USA > Ohio > Clinton County > The history of Clinton County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory, Volume 2 > Part 71
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JOSIAHI M. TOWNSEND, farmer, P. O. Martinsville, son of Josiah and Abigail Townsend, was born in Union Township February 16, 1832. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, who came with their parents to Warren County about 1829-30. Mr. Townsend was reared on his father's farm till sixteen, when he went to Cincinnati. Ile obtained his education in the High Schools of Martinsville and Cin- cinnati. In 1854, he engaged in the dairy business, near Cincinnati, continuing till 1857, when he came to Martinsville and purchased the depot, and was engaged in the mercantile business, holding, at the same time, station and railroad agencies, till 1863, when he returned to Cincinnati. In 1869, he removed back to Martinsville, and in 1872, located on his present farm. Mr. Townsend has filled various important official relations in his township. He served as Trustee for three years, and as a member of the Board of County Commissioners for one term. He has been President of the Farm- ers' Station Joint Stock Company since its organization in 1876, and is also President of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Union Store Company. April 28, 1859, he was united
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in marriage with Esther J. West, daughter of Peyton and Sarah H. West. Mrs. West was born in Clark Township, March 25, 1840. This union was given nine children, seven of whom are living, viz., Orland, Cammie M., Sarah A., Herbert H., George A., Melvin and Mary. Mr. Townsend and wife are members of the Society of Friends. His affiliations have been with the Republican party. He is the owner of an excellent farm of 335 acres, and his time and attention are given to the pursuits of farming and rearing stock.
WILLIAM H. TURNER, P. O. Martinsville, a respected farmer of Clark Town- ship, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, January 13, 1820. His parents, Michael and Elizabeth (Beltz) Turner, came to Hamilton County in 1808, and settled near Milford. They lived there till 1824, when they removed to Union Township, Clermont County. Mr. Turner's ancestors were Germans. His grandfather, Lewis Turner, and family, and his grandfather Beltz and family, on his mother's side, emigrated from Holland in 1756 and settled in New York City, where they had an interest in the celebrated Holland purchase. Mr. Turner is the sixth son and eleventh child of a family of twelve children, of whom only two besides himself are living-Andrew J., and Amanda, wife of Harrison Carpenter. Mr. Turner was reared on a farm, and received his edu- cation in the common district schools. He was married in December, 1842, to Miss Elizabeth Schannahorn, who bore him eight children, of whom four are living-Nancy, J., born December, 1849; George W., born March, 1852, married Juda Prater ; Will- iam F., born July 1854, and Daniel, born September 1, 185,7, married Flora Turner. Isaac, Michael, Mary A. and Elizabeth are deceased. The three former all died in one week in July, 1849, from cholera. Mrs. Turner departed this life October, 1857, and Mr. Turner again married September 19, 1858 ; this time to Susan Snyder, a daugh- ter of James and Elizabeth Snyder, and a native of Clermont County. In January, 1853, Mr. Turner came to Clark Township, and in 1858 located on the farm that he now occupies. When Mr. Turner started in life, he had a horse, saddle and bridle, and his own energy, which were his capital. And through the able investment of his cap- ital, and with perseverance'and economy, he has obtained good possessions. He owns a valuable farm of 340 acres, which is adorned with a substantial two-story brick resi- dence erected in 1879, at a cost of $3,000. This house replaced one burned in April, 1879, which was built at the cost of the present one. The year of 1878, a misfortune befel him, in the burning of a $3,000 barn erected in 1876. For thirty years, up to 1877, he was extensively engaged in rearing and buying and shipping hogs. Besides his farm here, Mr. Turner owns seventy acres in Marion Township, and also forty acres four miles from Kokomo, Ind. Mr. Turner is a man of more than ordinary enter- prise, and is highly esteemed.
MICHAEL TURNER, farmer, P. O. Martinsville, son of Daniel and Susan Turner, was born in Clermont County September 20, 1828. He was reared to man- hood on his father's farm, and was married, October 24, 1854, to Mary A. Philhour, daughter of William and Lucinda Philhour, born in Clermont County, Ohio, April 28, 1838. They have three children, viz., Alie, born March 30, 1856; Daniel, August 12, 1863, and William P., August 30, 1866. In 1852, Mr. Turner removed to Rich- land County, Ill., where he lived until 1855, when he came to Clinton County. He owns a valuable farm of 234 acres. In 1870, he erected a very substantial two-story brick residence, at a cost of $7,200. Mr. Turner is by occupation a. farmer and stock- . raiser. He makes the rearing of stock hogs a leading pursuit ; he also keeps fine sheep. In 1876, he purchased five sheep imported from Canada, for which he paid $105. Mr. Turner is a good farmer and a law-abiding citizen. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and is a Democrat.
