USA > Ohio > Logan County > The historical review of Logan County, Ohio > Part 68
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at that time the entire district was com- prised within one county. They became the parents of nine children, William W. MeBeth being the fourth in order of birth and the only one now living.
The memory of our subject forms a connecting link between the pioneer past and the progressive present with all of its progress, improvements and advance- ment. He was reared amid the scenes of wild frontier life and shared with the family in many of the hardships and trials which came to the pioneer. His education was obtained in a log school house and he worked in field and meadow when much of the labor that is now performed with machinery was done by hand. When he had arrived at years of maturity he was married on the 17th of March, 1846, to Miss Sarah Pollok, who was born in Har- rison county. Ohio, near Cadiz on the 6th of June. 1826. Her father, John Pollok, was a native of Ireland and of Scotch par- entage. When he was but six years of age his parents crossed the Atlantic to the new world, settling in Pennsylvania, where he was reared and married, the lady of his choice being Elizabeth Wilkin, who was born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio in 1791. They resided upon a farm in Har- rison county until 1832. when they came to Logan county, Mr. Pollok purchasing a farm which adjoined the McBeth home- stead. Subsequently. however. he sold that property and removed to Northwood. Logan county, where he died in 1864. in the seventy-eighth year of his age. He served with General William Henry Har- rison in the war of 1812. His wife died at the home of Mr. MeBeth in Bellefontaine in 1865. In their family were ten children but only two are now living, namely : Mrs.
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McBeth; and Garnett A., who is a Presby- terian minister of Elgin. Illinois. One brother, Dr. Pollok, served in the Civil war as a commissioned army surgeon and afterward became a resident of Belle Cen- ter, where his death occurred. The father of Mrs. McBeth was a second consin of James K. Polk. once president of the United States.
About the time of his marriage Wil- liam W. McBeth purchased the old home- stead, his parents having died in the mean- time. He lived upon that farm and con- tinued its cultivation until 1855. when he sold the property and took up his abode in Bellefontaine, where he established a warehouse and began buying and selling grain, flour and other such commodities. He carried on that business for about eighteen months, at the end of which time he began buying and shipping stock and did an extensive business, making large shipments to New York, Boston, Pitts- burg. Buffalo and Cincinnati. He pur- chased largely in St. Louis and Chicago. then shipped his stock to Bellefontaine. where he fattened them. after which they were sent on to the eastern markets. For many years he continued in active busi- ness, but about 1899 retired and has since enjoyed a rest which he has richly earned. because of his diligence and perseverance in former years.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. McBeth has been blessed with four children. Effie is the wife of Charles Dexter of Mil- waukee, Wisconsin, and they have three children : Edward. Lucia and May. Mol- lie is the wife of Frank Creelman of Cairo, Illinois, and has three children. Frank, Helen and Charles. Tirzah is the wife of Samuel Brash of Indianapolis and they
have one daughter. Lena. Sarah is now the wife of Frank Zook, of St. Louis. Mis- souri. and their child is Mary Frances. By a former marriage she has two children, William and Lois Garwood.
At the time of the Civil war William W. MeBeth went out as a sutler and re- mained for eighteen months with the regi- ment under the command of Colonel Runkel. In politics he has ever been a stal- wart Republican from the organization of the party, but has never sought or desired office. He owns ninety-two acres of good farming land in Jefferson township, which he rents and he also has a very pleasant home in Bellefontaine at No. 400 East Chillicothe avenue. He is numbered among the pioneers of Logan county, his memory going back to the time when this portion of the state was sparcely settled. when much of the land had not been re- claimed for purposes of civilization, but remained in the primitive condition i.1 which it came from the hand of nature. He has not only witnessed the progress that has been made, but has borne his part in the work of development and improve- ment and as one of the revered patriarchs of his community he certainly deserves promi- nent and honorable mention in this volume.
