USA > Ohio > Champaign County > The history of Champaign county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory etc > Part 117
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GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
two years; member of Town Council, and is now Township Trustee. For eight years he has been a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was married, in 1856, to Melissa Coles, of Champaign Co., by whom he had one son, and, in 1863, to Mary T. Gilbert, a native of Virginia. He has one son and three daughters by his second union.
GEORGE MORSE, farmer ; P. O. Mechanicsburg ; was born in Vermont in 1830, and is of English descent. His father, Charles P., emigrated to Ohio in about 1835, and was a farmer by occupation. He was married to Sarah Knight, of Vermont, by whom he had six sons and six daughters, some dying in infancy. Charles P. died June, 1872; his wife, Sarah, still survives. Our subject was the fifth of the family, and -was brought up on the farm, early becoming inured to farm labor. He was only five years old when he came to Ohio with his parents, residing since then in Union and Champaign Cos., and moving to his present place about fourteen years ago. His years, till he reached maturity, were passed upon the farm at home, assisting in the farm duties and gathering, during the winter months, a rudimentary education from the district schools, which was supplemented by two or three years passed in the high school at Marysville. He learned the trade of cabinet-maker in early life, and operated a cabinet-shop in North Lewisburg for about five years. Mr. Morse takes great interest in religion, and holds the official relation of minister to the Disciples Church, filling the pulpit regularly every month, besides doing much irregular work in the ministry. Mr. Morse is one of the industrious and highly respected citizens of the community, and takes an interest in whatever pertains to the welfare of the community. He married Marcia, daughter of Eliphas Burnham, in 1853. He has a family of one son and one daughter, one son deceased.
JOSEPH MUMMA, farmer ; P. O. Mechanicsburg ; one of the prominent farm- ers of the county, was born Jan. 16, 1816, in Washington Co., Md., near the battle ground of Antietam. He is the son of Henry and Adelia (Staubs) Mumma ; the for- mer a native of Pennsylvania, and of German descent ; and the latter a native of Fred- erick City, Md., and of French descent. Henry moved with his parents to Maryland when about 14 years old, and, in October, 1828, he moved to Ohio, locating near Dayton, where his death occurred in April, 1853; and his devoted wife in July, 1866. He was by occupation a farmer, and had three sons and two daughters, of whom our subject is the third. He was 12 years old when he came to Ohio with his parents. He was raised on a farm, and has made farming his life occupation. In this line of life he has taken a great interest and been signally successful. He resided near Dayton till the fall of 1866, when he became a resident of Champaign Co., locating in Union Township, and, in April, 1873, he moved to his present place about one mile east of Mechanicsburg. He is enterprising, as is evinced by his fine, well-improved farms, and large, beautiful residence and surroundings. He is a Republican in politics, formerly being an Old-Line Whig. He married in the fall of 1840, Mary J. Tyler, of Montgomery Co., Ohio, by whom he has reared three sons and six daughters, one daughter deceased.
G. W. NELSON, lumber merchant, Mechanicsburg. G. W. Nelson, of the firm of P. W. Alden & Co., in one of the well-established business men of Mechanicsburg, born in Lancaster Co., Penn., in 1836, of English descent. His parents are Thomas and Mary (Greer) Nelson, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they now reside at an advanced age. They have five sons and four daughters ; all yet survive. Our subject is the oldest of the family, and, till 19 years of age, his summers were devoted to farm duties and his winters to school duties in the district schools. At this age he began the carpenter trade and followed it in his native State till 1859, when he emigrated to Ohio, locating in South Charleston, Clark Co. In the summer of 1861, when rebellion was rife in our country he responded to the call for men to suppress it, and enlisted in the 44th O. V. I., and re-enlisted with his regiment in 1863-64, in the 8th O. V. C. He participated in the campaignes of West Virginia and Kentucky up to the siege of Knoxville, in which he was engaged. The principal fights up to this time were those of Lewisburg and
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Floyd in West Virginia. After the siege of Knoxville the regiment returned home ; were mounted and entered the service as the 8th O. V. C., being placed in Hunter's command. He was with him on his march to Lynchburg and his retreat, participating in numerous skirmishes and experiencing much hard service. After this did guard duty and scouting, with general headquarters at Phillippi and Lexington, Ky. While charging the enemy at Dunstan's Hill, Ky., he received a shot in the forehead which prostrated him for a time, but did not prove serious. He served till the close of the war, experiencing all the privations and hardships of active soldier life, and was honor- ably discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio. He located in Mechanicsburg in the spring of 1871, since which time he has been dealing in lumber, operating under the firm style of P. W. Alden & Co., the only lumber dealer in the place. He handles all kinds of fine lumber, and also deals in coal. He married in 1864, Eliza C. Calhoun, of this State. One adopted son constitutes his family: He is a Republican, and member of A., F. & A. M., K. of H. and M. E. Church.
