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 73
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(married to Dr. S. S. Salisbury, of Washington C. H.), Charles E., Edward W., James D. and Mary Bell. The subject of this sketch assisted his father in business till six- teen years of age, receiving a limited common-school education ; thence attended the high school at Hillsboro two years, after which. he continued on his father's farm till nineteen years of age ; thenec he entered upon the study of medicine under Dr. S. S. Salisbury, at Washington C. H. In September, 1877, he entered the Hahnemann Med- ical College at Philadelphia, from which he graduated March 10, 1879; and in June of the same year, he located in New Vienna, and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession, where he has since continued and has established a very good practice. - The Doctor is a very pleasant, congenial gentleman, and with the ample preparation he has made for his profession and with his energy and devotion in keeping up with all the improvements and progress of the medical sciences, we can safely bespeak for the Doctor a successful future.
WILLIAM L. CANTRILL, farmer, P. O. New Antioch, born in Greene Town- ship, Clinton County, January 19, 1840 ; is a son of David and Elizabeth Cantrill, he a native of Kentucky and she of this county. Mr. Cantrill was raised to manhood in Kentucky, and whien a young man came to Ohio, and married Alvira Brown and set- tled on Caesar's Creek ; thence located on the place now . owned by John Stackhouse ; there his wife died, leaving two children-Jane and Elizabeth. He married for his second wife, Elizabeth Bowers, a daughter of Jacob Bowers ; by her he had three ehil- dren, two now survive-Hannah, wife of John Woodmansee, and William L. His second wife died in February, 1840. He married for his third wife, Susan Bean, a daughter of Adam Bean. She was born in New Jersey. By her he had seven chil- Jren, six now living-James, John, now a resident of Kansas ; Rebecca, wife of James Souder, and residing in Jay County, Ind .; Squire, also now in Kansas ; Ella, wife of Waldo Burris ; and Alvira, wife of Charles Shoemaker, and residing in Indiana. Mr. Cantrill died in the fall of 1873, aged sixty years. He was one of the early pioneers, locating here when it was mostly a wilderness. It is said, he cleared up and eaused to be cleared, 264 acres, right from the woods, there being few men his equal in the use of the ax, and surely few men ever accomplished more hard pioneer work than Mr. Cantrill. The subject of this sketch was raised to farm labor; was married, June 26, 1863, to Almira Bailey, daughter of Silas and Eliza Baily, natives of New Jersy. By her he had five children, four now survive-Robert M., born June 21, 1864; Joseph F., November 13, 1865 ; Olive, February, 1868, and Luther, born July 4, 1870. His wife died June 9, 1872, aged thirty-two years. On March 6, 1877, Mr. Cantrill married Mary E. Rawlings, who was born in Hamilton Coun- ty, Ohio, March 14, 1845, daughter of William S. and Elizabeth B. Rawlings, he a cative of Maryland and she of Ohio. By this union they have two children-Alva E., torn January 28, 1878, and Elizabeth M., born September 1, 1879. Mr. Cantrill has .pent all his life in this county, and near the place of his birth. He located on the place where he now lives in March, 1872. This place was purchased of Elisha Harris ; it consists of fifty-six acres, nearly all in cultivation. Mr. Cantrill has also done much hard pioneer work, having cleared fifty aeres right from the woods himself. And of the Cintrill family we may say, this county owes much to them for the transformation of a large amount of land from the dense forest to fine cultivated fields.