W. O. WICKERSHAM.
W. O. Wickersham, who is engaged in the hardware and harness business in Rushsylvania and is classed among the leading merchants there. is a native of Logan county, born in Jefferson township on the 26th of July, 1862. His parents were Thomas and Belinda (Elliott) Wick-
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ersham. The Wickersham family was es- of Mr. Wickersham and Miss Edna Fol- tablished in Ohio at an early day in the development of this state. The father was born in Columbiana county on the 11th of May, 1822. and pursued a common school education until eighteen years of age. after which he devoted his time to farm work, placing his land under a high state of cultivation. the well tilled fields returning to him golden harvests. In po- litical faith he has been a Republican from the organization of the party and his re- ligious belief is that of the Society of Friends. He married Belinda Elliott and their children are Enoch E .. Samantha. Ellis O .. W. O .. Everett. Burt A. and Alvin T.
Having acquired his preliminary edu- cation in the public schools. W. O. Wick- ersham became a student in the Ohio Nor- mal University and was thus well prepared for life's practical and responsible duties when he entered upon his business career. At the age of twenty-eight years he be- came proprietor of a restaurant and hotel in Rushsylvania. conducting the business four years, at the expiration of which pe- riod he sold out. On the Ist of February. 1895, he purchased a hardware store of S. W. Harner and has since been propri- etor of this establishment, carrying a large and well selected stock of light and heavy hardware and also harness. The business policy which he inaugurated here and which he has ever maintained has won for him the confidence of the people and there- fore a large degree of the public patron- age. His trade has now assumed profit- able proportions and Mr. Wickersham is classed among the merchants of worth and prominence in the place of his residence.
In 1895 was celebrated the marriage
som, who was born April 27. 1871. in Jef- ferson township near the town of Zanes- field. A sketch of her father. Charles J. Folsom. is given elsewhere in this work. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Wickersham has been blessed with two interesting sons : Charles Folsom, born September 14. 1896: and Thomas Elliott, born July 16. 1900. The parents are well known in Rushsylvania and throughout the sur- rounding country and they have a large circle of friends who esteem them for their genuine worth, unfailing courtesy and kindly dispositions. In his business career Mr. Wickersham has been self-reliant, pur- poseful and energetic and these qualities have gained for him a comfortable com- petence.
ROBERT ROBERTS.
Robert Roberts is a native of Belle fontaine, born April 23. 1858, his parents being Hugh and Mary Catherine (Sisk) Roberts. His father was born in Wales in the year 1818 and when fourteen years of age was brought across the briny deep to the new world and became a resident of Knox county, Ohio. where he lived for sometime and was married. He afterward engaged in contracting and a number of years prior to the birth of our subject he took up his abode in Bellefontaine. In this county he engaged both in farming and contracting and for some years he had charge of the Bellefontaine cemetery as sexton. His death occurred in this city when he was forty-nine years of age and his loss was deeply felt throughout the community for he had gained many
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In the family of this worthy couple were eight children. of whom seven are still living, five sons and two daughters. John. who is now living a retired life in Bellefontaine at No. 613 West Williams avenue, was a soldier of the Civil war and lost his health while in the army. Joseph resides near the Bellefontaine cemetery, of which he is serving as the sexton. Lewis, who was employed in the gas works, died at the age of thirty-nine years. James, who for twelve years was engaged in drilling wells for our subject and now works in the cemetery, resides with his mother. David is a resident farmer of Harrison township. Logan county. Rob- ert is the sixth of the family. Mary E. is the wife of Henry Buckwalter, a retired farmer of Bellefontaine. Anna B. is the wife of Joseph C. Fryling, a blacksmith employed at the Big Four Railroad shops in Bellefontaine.
To the public school system of his na- tive city Robert Roberts is indebted for his mental training which prepared him for life's practical duties. When but four- teen years of age he began earning his own living, working at anything he could get to do. He afterward began driving and drilling wells and has followed that pursuit continuously since, but in the meantime has enlarged the scope of his line of his business have his energies been
friends by reason of an upright character. business interests, having in 1882 pur- In politics he was a Democrat and at one chased the establishment of which he is now the proprietor. He deals in sewer pipes, pumps. rubber hose, wagon jacks and other materials of that character. He also does repair work in machinery, pipe fittings, ladders and plows. He has se- cured a good patronage and his growing trade promises well for a successful future. time served as road supervisor, while in the Baptist church. in which he held mem- bership, he was a very active worker and for many years served as one of its dea- cons. His widow, who is a member of the Methodist church, is now living in Belle- fontaine at the advanced age of eighty years.
