With the farming and stock-raising interests of Pike township John Spence is connected. He was born in this township
March 21. 1824, and is therefore one of the oldest native sons of Clark county still living within its borders. His paternal grand-
father. Oliver Spence, died in England. He was of both Scotch and English ancestry and engaged in herding sheep on the wide
prairies of England. The parents of our subject were William and Elizabeth (Wones) Spence, both of whom were natives of Yorkshire, England, and there spent their childhood days. After their marriage am! the birth of their eldest son, James, they sailed for America, believing that they might have better opportunities for securing a home of their own and gaining a comfortable competence in this land. The year 1817 witnessed their emigration and for a time they lived in Cincinnati. Mr.Spence had only ten dollars when he arrived in that city, but he at once sought employment and worked there as a common laborer for two years. In 1820 he came to Clark county, taking up his abode here on Christmas day of that year, upon the farm, which is now occupied by his grandson, George Spence. He became well-to-do and as time passed made extensive and judicious investments in real estate until he was. the owner of more than two hundred and forty acres of land in Clark county; three hundred acres in Kentucky; and four hundred and twenty-eight acres in Indiana, near to Muncie and Decatur. He also had an eighty-acre tract in Michigan and the income from these various farms supplied him with all the comforts and many luxuries of life. In his family were thirteen children,

twelve of whom reached years of maturity: James, who was drowned in the Ohioi river; Matthew, who died at the age of twenty-four years ; Mark, who died leaving one son, George; Simon, who died at the age of thirty years, leaving four children; John, whose name introduces this review; William, who died when more than forty years of age, leaving one child who is now Mrs. John Mollis, of Addison, Ohio; George, who was an attorney of Springfield and at his death left a son, George, who is now in California; Timothy, who resides in Iowa and has several children ; Mary Ann, who died in childhood ; Maria, who became the wife of Henry Schell and is now deceased; Jane, who married Samuel Pierce, of Knoxville, Iowa, by whom she has three children-; Ellen, who became Mrs. Scott and at her death left only one child; Elizabeth, who is married and lives in Joliet, Illinois, and has two children. John Spence, who was the fifth in order of birth, spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, being' reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life, for during his boyhood Clark county was still a frontier district. All around stretched the green forests, the woodman's ax having not yet felled the great trees and prepared the land for cultivation. There were few roads yet constructed and those that had been cut through the forests were not in very good condition. It was long distances to mill and market and the farmers largely depended upon the products from their places for everything needed for the family use. The public school system of the county had not then been instituted and John Spence therefore attended a subscription school for about thirty days each year when the weather was so bad that it prevented him from doing farm work. In the log school building with slab seats and a writing desk formed by a slab placed upon wooden pins driven intoi the wall, Mr. Spence pursued his studies. In one end of the room was a large fireplace. The methods of instruction were almost as primitive as the furnishings of the room. Mr. Spence aided his father in carrying on the work of the home farm until twenty-one years of age, after which he began working by the month as a farm hand. He also learned the cooper's trade in a shop on the home farm and followed that for several years. He became an expert workman and make as many as sixteen barrels in a single day, when he had to prepare the lumber from the rough. On the 3d of July, 1853, Mr. Spence was married to Miss Louisa Bailey, and they became the parents of four children, but one died in early childhood and another at the age of thirteen years. Two sons, Marcellus and Warren, are still living, and both are married. The: mother also passed away and Mr. Spence afterward married Mrs. Henrietta Crawfis, nee Daffenbach. Three children were born of this union, of whom two are still living: Arminta, and Arwilda. The latter married J. P. Wall and is living in Muncie, Indiana. Mr. Spence and his second wife lived together for about thirteen years and then she, too, was called to the home beyond. In his political views Mr. Spence has been a stanch Republican from the organization of the party. He cast his first vote for Taylor in 1848 and in 1856 deposited his ballot for John, C. Fremont. At the time of the Morgan raid into Ohio he was elected captain of what was known as the Flat foot Company and with his command went to Xenia. Throughout his entire life his attention has been largely given to his farm work, which he has carried on continuously and even yet he superintends the cultivation of his land although he has passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's journey. He is one of the honored and venerable residents of his township, his upright life having gained for him the respect of those with whom he has come in contact.

was superintendent of the construction of the county courthouse and of the first high school building of Springfield. Many structures which he erected are still standing and are monuments to his enterprise and skill. He carried on general contracting and building, as well as architectural work, and his splendid success arose from thorough understanding of mechanical principles, his faithfulness to the terms of a contract, close application and his unquestioned honesty. He was one of the organizers of the Independent Rover Fire Company of Springfield, was captain of a hose company and for ten years was its secretary. This fire company won great renown and made a most creditable record. In 1850 Nathaniel Cregar was married in Springfield to Miss Catherine Smith, who was born in Warren county, Ohio, August 15, 1827, a daughter of Willard Smith, who was engaged in the manufacture of paper and is still living in Springfield. By her marriage she became the mother of five children, of whom Mary B., the first born, died at the age of three years. Charles A., born April 8, 1S58, was an architect associated with his father in business until 1885, at which time he became his father's successor and continued his connection with his department of business activity until his own death, on the 8th of July, 1896. He pursued his literary education in the public schools and afterward attended a technical school at Indianapolis, Indiana. Lulu married L. V. Lynch and died July 9, 1898. Edwin F. is the subject of this review. Frank M., born November 30, i860, in Springfield, is a carriage painter. The father was never an aspirant for office but was a leader in local Democratic circles and he had strong faith in the principles of his party and exercised marked influence in its ranks. He was always a supporter of church and charitable work and as a citizen was deeply interested in everything pertaining to the general good. , His attention, however, was chiefly given to his profession, in which he won distinction and creditable success, his superior ability placing him in the front ranks among the architects of Ohio. Edwin F. Cregar, whose name introduces

