|
BIOGRAPHIES
 Source #1:
Biographical Record of Fairfield & Perry Counties, Ohio
- Illustrated -
New York and Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
1902
< CLICK HERE to RETURN to
1902 BIOGRAHICAL RECORD INDEX >
< CLICK HERE to RETURN to LIST of
HISTORY & BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES >
| |
J. E. POWELL.
Through
almost a decade J. E. Powell has been a practitioner at
the bar of New Lexington and has already won a degree of
success that many an older member of the legal fraternity
might well envy. He is a native of Hocking county, Ohio, born
in 1871. and his father. John Powell, was also'
a native of that county, where the grandfather, Samuel
Powell, had located in pioneer days. He became an
active factor in the substantial improvement and development
of that locality and erected what was known as the Powell
Mills, five in number, on Sunday and Monday creeks. The father
of cur subject was a soldier in the Civil war at the time when
the north and south took the field as enemies because the one
wished to overthrow the Union and the other to preserve it.
John Powell joined the northern forces and served
with the Thirty-first Ohio Regiment until he was wounded at
the battle of Chickamauga and rendered unfit for further
military duty.
J. E. Powell, of this review,
acquired his early education in the common schools of Reading
township, later continued his studies in New Lexington and
afterward was a student in Delaware, Ohio. When his literary
course was complete he resolved to take up the study of law.
As a preparation for a life work he entered the law department
of the Ohio State University at Columbus. Successfully passing
his examinations he was admitted to the bar in December, 1893,
and at once opened his office at New Lexington. In the
meantime, however, he had been engaged in teaching school at
Glenford for two years and had been a law student in the
office of Ferguson & Johnson, of New Lexington,
so that he had thereby gained a practical knowledge of the
working of the courts. Entering upon his practice he showed
that he had gained a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the
principles of jurisprudence. Professional advancement in the
law is proverbially slow, but the first element of success is
a persistency of purpose, an effort as untiring as the force
of gravity. Possessing these qualities and preparing his cases
with marked care, Mr. Powell has steadily
advanced until he now occupies a very creditable position at
the bar and is today enjoying a distinctive representative
clientage.
Mr. Powell was united in marriage to
Miss Julia Baird, a daughter of Joseph I.
Baird, formerly of New Straitsville but now of Junction
City. Her people were of an old family in this county and one
widely and favorably known. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Powell
has been blessed with two children: Harold and
Marion. Fraternally Mr. Powell is connected
with the Masonic order, in which he has attained to the degree
of Knight Templar. He was elected prosecuting attorney for
Perry county, in which office his service has been most
beneficial. He prosecuted the robbers of the Somerset Bank and
succeeded in convicting them. Six in number, they were all
noted criminals, and as a result of Mr. Powell's
vigorous prosecution they were sent to the penitentiary to
serve for terms of from eight to ten years. Our subject is yet
a young man, but he possesses laudable ambition, strong
determination and keen mentality, and these are qualities
which always insure success in professional life. His practice
is already extensive and of an important character.
Source: A Biographical Record
of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio - Publ. New York and
Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co - 1902 ~ Page 457 |
| |
JAMES F. PURVIS is a well known
representative of the industrial interests of New Lexington.
It is no longer wars but business development that makes
history. The progress of the country is not dependent upon the
conquest of one nation over another, but is the direct result
of industrial and commercial activity. The trade relations
lead to the improvement of a section and they who are active
in business affairs are the real promoters of a country's
prosperity.
With such may be classed James F. Purvis, who is
associated with his father, A. C. Purvis, in New
Lexington, in conducting the Lone Star mill, under the name of
the Purvis Milling Company, engaged in the manufacture
of flour. He was born in Rush Creek township, Fairfield
county, one mile from the Perry county line and is a son of
A. C. and Margaret A. (Householder) Purvis. The
latter was born in Reading township, Perry county, and is a
daughter of Adam Householder, now deceased. He came
from Pennsylvania to the Buckeye state in 1824, taking up his
abode in Perry county. He became a very prosperous farmer and
a leading and influential citizen of his community, and at his
death left eight children. The paternal ancestry of our
subject can be traced back through several generations to
George Purvis, the great-grandfather, who came from
England in 1793. His son, James Purvis, the
grandfather of our subject, was born in Seneca county, New
York, and when five years of age was brought to Ohio by his
parents. He became well known in this portion of the state and
public positions of trust were given into his keeping. He
served as deputy sheriff of Delaware and Morrow counties prior
to the Civil war and as trustee of Rush Creek township,
Fairfield county, for thirteen years, filling that position
continuously from 1860 until 1873. He married Elizabeth
(Ross) Clemens, a native of Maryland, who is still living
at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Her father,
Abram Clemens, came to Ohio in pioneer times,
arriving in 1821, at which time he entered six hundred forty
acres of land in Rush Creek township, which is still owned by
the family. His brother, Ephraim Clemens, laid
out the town of Mount Clemens, Michigan, in 1808. He was a
territorial judge of Michigan and was a very prominent and
influential man there. Unto James and Elizabeth (Clemens)
Purvis were born two sons, the elder being the father of
our subject, while the second was James E. Purvis, now
living in Bremen, Fairfield county, Ohio. Their father died
January 5, 1900, at the age of eighty-two years, but as above
stated, his widow is still living.
A. C. Purvis, the father of our subject, was
born in Morrow county, Ohio, in 1850, and in 1852 was taken by
his parents to Fairfield county, where he was reared and
educated. For a number of years he was actively associated
with farming interests and is now connected with his son,
James F., in the milling business. He has ever been a
practical and progressive man, deeply interested in the
general welfare and doing everything in his power to promote
public progress, while at the same time advancing his
individual success. After arriving at years of maturity he
married Margaret A. Householder, and they became
the parents of three sons and four daughters, the brothers of
our subject being Ed. T., who is now living in Bremen,
Ohio, and A. E., who is connected with the Ohio
Transfer Company, of Columbus. The sisters of the family are
Mrs. John J. McCandish; Mrs. William D. Ruff,
who, like her other sisters, is living in Rush Creek township;
and Kate and Emma Purvis, who are yet
with their parents.
Born on the old family homestead and reared under the
parental roof, James F. Purvis pursued his education in
the common schools of the neighborhood and in the Fairfield
Union Academy. He also received ample training at farm work
and the lessons of industry and perseverance were instilled
into his mind. In the year 1900 he came with his father to the
city of New Lexington and joined him in the organization of
the Purvis Milling Company. They began this business in
February, purchasing the old McClellan & Nixon
mill on Water street, having a capacity of fifty barrels of
flour per day. They manufacture flour of different grades, but
make a specialty of the brand called "Our Pride," which has a
very good sale, the enterprise meeting with creditable
success.
James F. Purvis was united in marriage to Miss Dosie Deane,
of Port Angeles, Washington, and they have one son, Thadeus
Clemens, and one daughter, Margaret Deane. Mrs.
Purvis is a great-great-granddaughter of Silas
Deane, who was minister to France during the American
Revolution. Both our subject and his wife have a wide
acquaintance in New Lexington, although they have resided here
for but a brief period, and the circle of their friends is
constantly increasing. Mr. Purvis is known
as a reliable and progressive business man and is a valued
addition to the city.
Source: A Biographical Record
of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio - Publ. New York and
Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co - 1902 ~ Page 441 |
NOTES:
|
