USA > Ohio > Darke County > The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; > Part 75
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EMANUEL HERSHEY, farmer and minister, Sec. 28; P. O. Gettysburg. Jacob, his father, was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., on 17th of November, 1796 ; he married Elizabeth Miller, who is a native of the same State and county, born on the 17th of May, 1804. Mr. Hershey lived. died and was buried in his native county, his death occurring on the 12th of August, 1872. Elizabeth, his widow, is living at present writing and resides in Lancaster City, Penn. Emanuel, the sub- ject of this sketch, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Lancaster Co. on the 4th of February, 1821 ; spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, receiving his preparatory education in the district schools of his county, and, at the age of 17, he entered Litiz College, where he obtained a good academic education. After his return from college, he worked two years in his father's flouring-mill. where he learned the trade, after which he went to Buffalo, N. Y., and worked in the Black Rock flouring-mills six months, when he returned home and worked in his father's mill till the spring of 1849, when he started for the West, and on the 9th of May
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arrived in Darke Co., and then rented the flouring-mill one mile west of New Harrison, on Greenville Creek, which mill he operated for about seven years, when he moved on his farm of 30 acres, which he had purchased in 1853, and then com- meneed to burn lime, and at the same time operate his farm, to which he has added 112 acres, making in all 142 acres, with good farm buildings ; he has been manufacturing sorghum molasses for about fifteen years, making from fifty to eighty barrels during the season, and has the credit of making the best grade of molasses in the county. He celebrated his marriage on the 14th of November. 1844, with Magdalena Bear, who was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., on the 10th of September, 1825; ten children have been born to this union, of whom nine are living. viz. : Adam B., born Jan. 9, 1846 ; Samuel, born Sept. 28, 1847 ; Jacob, born Sept. 12, 1849 ; Barbara Ann, born May 15. 1852; Sarah E., born Jan. 28, 1854; Emma, born Feb. 19, 1857 ; John, born Feb. 12, 1859 ; Eliza, born March 19, 1861 ; Mary, born Jan. 20, 1868. Mr. Hershey has had his full share of town- ship offices, viz., served as Trustee of Adams for five years, and in 1879 was elected Land Appraiser of Adams Township. He takes a very active part in religion, being a member of the German Baptist Church and minister of Oakland Church for a period of ten years ; his wife is also a member of the same church. Mr. Hershey has accumulated a considerable amount of property, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and amiable wife. He is strictly temperate in all his habits.
ROBERT C. HORNER, farmer; P. O. Gettysburg ; was born in Darke County, Ohio ; was a son of Alexander and Eliza Horner ; Alexander was born in Adams County, Penn., and was the son of James Horner, who was also born in Pennsylvania ; Eliza's maiden name was McGargon. Robert C. was married in October, 1860, to Sarah Clark, daughter of Zachariah and Hester Clark ; Zachariah was born in Pennsylvania ; Hester was born in this county. Robert C. and Sarah Horner are parents of ten children, six of whom are now living, viz., Maretta Rosella, Mary Hester, Ellen Pherba, Robert Elmer, James Harvey, and Eliza Leola ; Robert lives upon the same farm his father came to in 1833, where he lived and died, his death occurring in 1871 ; when he came here in 1833, the place now known as Gettysburg was all a wilderness ; the farm is now just outside of the corporation of Gettysburg ; there was just a little cleared upon it when he came here ; he originally purchased 189 acres, labored in clearing up and opening out the country till there are now about 120 acres in good cultivation, built a nice brick house. good barn, and other buildings ; this has mostly been accomplished by his own labor and industry, and from time to time he purchased more land, till at his death, which occurred the 7th of February, 1871, he owned 390 acres all in one body, at which time it was all sold; and his son Robert. the subject of our sketch, bought and now owns 136 acres, upon which he has since resided ; he has laid off for building lots for the town about 4 acres ; his farm being so near the town makes it quite valuable, a convenient home, and pleasant situation. His father
was in the war of 1812; Robert was in the war of the rebellion ; enlisted in the 152d Regiment O. N. G., in May, 1864 ; this regiment did some very active service ; he served about four months. when he was discharged, and returned safely home to his family ; he has held the township offices of Constable and Assessor, and is now Justice of the Peace ; we are pleased to place upon the pages of this history a record and genealogy of another family of the early settlers of this country, whose life. industry and success stand forth to be read with pleasure and profit by their children's children for ages to come.
