REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

MARION COUNTY, OHIO

1907 HISTORY

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PHILLIP EICHHORN, whose farm of 80 acres of valuable land is situated in section 11, Richland township, belongs to one of the substantial and respected old German families of this part of Ohio. He was born May 13, 1848, in Morrow County, Ohio, and is a son of Daniel and Margaret (Firstenberger) Eichhorn.

Daniel Eichhorn, the father, was born October 1, 1822 in Baiertal, Baden, Gremany and came to America with his father, Phillip Eichhorn. Margaret Furstenberger Eichhorn was born December 12, 1828 in Baiertal, Baden, Geramny the daughter of Carl Elenora (Mueller) Fuerstenberger. The Phillip Eichhorn settled in Morrow County, Ohio, south of Galion, where he bought a large body of land, having brought plenty of means with him from the old country. There he and his wife lived and died and were interred on their own property. To each of his four sons, Phillip Eichhorn left a farm of 80 acres. He had seven children, namely: Margaret, who married J. Croft; Catherine, who married William Snider; Lena, who married J. Long; and Phillip, Frederick, Adam and Daniel.

Daniel. Eichhorn was young when his parents brought him to Ohio. He was reared in Morrow County and learned the English language in the district schools. He remained under the paternal roof until his marriage, when he moved upon the farm his father gave him. He married Margaret Firstenberger, a daughter of Charles Firstenberger, one of the old pioneers of Marion County, who had emigrated from Germany. Daniel Eichhorn died in 1854, and his widow, with her two surviving children, moved to Marion County, where she died in 1860. The children were three in number: Phillip; Sophia, who married Christian Beringer; and a babe that died in infancy.

Phillip Eichhorn was six years old when his father died, and he then accompanied his mother and sister back to Marion County. He was reared on the farms of his relatives, working and going to school as opportunity offered. When 22 years of age, March 17, 1871, he married Margaret Yager (Jaeger), who was born in Marion County, Ohio, October 29, 1849, and is a daughter of George Yager, of Richland township. Seven children have been born to them, as follows: Lora, who married Robert Sweeney and lives in Richland township; Frederick, residing at Cardington, who married Ida Merchant and has one child, Helen; Catherine, residing at home; Samuel, of Richland township, who married Emma Klingel and has two cbildren-Herbert and Homer; Clara, who married Peter Lemmel, a farmer of Claridon township; and John and Harvey, both living at home.

George Yager (Jaeger), father of Mrs. Eichhorn, was born in Ritterhoffen, Alsace-Lorraine, France and came to America in young manhood. He immediately settled in Marion County, Ohio, where he shortly afterward married Catherine Steffan, who had accompanied her parents from Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Yager had six children, as follows: Mary, deceased, who was the wife of A. Stark, also deceased; Catherine, who married Edward Linstet; Margaret; Caroline, who married A. Wisky; Julia, who married Fred Hoebner; and George. Mr. Yager died on the home farm during Mrs. Eichhorn's childhood. Mrs. Yager resides with Mr. and Mrs. Eichhorn.

Phillip Eichhorn carries on general farming, successfully raising grain and stock. This farm he acquired in 1870, buying it from Mathias Loyer, and has resided here ever since his marriage, making a number of substantial improvements and having a comfortable dwelling and large barns. He is a member of the German Reformed Church.

JAMES EMERY, (PICTURE) one of the leading citizens of Waldo township, who is engaged in general farming on his farm of 100 acres situated in section 19, was born July 4, 1826, on the old home farm in Richland township just 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and on the same day on which both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died. He is a son of John and Catherine (Harter) Emery.

John Emery, who was born in 1797 in the Shenandoah Valley, near Charlestown, Berkeley County, Virginia, came to Ohio in 1820 and located first at Lancaster. After remaining there about one year, he and his wife, and his brother Jacob and wife, moved to Richland township, Marion County; in making their way through, Waldo. township they were obliged to cut their way through the forest to the land on which they expected to settle. John and his brother Jacob built a log cabin, John hauling the logs while Jacob notched them. There were no sawmills then and the logs had to be split for the floor and roof. Their wives, during the construction of the cabin, lived for a short time at the home of Mr. Porter and later went to, live in a bark tent with the Indians, doing the cooking for them. Jacob Emery and his wife had two sons, both of whom died.