A. J. TURNER, farmer, P. O. Martinsville, a prominent worker in the order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a son of Daniel and Susan (Malott) Turner, and a native of Clermont County, where he was born March 30, 1830. He passed his early life on his father's farm, and received his education in the high schools of Milford and New Boston and in Farmers' College. In 1854, he came to Clark Township, and, in 1867, located on his present farm, where he has since resided, engaged in farming and stock-
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raising, making a special pursuit in renring hogs. Mr. Turner has a well-cultivated farm of 265 acres. He is Director of the Wilmington & Dayton Railroad, and also Director of the Joint Stock Company of Farmers Station. The former position he has held for three years, and the latter five years. Mr. Turner is a member of the Board of Trustees, having held that office for eight years. ' His political views are Democratic. He has been elected to his various official positions by the support of the Republican party, as 390 of the 500 voters of Clark Township are Republican. Mr. Turner has been prominently identified with the Grange since its organization. He has served that order as Secretary, Leeturer and Master; the latter position he occu- pies at the present ; he is Leeturer in the Pomona Grange, and was a delegate to the State Grange. Mr. Turner was married, October 12, 1854, to Seraphina Potter, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Teal) Potter, and a native of Clermont County, where she was born January 23, 1832. This union resulted in six children, three sons and three daughters, viz., Eva, wife of Joseph Simmons; William E., married Emma Ford ; Hannah M., wife of Francis Morris ; Susie, Daniel M. and Charles W.
W. W. WALKER, merchant, Martinsville, was born in Liberty Township November 28, 1836. His parents, Eli and Hannah A. (Broomhall) Walker, were natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania respectively. When very small, his parents removed from Liberty Township to Wilmington, where he was reared to manhood. At the age of sixteen, he entered a dry goods store as clerk, and occupied that posi- tion till of age. He then went to Paintersville, Greene County, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits till 1865, when he purchased and operated a saw-mill till 1869, when he came to Martinsville and engaged in merchandising with his brother, HI. F. Walker, under the name of Walker Bros., till 1880, when his brother retired from the firm. He carries a stock consisting of drugs, groceries and hardware to the amount of $3,000. He does an annual business of $10,000. He has dealings in grain with Wilmer Miller. They purchased, in 1881, 30,000 bushels of grain. Mr. Walker was also engaged in the banking business here for several years. He was married, Septem- ber 16, 1858, to Mary L. Hackney, a native of Union Township, born November 15, 1840, and a daughter of Joseph and Deborah L. Hackney. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have four children, viz., Laura M., wife of C. W. Stratton ; Josephine, Emma M. and Minnetta. Mr. Walker and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge, of which he is Treasurer. Politically, he is Republican.
PEYTON M. WEST, farmer, P. O. Martinsville. About 1806, Owen and Elizabeth (Martin) West, natives of Pittsylvania County, Va, came to the territory now included in Clinton County, locating on the East Fork of the Little Miami, in Clark Township. With them came a large family of children, viz .: Owen, William (who was a married man), James, Thomas, Peyton, John, Nancy, Jane, Mary, Susan and Rebecca Owen, Sr., was a surveyor, as were also his sons Owen and Peyton, and at an early day did much of the surveying throughout this portion of Clinton County. The family were Friends in religious belief, and the parents lived and died on the farm which they entered. Peyton, the father of our subject, was also a native of the Old Dominion and grew to maturity in Clark Township, where nearly all his days were passed. He learned the art of surveying from his father, following that vocation in connection with farming all his life. He was County Surveyor of Clinton County from October, 1840, until October, 1846, serving two terms. He was the agent for some of the original land owners in this region of country, and surveyed and sold their land. Peyton West was married to Sarah Hadley, a daughter of James and Ann Hadley, who bore him the following children : James H., Joseph H., William H., Peyton M., Elisha B., Edith, Sarah Ann, Esther Jane, Caroline, Jeremiah H. and Hannah M., all of whom became the heads of families, excepting the last mentioned, who died in girl- hood, since which two others have passed away, viz .: Joseph H., who died in Wilming- ton, and Jeremiah H. on his farm in Washington Township. At an early day, Peyton West was engaged for two years in merchandising in Wilmington, and, with that ex- ception, always resided on his farm in Clark Township, where he died August 22,
