|
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Portrait and Biographical
History of
Fayette, Pickaway and Madison Counties, Ohio.
Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros.
1892
SAMUEL
W. BENNETT, whose farm in Monroe Township was
reclaimed from the primeval forests by his father,
Samuel J. Bennett, represents one of the early
pioneer families of this State, and he is a fine type of
the native-born sons of Pickaway County, whose
agricultural interests he promotes by his progressive
modes of farming. He was born on the old homestead
on which he lives, Dec. 11, 1851. His father, who
was a native of Ross County, was a son of John
Bennett, who was born in Delaware, was of English
ancestry, and was a farmer by occupation. In the
early part of the century, he came to Ohio, and made
settlement in the forests of Ross County, where he
bought a small tract of land, upon which he built a log
cabin for a dwelling. He and his wife reared a
large family, and in the fullness of time passed away
from the scenes of their pioneer labors, his death
occurring when he was seventy or more years old, and
her's at the age of ninety-seven years, nine months and
fourteen days.
The father of our subject grew to a stalwart manhood in
his native county, and in 1834 he was there married to
Rebecca Hopkins, who was also born in Ross
County, her birthplace lying on the shores of Big Paint
Creek. Her parents, who lived to be very old, were
among the early settlers of that county. These ten
children were born to the Bennetts: Sarah A.
(Mrs. Taylor), Mary A. (Mrs. Taylor), Jane (Mrs.
Barnhart, now deceased), Will K,, Mahala (Mrs.
Chittem), Nancy (Mrs. Corkwell,
Samuel W., Fanny (Mrs. Barnhart), Rhoda
(Mrs. Ensley), and Elnora (Mrs.
Toben). The mother is still living, at the
age of seventy-five, and bears her years well, still
being active and retaining her faculties unclaimed by
the ravages of time. Nearly all her life she has been a
member of the Methodist Church, and she is an exemplary
Christian.
After marriage, Mr. Bennett came here to
settle, and bought a tract of timber land, which is the
old homestead occupied by our subject. He had to
cut down the trees to make room to build a log cabin,
which was the regulation pioneer dwelling, with its
puncheon floor, open fireplace and rude home-made
furnishings, and in that humble abode he and his wife
commenced housekeeping. The country around was an
almost unbroken wilderness, with but very few
settlements, a log cabin here and there along Deer Creek
marking the home of some venturesome pioneer. Wild game
of all kinds was abundant, and venison and wild turkey
furnished agreeable additions to the somewhat limited
bill of fare of the settlers. The father of our
subject was very diligent, worked hard to clear and
develop his farm, and was well rewarded for his labors
by the substantial competency that he acquired. He
died lamented at the end of an upright, honorable life
of sixty-five years. He was of a truly religious
nature, and took an active part in the upbuilding of the
Methodist Church at Yankeetown, to which he belonged.
In politics, he was a Whig, until after the Republican
party was formed, and from that time he gave the
Republican cause his firm support.
Our subject was reared on the old homestead, and early
acquired a knowledge of agriculture in all its branches,
that has been of good service to him. He was
educated in the district schools, and the first that he
attended was held in a log house, that was rudely
furnished with slab benches that were held up by wooden
pins. At the youthful age of nineteen, he entered
in earnest upon his lifework, and has farmed the old
home place ever since. He has here three hundred
and fifty-eight acres, all under cultivation, and very
thoroughly drained with tiles. He conducts mixed
farming, and besides raising one hundred acres of grain
each year, has his farm well stocked with cattle, horses
and hogs of the most approved grades.
The marriage of our subject with Miss Mary
Robison, a native of Mt. Sterling, Madison County,
was solemnized Aug. 26, 1874. Their pleasant home
circle is completed by their two daughters, Lillis E.
and Bertha M. Both have been well educated,
and the former, who has a talent for music, is an
accomplished pianist. Mrs. Bennett
is a woman of fine disposition and character, whose
influence for good is felt by all who come in contact
with her. She and her daughters are members of the
Methodist Church, and are prominent in its every good
work. Mr. Bennett is a
liberal-minded, open-handed man, who stands well in
financial circles, and with his neighbors and
fellow-citizens in general. His political
sentiments are decidedly of the Republican order, and he
is a stalwart advocate of the principles of his party.
Source: Portrait and Biographical
History of Fayette, Pickaway and Madison Counties,
Ohio. Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros. - 1892 - Page 513 |
OLIVER
PERRY BRINKER, M. D., a resident physician of
Darbyville, and a native-born son of Pickaway County,
whose life record is an honor to its citizenship, is
distinguished in his profession, which he still
practices, and also has an enviable reputation as a
business man, whose valuable farming and stock interests
are very ably managed.
Dr. Brinker was born in Walnut Township, Dec.
11, 1837, and is a son of George Brinker, a hero
of the War of 1812, who in after years played a
prominent part in developing the agricultural resources
of this county by reclaiming several hundred acres of
land from its original wildness, and was also
conspicuous figure in the religious life of his
community. He was a Pennsylvanian by birth, and
was reared on a farm in his native State. In early
manhood, he married Elizabeth Young, who was a
native of Virginia, and he and his wife came on
horseback, with their earthly possessions in a small
bundle, to Ohio to found a home in the forest wilds of
Pickaway, in the early days of its settlement, and in
the busy years that followed were among its most
diligent and useful pioneers. Mr. Brinker
bought a quarter-section of land in Walnut Township, and
worked out by the month to pay for it. Game was
plentiful, the country being wild and sparsely settled,
and as he was a fine marksman, the man who employed him
paid him to hunt deer and other wild animals by the
month instead of working on a farm all the time.
