USA > Ohio > Clark County > The history of Clark County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, V. 2 > Part 33
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resigned his official duty, and took charge as conductor on the Hastings & Dakota Railroad, where he remained until 1870; one year later was appointed Chief of Police of Springfield, which position he filled until 1875, and, in 1878, was appointed to his present position, which he creditably fills. Mrs. Fleming was born in Clark Co., Ohio, and has had born to her three children, of which one, James. Jr., survives; he was born in 1848, and now remains at home.
JAMES FOLEY, Sheriff, Springfield; is a native of Clark County, and descendant of a pioneer family; his paternal grandfather, James Foley, came from Virginia a single man in 1806, and located in Moorefield Township, where he entered a large tract of land and subsequently married Mary Marsh, daughter of John Marsh, also a pioneer of that township. Mr. Foley was a Captain in the war of 1812, and a member of the first Board of Commissioners of Clark County; afterward was a member of the Legislature from this county. and a prominent, useful and worthy citizen; his decease occurred about 1866 in the 87th year of his age; he had a family of four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom Mrs. Catharine Ward is now the only survivor. John Foley was the oldest son, and was born in Moorefield Township and grew to manhood in the pioneer days, and married Emily Dunlap, daughter of the Rev. James Dunlap, a pioneer Baptist minister of Champaign County. They had two children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the only survivor; he was born in Moorefield Township Aug. 31, 1838. His father died when he was quite young, and his home was afterward with his grandfather Foley. He re- ceived a rudimentary education in the district school under the charge of John W. Weakly; afterward was a dry goods clerk. In 1862, he married Mary, daughter of John Marsh. After his marriage, he located on a farm in Moore- field Township, and continued farming until 1875, when he removed to Spring- field, having received the appointment of Deputy Sheriff, which position he held till elected Sheriff. He has a family of five children, four daughters and a son.
WILLIAM FOOS, banker and farmer, Springfield; is one of the residents of Springfield, and prominently identified with its business and growth. He is a son of Gen. Joseph and Margaret (Phifer) Foos, who were early residents of Franklin, the then county seat of Franklin Co., Ohio: he was a man of great energy, and took an active part in public affairs, and received the appointment of Brigadier General of Militia: he was the first man to suggest the feasibility of a ship canal across the Isthmus of Darien, it being known and spoken of in those days as "Foos' folly." The subject of this sketch was born in Franklin County in 1814; he received a fair education in his youth, but was required to labor for the support of the family after he became 14 years of age, and com- menced at that age farming as a renter: his first business experience was as a clerk in a dry goods store. and, at 23 years of age, he embarked in that busi- ness in Springfield, but, finding he had an unsafe partner, he sold out and after- ward engaged in the same business in Logan County. After two or three years, he removed to London, Madison Co., where he continued in the same trade. During his stay in Madison County, he purchased and improved a farm near Loudon. In 1816, he returned to Springfield and again engaged in mer- chandising, which he continued until 1854. during which he was also engaged in a number of outside business enterprises: buying wool, operating a cotton- mill, and, in connection with his brother, laid out a tract of 90 acres, and made additions to the city, which now contains some of the handsomest residence property in the city. In 1859, he in connection with his brother Gustavus, es- tablished a private banking house, which, in 1863, became the present Second National Bank, of which he is President, and his son, Fergus W., Cashier, the two owning the large majority of the stock. The stock of said bank is now worth double the capital stock, notwithstanding, they have generally made an
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annual dividend of 12 per cent. From 1866 to 1877, Mr. Foos was a member of the firm of James Leffel & Co., manufacturers of the celebrated Leffel tur- bine water-wheel and other mill machinery. It is but just to say that the suc- cess attained was largely due to the energy and ability of Mr. Foos and his son Lamar, who was in charge of the branch house in New York City. It is a well known fact that all concerned became rich. The establishment has since passed into the hands of John W. Bookwalter. When Mr. Foos sold out his mercantile interests in 1854, he purchased 4,000 acres of wild land in Champaign Co., Ill. ; built himself a good house on High street, and concluded to take it easy the re- mainder of his life ; but a short trial at that sort of life convinced him that loafing was not his forte, and so the banking house of Foos Brothers was estab- lished. Soon after he commenced the development of a plan for the improve- ment and remunerative culture of the land in Illinois, which was his intention when he purchased it. In this enterprise he spent thousands of dollars, and although the distance from his home precludes his personal visit oftener than three a year, when a complete invoice is taken and balance sheets made, which show a good annual dividend on the capital invested and expenses incurred. It will be interesting for cattle men to know that Mr. Foos sold, in the spring of 1880. 