and in 1878 he went to Topeka, Kansas, where he followed his trade, remaining there until the death of his father in 1885. He then returned to Springfield and became associated with his brother Charles, the business being carried on under the firm style of Cregar Brothers until 1896, when the elder brother died. Our subject thus assumed the management of the business of the firm and has since been very successful in his work. He has furnished plans and specifications for all kinds of work and draws much of his patronage from a radius of one hundred miles. His business has been built up through his own efforts and ability, and he enjoys the confidence of a wide circle of friends. He has always fully sustained the dignity of his profession and has been very successful. While associated with his brother they furnished the plans for the city building, St. Raphael's church, for the Henry block, for the Third Presbyterian church, the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, the United Presbyterian church, the first Zimmerman building and many other buildings, including business blocks and residences throughout the city and surrounding country. In 1881 Mr. Cregar was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Wilhelm, of Springfield, who was born in Harshmansville, Ohio, in February, 1863, and unto them has been born one son, William' R., whose birth occurred October 29, 1881. He is a graduate of the public schools and is now associated with the R. G. Dunn & Company Agency at Denver, Colorado. In his political affiliations Mr. Cregar is a Democrat and has been a delegate to county conventions, but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him. A man of strong individuality and indomitable purpose, one who has attained to a due measure of success in the affairs of life and whose influence has ever been exerted in the direction of progress and the right, this native son of Springfield well deserves mention in the history of Clark county.

Like the Roman matron of old the states of the Union present their illustrious sons as their jewels. In no land are individual merit and accomplishment so widely recognized as worthy of public honor, and the record which the American nation holds in greatest regard is that of the man whose prominence, success and position are achieved through individual effort and high character. Distinguished as one of the eminent and influential men of Ohio, Hon. A. S. Bushnell is well known because of his connection with an important business enterprise and because of his political prominence. His course has ever been such as to sustain the dignity of political labor and service and his public career has been an honor to the state which has honored him with the office of chief executive. He has also displayed ability to handle commercial and industrial transactions of magnitude and is to-day connected with an enterprise which is known throughout the country, especially in agricultural circles and to those engaged in kindred lines of business. Animated by a spirit of enterprise and progress in business, of loyalty and patriotism in public life, Asa Smith Bushnell has won and retained the respect, confidence and good will of people throughout the nation in all walks of life. Mr. Bushnell was born In Rome, Oneida county, New York, on the 16th of September, 1834, and comes of New England ancestry that had to do with the shaping of the colonial policy and the early history of the country. Jason Bushnell, his grandfather, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, serving first in the company of Captain Charles Miel, General Waterbury's brigade, and subsequently with Washington's Army at Tarrytown. Connecticut was the ancestral home of the family through many generations and it was at Lisbon, that state, on the 7th of February, 1800, that Daniel Bushnell, the father of our subject, was born. His residence in New York covered a number of years and Ohio became his place of abode in 1845. In the meantime he had married Miss Harriet Smith, the wedding being celebrated March 9, 1825. For many years the father was a resident of Cincinnati and from there removed to Oberlin, Ohio, which was his home at the time of his death. At the age of sixteen years Asa S. Bushnell became a resident of the city in which he was destined to bear an important part in the work of promoting commercial activity and prosperity as well as in shaping its political record. The advantages of his youth were not unlike those enjoyed by

employed as a salesman in a dry-goods store and then became bookkeeper for the firm of Leffel, Cook & Blakeney, there remaining until the spring of 1857, when he accepted a position with Warder, Brokaw & Child, manufacturers of mowers and reapers. In the succeeding fall, however, he gave up that position to enter upon an independent business career as a partner of Dr. John Ludlow in the conduct of a drug store. For ten years he was connected with that line of trade and then became identified again with the work of manufacturing mowers and reapers with the firm with which he had formerly been associated. This time, however, he became a partner in the enterprise under the firm style of Warder, Mitchell & Company, and has since been a controlling factor in the business, the splendid success of which is largely attributable to his enterprise, his close attention and his sound business judgment, wmich readily grasps a situation, recognizes opportunity and utilizes the means at hand in extending the scope of the business. Changes have occurred in the partnership but the present firm of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company is known by reputation throughout the length and breadth of the land and its exports have also made the name of the house familiar to a considerable extent in trade circles in foreign lands; in fact the products of the house are sent to every country where improved methods of agriculture are known. Mr. Bushnell has been president of the company since 1886 and the growth of the business. which has reached mammoth proportions, is largely attributable to his capacity for controlling commercial affairs of beadth and magnitude. Other business enterprises of Springfield have profited by his labor, his counsel and his control. He is the president of the First National Bank and the Springfield Gas Company and has been actively or financially interested in many other business enterprises of importance to the city. In early manhood Mr. Bushnell was married. In September, 1857, he wedded

