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(Source: History of Mercer County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens -
Edited and compiled by Hon. S. S.
Scranton, Celina, Ohio -
Published by Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1907 -
*UNLESS Otherwise Noted.)
HENRY
CLAY, one of the oldest and most highly respected
citizens of Union township, was born May 17, 1826, one mile
from Carlisle in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He
is a son of Henry and Mary Elizabeth (Mell) Clay, a
grandson of John and Catherine Clay and a great
grandson of Mathias Clay, a native of Germany.
John and Catherine Clay were the parents eight
sons and one daughter namely: Mathias, Philip, Jacob,
Nicholas, John, George, Henry, Christian and Mrs.
Catherine Wax, the last named a resident of
Pennsylvania.
Henry Clay, the father of our subject, was born
in December, 1796, in Perry County, Pennsylvania, and the
mother, who was also a native of Perry County, was born in
July, 1799, both being of German descent. Mr. Clay
was mustered into the militia in the war of 1812, the
citizens having drawn los for service, and for three months
he was in the barracks at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Clay was married in Perry County, Pennsylvania,
where he remained for about six years after his marriage and
then moved in 1832 to Wayne County, Ohio, where he died aged
40 years. In 1840 his widow and family moved to Mercer
County and located in Dublin township on a farm of 160 acres
now known as the Perry Harris farm. There were seven
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Clay, as follows:
Adam, William, Levi, Henry, Hester, Emeline and
John M. Adam, who was born November 12, 1819, and
died in June, 1884, was a resident of Miamisburg, Montgomery
County, Ohio, practicing law at Dayton. He served as a
member of the Constitutional Convention of 1873. He
married Sophia Dubbs and they had two children.
William died Feb. 12, 1876, aged 54 years, the day he
was entering upon his second term as probate judge of Mercer
County. He married Jane Rice of Pennsylvania
and after her death married Catherine Krugh. Levi
was born in August, 1824, and died in 1850.
Hester was born Dec. 22, 1829, and died in September,
1886; her husband, Henry Boroff, is also deceased.
Emeline died in Wayne County, Ohio, aged four years.
John M., who was born July 6, 1836, is a resident of
Union township, Mercer County. Mrs. Clay
remained in Mercer County, making her home with her son
Henry until her death, which occurred in 1878 in
her 80th year. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Mell,
moved from Pennsylvania to Wayne County, Ohio, where the
former died. His widow married a Mr. Messinger,
who died in Indiana. She had one daughter by this
marriage. Mrs. Messinger died in Wayne County,
Ohio, at the advanced age of 98 years.
Henry Clay, subject of this sketch, was six
years of age when his parents moved to Wayne County, Ohio,
where he lived until he was about 14 yes. old. His
father having died, the mother then moved to Mercer County,
where our subject has lived since he was 14 years old.
He was married in 1857 to Sarah Ann Yocum, a daughter
of John and Elizabeth (Shelly) Yocum, who were
natives of Pennsylvania. To them were born four
children, namely: Mary Elizabeth, Stephen A.,
William Perry and Emma. Mary Elizabeth
married James Agler and at her death left four
children, as follows: Reuben J., Alice, Eva and
Arthur. Stephen A. married Harriet
Tingley a daughter of John and Martha (Baltzell)
Tingley and has two children: Ethel, who
married Thomas Youngblutt, a resident of Rockford and
owns a farm near Rockford and also one in Union township.
He resided for many years in Union township and as a
successful business man as well as a farmer. His
property is well improved with new houses and barns.
William Perry, who is a practicing physician at
Convoy, Van Wert County, is a graduate of Starling Medical
College, Columbus, Ohio, has been engaged in the practice of
medicine for some years and ranks high in his profession.
His first marriage was with Mary Electa Sprain, from
which union one child resulted - Henry. After
her death, Dr. Clay married Elizabeth Tingley,
a teacher of Cincinnati, and had two children - Grace
and Edmund. His third marriage was with Mary
Ellen Jones. Emma married Napoleon Bonaparte
Boroff and resides in Van Wert County. She has had
three children, of whom two are living - Josie and
Mabel.