On the 31st of August, 1882, occurred the marriage of Mr. Roberts and Miss Lillian Custenborder. a daughter of MI. G. and Anna Rebecca (Bailey) Custen- border. Her father was a farmer and for many years resided in Logan county but is now living in Sidney, where he is serv- ing as street commissioner. He was a veteran of the Civil war.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have been born three children: Hugh, who is now nineteen years of age and works with his father. and George C. and Nina, aged re- spectively seventeen and fifteen years. All of the children were born in Bellefontaine at the family home at No. 613 West Wil- liams avenue, where their father was born and where he lived during his younger days. The family residence is now at No. 607 West Williams avenue, the home hay- ing been erected by Mr. Roberts about twelve years ago.
His character is indicated by his membership in the Baptist church; his political views are in harmony with the principles of the Democracy and he is a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle and of the Pathfinders. He has served as a member of the board of equal- ization of Bellefontaine for three years and he has done much work for the city in building sewers but not alone in the
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devoted to the improvement of Belleion- taine for in other ways he has assisted in its material development. In political . thought and action he has always been independent, carrying out his honest views without fear or favor. In business he has achieved success through honorable effort, untiring industry and capable man- agement, and in private life he has gained that warm personal regard which arises from true nobility of character. deference for the opinion of others, kindliness and geniality.
HENRY M. CLINE.
Henry MI. Cline was a man whom to know was to respect and honor and in Logan county, where he long made his home, he enjoyed the warm friendship of many with whom he came in contact. He was born March 12. 1834. in Cleveland, Ohio. His father. Joseph Cline, was a na- tive of Winchester. Virginia, born Janu- ary 14. 1790, and the mother of our sub- ject was born in the same place exactly ten years later. Her maiden name was Leah Seerist. The father of our subject was a wheelwright by trade and was living in Guernsey county, Ohio, at the time of his marriage. For six years he was a resident of Cleveland, this state, and in 1834 he removed to Auglaize county, where lie entered a tract of land from the government. upon which the village of New Hampshire now stands. Both he and his wife died in that locality in 1856.
Henry M. Cline was reared under the parental roof, largely spending his boy- hood days in Auglaize county, Ohio. For four years, however, prior to the Civil
war he was upon the prairies of Iowa. On the 23d of October, 1853. he was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Mahan, a daughter of James and Nancy Mahan. She was born November 4. 1834. in Wayne township. Auglaize county, and her father was the first justice of the peace of that township. A year after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Cline removed to Iowa, where he followed farming for over four years and then returned to Ohio.
At that time he purchased a part of the old homestead, which he continued to cultivate until after the inauguration of the Civil war when his patriotic spirit was aroused and he enlisted in Company B of the Forty-fifth Regiment of Ohio Vol- unteers. In the second regular engage- ment in which he participated he was cap- tured. This occurred October 20. 1863, at the battle of Philadelphia. Tennessee. Mr. Cline endured all the horrors of that slow starvation and abuse which made rebel prisons infamous in the eyes of the civilized world. He was incarcerated suc- cessively in Libby prison at Richmond, Virginia, at Belle Isle and at Anderson- ville, which was then under the control of the inhumane Captain Wirz. That im- prisonment left traces on the body and mind of Mr. Cline never to be effaced. but he was still under thirty years of age and the vigor of a strong constitution measur- ably restored him and fitted him for more than a generation of activity and useful life.
After his. return from the war MIr. Cline established a grocery store in New Hampshire. Ohio, where he resided con- tinuously until 1875. when he came to Belle Center. Here he dealt in grain for one year and then turned his attention to
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merchandising. In business affairs he was nine years of age. In the Conley family notably prompt, energetic and reliable, and all who knew him entertained for him high regard for his sterling worth and fidelity to principle.
