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CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO
History & Genealogy

BIOGRAPHIES

A CENTENNIAL
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
OF
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO

Illustrated
New York and Chicago
The Lewis Publishing Company
1902

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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  E. ERWOOD CHENEY.    Judge Cheney is a native of Champaign county, his birth having occurred in Goshen township, July 2, 1861, his parents being James Henry and Beatrice S. (Tullis) Cheney.  His father, also a native of this county, is now residing in Mechanicsburg. and was a son of Jonathan Cheney, one of the honored pioneer settlers of this portion of the
state.  The family name is of French origin and was originally spelled Chene, meaning “oak."  The mother of our subject was born in this county, and her father, Ezra Carter Tullis, was also a native of Champaign county, while his grandfather, Ezra Tullis, was born in Virginia.  The father of our subject was a farmer, following that pursuit until his retirement from active business.  Thus upon the home farm our subject spent the first fourteen years of his life and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Mechanicsburg.  He is the eldest of four children, the others being Brooke, who died July 2, 1890, leaving a widow, who is now deceased, and one child; Lizzie Rachel, who, is the wife of Marion L. Burnham, of London, Ohio; and William Henry, at home.
     Judge Cheney is indebted to the public school system of this state for the early educational privileges which he enjoyed.  He is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, having completed the classical course in 1833, while in 1885 he was graduated in the Cincinnati Law School and was admitted to the bar on the 25th of May of that year.  He began practicing in Urbana in 1888, having previous to this time been engaged in settling up the business of the Mechanicsburg Machine Company, while for fifteen months he acted as manager for its successor.  W. C. Downey & Company, who have since removed to Springfield, Ohio.  After entering upon the practice of law Judge Cheney became a partner of C. B. Heiseman, the relation between them being maintained for five years.  In the fall of 1896 our subject was
elected probate judge, entering upon the duties of the office Feb. 9, 1397.  When two years had passed he was re-elected, so that he is the present incumbent.  His legal learning, his analytical mind, the readiness with which he grasps the points in an argument, all combine to make him one of the most capable jurists of this court. and the public and the profession acknowledge him the peer of any mind that has ever sat upon this bench.
     In 1888 Judge Cheney was married to Miss Cora M. Burnham, of Madison county, Ohio Wesleyan University in 1884.  They have two daughters, Helen and Ruth.  Fraternally the Judge is a Knight Templar Mason and also belongs to the Mystic Shrine at Dayton.  He has passed all of the chairs in the chapter, lodge and commandery, and his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft.  He holds membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church and is serving as one of its trustees.  Honored and respected in every class of society, he has for some time been a leader in thought and action in the public life of Champaign county, and his name is inscribed high on the roll of its leading citizens.
Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 342
  JAMES HENRY CHENEY.    Collectively the farmer in whose hands has rested the fundamental development of communities, however great their ultimate commercial inclination, needs no epitaph to sound his praises in the ears of posterity.
     His accomplishments are an ever present blessing, and it is sufficient that the acres wrested from primeval inactivity yield of their abundance with the coming of every summer, and that while factories burn and industries are crowded out of existence by the progress of science or the amalgamation of interests, the husbandman comes into his own with the sole hindrance of his own incapacity or the inclemency of the weather.  And because of his inestimable services in all lands it may be said that the monument .of the agriculturist is the luxury and opulence of the world, no matter how remote this happy state from his own fireside, and his enduring fame is the dignity of labor and the nobility of collaborating with nature. Individually his sphere is enlarged or narrowed by his ability to cope with the political and governmental elements by which he is surrounded, and his personality is reflected in the condition of his fences and barns, his sanitation and cattle, his appreciation of modern improvements, and his tact and enterprise in bringing within the borders of his possession the pleasures and conveniences of present day existence.  But the stable prosperity of this or any other section of the country cannot be noted solely from the standpoint of generalization.  In the early days more than ordinarily astute and progressive minds came to Champaign county, and with splendid faith in its possibilities not only guided the plow, but raised their voices in the legislature in behalf of the most intelligent welfare of the community.  A name associated with agricultural and political advancement through all the succeeding years since 1808 is that of Cheney, a family of pioneer and present distinction, and of which James Henry Cheney, one of the large land-owners of Champaign county, is a typical representative.  His accomplishments are an ever present blessing, and it is sufficient that the acres wrested from primeval inactivity yield of their abundance with the coming of every summer, and that while factories burn and industries are crowded out of existence by the progress of science or the amalgamation of interests, the husbandman comes into his own with the sole hindrance of his own incapacity or the inclemency of the weather.  And because of his inestimable services in all lands it may be said that the monument of the agriculturist is the luxury and opulence of the world, no matter how remote this happy state from his own fireside, and his enduring fame is the dignity of labor and the nobility of collaborating with nature.  