200 head of fat cattle at 5 cents in his yard. The average weight was 1,747 pounds. He has a system of monthly reports, and the ground is so laid out and numbered that the farm virtually receives his weekly personal super- vision. It now has thirty-two miles of fence, twenty-five of which is fine Osage orange hedge, fifteen miles of open ditch, and, in addition to this, $3,000 worth of tile drains, while Lone-Tree Creek and the Sangamon River pass through it, affording excellent natural drainage and abundance of water. He has from $30,000 to $440,000 worth of stock, constantly cared for by his steward and assist- ants, and, in 1880, cultivated 1,500 acres besides his meadows and pastures, some seasons cutting and putting up over five hundred tons of hay. His tract of 4,000 acres is known in that vicinity as the model farm. This achievement stamps Mr. Foos as a remarkable man, for the successful improvement and re- munerative cultivation of such a tract of land, is beyond question a work of which but few men are capable even when giving their personal attention and entire time. Mr. Foos began life's battle when but 14 years of age as the man- ager of a farm, which he rented of his grandfather Phifer. and which his two younger brothers assisted him to cultivate. During the years that have passed, he has not only proved himself a superior farmer, but also a business man of care. discretion and ability, and has contributed much toward the prosperity of his adopted home. The grand farm in Illinois which is cut through the center by the Wabash Railroad, and upon which is located the station and village of Foosland, laid out and built mostly by Mr. Foos' means and enterprise. will re- main to remind future generations of the wisdom and liberal enterprise of the founder. He married, in 1837, Sarah, daughter of James and Nancy (Van Kirk) Mark, of Madison Co., Ohio.
JOHN FOOS. manufacturer and capitalist, Springfield: was born in Madi- son Co., Ohio, in 1826; came to Springfield in 1SAS and became connected with the mercantile interest of the place: in 1861, he purchased the Barnett oil-mill, and soon after, the Steel, Lehman & Co. Mill. and has since been a large dealer in seed and oil. During the war period, he was engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods, being then connected with the woolen mill, since discontinued. In 1870, he became connected with P. P. Mast, the firm now being Mast, Foos & Co .; in 1876, he took hold of the St. John Sewing-Machine Factory, which, up to that time, had had a rather doubtful existence of about one year. Under his control and management, the business has grown to large proportions; fur- ther notice of this manufactory will be found elsewhere in this work. It will be
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seen Mr. Foos has been an important factor in the successful development of several important interests of the city, and is now one of its leading business men. He married, in 1856, Samantha Marks; from this union they have five children.
JOSEPH W. FOSTER, farmer; P. O. Springfield. He lives on the old homestead, now owned by himself, where he was born Jan. 15, 1815. His father, John Foster, was born in Yorkshire, England, June 20, 1805, where he lived until 25 years of age, when he sailed for America and came direct to Springfield, and went into partnership with his brother-in-law in the blacksmith and wagon trade; he also had an interest in the stage line; he continued this business until 1844, when he bought the above-named farm, removing to the same, where he followed his trade and carried on farming until his death, July 10, 1876. His mother, Sarah (Gedlin) Foster, was also born in England Aug. 5, 1812, and emigrated with her parents to America in 1831, locating in Springfield, this county, where she became acquainted with Mr. Foster; they were married Sept. 5, 1835; they lived happily together to a good old age, she departing this life June 11, 1872. By this union they had four children-Catherine A., Sarah J., Joseph W. and Mary E. Joseph lived with his parents until their death. He was married, Oct. 10, 1871, to Josie M., daughter of Lewis C. and Anna
Smith. William L. and Clarence J., their only children, are still the joy of the household. John, the father, was an upright citizen, enjoying the good will and confidence of his neighbors; he held the office of Trustee for quite a num- ber of years. Joseph, like his father, has tried to live a consistent, honorable life. In politics, he is a stanch Republican.
