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BIOGRAPHIES
The following biographies are extracted from:
Source:
The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
By Henry Holcomb Bennett
Published by S. A. Brant, Madison, Wis.,
1902
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ISAAC
DELONG has long been known as one of the worthy and successful
farmers of Colerain township, Ross county, which is the
place of his nativity and has been the scene of all his
life's work. He is one of that class of quiet men who do
their duty as seems to them right, attend strictly to
their own business and meddle as little as possible with
outside affairs. The family is of Pennsylvania origin. The
grandparents lived and died in the old Keystone state, but
their son Henry at an early age left his native
place and sought a home in southern Ohio. He located in
Ross county, went to farming, and in course of time
accumulated a competence, owning 160 acres of land and
other property. He became one of the trusted citizens of
his community, and was called on to fill such positions as
those of supervisor and member of the school board, which
he did acceptably. Henry DeLong married
Mary Mowrey, whose parents were Pennsylvanians,
settled in Ross county at an early period of the State's
history. Isaac, son of Henry and Mary (Mowery)
DeLong, was born in Colerain township, Ross county,
Ohio, January 27, 1837s He grew up on the farm of his
father and from earliest youth was made familiar with the
work connected with agricultural pursuits. When he became
of age he entered into the same business on his own
account, and that he has met with success as a general
farmer and stockraiser is shown by the fact that bet now
owns 260 acres of land and is otherwise well-to-do. He has
been so closely occupied by his regular business that he
has had neither time nor inclination to seek office, the
only official position he ever held being that of school
director. November 29, 1862, he was married to Mary
Leasure, who was born in Colerain township, March
25, 1839. She is a daughter of Jesse and Mary (Strawser)
Leasure, both natives of Colerain township, and the
former a son of Thomas and Hannah (Cutshaw)
Leasure, who were early settlers. Mr. and Mrs.
DeLong have had nine children, all living except
Letitia, the fourth born. The others in order of birth
are Susan, Lavina, Rosa, Edward, Jesse, Newton, Alberta
and George. The family in religious connections are
divided between several denominations, Mr.
DeLong being a Lutheran and Mrs. DeLong a
Presbyterian, while most of the children are members of
the United Brethren church.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
AUGUST
DESCHLER,
examiner of engineers for the Fourth district of Ohio, was
born in Chillicothe, September 6, 1854. His parents were
John and Mary (Kramer) Deschler, both natives of
Baden, Germany. The father's first marriage took place in
the old country and he brought his wife with two children
to Chillicothe, Ohio, in the early forties. He engaged in
market gardening and this business he followed all his
life. The first wife died in Chillicothe, leaving three
children, John, Victor and Mary. The
latter became a sister of Notre Dame, in Cincinnati, and
died there in 1882. John is a meat merchant at
Indianapolis. Victor discontinued his trade as a.
miller, by reason of impaired health, and made a fortune
in market gardening. The father's second wife was Mary
Kramer, who became the mother of August
Deschler, the subject of this sketch. He received a
common school education in Chillicothe and apprenticed
himself to the machinist's trade in that city. After a
year's employment in Cincinnati, he returned and was
engaged with the Chillicothe foundry and machine works
until 1873. For a number of years he was the chief
engineer of the Ross County Infirmary, but about 1882 he
started a repair shop on his own account. His business was
that of erecting engineer for all kinds of machinery. He
continued in this line until 1900, when he was appointed
to the position which he now holds, as examiner of
engineers. The appointment was for three years and is a
salaried position under the state government. The fourth
district, of which he has charge with headquarters at
Chillicothe, embraces nineteen counties in southern Ohio.