LEVI HUDDLE, retired farmer, Sec. 8; P. O. Webster, Ohio. Frederick, his father, was born in Shenandoah Co., Va., on the 21st of September, 1791 ; he married Magdalena Boyd, who was a native of the same State and county, born on the 25th of August, 1792 ; they emigrated to Ohio in 1829, locating in Fair- field Co., where they remained about six months, when they removed to Mont- gomery Co., eight miles north of Dayton, where they resided until 1833, when
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they came to Darke Co., locating in Wayne Township, near where Webster now stands, where, on the 5th day of June, 1834, he sank peacefully to rest in the knowledge of the blest immortality of the soul. as the veil had been lifted from the faculty of spirituality and the finer firus placed on the organ of clear sight, or clairvoyant faculty, and he caught a glimpse of that beautiful summer land ; and here the writer desires to call attention to the remarkable accuracy and interesting account of his death, as given by his son Levi. A short time before his death, he caught a glimpse of the higher courts, in which he saw the day that he would leave his body and pass into spirit-life .; this he related to his good wife and children, of which they did not understand, and passed it off as superstition ; but on the day that the transition was to occur, there being several of the neighbors present, and his friends. to hear the good old man talk and give directions concerning his burial, etc .. he placed himself in the large arm-chair, chatting all the while to his friends, and at the appointed hour, after bidding all good-bye, his arms fell lifeless by his side, when he drew one long breath, and his spirit had fled. Magdalena, his widow, survived the storm of life until the 27th of April, 1866, when she was found dead in her bed, her spirit having fled and joined the angel-band that was awaiting her arrival. They were the parents of five children, of whom two are living at present writing, viz., Catharine, and Levi. the subject of this memoir, who was born in Rockingham Co., Va., on the 20th of December, 1820 ; he spent his boyhood days on the farm, assisting his father in clearing land and cultivation of the soil ; he received his education in the district schools ; his father died when he was about 14 years old, which left his widowed mother with the family to his care and support, which duty he nobly performed ; when he was 20 years old, he commenced to teach school ; his first school was taught in an old log schoolhouse which stood on the farm where he now resides ; he taught during the winter months, and in the summer he would farm and trade ; he followed teaching for about twenty-three years, during which time he taught a term of eleven months in Vandalia, Montgomery Co .; while teaching here, he took lessons in higher arithmetic, algebra, penmanship and drawing, of Mr. David Ecker, and by hard study and close application he acquired a good academic education ; in 1846, he traveled for a stove firm in Dayton, which he followed for about two years ; he commenced work at $1 per day, and after the first month, the firm raised his wages to $52 per month, and at the close of the second month, his wages were raised to $100 per month. In 1849, he entered the employ of William Mitchell, of Dayton, as salesman and collector, where he remained about one year, after which he followed the same business until 1851, but for another party ; in 1851 he traveled for a Piqua firm selling notions, which he followed for about four years. On the 9th of April, 1854, he celebrated his marriage with Miss Lucinda, daughter of Abraham and Salome Hetzler ; three children were born to them, of whom two are living, viz., Mary L. Lucinda, Sarah Jane R. In April, 1871, the messenger of death entered this peaceful and interesting family, removing the mother from earth to heaven. His two daughters are attending the Westerville College, from which they will graduate in 1880. He celebrated his second mar- riage on the 16th of September, 1872, with Mary, daughter of Anson and Lydia Aldrich ; she is a native of Massachusetts, born on the 19th of September, 1845 ; the marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. William Jay. Mr. Huddle is the largest landholder in Darke Co., having accumulated a large amount of property by his hard labor, connected with strict temperate and correct business habits ; he now owns 3,400 acres, all of which is paid for, of which 600 acres are in Green- wood Co., Kan .; 320 in Phillips Co., Mo .; 220 in Pike Co., Ill .; and the rest lies in Ohio and Indiana; he was one of the first stockholders of the State Bank of Ohio-William Scott, President, and Young, Cashier ; and, when the bank was changed to the First National, he took $11,000 stock ; in the Citizens' Bank of Piqua, $4,100 ; ten shares in the Farmers' National Bank of Greenville, and 100 shares in the Building Association of Greenville, twenty shares of which belong
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to each member of the family. He is a member of the United Brethren Church, and his wife a member of the Christian Church. and his two daughters are mem- bers of the Methodist Church.