GEORGE H. FREY, Ex-President of Board of County Commissioners, Springfield. Mr. Frey is a native of New York, being born in Philadelphia, Jefferson Co., Dec. 19, 1825, his parents, Samuel C. and Susan C. (Calhoun) Frey, coming to Stark County, Ohio, in 1838; they were the parents of Mary A .. George H. and Andrew C .; Mary and George were born in New York, and Andrew in Canada; when the rebellion in Canada was at its height, in 1836, Samuel Frey was living in Brockville, engaged in the wholesale and retail jew- elry business; being an influential man, and in sympathy with the cause of the Reformers, he was very obnoxious to the British crown. and, upon the destruc- tion of a ship used in transporting Her Majesty's soldiers, the British Govern- ment, attempted his arrest; he escaped to Ohio, where he was afterward joined. by his family. George, the subject of this sketch, came to Clark County in 1847, having previously studied law with Hiram Griswold, of Canton, Ohio; he was admitted to the bar at Xenia, Ohio, in June of the same year, and asso- ciated in business with Gen. Charles Anthony, of Springfield; he afterward formed a partnership with R. R. McNemar; during this time, he became con- nected with the Cincinnati & Sandusky Telegraph Company, first as operator, then Superintendent, and finally President of the company, while its organiza- tion was maintained. In 1854. he purchased an interest in the Springfield Republic, and had for eight years almost exclusive management of its business interests, and also of the editorial department; the steady work of from twelve to sixteen hours daily, together with the close confinement, told upon his health until he was compelled to relinquish the business, and he disposed of his inter- est, as did also W. C. Frye (another member of the firm), to W. T. Cogshall. late Minister to Ecuador: since that time, Mr. Frey has devoted his time in the management of his extensive limestone quarry, and has adopted the latest im- proved methods for the manufacture of lime, thus largely increasing the pro- duction and decreasing the expenses of its mannfacture, until the business has become moderately remunerative. He has been, at different times, a Director of the S., J. & P. R. K, of which corporation he was President during the last
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year of its existence; he was the originator of that enterprise, and was certainly in at the death. Since coming to Springfield, he has held official positions, and his greatest pride is taken in helping forward the business enterprises for which Springfield is noted. For two years, he has been President of the Board of Commissioners, having been connected with that body during the past five years: they have built the Children's Home, made valuable improvements to the County Infirmary, and built the best jail and court house in the State, at a cost of only $100,000; the jail is unexceptionably good, all sanitary conditions, as well as security for prisoners, being taken into consideration, and to Mr. Frey belongs the credit of perfecting the plans, which he has so successfully carried out. This board have so managed that Clark County has 1 per cent less taxa- tion than the general average of taxation in other counties in the State. The marriage of George H. Frey and Miss Jane Q. Ward was solemnized July S. 1851; their union has been blessed with twelve children, eight of whom are now living; Isaac W., the oldest son, is the husband of Miss Annie M. Wilson; George H., Jr., is a student at law; Frederick H., Albert C., Robert R, and Andrew B. (twins), Susie (a survivor of a pair of twins), and Rachel J. (also a survivor of a pair of twins). The children have all been highly favored in an odreational way. and are an honor to their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Frey are both members of the Second i'resbyterian Church, and enjoy the highest estrom of a large circle of acquaintances.
C. C. FRIED, jeweler, Springfield. Charles Christian Fried is essentially a Springfield product, and a creditable one. He was born May 13, 1842, in this city: he lost his father when 10 years of age, and his mother seven years ago; he has two sisters-Mrs. Schertzer and Mrs. Weaver, both residents of Colum- bus, Ohio. Mr. Fried has been twice married-first, to Miss Sarah.J. McBeth, on Ang. 6, 1863, who bore him a daughter on July 23, 1867, whom they named Jessie Lavinia; he lost his wife Nov. 13, 1873; on Feb. 25, 1875, he married Miss Anna Knott, by which union he had one daughter, born Feb. 24, 1877, whom they were so unfortunate as to lose on the 7th of July following; their last visitor is a little son, dating from Sept. 15, 1879. Mr. Fried commenced at the very bottom round of the ladder, being apprenticed in 1858 to Mr. W. Grossman, & jeweler, with whom he worked four years; before the end of his apprenticeship, the war had commenced, and young Fried responded to the President's call for 75,000 volunteers for three months, enlisting in Capt. Ed Mason's company, Springfield Zouaves, of the 2d O. V. I .; served three months, and then worked at his trade in Cincinnati, Ohio; returning to Springfield, he worked successively for B. Allen one and a half years, John P. Allen, his suc- cessor, eight years; then formed a copartnership with B. Allen, which contin- ued two years, and in 1872 he opened his own store in a little frame house, and with less than $500 worth of goods; his prosperity has been marked and rapid: he bought the site of his present place of business and built the store in ISTS, and is now doing about the leading jewelry business of the city, besides having acquired his home, No. 20 West Columbia street, and several other properties. Mr. Fried is a member of Ephraim Lodge, I. O. O. F., of which he was Treas- urer eleven years, and is also a member of the Encampment, being Junior Cap- tain; he is a member of Clark Lodge of F. & A. M. : the order of United American Mechanics; Improved Order of Red Men, and the Murphy Club; he is, last, but not least, a member of good standing of the First Presbyterian Church, and one of its Trustees, and a member of the City Council for the See- ond Ward. Mr. Fried is wido-awake, progressive, public-spirited, and right abreast of the times, thoroughly a self-made man, and one whom all like.