belief is indicated by his membership in the Protestant Episcopal church and further evidence of the springs of conduct in his life is his relationship with the Masonic fraternity, which is based upon the brotherhood of man and inculcates principles of mutual helpfulness, charity and kindliness. He is a Knight Templar, is also a member of the consistorv and has attained the thirty-third degree of the Scottish rite. It is seldom found that a man of the mental ken, the extended interests and the humanitarian spirit of Asa S. Bushnell is not deeply interested in the political situation of his country. Politics becomes more than a question of the right of franchise and the success or defeat of individual candidates to men accustomed to control important interests and to look upon life from a broad standpoint, political questions assume their national relation to other affairs of life as affecting the welfare of the country not only for the present but also through direct influence upon the future. It was but natural that Mr. Bushnell should become a factor in the political field of Ohio. Strong in support of his convictions, fearless in his advocacy of any measure which he believes to be right no one has had reason to question his position concerning any vital issue. Has capacity for business also indicated to party leaders what might be his power as an active factor in promoting Republican successes in Ohio. While he has never hedged himself about with undue reserve, his demeanor is always dignified and such a man could not but be an honor as well as a power in his party, and the political career of Governor Bushnell is such as has reflected credit upon his state. He became a local leader and his services were then sought in the broader field of state politics. In 1885 he became chairman of the Republican state executive committee and his ability to marshal and direct forces was one of the potent elements in securing the Republican victory of that year. In 1886 he was appointed quartermaster general of the state, serving for a term of four years. In 1887, when the state convention convened, he was nominated by acclamation as the candidate for lieutenant governor, but declined the proffered honor and in 1889 he refused to accede to his party's earnest request that he accept the nomination for governor. His ambition was not in the line of political honors and he has ever been content to perform his duties toward city, state and nation in the honorable capacity of a private citizen. Again in 1891 he was spoken of in connection with the nomination for governor, which, however, went to Major William McKinley, of whom Mr. Bushnell was a most ardent adherent. In 1892 he was

upon his second term the following January, serving in all four years. The many times that he has refused political honors proves conclusively that self-aggrandizement has never been the motive power in his political work, but that a devotion to his country and the principles in which he believes has been the mainspring of his political activity. It would be difficult to designate one characteristic as the leading one in the life record of Asa, S. Bushnell for there are none of the great departments of action bearing upon the country's progress and advancement which have not received his endorsement, his sympathy and his support. The city of Springfield has been especially benefited bv his labors in its behalf. The churches, the schools, the business interests, the social conditions, the aesthetic and the moral culture have all received impetus from his helpfulness. No sense of self-laudation has promoted this but a devotion to the general good and a broadminded interest in improvement in keeping with the world's advancement. In his social life he is known for his kindly, genial nature, quick to recognize true worth and to give friendship and regard in appreciation of character.

in 1814, practicing in this city and in Clark county. The conditions which met a physician at that time were very different to those of the present day. Hardships and trials known only to the people of the frontier were to be met and continually faced by him who devoted his attention to the alleviation of human suffering. Streams: had to be forded and there were no roads but bridle paths or very often only the old Indian trails. Most of the settlers were widely scattered, and braving the storms of winter and the heat of summer, the pioneer physician made his way to each home in which his services were needed, his calls often demanding great personal sacrifice. For some time Dr. Needham was a resident of what is now known as Lagonda, but the place was then called Pillville because of the Doctor's residence there. He established the first drug store in Springfield and for many years conducted it, but eventually it was sold to the Ludlow family who carried on the business until 1896 and it was not until 1898 that the old store building was torn down. It was situated on Main street on the southwest corner of the first alley east of Limestone street. Henry Baldwin, Sr., the father of the Doctor, is a native of Clafk county, his birth having occurred upon a farm in Pleasant township in 1830. His boyhood days were spent in the usual manner of farmer lads of that period. On coming to Springfield he entered the employ of his brother Joseph, who was conducting a dry goods store, and remained with him in the capacity of salesman until the death of the brother, after which he continued the business on his own account until 1880, when he disposed of his interests to other parties and has since been living in retirement. He married! Maria Dawson, of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in which place she was born and reared. She was the daughter of John Dawson and granddaughter of Nicholas Dawson, one of the pioneer settlers of Kentucky, who went to that state at a time when most of the population lived in forts on account of the hostilities of the Indians.Nicholas Dawson married Violet Littleton, of Fairfax, Virginia. She was a niece of Lord Fairfax and a daughter of Martha

Washington, with whom she often corresponded, many of the letters of the wife of the illustrious father of his country being now in the possession of the Dawson family. Nicholas Dawson, and his wife spent their last days in Springfield and were buried in the old Columbia, street cemetery. Dr. Henry Baldwin, both as boy and man, has been a resident of the city which is still his home and in the public schools he began his education which was, continued until his graduation on the completion of the high school course. He prepared for his profession as a student in the office of Dr. E. M. Buckingham, of this city, and in the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where he was graduated with the class of 1883. The Doctor was married in 1897 to Miss Lucretia Mathers, of Sydney, Shelby county, Ohio, a daughter,of John Mathers, a prominent lawyer of that place, and a granddaughter of Judge Hugh Thompson, of Sydney, who was one of the distinguished jurists of Ohio at an early day. Dr. Baldwin and his wife have a little daughter, Elizabeth Mathers. Fraternally the Doctor is a Mason, his membership being with Clark Lodge, No. 101, F. & A. M., of which he is past master; and Springfield Chapter, No. 48, R. A. M. He is also a member of the young men's