JOHN A. HUNTER, grain-dealer, of the firm of Williams & Hunter. Brad- ford, Ohio. Robert Hunter, the father of J. A .. was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio. on the 24th day of August. 1818 ; Nancy Alexander, his wife. was born in Pennsyl- vania on the 26th day of August, 1826 ; six children were given to this union, of whom three are living. viz., John A., James A., and Anna B. ; James A. was horn on the 11th day of September. 1852 ; Anna B. was born on the 28th day of August, 1859; Mr. and Mrs. Hunter are still living and reside in Mercer Co., Ohio. John A., the subject of this memoir, was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio. on the 19th day of May, 1844; and in 1846 his parents moved near Fort Recovery, Mercer Co., Ohio, where he spent his boyhood days, assisting his father in the cultivation of the soil during the summer season, and attending the district school in the winter months till he was about 17 years of age, after which he entered the high school at Liber. Ind., attending about four terms, thereby obtaining a good academic education : in the spring of 1864. he responded to the call of President Lincoln for one-hundred-day men by enlisting in the 152d O. V. I., and went forth in the defense of his country ; was mustered out of service at the expiration of term, after which he returned home and attended the Liber High School one term ; he taught his first school in the winter of 1864-65 in Mercer Co. ; followed teach- ing till 1870, teaching during the winter season and farming during the summer ; was united in marriage with Miss Martha A. Bailey in West Liberty, Ind .. on the 19th day of May, 1869 ; she was born in Luzerne Co., Penn., on the 22d day of September, 1846 ; two children were given to this union, viz. : Ella C., born Feb. 6, 1870 ; C. Austin Hunter, was born April 2, 1872. Mr. Hunter came to Darke Co. and located in Bradford in the fall of 1870, where he has continued to reside ever since ; engaged in the grain business in 1871. and now has the largest grain elevator in Bradford, shipping on an average about 35,000 bushels during the sea- son. Mr. Hunter has been identified with the township offices. more or less. since his residence in Darke Co. ; was elected Justice of the Peace and Mayor of Brad- ford in the spring of 1878; has served one term as Trustee of Adams Town- ship.
JOHN B. KINNEY, farmer : P. O. Horatio ; was born in Greene County, Ohio, in 1830 ; was the son of John and Margaret Kinney ; John was born in Pennsylvania and Margaret in Ohio ; her maiden name was Brown. daughter of George and Debora Brown. Mr. Kinney, the subject of this sketch, was married in 1859 to Nancy Ellen. daughter of William and Elizabeth Spry, they being both born in Ohio ; her grand parents were Henry and Martha Spry ; Mr. Kinney and wife are the parents of five children, three of whom are now living. viz., Clinton Douglas. John Milton and Minnie E. Mr. Kinney spent one year, after he was of age. in traveling in the lightning-rod business ; then he went into Mr. Burrough's store, in Fairfield, Ohio, as salesman. where he remained with him about five years ; then he went into partnership with Mr. Tate, in Tremont, Clark County, where he continued one year and sold out. and was married soon after and went back to Fairfield and was salesman for Mr. Burroughs for two years more ; then he left there and went on to a farm in Greene County about one and a half years : then sold out and went into the fruit-tree trade for Forgy, MeCaffry & Co., traveled one summer ; then rented a farm for one season ; then moved to Dayton and went into the tobacco business with J. P. Wolf & Co., where he remained four years ; when he went to Darke County and bought the farm upon which he now lives, and moved with his family on to it and has followed farming sinee ; he first bought 100 acres, but at various times he sold off from it till he had but 10 acres left ; and during his trading he came in possession of a farm of 80 acres north of Ver- snilles, after which he bought back 25 acres of the old farm, so that he now owns the two farms together. making 115 acres. Mr. Kinney has had his "ups and
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downs" in life, having lost much by going security and other ways ; but, notwith- standing this, his industry and energy have enabled him to retain his property, and he has built new buildings on his farm, and is fixed very comfortably ; he is a member of the Reformed Church, to which he has belonged about twenty-one years.