SYLVESTER CLARK, farmer, P. O. New Antioch, born in Hamilton County, Ohio, November 4, 1832; is a son of James and Sarah Clark, natives of Ohio. They resided in Hamilton County, Ohio, till the death of Mrs. Clark, September 6, 1852. Mr. Clark removed to Indiana, and the last known of him was a resident of Brown County. They had but one child-Sylvester, who was raised and grew to manhood in Hamilton County ; thence removed to Butler County, where he was married, October 17, 1854, to Sarah Ann Gerrard, who was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, December 13, 1835, a daughter of David and Anna Gerrard, also uatives of Hamilton County. The grandparents were William and Mary Gerrard, natives of New Jersey, but who became among the early settlers of Hamilton County, where he died; subsequently she removed to Butler County, where she
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died. The ancestors trace back to the same from whom Stephen Girard, of Phil- adelphia, descended. John Gerrard, of Cincinnati, so well known in former years as a pork and commission merchant, was a brother of William Gerrard. The maternal grandparents, John F. and Fanny Stites, were natives of New Jersey, but became early settlers of Hamilton County, where Mrs. Stites died ; subsequently he re- moved to Butler County, where he died at a ripe old age. Both the grandfathers, Stites and Gerrard, were soldiers in the war of 1812, and the former took an active part in the early improvements of the country and in quelling the troubles with the Indians. He helped to cut through and lay out the great State road from Chillicothe to the Northwest under Gen. Wayne ; also helped to build Fort Recovery, and was a very active and efficient man in those early pioneer days. Mr. Clark and wife have had five children ; four now survive-Theodore, born September 25, 1858; Ella, born July 4, 1862, wife of David A. Murphy ; Julia Ann, born July 25, 1866 ; Maggie May, born April 9, 1869 ; and George Everett, born September 10, 1871, dicd October 19, 1872. Mr. Clark settled first in Butler County, and engaged in farming till the breaking-out of the war of the rebellion, when, on October 8, 1861, he enlisted in. Company K, Thirty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, and received his discharge November 4, 1864. His service was in the Army of the Cumberland under Gen. Thomas. He experienced many of the trials and hard- .`fought battles of the campaign. They had many forced marches, traveling many days over almost incredible distances, the result of which was the breaking down of Mr. Clark's health and constitution, from which he has never recovered. and nevor will. Here we have another example of a true patriot, who not only left all the pleas- ures of home to serve his country against her foe, but sacrificed his health, and, to # great extent, his future pleasures of home and comforts of life. In the spring of 1865, Mr. Clark removed to Clinton County, and located on the place where he .now lives und has since resided.
JAMES M. CLINE, farmer, P. O. New Vienna, born in Clinton County Septem- ber 8, 1834, is a son of Richard and Prescilla (Cowgill) Cline, he a native of New Jersey and she of Virginia. The grandfather was Ephraim Cline, who lived and died in New Jersey. The maternal grandfather, Henry Cowgill, way a native of Virginia, but emigrated to Ohio with his family in 1813 and settled in Clinton County, near Morrisville, where he remained till his death. Of the Cline family, three brothers, Charles, Richard and Jesse, emigrated to Ohio, and all settled in Clinton County on the same tract of land where our subject and his brother Samuel still reside. They located here about 1822, and here they remained till their death. Richard was a young single man when he came to Clinton County, and here married and became the father of three sons and two daughters, four now survive-Rebecca J. (wife of Blackburn Holmes), James M., Mary Ann (wife of Bryant Robinson), and Samuel H. Mr. Cline devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits, and as a farmer was very successful and became owner of 441 acres of land. The land he first purchased was nearly all in the woods. He was a man of great integrity, of high moral and Christian character and a worthy and devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and as a neighbor and citizen was highly esteemed and respected. He died February 1, 1881, in his eightieth year. His wife still survives, aged seventy-one years. The subject of this sketch was married August 18, 1859, to Salinda Smith, who was born in Highland County, Ohio, September 26, 1840, daughter of Raleigh and Rebecca N. Smith, he a native of North Carolina and she of Virginia, but who became early settlers of Clinton County, Ohio. They have only one child living-Salinda. Mr. Cline and wife have had five children, four now survive-Edward W., born October 5, 1861 ; Anna B., born November 26, 1863; Harry M., born August 14, 1871, and Charles W., born April 2, 1874. Mr. Cline after his marriage located on a portion of his father's home place where he now lives and has ever since resided except about thirteen months' residence in New Lexing- ton, Highland County. He erected all the buildings on his place, has good improve- ments and a good farm of eighty-five acres. Mr. Cline is one of the substantial farmers of this community, a man who lives and acts upon principle in all matters,
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whether political, secular or religious. He and wife have been members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church for many years.
SAMUEL H. CLINE, farmer, P. O. New Vienna, born where he now lives March 20, 1843; is a son of Richard and Priscilla Cline, whose history is given in sketch of James Cline. Our subject was married October 2, 1867, to Euphemia M. Holmes, born in Highland County, Ohio, September 17, 1846, a daughter of James R. and Mary Holmes, he a native of New Jersey, and she of Kentucky. They were mar- ried in Highland County, and settled there, where he resided till his death in August, 1874, aged seventy-five years. His wife still survives, and now resides in New Lexing- ton, Highland County, aged sixty-seven years. They had nine children, five now sur- vive-Alfred, Martha, wife of D. Ockerman; Ann, wife of David Morris; Euphemia, and Katie (wife of William Riley). Mr. Hohnes devoted his life to farming; was a man of integrity, honest and upright, an excellent neighbor and citizen. Mr. Cline and wife have three children-Wilber P., born November 15, 1868; Lillie A., born June 21,. 1872; and Elbert Walter, born July 23, 1874. Mr. Cline located upon the old home farm, where he has lived from his infancy to the present time, where all the memories and scenes of his childhood still cluster about him. Mr. Cline, during the war of the rebellion, enlisted in the 100-days service, in Company G, One Hundred and Forty- uinth Ohio Volunteer Infantry ; served out his time and was discharged ; was engaged in one quite brisk fight at Monocacy Junction ; having but a small force to contend against a much larger force of rebels, they were finally routed and driven back into the woods, where they remained about four days on very short rations, but finally escaped, as the rebels were driven back by Gen. Sheridan and his forces. Mr. Cline and wife are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which they have belonged sixteen years.