Frank H. Mills, a well known factor in commercial and political circles of Springfield, was born in Green township, Clark county, June 20, 1861, and is a, son of Jacob N. and Plarriet (Rupert) Mills, both of whom are residents of Springfield. The father was a. farmer by occupation for many years, but in 1875 came to' this city and established a grocery store, which he conducted for a number of years, but is now living retired. Moses Mills, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of New Jersey and became the founder of the family in Clark county, locating upon a farm; in Green township at an early period in the development of this portion of the state. He purchased land from the government and thereupon made his home until his death. His son Jacob was the youngest of eight children and is the only one now living. He was born in 1824, and his wife was born in 1827. Both were educated in the early schools of the county and have witnessed marked changes in methods since that day. In the early '80s Jacob Mills served for two years as a member of the, city council of Springfield but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking, preferring to perform his duties as a private citizen. Both he and his wife are consistent and faithful members, of the Methodist Episcopal church. Unto them have been born three sons and four daughters, but two daughters and a son died of cholera in 1851, when they were small children. The others are : America, wife of Henry Wolford, of Cedarville, Ohio; Charles, who is agent for the Osborn Machine Company of Louisville, Kentucky; Florence, the widow of Robert C. Rensberg, of Springfield; and Frank H. The last named pursued his education in the district schools until the family removed to Springfield, when he became a student in the pujlic schools here. After putting aside his text books he secured a position in the carriage shops of David West and followed that business for a time. He was afterward employed by Mr. Bancroft, entering his establishment

in May, 1882. That he is one of the most trusted representatives of the house as well as one of the most capable workmen is indicated by the fact that he has since been connected with the firm. In 1895 in this city Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Cora, B. Miller, daughter of Charles T. Miller, now deceased. Her father engaged in merchandising here and was a, very successful business man. Of German descent, Mrs. Mills was born in Springfield and was one of five children : Amelia, the deceased wife of Albert Hohl, of New York city; Anna, the wife of Charles T. Wallace, of Springfield, Ohio; Clara, the wife of George Clark, of Cleveland, Ohio; George, whot is, a machinist of Springfield; and Cora, the wife of our subject. All are high school graduates of Springfield.In his political affiliations Mr. Mills is a Republican and is recognized as a leader in the ranks of his party, taking an active interest in its growth and success. He has frequently been a delegate to the city and county conventions and has put forth every effort in his power to secure Republican, victories. In 1898 he was elected to the city council and was re-elected in 1901,

George W. Huntington, a resident farmer of Mad River township, was born November 15, 1839, m Springfield, upon a farm owned by his father. His maternal grandfather was Hugh Kirkpatrick, one of the earliest residents of the city of Springfield. He took up his abode there when the present metropolitan city was but a. village, and it became his home in 1811, his house standing in the southwestern portion of the city. William' Huntington, the father of our subject, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, June 15, 1800, a son of Nathaniel Huntington, whose birth occurred either in Vermont or Connecticut. After arriving at years of maturity he married Martha Kirkpatrick, who was born December 9, 1808, in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, and was a daughter of Hugh and Rachel (Kelley) Kirkpatrick. In June, 1835, William Huntington came to Ohio with his mother and her family. From that time until his death he remained a resident of Clark county. He passed away near Springfield on the 18th of December, 1886, having long survived his wife, who died on the 17th of May, 1862. In their family were five children, namely, George W., of this review; Ann, the wife of Arthur Forbes, by whom she has four children; Hugh, whoi married Hannah Pierce and has six children; Samuel, who was the twin brother of Hugh and died at the age of twenty months; and Rachel, the wife of Edwin McClintock. The father left his farm in Springfield when our subject was about fifteen years of age and bought another farm farther from the town. The family lived upon that place until our subject was about twenty-five years of age, when the father purchased the farm upon which George W. Huntington is now living. It remained the home of William Huntington for three years, after which he removed to Springfield, where he died. George W. Huntington was reared under the parental roof in the usual manner of farmer lads of the period. His educational privileges were: those afforded by the country public schools, and in the fields he worked from the time of early spring planting until after the crops were harvested in the autumn. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Anna Hill, a widow, and a daughter of Charles and Catherine (Snyder) Swaney, in whose family were the following children: Anna, Charles, Emma, Ella and Rachel. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Huntington were born three sons: Willie, born June