One of the marked characteristics of Henry M. Cline was his devotion to the welfare and happiness of his wife and chil- dren. By his first marriage he had five children who survive the wife and mother. who died April 30, 1867. Sarah D., the eldest, is the wife of Joseph Macbeth of New Hampshire, Ohio. and they have three children, Carrie, Edwin and Nellie. Ella is the widow of Robert McClure, of Texas, and they have seven children : Hart, Ada, Frank. Harry, Louise, Fred- erick and Clem. Volney H. is a farmer of Richland township. Logan county, and married Elizabeth Colvin, by whom he had four children: Robert. Eugene. George and Daniel. Ettie B. is the wife of William Colvin of Belle Center, by whom she has a daughter. Martha. Eliza- beth F. is the wife of Charles Sibley and their four children are Howard. Ralph, Laura and Wade. On the 13th of Febru- ary, 1868, Henry M. Cline was married a second time, Margaret A. Conley be- coming his wife. She was born May 25. . 1844. in Auglaize county, a daughter of John and Eliza (Marshall) Conley. Her father died during her early girlhood. He was of Irish descent and resided during the greater part of his life in Shelby and Auglaize counties of Ohio. He passed away at the age of about fifty years and was survived by his wife for about seven- teen or eighteen years. She was born in Sidney, Shelby county, and was a member of the United Presbyterian church. Her death occurred when she was about fifty-
were six children. all of whom are still liv- ing. namely : William, who is a real estate dealer in Charles City, Iowa; Mrs. Mar- garet Cline; Charles, who is a carpenter of Bellefontaine: Martha, the widow of David Angel and a resident of Columbus, Ohio; Henry L., who resides in Okla- homa; and Alfonso, who is a farmer of Van Wert, Ohio. The children born of the second marriage of Mr. Cline are as follows: Charles H., who is a clerk in a dry goods store in Rushsylvania, married Minnie Fisher and has three children. Laura. Mary and Harry. George H., who like his older brother, was born in Auglaize county, now resides in Kenton. Ohio. He wedded Mary Lease and their children are Gerald, Leah and Helen. Blanche, born in Auglaize county, Ohio. is now clerking in a general store in Belle Center. Clara, born in Logan county, is a teacher in the Union school of Belle Center. Joseph H., born in Logan county, is an attorney at law in Okla- homa. Hugh Marshall, born in this county, is now attending school.
Henry M. Cline, whose worth and ability was widely recognized by his fel- low citizens, was called to a number of public offices. For four years he was sheriff of Logan county and during that period resided in Bellefontaine from 1881 until 1885, discharging his duties in a very acceptable, prompt and faithful manner. For many years he was justice of the peace and for several terms was mayor of Belle Center. Just previous to his death he was again chosen to that position, in which he was serving at the time of his demise. His administration of the affairs of the town was prompt, business-like,
34
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progressive and beneficial and over the record of his public career. as of his pri- vate life. there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He was a man of strong native intelligence, possessed liter- ary tastes and was always an omniverous reader. During the months of his last illness he read many volumes of standard history and literature in addition to the leading periodicals of the day. He was a patron of popular education and gave his children the best school advantages possible. Whatever tended to benefit the community along educational lines re- ceived his endorsement and he put forth every effort in his power to secure ad- vancement in such directions. He was always found loyal and faithful in all rela- tions of life, as a soldier. as a citizen and a friend, and as husband and father. He was one of the members of the Grand Army Post. At a meeting of the city council held to take action upon the death of Mr. Cline the following resolutions of respect were passed :
"Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God in his all wise providential dealings to remove an esteemed and influential citi- zen of our village : therefore.
"Resolved. That we, the members of the village council. express our sorrow at his removal from our midst. and at the same time bow in submission to the will of Him who doeth all things well and rec- ognize that in his death Belle Center has lost an eminent citizen and good officer.
Resolved. That we extend our heart- felt sympathy to the bereaved wife and family, in the loss of husband and father. "Resolved. That these resolutions be recorded in our minutes and presented to the Belle Center Herald, Logan County
Index. Bellefontaine Examiner and the Bellefontaine Republican with a request for their publication and a copy be sent to the family of our deceased mayor."
SMITH R. THOMPSON.