Individually his sphere is enlarged or narrowed by his ability to cope with the political and governmental elements by which he is surrounded, and his personality is reflected in the condition of his fences and barns, his sanitation and cattle, his appreciation of modern improvements, and his tact and enterprise in bringing within the borders of his possession the pleasures and conveniences of present day existence.  But the stable prosperity of this or any other section of the country cannot be noted solely from the standpoint of generalization.  In the early days more than ordinarily astute and progressive minds came to Champaign county, and with splendid faith in its possibilities not only guided the plow, but raised their voices in the legislature in behalf of the most intelligent welfare of the community.  A name associated with agricultural and political advancement through all the succeeding years since 1808 is that of Cheney, a family of pioneer and present distinction, and of which James Henry Cheney, one of the large land-owners of Champaign county, is a typical representative.
     In Union township, first pioneered by the Cheneys, James Henry Cheney was born in this county, Dec. 1, 1839, a son of Jonathan and Rachel (Willlams) Cheney, and grandson of Benjamin and Sarah (Cochran) Cheney.  Accompanied by his wife, Benjamin Cheney left his native state of Virginia in 1808, and on the backs of horses made the journey to his future home in Union township.  He inherited no wealth, his best possessions being an honest name, good business ability, strong intellect and nobility of purpose.  The unsettled conditions had need of just such material for the furtherance of general activities, and Mr. Cheney soon made his influence felt to a conspicuous extent.  His unsurpassed thrift and sagacity resulted in the accumulation of an estate comprising nearly two thousand acres, but up to the time of his death, in 1834, he never moved from his first location.  As a politician he entered into all the important county undertakings, and was not only a justice of the peace for many years, but was a member of the lower house of the Ohio legislature for twelve years.  His political career was characterized by incorruptible integrity, and his duties were discharged with rare discretion and fidelity and commendable zeal.  The wife, whose life terminated soon after his own, was the mother of seven sons and one daughter, and of these Jonathan, the father of James Henry Cheney, possessed many of the admirable traits of his father.  Jonathan Cheney was born on the paternal farm in Union township in August of 1816, and in 1836 married Rachel, daughter of John W. and Eleanor (Duval) Williams.  Of this union there were eight sons and three daughters.  The life occupation of Mr. Cheney was stock-raising, and, like his sire, his interests extended beyond his fertile fields to the general improvement of the county.  He also was a justice of the peace for many years, and for two years he represented his county in the state legislature.  He had the faculty of recognizing and improving opportunities, and his death, Mar. 6, 1864, removed one of the honored, progressive and popular members of the community.
     At the present time James Henry Cheney controls nearly a thousand acres of fine farm land in Champaign county, and his operations are on an extensive scale, both as to general farming and stock-raising.  His life has contained many elements of interest, and his many capabilities have connected him intimately with the latter day advancement of his locality.  During the Civil war he served for a short time in Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and is now a member of the Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, Department of Ohio, Grand Army of the Republic.  In 1860 he married Beatrice S. Tullis, daughter of Ezra C. and Sarah Elizabeth (Edmtondston) Tullis, natives respectively of Champaign county, Ohio, and Maryland.  The paternal grandfather, Ezra Tullis, was a Virginian who removed to Ohio in the early days, and after living a few years 'in Warren county settled in Champaign county, which remained his home until his death.  The parents of Mrs. Cheney were married in Champaign county, thereafter settling in Goshen township, where she was born, and where her early days were spent.  Her father was a very successful farmer and large land-owner, and he was an influential man in the county up to the time of his death, in 1869, at the age of fifty-four years.  His wife, who is now living with her daughter, Mrs. James Henry Cheney, still retains the mental alertness which rendered her such an invaluable aid to her husband in his early struggles, and a large share of his energy is devoted to work in the Methodist Protestant church, of which she has been a member for many years.  She is seventy-four years old, and is the mother of one son and one daughter, of whom the former, William E. Tullis, died in the service of his country, July 9, 1864, while a soldier in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  To Mr. and Mrs. Cheney have been born the following children: E. E., of whom a personal sketch appears elsewhere in this work; Brooke E., who died at the age of twenty-seven; Lizzie R., who is the wife of Marion L. Burnham; and William H., who is living with his parents.
     In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Cheney left the farm near Mutual, upon which they had settled after their marriage, and took up their residence in Mechanicsburg that their children might receive better educational training.  Both were fortunate in inheriting landed possessions, which, however, have been increased by wise management. and a scientific study of agricultural methods.  For many years the Cheney home has been the center of gracious hospitality, the chatelaine thereof being a woman of sterling traits of character and much tact. and who for years sang in the choir of the Methodist church.  Mr. Cheney has maintained and even exalted the prestige established by earlier members. of his family, yet he is withal an unassuming gentleman of the old school, and modestly bears his honors as one of the most public spirited and substantial citizens of the town and county.  He is a Republican in national politics.
Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 42

