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Prominent Men
of Licking County, Ohio
(Source: Centennial History of Licking County,
Ohio by Isaac Smucker
Publ. Newark, Ohio: Clark & Underwood, Book and Job Printers - 1876)
I have already given
brief sketches of some of our Pioneers, or those who acted prominent
parts in this County during the first half of our country's
Centennial period. It may not be amiss also to give the names
of some of those who commenced their career here during the first
half and finished it during the last half of the Century.
Conspicuous among this class were Captain Bradley Buckingham,
David Moore, Isaac Stadden, Colonel Robert Davidson, Rees Darlinton,
Benjamin Briggs, Major John Stewart, Colonel W. W> Gault, John
Cunningham, Esq., Stephen McDougal, Sereno Wright, Major Elisha
Warren, Judge Bancroft, William Hull, John Van Buskirk, Captain
Samuel Elliott, William Gavitt, Captain Willard Warner, James
Gillespie, James Holmes, Colonel William Spencer, Richard Lamson,
Peter Schmucker, Amos H. Caffee, and many others.
To give a measure of completeness to this Centennial
History of Licking County, I beg leave also to bring to notice some
of the gentlemen who have most conspicuously identified themselves
with our County during the latter half only of the Centennial period
now closing. Prominent among the list given under this head
are Johathan Taylor, Joshua Mathiot, and Daniel Duncan,
who were all elected to Congress, as well as to other positions
of honor and responsibility. Another trio of this class
consisted of Israel Dille, Dr. J. N. Wilson, and Lucius
Case, all men of intelligence, extensive information and talents
who were largely influential in giving directions to public
sentiment. They were original thinkers, zealous investigators,
enthusiastic students. The two first named pushed their
investigations in the direction of Philosophy and the Natural
Sciences, with diligence and a good degree of success. The tastes of
the latter led him to the study of Jurisprudence and Political
Economy; hence he became prominent as a lawyer, and as an active and
influential debater in the Constitutional Convention of 1851-52.
Conspicuous also among our latter-half-century-men was he who was
familiarly called Sam. White. He was an influential
Legislator for a time, and moreover attained to the highest
reputation among us as a popular Orator, and an unfaltering Friend
of Freedom! Colonel B. B. Taylor too, for a brief space as
Senator and political Orator, filled a large space in the public
eye. James Parker and James R. Stanbery, also
obtained distinction as public speakers, not only at the bar and
before political assemblies, but also as grave and dignified
Senators. Among others of our modern Legislators were Samuel D.
King, George H. Flood, P. N. O'Banon, Daniel Duncan, W. B. Woods,
Charles Follett, Willard Warner, Dr. Walter B. Morris, R. B. Truman,
George B. Smythe, John F. Follett, C. B. Giffin, William Parr,
William Bell, J. B. Jones, J. W. Owens, W. D. Smith, and
others, who exerted a degree of influence, as members of our State
Legislature.
Among those of our citizens other than Legislators who
have "done the State some service," and acquired honorable
distinction in other departments of the public service, or in the
line of their own chosen pursuits, are Presidents Pratt,
Going, Bailey, Hall and Talbott, of
Denison University; Judges Searle, Buckingham,
Brumback and Follett; W. D. Morgan, T. J. Davis, M.
M. Munson, L. B. Wing, A. B. Clark, Dr. J. R. Black, T. J.
Anderson, Colonel William Spencer, William P. Kerr, J.
W. Webb, C. H. Kibler, Rev. Ebenezer Buckingham, Rev. Alexander
Duncan, Dr. Edward Stanbery, Rev. H. M. Hervey, Rev. Isaac N.
Walters, Dr. Daniel Marble, and many others that might be
named, including the still living former residents of Licking
County, Samuel Park, Esq., of Illinois, a
voluminous and widely-known writer on various subjects; Dr. Z. C.
McElroy, of Zanesville, a strong, vigorous, original thinker,
and an extensive contributor to the best Medical Journals of Europe
and America; and Dr. T. B. Hood, of Washington City, who made
an honorable, widely-extended, and well-known reputation for himself
while in the service of the Medical Department during the late
rebellion, as well as since the close of the war, as an author, in
the performance of his duties in the Surgeon General's Department of
the Government.
And I also avail myself of this occasion to make
mention of other gentlemen who were natives of Licking- County, or
residents of it in early life, that attained to a good degree of
distinction in other sections of our country, both in military and
civil life. And first of those whose military services brought them
prominently before the country I name General Samuel R. Curtis,
General William S. Rosecrans, General Charles Griffin,
General B. W. Brice, General W. D. Hamilton, General Charles
R. Woods, General Willard Warner, and General William B.
Woods. Of eminent Civilians those whose names occur to me at
this moment, were Horatio J. Harris, a Senator in Indiana,
and a United States District Attorney in Mississippi; Ed. Roye,
who attained to the position of President of the Republic of
Liberia; James F. Wilson, long a distinguished member of
Congress from Iowa; James B. Howell, a United States Senator
from Iowa; General Willard Warner, a member of the United
States Senate from Alabama; Hon. William B. Woods, a Judge of
the Federal Courts in Louisiana and other Southern States; and
George H. Flood, American Minister to the Republic of Texas: "Johnny
Clem," a favorite Orderly of General Thomas and now an
officer in the Regular Army, also acquired a National reputation as
the youngest and smallest soldier in the Union Army, as well as for
gallant con-duct. Colonel W. H. Hollister, too has
acquired wide-spread fame as one of the largest of American
landowners and stock-raisers. He is a native of Licking County, now
a citizen of California. Thomas Jones, the Sculptor,
and Rev. Dr. Rosecrans, the popular Roman Catholic Bishop,
are also entitled to mention in this connection, the latter being a
native, and the former a resident in early life, of Licking County.
Mr. Jones has been a resident of Cincinnati, for many years,
and has a National reputation. Bishop Rosencrans is now an
honored citizen of Columbus, enjoying the confidence of the entire
community. |
