William Reynolds

As printed in 1908

WILLIAM W. REYNOLDS, residing in Section 1, Springfield Township, where he operates a fine farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres, is a representative citizen of this neighborhood. He was born in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, August 20, 1846, and is a son of Henry and Julia Ann (McKinney) Reynolds.

The first member of the Reynolds family that appears to have come to Clark County, from Virginia, was James Reynolds, who was a brother of William Reynolds, the latter being the grandfather of William W. James Reynolds settled in Harmony Township, not far from Plattsburg, probably some years prior to Christmas Day, 1826, when William Reynolds reached the same place. He lived for one year in Harmony Township and then moved to Green Township, where he bought the farm on which his grandson, William W., was born. His family consisted of his wife and children, together with his aged mother.

Henry Reynolds was born in Virginia and was almost eleven years old when the family came to Clark County, December 25, 1826, his birth having been in January, 1816. He married Julia Ann Mc- Kinney, who was born and reared in Clark County, where she died September 24, 1878. Her father, John McKinney, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in young manhood. He was married near Dayton, where he lived for a time, and then bought a farm in Green Township, Clark County, which he owned at the time of his death. Henry Reynolds and wife had the following children: Nancy, deceased, was the wife of John Warren; Olive is the widow of Thomas Hill and lives in Kansas; William W.; John H. resides in German Township, Clark County; Elizabeth, residing with her brother, William W., owns a part of the home farm; and Rachel Jane, who married James P. Titus, resides in Springfield Township.

In October, 1850, Henry Reynolds and family moved to the farm Mr. Reynolds now occupies, having purchased it in 1845, from Dr. Samuel Canada, who had entered the land. In 1865 Henry Reynolds built the large, handsome brick house, making the brick on his own farm with his own hands. He died July 6, 1884.

William W. Reynolds was four years old when his parents came to the present farm and he remained on the home place until the year 1869, when he made a trip to Illinois, where he silent one year. He then returned to Clark County, and on March 30, 1876, he was married to Mary A. Pilcher, who was reared in Green Township and is a daughter of Jonathan and Margaret Ann (Elwell) Pilcher. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have had seven children, all of whom survive except the oldest, William, who died aged seven months. The others are: Ralph Carey, residing in Spring-field, a moulder, married Grace Zimmerman, and they have two children, Mary Elizabeth and Margaret Jeanette; and John Henry, Hortense, Laura Elizabeth, Rachel Evelyn and James Olin Elwell, all residing at home.

After marriage, William W. Reynolds and wife lived for two years in Harmony

Township and then moved for one year to Green Townshij, and from there to Marion County, where they remained for two years, at the end of which time they came back to Clark County. They lived in this county for the following six years and then moved to Logan County in 1888, and in the following year to Putnam County, Ohio, for a short time, but November, 1889, found them in Minnesota, where they resided until April, 1894, when they returned to Clark County and spent two years in Green Township, two years in Moorefield Township and two years in Mad River Township, and settled on the present farm in 1900.

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.