|
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO
CHICAGO:
W. H. BEERS & CO.,
1881
| |
Mad River Twp. -
BENJAMIN GARD was
born in Clark County in 1814. In after years, he removed
across the line to this township, where he now lives, enjoying
the fruits of economy and industry. During a recent
conversation with the writer, he remarked that he had traveled
over nine States; but had found no locality so attractive as the
beautiful Mad River Valley.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 408 |
| |
Urbana Twp. -
LEVI GEIGER, attorney at law, Urbana; is a
son of Henry and Julia A. (Rhenbush) Geiger. He was
born A. D. 1797 in Montgomery Co., Penn., and was the grandson
of one of three brothers who emigrated from Germany about 1700.
He was a volunteer in the war of 1812, participating in the
battle of Lundy's Lane. At the close of the struggle, he
returned home and married, at Greencastle, Franklin Co.,
Penn. His wife was born in 1805, at Mercersburg, Penn.
She was a woman of feeble and delicate body and possessed
extraordinary energy and mind. In 1832, they and family
emigrated to Columbiana Co., Ohio; thence to Champaign Co.,
where Julia A. died, and Henry afterward, at
Dayton. Their remains lie in the cemetery at Springfield,
Clark Co., Ohio. Levi was born Mar. 14, 1824, in
Greencastle, Franklin Co., Penn., and is the fifth son of a
family of eleven boys, of whom nine reached maturity. He
spent his early life in his native State and Eastern Ohio, and
studied law at Millersburg under W. S. Taneyhill.
He was admitted to the bar in May, 1850, at Canton, Ohio.
In April of the following year, he came to Urbana, where he was
elected Prosecuting Attorney, and, in 1859, declined a
re-election. In 1854, he was a delegate to the State
Convention that organized the Republican party, in which he took
an active part. Two yeas later, he was elected as a
delegate to the first National Convention of the Republican
party that convened at Philadelphia, and nominated John C.
Fremont for President of the United States. In the
summer of 1860, he represented the Eighth Congressional of the
United States. In the summer of 1860, he represented the
Eighth Congressional District in the National Convention that
met at Chicago, Illinois, and nominated Abraham Lincoln
for Chief Magistrate of our country. Mr. Geiger was
one of six delegates from Ohio who voted on first and all other
ballots for Lincoln, and was active throughout the entire
convention. He was admitted to the practice of law by the
Supreme Court of the United States, at Washington, D. C., Mar.
7, 1861, on motion of Hon. Thomas Ewing, Sr. During
the late war, he was active in its support for the suppression
of the rebellion, and one of the committee of three who
distributed the bounty funds to the families of the soldiers of
Urbana City and Champaign Co. He afterward was nominated
by the Republican party for Judge of the Common Pleas Court of
the counties of Champaign, Miami and Darke. The addition
to the city of Urbana, known as the "Geiger & Russell Addition,"
is due to their purchase (the Ryan place) and laying out.
Since May, 1841, Mr. Geiger has been a member of the M.
E. Church, and for over thirty years has filled official
positions in the same. He married Rosalinda Gleason,
Mar. 28, 1844, at Millersburg, Ohio. The issue of this
union is two sons and four daughters, all of whom are now
living. Mr. G. is the grandfather of ten children,
and has seven brothers, all save one professional men.
Three are ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and one
of them is also a Professor of Mathematics in the Wittenberg
College at Springfield, Ohio; the oldest is a practicing
physician in Dayton, another is District Judge at Springfield,
Mo., and the last an attorney at law in the Southern part of the
last-named State.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 650 |
| |
Urbana Twp. -
GEORGE GIVEN, farmer; P. O. Urbana.
The parents of Mr. Given came to Ohio in 1837.