John Emery was married in Virginia to Catherine Harter, a daughter of Mathias Harter. Her rnaternal grandfather was Capt. John Waggoner, who fought in the Revolutionary War. Nine children were born to John and Catherine (Harter) Emery, namely: Martin, Rebecca, Elizabeth, James, Susan, Fannie, Anna, Jane and Catherine, all of whom are deceased but James, Susan and Fannie. John Emery and his wife both died on their farm in Richland township, the former in 1873 at the age of 76 years, and the latter in 1885 at the advanced age of 85 years. Our subject's mother was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over 65 years.

James Emery was reared on his father's farm in Richland township. He received but little schooling and obtained most of his education by reading, of which he was very fond, and by experience. Mr. Emery assisted his father in the work of clearing the land and experienced many of the trials and hardships of pioneer life. Wild hogs were to be seen in large numbers in this section, but finally left when the country became well settled, as did the deer and wild turkeys, the latter at one time often being met with in flocks of 50 or more After his marriage. Mr. Emery worked on various farms until he commenced dealing in stock most of his operations in buying and selling stock however, did not take place until after the Civil War had commenced. he started out with $150 and in one year had $1,500, clearing just $1,350 in that time. He then borrowed $500 and paid $2,000 for a farm of 50 acres in Richland township, which after three years of operation and improvement he sold for $3,250. In 1869 he bought his present farm of 100 acres from Solomon Boger. There were no buildings on the land and it was considered as one of the poorest farms in the county. It is now one of the most highly cultivated and best improved farms in Waldo township. Last year Mr. Emery raised about 3,000 bushels of corn; one season he raised 1,200 bushels of wheat.

Mr. Emery was married June 16, 1853, to Rachel Showers, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Duty) Showers, the former born in New Jersey and the latter in Pennsylvania. Twelve children were born to this union, as follows: Eva, deceased, who was the wife of Henry Firstenberger; Selvina, deceased at the age of seven months; Lucinda; Ann, who married G. Louther; Clemmons; John; Benjamin; Laura, deceased, who was the wife of George Kenyon; James; Joseph; Gladys, who married Watson Pennery ., and an infant, deceased. Mrs. Emery died January 9, 1902, and Mr. Emery still lives on the farm with his daughter Lucinda. He has 26 grandchildren living. His son John, who has been a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, for 16 years, is a member of the police force of that city and is chief of the Fire Department; his company has won many prizes throughout the West and offers to compete with any in the whole United States.

Mr. Emery served at one time as trustee of Waldo township and as assessor of Richland township, having been elected as a, Democrat. For the Past 25 years he has been a Prohibitionist. While not voting the Democratic ticket, he is an ardent admirer of Bryan, from whom he has bad several letters and for whom he has gotten up a club. Religiously, he is a member of the United Brethren Church. Mr. Emery is one of the oldest, best known and most highly respected residents of this county.

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. James Emery accompany this sketch, being presented on a foregoing page.

JOHN EMERY came with his wife Catharine and his infant son Martin to Richland township in the spring of 1820 and built their cabin on the farm where Mrs. John Hinamon now resides. Mr. Emery was born of Dutch parentage, December 14, 1797, about three miles from the old stone mansion of Lord Fairfax in Virginia. Mrs. Emery was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, August I4, 1800. When she was 12 years old, she came with her parents, Mathias and Barbara Harter, to Monroe County, Ohio. At the age of 17 she married John Emery and two years later, after a long and toilsome journey through the scattered white settlements of Southern and Central Ohio, they arrived in Marion County, venturing, as they thought, beyond the limits of any white settlement. The Sunday after their arrival, however, they were pleasantly surprised by a visit from Peter Dunkleberger, who, a few weeks previous, had settled a short distance up the river. During the week he had heard the ring of Mr. Emery's axe.

Here they made their home and reared their large family. The children, who all grew to maturity, except one, John Wesley, were: Martin, deceased; Rebecca, deceased, who was the wife of John Harruff; Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of William Waddell ; James; Susan, deceased, who was the wife of George Parratt; Fanny, wife of Jacob Jacoby; Anna, deceased, who was the wife of Henry Brenner; Mary Jane, deceased, who was the wife of William Oborn; and Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of Michael Jacoby, Jr.

