Charles E. Critchfield

JUDGE CHARLES E. CRITCHFIELD.

Examples that impress force of character on all who study them are worthy of record. By a few general observations may be conveyed some idea of the high standing of Judge Charles E. Critchfield, of Mt. Vernon, as an attorney, a man of affairs and a citizen and public benefactor. United in his composition are so many elements of a solid and practical nature, which during a series of many decades have brought him into prominent notice and earned for him a conspicuous place among the enterprising and scholarly men of the county honored by his residence, that it is but just recognition of his worth to speak at some length of his life and achievements, although he is conservative and unpretentious, caring little for the admiring plaudits of men, satisfied if he is conscious of doing his duty well in the several relations of life.

Judge Critchfield is the schon of a sterling old pioneer family and he himself may be referred to as a connecting link between the pioneer epoch and the present, having spent his long, active and useful life in this locality whose interests he has ever had at heart and which he has ever sought to promulgate, playing an important role in the drama of civilization. He was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, near the Knox county line, on November 25, 1836, and he is the son of Charles and Matilda (Butler) Critchfield. The great-grandfather of the subject, who was of German lineage, fought in the Revolutionary war. The grandfather, William Critchfield, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, from which he emigrated to Knox county, Ohio, in 1812 when this section was but a forest wilderness and yet the haunts of wild beasts and the home of the red man. He was an honored and influential pioneer and aided materially in laying the foundation for the prosperity and civilization that was to follow. Charles Critchfield, father of the Judge, was also born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and he emigrated to Knox county, Ohio, with his parents in 1812, later moving to Coshocton county, where his son, Charles E., of this review, was born. Twelve years later he returned with his family to Knox county and located upon a farm which is still in possession of his descendants. He followed farming on a large scale during the active years of his life, and was widely known as an enterprising agriculturist and honorable citizen. His wife, Matilda Butler, was the daughter of Benjamin Butler, who came from Virginia to Ohio, and who, with Joseph Walker and Thomas Bell Patterson, at one time owned the site of Mt. Vernon, and who laid out the town here in 1805. So on both the paternal and material sides of the house, Judge Critchfield is a representative of worthy pioneer stock, intimately identified with the history of the city and county from its earliest days, and he has ever striven to keep untarnished the bright escutcheon of an honored family name.

The literary education of Charles E. Critchfield was obtained in the home schools, as already intimated, and while he did not enjoy, so extensive advantages of many of the present day, he made the most of every opportunity and laid a broad and secure foundation for the subsequent structure. When a young man he began reading law in the office of Major William R. Sapp, of Mt. Vernon, and in 1865 he was admitted to the bar and opened an office in Mt. Vernon, and with the exception of the years when he was in official positions he has practiced here ever since, covering a period of forty-six years, which have been replete with honor and a very high degree of success such as few attain and none of his contemporaries have surpassed. It was not his nature to occupy any mediocre position, but his ambition was to excel and, with “his wagon hitched to a star,” he has ever striven for the highest and best. By thorough preparation, profound study and research and absolute devotion to his calling and the cause of his clients, he early in his career won an envied place in his profession. He has followed a general practice in all the courts of the state and United States courts. In 1869 he was elected probate judge of Knox county and served two consecutive terms of three years each and again after an interval of three years he was re-elected for a third term, thus serving nine years, in a manner that not only reflected much credit upon himself but also won the hearty approval of all concerned, irrespective of party alignment, and it is doubtful if the county ever had, before or since, a more able official in this capacity and one who discharged his duties with greater fidelity and alacrity. He has also filled other important public positions, always in a manner that proved the wisdom of his selection. He has been a life-long Democrat and always loyal to the principles of the party. During President Cleveland’s second administration he served as postmaster at Mt. Vernon from 1893 to 189 7. In 1889 he was elected representative from Knox county to the state Legislature and during his term participated in the election of Calvin S. Brice to the United States Senate. He won the admiration of his colleagues and the hearty approval of his constituents while in the House and added additional luster to an already distinguished name in the Buckeye state.

Judge Critchfield was married in 1862 to Amanda Vincent, daughter of Alexander and Eliza (McElroy) Vincent, of Washington county, Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in an early day and located on a farm in Knox county, where they became well established and highly respected. Two children have been born to the Judge and wife, Charles Vincent, manager of the Mt. Vernon electric light and power plant, and Nellie, the estimable daughter.

Few men have a wider acquaintance and are more favorably known than Judge Critchfield. In this community, where his entire life has been spent, his high character, his marked ability, his sterling worth and his fidelity to duty in public life commands the consideration and high regard of his fellow men, which they have ever very freely accorded, honoring him as one of the notable men of his day and generation, as he justly deserves, in this section of Ohio.

As printed in Past and present of Knox County, Ohio (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.