FRANK R. PACKHAM, machinist, Mechanicsburg, was born in Hadley, La- peer Co., Mich., in 1853. His father, Catterick, was born in Lewes, Eng., and emi- grated to America when 10 years old, locating in Michigan. Here he married Clarinda Greene, of Michigan, and of Massachusetts ancestry. She is the grand-daughter of Abraham Newberry, one of the men who assisted in throwing the tea overboard in Bos- ton Harbor. Catterick has since moved to Canada, where he superintends one of the most extensive milling establishments in that province. Our subject was reared and re- ceived his primary education in his native place, finishing his education in Rockwood Academy, at Guelph, Canada. At the age of 17, he was apprenticed to the trade of machinist in New Hamburg, Canada. Here, while working at his trade, he acquired the use of the German language. In July, 1875, he came to Mechanicsburg as an em- ploye of the Mechanicsburg Machine Company, then in its infancy. Remained in the employ of the company about two years, when he invented the " Packham Patent Crimper," an ingenious contrivance for crimping stove-pipes. He at once gave his at- tention to the manufacture and perfecting of the machine. As in every industry, so in this, it required energy and enterprise to make it a success, which were readily and persistently furnished by Mr. Pack ham. He began the manufacture of it himself, but, not having suffi- cient financial means to push the enterprise as it should be, he sold out to parties who organ- ized the " Patent Crimper Company." Mr. Packham was placed in charge of the man- ufacturing department, which position he has since occupied. He is one of the enter- prising young men of Mechanicsburg, and has done much for the industries of the place. He married, in 1875, Maxmiller Mouser, a native of this county, and a descendant of the Kentons, of historic fame. Her grandmother, Elizabeth Mouser, now residing with her, was born within the present limits of Mad River Township, this county, April 20, 1804, and is the daughter of Thomas Kenton, a nephew of Simon Kenton. Thomas was born in Virginia Aug. 23, 1771, but his parents moved to Kentucky when he was about 14 years of age. On the journey, his grandfather, Martin K., died. They be- came pioneer families of Kentucky. Thomas married Keziah Crutchfield, of Virginia, and, in 1801, became a pioneer to Champaign Co. His life is indissolubly connected with the early history of the county and Mad River Township. His death occurred Nov. 10, 1851, in his 81st year. He had a family of six sons and six daughters. A son and three daughters still survive. Elizabeth married John Mouser, of Virginia, in 1826, who died in 1831, leaving a son, Thomas K., who died in the late rebellion, leav- ing two daughters and a son. Six generations of this family have lived in this county, and three generations were born on the same farm in Mad River Township.
R. B. ROGERS, farmer ; P. O. Mechanicsburg ; one of the prominent citizens of Goshen Township; was born in Greene Co., Ohio, in 1826, and of English descent. His parents, John and Margaret (Herbert) Rogers, were both natives of Virginia and early settlers of Greene Co. John found his way to Greene Co. about 1819, coming down the Ohio River by flat-boat, and in 1826, in the infancy of our subject, he became
895
GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
a resident of Champaign Co., locating in the southeast corner of the county, where our subject now resides. Here his death occurred in 1849, a loss to the community of a gentleman and a Christian. His wife, Margaret, survived him till 1876, when her death occurred at the ripe age of 86 years. Of their family of three sons and one daughter, the daughter has died. Our subject is the third child and youngest son. Almost his entire life has been passed on his present farm, being only a few months old when he was brought here by his parents. The country was wild and mostly covered with a thick growth of timber when he first made his advent here, but now large, highly im- proved and well-cultivated farms may be seen instead, the result of industry and perse- verance, and in this improvement Mr. R. has borne a creditable part. His first mar- riage was in 1852, with Sarah Morris, of Madison Co .; his second in 1862, with Lydia Griffin, of the same county. Two sons have been born of this union. In politics, Mr. R. is a Republican, and is a member of the I. O. O. F and A., F. & A. M. Societies.