DR. GEORGE R. CONARD, physician, New Vienna, born in Lancaster County, Penn., January 5, 1842; is a son of Benjamin and Eliza (Roberts) Conard, natives of Chester County, Penn. The grandparents, Cornelius and Susanna Conard, were also natives of Pennsylvania, where they lived and died. Their ancestors were from Germany. The maternal grandparents were George and Alice Roberts, also natives of Pennsylvania. They were of Welsh descent. They were farmers by occu- pation, and when advanced in years removed to Wilmington, Del., where they died, he at the age of eighty-four years, and she at eighty-six years. Benjamin Conard grew to manhood, and married in his native State, where they resided till the spring of 1850. They removed by private conveyance to Ohio, and located in Highland County, where he bought a farm and resided till 1865, when he sold out and moved to Hillsboro, and in 1866, purchased a queensware store, where he has since continued business. Mr. Conard is in religion a Hicksite Quaker, and in character and integrity is held in high esteem, and is much respected by a large circle of acquaintances. Though taking no active part in political matters, and never desiring nor seeking office, yet by the wishes of the people he has been Township Trustee many years, and has served as Treasurer of the Building and Loan Association, and in other positions of trust. He never attended school but three months in his life, and yet is a good scholar, and is strictly a self-made man, and one who socially and morally has few superiors. He has been thrice married, first to Mary Ann Moore, by whom he had one child; died in infancy, she dying very soon after. By his second wife, Eliza Roberts, he had eleven children ; seven now survive-Almira (married William Cary), Cornelius (resides at Carthage, Mo.), Alice (married Cyrus Johnson, resides at Hot Springs, Ark.), George R., William, Elwood H. (resides in Chester County, Penn.), and Mary (who married Emil Mente, and resides at Cumminsville, a tobacco dealer in Cincinnati). Mrs. Conard died in April, 1852. For his third wife he married Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson (née Hussey), by whom he has one child-Emma. Our subject was eight years of age when his father and family came to Ohio, and here grew to manhood, brought up to farm labor, but when quite young, about sixteen years of age, he became tired of the routine labor of the farm, having a special thirst to obtain an education. By urgent demand upon his father he was granted six months' schooling each year till nineteen years of age. The
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war of the rebellion having begun, he went forward at his country's call, and, on Sep- tember 9, 1861, enlisted as a private in Company A, Forty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and on the 18th inst. was appointed Corporal, which office he held till his dis- charge, July 11, 1862, by reason of a gunshot wound in the ankle received at the bat- tle of Shiloh April 6, 1862. After a long and severe sickness from his wound, barely escaping death from gangrene and army diarrhoea, he finally recovered, and, in Septem- ber, 1862, still on his crutches, he entered college at the Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, where, in July, 1863, he graduated. Thenee he entered upon the study of medi- cine under Prof. W. W. Dawson, of Cincinnati; thence, after attending one course of lectures was appointed Medical Cadet in the West End Hospital, serving as such three months; thence was appointed as Assistant Physician at the Tennessee Hospital for the Insane, holding said position four months; thenee resumed his foriner position as Cadet .. in the hospital at Cincinnati, and also took his second course of lectures at the Ohio Medical College, from which, on March 2, 1865, he graduated ; thence he passed an examination before the Army Board of Medical Examiners, and received the appoint- ment as Acting Assistant Surgcon of the United States Ariny March 14, 1865, which position he held till November 14, 1865, when the war being ended, his services were no longer needed. During this time he served in the hospitals at Knoxville, Riceville . and Chattanooga. In December, 1865, Dr. Conard located at Peru, Ind., where he practiced in his profession till November, 1875, having established a valuable practice, but from the ill health of his family he removed to New Vienna, Clinton County, Ohio, where he has since continued the practice of his profession. On February 28, 1866, he married Miss Martha E., daughter of Charles and Betsey Good. She died May 1, 1877. By her he had five children; four now survive-Helen, Harvey E., Elina and Robert R. On September 24, 1879, the Doctor married for his second wife Miss Au- gusta L., daughter of Elijah and Sarah Jane Lacy, who reside near Wilmington, Clin- ton County, Ohio.