Their names were Tatty and Mary N. Given. They were
born in Pennsylvania. Mary, Sarah and Elizabeth
were born in Ohio; William, Margaret, James, Ann and
George were born in Pennsylvania. Samuel died
in Pennsylvania previous to their removal. They commenced
farming after coming to Ohio, on the McBeth farm, and
continued in the agricultural business until his death, which
occurred in 1855. Mr. Given died in 1846. Six
of the children are living; all are married and live in the
county, except Isabel, who lives in Sandusky. The
marriage of our subject to Miss Sarah Pence was
celebrated Apr. 1, 1862. She represents one of our oldest
families. They are the parents of Margaret, William,
Olive and Jerome. Mr. Given is entitled to
great credit for his success in life, as he started in business
for himself without capital, and has, by industry and economy,
become the owner of a fine farm, and is ranked among the
prominent men of the locality in which he lives. Men who
have thus prospered, and have the reputation for fair dealing
possessed by Mr. Given, should certainly be classed among
our self-made men. His children should ever feel proud of
their ancestry, as on both sides they were classed among the
best families in the land, enjoying the confidence of all who
knew them.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 650 |
| |
Urbana Twp. -
ABRAHAM M. and CHAUNCY F. GLESSNER, retired.
The paternal grandparents of these twin brothers were both born
in Germany, where they grew to maturity and married. They
emigrated to America about the middle of the eighteenth century,
locating in what is now the Keystone State of our nation; there
they lived through the war of Independence, and died at the
advanced ages. The maternal grandparents, George and
Margaret Young, emigrated to the American Continent about
the time the freedom of our country was obtained. They
located in Maryland, where George devoted his time to
ministerial labor in behalf of the German Reformed Church.
He was a man of fine education, honorable and generous in his
actions, hence, highly esteemed. His death occurred in
Hagerstown, Md., leaving his second wife to mourn the loss of
the devoted husband. His first wife departed this life
in1786. Jacob Glessner, the father of our subject,
was born in Pennsylvania, in 1775, where he was raised and
educated. At a suitable age he engaged in the cabinet
trade, which he followed until within twenty-five years of his
death. At the age of 27 years he married Margaret,
daughter of Rev. George Young (above mentioned), and
settled in the town of Somerset, Somerset Co., Penn.
Margaret was born in Hagerstown, Md., in 1783. They
had born to them thirteen children, among whom were two pairs of
twins. In 1839, they and family emigrated to Ohio,
locating in Norwich, Muskingum County, where Jacob
continued his trade a short time, then retired from active
business, spending his time in treasuring up knowledge until his
death, which occurred in April, 865, severing a union that had
trod the path of life for three-score years. He was a man
of fine intellect, well informed and of good repute.
Possessing a remarkable constitution, strong and vigorous mind,
although not engaged in literary pursuits, he was a great
render, and always had his table filled with the choicest books,
and each day brought about its regular hours which were devoted
to searching out the interesting facts contained on the pages of
those volumes. His associates were of the professional and
cultivated class, who resorted daily to his place for reading
and social converse. He was a consistent member of the
Presbyterian Church for more than half a century, and a Ruling
Elder the greater part of that time. Margaret, his
wife, died in 1866; she, also, was a devoted member of the same
church. Our subjects, Abraham M. and Chauncey F.,
were born in the town of Somerset, Somerset Co., Penn., June 1,
1827, and, from 12 years of age, grew to maturity in Muskingum
Co., Ohio. There they were educated learned the trade of
their father and conducted the business one year; then jointly
engaged in mercantile pursuits, in Cambridge, Guernsey Co.,
Ohio, where they successfully continued for several years.
Being out of business from 1864 to 1868, when they opened in
Champaign City, Champaign Co., Ill., but one year later brought
their stock to Norwich, Muskingum Co., Ohio, and continued until
1871, since which they have been engaged in real estate
transactions. In 1867, they purchased property in Urbana,
Champaign Co., Ohio, where they located in the summer of 1875.