Mr. Deschler was married in 1874 and his
wife died in 1882, leaving four children, Frank A.,
Mary, Joseph A. and Charles. The first named
has charge of his father's machine shop, and all still
remain at home. November 27, 1884,
Mr. Deschler married Philomena Gerrer,
a native of Chillicothe, who taught school in her girlhood
days, is a member of the church choir and in many ways a
lady of accomplishments. Mr. Deschler is a
member of the National association of Stationary
Engineers, the Columbus Club of Chillicothe, a charter
member of the Knights of St George and for twenty-seven
years has belonged to St. Ignatius society. His church
relations are with, St Peter's Roman Catholic, of which he
has been a life-long member. In 1893-94 he served as a
Democratic member of the Chillicothe city council. He has
always been a public spirited and enterprising citizen.
Starting in the world without a dollar, he has been
successful financially, as a result of his own hard work
and self-reliant judgment Having obtained his own
education with difficulty, by attending night schools
after performing his day's labor, he was able to
appreciate its importance, and when his own children came
he was careful to give them the best advantages afforded
by the schools.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
JAMES A.
DEVINE,
sheriff of Ross county, was born in Roxabell in the
same county, on April 25, 1874. His parents, were
John and Mary (Goodwin) Devine. John Devine,
born in 1845 at Frankfort in Ross county, was a soldier
during the civil ear, serving in both the cavalry and
infantry arms of the service, being a member of the Fourth
Battalion Todd's Independent Scouts. His wife was
born in Ireland in 1843, and came to America in a sailing
vessel when a child of seven years. Her mother
having died in Ireland, she was brought to this country by
an uncle, her father having preceded him. Mrs.
Devine has distinct recollections of this trip, which
was a great event in her young life. The voyage
lasted some seven or eight weeks and its incidents were
indelibly impressed on her mind, to be often dwelt upon in
after life. Mr. and Mrs. John Devine
had a family of two sons, of whom James A. was the
eldest. His brother, Michael Thomas, a clerk
in a mercantile house at Frankfort, married Lucy Hester
of that place and has one daughter, Elizabeth M.
James A. Devine received his education
in Frankfort, and was graduated from the high school on
his sixteenth birthday. He worked on a farm for a
few months and then accepted the position of deputy
postmaster, which he held for three years. After
this he obtained a more remunerative employment with
John N. Blue in the mercantile and machinery business,
which he retained for three years, when his employer sold
out. However, he remained with Mr. Blue's
successor until appointed deputy sheriff on January 1,
1897 when he removed to Chillicothe. He was He was
sworn in as deputy under Sheriff A. T. Swepston and
served in that capacity for four years. In the fall
of 1900 he was himself elected sheriff, and he took charge
of the office January 7, 1901. Mr. Devine was
the only Democrat on the local ticket that was elected to
office, the county having given a plurality of 400 for
McKinley at that election. This fact of itself is
sufficient to attest the widespread popularity of Mr.
Devine and the public opinions of his qualifications
for an important county office. It was a
distinguished honor that comes to few men in the difficult
and ungrateful game called politics. October 30,
1895, Mr. Devine was married to Maude F. Coyner,
a native of Champaign county, Ill. Her father, N.
M. Coyner, now of Frankfort, was formerly a miller at
Austin, Ross county. The family is of old Virginia
stock, being established there as far back as the
seventeenth century. Mr. Coyner was a soldier
during the civil war, as also were several of his near
relatives. The Devines were likewise
conspicuous as patriots in the various wars of the
country. Mr. and Mrs. Devine have two sons,
Richard Paul and Thomas Bernard.
Mr. Devine is a member of the A. O. U. W., the Modern
Woodmen of America, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the
Hibernians, the Columbus Club, lodge No. 52, B. P. O. E.,
and the Eintracht Singing Society. Himself and wife
are members of St. Mary's Catholic church, under the
pastorate of his cousin, Rev. A. D. Dexter.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
REV. ALFRED D.
DEXTER,
Pastor of St.
