Source:  History of Darke County, Ohio From its earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vols. I & II - Milford, Ohio - The Hobart Publ. Co. - 1914 - Page 208

HONORABLE ORLA E. HARRISON.     Former Senator Harrison is known throughout the country because of his work as Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the United States, in which position he made an honorable record and scored numerous successes for the government.
     He belongs to one of the older families of Darke county and is now senior member of the law firm of Harrison & Allread, who have offices in the New Hayden building, Columbus, Ohio.
     Mr. Harrison was born in German township, Darke county, Feb. 8, 1873, being the youngest child of George W. and Mary (Rupe) Harrison.
     George W. Harrison was born in Darke county, Aug. 31, 1842, and was the son of James and Hannah (Bowen) Harrison.  James Harrison was born in Kentucky and his wife in Greene county, Ohio. 
Their parents located in the vicinity of Bethel, Ind., just across the state line and the young couple settled in Darke county about the time of their marriage in 1832.  They located on a farm in German township and there their children were born.  They purchased land in the southwest corner of the township and at the intersecting point of three counties.  It is said that by walking around a stump which stood near their house, one walked through the corners of Darke county, in Ohio, and Randolph and Wayne counties, Indiana, thus passing through two state, three counties and four townships.  James Harrison subsequently purchased land in the adjoining township of Harrison in Darke county but retained the ownership of the original farm.  He became one of the largest landholders in his part of the county and was identified with every public enterprise of his time.  Both he and his wife were charter members of the Christian church at Hollansburg, Ohio, and he helped to erect the church edifice.  They were zealous workers in the cause and their home was the stopping place for ministers who came to the neighborhood to preach.  James Harrison died at the age of about fifty-one years as the result of a kick by a horse, but his widow lived to the age of ninety, passing away at the ome of her daughter in Union City, Indiana, where she had been residing.  This family made a pioneer home and were active in all movements for the good of their community.  They reared a fine family and left an honorable name in the county they had chosen for their residence.
     George W. Harrison grew to manhood on the home farm.  He served his country in the war for the preservation of the Union, enlisting in Company G, 44th Ohio volunteer infantry in 1861.  His marriage to Mary Rupe took place just before he left for the front.  He took part in the battle of Lewisburg and also a number of minor skirmishes in Virginia, but was taken sick and sent to a hospital.  He was given an honorable discharge and his young wife went to Virginia to bring him home.  After his return from the war and the recovery of his health, he engaged in the mercantile business, conducting a general store at Palestine and Tampico, German township and still later at Union City, Indiana.  He later moved to Illinois and bought land near Centralia, but the climate did not agree with him, as ague was prevalent in southern Illinois at that time and Mr. Harrison remained there only a few years and then returned to Ohio.  He was a democrat in politics and was prominent in local affairs, serving as mayor of Hollansburg several years and as postmaster at that place.  Mrs. George W. Harrison passed away in 1908, mourned by a in large circle of friends.  They had six children, of whom three died infancy and three survived.  The eldest daughter, Della, married John P. Gilbert and they live in Greenville.  They have two children living, Mrs. Ruby (Gilbert) Willoughby, who lives in Chicago and Roland, a student at Columbus.  The other daughter, Ida, married Thomas C. Pitsenberger and they live in Columbus and have two sons, one of whom, Herbert, is a wireless operator on a vessel sailing the Gulf of Mexico; the other son, Lowell, is a student at Columbus.  The third surviving child of Mr. George W. and Mary Harrison is the subject of this sketch.
     In boyhood Orla E. Harrison attended the village school at Hollansburg and later attended the Greenville high school, graduating with the class of 1892.  He then took a course at the National Normal University of Lebanon, Ohio, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science.  He began his career as a teacher, first in a country school, later at Hollansburg, and then as principal of the high school at Franklin, Warren county, for two years.  While yet a student in high school, Mr. Harrison chose the law as his future profession and began reading under the direction of Judge James I. Allread.  In 1897, while engaged in teaching he was admitted to the bar and began to practice in 1899 with his former instructor, Judge Allread, who was associated at that time with Judge Teegarden and Harrison.