owning and operating a, tract of land of fifty acres, one mile east of South Charleston. He was born near Harrisville, Harrison county, Ohio, about twelve miles from Wheeling, August 31, 1850, and is a son of Edward and Eliza. (Gilbert) Van Horn. His father was a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, was reared upon a farm and was about fifteen years of age when he came to Ohio in company with the grandfather of our subject, Christian Van Horn, who settled in Harrison county. There Edward Van Horn was married, and when his son Joseph was about four years old the grandfather and the father both removed to Cedarville, Ohio. After two years the latter removed to McDonough county, Illinois, where he remained until the fall of 1860, at which time he became a resident of Cedarville, Ohio, and in 1862 he offered his services to the government, enlisting in the Tenth Independent Battery, Light Artillery. With that command he continued until honorably discharged in 1865. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, went with Sherman to Chattanooga, thence to Nashville under command of General Thomas, and after the battle at that place was sent to Sweet Water Valley, where the regiment was stationed until after the close of hostilities. Mr. Van Horn spent his remaining days in Cedarville, passing away in 1895, at which time he was laid to rest in the Cedarville cemetery by the side of his wife, who passed away in 1892. Joseph G. Van Horn of this review received a common school education. His father was in limited financial circumstances, and he had to begin to make his own way in the world when but a boy. In his youth he worked at farm labor for ten or twelve dollars per month and his earnings went to the support of the family until after he had attained his majority. He farmed and worked in the timber regions, making his home in Cedarville. Wdien about twenty-five years of age he began to buy timber, which was cut for ties, and gradually he overcame the difficulties and obstacles in his path to success. Soon after his marriage he entered the employ of Zwick & Greenwall, and for four years purchased timber for them. During that time he saved some: money, and on the expiration of that period he entered into partnership with D. S. Ervin, of Cedarville, in the manufacture and sale of hardwood lumber. This relation was maintained until 1899, when Mr. Van Horn purchased the mill which he now owns. This mill has been located at different places, wherever timber could be purchased. For eight years it has stood about one mile east of South Charleston, in Madison township. On the 22nd of September, 1881, Mr. Van Horn was united in marriage to Miss Sarah C. Milburn, a daughter of Aaron and Celinda (Bozarth) Milburn. They have a fine residence which was erected by Mr. Van Horn in 1894, and the farm comprises fifty acres of well developed land. In 1897 Mr. Van Horn entered into partnership with George Thorpe in handling thorough-bred Norman draft stallions and also fast trotting and pacing horses. He has seven stallions, all kept at South Charleston. He started in this business with one horse. This was a charitable act in order to give a poor man a business opportunity, but he has kept in the business and has found it a. profitable source of income. In his political affiliations Mr. Van Horn is a Republican and has supported the party since casting his first presidential vote for Grant in 1872. He has never been an office seeker, but as a citizen is public-spirited and progressive. He attends and supports the Methodist Episcopal church of South Charleston, of which Mrs. Van Horn is a member. At one time he held membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Xenia, but afterward transferred his membership to the lodge in Cedarville, and later to South Charleston. He is a self-made man who started out in life a poor boy with no capital, but he realizedthat success may be gained through industry, economy and honesty, and these qualities have proved the foundation upon which he has reared the superstructure of his prosperity.

The name of J. Warren Keifer has long figured in the annals of this country. It is found in connection with the history of jurisprudence in Ohio and in connection with the military records of the land. It is found upon the records of congress, and he is the only resident of Ohio that has been honored with the speakership in the national house of representatives. An enumeration therefore of the distinguished men of Ohio would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to the subject of this review, whose course has reflected credit and honor upon the state which has honored him. At the bar his comprehensive understanding of the principles of jurisprudence and his masterly presentation of a cause have gained him fame as a lawyer of marked ability; on the field of battle he showed thorough knowledge of military tactics and strategy and a loyalty and devotion to duty that gained him promotion, and he was brevetted brigadier-general, also major-general by the President for gallantry on the

field; but still other honors awaited him in this land where the road to public distinction is that of public usefulness and merit. In the affairs of state, as taken aside from the extraordinary conditions of warfare, there are demanded men whose mental ken is as wide and whose generalship is as effective as those which insure successful maneuvering of armed forces by the skilled commander on the field of battle. The nation's welfare and prosperity may be said to hinge as heavily upon individual discrimination and executive ability in the one case as in the other. It requires a master mind to martial and organize the forces for political purposes and produce the best results by concerted effort, and such a, leader is found in General J. Warren Keifer, whose statesmanship and love of country, guided by wise judgment in securing- results, made him a leader during his service in the halls of congress. Well may Clark county be proud to call this man her son. He has never known another home. He was born on Mad river, in this county, January 30, 1836, and while his interests, public and private, have sometimes called him elsewhere he has always maintained his deep affection for this locality and its people and the tie has been strengthened with the passing years. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Smith) Keifer. The father was born at Sharpsburg, Maryland, December 28, 1784, and the year 1812 witnessed his arrival in Clark county, Ohio. He was a farmer and civil engineer and in this pioneer district he followed his dual occupation, taking an active part in reclaiming the wild land for the uses of the white man. He bore an active and

was then the Northwest Territory. The boyhood of Joseph Warren Keifer was not unlike that of most boys of the period. At the usual age he entered the public schools and later continued his studies in Antioch College. In the meantime he had acquainted himself to a considerable extent with American history and especially that of his own locality for he lived amid historic localities. Here were many famous Indian battle-fields; on a neighboring farm (in a Piqua Indian village) was born the Indian chieftain, Tecumseh. Mr. Keifer, as a boy, found great delight in wandering among these places and picking up information concerning their early struggles, which established the supremacy of the white race as masters of the rich district. As he advanced in years he continually broadened his knowledge by reading and investigation, and from an early age kept in view his purpose of one day becoming a member of the bar. In 1853 he taught a term of country school which was his first regular employment, aside from duties of the home farm. While assisting in the labors of field and meadow he devoted his leisure hours through three years to reading law, and in 1856 took an advanced step in the line of his ambition to become a member of the bar by entering the office of the law firm of Anthony & Goode, of Springfield, there remaining as a student until his admission to the bar, January 12, 1858.