John H. Clark
JOHN H. CLARK, M. D.    A name inseparably associated with the highest development of medical science in Champaign county is that of John H. Clark, who was born on a farm in Union township, this county, Sept. 28, 1829, and died in Mechanicsburg, the city for whose all around well being he had so faithfully labored, in 1901.
     Stephen Clark, the father of John H., was one of the very first white children born in Champaign county, whither his parents, John and Phœbe (Mintern) Clark, had removed from New Jersey at a very early day.  The family is of English descent, and the emigrating ancestor came to America long before the Revolutionary war.  Stephen Clark was a farmer by occupation, and spent his early life in Ohio, although he eventually removed to Illinois, and died there at the age of sixty-two years.  He married Hannah Jones, also a native of Champaign county, and a daughter of Abraham and Mrs. (Howard) Jones, Quakers from Pennsylvania, and pioneers of this county.  Of the children born to Stephen Clark and his wife, John H. was perhaps the most ambitious, his natural energy and aggressiveness being evinced on the home farm when he was yet a boy.  He attended the public schools of his neighborhood, and later the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, and his professional training was received at the Starling Medical College, at Columbus, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1853.  His first practice was undertaken at Mutual, in his native county, and in 1859 he located in Decatur, Illinois, removing two years later to his permanent home in Mechanicsburg.  During the Civil war the Doctor served for three months on the United States Sanitary Commission, and from Mar. 1, 1874, until May of 1876, he was medical superintendent of the Asylum for the Insane at Dayton, Ohio.  With the exception of these two absences Dr. Clark had been continuously associated with professional work in Mechanicsburg, and he arose to a truly enviable position as a physician as a physician and surgeon.  He was a member of the Champaign County and Ohio State Medical Societies, as well as the American Medical Association, and was an occasional contributor to medical journals.  In 1870 he was president of the County Medical Society.  In political affiliation he was a Democrat, and he was a member of the Episcopal church.  Fraternally he was associated with the Masons.
     In 1852 Dr. Clark married Elenor, daughter of William Williams, a most estimable pioneer of Champaign county.  Mr. Williams was born in Maryland Mar. 30, 18m, a son of John W. and Eleanor (DeVall) Williams, natives of Maryland, and of Welsh and French descent Respectively.  In 1931 Mr. Williams married Ann Clegett, born in Maryland in 1811, and soon after their marriage the parents came to Champaign county, where the father engaged in mercantile business in Mechanicsburg with considerable success.  His wife died in 1862, and his second wife was formerly Elizabeth Boswell.  Mr. Williams died in 1887, and his wife died a few years after.  He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a stanch believer in Republican principles.  The county contained no more honored or respected citizen.  Mrs. Clark, who survives her husband, has one son living, William by name, who is now operating in the lead and zinc mines of Missouri.  Dr. Clark was president of the Farmers‘ Bank at Mechanicsburg for many years.

Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 453

Residence and Barn
of David Clem
DAVID CLEM.     There is no element which has entered into our composite national fabric which has been of more practical strength, value and utility than that furnished by the sturdy, persevering and honorable sons of Germany, and from that nationality our subject is descended.  His paternal great-grandfather was born in the fatherland, but when a young man left his home across the sea and came to America, taking up his abode in the Old Dominion, and in that commonwealth his son David was born.  The latter became the grandfather of our subject, and his son Isaac was also a native of Virginia, born in Shenandoah county, where he was reared and married.  In 1829 he came to Champaign county. Ohio, locating on a farm in Johnson township, but in 1853 he sold that tract and bought a farm west of Saint Paris, where he died at the age of seventy-five years.  His political support was given to the Democracy.  For his wife he chose Rebecca Crabill, also a native of Virginia, as was her father, John Crabill.  She reached the age of seventy-nine years, and by her marriage to Mr. Clem became the mother of nine children, six sons and three daughters, all of whom, with the exception of one, who died at the age of four years, grew to maturity, and five sons and two daughters are still living, our subject being the third child and second son in order of birth.
     David Clem, of this review, was born on the home farm in Johnson township, Champaign county, on the 30th of September, 1836.  During his youth he attended the primitive school of the neighbor hood during the winter months, while the summer seasons were spent in assisting his father in the work of the farm, thus continuing until he reached his majority.  He then started out to make his own way in the world, and for a time thereafter worked for neighboring farmers
by the day or month.  For about six years he was also employed at the shoemaker's trade in Saint Paris, after which he purchased a farm in Johnson township, near Millerstown, on which he made his home for about one year, on the expiration of which period he sold that tract and purchased one hundred acres in Adams and Johnson townships.  Four years later he again sold his farm, after which he removed to Caldwell county, Missouri, and in Davis county, that state, purchased a farm.  Returning after a time to Champaign county, he became the owner of one hundred and thirty-five acres in Urbana township, but after a residence there-of five years he sold that tract and purchased his present homestead, consisting of three hundred acres, in Salem township. and in addition he also owns one hundred and sixty-seven acres in the same township, two hundred and seven acres southeast of of West Liberty and one hundred acres in Johnson township, thus making his landed possessions consist of seven hundred and seventy-four acres.  Starting out in life a poor boy, he has steadily worked his way upward, gaining success and winning public confidence.
     Mr. Clem was married in 1876, when Miss Romelia Perry became his wife.  She was born in Virginia, but when ten years of age accompanied her parents to the Buckeye state, the family locating in Clark county.  Her grandfather, Abram Perry, was a native of Pennsylvania and was of Dutch descent, while her maternal grandfather.  Henry F. Hensley, was a native of Virginia and was a member of a prominent old southern family.  Mrs. Clem’s parents, George and Margaret (Hensley) Perry, were also natives of the Old Dominion, but in 1865 they came to Clark county, Ohio, where the father died in 1868, and he is still survived by his widow.  They were the parents of nine children, five daughters and four sons and seven of the number grew to years of maturity.  The union of Mr. and Mrs. Clem has been blessed with six children, - five of whom are living: Joseph, born Oct. 20, 1877; Samuel, born Jan. 24, 1879; Pearl, Oct. 16, 1881; Ivan, Oct. 17, 1883; and Blanch, born Mar. 15, 1891.  One daughter, Grace, died in infancy.  Since attaining to mature years Mr. Clem has given his political support to the Democracy.  He stands on the side of progress, advancement and civilization, favoring education, religion, law and order, and whatever makes for the good of the people as individuals and as communities.
Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 156
  HARRY COOK, M. D.   Champaign county is fortunate in retaining within its borders a high class of physicians and surgeons, who honor themselves, their noble profession and the community through their able services and sterling characters.  Among the younger practitioners of the county is Dr. Cook, of Urbana, a representative of the homeopathic school of practice and known as a thoroughly skilled physician and surgeon and as a gentleman, well worthy the esteem and respect in which he is so uniformly held in the community.  He is associated in practice with Dr. C. C. Craig, to whom individual reference is made on another page of this work, and to them is due the credit of establishing and maintaining that noble and finely equipped institution, the Urbana Sanitarium, whose value in the community can scarcely be overestimated.  In the sketch of the life of Dr. Craig will be found more complete data concerning this institution, and to the same the reader is referred.
     Dr. Cook is a native of the city of Springfield, Ohio, where he was born on the 10th of February, 1873, the son of Dr. William A. and Anna (Bechtel) Cook.  Dr. William A. Cook was likewise born in Springfield, and he passed his entire life in his native state, being one of the representative homeopathic physicians of this section of the Union.  He died at Tippecanoe City, Miami county, in 1890, at the age of fifty-two years.  He was graduated in the Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College and was engaged in the practice of his profession in Cleveland, and Tippecanoe City, Ohio, and for a time in the city of Muncie, Indiana.  His widow now maintains her home in Fremont, Sandusky county.  They became the parents of three children, of whom but one survives the father.  When our subject was about six months of age his parents removed to Muncie, Indiana, where they resided about eight years and then removed to Cleveland, where Dr. Cook was engaged in the practice of his profession about seven years, after which he located in Tippecanoe City, where he passed the remainder of his life.  Our subject received his early education in the public schools of the three cities mentioned and then began reading medicine under the effective and careful preceptorship of his honored father.  In 1890 he was matriculated in the Chicago Homeopatbic Medical College, where he was graduated with the
coveted degree of Doctor of Medicine in the spring of 1894, his last year having been principally devoted to clinical work in the hospitals, so that he was thoroughly fortified for the practical duties of his profession when his degree was conferred.
     In May, 1891, Dr. Cook located in Urbana, and here he soon became known as a thoroughly skilled and discriminating physician, the confidence begotten leading to his securing a practice of representative character.  In June, 1899, he entered into a professional alliance with Dr. Craig, and this association has ever since continued, while they also conduct the sanitarium, which receives an excellent supporting patronage and which affords the best of accommodation and the most efficacious treatment for those suffering from the various ills to which human flesh is heir.  Dr. Cook is a member of the Miami Valley Homeopathic Medical Society, in whose affairs he takes a deep interest.  His political support is given to the Republican party, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Lutheran church, enjoying distinctive popularity in both church and social circles.  On the 21st of October, 1899, occurred the marriage of Dr. Cook to Miss Grace. daughter of Christian Emrick, one of Urbana's representative citizens, and they are prominent in the social activities of the community.

Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 623

Thos. A. Cowgill
THOMAS A. COWGILL

 

Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 182


James L. Crain


Mrs. Martha A. Crain

JAMES L. CRAIN.   Of one of the honored pioneer families of Champaign county is the subject of this sketch a representative, and here he has passed the entire span of his life, now holding prestige as one of the successful farmers and horsemen of Union township and standing as one of the leading citizens of that section of his native county.
     James Lewis Crain was born in Pretty Prairie, this county, on the 24th of February, 1830, being the son of Lewis F. Crain, who was born in the state of Kentucky, where he was reared to maturity, and whence, as a young man, he came to Champaign county, and here engaged in the raising of and dealing in horses and hogs.  He located a large tract of land on Pretty Prairie.  Urbana township, being one of the first settlers in that locality.  He was a son of Lewis Crain, who likewise was born in Kentucky. where he devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, having been a Whig in his political views.  Lewis F. Crain was married, in Clark county, Ohio. to Miss Clara Phifer, who was born in Virginia. in the district of the Greenbrier river, her parents having been of German descent.  From Virginia they came to Ohio when their daughter Clara was a child, and located first in Franklin county, whence they later removed to Clark county, where they passed the remainder of their lives.  Lewis F. and Clara Crain became the parents of three children, - James L., the subject of this sketch; Lucinda J., the widow of Henry Espey, formerly a prominent banker of Urbana; and Louise Caroline. the widow of John D. Fligger, who was a railroad man.
     Our subject received his educational training in the public Schools at Springfield, this county, but left school at the early age of fifteen years, and thereafter remained with his step-father (his own father having died when our subject was only three years of age), William Vance, a brother of ex-Governor Vance of Ohio, and thus he continued until the death of Mr. Vance, in 1866.  He was but seven years of age when the farm upon which he now resides became his home, and early began to aid in the work of clearing and improving the place.  In 1856 he and his step-father erected a gristmill in this township, and the building is still standing.  The farm owned by Mr. Crain was purchased in the early '60s by R. E. Robinson, who secured the property at a public auction, and in 1869 our subject purchased the place of the gentleman named and now has an estate of nearly five hundred acres, upon which he has made the best of improvements.  In connection with his diversified farming Mr. Crain devotes special attention to the raising of live stock, particularly horses of the best type, and at the time of this writing has on his farm fifty head of very highly bred animals, and also keeps a stable in Urbana.  He has attained a high reputation as a breeder of tine horses, and takes an enthusiastic interest in this branch of his business.
     On the 26th of March, 1856, Mr. Crain was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Todd, who was born in Pennsylvania, and who is a sister of Mrs. Mary H. Runyon, widow of H. Runyon, of whom a memoir appears on another page of this volume.  Of this union five children have been born. namely: Clara A., who remains at the parental home; Caroline J., the wife of Elmer Powell, a successful farmer of Union township, who helps our subject in the training of his horses; William L. and Florence, who are deceased; and a daughter who died in infancy.
     Mr. Crain is one of the honored veterans of the war of the Rebellion, in which he served with marked loyalty, participating in many of the important battles of that greatest of all civil conflicts.  On the 2d of March, 1804, he enlisted as a private in Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being made second sergeant of his company, with which he served until the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge in Urbana.  In politics Mr. Crain gives a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and has been an active worker in the ranks of the same, his first presidential vote having been cast in support of John C. Fremont.  His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, and he has been for many years a member of the church at Buck Creek, having contributed liberally to the erection of the church building.  He is held in the highest esteem in the community and is known as a progressive and public-spirited citizen.
Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 422
  MARCUS H. CRANE.  The stove foundry owned and operated by Morris & Crane has for years contributed to the industrial well being of Urbana, and is appreciated not only because of the excellence of its wares, but because of its extensive opportunity as an employment resource.  Marcus H. Crane, the partner longest identified with the concern, and one of the progressive men of the community, was born in Caldwell, New Jersey, Oct. 10, 1842.  The family of which he is a member has long been associated with New Jersey, in which state the first representatives settled after emigrating from England to America, and where the parents of Mr. Crane, Xenns and Mary (Harrison) Crane, were born, married, and where they spent their entire lives.
     As companions in his youth Mr. Crane had one brother and one sister, and the children were reared and educated in the public schools of Caldwell.  During the progress of the Civil War he left the familiar surroundings of New Jersey and settled in Urbana, at the time being about twenty years of age.  Of an ambitious and capable nature, he soon made his influence felt in business circles, and in time was enabled to purchase the stove foundry which has since been his absorbing care.  For the first two years the enterprise was conducted under the firm name of Moore & Crane, but since then the success of the business has been rightfully credited to M. H. Crane & Co.. the present proprietors.
     The marriage of Mr. Crane and Effie Muzzy occurred in 1869, Mrs. Crane being a native of Springfield. Ohio.  Of this union there have been born two children, Edgar M. and Frances, the former of whom is associated with his father in business, and is one of the promising young men of the town.  Mr. Crane is politically a Republican, and has for eighteen years promoted the most intelligent educational projects, as a member of the school board.  Fraternally he is associated with the Royal Arcanum, National Union, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Junior Order Knights Templar.  He is a member of the Presbyterian church.  Mr. Crane enjoys to an exceptional degree the confidence and good-will of the community of which he is a notable acquisition, and his success is regarded as the natural result of well applied industry and fair dealing with the public.
Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 713

