David S. Shollenbarger

As printed in 1894

AVID S. SHOLLENBARGER. One of the most attractive rural abodes of Butler County is that owned and occupied by the gentleman above named. It is situated in Milford Township, one-lialf mile west of Darrtown, and comprises one hundred and ninety acres of fertile soil under excellent cultivation, and supplied with a complete line of substantial farm buildings. Having been for years under the control of one who has made agriculture his life work, it bears in every part the appearance of a well regulated estate.

Both the paternal and material ancestors of our subject were represented in Butler County at an early period in its settlement. His grandparents, Daniel and Catherine Smith, natives of Pennsylvania, came to Ohio some time during the ’20s, and settled in Hanover Township, Butler County, near the northeast corner of the township. Later they removed to Oxford Township, where their closing years were passed. Grandfather Smith departed this life February 20, 1861, aged eighty-four years, six months and twenty days. His wife died August 6, 1847, aged sixty-eight years, seven months and ten days.

Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel and Catherine Smith, became the wife of Daniel Shollenbarger about 1834. He was born January 9, 1809, in North Carolina, to which state his father, Frederick, had removed from Pennsylvania. In 1815, when he was six years old, the family came to Ohio and settled in Butler County, three miles west of Hamilton, where the grandparents remained until death. In 1850 Daniel removed from that place to Oxford Township, and in 1857 came to the farm where our subject now resides. Here he died in October of 1868. His widow survived him thirteen years, her death occurring in 1881, at the age of seventy years. He followed the trade of a carpenter until advanced in years, when he was afflicted with rheumatism to such an extent as to prevent active manual labor.

The family of which our subject is a member consisted of nine children, of whom eight attained years of maturity and seven are now living. One brother, Daniel, died in Tipton, Ind., in 1890. A sister, Sophia, married John Keil, and both died here soon after the war. Her family now resides at Ft. Wayne, Ind. Her son, Capt. Fred Keil, has recently published a history of the noted regiment, the Thirty-fifth Ohio. Our subject was born in Ross Township, Butler County, two miles west of Hamilton, where his grandfather, Frederick, settled in 1815. The date of his birth was July 27, 1837. In youth he was trained to farm work, and arriving at man’s estate those agriculture as his life occupation. He was a young man when the Rebellion broke out and calls were made for volunteers who would defend the Old Flag and preserve the Union. He enlisted at Hamilton, August 18, 1862, his name being enrolled as a member of Company C, Thirty-fifth Ohio Infantry. With his regiment he marched to the front and participated in a number of hard-fought contests with the enemy. At Chickamauga he was wounded in the right cheek and shoulder, and was captured by the enemy, who held him for fifty-seven days, three weeks of the time being spent on the battlefield and the remaining days in Libby and other prisons. His health was seriously injured through his sufferings in the damp and cheerless prisons, and he was obliged to spend about two weeks in a hospital at Richmond. On his return to the Union army he was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Company D, Eighteenth Ohio Infantry, at Larkinsville, Ala., and at Chattanooga was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant, in which capacity he rendered valiant service from April 19, 1865, until his discharge at Columbus, September 30, 1865. The months immediately preceding his discharge had been spent in doing guard duty between Chattanooga, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga., he being on post duty at the latter place some time.

February 6, 1873, occurred the marriage of Mr. Shollenbarger and Miss Emma Beckett, a native of Hanover Township, and daughter of James and Elizabeth (Hill) Beckett. They have had four children, namely: Elizabeth, who died at the age of six years; Paul Daniel, whose death occurred at four years of age; Edith, an accomplished young lady of seventeen years; and Ralph, who is in his thirteenth year. The family holds membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Darrtown, in which Mr. Shollenbarger is an Eider. He exercises the right of suffrage in favor of the principles and candidates of the Republican party. He and his wife have many warm friends, and their pleasant home is a favorite gathering place for the best people in the neighborhood.

As printed in Memorial record of Butler County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of representative citizens of the county together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States (1894). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.