     Mr. Harrison became prominent in public affairs when he was chosen as secretary of the Darke County Agricultural Society, and became well known throughout the county because of his work in that capacity.  Although his father was a democrat, he became a republican before he cast his first presidential ballot in 1896 and during that campaign made many public speeches in Ohio and Indiana.
     In 1901 he was elected State Senator from the Twelfth District, comprised of the counties of Darke, Shelby and Miami, and was re-elected in 1903.  At the time of his election he was the youngest senator of the state and is the only republican ever elected to that position from Darke county.  During his term he was secretary of the senate committee on taxation, in which position he helped frame a series of measures for the taxation of corporations.  He was also chairman of the committee on county affairs and a member of the judiciary committee and several others.  During his second term he was chairman of the committee on schools and at that time introduced what is known as the Harrison School Code and the Harrison Library Code.
     1906 he was appointed by Wade H. Ellis, Attorney-General of the State, as special counsel and thereupon moved to the state capital at Columbus.  Here he achieved a wide reputation, serving during the administration of Ellis and of his successor, U. G. Denman.  The principal cases in which he participated were suits under the anti-trust law of the state, especially the actions against the bridge trust, the plumbers' trust and the Standard Oil Company.  The esteem and confidence reposed in him by the highest court of the state is shown by his appointment by that court as a member of the committee to examine students for admission to the bar.  He served in this capacity for several years, having been elected secretary of the committee.
     In April, 1909, Mr. Harrison was appointed special assistant to the United States Attorney-General, George W. Wickersham.  He thereupon resigned his state position and moved to the capital of the United States.  His work in interstate commerce cases soon attracted attention and in 1911 he was detailed to take charge of certain litigation against several coal carrying railroads.  This necessitated his removal from Washington to Cleveland, where he resided until June, 1912, when he located in Columbus because of various suits pending in that jurisdiction.  Among the famous prosecutions in which he took part were those of the Southern Wholesale Grocers’ Association; the National Cash Register Company, in which twenty-nine men were convicted; the coal carrying roads and the wall paper trust.  These cases in which Senator Harrison was a  conspicuous figure attracted national attention.  He was one of the youngest attorneys associated with work of this character and one of the most fearless, well earning his title as “trust buster" by the work he accomplished.  He tendered his resignation in March, 1913, but it was not accepted.  Desiring to devote himself to private practice he asked to be relieved from further duty on Jan. 1, 1914, and his resignation was accepted by Attorney-General McReynolds, with whom he served during a part of the Wilson administration.
     While teaching at Franklin, Ohio, Mr. Harrison was married Dec. 28, 1898, to Miss Virginia Eidson, a native of Greenville, Ohio, and graduate of the Greenville high school with the class of 1894, and daughter of Frank M. and Lucetta (Kiester) Eidson.  Three children have blessed this union: Eidson E., born at Franklin in October, 1899, now a student in the eighth grade in the Columbus public school; Ellis B., born in Greenville Aug. 4, 1905; Barbara Lou, born in Cleveland Nov. 5, 1911.  The family have a pleasant home at 960 Bryden Road, Columbus*, and are active in various social and fraternal circles.
     When about twenty years old Mr. Harrison became a member of the Christian church at Hollansburg, of which his grandfather was a charter member as above mentioned.  In 1909 he became a member of the Masonic order in Greenville and has taken the chapter degree.  He has served in the chief offices of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to the Elks.  He joined the Sons of Veterans’ order in Cleveland, the lodge at Greenville having been disbanded.  Mr. Harrison is known to be a man of upright principles and high ideals and has given a great deal of thought to all the matters of the day, more especially as they affect the welfare of the state and nation.  He has a high reputation in his profession and is considered one of the leading members of the Columbus bar.