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1868, his wife surviving him and dying June 23, 1876. Their bodies were interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery of Clark Township. Peyton West was a man of large, muscular frame and strong determination of character, possessing a good education and hard common sense; he became a very successful farmer, giving to every one of his children a good start in life, all of whom living are residents of Ohio. He was one of the first to introduce tiling into his township, and ever took a deep interest in the growth and improvement of stock The old homestead, now the property of one of his daughters, is said to be one of the finest farms in Clinton County, and in fact there were few more useful men in the community than this old surveyor of Clinton County. Peyton M. West, the fourth son of Peyton and Sarah (Hadley) West, was born upon the old homestead August 22, 1826, and there grew to manhood, having such educa- tional advantages as the log schoolhouse of his neighborhood afforded. He was reared to farm life, but in later years was engaged in many different callings. Ho was mar- ried, May 26, 1853, to Sarah Jackson, daughter of Josiah and Ruth Jackson ; she was a native of Clinton County, Ohio, and became the mother of seven children, viz .: Marietta, Emerson B. (deceased), Clara M., Frank, Josiah E. and two died in in- fancy. Mrs. West died October 28, 1868, and he was again married, October 25, 1869, to Anna Dean, who has borne him the following children : Harry D. (deceased), Roy, Musa, Carl and Pearlo. Politically, Mr. West was a Whig in early life, but since the formation of the Republican party has supported and voted that ticket. He is the . owner of 260 acres of fine land in Clark Township, also some lots in Wilmington and 400 acres in Southeast Missouri. He resides at Martinsville, but looks after his farm, which lies some distance south of that village. Mr. West is a man who has traveled considerably, possesses broad views and a well-informed mind, and, like his ancestors, adheres to the Friends' Church.
OWEN WEST, farmer and miller, P. O. Lynchburg. son of James and Eliza- beth West, was born in Clark Township March 4, 1835. He was reared to manhood on his father's farm, and was educated in the Martinsville schools and Ohio Wesleyan University of Delaware, Ohio. IIe followed the profession of teaching for twelve years consecutively, except two years while he was in the mercantile business in Mor- risville. During the rebellion he aided in organizing the Home Guards at Cincinnati, and in 1863 he was chosen their Major General, and in the early part of 1864 was given the rank Lieutenant Colonel of the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Regimental Battalion of the Ohio National Guards. He had command of them one year while at Fort Federal Hill and Baltimore, Md., and in the battle of Monocacy September, 1864, he with his regiment were honorably discharged for the valuable services they had so efficiently rendered in defense of the Nation's flag. At the close of his military achieve- ments, Col. West returned home and resumed farming, which he has since followed in connection with lumbering. He owns and operates two saw-mills, each having a daily capacity of 5,000 feet, and affording employment for five hands. He owns a valuable farm of 225 acres well improved and cultivated; he also has a tract of 320 acres in Butler County, Kan. September 20, 1855, Col. West was united in marriage to Eliz- abeth A. Roberts, daughter of James and Hannah E. Roberts, and a native of Wash- ington Township, where she was born December 23, 1835. This union resulted with nino children, of whom soven are living, viz., Margaret, wife of Rov. MoClean Siming- ton ; James W., Anna M., Owen A., Hannah E., Amos S. and Charles HI ; Laura E. and Mary E. aro deceased. Mrs. West departed the scenes of earthly life February 1, 1879. Col. West is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church ; he is also iden- tified with the Masonic Fraternity and I. O O. F. In politics, he is a stalwart Repub- lican.
PROF. E. P. WEST, Principal of the Martinsville Public Schools, was born in Clark Township, Clinton County, February 2, 1851. He is a son of James and Helena West. Prof. West was reared to manhood on his father's farm in his native place. He acquired his education in the schools of Martinsville and in the Friends' College of Wilmington, from which he graduated with special honors from the President, Ben- jamin Trueblood, in June, 1878. He then engaged in the congenial profession of
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teaching, and has since pursucd that business in Martinsville, occupying the chair of Principal. Prof. West is considered one of the ablest and most efficient instructors that the Martinsville schools have ever had. The schools at the present time are prospering finely. Prof. West is identified with the Masonic Fraternity of Martins- ville as Master. He is a member of the Clinton County Teachers' Association, of which he was President in 1880. In April, 1881, he was elected a member of the Board of Examiners of Clinton County, and perforins the duties of that office with excellent ability.
