Gideon Hartman

As printed in 1908

GIDEON HARTMAN, a leading citizen of Pike Township, where he owns a valuable farm of 118 acres, was born March 6, 1832, on his father's farm in York County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Peter and Hannah (Myers) Hartman.

The parents of Mr. Hartman sold their farm in York County in the spring of 1837 and came to Ohio by wagon, stopping for one month at Springfield on the way to German Township, where they bought the farm on which they both died. Peter Hartman died in 1872, aged seventy-seven years. His widow survived until 1889, dying in her eighty-seventh year. They were members of the German Reformed Church. Their four children were: Maria, who married Eli Keiser; and Amos, Gideon and Lewis M., the latter of whom was born after the family settled in Ohio.

Gideon Hartman was five years old when his parents took up their residence in German Township and he can remember many of the incidents of their early settlement there. He assisted his father in clearing up the land and after the death of the father he came into possession of a part of the home farm, to which he added until he owned 158 acres. This property he sold to Americus James in 1891. In January, 1883, he bought his present farm in Pike Township and moved on it in the following March, and here he has been actively engaged in a general farming line until recently, when he retired. In 1897 the residence was destroyed by fire, but Mr. Hartman soon built a larger and more substantial one. In addition to farming Mr. Hartman also conducted a dairy and for nine years sold milk in Springfield, his largest customer being the old St. James Hotel.

Mr. Hartman was nunried in German Township to Barbara Snell, who was born in Clark County, Ohio, a daughter of Daniel Snell, who came to Ohio from Virginia at an early day. Mrs. Hartman died March 22. " 1884, aged forty-four years. There were seven children born to Mr. and IMrs. Hartman, namely: Oscar "W.. residing at Atchison, Kansas, married Clara Kline; Harrison F., died aged four years; Ellen F., married George Lavey, residing in Clark County, and they have three children, Harvey, Bessie E. and Dorothy; Ida A., married Jacob Baugh, residing in Champaign County, Ohio, and they have the following children, Maude, wife of Wiley Gundolf, Jessie, Cecil S., Noah and Nola, twins, and Luther; Peter, died aged six months; Effie M., married David Floiy, who farms the homestead, and they have the following children, Clara M., Emma C, Russell H., Inez M., Elmer F., Lavina E., Verna E. and. Nellie A.; and Elmer C, who is engaged in a mercantile business, married Crista Bush, and they have had four children, Iudwig, Lucille, Christina and Louise. Mr. Hartman has a tine family of descendants. Several children and grandchildren have not survived infancy, but the larger number have developed into men and women and boys and girls of physical strength and beauty and of mental capacity. Mr. Hartman 's family belongs to the German Baptist Churcli, of the old order. He is one of Pike Townshi])'s most respected residents.

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.