appealed. his decision in no in- front until mustered out at the close of stance was reversed. He cast his last Democratic ballot in 1892. Mr. Snyder in his life work has been persistent. inde- fatigable and honorable, and though he has met reverses which would have utterly discouraged many a man of less resolute spirit, he has pressed on and is to-day re- garded as one of the leading contractors in his line in this part of Ohio, and his suc- cess is richly merited.
WALTER S. ROEBUCK.
A native of Bellefontaine. Walter S. Roebuck was born July 31. 1848, his par- ents being Joseph and Arpatia (Shepherd) Roebuck, the former a native of Fayette county, Ohio, and the latter of Virginia. The father spent much of his life in Logan county, whither he came when a young man, and here his marriage was cele- brated. He was probably the first tailor of the county and for many years carried on his chosen pursuit in this portion of the state, his life's labors being ended in death when he was sixty-four years of age. His wife long survived him, passing away in 1891, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. In the family were three sons, but Walter S. Roebuck, the second child, is the only one now living.
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