Walter Norton Chamberlin

As printed in 1908

WALTER NORTON CHAMBERLIN, one of the early pioneers of Clark Connty, Ohio, who is living in retirement at New Carlisle, in the enjoyment of a well earned rest after years of unceasing activity, was for many years one of the most prominent stock dealers and breeders of thoroughbred cattle, sheep and hogs in the county. He was born May 28, 1823, at Lisbon, Clark County, Ohio, and is a son of Isaac and Polly (Harriman) Chamberlin.

Isaac Chamberlin and wife came from Vermont to Ohio in 1817, leaving there in January in a sled made by removing the wheels from a wagon. After reaching the Western Reserve the wheels were again put into use and the trip finished by wagon, arriving at Clark Connty, Ohio, in March, when they settled in the timberlands near Lisbon. Polly (Harriman) Chamberlin was a daughter of Stephen Harriman, who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution, and who had been in Ohio the year before the Chamberlins came here and bought a tract of timberland near Lisbon. He then returned to Vermont and bought the farms of Mr. Chamberlin and three other farmers. Isaac Chamberlin was a comparatively poor man when he came to Ohio, where he engaged in farming and dealt extensively in stock, often taking stock to Detroit, Michigan, and other points. He was born April 14, 1782, at Strafford, Vermont, and died near Lisbon July 25, 1863, at the age of seventy-nine years. Six children were born to Isaac Chamberlin and wife, namely: Stephen, deceased; George C, deceased; Caroline, married J. Henry, both deceased; Walter N.; and Sarah, who was the wife of Dr. J. S. Sprague, both now deceased.

Walter N. Chamberlin was reared on his father's farm and attended the district schools of the township and later the Springfield High School and Wittenberg College. He then taught school at Plattsburg and vicinity for a period of ten years, 1842 to 1852, inclusive. On December 25, 1851, he was married to Sarah Jane Osborn, a daughter of William and Jane (McDaniel) Osborn, who came on horseback to Ohio from Kentucky and settled near Plattsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin were the parents of eleven children, but seven of whom were reared to maturity: Emma; Melton; Olive, who is an instructor in the schools of Toledo, Ohio; Norton, who lives in Columbus; Frank, who lives in San Francisco; Orphia; and William, who died aged twenty-one years.

Mr. Chamberlin has always been interested in handling stock, and when nineteen years old drove hogs from South Charleston to Richmond, Virginia, for ex- Sheriff A. Maddocks, and also drove horses from Clark County to Philadelphia for his father. Later, in connection with his brother, he drove cattle to Dutchess County, New York. Soon after his marriage he engaged in farming and stock-raising, first making a specialty of Shorthorn cattle, and Chester White hogs, later of Poland China hogs and American Merino sheep. He has had many very successful exhibits at Ohio State Fairs and was once offered $1,000 for one of his sheep. He has often been called upon to act as judge of stock at various fairs, and at the age of eighty years was one of the judges of stock at the Clark County Fair, and was also one of the five judges of stock at the largest state fair* which was held at Dayton, Ohio. After being convinced of the advantages of pedigree stock, he became instrumental in establishing the records of Poland China hogs, calling a meeting of all the large breeders of that particular breed of swine in the state, of which meeting he was appointed chairman, and in 1879 the first record of Poland China bogs was published. Upon first entering the stock business Mr. Chamberlin rented a large farm in Hardin County and there held annual stock sales for about five years, after which he located at Plain City, Ohio, where he continued in the stock business, holding sales there for six years. In 1880, after selling out, he went to London. Ohio, where he lived for some years. He then operated a large farm in Adams County, Ohio, for eighteen months and in 1885 he came to New Carlisle and purchased his present residence property, which is located on the corner of Church and Jackson Streets, where he has since been living in retirement after a long, active business career.

Politically Mr. Chamberlin is a Republican and has served as township trustee, school director and in various other minor township offices. He is a member of the Masonic order, with which he became associated in 1850, and was formerly also an T. O. O. F., with which order he affiliated in 1847. Religiously Mr. Chamber- I'm is a member of the Universalist Church, and has always taken an active interest in the Sunday-school work. He has been active in the advancement of educational interests and was one of the first to introduce teachers' institutes in the county; also centralized High Schools. He favored music in the common schools and mental arithmetic in the district schools, and has lived to see many of his ideas incorporated in the public school system.

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.