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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
A Standard History of Springfield and Clark County,
Ohio
An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention
to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial,
Educational, Civic and Social Development
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Prepared Under the Editorial Supervision of
Dr. Benjamin F. Prince
President Clark County Historical Society
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Assisted by a Board of Advisory Editors
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Volumes 2
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Published by
The American Historical Society
Chicago and New York
1922
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J.
WILLIAM ROBERTS. One of the modernly-improved
and highly-productive farms of Clark County is that known as
the Valley View Stock Farm, consisting of 365 acres, which
is located on the Springfield and Mechanicsburg Turnpike,
ten miles northeast of Springfield. The proprietor of
the valuable property is one of the reliable citizens of his
community, J. William Roberts, who was born in
Champaign County, Ohio, across the road from his present
home, Jan. 27, 1859, being a son of John W. and Polina
Hamilton (Hodge) Roberts.
The Roberts family are of Welsh origin, and
the paternal great-grand-parents of Mr. Roberts were
William and Rebecca Roberts. His grandfather,
James H. Roberts, was born in Virginia, and as a
young man, in 1810, went to Lawrenceville, Indiana, where he
entered a large tract of land. Later he moved to Clark
County, Ohio, where he was the owner of a farm, and rounded
out a career of industry marked by the attainment of a
gratifying success. The maternal grandfather of J.
William Roberts was John H. Hodges, who married
Polly Baird, and they settled near South Vienna, on
the old Columbus Road. He died at the age of
thirty-four. His wife remained a widow and raised five
children, one of whom married John Wren Roberts, the
brother of J. William Roberts. The third child
of his father's second marriage, John W. Roberts, was
reared in Champaign and Clark counties, and received his
education at the old Foley schoolhouse in Moorefield
Township, in which community he was born in 1825. In
November, 1846, he married Polina Hamilton
Hodge, and in 1852 they moved from Clark County to
Champaign County and settled on the farm now owned by their
son J. William. They were highly respected
people of their community, and fully merited the esteem in
which they were held. Of their five children four are
living in 1922: Melissa J., the wife of John W.
Evans; Emma C., the widow of William G. McCreary;
Frank M., deceased; J. William, of this
review; and Sallie, the widow of George Given.
J. William Roberts was reared on the home farm and
acquired his educational training in the rural district
school at Buck Creek. He remained under the parental
roof and was associated with his father in the pursuits of
farming, and when the elder man died he took over the home
property by purchase and has continued its operation to the
present time. He carries on general farming and
specializes in the breeding and raising of fine livestock,
for which his property had achieved something more than a
local reputation. Mr. Roberts has made numerous
improvements on his farm, and is looked upon as being modern
in his tendencies and progressive in his actions. A
good business man, he has always acted honorably in his
transactions with his fellow-men.
In Nov. 26, 1890, Mr. Roberts was united in
marriage with Miss Clara Goodfellow, who was born
near South Vienna, Ohio, July 7, 1863, and was educated in
the public schools of her birthplace. She and her
husband are the parents of two sons: Homer, a
graduate of high school, who is assisting his father with
the work of the home place; and Frank G., who
attended the Nelson Business College, married Jessie
Swaidner, and since her death has been associated with
his father and brother in operating the farm. Mr.
and Mrs. Roberts are members of the first Baptist
Church, Springfield, in the work of which they have taken an
active part. Like his father, Mr. Roberts is a
republican in his political sentiment and support. He
has served as a member of the Board of School Directors, and
at all times has evidenced his public spirit as a citizen.
Source: A Standard History of Springfield and Clark
County, Ohio - Vol. 2 - Publ.: The American Historical
Society - Chicago & New York - 1922 - Page 77 |
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