They have neat and comfortable residences of like architecture,
well situated in the Second Ward of Urbana. A. M.
was married, in 1851, to Mary A McCloud, who was born in
Muskingum Co., Ohio. After a united path of life for nine
eyras, she was called hence. His second and present wife
was Miss Clara, daughter of the late J. W. Simons,
of Cambridge, Guernsey Co., Ohio, who was for a quarter of a
century proprietor of the Cambridge foundry, and a descendant of
Com. Perry was born in Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Ohio,
Oct. 21, 1843, and married to A. M. Glessner Sept. 29,
1864. By this union three children were born - Harry
S., who died at the age of 18 months; Augustus M.,
now 9 years of age, and Clara Louisa, who died in 1878,
aged 4 years. C. F. (one of the subjects) married,
Nov. 11, 1856, Elizabeth Maxfield, born Mar. 23, 1836, in
Norwich, Muskingum Co., Ohio, and died Apr. 1, 1865, leaving her
husband and these children. The later are respectively -
Lee M., now a medical student at Cleveland, Ohio; Charles
C., a graduate of the Urbana High School, and Edward E.,
who died in infancy. The second wife of C. F. was
Miss Elizabeth J. Hadden, born in Norwich, Muskingum Co.,
Ohio, and married Mar. 30, 1869. The children by this
union are Carry G. and Louisa Y. These twin
brothers have been for years devoted members of the Presbyterian
Church, accompanied by their families. They have ever
jointly pursued the same business. They now live retired
and are men of good moral, social and financial standing.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 651 |
| |
Urbana Twp. -
I. W. GODDARD, M. D., physician, Urbana.
Dr. Goddard was born in Urbana in 1823, and is the son of
John Goddard, who came from Kentucky and settled in
Urbana about 1812, and was a grocer here for many years, but he
removed to Iowa in 1840, where he died. Dr. Goddard
received a rudimentary education in the subscription schools of
the early days; he read medicine with Drs. Carter and Fyffe,
and afterward graduated from Starling Medical College; he began
practice at Westville in 1854, and, in 1861, removed to Urbana,
where he has continued ever since, having been a practitioner in
this county for more than a quarter of a century; he has
confined himself strictly to his profession, leaving others to
look after politics and public affairs. He married,
in1854, Miss Sarah Virginia Russell, a native of the
State of Virginia; they have one child - William Malan.
The Doctor is a member of the M. E. Church, and highly
respected, both as a citizen and as a physician.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 652 |
| |
Johnson Twp. -
ISAAC GOOD, SR.
Source: History of Champaign County,
Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881
- Page 751 |
| |
Johnson Twp. -
DR. S. G. GOOD, physician, St. Paris ; was
born in Johnson Township, Champaign Co., Ohio ; early in life,
he applied himself in the common schools, where he acquired his
primary education ; he commenced teaching in September, 1861, in
which profession he continued until 1874; in 1868, he was
elected Township Assessor, to which office he was re-elected
nine successive years. He commenced the study of medicine in
1872, which he continued until 1875, at which time he was
elected Mayor of St. Paris, and turned his attention to the
study of law; in the same year, he was elected as Justice of the
Peace, and re-elected in 1878; he continued the reading of law
until 1877, when he abandoned it, and resumed the study of
medicine, in which he graduated in the spring of 1880, and is
now a practical physician.
Source: History of Champaign County,
Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881
- Page 751 |
| |
Urbana Twp. -
JAMES C. GOOLD, farmer; P. O. Urbana.
Mr. Goold is a native of New York State, and is, withal,
one of our prominent young men, who merits a place in the
history of Champaign Co. by reason of his position, and also by
marriage into one of the old families. This will form an
important factor in the compilation of consequent histories of
the county during the next century, when those who are here
represented will be classed among the pioneers of the county; as
their grandchildren nestle around their knees and listen to the
tales told by their silvery-haired grandsires of the country,
then a part of the great West, will their minds be refreshed by
the perusal of the biographies of their kindred. Mr.
Goold came to Ohio in 1875, having married Miss Fanny
Osborne, in Clay Co., Ill., in 1874; she was born and reared
on the farm now their residence, and represents the family of
James and Jane Osborne; James was born on the farm
where James Rawlings now lives, in 1824; his father,
John Osborne, came to this county in 1810; James and
his wife had no son to perpetuate their name, but their
grandchildren will have enough of the Osborne blood in
their veins to remember, with pride, their ancestry.
Mr. and Mrs. Goold have five children - Frank, Jessie,
Arthur, Helena and Ruby; the social advantages under
which they are reared will give them ample opportunities for
development, both mentally and socially. We take pleasure
in giving this family a place in this history, as the
biographical sketches of their relatives form an important part
of this work.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 652 |
| |
Urbana Twp.
