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MAURICE J. CALDWELL.
In November, 1912, the people of Scioto County chose for
the office of treasurer a citizen whose fitness for such
responsibility and honor is unquestioned and
exceptional. Maurice J. Caldwell has been a
resident of Scioto County most of his life, has been a
practical and successful farmer, has some of the finest
bred cattle and hogs in the state, and has always been
noted for his honesty and efficiency in every
undertaking with which his name has been connected.
Mr. Caldwell, who was born on a farm in Valley
Township of Scioto County, Mar. 29, 1876, represents two
prominent old families in this county and in Ohio, both
the Caldwells and the Claypools, being
people of more than ordinary prominence. His
great-grandfather, Smiley Caldwell, was
left an orphan at an early age, was reared among
strangers, and in early manhood came to Ohio and became
identified with the early settlement of the state,
living for a time in Jackson County, and moving thence
to Ross County, where he purchased land near Richmond
Dale, and devoted many years to clearing the farm and
cultivating it. Successful to a more than
ordinary degree, he acquired other lands, and continued
to live on the old homestead until his death, he married
a widow, Mrs. Eve (Ridenour) McNeil, who had four
children by her first husband. By her marriage to
Mr. Caldwell there were four children, Jacob.
Edwin, Sarah J. and George.
Captain Jacob Caldwell, grandfather of the Scioto
County treasurer, was born near Richmond Dale, in Ross
County, Ohio, acquired his early education in that
vicinity, and for a time was a student in the Ohio
Wesleyan University at Delaware. Following his
marriage he located in Valley Township of Scioto County,
and he and his brother Edwin bought land there
and were partners in general farming and stock-raising
enterprise. Captain Jacob Caldwell in 1862
enlisted in the Ninety-first Regiment of Ohio Volunteer
Infantry and was commissioned a captain of Company I.
He went to the front with his regiment, and gave up his
life during his service, his death occurring at
Frederick, Maryland, Aug. 9, 1864. His remains
were brought home and buried on his father's farm.
Captain Caldwell married Huldah Hurd, who
was born in Ohio, her parents being natives of
Connecticut and early settlers in the Ohio Western
Reserve. After the death of her soldier husband
she married Lewis Reese, lived a few years in
Oregon, and then returned to Ohio and spent her last
days with her children. She reared three children:
Smiley Anson, Huldah J. and Robert Brooks.
Smiley Anson Caldwell, father of Maurice J.,
was born on the old farm in Valley Township, where his
son was also born. The birth of the father
occurred Mar. 15, 1853. His education was acquired
by attendance at the district schools of Valley
Township, and following the death of his father he made
his home with his grandparents in Pike County and was
also a student in the Ohio College at Athens. At
the age of twenty he returned to the homestead and later
succeeded to its ownership, and for many years was
actively and successfully identified with farming and
stock raising. In 1905 he removed to Chillicothe,
and now lives in that city retired.
In 1874 Smiley A. Caldwell married Nancy Jane
Claypool, who was born in Fairfield County.
The Claypools are a family now well known in
different states of America, where they have lived for
many generations, and originally their home was in
Waldrum Park, Northamptonshire, England. James
Claypool, one of the ancestors, was granted a coat
of arms on June 17, 1583. One John Claypool
married Elizabeth, a daughter of Oliver
Cromwell. A brother of John, James,
witnessed the signature of William Penn to the
charter of Pennsylvania. The family was founded in
America by James Claypool, who was born
Feb. 16, 1701, and died Oct. 9, 1789. On coming to
America he settled near Moorefield in Hardy County, on
the south branch of the Potomac River, in Virginia.
Hardy County was a part of Western Virginia, which many
years later was established as the State of West
Virginia. James Claypool, a son of
the emigrant, was born Dec. 1, 1730, in Hardy County,
and died Aug. 11, 1811. The maiden name of his
wife was Margaret Dunbar. They had
nine daughters and three sons. Of these, Jacob
Claypool, who was the great-great-grandfather of
Maurice J. Caldwell, was born in Hardy County,
Virginia, Mar. 17, 1775, acquired a good education, and
became a long surveyor. He came to the new State
of Ohio in 1805, bought land in the locality known as
Yankeetown in Fairfield County, and in 1808 moved his
family to that locality. They were among the
earliest of the permanent settlers in the county.
In the midst of the wilderness was erected a substantial
hewed-log house, and the family at once took a prominent
part in the development of the country and as
influential factors in social life. During the
first twenty years Jacob Claypool spent
much of his time in surveying. His superior
education and fine mind soon gave him a leading position
in the county, and he was identified with some of the
larger business activities of that locality. On the
organization of the Lancaster Bank in 1816 he was
elected a director. In the same year he was
elected a representative to the State Legislature and
re-elected in 1818 and held office until 1822, and in
1824 was chosen a member of the Ohio State Senate.
He was one of Fairfield County's first citizens to drive
cattle to eastern markets, and continued in that
business until a short time before his death. He
was a man of unusual business capacity, honest and
correct in all his dealings, and left a name which will
always be esteemed by his descendants. He was a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Judge
Claypool married Margaret Baker, and
they had three daughters and six sons. The father
of Nancy J. Claypool was Isaac Claypool,
a son of the Jacob Claypool just mentioned.
Isaac was born Jan. 29, 1821, succeeded to the
ownership of the old home farm in Fairfield County, and
possessing the same business integrity and enterprise of
his father, continued to increase his possessions until
his land holdings comprised upwards of six hundred
acres, thoroughly equipped, with improvements that made
the farm one of the best in the entire county.
That was his home until his death at a good old age.
Isaac Claypool married Nancy
Mason, who was the mother of Nancy Jane Claypool.
She was born Jan. 22, 1821, a daughter of John Mason,
and died Oct. 16, 1855. For his second wife
Isaac Claypool married Sarah A. Pierce, of
Dover, New Hampshire, and also had a third wife,
Annie E. Cosgrove.
Maurice J. Caldwell was one of four children,
the other three being Earl Claypool, Beatrice
and Annie M. When he was twelve years of
age his mother died, and after that he lived in Denver
with an aunt and attended the city schools.
Graduating from the high school, he took a course in the
Central Business College of Denver, and with that
preparation returned home and became associated with his
father in farming and stock raising. After the
removal of his father to Chillicothe, about ten years
ago, he became sole manager of the estate and has
continued it until the present time, branching out into
new activities and becoming known all over Southern Ohio
for his advanced enterprise as a stockman. The
profitable features of his business are the raising of
thoroughbred cattle, hogs and horses. His favorite
breed of cattle is the Aberdeen Angus, of which he has
the largest herd of thoroughbreds in Scioto County.
He also has a number of Duroc Jersey hogs.
Mr. Caldwell was married in 1904 to Beatrice
Cenci Tatje. She was born in Lancaster,
Fairfield County, Ohio, a daughter of Oliver and
Mollie (Downey) Tatje, both natives of Ohio, while
her father was of early French stock. Mr. and
Mrs. Caldwell have two sons: Herbert T. and
J. Maurice.
Mr. Caldwell cast his first presidential vote
for William McKinley, and has been one of the
steady supporters of the party up to the present time.
As a capable business man he has naturally been
prominent in his home locality, served as trustee of
Valley Township, and in 1912 was accorded the important
honor of election to the office of county treasurer.
Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell are members of the
Methodist Church, and he is affiliated with Lucasville
Lodge of the Masons and with River City Camp No. 129,
Woodmen of the World.
Source: A Standard History of The Hanging
Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated -
Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Page
815 |