DAVID CURTIS, farmer, P. O. New Antioch, born in Virginia, November 7, 1826, is a son of Christopher and Sarah Curtis, natives of Virginia, and his grandfather was Christopher Curtis, who came from Germany when a young inan and married Catharine Engle, of Pennsylvania, and soon afterward settled in Bedford County, Vir- ginia, where they died. Christopher, the father of our subject, was born in Bedford County, near Liberty Court House on the Blue Ridge, July 19, 1801; married Sarah J. Turpin in 1820. In October, 1833, they removed to Ohio and settled in Highland County. In March, 1835, they removed into Greene Township, Clinton County, where they lived till their death. His wife died June 17, 1861. By her he had eight children, four now survive-Martha Ann, wife of Richard Morton; David; Sarah Jane, wife of Lewis Oatswarth, and reside in Jay County, Ind., and James C. In 1864, Mr. Curtis married for his second wife Emily Adams, by whom he had four children, three now living-Thomas, Alexander and Sophronia. Mr. Curtis, when he arrived in Highland County, had only 50 cents left. He had intended to settle in Indiana, but his money gave out and he settled as above stated, and at once commenced in this then new country to make a living and home for his family, and by diligence and ceonomy ho succeeded well, and before his death owned 163 acres of land, well improved, with the general comforts of life. He died July 7, 1876. Mr. Curtis was a man of undoubted integrity, and a devoted member of the Baptist Church. He and his first wife joined the Blue Ridge Baptist Church in 1825, and in 1839 joined by letter the Baptist Church of New Vienna and were among the constituent members at its organization. He made the shingles for the roof of the church as his portion in its erection. Ile died in triumphs of faith, declaring, near his last moments, " My way is clear." David, our subject, was a lad of seven years when his father settled in Ohio, and here grew to maturity ; was married February 2, 1854, to Martha Jane Truitt, born in Clinton County, Greene Township, September 6, 1836, a daughter of George W. and Abigail Truitt, he a native of Kentucky and she of Clinton County, Ohio. By this union they have had nine children, seven now survive-Allen A, born January 28, 1855; William H., January 14, 1858; James E., July 8, 1863; Frank, May 6,
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1866; Lulie, March 2, 1871; George, November 22, 1873, and Lucy, born April 17, 1876. Mr. Curtis first located on the old Truitt farm, adjoining where he now lives. He has made his entire residence since in Greene Township, except one year (1865), during which he lived in Wayne Township, this county. In the spring of 1868, he located on his present place, where he has since resided. In 1874 and 1875, he erected his present substantial buildings and moved into the new house in May, 1875. Hle has a fine farm and a good home and residence. He now owns 375 acres of some of the best land in Greene Township. In 1854, when they commenced in life and started to housekeeping, they were in debt $50. Their present possessions have all been made by their own industry, except $750 received of their parents-thus showing a life of diligence and economy with their sure result, worthy of imitation.
CLARK A. DIXON, general merchandise, New Vienna, of the firm of C. A. Dixon & Son, was born in North Carolina October 25, 1818; is a son of Thomas and Hannah (Stinson) Dixon, natives of North Carolina. The paternal grandfather Joseph Dixon, was a native of North Carolina and lived and died there. The maternal grandfather, Robert Stinson, was also a native of North Carolina, and died in his native State. In the fall of 1824, Thomas Dixon, with his family, left their native county and moved up into forks of the Yadkin River, where they loeated and remained till the next fall, when they again started for Ohio, pulling over the mountains and through the wilderness into Kentucky with one horse and eart their few effeets, reaching a point some forty miles south of Maysville, when he had exhausted both his means and his one horse with which he moved his effects. He then obtained a eabin into which he moved his family, and Mr. Dixon then pushed forward to Ohio, where were some half- brothers who had proceeded him, from whom he obtained assistance and a team and returned to Kentucky and brought his family and effects to Clinton County, Ohio, where they arrived about the 1st of November, 1825, and located near where Westboro now s'ands. His wife had been taken siek while on the journey, and died in December, about six weeks after their arrival. Mr. Dixon was now left with five small children, and no means to provide for their necessities, and his children were seattered here and there wherever they could find homes. Subsequently, Mr. Dixon married for his second wife Elizabeth Driskill. By his first wife he had seven children-John, Polly, Brantly J., Alvira (who married Alfred McDaniel), Clark A., Joseph and Malinda (now Widow