WILLIAM C. FRYE, accountant in Second National Bank, Springfield. William C. Frye was born Dec. 5, 1815, at Winchester, Va .; emigrated to Ohio
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in 1833; located first in Hillsboro, and subsequently in Greenfield, Highland County, where he married Mary K. Bell, daughter of Charles Bell, of that vil- lage. In the year 18'S, he removed to Springfield, where, from 1849 to 1856, the was book-keeper in the Mad River Valley Branch of the State Bank. At the election of 1855. he was elected County Treasurer; was re-elected in 1857, and served two full terms, which expired September, 1860, when he became joint owner and publisher, with George H. Frey, of the Springfield Republic. In March, 1864, he was appointed Cashier of the Second National Bank, which position he held until July, 1869, when he retired, and associated himself, in 1570, with the Commercial Bank, and afterward with the Lagonda National Bank, from which he retired to the office of County Treasurer by appointment Fof the Commissioners, and was, at the October election of 1874. elected Treas- urer, and continued to discharge the duties of that office until September, 1877. In January, ISSO. he became an officer in the Second National Bank. Mr. William C. Frye is, in all the relations of life, one of the most excellent and thoroughly respected men of Springfield, enjoying the unquestioning confidence of all who know him.
CHARLES OTIS GARDINER, of P. P. Mast & Co., manufacturers, Springfield; was born in Madison Co., N. Y., Oct. 18, 1826; he is of Scotch in German descent, being from the family who settled and whose descendants now own Gardiner's Island; is a son of Daniel Dennison and Orrilla (Fair- banks) Gardiner; his mother was of the same family connection as the inventor of the celebrated " Fairbanks" scales; his father was a manufacturer of agricult- ural implements, and thus the native mechanical genius of Mr. Gardiner was early developed by practical application. He was a member of the first wreck- ing crew on the lakes; it was this crew who removed the safe from the steamer Atlantic, sunk in 160 feet of water off Long Point, Lake Erie; was three years foreman of the works at Milwaukee where the Pitts thresher was manufactured. In 1857, he took charge of the Buffalo Agricultural Works, but the financial pressure of that year somewhat crippled the firm, and, in the fall of 1860, Mr. Gardiner came to Springfield, having made arrangements with Thomas & Mast to take general superintendence of the Buckeye Agricultural Works; he contin- ued as foreman and general superintendent of the works until the re-organiza- tion. when he became a member of the firm of P. P. Mast & Co .; he is the in- ventor of their force-feed for grain drills, and. in fact, of all the important late patterns held by the firm, and is the real mechanical genius of the firm, and contributed largely to the success of the works, now one of the important man- ufacturing establishments which have made the village of Springfield an impor- tant city, with a good prospect of becoming one of the greatest manufacturing centers in the world. His residence is 100 Gallagher street. He married, in 1853, Miss Amelia A. Clark, of Chautauqua Co., N. Y .; they have one child living, Anna A., now Mrs. Dr. William Lagonda.
JAMES S. GOODE, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Springfield: was born in Warren Co., Ohio, Jan. 22, 1823; his parents emigrated from the State of Virginia early in the history of the State of Ohio, and lived and died in Warren County. Judge Goode was educated at Miami University, from which he graduated in 1845; he subsequently studied law, and was admitted to the bar in January, 1848, and commenced the practice of his profession at Springfield in the following April, in partnership with Gen. Charles Anthony: he was Mayor of the city one term, and County Prosecutor two terms; he con- tinued in active practice until 1875, when. at the solicitation of the bar of the county, he consented to become a candidate for the office of Common Pleas Judge, and was elected without opposition. and re-elected by the unanimous vote of both political parties, and is now serving as Judge for the second term.
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Judge Goode, while not an active partisan, was a Whig in politics until the organization of the Republican party, since which he has been activelyidentified with that party; he has also been identified with the business interests of the city and general interest of the county. His son, Frank C., is prominent among the younger members of the Springfield bar.
