The Stewart Family of Clark County, Ohio

ROBERT ELDER, owner of a large general store in the village of Selma, and president of the Miami Deposit Bank, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, was born in this vicinity January 16, 1872, and is a son of Robert and Julia Ann (Stewart) Elder. The old Elder homestead in Green Town- ship was established by Robert Elder, grandfather of our subject, and a native of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio when. eleven years of age, locating in Clark County. He married Nancy Elder, a native of Clark County, and reared a family of nine children, three sons and six daughters, of whom five are still living.

Robert N. Elder, father of the present Robert, was born and reared on the home farm in Green Township and there spent his entire life, engaged in farming. He married Julia Ann Stewart, a daughter of Perry and Rhoda Stewart, of Green Township, Clark County, and they be- came the parents of eleven children, of whom six still survive, the subject of this sketch being the eldest of those living. Robert N. Elder's death, which occurred July 18, 1907, was caused by his sustain- ing a fall in the barn of the home farm.

Robert Elder, subject of this sketch, was reared on the home farm and received his educational training in the district schools of the township, after which he assisted with the work at home until twenty-three years old. He then engaged as clerk in the store then operated by Wildman & Company and two years later bought a half interest in the store, of which he took entire charge the year following, and has conducted same ever since. Mr. Elder is also financially interested in the Miami Deposit Bank, of Yellow Springs. In 1895 he and his uncle, P. M. Stewart, bought the defunct Citizens' Bank of that town, and again put it in operation, it now being known as the Miami Deposit Bank, Mr. Elder acting as president and P. M. Stewart as cashier.

Politically Mr. Elder is a Republican and has served as a delegate to County, District and Congressional Conventions, is clerk of the School Board, and cashier of the Ohio State Fair. The school district of this vicinity was the second organized under the New Special School District Law of 1904, and it was through the efforts of Mr. Elder and others who have always taken an active interest in all affairs which tend toward the advancement of the community that this fine school with its excellent facilities was made possible.

Mr. Elder was joined in marriage September 14, 1898, with Rachel T. Wildman, a daughter of William and Eliza Wildman, now residents of Springfield. They are the parents of four children, Robert Newell, Lois, Malcolm and Julia, two of whom are attending school. Religiously Mr. Elder is a member of the Methodist Church and his wife is a Friend.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN T. STEWART (deceased). There is perhaps no family in Clark Co. who are more widely known than the descendants of John T. Stewart, and most of his sons are leading business men of the community in. which they reside, and a credit to their deceased father. The family are of Scotch origin, and went to Ireland about 1661, changing their name from Stuart to Stewart, to avoid persecution. In 1735, the grand- parents of John T., viz., Samuel T. Stewart and wife, came to the American Colonies, and with them came the father of John T., viz., Samuel Stewart, a native of Belfast, Ireland, the family settling in Pennsylvania. The subject of this sketch was the fifth son of Samuel Stewart, and was born in Dauphin Co., Penn., March 3, 1781, and there grew to maturity, his father dying in that county Sept. 19, 1803. In the autumn of 1806 he, with his brother, Samuel, came to Ohio, and purchased 500 acres of land in Sec. 15, Town 5, Range 8, which was then a part of Greene Co., but now lays in Green Township, Clark Co., Ohio. About 1815, they divided the land, John T. receiving the southern portion in the division then made. He was married near his home, March 2, 1815, to Miss Ann Elder, third daughter of Robert and Ann Elder, natives of Dauphin Co., Penn., who settled on Sec. 10 of the same township in the spring of 1813. Mrs. Stewart was born in her parents' native county, May 19, 1798, and had the fol- lowing children by this union: Juliana, Perry, Elder R., Samuel, Charles, James M., Thomas E., Osear N., William C. and Harriet, all of whom are living but the last- mentioned, who died in infancy. John T. and wife resided with his brother, Samuel, until he built a house on his own place, whither they removed in the fall of 1816. In 1813, he was elected Justice of the Peace, which office he held until 1836; he was the first Clerk of the Clifton Presbyterian Church, which was organized in 1811; was the first Clerk of his Township, and served as Associate Judge one term. He continued to reside on the old homestead until his death, April 16, 1850, his widow surviving him thirty years, dying Sept. 24, 1880. Both were life-long members of the Presbyterian Church, and went down to the grave with a strong faith in a blissful immortality. John T. Stewart was a man of ability and intellectual worth; of the strictest temperance views, and can be truly called one of the pioneer temperance men of Clark Co. He uit a Mie bi,, M (4q 3 was a rank Abolitionist, and early took strong grounds against slavery, and believed that nothing but a war would be able to strike the shackles from the slave, which demonstrate that he possessed a discerning, far-seeing mind, much in advance of his time. He was one of the most energetic. successful farmers of Clark Co., and accumulated an estate worth, at the time of his death, $40,000, which was considered wealthy in those days. He was a man honored and respected by all classes of society, and has left a name that his descendants can point to with just pride. His portrait appears in the pages of this work, having been inserted by his children, who yet love and honor his memory, and who believed that it was their duty to represent him in this history, where he justly deserved a place.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PERRY STEWART, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Springfield; was born in this township June 6, 1818, and was the eldest son of John T. and Ann Stewart; raised to farm life, he has always pursued it. His early education was such as the common schools of the country afforded during his boyhood; but a close observation of and a large experience with the ways of mankind and the business world, have given his mind a cultivation and finish that fit him for the duties and stations in life far above the humble though honorable one of his choice. Of Scottish descent, his ancestry having first removed from Scotland to the northern part of Ireland, thence to Pennsylvania, and thence to Ohio. To perseverance, pluck, industry and economy, he adds liberality, generosity and hospitality. Oct. 15, 1844, he married Miss Rhoda Wheeler, daughter of Ebenezer, who was born Dec. 31, 1824, in this township also. Of this marriage ten children, five sons and five daughters, were born, all of whom survive except one daughter, and many of them grown to manhood and womanhood, fill honorable stations in life, while the remainder are yet in the family household. Upon his marriage, he commenced farming for himself on a farm of 130 acres, where he now lives, and to which he has added until this farm embraces 340 acres, and his entire landed possessions embrace over 600 acres in the vicinity. That he is an enterprising and successful farmer not only the with of his acres, but their state of cultivation and the improvements upon them, leave no room for doubt. In 1862, when rebellion threatened the destruction of our civil government and the spoliation of our Union, he left his family of wife and eight children, his farm and stock, aided in recruiting Co. A, 94th O. V. I., was commissioned Captain of it, and led it into the field. After eighteen months’ service, the privations of camp life and the exposure and hardships of it brought disease and disability, and compelled his resignation and a return to civil life. In 1865, he was chosen County Commissioner of his county, and in 1867 a Representative of his district in the General Assembly of his state, both of which offices he discharged the duties of to the satisfaction of his constituents.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