Mary's (Roman Catholic) church in Chillicothe, is a native
of Ross county, born near the town of Frankfort. His
parents were George M. And Mary (McNally) Dexter,
the former a convert to the church. He attended the
common schools in and near his native village, completing
the studies as far as they went. Afterward he
entered Mount St. Mary's seminary at Cincinnati, where he
continued his studies for nine years, one of which he
spent in the philosophical and three in the theological
departments of the institution. After his graduation
he was ordained on September 23, 1876, by Most Rev.
Archbishop Purcell. He celebrated his first mass
on the following Sunday and delivered his first sermon in
St. Mary's church, Chillicothe. His first
appointment was as assistant in Kenton, O., where he
remained for five years, one of which was spent as
assistant to the pastor at Bellefontaine. He was
then transferred to Marysville and missions where he
remained until his appointment to the pastorate in
Chillicothe. During his pastorate in Marysville he
built a beautiful church in Mechanicsburg, a mission
connection with Marysville. A summary of the history
of St. Mary's and the various pastors who have had charge
from the beginning will prove of interest at this point.
On June 7, 1837, Rev. Henry Juncker was appointed
first resident pastor of Chillicothe by Archbishop
Purcell. During his pastorate Father Juncker
purchased the Episcopalian building hand gave it the name
of St. Mary's church. In this the faithful
worshipped until the dedication of St. Peter's church on
August 30, 1846. In time the number of Catholics
increased so greatly that it was determined to organize
another congregation. This was done in December,
1849, under the direction of Rev. George Carroll,
who was the first pastor of the congregation. In
September, 1851, Rev. Thomas Boulger succeeded to
the pastorate. In 1852, a large building on Second
street was purchased from the Methodists and used as a
church until the new building on South Paint street was
erected. Father Boulger in 1854, and he in
turn gave place to Rev. J. N. Thisse in September,
1855. The latter was a very popular priest who
greatly endeared himself to his congregation. He
gave way in 1860 to Rev. Michael Kennedy, who three
years afterward was compelled to relinquish his charge on
account of ill health. Rev. T. J. Tierney was
pastor from 1863 until the time of his death, which
occurred on September 6, 1865. On September 17th of
the year last mentioned, Rev. John B. Murray took
charge of the congregation and it was during his long
incumbency that the new St. Mary's church and pastoral
residence on Paint street were erected. The
cornerstone was laid by Archibishop Purchell on
April 7, 1867, and the dedication took place on August 15,
1869. No other pastor did so much as Father
Murray to build up the parish of St. Mary's. He
was beloved by his flock and universally respected by the
citizens of all denominations. In March, 1883,
Father Murray was transferred, and in August of that
year Rev. James J. O'Donohue took charge.
After a successful pastorate of four years, he was
succeeded in September, 1887, by Rev. Patrick A. Quinn,
who was compelled by ill health to retire after two years'
service. It was on September 23, 1889, that Rev.
Alfred D. Dexter, the present pastor, took charge of
the large and flourishing congregation of St. Mary's.
The church has prospered under his pastorate, as he spares
no efforts for the advancement and welfare of the parish.
He is very popular with the congregation, their relations
realizing the true Christian ideal represented under the
figure of the shepherd and his flock. The following
societies were connected with the church and are in a
flourishing condition: Young Ladies' Sodality,
Married Ladies' Sodality, Sacred Heart society, St.
Aloysius Sodality, Holy Family Society, Children of Mary,
and A. O. H. The principal material and financial
achievement during Father Dexter's pastorate was
the securing of a new cemetery. A tract of land
bequeathed by Miss Margaret Watts, a convert and
devoted member of St. Mary's as a legacy for religious
purposes, was converted into a cemetery under an
association organized and chartered in 1892. The
cemetery plat contains about twenty-one acres and was
consecrated on November 22, 1892, by Msgr. Windthorst,
assisted by the Rev. Father Dexter, and named St.
Margaret's in honor of the generous donor. ( See the
biography of his brother James A. Dexter, below)
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
JAMES A.
DEXTER was born in
Concord township, Ross county, on September 13, 1847.
