In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902)
DWIGHT W. HOLLENBECK.
In a history of the representative men who have been connected with the business development and substantial progress of Clark county, Dwight Wheeler Hollenbeck must be mentioned. He occupied a leading and honorable position in business circles here for a number of years and he left behind him an untarnished name. Moreover, his social qualities and genuine worth had gained for him the esteem, good will and confidence of many friends, who will gladly receive the record of his career.
Mr. Hollenbeck was born at Great Barrington, Massachusetts, amid the Berkshire hills, on the 12th of April, 1844, and is a son of John Van Dusen Hollenbeck. He pursued his education at Great Barrington and Brooklyn, New York, continuing his studies until eighteen years of age, when he ran away in order to enlist for service in the Civil war with a regiment that had been formed in his native town, but because of his youth his father did not wish him to enter the army and went after him, causing him to return home. His military experience was therefore uipped in the bud but he ever manifested the same loyalty and patriotic spirit throughout his entire career, doing everything he could to promote the best interests of his city, his state and his. nation. When his education was completed he entered into the wholesale flour and feed business owned by his father at Great Barrington, receiving his business training in that way. For two years he was associated with his father and then determined to seek a home in a western district, believing that he might have better business opportunities: elsewhere. Coming to Ohio he located in Circleville, where he established a wholesale and retail clothing house, entering this: business in connection with George Melvin, his father-in-law. He was thus engaged un-- til 1886, meeting with creditable success in his undertaking there.
In the year mentioned Mr. Hollenbeck came to Springfield, Ohio, where he made: his home throughout his remaining days. Here he entered the insurance field, first representing the Union Central Insurance Company of Cincinnati. In this enterprise he was associated with Mir. Heffelfinger and subsequently he became connected with the John Hancock Insurance Company, of which he was made general manager for this district, occupying the position continuously up to within a short time prior to his death. He possessed excellent business ability, strong executive force, keen insight and sound judgment and these qualifications made him a very valuable man in the office which he filled. He was, moreover, strictly honorable and straightforward in all his business transactions and he enjoyed the unqualified confidence of the company and of those with whom he became connected in business dealings.
On the ıst of January, 1867, Mr. Hollenbeck was united in marriage to Miss Ada A. Melvin, a native of Circleville, Ohio, and a daughter of George Melvin, with whom Mr. Hiollenbeck had been engaged in business. Their union was blessed with a family of seven children, of whom five are yet living, namely: Anna Marfield, Nelle Barrere, Clarence Melvin, Ralph Wheeler and Mina Griswold.
In his political views Mr. Hollenbeck was a Republican and by reading and study of the questions of the day he was able to give his intelligent support to the party, yet he never sought or desired office for himself. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity and in his life he exemplified a beneficent spirit of the craft, which is based upon the principles of mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. His death occurred November 7, 1896, and he was laid tó rest in Ferncliff cemetery. His.life. record covered nearly forty-two years, yet in that time he accomplished much. He was a successful business man, a progressive and public-spirited citizens, a faithful friend and a devoted husband and father. Through his business associations he gained a wide acquaintance and wherever known he commanded the respect and good will of his fellow men, while to those within the circle of his friendship he was endeared by all the ties of a close and lasting relation.
As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.