OSCAR N. STEWART, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Springfield; one of a numerous and prominent family of that name in this locality; was born in this town- ship, Feb. 5, 1833. He was the son of John T. Stewart; was brought up upon the farm, and received a common-school education. At the age of 23 he commenced farm- ing for himself’ upon a part of his father's farm, where he now resides, and where he has surrounded and provided himself with all the comforts and conveniences of farm life. In January, 1862, he married Miss Rachel Nichelson, daughter of Andrew Nich- nelson, now deceased, an early settler and much-esteemed citizen of Harmony Township. Of this marriage, three children survive—Herbert P., Ralph N. and Frank C., all liv- ing with their parents, by whom neither pains or means are spared to educate and fit them for the duties of life. To the 140 acres originally owned by Mr. Stewart, he has added from time to time, until his acreage in the vicinity reaches 513, besides 150 acres in another locality, all valuable lands in an excellent state of cultivation. He combines stock-growing with farming, and thus turns the products of the farm to greater account, and thereby enhances his profits.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PERRY M. STEWART.

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As printed in the source⁶. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PERRY HERBERT STEWART, re- siding on a farm of 135 acres, located eight miles southeast of the city of Springfield, in Green Township, comes of one of the oldest and most representative Clark County families. He was born in Green Township, one-half miles south of his present home, December 12, 1862, and is a son of Oscar Nesbitt and Rachel (Nicholson) Stewart.

Oscar N. Stewart was born in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, February

5, 1833, and was one of ten children born to John Templeton and Ann (Elder) Stewart. He was reared on the old Stewart home place, and when twenty-two years of age began life on his own account, having inherited one hundred and forty acres upon his father's death. This he set about improving and devoted his attention exclusively to farming until the outbreak of the Civil War. Upon the first call to arms he responded, enlisting April 23, 1861, in Company E, Sixteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Philip Kershner. He was in the army about four months with the division that was at Phillippi and Carrick's Ford. After his return from the front, he was soon married, and with his wife lived on the farm in Green Township until 1884, when he removed to his farm in Harmony Township, where he erected a fine home. A successful farmer and business man in every way, with the assistance of his faithful wife, he accumulated some eight hundred acres of land.

Oscar N. Stewart was married Janu- ary 28, 1862, to Miss Rachel Nicholson, who was born in Harmony Township, and is a daughter of Andrew and Rachel (Hammond) Nicholson. They became parents of three children: Perry Herbert; Ralph Nicholson, who is secretary of the Mutual Aid Society, and lives in Springfield; and Frank, who lives on the home farm. Fraternally he is a member of Wilson Post No. 602, G. A. R., at Vienna. He is a member of the Christian Church, at Plattsburg, of which he is a deacon. Politically he is a Republican.

Perry Herbert Stewart was reared on the farm and attended the district schools, afterward attending Antioch College one year and Lebanon College a few terms. Returning home he took up farming as his life work, operating the home place until 1895, when he moved upon his pres- ent farm, which he had purchased the previous year from the David Elder as- signees. He erected outbuildings and made other substantial improvements, and in 1899 built a commodious house, which, with the fine lawn and shade trees, makes one of the most attractive country homes in this section of the county.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

F. 0. JONES, head of the firm of F. 0. Jones & Company, which is extensively engaged in sheet metal work, roofing, etc., has been a prominent citizen and business man of Springfield, Ohio, since 1894.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.