Source:  History of Darke County, Ohio From its earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vols. I & II - Milford, Ohio - The Hobart Publ. Co. - 1914 - Page 80
* NOTE: This massive home is still standing as of 2024.

JAMES F. HECK.     Those who meet the oncoming years with dignified capability, backed by the realization that they have spent their time wisely and successfully, and strengthened by the knowledge of men and conditions gained through many aggressive movements as well as the calm performance of duties, are the most useful members of any community.  James F. Heck, justice of the peace of Twin township, a resident of Arcanum, Ohio, is just such a man whose words and actions ring true whenever circumstances strike against the metal of his personality.  A man of high moral courage, he has been unafraid in the pursuit of his goal, and in his office has wielded the power invested in him, wisely and judiciously, his verdicts not only being according to law, but also are meted out with a due sense of the equity of the case in hand.  He is a man of whom Darke county is justly proud, although he is not a native of it, as he was born in Jackson township, Montgomery county, Ohio, Nov. 23, 1845, a son of Samuel M. and Catherine (Warner) Heck, natives of Virginia.
     David Heck, the paternal grandfather of James F. Heck, was born in Virginia, as was his wife, who bore the maiden name of Magdalena Spitler, both coming of German descent.  Like many of their day and locality, they became pioneers of Ohio, settling in Montgomery county, where the grandfather entered land eight miles west of Dayton, upon which he and his wife resided until death claimed them, when well advanced in years.  Their seven children were as follows:  Samuel M., David L., John, Catherine, Susanna, Elizabeth and Polly.  During the war of 1812, David Heck proved his sturdy Americanism by enlisting and serving his country as a soldier.  The maternal grandfather was Abraham Warner and his wife was named Sarah.  Both were born in Germany, but became early settlers of a farm near Liberty eight miles southwest of Dayton, Ohio.  Mr. Warner cleared off and improved a farm, upon which he and his wife died when past middle age.  Their children were: Daniel, David, Catherine, Elizabeth and Sarah.
     Growing up in Montgomery county, Ohio, Samuel M. Heck developed into a school teacher and civil engineer, although he later became the owner of land in Jackson township, that county, upon which he reared his family, believing that rural surroundings were healthier and better in every way for growing young people.  His death occurred upon his property when he was seventy-six years old, his wife having passed away several years prior to his demise, at the age of sixty-five years.  They were sincere members of the German Reformed church.  At one time he was elected county surveyor and proved himself so expert in this kind of work, owning to his civil engineering training, that his decisions were accepted by order of the court in all disputes which arose relative to land surveys in Montgomery county.  Six children were born to Samuel M. Heck and wife, as follows:  Mary, who died unmarried; James F., whose name heads this review; Amanda, who is unmarried, resides at Germantown, Montgomery county, Ohio; David B., who resides near Abbottsville, Darke county, Ohio; and one who died in infancy.
     Until he was sixteen years old James F. Heck had the advantages offered by a residence at home, during which time he assisted his father and attended the schools of his district.  Being an ambitious lad, at that age he began working in sawmills in Montgomery county, and later pursued the same calling in Johnson county, Mo., where he went in 1865.  Two years later he returned to Ohio, and located near Gettysburg, Darke county, where he erected a sawmill, and spent several years at this point, during which time he was married.  his next change was when he moved to a farm four miles east of Arcanum, and conducted a sawmill.  Still later he located at Arcanum and operated a saw and hoop mill for a number of years, or until his plant was destroyed by fire in 1902.  Subsequently he purchased a small farm of fifty-four acres, one an done-half miles west of Arcanum, which he still owns.  In 1887 he built his beautiful home place at Arcanum, which has continued his place of residence ever since.  A consistent Democrat, it was but natural that he should have been called upon to hold numerous offices, never failing to live up to the expectations of those who elected him.  For two terms he occupied the executive chair of Arcanum, being, perhaps, one of the best mayors the city has ever had, and he has also filled many of the lesser offices.  However, it is as justice of the peace that he is best known, for he has served as such for a great many years.  In fraternal circles he affiliates with Arcanum Lodge No. 341, I. O. O. F., and the encampment of the same order, No. 206.