The first religious society formed in the township, and the second one in the county, was organized at the Emery home in 1822, by Rev. Jacob Bacon, a Methodist Episcopal circuit rider. The society at first consisted of only four members, John and Catharine Emery, Jacob Emery and Zuba Wilcox. In 1826 a rude log church was built on Mr. Emery's farm. Here the Methodists of the community worshiped until 1851, when the Emery Church was built on the bank of the Olentangy near the present residence of Hiram King. Mr. and Mrs. Emery, with John Jacoby and wife, Titus King and wife and a few others, were instrumental in organizing in 1828 the first Sunday-school in the township.

Mr. Emery died in 1873 and his widow in 1887. They were noted for their piety. Mr. Emery, who learned the art of reading from his wife, after their marriage, became a great student, finding much enjoyment and using most of his spare moments reading books and papers. Mrs. Emery was an energetic, thrifty wife. Her religion was of the old-fashioned eruptive kind, and she seldom attended a class meeting without testifying to her deep religous convictions. On such occasions she would conclude her testimony with shouts of rapture and by shaking hands with all present, while the good brothers and sisters would sing some soul-stirring hymn.

FRANCIS M. EPLEY, ex-county commissioner and a representative agriculturist and large stock--raiser, resides in section 32, Claridon township, on his valuable farm of 123 acres. He was born in Prospect township, Marlon County, Ohio, April 18, 1852, and is a son of David and Sarah (Dunbar) Epley.

The Epley family originated in Wuerttemberg, Germany, where the grandfather, George W. Epley, was born. he came to Marion County as one of the pioneers. David Epley. the father, was born in Trumball County, Ohio, and was a youth when he accompanied his parents to this section, where be lived, a respected, useful citizen, until his death in 1863. He married Sarah Dunbar. whose parents came from Pennsylvania at an early date and settled in Prospect township. Of the children born to David Epley and wife, five survive, as follows: Francis M.: Ellen, wife of Solomon Rosencrans, of Scott township: George W. and Samuel D., of Claridon township and Emma J., wife of Frank Barkes, of Pleasant township. David Epley served as a trustee of Claridon township and took all active interest in the development of its resources.

Francis M.. Epley was reared in Claridon township and as he was the eldest of the family many responsibilities were placed on his shoulders after the death of his father. He took charge of the farm for his widowed mother, later being assisted by his brothers as they grew to manhood The land was swampy and difficult to place under cultivation, but perseverance and industry finally brought about excellent results. Mr. Epley has always been an industrious man and as he looks over this neighborhood and sees the country as it is and compares his farm with what it was when he took charge, he feels as if he was one of the pioneers. His mother survived until 1877.

Mr. Epley was married (first) to Lydia A. Ulsh, a daughter of John Ulsh, a former resident of Claridon township, who died while serving his country during the Civil War. When Mrs. Epley died she left one son, Marion J., a civil engineer, who resides at Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mr. Epley married (second) Martha Fairchilds, of Richland township. At her death she left two daughters, namely: Alma Inez, wife of A. E. Snider, of Claridon township; and Iva May, at home. Mr. Epley was married (third) to Mrs. Mary E. Riffle, nee Snider who was the widow of Solomon Riffle, formerly of Licking County, Ohio.

Mr. Epley is a member of the Evangelical Association. he served for many years as school director of District No. 8, Claridon township, always taking all interest in the advancement of education in his locality. For four years he served as one of the township trustees and during a portion of this time he was president of the board. During his service of three years as county commissioner, he was the president of the board for one year. Politically he is a Democrat.

JOHN EVANS, deceased, was for many years a valued citizen and excellent business man of Marion County, and was widely known as the proprietor and operator of the largest blue lime stone quarry in Central Ohio, and a manufacturer of an excellent quality of white lime for which there was a large demand. John Evans was born in Wales, September 28, 1848, and was a son of John and Gwenllian Evans.

The parents of Mr. Evans were natives of Wales, where the father was born in 1815 and the mother in 1814. They came to America in 1862 and settled on a farm in Trumbull County, Ohio, where the father died in 1875. The mother passed away a few years later. They had a family of six children--three sons and three daughters.