W. C. LECKLIDER, merchant and farmer, Horatio. Jacob, the father of W. C., is a native of Maryland, born on the 12th of April, 1802 : came, with his parents to Ohio, while he was quite young. He married a Miss Willey ; two children were born to them, of whom one is living, viz., W. C .; his wife died in about 1836. He celebrated his second marriage with Nancy Eshleman ; they now reside near Green- ville, Ohio. W. C. Lecklider, the subject of this sketch, was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, on the 13th of February, 1834 ; spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, assisting in the cultivation of the soil during the summer months, and in the winter attending the district school, where he obtained a good common-school edu- cation ; when he was about 18 years old, he went to Greenville, Ohio, where he clerked in the dry-goods and grocery store of Swisher & Co. for about ten months ; after which he went to Beamsville, same county, and clerked for J. H. C. Dill for a period of two years. He now came to the conclusion that it was not good to be alone, and on the 8th of March, 1855, he celebrated his marriage with Miss Mar- garet Riffle, who was born in Darke Co., Ohio, on the 4th of March, 1834; after his marriage, he moved to Ansonia, Darke Co., and engaged in the grocery and dry-goods business, which he followed for a period of twenty-four years, meeting with good success ; he sold out and moved to Horatio in 1865 and engaged in the same business, carrying a full line of groceries and dry goods ; in 1870, he pur- chased 90 acres of land, for which he paid $4,150 ; he has erected a large two- story frame house, at a cost of about $1,500 ; also a barn, 40x60, and other out- buildings ; all of said property he has accumulated by his hard labor, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and amiable wife ; he is also strictly temper- ate in all his habits ; Mr. Lecklider has never been a political aspirant, although he has been identified with nearly all of the township offices ; served as Township Clerk for two years ; was elected Justice of the Peace in the fall of 1875, which office he still holds ; was appointed Postmaster at Horatio in 1870, which office he now holds, and during his residence in Ansonia, he was Postmaster for several years ; was appointed ticket and freight agent at Horatio in 1869, of the P., C. & St. L. R. R., which agency he still holds. Seven children have been born to this union, viz .: Ira H., Jan. 18, 1856 ; W. Charles, July 30, 1857 ; Jacob H., March 2, 1859; Claudius G., Dec. 26, 1860 ; Ulysses G., Aug. 14, 1862 ; Arthur E., Nov. 19, 4867 ; Harvey B., March 11, 1870.
CHARLES LECKLIDER, farmer ; P. O. Gettysburg ; was born in Mont- gomery Co., Ohio, in 1842 was the son of Jacob C., and Nancy Lecklider ; his father, of Jacob C., was born April 12, 1802, at Middletown, Frederick Co., Md .; was the son Lewis and Catherine Lecklider. Nancy was born in Pennsylvania. Jacob C. was married in August, 1825, to Charlotta Creagor ; after a few years, being left a wid- ower, in November, 1833, he was married to Catharine Willey, with whom he lived but a short time till death snatched her from his side, and in September, 1835, he was united in marriage to Nancy Eshleman ; he is the father of twelve children, viz., John, Lucinda, William C., Henry, David V., Elizabeth, Catharine, Sarah Jane, Mary Ellen, Adaline, Charles and Francis C. Jacob C., the father of our subject, came to this county September 16, 1846, and located in Adams Township, on Sec. 22, but after residing here for a time he bought more land in Greenville Township, Sec. 32; the subject of our sketch was only 4 years old when his parents brought him into Darke Co. In 1874, he was married to Barbara, daughter of Emanuel and Martha Hershey, who came from Pennsylvania ; they have one child, viz .: Judd ; they located immediately after his marriage on his father's farm, where they have resided ever since ; the farm consists of about 83 acres of good land, about 65 acres cleared and in good cul
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MARTIN MARTINDALE, farmer, Sec. 13; P. O. Gettysburg. John. his father, was a native of North Carolina, born in 1798. He came with his parents to Ohio when he was about 3 years old, locating in Montgomery Co., where he spent his boyhood days on his father's farm ; was united in marriage when he was 22 years old, with Mary Sidney, after which he obtained his education by boarding a school teacher. Unluckily for him, his wife died in about twenty-two months after they were married ; one child was born to them, viz .. Jesse, who now resides near Dayton, Ohio. His second marriage was celebrated with Amelia Campbell, who was a native of Ireland, born in about 1804; twelve children were born to this union, of whom ten are living, viz., Elizabeth, Robert, Samuel, Mary, Rachel, John, William, Steward, Martin and Rebecca. Mr. Martindale departed this life in March, 1858. Amelia, his widow, survived the storms of life till April, 1865. Martin, the subject of this sketch, is of Scotch descent on the paternal side, and Irish on the maternal, born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, on the 26th of January, 1839 ; he spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, assisting in the elearing and cultivation of the soil : obtained a good common-school education in the district schools of his county ; he lived at home till he was about 22 years old, when. on the 18th of April, 1862, he celebrated his marriage with Rebecea C. Yount, who is of German descent ; Fredric Yount, her father, was born in North Carolina ; her mother is a native of Ohio. Rebecca was born in Miami Co., Ohio, on the 4th of June, 1842. After his marriage, he rented his father-in-law's farm, where he re- mained till September, 1862, when he purchased 79 acres of land in Adams Township, Darke Co., where he moved and has resided since ; he has erected a beautiful two- story frame house, at a cost of about $1,600, and has cleared or put under eultiva- tion sinee his residence here about 22 acres, and at present has 59 aeres in a good state of cultivation ; has a good frame barn, 40x76 feet. Mr. Martindale has by his hard labor, connected with correet business and temperate habits, accumulated a considerable amount of property, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and industrious wife. They are aetive workers in the cause of religion, being members of the Christian Church. They have no children of their own, but have taken Sheridan Ingle, a bright and promising little boy, born on the 23d of September, 1867. Mrs. Martindale's grandmother was a native of Scotland, and her grandfather on her father's side, Duben Campbell, whose father was Duke of England.