and whose cleintage is assured, but he possessed persistency of purpose, laudable ambition and strong mentality, and gradually he worked his way upward, proving his power to successfully cope with the intricate problems of jurisprudence. Early in his professional career his labors were interrupted by military service for the country became involved in Civil war. He had kept informed concerning the, growth of sentiment and the progress of events in the south, and his love of liberty and his devotion to his country increased as oppression and rebellion were more strongly manifest below the Mason and Dixon line. The echo from Sumter's guns went sounding and resounding throughout the land and his services to the government, enlisting on the 19th of April, 1861. A contemporary biographer has written of his military history as follows: "He was commissioned major of the Third Ohio Infantry, April 27, 1861, for three months, and June 12, 1861, for three years. Pie took part in the battle of Rich Mountain July 11 , 1861, the first of the war; the same year he participated in engagements in Cheat Mountain and Elk Water, West Virginia; in November his regiment was attached to General Buell's army; February 12, 1862, he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of his regiment and was present at the capture of Bowling Green, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; .and Huntsville and Bridgeport, Alabama. April 30, 1862, he led the first expedition into Georgia and performed an important service in the destruction of the salt-peter works at Nickajack cave. He returned to Louisville with General Buell's command; was made colonel of the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infantry, September 30, 1862; Avas assigned to General Milroy's division in West Virginia, and placed in command of a brigade and the post at Moorefield; was in the battle of Winchester, Virginia, June 1863, where he was twice wounded; July 9, 1863, he was assigned to the army of the Potomac in the Third Army Corps in pursuit of General Lee's army, and took part in engagements at Wapping Heights July 23, 1863; in August, 1863, he was sent with his command to aid in the suppression of the draft riots and in enforcing the draft in New York city and Brooklyn; rejoined the army in the field in September and bore a prominent part in the battle of Mine Run, November 27, 1863, and in other minor engagements; March 24, 1864, he was transferred to the Sixth Army Corps and at the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, was wounded by a musket ball which shattered both bones of his left forearm, disabling him until August 26, when he resumed command of his brigade, at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, benig the Second Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Army Corps, and with his arm still in a sling commanded his troops in the hardfought battles of Opequon, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley; at Opequon he was wounded by a, shell, his horse being shot under him; at Fisher's Hill he, with out orders, led his brigade in the assault on the fortified left flank of the enemy and captured many prisoners and guns: at Cedar Creek he commanded the Third Division, Sixth Army Corps, and for his distinguished gallantry and the energy and discretion there evinced was brevetted by President Lincoln a brigadiergeneral and by him assigned to duty with that rank. In December, 1864, with his

wings of the army (General Keifer commanding the left) being forced forward (notwithstanding the fact that the enemy had broken the center line), surrounded and effected the capture of above six thousand of the enemy, including Generals Ewell, Kershaw, Custis Lee, Barton, Corse, Hunton and other officers of high rank. One of the incidents of the war, thrilling and full of adventure and showing the true spirit of military heroism and presence of mind, is worthy of representation here. Immediately succeeding the surrender of the six thousand Confederates, and while assisting in the re-formation of the troops, information reached General Keifer that a body of the enemy was concealed in a wood on his right. He rode in person into the Woods to reconnoiter and came suddenly upon the Confederate troops lying on the ground, evidently ignorant of the surrender which had just taken place. The density of the wood, approaching night and the smoke of the battle saved the General from instant identification as a Union officer. To attempt to withdraw was instant death, and surrender never entered his mind. Seeing that the troops were awaiting and expecting a command he rode forward and wheeling his horse shouled, "Forward!" and led the enemy as his own troops, waving his sword toward the recent scene of battle. The command was instantly obeyed and the faster he rode the faster the enemy followed after, until the edge of the wood and the better light led to the discovery of his identity, when he was the mark for many muskets, and would have been shot but for the command of the Confederate officers, who prevented their men from delivering their fire. General Keifer escaped to his own troops and leading them in a charge upon the enemy secured the surrender of the entire brigade of Confederates, which was composed of marines little used to. land service, commanded by Commodore J. R.Tucker and Captain John D. Semmes. Tucker and Semmes both claimed to have saved General Keifer's life by preventing their troops from firing upon him and as an act of gratitude he used his influence to obtain the parole from Johnson's Island of these officers, who, having deserted from the United States Navy, were not entitled, under then existing orders, to that clemency. General Keifer joined in the pursuit and capture of General Lee's army, and was brevetted major-general for gallant and distinguished service during the campaign ending in the surrender of the insurgent commander, General R. E. Lee. His corps