JOHN WRIGHT (dcecased), one of the earliest pioneers of Clinton County, was born in South Carolina, and moved to Ohio with his family in 1805, and in 1806 to the present site of Martinsville. He laid out the village of Martinsville, and cs- tablished the first store in the township in that place. His house was the scene of the first Quaker meeting in the place. He was the father of four sons and six daugh - ters-John, Jane, Joseph, Jonah, Joshua, James, Jemima, Judah, Jocl and Joab ; singularly enough the names all beginning with the letter "J," even to the dog and horse, the former being distinguished as Jowler, and the latter Jack. Mr. Wright effected a settlement in Clark Township when the wild Indian and native animals werc the roaming inhabitants of Ohio and the great Northwest. He accumulated con- siderable wealth, and died in 1831, highly respected. His fifth son, James Wright, is now residing in the village which his father founded upward of fourscore years ago. He was born in 1804, and came to Clinton County when an infant. He grew up and has passed all of his life in and near Martinsville. May 1, 1828, he married Miss Elizabeth Hiatt, daughter of Christopher Hiatt. She dying three years subsequently, March 25, 1844, he again married. This time to Miss Mary J. West, by whom he had one daughter, now Mrs. M. L. Hunt. Mr. Wright is considered one of the worthy, reliable and substantial citizens of this place. Quiet and unostentatious in his deport- ment, he has the respect and esteem of the acquaintances of over seventy years of life.
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EDWIN ARTHUR, cashier New Vienna bank, New Vienna, born in Cincinnati February 2, 1822, is a son of Pleasant and Agnes (Timberlake) Arthur, natives of Campbell County, Va. The grandfather, Benjamin Arthur, was also a native of Vir- ginia, and lived there many years, but finally became a resident of Highland County, Ohio, where he died. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Mr. Pleasant Ar- thur grew to manhood in his native State, and about the year 1806 he removed to Ohio, locating in Highland County, where he married ; subsequently he became a resident of Cincinnati, where for a few years he followed his trade, that of a carpenter; thenec re- turned to Highland County, where he resided till, the spring of 1842, he removed to Iowa, where he died, aged sixty-five years; his wife died in October, 1840. They had eleven children, nine now survive --- Mary (who married John M. Keen), Elizabeth (who married Mahlon Van Pelt, and resides in Nebraska), Edna (married Elijah Yost, and re- sides in California), Edwin, Emily (now Widow Folsom, residing in Iowa), Elva (married Harrison Johnson), Charles R. (now resident of California), Christopher (residing in Port- land, Ind.), and Pleasant A. (also a resident of Portland). Mr. Arthur was a very promi- nent, active man through life, and acquired quite a large property, being at the time of his death owner of 600 acres of land. He served as County Commissioner for several years. The subject of this sketch was brought up to farm labor, and grew to manhood in Highland County, and made farming his principal business till 1865, and became one of the prominent and leading men of his county ; he served as Township Clerk for. fifteen ycars. In the fall of 1864, he was elected Auditor of Highland County, which office he filled two terms, or four years. Soon after the expiration of his term of office, Mr. Arthur with other citizens, organized the Citizens' Bank of Hillsboro, now known as the Citizen's National Bank. In 1871, the same parties organized the New Vienna
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Bank, of which Mr. Arthur was made its Cashier, which position he has since held. The stock of the bank, however, soon after its organization, was purchased and owned by Mr. Arthur and other citizens of New Vienna and vicinity. This bank is now a leading institution of the town, and a great convenience to the community. The busi- ness of the bank is extensive. and well and carefully managed, and stands in credit as one of the most solid institutions of the county. Mr. Arthur not only fills his position in the bank with fidelity and to the satisfaction of the stock holders, but as a gentleman and a citizen, is held in high esteem by a large circle of acquaintances. In October, . 1842, Mr. Arthur was united in marriage with Miss Ann, daughter of Joseph and Rachel Larkin, he a native of Pennsylvania, and she of Virginia, who first became res- idents of the eastern part of Ohio, and subsequently of Highland County, where he died in October, 1841 ; his wife died about 1875. They had three sons and one daugh- ter, all deceased. Mrs. Arthur died October 9, 1878, aged fifty-five years. She bore him five children-Laura E. (married Daniel B. Jones), John (now Assistant Cashier of the New Vienna Bank), Mary E. (married Samuel Engle), Emma E. (married Thomas Ashdill), and Martha A. (who married Charles L. Kelly).