His father, George M. Dexter, was a native of
Lincolnshire, England, born June 4, 1816. At the age
of seventeen he came to the United States with his
parents, who located in Concord township, Ross county.
Having a good education, he followed school teaching as a
profession in the counties of Ross and Warren. Later
he became a farmer and pursued that calling until the time
of his death, which occurred on May 4, 1882. In
August, 1845, he was married to Miss Marry McNally,
a native of the county Derry, Ireland, who died in 1886.
They had four children, James A. Dexter being the
second in order of birth. He received his primary
education in the schools of his district, supplemented by
attendance at a collegiate academy, then conducted in
Chillicothe by Prof. George Kelly. These
earlier acquisitions were greatly increased in after years
by extensive reading and study on the part of Mr.
Dexter, whose tastes were naturally literary and his
thirst for knowledge ever acute. This tendency led
him to write for the press and his articles always
exhibited wide and varied information expressed in the
best literary style. All this, however, was merely
diversion and mental exercise, as the main business of
Mr. Dexter's life ahs always been that of farming.
At the death of his uncle, John McNally, which
occurred in December, 1879, Mr. Dexter became his
principal heir, and among other property inherited from
him was the valuable farm two miles west of Frankfort.
This, which is among the best improved agricultural land
in Ross county, has sine been the home of Mr. Dexter.
The affection of Mr. McNally for his nephew and
confidence in his integrity is attested by the fact that
by his will he constituted him sole executor without the
requirement of a bond. He has never aspired to
office, but has filled local positions by the unsought
suffrage of his neighbors. Among these were the
offices of school director and justice of the peace.
While serving in the latter capacity he officiated at the
trial of some of the most important cases ever tried in
the township, and as evidence of his impartial judgment
and fair decisions it can be stated that none were ever
carried to a higher court. His political
affiliations have always been Democratic and formerly he
participated actively in party management, but in later
years has contented himself with voting, leaving the
actual work of politics to others. Mr. Dexter
performed a valuable service to the people by the part he
took in the movement to relieve Ross county from the
burdens inflicted by the out-of-date system of toll roads.
To him, more than to any other, was due the release of the
Frankfort and Herrod's Creek turnpike from this obsolete
obstruction to progress. The Dexter family
are all devout communicants of the Roman Catholic church.
The subject of this sketch has long been a pillar of the
faith at Frankfort and one of the mainstays of his
religious society at that place. His brother,
Rev. Alfred D. Dexter, is the much beloved pastor of
St. Mary's church in Chillicothe. On January 25,
1893, Mr. Dexter was married to Joanna A., daughter
of John and Catharine Powers, of Union
county, Ohio. The ceremony was performed at St.
Mary's church in Chillicothe by the brother of the groom.
They have three children, whose names are Alfred
Dominick, Mary Kathleen and Elizabeth Maurine.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
HENRY
DILLMAN, a prosperous
trucker and fruit-grower of Scioto township, is a worthy
sample of the good citizenship obtained by Ross county
through German channels. Many years ago, Adam
Dillman left the place of his birth in Darmstadt,
Germany, and came to America in search of his fortune.
Before leaving the old country he had thoroughly mastered
all the details of the brewing business, and this
knowledge proved valuable to him over here as it enabled
him to get employment readily in his own line. At that
time Cincinnati was famous for its beer and a kind of
headquarters for brewers, besides being very popular as a
residence city for Germans seeking homes in the United
States. Young Dillman therefore, found
himself amid very congenial surroundings when he landed in
the "Queen City of the West" and lost no time in
identifying, himself with her great industrial interests.