The second marriage of Mr. Clay was with
Mrs. Lydia Yocum, a daughter of Mr. Barner.
Two them were born two children, namely: Ella E., who
lives at home with her parents; and Viola Belle, who
died aged 10 months.
Mr. Clay is a Democrat in politics. He was
made a Mason at Celina in 1862 and is the only living
charter member of Shane's Lodge, No. 377, F. & A. M., at
Rockford. He has been a member of the Church of God
for 46 years. |
| JOHN M. CLAY |
CASPER
CLUNE, a substantial farmer of Marion township, who
resides on his 160 acre farm in section 10, was born on this
farm January 28, 1866, and is a son of Gerhard and
Bernardina (Wabler) Clune.
Gerhard Clune and his
wife were both natives of Germany. He came to America when a
young man and settled in Mercer County, purchasing a small
farm of 40 acres in Marion township, which is part of the farm
now owned by Casper Clune. He was engaged in
working on the canal in Auglaize County for a time, as well as
managing the farm, to which he kept adding until the time of
his death, September 25, 1875, at the age of 48 years, he
owned 200 acres.
He was married to Bernardina Wabler, who
died in May, 1904, aged 66 years.
They became the parents of 11 children, namely: Frank,
who died aged 20 years; Mary, who died in childhood;
Barney, who married a Miss Bolsinger;
Bernardina, deceased, who married John Betke;
Joseph, residing at St. Joseph;
Josephine, who married Henry Meyer;
Casper; Henry, deceased; Elizabeth,
deceased; Catherine, who married John Kroger;
and Gerhard, who married Miss Gabbel.
Casper Clune was reared
on his fathers farm and assisted with the work until the time
of his marriage at the age of 26 years. He bought his present
farm from his mother in 1893. The first house built on the
Clune farm was log cabin, in which Casper was born,
and the six-room house which Mr. Clune and his
family occupy was built in 1871 by his father, who made his
own brick and hewed his own timber. Mr. Clune
remembers the time when the turnpike on which he was lives was
plank road, and also when his father was obliged to carry his
grain on his back through the woods and brush, to the mill at
Piqua, Ohio. In the spring of 1906, Mr. Clune
bought a partnership in the Chickasaw Grain & Milling Company.
Mr. Clune has been married three times, (first) to
Catherine Dabbelt, who had four children: Nora,
Rose (deceased), Minnie and John - and
died in 1900. He was married (second) to Josephine
Schroeder, who died April 24, 1906. One child was born to
this union, Joseph, who is deceased. Mr.
Clune was married (third) to Anna Ashman, a
daughter of Henry Ashman, a native of Germany,
residing at Cassella, Mercer County. Mrs. Clune is one
of a family of nine children born to her parents, namely:
Elizabeth, who married Anthony Foscal;
Mary, who married Dick Bieler; John;
Joseph; Anna; Agnes; Catherine;
Henry and Philomena. Mr. Clune has been a
member of the School Board for four years. He belongs to the
Most Precious Blood Catholic Church at Chickasaw.
(pp. 564-565) ALSO:
See Obituary |
NOAH
COATE, a well known progressive agriculturist of
Butler township, residing on his farm of 72 acres in section
14, owns also 116 acres of farm land in section 23. He
was born Dec. 20, 1853 in Butler township, Mercer County,
Ohio, and is a son of Benjamin and Mary Magdalene (Yaney)
Coate.
Benjamin Coate was born near Ludlow Falls, Miami
County, Ohio, where he was reared and educated. In
boyhood, during the building of the Grand Reservoir, he came
to Mercer County, where in time he acquired a great deal of
land, at one time owning a section. He died in the
fall of 1905.
Noah Coate was reared and educated in his native
township, remaining on the farm with his father until 1885,
two years after his marriage, when he moved to his present
location. He has built a fine, and large, brick house,
with a basement, and in 1902 he erected a substantial barn
on the opposite side of the road. He has one of the
best improved farms in the county.
Mr. Coate was married to Catherine Cordier
and they have nine children, Clifton, Mary Hannah, Pearly
Grace, and Melvie and Myrtle (twins).
