Owen West

COL. OWEN WEST.

Among those men of sterling attributes of character, who have impressed their personality upon the community life of Clinton county and who buve borne their full share in the agricultural, industrial, commercial and financial development of this great county, few men have had a larger part than Col. Owen West, of Lynchburg. He has exerted a strong influence for good on the entire county and is a man of upright principles, one who has always desired the advancement of the community along moral, educational and material lines. He is the inventor and manufacturer of the West tile ditching machine and In years past has invented useful fences and gates. In addition to all of his other activities, be has been an extensive contractor and builder and wbb one of the organizers and is still president of the Lynchburg Exchange Bank.

Col. Owen West was born on March 4. 1835, in Clurk township, the son of James and Elizabeth West. In the veins of this family flows the warm and ardent blood of artistic temperament which gave to the world the celebrated artist, Benjamin West, who gained an international fame in his day and generation.

Before the year 1710, John W. West, who had married Sarah Pearson, came from England and settled in Pitts county. Pennsylvania. They had seven children: Joseph, Mary. William, Sarah, Samuel, Rachel and Benjamin. Benjamin, the youngest child of this family, was an artist heretofore referred to. whose work was well known on two continents. Joseph, the eldest, married Jane Owen, the daughter of John Owen, and they had nine children: Isaac, Tacy, Owen, Jobu. Sarah. Joseph, Hannah, George and Benjamin. A boat 1750. Owen West, the third child of this family, and the nephew of the celebrated Benjamin West, was born. He married Elisabeth Martin ami moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia and later from Virginia to Clinton county. Ohio. He and his wife bad thirteen children: Nancy. Jane, William. Mary, Susan. Owen, Thomas, James, Payton, Elizabeth, Amelia, Rebecca and John. Of this family, James, the eighth child, whose wife was Elizabeth West, was the father of Col. Owen West. The grandfather. Owen West, came to Ohio from Vlrgiula and located in the valley of the East fork of Little Miami river, where be purchased nineteen hundred acres of government land, all In Clinton county and nearly all In Clark township, where he and his wife died. James West, their son, was a farmer during his life and remained on the old estate, adding to his Inheritance until he owned one thousand acres of the original nineteen hundred. He and his wife died on the old borne estate. For nine years he was a Justice of the peace In this county.

Col. Owen West, farmer, manufacturer, inventor nud soldier, was reared to manhood on his father's farm and educated In the Martinsville schools and at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. For twelve consecutive years, with the exception of two years in which he was engaged In the mercantile business at Morrlsvllle, he wus engaged in teaching. During the War of the RebeBion he assisted In the organization of the Cincinnati Home Guards, and in 1883 he was chosen their major-general. In the early part of 1864, he was given the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Regimental Battalion of Ohio National Guards. He had commanded them for one year while at Fort Federal Hill and Baltimore, Maryland, and in the battle of Monocacy. in September. 1864. he and his regiment were honorably discharged for valuable services rendered to their country.

At the close of his military services. Colonel West returned home and resumed farming and lumbering. For some time he owned and operated two saw-mills, each with a capacity of five thousand feet a day. In 1914, after five years' labor, he placed on the market the West tile ditching machine of his own Invention. He manufactures this machine at his factory on his farm just out of Lynchburg. The company is Incorporated as the West Tile Ditching Machine Company. Some years ago he also Invented a fence and a gate which were successes In their day. He operates three hundred acres of land which he has reclaimed by dies and which Includes considerable bottom land. Colonel West has also been a contractor and builder and there are many buildings standing now In Lynchburg and vicinity which he erected. He has also operated a brick and tile plant on his farm and is the present president of the Lynchburg Exchange Bank.

On September 20. 1K55, Colonel West was married to Elizabeth A. Roberts, the daughter of James and Hannah E. Roberts, a native of Washington township, who was born on December 23, 1835. Nine children were born to this union: Margaret. James W., Anna M., Owen A., Hannah E., Amos F., Cborles H., Laura E. (deceased), and Mary I. (deceased). Margaret married Rev. McLean Sfmington; Owen A. is a physician at Sahlna. Ohio; Laura E. and Mury I. are deceased. Mrs. West passed away on February 1, 1879.

Colonel West is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally, he Is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He Is a stalwart adherent of the principles of the Republican party and supports its candidates.