was sent south to aid in the capture of General Joe Johnston's army in North Carolina, and learning at Danville of the contemplated surrender, he, with a portion of his staff, pushed across the country fifty miles to witness it. He was thus present at the capitulation of both General Lee's and Johnston's armies. A career beginning in April, 1861, and closing June 27, 1865, when he retired from the army to resume the practice of law at Springfield, briefly outlined, has but few parallels; without military education or experience, without influence or wealth, merit and distinguishd ability earned the highest rank in the service. For over four years he was, except when disabled from wounds, in active service in the field and at the front. His purpose in entering the army—the preservation of the Union—was accomplished, his life works in arts of peace was before him and upon it he entered with the same energy and enthusiasm that had made his military career so glorious. His return to civil life was followed by success at the bar, where he soon acquired an extensive practice. In 1866, he was tendered a commission as lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-sixth United States Infantry upon the unsolicited recommendations of Generals Grant and Meade, but declined it.After the close of the war General Keifer resumed the practice of law and the duties of civil life. Before the outbreak of hostilities he had established a, home of his own and on the 22d of March, i860, had married Miss Eliza Stout, of Springfield, They became the parents of three sons: J. Warren, Jr., who is engaged in farming in Nebraska; William W. and Horace C, who are associated with their father in the practice of law in Springfield; also one daughter, Margaret E., now deceased. The practice of his profession has been the real life work of Mr. Keifer, who from the time of his return from the army has steadily maintained a foremost position in the ranks of the legal fraternity in this part of Ohio. His fidelity to his client's interests is proverbial, yet he never forgets that he owes a higher allegiance to the majesty of the law. His diligence and energy in the preparation of his cases, as well as the earnestness, tenacity and courage with which he defends the right as he understands it, challenges the admiration of his associates, yet he has never sought forensic triumph when it had to be gained by lowering his standard of manhood or degrading the dignity of his profession. He has a'ready command of English and is an orator, whose ability has made him sought outside the strict path of his profession. He has addressed many public gatherings on momentous questions and notable occasions and his eloquence is not the least of his many gifts. On the occasion of a state reunion of the sailors and soldiers of Ohio, held at Newark, July 22, 1878, the anniversary of the death of General McPherson, General W. S. Sherman, President Hayes and cabinet, General Garfield and other distinguished men being present, he delivered an address entitled "Ohio's Contribution, Sacrifice and Service in the War." He has ever been actively interested in the cause of the soldiers since his participation in the war and has served as a member of the Department of Ohio of the Grand Army of the Republic. While filling that office in 1868 he organized the board of control for the establishment of the Soldiers and Sailors' Orphans' Home, at Xenia, of which the state assumed control in 1870, making General Keifer one of its trustees, in which capacity he served from April 15, 1870, until

March 5, 1878. From 1873 he has been a trustee of Antioch College and in the same year he was made the president of the Lagonda National Bank of Springfield, in which capacity he has served almost continuously since. Perhaps, however, the work which has drawn the attention of the country to General Keifer more than anything else which he has ever done is that which he performed while a member of congress. Not long after the close of the Civil war he became an important factor in Ohio politics and from 1868 until 1870 was a member of the state senate, where he served on several important committees, including the judiciary and municipal corporation committees. He was an active working member of the senate and was the author of a number of laws, some of which found their way upon the statutes of other states. He introduced an amendment to the replevin law providing special safeguards for heirlooms and other property not possessing general marketable value. In 1876 he was made a delegate to the Republican national convention, and the same year was elected to congress, where he served continuously from March 4, 1877, until March 4, 1885. On the 5th of December, 1881, he was chosen speaker of the house, (Forty-seventh Congress) and filled that position until the 4th of March, 1883. It was an honor well deserved and his course showed that he well merited the confidence reposed in him by the party leaders, many of whom were among the most distinguished men of the nation. He is not only the first and only Ohio man ever chosen to the speakership but he also enjoys the distinction of being the first speaker to: enforce the .rule of closure, his ruling having been adopted in the house giving to the speaker the right to cut off obstructive or dilatory motions. He displayed marked knowledge of parliamentary proceeding and his rulings were always just and impartial, winning him the commendation of even the opposition. No parliamentary decision of his was overruled by the house. He was the first to advance in the direction of doing away with an old order of things which allowed the minority to prevent the action of the house on pending measures by dilatory motions or by refusing to, vote to prevent a, quorum. Pie ruled such motions out of order, and favored the counting of a quorum (the late Speaker Reed then not agreeing with him) when a sufficient number were present for this purpose. He labored untiringly for the welfare of the nation without a thought as to policy where the right or the country's good was involved. He is a statesman who has studied long and deeply the questions concerning national progress and improvement and who places the country's weal before personal aggrandizement or party power. He is, however, an earnest supporter of Republican principles and since his retirement from office has labored earnestly and effectively to promote the cause of Republicanism, delivering- many addresses on the leading political questions throughout Ohio and other states of the Union. His life of public activity and usefulness has extended over a long period, beginning with his service on the battle-fields of the south, and no man of national fame has been more fearless in conduct, faultless in honor or stainless in reputation than Joseph Warren Keifer. When the war with Spain was declared in April, 1898, General Keifer. then sixty-two

