John W. Humbarger

As printed in 1908

JOHN W. HUMBARGER, a well known farmer and stock-raiser of Mad River Township, and owner of 210 acres of Mghly improved farm land in Clark County, was born December 6, 1851, in Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Mary (Kenny) Humbarger.

Jacob Humbarger, the great-great-grandfather of John W., a native and lifelong resident of Germany, was a gunsmith by trade and was the inventor of the first pistol which fired one shot. All of his male descendants down to the grandfather of John W. Humbarger became gunsmiths. His son Benjamin, great-grandfather, followed the trade for many years in Germany and in later years came to America, where he continued work as a gunsmith.

William Humbarger, father of John W., was born in Perry County, Ohio, and was a son of Peter Humbarger, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio at an early period when the country was new and undeveloped. William was reared on his father's farm in Perry County. He subsequently came to Clark County, where he learned the cooper's trade with his second cousin, Adam Humbarger, and worked in a cooper shop for James Grundle, then situated near John W's present farm. He lived at Mr. Grundle's home, having a bunk in the garret, which was so openly built that the snow often blew in, covering his bed. He later bought a farm of fifty-one acres, from William Black, and after the war devoted his entire time to agricultural pursuits, having followed his trade until that time. The first year he farmer he cultivated thirty acres of corn with one horse, in new and undeveloped ground. He then took the corn to David Cross, two miles away, for which he was to receive twenty-five cents per bushel, but as Mr. Cross failed in business, he never received his money, and thus suffered quite a loss. He married Mary Kenny, who was born in Virginia and came to Ohio with her parents when yovmg. William Humbarger and wife were the parents of five children: Anna, who married David Hilt; Elizabeth, who married W. Sultzbaugh; Amanda, who married William Deitrick, deceased; John W.; Charles, who married Alice Swadner. Mrs. Humbarger died on the farm in 1852 aged fifty-three years. William died in Yellow Springs, Ohio, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. David Hilt, in 1904, at the advanced age of eighty-six years.

John W. Humbarger was born on his father's farm in Mad River Township, and when about nine years old his parents removed to German Township, where they lived for seven years. He then worked out on various farms for a period of five years, during which time he saved $500. Mr. Humbarger's success in life is entirely due to his own efforts, having started out with nothing but a two-acre tract of land and a will to work. After his marriage he went to live on his little farm and later purchased the entire home farm. He subsequently sold this land to Samuel McClure, for which he received $1,800, which was the first payment made on his present home. He bought his farm, consisting of eighty acres of timberland, from E. Miller, and lived for nine years in the old cabin which was then on the place. The cabin is now used by Mr. Humbarger as a stable, having been replaced by the present home which his sqn-in-law, Raymond Shellabarger, and family occupy. Mr. Humbarger has made many other important changes, and has added all the other buildings which are on the land. He is extensively engaged in stock-raising, having at the present time 140 hogs, and thirty-five head of cattle, all of which he has raised during the past three years. He has held four big public sales.

On March 6, 5876, he married Miss Anna Sultzbaugh, a daughter of Joseph and Catherine Sultzbaugh. Mr. and Mrs. Humlmrger have had two children, namely: Pearl, who died aged four years; and Lydia, who married Raymond Shellabarger, a son of Ephraim Shellabarger. They have one child, Rilla Evelyn.

Mr. and Mrs. Humbarger were for nineteen years members of the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, but are now connected with the Chi-istiau Church of

Enon, of which he is a trustee. Mrs. Humbarger is a remarkable Bible student, having won a ten-dollar Bible for memorizing the book of Matthew, and at the same time was awarded a five-dollar Bible for repeating two-thirds of the contents of each book in the Bible. This prize was offered by Mr. Ross Mitchell of Spring-field. The committee which examined her was as follows: Mrs. George Huntington, Mrs. Samuel J. McClure and Mrs. Robert Latimore. Politically Mr. Humbarger is an adherent of the Prohibition party. Mr. Humbarger is now living retired on the farm recently purchased from the Sheridan estate.

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.