BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio
edited by
Hon. Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater,
Frederick Schneider and Others To which is appended
A Comprehensive Compendium of Local Biography and Memoirs of Representative
Men and Women of the County.
Illustrated
Publ. B. F. Bowen & Co., Publishers
1905
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COL.
GEORGE E. ELLIOTT born in Liberty township, Butler county, Ohio,
April 8, 1826, the son of Rev. Arthur Elliott, of
Maryland. At the age of fourteen years George removed to St. Clair
township, where he engaged in farming work, attending such schools as
circumstances permitted, though the greater part of his education was
acquired in the school conducted in the basement of the old Episcopal
church at Hamilton. At the outbreak of the Civil war he, almost
entirely unaided, raised Company C. Sixty-ninth Ohio Regiment.
He was appointed major in August, 1862, and lieutenant colonel in the
following October. His military record at the battle of Stone
River was crowning event of brilliant career as soldier. Just be fore
the close of the war his wife’s illness caused him to resign and return
home and he conducted the homestead farm until 1866. During the
next three years he engaged in the distillery business in Hamilton and
in 1873 he retired from business life and at the same time began his
career in public service. He was made member of the state board of
equalization and in 1881 was nominated by the Democratic party for state
senator, being defeated by small margin. In 1883 he was again
nominated for the senate and was elected, making long record of
distinguished service in behalf of his district. Among his
successful efforts in the assembly, the passing of the first
appropriation bill for the Miami University was not the least important.
In 1889 he was appointed to place on the soldiers’ relief commission and
was also member of the United States land commission, whose function was
to recover abandoned or swamp lands and in 1888 he had jurisdiction over
the states of Oregon and Washington. He was director of the Second
National Bank in the years 1868 and 1869 and was always an active member
of the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1854 Colonel
Elliott was married to Miss Eleanor Hueston,
and his death occurred on the 13th of May. 1896.
Source: Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio - Publ. B. F. Bowen &
Co., Publishers - 1905 - Page 874 |
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JOHN
W. ERWIN was born in New Castle county, Delaware, September 8,
1808, and was of Quaker stock. In 1828 he started westward on foot
and stopped at Richmond, Indiana, where he prepared himself as civil
engineer and for five years acted as engineer on the west division of
the national road, extending from Indianapolis to the state line on the
east. In the winter of 1835 and 1836 he located the Hamilton,
Rossville, Summerville, Newcomb and Eaton turnpike, the first public
work of the kind built of gravel west of the mountains. This was
followed by other works of the same character. The hydraulic works
at Hamilton, Middletown, Franklin and Troy were located by him, as were
also works of like character at Goshen, Elkhart and Bristol, Indiana,
and Constantine, Michigan. From 1837 for many years he was
resident engineer on the Miami and Eric canal, being during his later
years in charge of the third division of these works. In 1839 he
was employed by the city to superintend the reclamation of a large tract
of land known as the “Big Pond,” in the southern part of Butler county,
and was identified with nearly all the public works of the city of
Hamilton. He also assisted in the erection of the first paper mill
there in 1847 and assisted in building the first flouring mill run by
water furnished by the hydraulic works of Hamilton. He made the
preliminary surveys for the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway, and
superintended the construction of the hydraulic works in Middletown and,
in company with his brother, erected two paper mills at that place.
He was also one of those who secured the tract of land that is now known
as Greenwood Cemetery. He was an ardent Democrat and during the
Civil war was identified with the war faction of that party, being known
as a friend of the colored race, when Ft. Sumter was fired upon he
united with the Republican party and remained so affiliated until his
death. He was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons,
belonging also to the chapter, council and commandery of that order.
He was also member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and sat in
the grand lodge of that order. On May 12, 1833, Mr.
Erwin was married to Miss Ann Eliza Chadwick, of New Jersey,
and to them were born five children, Henry, Charles, Frank, Lutie and
Mary. Mr. Erwin died April 17, 1889.
Source: Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio - Publ. B. F. Bowen
& Co., Publishers - 1905 - Page 877 |
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