He wa a man of fine physique, six feet tall in height
and straight as an arrow, and was well endowed with
those traits that lead to success in any walk in life.
He and his wife began life here in a log house, and bent
their energies to better their fortunes, working early
and late, and with her active co-operation, he gathered
together a valuable property, becoming the proprietor of
seven hundred acres of choice farming land.
At the age of seventy-three, death closed the life of
this good man, but he still lives in the hearts of those
who knew and loved him for his pure, noble character.
He was simple and straightforward in his manner, sound
and sensible in his opinions, and he was a veritable
Christian, with strong religious convictions. He
was a member of the Methodist Church, and did much to
encourage the growth of the denomination in his
neighborhood, having preaching at his house, and in
other ways promoting the cause in which his sympathies
were so deeply enlisted. He had a good record as a
soldier, serving with devoted patriotism throughout the
War of 1812. He helped to carry the day in the
famous battle of Lake Erie, fought near Put-in-Bay
September 10, 1813, when for the first time a whole
British squadron surrendered in a naval contest with
Americans, the victory being announced to Gen.
Harrison by the brave Capt. Oliver H. Perry,
by whose invincible courage and determination it had
been won, in the message so famous for its simple
brevity, yet so full of meaning: "We have met the
enemy and they are ours - two ships, two brigs, one
schooner, and one sloop." So greatly did the
father of our subject admire and reverence his old
commander, he named his son of whom we write in his
honor. An uncle of our subject was killed in that
same war. The Doctor's mother, of blessed memory,
departed this life at the age of sixty-five.
She was George Brinker's second wife, and was the
mother of three children: Catherine E., now
deceased, one who died in infancy, and the Doctor.
His first wife was the mother of a large family of
children, carefully training them to honorable lives:
Barney, John, Silas, George, Nancy, Susan, Elizabeth,
Sarah, Mary and Lavina.
Our subject was reared on a farm in his native
township. His father and mother died when he was a
boy, within seven weeks of each other, and after that
sad event in his life he went to live with his sister
Nancy. His early education was conducted in
the district schoolhouse, which was built of logs and
furnished with slab benches, and the school was carried
on under the rate-bill system. When about eighteen
years of age, the Doctor went to college at Delaware,
but was taken sick a few months later and had to return
home. He then had private instructions in
Fairfield County, and after obtaining a certificate,
taught school one winter there and one term in Franklin
County. Deciding to enter the medical profession,
for which he had a natural taste, he began to prepare
himself for it under the instruction of Dr. George E.
Eels, of Lithopolis, with whom he read medicine
three years, thus laying a solid foundation for the
course that he subsequently pursued at the Ohio Medical
College, at Cincinnati, of
which he is a graduate.
After leaving college, the Doctor entered upon the
practice of his profession with his old instructor,
Dr. Eels, with whom he remained six months.
Returning then to Pickaway County, he established
himself at Bloomfield, whence he went a year later to
Shadeville, Franklin County, where he built up a large
and lucrative practice. He was a resident of that
town from 1865 until 1880, with the exception of a year
spent at Circleville. In the latter year, he came
to Darbyville, which he has since made his home.
For some time, he devoted himself exclusively to his
practice, which was extensive, covering a good deal of
territory, for he early made a name for himself as a
physician of rare ability, well grounded in medical
learning and the proper treatment of the prevailing
diseases of this section of the country. Of late,
he has given much attention to farming and stock
interests, and buys and raises a considerable number of
cattle and hogs, owning some very fine cattle of
standard breeds. He has two hundred and thirty-six
and one-eighth acres of land, one hundred acres in one
tract, the remainder in another, and all in Muhlenberg
Township, except thirty-three and one-third acres in
Jackson Township, and he rents it, taking his pay in
grain, which brings him in a good income. In the
season of 1884-85, he built the frame residence on Main
Street, Darbyville, in which he and his wife have a home
attractive in its appointments and abounding in the
comforts that add so much to the pleasure of living.
Our subject was married, in the fall of 1864, to
Miss Kate Hill, a native of this township, whose
family history will be found in the biographical sketch
of her sister, Mrs. Anna Montgomery. Mrs.
Brinker is a true, womanly woman, whose fine
personal attributes have won her the sincere regard of
all who come under her influence. She is of the
Methodist faith in religion and a devoted member of the
church. Of the four children born to her and her
subject, three have passed through the gates of death to
the land of the immortals: George E.,
Annie Bell and Frank. One son,
Erasmus W., is left to be their pride and comfort
in their declining years. He is a bright and
talented young man, well educated, a member of the
Columbus Bar, and has a promising future before him in
his profession. He is popular in social circles,
and is an earnest worker in the Methodist Church, of
which he is a member in high standing.
Dr. Brinker is a man of strong
personality, with a broad, calm, practical mind and firm
will, and a keen sagacity in business matters, whereby
he has achieved financial success. He is of a
generous temper, has given liberally of his means to
churches and charitable objects, and his name is
associated with many of the progressive movements that
have resulted in local improvement. He was head of
the village government as Mayor for some years, and
administered public affairs with a firm and steady hand,
and he was also School Director for a short time. In his
politics, he was a Democrat, until that party repealed
the Dow Prohibition Law, but since then he has been
independent.
Source: Portrait and Biographical
History of Fayette, Pickaway and Madison Counties,
Ohio. Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros. - 1892 - Page 767 |
|