Mr. Coate belongs to the German Baptist Church, in
which he is a deacon. He is a member of the School
Board. |
IRA
E. CRAMPTON, who is identified with a number of the
business enterprises of Celina, and is particularly
concerned in several large canning factories, was born at
Lebanon, Ohio, some 53 years ago, but was mainly reared on a
farm in Muncie, Indiana.
Mr. Crampton grew up in the neighborhood of
Muncie and was educated there and for a number of years was
connected with the business enterprises of that section.
He early became an expert in the canning industry and built
a canning factory there, manufacturing also his own cans.
This plant he sold in 1898 and then, with his wife, he took
a little relaxation, enjoying a summer of travel.
Mr. Crampton in the meantime had selected Cenlina as an
excellent field for business and came to this village and
erected the immense canning factory, which he has
successfully operated ever since. In addition to this
factory he also operates one at Gaston, Indiana. A
great business is done in the canning of peas, corn and
tomatoes, the well-known, satisfactory brand of the latter,
which is known as "Ohio's Best," coming from the Crampton
cannery. During the past season this cannery put up
25,000 cases of peas, 40,000 cases of tomatoes, nearly
2,000,000 cans altogether going out from the factory.
This industry gives employment to a large number of helpers
in the canning season, distributes a large amount of money
through this section and is assisting in giving Celina a
good reputation as being in important shipping center.
Mr. Crampton is one of the village's most
enterprises business men. In addition to his interests
already mentioned, he is a stockholder in the Celina
Telephone Company, is interested in the Delaware County gas
plant and in other successful concerns.
In 1876 Mr. Crampton was married to Lacie
Beuoy, who was reared at Wheeling, Indiana, and they
have three children, viz.: Lola, wife of Lloyd
Sharp, merchant at Auburn, Indian; Ruth and
Ethel. Mr. Crampton's only son, Carl B.,
was accidentally killed in 1905, at Celina, by the explosion
of a gasoline tank in the cannery. He was a young man
of more than usual educational attainments, a graduate of
Lebanon College, and was a special chemist employed
by the pulp company, of Muncie, Indiana.
Mr. Crampton is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church and belongs to the official board. He
is also Secretary of the Celina Chautauqua Association.
In fraternal life he belongs to the Knights of Pythias
organization at Muncie, to the Endowment Rank, and also to
the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan. |
WILLIAM
CRON, one of the leading business men at Celina, who
conducts the largest carriage factory in Mercer County, is a
native of Ohio and was born at Marysville, in December, 1848.
He is a son of John and Theresa (Meyer) Cron.
John Cron, the father
of our subject, was born in Germany and remained in his native
land until he was 23 years of age. He then came to America,
later to Ohio, and worked for a time at blacksmithing at
Canton, and then settled permanently at Marysville (Cassella),
where his death took place. He married Theresa Meyer
and they had five children: John, Jacob, Mary,
William and Adam.
William Cron was reared at Marysville and
was educated in the district schools. .He worked as a farmer
until after the death of his father, when he went to
Cincinnati, then to Indianapolis and in the latter city he
served four years learning the blacksmith and carriage
building trade. In 1869 he settled at Celina and for many
years he has been a very prominent business man here. He
established a carriage and wagon factory in connection with
black-smithing and now controls a large part of the trade of
the county in this line of industry. Constant employment is
given a large force of expert workmen.
In January, 1871, Mr. Cron was married to
Lizzie Hierholzer. They have seven children
living, namely: John, who is engaged in carriage manufacturing
at Wauseon, Ohio; Flora, wife of B. H. Schele,
of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Fred, foreman trimmer in his
father's carriage works; Ada, living at home; Harman,
bookkeeper and salesman in his father's establishment; Carl,
who is in charge of the distributing office of the Standard
Oil Company, at Lima, Ohio; and Hildgard, who lives at
home. The subject of this sketch is a member of the Catholic
Church and, fraternally, of the Knights of Columbus. He is a
Democrat in politics and has held several city offices, at the
present time being a member of the Village Council. Mr.
Cron is one of the self-made men of Celina and has become
one of its capitalists, owning a large amount of real estate. |
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