SILAS BAILEY, farmer, P. O. New Vienna, was born in New Jersey April 3, 1811, is a son of Asa and Annis Bailey ; he a native of Connecticut, and she of New Jersey. The grandfather, Nathaniel Bailey, was also a native of Connecticut, but his ancestors came from Ireland. Nathaniel Bailey emigrated to New Jersey with his family about 1785, where he died. Asa, his son, and the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut July 3, 1873, and was twelve years of age when they removed to New Jersey, where he grew to manhood, and married Annis Vreeland, who was born February 21, 1782 ; they were married May 20, 1802, and resided in New Jersey till the spring of 1839, when they removed to Ohio, and settled in Clinton County, where their first purchase of land was the place where our subject now lives, and here they resided till their death. When they came to this place, there were about forty acres under fence and partly cleared. His wife died February 23, 1858. Mr. Bailey died August 24, 1859. They had nine children-Mary, born January 11, 1803, died in the fall of 1880 ; Amos, born August 24, 1805, died July 2, 1819 ; Lydia, born September 20, 1808, died September 13, 1842; Silas, Elizabeth, born August 20, 1813 ; Asa, born September 3, 1817; Nathaniel, born May 24, 1820 ; Elmira, born November 1, 1832, and John, born May 28, 1825, died December 26, 1841. Silas, our subject, was married in New Jersey to Eliza Stone, a native of that State. They were married in June, 1832, and in 1839 removed to Ohio, and settled with his father as above stated, and have since resided on the same place, a period of forty-three years. Mr. Bailey has a good farm of 158 acres now well improved, and is now one of the oldest settlers of this neighborhood. His wife died in July, 1874. They have had nine children, seven now living-Lydia Annis, wife of David Hook ; Asa Ehmnira, wife of William Cantrill ; Elizabeth ; Sarah Ellen. wife of James Spears ; Eliza Jane, wife of Nelson Hildebrant : Maria, wife of Rest Hildebrant; and Catharine, wife of George Elliott.
DR. D. MORROW BARRERE, physician, New Antioch, was born in Highland County, near New Market, April 22, 1850; is a son of Hazard P. and Eliza ( Morrow) Barrero, natives of Highland County. The grandfather, George W. Barrere, it is be- lieved, was born in France, omigrating to America with his parents when a child, locat- ing in Kentucky among the early settlers of that State. In 1801, he became a pioneer settler of Highland County, Ohio, where he resided the balance of his life. lle was a practical surveyor, and surveyed a great amount of land in this then new country. In the war of 1812 he took an active part ; was Captain of a company and served through the war. He was a leading, prominent man in the organization, growth and progress of Highland County, and was the first, or one of the first Judges of the county. Of his children, John, the eldest, was a very active and prominent man in his county ; was a member of the Masonic Fraternity of high standing. having taken all the degrees of the order. In the war of the rebellion, he was Adjutant in the Sixtieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and at the battle of Harper's Ferry lost his left arm. After
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the war, he received the appointment of Postmaster at Hillsboro, Ohio, which office he hell till his death May 17, 1880. Nelson, the third son, became a prominent lawyer, and in the last effort of the Whig party, as a political organization, was their candidate for Governor of Ohio, but of course was, under the waning powers of the party, defeat- .1. He was elected to Congress and served his constituents with honor and ability. Benjamin, the fourth son, is President of the First National Bank of Hillsboro, having hell that office for many years. Hazard P., the father of our subjeet, was the fifth and youngest son ; was a merchant in New Market, and a general business man in that town for many years, but was attacked with typhoid fever, and though his life was spared, it left him a confirmed cripple for the balance of his days, since which he has lived retired from all active business. He is the father of six children ; three now sur- vive-Marietta, Magnolia and D. Morrow. Of the deceased, Hazard P. enlisted in the late war, in Company H, First Ohio Cavalry, and was killed in battle at Cleveland, Tenn., in November, 1864. Our subject was the youngest son of his father. At the age of seventeen years, he eommeneed teaching sehool, which occupation he followed five years ; thence in 1875 he commeneed the study of medicine with Dr. Whisler, of New Market, and graduated from the Miami Medical College of Cineinnati, in the spring of 1878, and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession at Sardinia, Brown Co., Ohio. In October, 1879, he removed to New Antioch, Clinton Co., where he has since continued his profession, and has a good and growing praetice. The Doctor is a congenial gentleman, well qualified for his profession, and of his future suecess as a prac- titioner, there is no doubt.
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