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BIOGRAPHIES
The following biographies are extracted from:
Source:
A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio
Vol. II.
Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago & New York
1917
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GEORGE A.
VAUGHTERS. Occupying a place in the
front rank of Chillicothe 's representative men, George A.
Vaughters possesses business sagacity of a high order, and
through close application to his work, and careful supervision
of his financial affairs, has met with unquestioned success in
his undertakings, being now the ruling spirit in the management
of enterprises of a diverse nature. A son of John A.
Vaughters, he was born on a farm in Nile Township, Scioto
County, Ohio, coming from English ancestry. His paternal
great-grandfather, Richard Vaughters, emigrated
from the South of England to America prior to the Revolution,
settling in Virginia and actively assisted the colonists in
their struggle for independence.
John Vaughters, the grandfather of George A.,
was a farmer by occupation, and spent his entire life, which was
comparatively short, in Caroline County, Virginia. The maiden
name of his wife was Caroline Masson. She was born,
reared, and married in Virginia. Her grand father, the
maternal great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came
to America in the sailing vessel Alexandria, and after settling
in Virginia served as a gallant soldier in the Revolutionary
war. Surviving her husband, Mrs. Caroline (Masson) Vaughters,
in 1830, started with her four sons and a daughter for Ohio,
making an overland trip across the intervening country. In
a cart drawn by one horse she brought all of her household
effects. Camping and cooking by the road side, she and her
family made steady progress en route, even though they made
occasional stops at places where the boys could earn a little
money by working. Arriving in this state, they located in
Jackson County, where the death of the mother occurred two years
later. Richard, the eldest son of the family,
settled permanently in Jackson County, while the other three
sons, John A., William and Thomas, located
in Scioto County. The daughter, Mary Vaughters, married
Mark Landrum, and settled in Pike County.
Born in Caroline County, Virginia, in 1814,
John A. Vaughters was
about seventeen years old when he came with his widowed mother
and family to Jackson County. An industrious youth, he had
no trouble in finding work, and for three years assisted in the
digging of the Ohio Canal. Subsequently forming the
acquaintance of George Wood, of Chillicothe, he was
employed by him to begin the improvement of a large tract of
Ohio River bottom lands that he owned, the lands being located
in Nile Township, Scioto County, and being very fertile, but
heavily timbered. At that time all of the river steamers
used wood for fuel, and as he cleared off the timber he sold it
for that purpose. For a few years he rented the land he
had cleared, but as his means increased he bought tracts from
time to time, and ere his death, which occurred in 1891, he was
the owner of 700 acres of well-improved lands, on which he had
erected substantial buildings. He married first, Mary
Dortch, a daughter of George Dortch, a
farmer of Greenup County, Kentucky. She died in early
life, in 1860, leaving two children, George A., the
subject of this brief biographical sketch; and Mary, who
became the wife of Harry Grimes, of Portsmouth,
Ohio. His second wife, whose maiden name was Ada J.
Brous, survived him two years, dying in 1893.
Completing the course of study at the National Normal
School, in Lebanon, under the supervision of Professor
Holbrook, George A. Vaughters spent the following
year in Chillicothe, as bookkeeper in the mercantile
establishment of J. R. English. Going then to Columbus
with Mr. English, he remained there in his employ
another year. Familiar then with the details of the
business, Mr. Vaughters returned to Chillicothe,
and, forming a partnership with Michael Kramer,
engaged in a small way in the wholesale grocery business,
becoming head of the firm of Vaughters, Kramer and
Company. Six years later Allan W. Hamill was
admitted to the firm, and in 1901 the business was incorporated
as the Vaughters, Kramer Company, of which Mr.
Vaughters has since been president, with Mr.
Hamill as general manager. Mr. Vaughters
has also other interests of importance, having been the
president, and a director, of the Citizens National Bank since
its organization. In 1905, Messrs. Vaughters
and Kramer secured a controlling interest in the
Chillicothe Electric Railroad Light & Power Company, in the
management of which both have since been officially associated,
Mr. Vaughters as its president and general
manager.