With German pluck and energy he soon "caught on" and was
one of the promoters and founders of Moerlein's brewery,
which afterward became one of the leading establishments
of its kind in Ohio. It so happened that a family named
Dryer, natives of-the same German province as Adam
Dillman, had crossed the ocean about the time that
he came over. The Dryers had a slow passage of six
months' duration and after landing proceeded directly to
Detroit, where they remained a few years and then removed
to Chillicothe, Ohio. With this family when they reached
the United States was a little daughter just four years
old, named Mary, and after she grew up to be an
attractive young lady and was on a visit to Cincinnati,
she met Adam Dillman. It was a case of
mutual admiration and in due. course it was announced in
the papers that the popular young brewer had been married
to Mary C. Dryer. By this union there were six
children: John, killed during the civil war;
Peter W., died when quite small; George W.,
of Chillicothe; Henry, and Mary C, wife. of
David Current of Union township, Ross
county: The father continued in the brewing business until
his death, which occurred in 1854 as the. result of. an
attack of cholera. A few years afterward, the widow
married Joseph Nyer, by whom she had two
children, Joseph (deceased) and Frederick,
and died in 1890. . Henry Dillman, fifth of
the children by the first marriage, was born in
Cincinnati, February 13, 1853, and as will be observed
from the dates, was only a year old when he lost his
father. Few infants have lived to reach manhood after
passing through the trials and tribulations that afflicted
the subject of our sketch. He was attacked by the cholera
epidemic which scourged Cincinnati in 1854 and was
actually laid out for burial at one time, being saved only
by the earnest entreaties of his mother, who insisted that
a spark of life still remained. Safely over this he had to
run the gauntlet of diseases usually fatal to infancy,
passing successively through the scarlet fever, black
smallpox and the measles. He was four years old before he
had learned to walk, and yet this child, persecuted with
all the misfortunes of Job and over and over threatened
with death, lived to be considered the strongest man in
his township. When Mr. Dillman reached the
age of eighteen he obtained railroad employment and
followed this occupation for twelve years. Afterward he
worked as a farm laborer in different states until 1873,
when he was married to Angeline Drummonds,
of Cincinnati. He located on a farm of 50 acres in Liberty
township, which he purchased three years later and greatly
improved during the eighteen years of his subsequent
residence thereon. Eventually, Mr. Dillman
sold this place and purchased another of 43 acres in
Scioto township, which he has since used for trucking and
fruit growing. Under great disadvantages he has conquered
success and is at present in very comfortable
circumstances. He holds the position of school director,
was road supervisor in Liberty township and was the
principal promoter of the Musgrove pike. Mrs.
Dillman and their only child, George Adam,
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and his own
leanings are in the same direction.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
DUDLEY
O. DIGGS,
deceased, late of Lyndon, Ohio, is well deserving of
notice in any history of Ross county, as he was connected
with its agricultural interests and general development
for over sixty years. His parents were Thomas and
Elizabeth (Desper) Diggs, both natives of Virginia,
and descended from ancestors long settled in the state.
The family trace their origin to English emigrants who
came over as far back as the middle of the seventeenth
century. Thomas Diggs served in the war of
1812 and died in his native state at the age of forty
years. His family consisted of seven children. Dudley
O. Diggs, the third, was born in Louisa county,
Va., September 26, 1812. But little opportunity for
learning was afforded agricultural communities in Virginia
at that period, but young Diggs was ambitious and
availed himself of every chance to increase his stock of
knowledge. In fact, his natural inclination was towards
educational affairs, as was evidenced by his abandoning
farm work when twenty-one years of age in order to engage
in teaching. In 1833, he left his native state for the
West and soon after arriving in Ohio joined the ranks of
educators in Ross county, The famous "old log school
house" was then much in evidence, and in one of these
Preceptor Diggs "wielded the rod" for twelve
full terms. But a man of Mr. Diggs' breadth
of mind and natural business acumen could hardly be
content in the narrow field that confined the "early-day"
pedagogue. The rich valley of the Scioto, where his lot
had been cast, offered great inducement to agriculturists,
and our Virginia emigrant resolved to join the hosts who
were cultivating the fruitful soil of Ross county. In
1838, he bought and cleared one hundred acres of land in
Buckskin township. This estate was added to from time to
time until he owned 1,160 acres of land which v under his
skillful management, was highly improved and much
increased in value. In short, he became by degrees and
enlarged experience, one of the most competent as well as
one of the most prosperous farmers in his adopted country.