JOSHUA GORE. sewing-machine dealer, Springfield. In an old Spring- field Directory of 1852, in a statement of organization, capital and officers of the Springfield Gas & Coke Company, appears as one of the Directors Joshua Gore- the worthy subject of this sketch: to this statement is added, "The city was first lit with gas on the eve of April 4, 1850." Mr. Gore was born in 1812 (a year so memorable in American history), in Baltimore Co Md .; his father died in the trenches of Bladensberg, in his country's service, in the year of our. Gore's birth; hence he was almost orphaned is birth. He came to Springfield in 1836, when it was a village of 1,500, and in 1838 linked his fortunes with those of Miss Rebecca Jane Hughes, of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Gore have only one child -- Mrs. Emma M. Miller, residing at Greenfield, Highland Co., Ohio. Mr Gore's business career has been a varied one; he conunenced bere in the hardware business; was a victim of fire in 1840; clerked a few years; opened a dry goods establishment in 1844, commencing on nothing; after three years, he abandoned de goods und embarked in the manufacture of boots and shoes. continuing this business until 1852, when, being seized with a violent attack of the California " gold fever," he sold out and turned his face toward the " Occi- dent," as much, however, on account of his health as for anticipated wealth. A sojourn of three years on the Pacific Slope restored his health, but gave him few additional ducats. Returning in 1855, after one year of clerkship he went into the fruit-tree business, traveling over the South in this interest until the tocsin of war sounded; returning home, he took charge of the hardware business of Col. E. M. Doty, who tried the fortunes of war; taking up the fruit-tree bus- iness one more year at the close of the war, he then bought out a hat house, added boots and shoes, closed out this business two years ago, and went into the sew- ing machine business, handling extensively the Domestic and New Home machines, in which he now does a nice, profitable business. Mr. Gore is an honored and consistent Methodist, and his name is a synonym for honesty.
JACOB GRAM, farmer; P. O. Springfield. Jacob Gram, son of Cornelius and Catherine (Spear) Gram, was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., April 30, 1817; came to Clark Co., Ohio, in 1832, with his parents. He was married, Sept. 29, 1853, to Isabella M. Dory; they have four children -- William J., Harriet E., Martha C. and Charles J. William was married, Oct. 28, 1SS0, to Mattie Otstot. daughter of Hunter and Sarah Otstot; Harriet was married, Dec. 27. 1877. to Samuel C. Rebert; Martha was married, Nov. 18, ISSO, to Henry O. Leffel. Mrs. Gram is the daughter of James and Elizabeth M. (Cosway) Dory; she was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1832; her parents were both natives of and were married in England, and emigrated to America in 1830, and to Cincinnati in 1831, and moved from there to this in a wagon, in 1833, in February, the weather being so cold that Elizabeth's (now Mrs. Gram) mother carried ber all the way from Cincinnati to Springfield in a large muff to keep her from frecz- ing. Mr. Gram started for himself a poor boy, and, by his own exertions, has managed to provide a comfortable home and a good farm; he has, all through- his life, been an honorable, upright gentleman. Mrs. Gram is one of those good, intelligent mothers, who knows how to provide for the welfare of her chil- dren.
WILLIAM GRANT, SR., butcher, Springfield; was born in England in . 1811; came to the United States in 1831, and, after a few years' stay in Colum- bus, Ohio, came to Springfield in January, 1836, and has since been a resident
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and one of the active business men of the city. He commenced his business (butcher) by attending market, and gradually increased his trade, with the growth and increase of the city, until he established a regular daily market, located on High street near Market space, in a building erected by Mr. Grant for that pur- pose; his three sons, William H., Martin M. and Thomas P., are now associated with him. During Mr. Grant's residence here, he has laid out and contributed two additions to the city, one on South Center street. including Mulberry and Pleasant streets; the other on North Plum and Yellow Springs streets. his pres- ent residence being in the latter addition. at the corner of North Plum and Cedar streets. He married, at Columbus, in 1835, Nancy, daughter of George McConnel, one of the early settlers of that city, and the builder of the first State House; her decease occurred in 1850; of the children from this union, six are now living-William H., Mary J. (now Mrs. John Mulholland). Fannie (now Mrs. Quincy Petts), and Martin M. and Thomas P. (twins). In 1852, he mar- ried Martha L. Darling, a native of Massachusetts; from this union have been born two children-Dr. George D., and Harriet B., now Mrs. William H. Weir.
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