G. A. ROWINSKY, farmer ; P. O. Mechanicsburg; was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., in 1831, of Russian descent on his paternal, and German on his maternal, side. His father, Abraham, and his mother, Sarah (Dunkle), were both natives of Lancaster Co., Penn. Abraham was a tanner by trade, but a farmer by occupation. He emi- grated to Ohio in 1839 and located in Harrison Co., near Cadiz; from here he moved to Richland Co., where his death occurred in August, 1865, and that of his wife, Sarah, in February, 1876. Five sons and five daughters were born to them; a son and daughter died when young; the others grew up to maturity. One son-John M .- died in the service of his country in the late war, at the siege of Vicksburg, Miss., of the measles. G. A. is the fourth child of the family, and, being brought up on a farm, has made farming his life occupation. His years till his majority were passed with his father on the farm, performing farm labor and attending district school in the winter. At the above age, he started out on his own responsibility and resources, and, in 1856, located in Goshen Township. Mr. R. has a fine farm of 132 acres, the result of his own industry and economy. He served about four months in the late civil war, as a member of the 134th O. V. I., performing mostly picket duty at the siege of Peters- burg, Va. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the I. O. O. F., of Me- chanicsburg. He married, in 1858, Martha J. Rutan, of this county ; they have a son and daughter living, and one daughter deceased.
NATHANIEL SCEVA (deceased) was one of the prominent citizens and early settlers of Goshen Township. He was born in New Hampshire in 1808, of English extraction. His parents were Henry and Joanna (Celey) Sceva, both natives of New Hampshire. Nathaniel was brought up on the farm till about 13 years old, when he was apprenticed to the carpenter trade, serving the regular term of seven years, thus becoming thoroughly acquainted with his profession. His educational opportunities were well improved, and he qualified himself for the profession of teaching, which he engaged in to some extent in his native State. In May, 1835, he cast his lot in the State of Ohio, locating in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg. For some years, he followed his trade, and many buildings still stand as monuments of his workmanship. After a time, he purchased land and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. Some years previous to his death, which occurred Dec. 14, 1870, he was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Mechanicsburg, in which place the latter years of his life were passed. He was one of Goshen Township's much-respected citizens, and in his death the community recognized the loss of one of its useful members. We quote from a Columbus paper the following : "He had been a citizen of the county for more than thirty-five years, and had served as Commissioner and Postmaster, besides numerous local offices of trust, with strict integrity and fidelity. His family have lost a kind husband and father, and the community a valuable citizen. He was eminently the noblest work of God, 'an honest man.' " He was one of the self-made men of the community, in- heriting nothing but an honest name, habits of industry, and a determined will; he accumulated before his death a neat competency. He was a life-long Democrat, and
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was elected on that ticket to the office of County Commissioner in a county which is overwhelmingly Republican. He was married, April 3, 1835, to Rosaline, daughter of James and Dolly Woodward. James Woodward was born in North Sutton, N. H., March 3, 1789, and died April 28, 1872 ; his wife still survives, in her 87th year, with her physical and mental powers remarkably well preserved. Six sons and one daughter were born to Mr. and Mrs. Sceva, all growing to maturity ; two sons have since died.
J. N. SHAUL, blacksmith, Mechanicsburg ; is one of the energetic business men of Mechanicsburg and native-born citizens of the county ; he was born in the southern part of Rush Township, Oct. 7, 1837 ; his father, Peter H., was born in Clark Co., seventy years ago, whither his parents had moved from Virginia in an early day. His father was of Scotch and his mother of French descent. Peter H. was married in 1835, to Mary Swisher, of Pennsylvania ; he moved to this county quite early, and located in Rush Township, where he still resides ; he had a family of two sons and four daughters , of whom our subject is the oldest. He passed his life, till he attained the age of 16, on the farm, assisting in the duties of the same and attending school about four months in a year, getting, under difficulties, a limited education. At the above age, he went to Ur- bana and learned the blacksmith trade, under the tutorship of Hiram Gray. After completing his trade he went West ; worked two years in McDonough Co., Ill., and, in 1858, came to Mechanicsburg, where he has since been engaged at his trade ; he enjoys the reputation of being a first-class workman, and has the confidence and esteem of the public. Mr. S. is a member of the A., F. & A. M. Society, and finds his political creed in the Republican party, with which he has always been identified. He married, in 1862, Mira Joiner, who was born in Mechanicsburg, in 1844, and is a daughter of Charles Joiner, a native of Virginia, who was one of the first settlers and prominent citizens of Mechanicsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Shaul have a family of five living children.