-
JOHN F. GOWEY, attorney at law; of the
firm of Young, Chance & Gowey. In mentioning
the members of the bar of this city, the name of J. F. Gowey
deserves a proper space; he was born Dec. 7, 1846, in North
Lewisburg, where he received his primary education, after which
he took a two-years course in the Wesleyan University at
Delaware, Ohio; he then engaged in the study of law with Gen.
Young with whom he is now a partner in that profession; on
May 10, 1869, he was admitted to the bar; after a practice of
three years, he became a member of the Sixtieth General Assembly
of the State Legislature; in 1873, he was elected a member of
the Sixty-first General Assembly of the same body - thus having
filled positions of honor that inspired confidence in the
citizens of his native county, where he was elected as
Prosecuting Attorney in 1875 and, two years later, a re-election
followed; in June, 1880, he was a delegate to the National
convention that convened at Chicago and nominated Gen.
James A. Garfield for President of the United States, in which
meeting he was active throughout. He is one of the
promising young attorneys of this city.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 652 |
| |
John Twp. -
G. D. GRAHAMSource: History of Champaign County,
Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881
- Page 751 |
| |
Wayne Twp. -
ISAAC
GRAY came to this county in October, 1811, and settled in
Wayne Township, near where Samuel Pennington now lives.
He was born in North Carolina in 1762, but moved to Grayson
County, Va., in 1801. His wife was Lydia Robinson,
her father, John Robinson being a native of Maryland.
Mr. Gray had nine children, all of whom were born before
he came to Ohio. He purchased of John Ballinger a
squatter's right or lease at the place above mentioned, and
remained eighteen months. For this claim, he traded two
horses and a wagon, and with the right he received the corn
raised thereon the same year. In 1812, he purchased of
John Barrett, a Dutchman, a tract of one hundred and fifty
acres of land, now owned by Jacob H. and B. A. Linville.
For this land, he paid two horses and a wagon. He
improved this land and erected the house now on it. He
spent the remainder of his days here, dying in the year 1831, at
the age of sixty-nine. His wife was an ardent Quaker, and
their house was for many years not only a preaching place for
the early missionary preachers of that denomination, but a place
of rest and welcome was well. Here Mildred Ratliff,
John Garwood, Phineas Hunt, Priscilla Hunt and many others
preached the Gospel. Mr. Gray served the township
for many years in various capacities, and the elections were
often held at his house. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth,
became the wife of Ross Thomas. She lived and died
at the Henry Breedlove farm. John, the
oldest son, married Ellen Thomas, daughter of John
(Mingo) Thomas. He died in 1836. Hannah
married Richard Thomas. She died in 1829.
Jehu died unmarried in 1822. Mary married
Aaron Guthridge, in 1819. They had no children.
Her husband died in Mingo March 17, 1874, aged eighty years.
Mary still lives, and, at the age of eighty-four years,
is noted for her remarkably well-preserved mental faculties and
her great store of pioneer reminiscences. It is safe to
say that no man or woman in Central Ohio has at command such an
inexhaustible fund of old time information. She is the
only survivor of the once numerous family of Isaac Gray.
Asa married Mary Ann Johnson for his first wife.
His second wife was Catharine walker, who still lives.
He died in 1870, and is buried at Ryan's, in Salem Township.
James married Hannah Robinson, and occupied the
homestead until his death, which occurred in 1850. His
widow died in September, 1874. Rebecca married
Samuel B. Lippincott. She died in September, 1831.
Rachel married Samuel Taylor. She died in
1845.
Of the mother of this remarkable family, something more
deserved to be said than that she lived and died. When the
country was entirely new, and the roads and means of travel were
very difficult, she served her fellow-beings as a nurse in times
of sickness. For years from far and near her services were
eagerly sought and freely bestowed on the suffering. By
day and night, in sunshine, and storm, over roads next to
impassable, sacrificing her own personal comfort, enduring
fatigue, without pecuniary reward, she cheered the faint, raised
the fallen and comforted the dying. She outlived her
husband twelve years, dying in 1843.
Source: History of Champaign County, Ohio
- Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co. – 1881 - Page 539 |
|