Lieuranee). The first two remained in North Carolina and died there ; the next two removed to Illinois, of whom nothing further is known ; the others reside in Ohio. By his second wife Mr. Dixon had a large family of children, of whom several are deceased, and those who now survive are scattered over the country in various localities, of whom but little is now known. Mr. Dixon followed farming through life, and died near Willettsville, Highland Co., Ohio, June 10, 11871, in his eightieth year. The subject of this sketch, after his mother's death, lived with his uncle Raleigh Smith, two years ; thence worked here and there on farms by the month ; thence learned the cooper trade ; and finally the earpenter trade ; the latter he followed about fifteen years ; thence he rented a stone quarry of Elizabeth Thornburg, which he worked eight years. Thenee in September, 1877, he purchased the stock of groceries of Harvey Beard, of New Vienna, and has since been engaged in that business. In the summer of 1881, he errected a large two-story brick building 70x40 feet, with two business rooms below, one of which is occupied by George Haynie in the dry goods business, and the other Mr. Dixon & Son occupy with a fine and complete stoek of groceries, hardware and queens- ware, and are doing a large trade. On March 7, 1839, Mr. Dixon was married to Nancy, daughter of John and Isabel Cashatt, he a native of North Carolina, and she of Ohio. By this union they have had eight children, five now survive. Sarah A., married to Cyrus Nordyke; Samantha J., married to James H. Nordyke; Margaret I., married to Joseph Gomy ; Luthera A., married to J. W. Clark, and Charles E., now in partnership with his father. John Riley, the eldest ehild in the family, enlisted in the war of the rebellion in Company G, Eleventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was engaged in the severe battles of South Mountain, Mission Ridge, and several · others up the Kenawah Valley, and was taken sick and died of chronic diarrhea in
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camp, near Carthage, Tenn., April 11, 1863, aged twenty-three years. Mr. Dixon is now one of the prominent leading business men of New Vienna, having arisen from a poor, homeless boy, by his own energy and industry, and now holds the confidence and respect of the community in which he lives. Has served as Assessor of his Township two terms; is a member of the Christian Church, and a member of the Order of A., F. & A. M., of thirty-four years' standing.
CHARLES C. DRISKILL, farmer, P. O. New Vienna, born in Highland County, Ohio, April 22, 1830, is a sou of John and Phebe Ann (Woodmansee) Dris- kill, he a native of Maryland, and she of New Jersey; both emigrated to Ohio when quite young with their parents, and settled in Highland, where they grew to maturity, were married, and had seven children, four now survive-Charles C., John W., Thomas J. (who now resides in Iowa) and Ivan D. (who resides in Illinois). Mr. D. was a brick mason by trado, and followed that occupation in connection with farming through life. He died February 26, 1850, aged forty-nine years. He was a very hard-working, industrious man, and sustained an unblemished character, economical in his habits, yet honorable in all his dealings and a very worthy citizen. His widow still survives and resides on the old home place, now aged eighty ycars. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood brought up to farm labor ; was married, in August, 1865, to Mary Jane Curran, born in Ireland, June 26, 1851, a daughter of John and Sarah Curran, who lived and died in Ireland, their native land. The children subsequently emigrated to America, the last of them coming over in 1860, and settled in Highland County, Ohio. . James, the eldest of the family, now resides in Illinois. John, Rob- ert, Joseph, Nancy, Margaret and Sarah, all reside in Nebraska, and all are married except the latter. Mr. Driskill and wife have had seven children, six now living- Lorenzo, born January 6, 1868; Noah, born December 25, 1869 ; Sarah A., June 27, 1871 ; Bertha, September 8, 1873 ; Stella, August 12, 1878; and Hallie, born June 27, 1881. Mr. Driskill resided in Highland County till March, 1875, when he pur- chased the farm where Alfred Powell now lives in Greene Township, Clinton County, and there resided three years; thence he located on the farm where he now lives and has since resided. This place he bought of Edward Thornburg; it consists of 103 acres of land, all in cultivation but twenty acres. Mr. Driskill is one of the reliable farmers of Greene Township, a moral, upright man, and an excellent citizen. We should have added above, that Mrs. Phebe Driskill was twice married, first to Dr. Charles Conway, a practicing physician of Now Lexington, Highland County, where ho died about 1827. By him she had four children-Joseph P., now a practicing physician in Tennessee ; Sarah, wife of Isaac Cox ; James, and George W. who resides in Illinois.
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