George Spence

As printed in 1881

GEORGE SPENCE, attorney at law, Springfield; is a native of Clark County and a representative of that class of men who have come up by their own exertions, from hard-working pioneer families, and he now occupies a leading position in this community; he is a son of William and Elizabeth (Wones) Spence, who emigrated from Yorkshire, Eng., about 1816, and was located at Cincinnati about two years, being engaged in the farming line: in the meantime had entered land in Pike Township, this county, to which he removed his family about 1818; he was an active, energetic man, raised a family of thirteen children, eight of whom were sons; he kept a store, dealt in stock, and carried on different business operations in connection with his farm, and became possessed of a large farm, which he handsomely improved; his death occurred in 1847, and his wife died in 1853. The subject of this sketch was born in Pike Township, May 22, 1828. By dint of energy and perseverance, he managed to obtain a fair education during his early youth, and being of a mathematical turn, at 17 he secured the position of Assistant County Surveyor, which he held several years; during the fall of 1845, he was severely injured by being caught in the “tumbling shaft” of a thresher horse-power, from which he has never fully recovered; he taught school the following winter and began to read Blackstone with a view to securing a profession which would not require much manual labor, for which he was unfitted; the following year, he attended the spring term of the Springfield high school and continued his studies, teaching at intervals, and attending a course at Gundey & Bacon's Commercial Business and Law College at Cincinnati in the fall of 1847; afterward he read law in the office of Rogers & White, and was finally admitted to practice in the spring of 1850; in 1851, he opened a law office, where he has since continued to practice his profession. Mr. Spence has been identified with the growth and history of this city and county for upward of thirty years; took an active and leading part in establishing the street railway, and was a member of Council seven years. Mr. Spence is a Democrat in politics and thoroughly identified with his party in his city, county and State: he was a member of the Charleston Convention, in 1860, and the candidate of his party for State Treasurer in 1865; he mar.

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(7o o UM 2 a ried, July 3, 1855, Miss E. Jane Edmonson, of Dayton, who is related to the Bayard Taylor family, and is a lady of rare accomplishments. She has a well-earned reputation as a botanist, and has a large collection of skeletonized leaves and plants, which includes many rare specimens from different parts of the globe. From this union two children have been born; one son, George E., now a young man, survives. Mr. Spence’s energy is a marked characteristic, and to this train is largely due the success to which he has attained, in spite of his early disadvantages. In addition to his practice, which has been large for years past, he is recognized as one of the leading criminal lawyers of this portion of Ohio, and in the selection of juries, and pleading before a jury, he is considered almost invincible; his outside business has been extensive, and in 1862 he bought 40 acres of land west of the city, which he platted and improved, and this is now known as Spence's Addition to Springfield; his residence is a part of this tract, fruits on High street, and is a handsome suburban property and pleasant home.

As printed in The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.