Smith R. Thompson is well known in business circles of Bellefontaine. where he is now engaged in real estate operations. He was born in Zanesfield. Logan county, Ohio. December 15. 1850. a son of Amos and Ruth ( Rea) Thompson. The father, a native of Virginia, was brought to Lo- gan county about 1827 when four years of age and learned the cabinet-maker's trade in Zanesfield, afterward following that pursuit and still later engaging in the hotel business. At the time of the Civil war, however, his patriotic spirit was deep- ly aroused and he joined the army becom- ing a member of the Tenth Ohio Artillery. with which he went to the front. He died during the war at the age of forty-two years. thus laying down his life as a ran- som for the Union cause upon the altar of his country. In the family were eight children. of whom three are living, namely: Samuel M., who is engaged in the real estate business in Bellefontaine and was born in Zanesfield in 1846: Smith R., of this review; and Levi R., who is now in New Mexico.
Having acquired a common school education. Smith R. Thompson, at the age of sixteen years, began to learn the tailor's trade in Bellefontaine. He mastered the business and followed it as a means of live- lihood for thirteen years, after which he became proprietor of a hotel and for
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twenty-two years was known to the travel- ing public as a genial and popular host. He made it his work to provide well for the comfort of his guests and to furnish a place of public entertainment that would be equal to any in the state. His labors certainly accomplished this if patronage was any criterion of success. Since his retirement from the hotel business Mr. Thompson has engaged in operating in real estate, opening his office in Bellefon- taine in 1893. He has since handled much property and has negotiated many im- portant realty transfers.
In 1901 he erected the Thompson block, a fine brick structure for business and office purposes at the corner of Court and Opera streets. He is also interested in farming. having a farm adjoining the city, and is prominently connected with various business and manufacturing con- cerns of Bellefontaine.
In 1872 was celebrated the marriage of Smith R. Thompson and Asenath M. Rockwell, a daughter of Charles and Mary (Marquis) Rockwell. of Zanesfield. this county, being among the older resi- dents of that place. To them was born one daughter. Bertha E.
Mrs. Thompson is a member of the First Presbyterian church. of Belle- taine. There are few men in the county who have a wider acquaintance than Mr. Thompson because of the line of business with which he has been identified. but while he has had the opportunity of meet- ing many he has also been the possessor of qualities which have gained him the warm friendship of those with whom he has come in contact and won for him the respect and good will of those with whom he has been associated.
JOSEPH E. CARR.
No state can claim a more heroic band of pioneers than Ohio. Into the wild un- improved region included within the ter- ritory of this state in the early part of the century came men of learning, of enter- prise. of industry and ability who left their older homes of the east to carry civiliza- tion into the newer districts of the west. Among this number was the Carr family, including Joseph E. Carr. They arrived in October. 1829. coming from Rock- bridge county, Virginia, where the subject of this review was born on the 7th of De- cember. 1826. His parents were Daniel and Mary (Minnick) Carr. The father. also a native of the Old Dominion, was a farmer by occupation, following that pur- suit in both Virginia and Ohio. He died in middle life at Bellefontaine and his widow. having survived him for several years, passed away when her son Joseph was nineteen years of age, also departing this life in Bellefontaine.
Joseph E. Carr was the sixth in order of birth in a family of seven and is the only one now living. By a former marriage of the father there was one child. When but six years of age our subject began his edu- cation in a log schoolhouse, supplied with a puncheon floor, slab seats and greased paper windows, but though his school privileges were somewhat limited his train- ing at farm labor was not meager. After leaving school he began to clear land for the neighbors and he followed farming by the month until he was twenty-one years of age. When twenty-four years of age he was married and about that time he purchased eighty acres of land on the Sid- ney pike near Bellefontaine, whereon he
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erected a comfortable home for himself Harrison township. Logan county. Re- and his family. For three years he re- sided upon that farm and then, selling the property, he purchased a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres near where the county house now stands. He cleared this land and made all of the improvements upon the place. including the erection of the first house which was a log cabin. This, however. was eventually replaced by a larger and more modern residence and upon the farm Mr. Carr continued to make his home until about nine years ago. when he removed to the city of Bellefon- taine, where he is now living a retired life. He was engaged in general farming and stock raising. making a specialty of fine horses and hogs, and his well conducted business affairs brought to him excellent success.
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