Frank J. Crawford
FRANK JAMES CRAWFORD.    Deeds of bravery have been the theme of song and story from the earliest days, and the world pays a tribute of respect and admiration to the man who fights for his country and his principles.  One of the distinguished officers of the Civil war was Frank James Crawford, who was born in Birmingham, Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, July 12, 1834.  He was educated in Alleghany College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he won the degree of M. A.   A short time after his graduation he engaged in teaching school in Maryland and in Pennsylvania, but predilection for the law led him to prepare for the bar.  Going to La Salle county, Illinois, in 1855, he studied law in Ottawa and was admitted to practice in 1858.  He then opened an office there and steadily rose to prominence.  No bitter novitiate awaited him.  Nature bountifully endowed him with the peculiar qualifications that combine to make a successful lawyer.  Patiently persevering, possessed of an analytical mind, and one that is readily receptive and retentive of the fundamental principles and intricacies of the law; gifted with a spirit of devotion to wearisome details; quick to comprehend the most subtle problems and logical in his conclusions; fearless in the advocacy of any cause he may espouse, and the soul of honor and integrity, few men have been more richly gifted for the achievement of success in the arduous and difficult profession of the law.
     At the time of the Civil war, however, Mr. Crawford entered his country's service, enlisting as a private of Company E, Fifty-third Illinois Infantry, on the 28th of December, 1861.  The same day he was appointed quartermaster sergeant of the regiment.  On the second day of the battle of Pittsburg Landing, he displayed marked gallantry as well as knowledge of military tactics, and for this reason was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant.  On the 10th of November, 1862, he was appointed by President Lincoln, commissary of subsistance with the rank of captain, in which position he served throughout the Tennessee and Vicksburg campaigns with marked distinction.  Later he was on duty at Port Hudson, Louisiana, where he was stationed until the close of the war, having served for three years and eight months.  When hostilities were ended he was brevetted major of the United States Volunteer Infantry for meritorious service in the field.
     Returning to Ottawa, Illinois, in December, 1865, Mr. Crawford there resumed the practice of law, but in 1872 sought a broader field of labor in the growing metropolis of the west, and became a distinguished, prominent and honored member of the Chicago bar, where be practiced successfully, enjoying a large and distinctively representative clientage until his death, which occurred in Urbana, Oct. 14, 1898.
     Major Crawford had married in Urbana, Ohio, in 1865, the lady of his choice being Miss Max F. Fyffe, a daughter of Brigadier-General Edward P. Fyffe.  She now resides in Urbana and has one daughter, Mrs. Annie Crawford Merritt, of Highland Park, Illinois.

Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 15
   

Source:  A Centennial Biographical History of Champaign Co., Ohio - Illustrated - New York and Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Company - 1902 - Page

   


 

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