He is a good representative of the best class of self-made
men, as his success in life was chiefly due to his
self-taught lessons and independent efforts, aided of
course by correct business methods and integrity in
dealing. The result was a measure of financial prosperity
unusual among farmers and creditable alike to the
character and ability of Mr. Diggs. In
November, 1835, Mr. Diggs was married to
Sophia Houston, a native of Pennsylvania, who
came with her parents to Ohio in early girlhood. They
lived together for more than fifty years, until her death
in March, 1886. The second wife of Mr. Diggs
was Amanda Bragg, a Virginia lady, to whom
he was united in 1886. Their union resulted in the birth
of three children: Charles, Corinne and
Altha Virginia. Though he took the interest of
a good citizen in political contests, Mr. Diggs
was never a seeker of office, the only official positions
held by him being those of trustee and treasurer of his
township. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian
church at South Salem, as is also his wife who survives
him. Mr. Diggs died July 6, 1899, at the age
of eighty-six years.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
COLUMBUS
DIXON,
of Gillespieville, Ohio, was born in Ross county on August
3, 1851, his father being Joseph Dixon, who is
mentioned in this work. Columbus Dixon was
reared on a farm and educated in the common schools of his
native township. He has pursued farming as an
accupation all his life and ranks high among those who
best understand the principles of this calling. He
makes a specialty of breeding Jersey cattle, and is
regarded as one of the most successful in that line in the
country; is widely known as a dealer, and has sold stock
in nearly every state of the Union. At the leading
public sale of Jersey cattle in the United States for ten
years, held in 1898, Mr. Dixon sold eighty head for
$8,000. He had one of the twenty-five Jersey cows on
exhibition at the World's Fair at Chicago in 1893.
This prize-winner was named Pridalia, No. 17249, and was
one of the finest bred cows in America. Mr. Dixon's
place is known far and wide as the Edgewood Stock Farm,
and consists of 500 acres of land one mile from
Londonderry. September 8, 1872, he was married to
Mary C. DuBois, daughter of Solomon and
Maria DuBois, natives of Ulster county, N.Y., who came
to Ross county, Ohio, about the year 1836. Mr.
and Mrs. Dixon have four living children, whose names
Laura, Ada, Roy C. and Mildred.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
SIMON R.
DIXON,
an extensive land-owner in Ross county and dealer in
thoroughbred cattle, is a member of a family long settled
in Liberty township. His grandfather, Joseph
Dixon, came from North Carolina to Ross county in 1804
and a few years later started the pioneer grist mill,
whose musical burrs proved a welcome novelty in that
sparsely settled region. This primitive meal-maker
was established in Liberty township and remained in the
family for generations, being conducted by the founder
until his death and afterward continued by his sons.
To this day it is known as the Dixon mills. The
pioneer Joseph Dixon was thrifty as well as shrewd
and industrious, and by the time of his death had become
owner of a large amount of land. He married Ann
Ratcliff in the old North State, who shared his
fortunes in Ohio and became the mother of several
children, among the number being a namesake of her
husband. This son, Joseph Dixon, the younger,
born in 1814, was trained to work in the mill, and after
his father's death in 1834 took charge of the business and
conducted it to the end of his own life, a total period of
forty years. He married Winnie Sophia Walker,
who was born in Loudoun county, Va., in 1815, and came to
Ross county in girlhood. They located in Liberty
township, where the remainder of their lives were spent,
the wife dying in 1870, and the husband in November, 1874.
Of their ten children, five are now living.
Joseph Dixon left a valuable estate, including about
800 acres of land, the homestead place being owned
conjointly by Columbus and Fulton, two of
his sons. Simon R. Dixon, third in order of
birth of the children of Joseph and Winnie S.