     On Jan. 4, 1868, Mr. Heck was married to Miss Laura A. Puls, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Worley) Puls, born in Montgomery county, Ohio, in the town of Farmersville.  Her father was a native of Ohio, but her mother was born in Pennsylvania.  They became pioneers of Montgomery county, Ohio, where both died.  Their five children were: George Sylvester, Oliver, Laura, Ada and Samuel.  The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Heck married a Miss Fishburn, and both were natives of Pennsylvania.  They had seven children, namely: Jacob, Samuel, George, Solomon, Daniel, Mary and Catherine.  The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Heck, Jacob Worley, married a Miss Mellinger, and their children were: Michael, Jacob, Margaret, Susanna, Dana, Elizabeth, Caroline, Rebecca and Mary Ann.  Mrs. Heck is a consistent member of the United Methodist church.
     Mr. and Mrs. James F. Heck became the parents of children as follows: Franklin V., Ada, Margaret, Alonzo, Omar, Roscoe, Fern and one who died in infancy.  Of these above mentioned children, Franklin V. is in the hoop mill business at Columbus, Ohio, and doing well, although it is doubtful if he will equal his father who has the distinction of having handled more timber than any man in Darke county.  Franklin V. married Catherine Sissel, now deceased, by whom he had one child, Dale.  He married for his second wife Clara Schaar, and they have one living child, Kenneth.  Ada married Harry DeLapp and they live at Urbana, Ill.  Their children, four in number, as follows: Paul, Margaret, Robert and Lucile.  Margaret married J. B. Wider and they live at Fremont, Ohio, having had two children, Madonna and Fred.  Alonzo was a railroad engineer when he died unmarried at the age of twenty-four years.  Omar is a telegrapher at Emporium, Pa.  He married Christina McDonald, and they have one daughter, Helen.  Roscoe is a civil engineer, who is unmarried and lives at Great Falls, Mont.  Fern married Stanley Frizzell, and they live at Greenville, Ohio.  They have no children.  Mr. Heck is and has been for at least fifteen years notary public of Darke county.
Source:  History of Darke County, Ohio From its earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vols. I & II - Milford, Ohio - The Hobart Publ. Co. - 1914 - Page 215

HARRISON B. HOLE.     If it were not for the acumen and business experience of the wholesale produce dealers of the country, the farmers would have difficulty in finding a profitable market for their products, and thus it is that men like Harrison B. Hole of Versailles, Ohio, are public benefactors.  Throughout his long experience along this and kindred lines, Mr. Hole has proven his worth as a business man and his desirability as a citizen.  He was born one mile north of Versailles, in Wayne township, Darke county, Ohio, June 13, 1864, a son of Harvey and Eliza J. (Brandon) Hole, natives of Ohio. 
     Charles Hole, the paternal grandfather of Harrison B. Hole, married Phoebe Baker, and they became pioneers of Darke county, entering the farm now owned by H. B. Hole.  At that time his property was all covered with heavy timber, so it was no light task to clear it, or to place the ground under cultivation, but the grandfather accomplished these tasks, paying the penalty, however, of a shortened life, for he passed away in middle life, as did so many of those who endured the hardships of frontier life.  His widow survived him many years.  They had nine children: Johathan William, Adam, Lewis, Harvey, Benjamin, Lark, Abner and Mart.  The maternal grandfather, John Brandon, and his wife were born in Ohio, and became pioneers of Wayne township, Darke county.  They had the following children: Mary, Louise, Lucinda, Eliza J., Joel, John, Lewis.  Lot and one who was unnamed.