Mr. Vaughters married first Alice
Cook, a native of Madison, Indiana. She died in
1886, leaving one son, Harry Vaughters, who
married Zora Moore, a daughter of Emanuel
Moore, and has three children, Farrell, Maurice,
and Margaret. The maiden name of the present wife
of Mr. Vaughters was Margaret Kemmerer.
Religiously Mr. Vaughters was reared in
the Methodist Episcopal Church, but the family now attend the
Presbyterian Church. In his political affiliations he
supports the principles of the republican party.
Source: A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio -
Vol. II. - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago &
New York 1917 - Page |
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FRANK
H. VESTER has spent his years usefully and
profitably as a farmer, and now owns one of the fine
estates of Scioto Township in Ross County.
Of substantial German ancestry, he was born at Omega,
Pike County, Ohio, Jan. 9, 1870. His father,
Henry Alexander Vester, was born in Stholp, a town
in West Prussia, on Mar. 18, 1825. Mr. Vester's
grandfather was a native of Prussia. During his early
childhood some of those devastating wars which desolated
that empire district of Europe occurred, and his parents
and brothers and sisters all perished in the general
massacre, he being the only member of the family to
escape. While he was wandering from the scene a
nobleman found him and took him to his home, rearing and
training him and giving him a good education. When
he reached military age he joined the army and served
under Bluecher in the battle of Waterloo.
His splendid services as a soldier earned him the iron
cross. After leaving the army he operated a flour
mill at Stholp, in West Prussia, and served as
burgomaster or mayor of the town until his death.
Henry A. Vester thus grew up in a home of
substantial comforts. He served an apprenticeship
at the tailor's trade, and then traveled as a
journeyman, working in different cities of Germany.
In each place he received a certificate of good
workmanship and character. While working in the
Village of Lauterecken, in Bavaria, he met the Bock
family, and falling in love with one of the
daughters came to America with the entire family.
They made the voyage on a sailing vessel and spent seven
weeks battling with the waves before landing in New York
City. Three of Henry Vester's brothers also
came to the United States, Edward, who settled at
Waverly, Julius, who located in Chillicothe, and
William who went on a farm in Pike County.
Henry A. Vester eventually moved to Pike County,
Ohio, and was engaged in the tailor business at Omega,
being employed by Mr. Vanachen. He remained
there until 1880 and in the meantime bought a farm in
Scioto Township of Ross County, 3-1/2 miles from the
courthouse, and was engaged in its operation until
his death in 1903. Henry A. Vester married
Dorothea Bock. She was born in Lauterecken,
a town in the Rhenish Province of Bavaria, July 28,
1835. Her father Abraham Bock, a native of
Bavarian, came to America accompanied by his family and
settled in Pike County, where he bought a farm, lived
there about ten years, and then moved to Logan County,
Illinois, where his death occurred. Mrs. Henry
A. Vester died Nov. 19, 1913.
Of the eleven children, Victor H. Vester, grew
up on a farm, received his education in the rural
schools of Pike and Ross counties, and lived with his
parents until they died. After the death of his
father he bought the interests of the other heirs, and
has since bought other land until his possessions now
aggregate 170 acres of the fertile soil of Ross County.
Besides the improvements which were there he has erected
a commodious frame barn and other buildings and his
place now ranks in value and in improvements with the
best in that section. His business has been that
of general farmer and fruit and poultry grower.
Mr. Vester married Emma England, who was
born in Scioto Township, daughter of Warner and
Nannie (Riley) England. They are the parents
of four children, Adalina, Lyle, Vivian and
Claude. Mr. Vester is an active member
of the Grange, and of the board of education.
Source: A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio -
Vol. II. - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago &
New York 1917 - Page 634 |
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