Dixon, was born under the parental roof in Liberty
township, September 5, 1836. He remained with his
father until about twenty-four years old, when he engaged
in farming on his own account. He has risen to be
one of the leading farmers and stock-dealers in the
county, well known as a breeder of Shorthorn cattle and
owns 600 acres of land in the vicinity of his home.
In 1870 he built a fine residence between Vigo and
Londonderry, and everything about his place bears evidence
of good management and prosperity. Mr. Dixon
has figured influentially in all the affairs of his
township, serving several years as trustee, member of the
school board for two decades and two terms as commissioner
of Ross county. He has been conspicuous in the
advocacy of good government and good morals, being a
life-long supporter of the temperance cause and every
movement calculated to advance it among the people.
In 1860, he was married to Mary A., daughter of
Joshua and Elizabeth (Ross) Jones. Her
grandparents were Thomas and Elizabeth (Cox)
Jones, pioneers from New Jersey in Ross county in the
early part of the century. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon
became the parents of thirteen children, of whom Mary
P. died in childhood. The others in order of
birth are Ella, Alma, Minnie, Charlie, Annie,
Elizabeth, Edwin, Ethel, Vernon, Harry, Grace and
Edith. Mr. Dixon and wife are members of
the Society of Friends, in which the former has long been
a leader and prominent worker.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
|
WILLIAM R.
DIXON, of Tucson,
was born in Harrison township, Ross county, Ohio, on March
5, 1864. He was educated in the common schools of
his district and entered upon the duties of farming, which
has been his occupation throughout life. Mr. Dixon's
industry and perseverance have been rewarded with success
and he owns 160 acres of good land, where he has lived for
ten years. He is regarded as one of the leading
farmers of Harrison township, where he has spent all of
his life. Mr. Dixon has long been an active
Republican but has never been an aspirant for office,
however, he is often sent as a delegate to the various
conventions of his party and had this honor conferred upon
him for three years in succession. October 5, 1898,
Mr. Dixon was married to Mrs. Ellen Stanhope of Harrison
township, the widow of John I. Stanhope, and daughter of
Isaac Wolford.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
SAMUEL
DRESBACH, late a citizen
of Colerain township, was an extensive farmer and
stockdealer of Ross county, owning 800 acres of land, all
of which was acquired by his own exertions during a long
and laborious life. His father, Martin Dresbach,
was a native of Pennsylvania who in the spring of 1812
married Mary Eyer, born February 10, 1783,
and daughter of Abram Eyer. Samuel
Dresbach was born in Colerain township July 4, 1817,
and in early manhood married Hannah Ranck,
whose birth occurred in the same neighborhood January 16,
1833. Her parents were Lewis and Sarah (Wolf)
Ranck, both of Berks county, Pa. (the former born
August 1, 1798, and the latter November 21, 1801), who
came to Ross county in 1833 and settled in Green township,
where the father died May 24, 1870, and the mother
February 13, 1881. They reared a family of five daughters
and one son. Samuel and Hannah Dresbach
became the parents of twelve children: Martin,
William, Josiah, Sallie, Lewis,
Ella, John, Nelson, Clayton
(deceased), Jennie, Susie and Grant.
Since the death of the father, Samuel Dresbach,
February 15, 1874, the homestead has been occupied by his
widow and the two youngest children. John
Dresbach, the seventh child, was born October 28,
1860, has been a farmer since reaching manhood, and owns
143 acres of land. In 1883 he married Ida, daughter
of Uriah C. and Elizabeth (Pontious) Bender. The
father was a Virginian who settled in Colerain township
and ended his days there, his wife's death occurring while
traveling from Pennsylvania to Ohio. John
Dresbach and wife have six children: Elsie,
Gracie, Samuel, Cleo, Lula and
Marie. The father is a member of Hallsville camp, No.