On November 11, 1873, John Evans, who had become a resident of Marion County, was married to Mary J. Owens, a daughter of John and Ann Owens, natives of Wales and residents of Marion County. To this marriage were born these children: John, Daniel, Thomas (deceased), David, Keziah (deceased) and Stella.

Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Evans purchased the old Barnhart 80-acre farm from John Owens, his father-in-law, and for a few years operated it. In 1882 he bought the valuable blue limestone quarry, known as the "Stone Cut." It is 215 acres in extent and is situated just outside the city limits of Marion, on the Hocking Valley Railway. It was then almost untouched, but it is now the largest and finest quarry in the county. The famous blue limestone, which has a market value above any other, ranges in even layers from 6 to 22 inches in thickness, is clear, fine and strong, hardens with age and is no more affected by frost than is granite or marble. This remarkable limestone was exhibited by Mr. Evans at the World's Fair at Chicago in 1893 and he was awarded the first prize. Mr. Evans did an immense business and placed it upon so firm a footing that it has been managed with equal success since his death by Mrs. Evans, who is known to the business world as superintendent and general manager of The John Evans Lime & Stone Company. One hundred men are employed in carrying on the business.

For many years Mr. Evans was a hearty worker in the First Presbyterian Church of Marion, and was a member of its board of trustees. Mrs. Evans belongs also to this religious body and continues to carry out her husband's benevolent intentions. In politics Mr. Evans was a Republican. He was fraternally connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows. He was a thorough business man, notwithstanding the fact that he never went to school a day in his life. Close application to business at length undermined his health, and, although travel, rest and recreation were resorted to, Mr. Evans died a comparatively young man, passing away on February 25, 1894.

CLARK EVERETT, who for several years was engage in agricultural pursuits in Green Camp township, was born in Lincolnshire, England, and died in this township September 14, l888. He was a son of William Everett, who came to this country before the Civil War and located in Grand township, Marion County, Ohio. He served throughout the entire war, after which he returned to Grand township where he engaged in farming and was one of the leading agriculturists of the township.

Clark Everett was reared and educated in England and there engaged in farming until 1883, when he came to America with his wife and family. He located in Green Camp township on a farm of 53 acres which is now owned by his son, J. G. Everett. Clark Everett was united in marriage with Mary Jane Whiley, a native of England and a daughter of Charles and Mary (Trupenny) Whiley, natives of England, who came to America in 1875. Mr. Whiley first located in Canada where he resided for a period of 15 years and then removed to Marion County, Ohio, locating on a farm in Big Island township, where he died in 1898. Mrs. Whiley died 18 months later at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Clark Everett. Two children were born to Clark and Mary Everett: Charles William, who died in infancy; and John G., who was born October 5, 1874, in England.

JOHN G. EVERETT came to this country with his parents when a lad of nine years, and since then has resided on his father's farm in Green Camp township. He has managed. the farm ever since the death of his father, which occurred when he was 13 years old. He has always followed farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of raising corn and hogs. When his father purchased the farm, there were no improvements whatever on the place. The farm is now a fine, well-improved property of 120 acres; a commodious frame house was erected in the summer of 1893 and a large barn was built in 1902.

John G. Everett was married in October, 1896, to Dora Locker, a daughter of William T. and Mary Elizabeth (Mitton) Locker. Three children were born to this union: Eva Lucile, Irma Birdella and Velda Gail.

JAMES H. EYMON, attorney-at-law, at Marion, who has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession here for several years, and is located over the Marion National Bank, East Center street, was born in 1872 in Pickaway County, Ohio, and is a son of Samuel Eymon, a representative citizen of Williamsport, Ohio.

James H. Eymon was reared in Pickaway County, and after completing the public school course there, engaged in teaching school for some nine years, in the meantime preparing for a university law course. Subsequently he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated with his degree in June, 1903. In the following August he located at Marion where he soon was accorded a place among the able and convincing practitioners at the Marion bar. He has identified himself with the various interests of the city and is well and favorably known in its different circles

In 1896 Mr. Eymon was united in marriage with Nina Sly, who is a native of Pickaway County, Ohio, and they have two children, a son and daughter, Harold and Marjorie. The family belongs to the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Eymon is a member of the Masonic fraternity.