David Benjamin Beard

As printed in 1908

DAVID BENJAMIN BEARD, president of the Board of Trustees of Mad River Township and owner of 382 acres of valuable farm land, was born January 24, 1859, and is the son of John B. and Margaret (Shellabarger) Beard.

John B. Beard was born in Mad River Townsjiip on what is now known as the Fulton farm and was one of a small family of children, all of whom are now deceased. He was reared in this township, which was then wholly undeveloped and was always engaged in farming. He married Margaret Shellabarger, also a native of this township, and they became the parents of ten children, namely: Esther; Samuel, who died aged twelve years; Ephriam, who died aged fifty-six years; Ann Rebecca, now deceased; Mary Etta;

William; Abigail Elizabeth, who is now Mrs. H. R. Miller; John Samuel, who died aged twenty-five years; George, a practicing attorney at Springfield, Ohio; and David Benjamin, the subject of this sketch. John Beard died in 1870, aged fifty-six years, after which David operated the farm for his mother until her death in 1900, when she was in her eighty-third year.

David Benjamin Beard was born on his father's farm one mile south of Enon, where he was reared and where he resided until about twenty-one years of age. His education was obtained in the district school at Maple Grove, and at the age of fifteen he began farming for himself. He was married November 24, 1880, to Anna Kline, a daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Herr) Kline, both her parents being natives of Pennsylvania.

Samuel Kline came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his father, Samuel, Sr., to Ohio and settled in the timberlands near Medway. After his marriage he kept a toll gate on the Valley Pike at a small place called Texas, which is now. a part of Dayton, Ohio. He shortly after purchased a small stock of provisions and opened a store on his porch. He subsequently came to Mad River Township, Clark County, and bought a farm from James Bier and became one of the most successful farmers in the township. He died May 16, 1904, aged seventy-seven years, and his wife died in December, 1893, aged sixty-seven years. They were the parents of nine children, namely: Joseph, Sarah Jane, Mary Elizabeth, Benjamin. John, Anna (Mrs. Beard), Jacob, Elizabeth (Mrs. George Schauer) and Emma. Of these Joseph, Sarah J.,

Mary E. and Benjaniiu died when young, and Emma died at the age of twenty years.

Shortly after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Beard came into possession of the Samuel Kline farm, which lies east of their present farm and they resided there until 1905, when they removed to their present property, which is situated on the Dayton Pike, about eight miles west of Siiring-field, Ohio. Mr. Beard has turned all of the farm work over to his sons, who also deal extensively in stock, buying and selling cattle, horses, etc. Mr. Beard also has charge of another-farm of one hundred acres.

Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beard as follows: John Samuel, who graduated from Wittenberg College in 1905, married Bertha Wahlay, and is a resident of Philadelphia, where he is clerk in the 'avj Yard; Elmer Herr, who married Bessie Swadner, and lives on the old home farm across from his father, and has one child — Benjamin; Harry, who married, November 14, 1907, Jessie Hupman, and lives at home; and Esther Thelma. Politically Mr. Beard is a Republican. For the past sixteen years he has served as school director and for seven years has been president of the Board of Trustees of lad River Township, having been the first Republican elected to that office in years. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and was formerly associated with the I. 0. 0 F. order.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.