9543, Modern Woodmen of America. Josiah, third
child of Samuel and Hannah Dresbach,
was born May 10, 1855, is a farmer with 143 acres of land,
married Nancy E. Albin in 1876 and has four
children: Emma, Ollie, Charles and
Walter. U. S. Grant Dresbach, youngest of
Samuel's children, and his sister Susie, own part of the
homestead estate left by their father and live on the same
with their widowed mother. May 29, 1895, Grant
Dresbach was married to Ada, daughter of
John Camp, of Green township, and they have
three children: Earl, Myrtine and Garold.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
JACOB
DUMP, of Chillicothe, is
a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, born August 12,
1832. When a babe only eight weeks old he was brought by
his parents to Ross county and he has spent the most of
his life in Chillicothe. His parents were Bernhardt
and Christina Dump, both natives of
the German state above mentioned. The father was a basket
maker and followed that occupation in connection with
farming until his death, about 1854. The mother died in
February, 1890, at the age of eighty-six. Of their family
three sons and one daughter are living. Of these,
Samuel is a railroad car inspector at Springfield, O.,
George is a farmer near Sedalia, Mo., and
Rebecca is the wife of George Hall, a
farmer of Pickaway county. Jacob Dump, the
subject of this sketch, learned the trade of an iron
worker in Ross county, to which in later years he added
working in wood. For about thirty years he did an
extensive business in carriage building, giving regular
employment to from ten to fifteen mechanics. Since the
introduction of modern machinery so revolutionized the
business, he confines his work to local demands for
repairing and some other features not monopolized by the
large concerns. He has been constantly in this business
for about fifty years, having made and lost several
fortunes. His losses are attributed partly to unscrupulous
partners, more largely to bad accounts and loaning money
to friends who did not appreciate his kindness. Mr.
Dump has never been sick a day in his life, is
noted for his jovial and companionable disposition and
counts his friends by thousands, no man in Ross county
being more favorably known or better liked. His reputation
is that of being an honest man and sincere friend of the
distressed. When twenty-two years old, he was married in
Chillicothe to Rachel Tedrow, a native
Ohioan. This lady died after eight years of wedded life,
and Mr. Dump took for his second wife
Sarah Knedler, who still survives. Three
children were the fruit of the first union: Allen,
engaged in the carriage and bicycle business in
Chillicothe; John, a carriage painter and foreman
of a large shop in Cleveland, and Jane, who is
married to a resident of Tacoma, Wash. To the second union
two daughters were born: Georgia, the wife of
Charles Taylor, now living in Cleveland, O.,
and Ollie, the wife of Edward Bosley,
a clerk in a large clothing store in .Dayton, O. For more
than thirty-five years Mr. Dump has
been an Odd Fellow and he is a past grand of that Order.
Politically he is a staunch Republican but the only office
he has held is that of councilman.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
ADDISON
DWYER, residing near
Lyndon, Ohio, is one of the most promising of the younger
generation of Buckskin township farmers. He is a son
of Cary A. Dwyer, who for many years was in the front rank
of agriculturists and stockraisers in Highland county, of
which he was a native. After a long and exemplary
career, he quit active business and is now living in
retirement at Greenfield. Addison Dwyer was born in
Highland county and there received his early training in
matters connected with farm life. When twelve years
old he went to Fayette county, Ohio, where he lived until
the time of his marriage. This event occurred in
1890, the lady of his choice being Lilly, daughter of
Archie Main, of Buckskin township. Mrs. Dwyer is a
member of one of the oldest and best known families of
Ross county, her relatives for years having been connected
with the progress and development of that part of the
state. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Dwyer resulted in
the birth of three children, whose names are Hazel, Archie
and Mabel. Both before and since his marriage, Mr.
Dwyer has devoted his entire time to agricultural
pursuits. He carries on general farming, but pays
considerable attention to raising stock and feeding the
same for market. HE leads a quiet and unassuming
life, attends closely to his business and enjoys the
general respect and good will of his neighbors.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
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