William Gordon

As printed in 1908

WILLIAM R. GORDON, a prominent citizen and farmer of Bethel Township, Clark County, Ohio, has a valuable farm of 184 acres located on both sides of the National Pike about two and a half miles west of Springfield. He was born on his father's farm in that township, in a rude log cabin of the pioneer type, on February 14, 1850, and is a son of William and Delilah (Miller) Gordon. William Gordon, Sr., was born in Virginia and was quite young when his parents moved to Ohio, making the trip in wagons. He was one of seventeen children bom to Richard and Anna (Garst) Gordon, of which large family each member grew to maturity and reared a family except one, a daughter who died at the age of seventeen years. Mrs. Gordon died when the subject of this sketch was a child.

William Gordon grew up on his father's farm in the woods of Bethel Township, and after arriving at maturity bought a tract of timberland adjoining the home place, from which he took hundreds of dollars worth of timber, although it was of little value in those days. He became a prosperous farmer and owned at the time of his death some 216 acres of land. He died in 1890, at the age of eighty-five years, and was preceded to the grave many years by his wife, who died during the war at the age of fifty-two years. In maidenhood Delilah Miller, she was born in Pennsylvania and was a small girl when her father, Daniel Miller, moved to Ohio with his family, locating in Bethel Township. She became the mother of twelve children, namely: Henry, who served in the One Hundred and Fiftythird Regiment, 0. V. I., during the Civil War; Harrison, who was a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-third Regiment, 0. V. I.; Ezra, also a member of the One Hundred and Fiftj'-third Regiment, 0. V. I.; Oliver, a member of the Ninety-fourth Regiment, 0. V. I., who was killed at Chattanooga, Tennessee; Allen, who is now deceased; William Ross, subject of this article; David Scott; Phoebe (Henslee); Sarah, widow of Charles Kline, who married, secondly, U. J. Tavorite; Elizabeth; Eliza; and Rosetta. The three last named died in infancy.

William Ross Gordon was reared on the home farm and attended the old log school-house in the home district, and afterwards the brick school-house which replaced it. When about twenty years of age he started out in the world for himself, and it is to his credit that the competency he now enjoys was earned by the sweat of his brow. He first worked in a stone quarry for Albert Holcomb for four years, and by saving his money was able at the end of that time to purchase a tract of seven acres, the foundation of his present fine farm in Bethel Township. He erected a small residence, which has since been replaced by a larger and more commodious one, and as he prospered in his business he added from time to time small tracts of six and seven acres until he had a good-sized farm. In his earlier days he followed truck gardening,selling his produce at the old markefin Springfield, and it proved a remunerative business. Early in the eighties he began dairying and has continued it since with good results, for many years running a wagon in Springfield. He is a successful business man and enjoys the respect and confidence of his neighbors and acquaintances to a marked degree.

On April 15, 1873, Mr. Gordon was united in marriage with Sarah Ann Grisso, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Grisso of Springfield Township, and they have four children: Alma Jane, wife of William Pfeifer, who has two children — Harrold and Martha; Tna J., who is in

Chicago being trained for missionary work; George, who married Myrtle Bodkin, and Clinton, who married Sadie Hardacre. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon belong to the Baptist church, of which the former has been deacon and treasurer for eighteen years. He is a Republican in politics.

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.