T. E. SHEPHERD, Postmaster, Mechanicsburg ; was born in Mechanicsburg, in 1837, which town has always been his place of residence ; he comes of early pioneers of the county ; his father, John Shepherd, was a native of Kentucky, and his mother, Eleanor McCoy, a native of Maryland. John emigrated to Ohio with his parents, Abra- ham and Mary Shepherd, in an early day. Abraham and his wife passed the remainder of their days here, and now lie buried in the old cemetery of this place. Abraham was a farmer by occupation and a minister in the Christian Church. John was a miller by trade, and passed the greater part of his life in a mill ; his decease occurred in Novem- ber, 1860, and that of his wife one year previous. They had ten children, of whom our subject is the youngest ; he was reared and educated in this his native place, and early apprenticed to the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for seventeen or eighteen years of his life. In 1863, he enlisted in defense of his country in the late rebellion as a member of Co. K. 113th O. V. I .; he participated in part of the Atlanta campaign ; shortly after, was taken sick and returned to Louisville, Ky., where he remained as clerk in Gen. Ewing's headquarters till the close of the war. He then returned home and engaged again at his trade till 1877, when he received the appointment of Postmaster of Mechanicsburg, the duties of which he has since discharged with fidelity and com- mendable zeal. He finds expression for his political ideas in the Republican party ; he has been Secretary of the Central Ohio Fair Association since the first year after its organization ; was nine years Township Clerk and several years Town Clerk. He is a member of the following organizations : A., F. & A. M., I. O. O. F. and K. of H. He married, March 26, 1861, Amanda, daughter of Udney H. Hyde. She was born in Delaware Co., Ohio. One son and two daughters have been the issue of this union. W. H. Hyde deserves special notice as being, in the days of slavery, a fearless and un- compromising Abolitionist, and the central figure in the " Addison White Rescue Case," mentioned in the historical part of this work. He was born in Vermont in 1807 and emigrated to Ohio in 1834, and, twenty-five years ago, became a resident. of Goshen Township, Champaign Co. In 1840, while contemplating the question of Amer- ican slavery, he came to the conclusion that it was grossly wrong, and incompatible
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GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
with our free government, and, with some others, pledged himself to do all in his power against it, regardless of consequences, and no pledge was ever more earnestly and deter- minedly executed than this on the part of Mr. Hyde; he ran off on the underground railway, altogether, 513 fugitive slaves from Mechanicsburg to Delaware. During many of these trips he encountered many dangers, but pushed on fearlessly on "duty's rounds." By his connection with the " Addison White Rescue Case," he was compelled to flee the " Fugitive slave Law," and became a refugee for nine months, thereby entail- ing a loss of several thousand dollars. His daughter Amanda, also, though young, bore a conspicuous part in this case. To such spirits as these are the freedmen under a debt of everlasting gratitude.
D. F. SPAIN, banker, Mechanicsburg. Mr. Spain is one of the oldest citi- zens of Mechanicsburg; was born in Greene Co. in 1807, of English parentage. The- odrick and Sarah (Threet) Spain, his parents, were both natives of Virginia ; Theodrick was a farmer by occupation, and immigrated to Greene Co., Ohio, in 1805 or 1806, and to this county in the year 1808, locating in this township and constituting one of the first families in the place ; in 1818, he moved to the town of Mechanicsburg, where he lived till his death, which occurred in 1824; he purchased, when coming here, 1,000 acres of land, and was one of the most prominent citizens of the community in his day ; he was, for many years, the only surveyor in this section of country, and laid out the original town of Mechanicsburg; at his death, he left a family of three sons and three daughters, our subject being the fourth child ; he was reared principally on the farm, and, when 11 years old, came to Mechanicsburg with his parents, and, on the death of his father, he returned to the farm, where he remained six years ; he then returned to this place, and has had a continuous residence here ever since-a period of half a cent- ury. He has been engaged in farming, merchandising, etc., and is now Vice President of the Farmers' National Bank of this place. Formerly a Whig, he is now a Repub- lican in politics, having never missed a Presidential election since his majority ; he was elected to the office of Sheriff of Champaign Co. in 1852, and discharged its duties with fidelity for four years; he has served several times as Assessor of the township ; he is a member of the A., F. & A. M. of this place. He has been married twice ; first, in 1847, to Ann Morgan, a native of London, England; she died in 1853; his second marriage was with Angeline Shepherd, of this county, in 1860. He has one son-William H .- living, who is a child of the first union.