Colonel West married, secondly, September 19. 1882. Frances Alta Kelly, daughter of Rollln and Sarah Kelly, who are natives of Highland county. Ohio. To this second marriage the following children were born: Martha, who lives at home; George, who operates the home farm: Sylvia, a teacher at Lynchburg. Highland county, Ohio; Frances, deceased; Manetta. deceased, and Benjamiu. who lives at home.

George P. Worrell, the proprietor of one hundred and eleven acres of good farming land In Clark township, and a brother of James G. Worrell, of this township, was born on August 10. 1868. in Mnson county. West Virginia, the son of Granville and Louisa (Hubbard) Worrell, both natives of the eastern part of WeBt Virginia.

The paternal grandfather of George P. Worrell was James Worrell, who spent all his life In Virginia. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Worrell was Samuel Hubbard, who lived and died In Mercer county. West Virginia.

Granville Worrell was educated in the early subscription schools of Carroll county, West Virginia, and. after his marriage there, moved to Gallia county. Ohio, during the Civil War, living there until 1870. when he returned to West Virginia and settled on the Kanawha river. He died In Nicholas county. West Virginia, as did also his wife. During the Civil War. he was drafted in the Confederate army but later deserted and. upon immigrating to Ohio. Joined an Ohio regiment of the Union army and served until the close of the war. He wan a drummer l his regiment and during his entire service was not wounded nor taken prisoner. He nnd hj8 wife had twelve children. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

George I'. Worrell was educated in the schools of West Virginia and began life on his own responsibility, by working by the month in Clinton county, Ohio. On.March 4, 1!M>4. he purchased one hundred and eleven acres of land In Clark township, where he now lives.

George P. Worrell was married on December. 1S9H, to Magnolia Emma Emery, of Highland county. Ohio, the daughter of John Emery, a farmer of Highland county. John Emery was born near New Market. Highland county, March 27. 1*19, son of, Samuel and Sarah (Anderson) Emery, early settlers of Highland county. They came to Highland county, likely, from Pennsylvania. The former was a farmer and was educated in the early schools of Highland county. John Emery became a farmer also and owned fifty acres of land. He was married on March 25, 18S2, to Barbara Emery, the daughter of William and Phoebe Emery, of Xew Market. William Emery, who was. for some time, a resident of near Xew Market, later moved to Missouri, where he and his wife died. John Emery died in 1910. on the farm. His wife had died previously. In 1W>7. They had eleven children. During the Civil War he served for one hundred days in the Union army, ne and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

To Mr. and Mrs. George P. Worrell have been bom three children, Chester Emery, I.ura Evelyn and Itaymond Harold. The Worrell family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Orland Townsend. a welt-known farmer of Clark township, was born on January is. 1SC.0. at Martinsville. Ohio, the son of Josiab M. nnd Esther J. (West) Townseud. both natives of Clinton county. Josiah M. Townsend was born In 1832. and received a limited education in the schools of this county and Hamilton county, Ohio.

After removing to Hamilton county at the age of thirteen years. Josiah M. Townsend drove a milk wagon. Previously he had worked on a farm in Clinton county at a dollar a week. Aliout INJIO, Josiah M. Townsend engaged in the dairy business In Hamilton county, and was engaged in this business intermittently until thirty-seven years of age. at which time he purchased the farm In Clark township, upon a part of which his son, Orland. now lives. He purchased four hundred acres, comprising the old West homestead. He was a general farmer and stockman, and lived on this farm until his death. He and his family were members of the Friends church. Josiah M. Townsend was honored by the people of Clinton county by an election to the office of county commissioner, a position which he filled creditably for three years, lie was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order or Odd Fellows. Josiah M. Townsend and wife were the parents of nine children, two of whom died in infancy.

Orland Townsend received his education In the public schools of Clinton county, and aside for a year spent in working at the carpenter** trade, he has been engaged In forming all his life. He owns one hundred and ninety acres of the old home place.

In October. lsv.T. Orland Townsend was married to Mary Leaf, the daughter of John T. Leaf, and to this union have been bom two sons. Horace and Lloyd. Horace married Mary Hazard, and they live at Ashtabula, Ohio, and I.loyd married Ada Xoftsger. the daughter of G. B. Xoftsger. of whom a biography Is presented elsewhere in tills volume. Mr. and Mrs. I.loyd Townsend are the parents of one son. William Eugene. Orland Townseud and wife are members of the Friends church, in whose welfare they are actively Interested.

George Alfred Townsend. a brother of Orland Townsend, is also a native of Clark township, born on the home farm. July 1" 1n7'1. The paternal grandparents of George

As printed in History of Clinton County, Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.