GEORGE W. MILLER, farmer, Sec. 34 ; P. O. Gettysburg. Phillip, the father of George W .. was a native of Maryland, born in 1775. He married Rachel Baldwin, who was a native of the same State, in 1793 ; he departed this life in his native State, in May, 1837 ; Rachel, his widow, remained in Maryland till 1844, when she, with her family of eleven children, emigrated to Ohio, locating mn Darke Co., where she resided till her death, which occurred on the 16th of August, 1853, leaving a family of ten children, of whom seven are living at the present writing, viz., Abraham, Daniel, Joseph, Kisiah, Margaret, Rachel, Rebecca. George W., the subject of this sketch, was born in Carroll Co., Md., on the 13th of May, 1828 ; he came, with his mother, when he was about 16 years old, but lived with his brother Abraham, who resided in New Harrison, where he obtained a good com- mon-school education ; at the age of 18, he commenced to learn the blacksmithing trade with his brother, in the town where he resided ; he only followed the busi- ness two years, when he began the earpentering trade with Samuel Paulin, where he worked for about two years ; he then followed the trade on his own responsi- bility for about six years. On the 7th of October, 1853, he celebrated his marriage with Eliza Reck, who was born in Darke Co., Ohio, on the 14th of Septem- ber, 1836 ; in 1863, he rented a farm, where he lived for a period of about six years, after which he purchased 27 acres of S. Rontzon, for which he paid $1,600, where he has resided sinee. Mr. Miller has accumulated some property by his hard labor, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and amiable wife. They are members of the Lutheran Church, and are living zealous and consistent
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Christians. Five children have been born to them, viz., Margaret A., Nov. 10, 1854 ; George W., Feb. 13, 1857 ; John E., Sept. 10, 1859 ; William H., April 20, 1862 ; Welby L., Aug. 13, 1867. Mr. Miller and his wife have passed through the many struggles, dangers and incidents so common to the pioneers of the West. Unfor- tunately for him, his father died when he was only about 9 years old, leaving his mother with eleven children, to survive the storms of life ; but Providence smiled, sparing her life to see all her children grow into manhood and womanhood. George W., by his indomitable will and iron nerve, has fought the battles of life manfully, coming off more than conqueror. In 1864, he enlisted in the one-hundred-day service and went forth to battle for his country. Philip, his father, served in the war of 1821, and was at the bombardment of Baltimore in 1814.
ABRAHAM MILLER, retired blacksmith ; P. O. New Harrison ; is a native of Maryland, born in Frederick County, on the 9th of March, 1820 ; his father's sketch appears with his brother, Geo. W. Miller, in another place of this work : Abraham came to Ohio when he was about 21 years old ; he obtained a good common-school education in the district schools of Maryland ; he commenced to learn the black- smithing trade when he was in his eighteenth year, at which he served two years. When he came to Ohio he opened up a shop in New Harrison, where he operated for a period of thirty years ; meeting with good success, he now owns 70 acres of land, valued at $4,000, all of which he has made by his hard labor, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and amiable wife, to whom he was married on the 4th of December, 1845 ; she is a daughter of William and Christina Reck, born in Adams County, Penn., on the 17th of September, 1824, her name being Julia Ann ; eight children have been born to them-viz., William R., Jeremiah, Abra- ham S., Eliza Christina, Rachel Rebecca, Samuel (deceased), Henry H., Julia Ann ; Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Lutheran Church.
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