EPHRAIM STUART, retired farmer; P. O. Mechanicsburg ; was born in Sara- toga Co., N. Y., near Balston Falls, June 28, 1809, and comes of Scotch and Irish an- cestry ; his parents, Nathaniel and Keziah (Toby) Stuart, were both of Saratoga Co., N. Y., where Joseph Stuart, father of Nathaniel, settled in an early day; Joseph was a soldier in the Revolutionary struggle, and died in this State, where he had moved in 1837. Nathaniel gave his attention, to some extent, to farming, and was prominently connected with the county offices, as High Sheriff, etc .; he immigrated to Ohio in 1836, locating in Union Co., where his death occurred in 1875, at the ripe age of 84, and that of his wife in 1859. Nathaniel was a soldier on the frontier in the war of 1812; had five sons and seven daughters ; all still survive but two. Our subject is the oldest, and was reared and schooled in his native State ; he immigrated to Ohio in 1837, locat- ing successively in Union, Logan, and, in 1845, in Champaign Co., where he has since had his residence, with the exception of a short time in Logan Co. He has devoted the most of his life to the manufacture of woolen goods, a trade he learned in his native State ; he has had the misfortune of losing, by fire, two factories within the last twenty- four years ; notwithstanding these reverses, he has, by his industry and economy, suc- ceeded in securing for himself and family a neat competence ; he has a farm of 200 acres joining on the town of Mechanicsburg. His political views incline him toward the Democratic party, but, being a strong temperance man, he occasionally votes the Prohibition ticket. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and the M. E. Church, He married Mary Hutchinson in 1837; she was born in Vermont Oct. 24, 1815; one son and three daughters are the issue of this union.
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JOHN P. SUTTON, clerk, Mechanicsburg; is a descendant of early pioneers, and was born in Mechanicsburg Feb. 4, 1850 ; his parents were John P. and Nancy M. (Henderson) Sutton ; the former was born in Hartford, Conn., in about 1813, and im- migrated to this place about 1838 or 1839; by trade, he was a tailor, which he followed till his death, Dec. 27, 1856. He married Mrs. Nancy M. Baker, nee Henderson, in 1848; our subject was the only issue of this union ; he (John P.) was formerly mar- ried to Sallie N. Baxter, by whom he had two children. Mrs. Sutton was born near Alexandria, Va., Oct. 18, 1807, and came to this township with her parents in 1814 ; they located on land now owned by Orin Taylor, where they erected their pioneer log cabin and began life in the wilderness ; this cabin still stands, a relic of pioneer times ; in this community Mrs. Sutton has since resided-a period of sixty-six years-and wit- nessed the almost incredible changes wrought on the country by the unflagging industry of man during this period. She was first married to John Baker, by whom she had three sons and three daughters, two of whom are dead. Our subject was reared and educated in this, his native place, where he has always had his home ; since he attained the age of 16, he has been engaged principally in mercantile business, as a clerk ; he early en- tered the role of a teacher, which he followed for five winters, in Madison and Franklin Cos .; he has given his time exclusively to mercantile business for the past six years, as a clerk ; he is now engaged in the dry-goods store of C. W. Williams & Co. Mr. Sut- ton is a public-spirited, enterprising and much-respected citizen of Mechanicsburg, pos- sessed of many sterling characteristics ; he finds his politics in the Republican party, and has, for four successive years, been elected to the office of Township Clerk. He is a member of the following orders : A., F. & A. M., Chapter, I. O. O. F., Encampment, Imp. O. R. M., and K. of H .; is Secretary of the People's Building Loan Association, and M. P. Sabbath school. He married Anna Earnest, of Harper's Ferry, Va., July 20, 1871; two children, both deceased, have been the issue of this union.
BENJAMIN TAYLOR, retired farmer; P. O. Mechanicsburg; he is one of the prominent citizens and early settlers of the township; was born in Penobscot Co., Me., in 1810, and is the son of Cyrus and Abigail (Woodward) Taylor Our subject was only a small boy when he came to Ohio with his parents, and located in Meigs Co., and, in the spring of 1825, he came with his brother Orin to this county and township, and located on their father's farm, near Mechanics- burg. Here in this comparatively new country he began as a farmer to carve out his fortunes, and his success through life attests how successfully he has done it. He fol- lowed assiduously the pursuit of agriculture till nine years ago, when he abandoned the farm and moved to Mechanicsburg. His life has been characterized as one of integrity and industry. Being an Old-Line Whig, he naturally united with the Republican party at its organization, and has since been identified with it, although he at times exercises his voting privilege in favor of the Prohibition party. He was a strong anti- slavery man, and took some interest in the underground railway system. He, with his wife, is a member of the Protestant Methodist Church of this place. He was married, in 1837, to Emiline Mitchell, and, in 1858, to Amelia Baker. Seven children were the issue of the first, and one child of the second, union.
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