Insurance interests of Springfield have advanced to enormous proportions in the past fifteen years, and at the present time constitute one of the leading departments of business activity. Special enterprise and ability always tell in business, and this is particularly so in the line of fire insurance. Competition is particularly keen and the wideawake and alert underwriter is the one who obtains the largest share of public patronage. Prominent among the insurance men of Springfield and of Clark county, and a notable representative of this line of business, is John S. Elliott, who since 1877 has insured a large number of buildings against loss through fire. He also is an agent for all lines of insurance and has met with creditable success in his chosen field of labor. Mr. Elliott was born near the village of Sudlersville, in Queen Anne county, Maryland, December 9, 1854, a son of John S. and Martha A. (Sudler) Elliott, both of whom were born in Maryland of old families and were educated in the early schools there. The father followed the occupation of farming and died in his native county. Unto him and his wife were born seven children, of whom one daughter died at the age of twenty-one years, while the others are all living. Two' sons are engaged in the insurance business in Philadelphia, while the other members of the family are representatives of farming interests in the east. John S. Elliott of this review pursued a common school education in his native county, and when a young man accepted a clerkship in a dry goods store there. In the year 1873 he came to Ohio, locating in Greene county, where he was employed as a farm hand for a year by M. V. Morris. In 1874 he entered the A. D. Wilt Miami Business College at Dayton, Ohio, where he pursued a complete commercial course. He then came to Springfield and for one year was engaged in clerking for J. W. Murphy, after which he became an insurance solicitor for D. R. Hostermam In 1876 he removed to Xenia, where he opened a local office, and in 1877 he returned to Springfield and followed the insurance business for a time. In 1885 he purchased an agency and has since met with very creditable success in his undertakings. He is the president and general manager of the general fire insurance agency of the J. S. Elliott Company, which is incorporated under the laws of Ohio for twenty-five thousand dollars, and is district agent for

the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. He represents all large fire insurance companies and does a strictly union business, representing fire, life and accident insurance companies. He has devoted his entire time and energy to the building up of his present extensive business and has the best individual agency in the state of Ohio. Since 1884 he has been located in the Mitchell .building. On the 6th of September, 1877, in Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Elliott wedded Mary W. Boyer, who was born in that state and was a daughter of O. P. Boyer, of Dayton. She died December 20, 1884, leaving two children : Lida B., the wife of Charles C. Limbacker, of this city; and John Oliver, who was born in August, 1882, and is now in his father's office. Both are graduates of the public schools of Springfield. In January, 1886, Mr. Elliott was again married, his second union being with Nora E. Wood, a native of Springfield, and a daughter of Samuel R. and Margaret Wood. Her father was a farmer in early life and afterward became a machinist. He is now deceased, but his widow is yet living. Three children have been born of the second marriage of our subject: Margaret, born in December, 1887; Benjamin F., in March, 1891; and Allen G., on the 4th of December, 1897. Mr. Elliott was president of the board of public affairs of Springfield for three years, and by reappointment he served for another term of four years, being the Democratic advisory member. He has been a delegate to the city, county and state conventions of the Democratic party, and although he has never sought office some have been conferred upon him, He belongs to Anthony Lodge, No. 455, F. & A. M.; Springfield Chapter, R. A. M.; Springfield Council, No. 17, R. & S. M.; Palestine Commandery, No. 33, K. T.; Rose Croix Lodge, No. 18, of the Scottish rite of Dayton; and the Consistory of Cincinnati. He is also a member of Antioch Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He holds membership relations with Red Star Lodge,

all. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Beckley has been born one son, Henry A. In his political affiliations the subject of this review is a Democrat and in 1901 was appointed by Mayor Milligan a member of the advisory board of public affairs to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of J. S. Elliott, and on the expiration of the term was re-appointed for a term of two years, and during that time took a very active interest in the improvement of the city. Mr. Beckley is also a director of the Merchants & Mechanics Building & Loan Association, with which he has been thus identified since its organization in 1892. Prominent in the ranks of the Masonic fraternity, he holds membership in Anthony Lodge, No. 455, F. & A. M.; Springfield-Chapter, No. 48, R. A. M.; Springfield Council, No. 17. R. & S. M.: and Palestine Commandery, No 3 3 , K. T.

had two children who are yet living. Her third husband was Samuel Barnett, with whom she is now living in Xenia. James F. is a resident of Yellow Springs. Mary P. is the wife of David Milieu, of Xenia. Eliza became the wife of Harvey Jobe and is now deceased. John E. is a resident of Nebraska. Susannah died in early womanhood. David is the next of the family. Sarah Adeline became the wife of William Bancroft, by whom she had one child, Stewart Bancroft. She afterward married William C. Crothers, and there were no children by the second union. Her third husband is J. W. Marshall, and they are now, living in Xenia. David Stewart, whose name introduces this record, grew to manhood upon the old, home farm. He attended school when it was not necessary to assist in farm work, but his educational privileges were somewhat limited, as his services were so often in demand in field and meadow. After his father's death he continued to live with his mother and care for her. The former passed away in 1857, and the latter in 1863. In the meantime Mr. Stewart was married, on the eleventh of January, 1859, in Green township, to Miss Laura, McKeehan, who was born near Fredericktown, Maryland. Five children have been born of this union : Carrie E., who is acting as her father's housekeeper ; Estella, who became the wife of John Brough Rife and lives in Greene county with their two children, Merrill and Cecil; Anna May is the widow of Cargill Morton, and they have one child, Grace. James McKeehan is a resident of Xenia. David Edwin, the youngest, is engaged in dealing in horses. Mr. Stewart of this review inherited one hundred and thirty acres of land, to which he has added until his possessions now aggregate two hundred and ten acres. He has remodeled and improved the buildings upon his place, and his farm is now attractive in appearance and well equipped with modern accessories. In 1864 he proved his loyalty to the Union by enlisting in the National Guard, with which he was called out for one