     During the boyhood of Harvey Hole he learned to be a brick molder, while he worked on the farm and attended school as occasion offered.  Later on in life, however, he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, becoming the owner of the eighty acres in Wayne township, formerly entered by his father, upon which he reared his family, and which is now in the possession of his son, H. B. Hole.  He also owned 160 acres in Patterson township, and forty additional acres in Wayne township, all of which was divided among his children.  In 1885, he moved to Versailles, Ohio, and there he died in 1900, being seventy-five years old.  His wife died in 1895, aged sixty-nine years.  He was born Sept. 3, 1825, while she was born June 18, 1826.  They were earnest and devout members of the Christian church.  An energetic man, although he retired from farming in 1885, Harvey Hole was not content to live inactive, so devoted some years to operating a sawmill.  He and his wife had the following children: Marinda, who died at the age of five years; Lucinda, who is deceased, married William H. Stover, and have children, Margaret A., Harvey G., Isaiah K., Thomas B., Hettie (deceased), Clement H., Bryson and Eliza H.; Isaiah F., who resides at Versailles, Ohio, married Sarah Murphy and they have nine children, as follows:  Harrison W., Charles H., Caroline L.; George C., Mary F., Irma F., James C., Grace M. and Margaret S., Margaret Ann, who married Milton E. Stover of Greenville, Ohio, and has two children, Ethel and Kell (deceased; Mary Isabel, who married Newton Beal of Versailles, Ohio, and has two children, Milton E. and Grace A.; J. B. Weller, of Versailles, Ohio, who is a prominent man of that place, married Lydia Mast and they have three children, Carrie, Bertha and Marie, and Harrison B., whose name heads this review.
     Harrison B. Hole attended the schools of his district and found employment on his father’s farm until he was twenty-one years old.  He then began conducting a sawmill at Versailles, and in 1888 embarked in a poultry business which he has continued ever since.  For thirteen years Milton E. Stover was associated with him, but he then bought out his partner and has continued alone ever since.  Mr. Hole has several large plants, as follows: One at Versailles, one at Greenville, one at Arcanum, one at Dayton, one at Springfield, and one at Sidney, all in Ohio.  He is one of the largest produce merchants that ships to New York city in this part of the State, his operations aggregating $1,000,000 annually.
     On Dec. 18, 1890, Mr. Hole was married to Miss Otillie Engleken, born at Versailles, Ohio, a daughter of Barthold and Susanna (Kleinschmidt) Engleken, natives of Germany, the former of whom died in 1891, the latter surviving.  Mr. and Mrs. Engleken had four children, namely: Anna Marie, Otillie, Amelia and John Edward.  Mr. and Mrs. Hole became the parents of the following children: Robert M., Homer M., Harvey B., William E., Norman W., Dorothy O., Mildred L., and Richard E., who are all at home, except Norman W., who died at the age of four months.  The Christian church holds the membership of Mr. and Mrs. Hole.  He belongs to Versailles Lodge No. 290, F. & A. M., and the Knights of Pythias.  Strong in his support of the Republican party and its principles, he spent seven years as a member of the board of public affairs at Versailles and two terms on the school board.
     In November 1913, Mr. Hole was elected mayor of Versailles, receiving 286 out of a possible 376 votes cast.
     Mrs. Hole is prominent in church and social work, being a member of the T. E. O. Altruian.
Source:  History of Darke County, Ohio From its earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vols. I & II - Milford, Ohio - The Hobart Publ. Co. - 1914 - Page 222

BERT HUNT.     Probably there can be no more satisfactory business connection than that which exists between father and sons.  the older man's experience and hard-earned knowledge, added to the enthusiasm and progressive ideas of youth, produce a combination that is one hard to defeat, and some of Darke County's most successful partnerships are thus composed.  There is no exception to this rule in the field of agriculture, and an example of success gained by father and sons is found in Neave township, where Washington Hunt and his two sons, BERT and RALPH HUNT, have carried on farming and stockraising for a number of years.  Bert Hunt, the direct subject of this review, is known as one of the youngest stock buyers and shippers of the county, and at this time is operating three hundred and eighty-six acres of excellent land on the Eaton turnpike, opposite the poor farm in Neave township.  He was born northwest of Greenville, near Weimer’s grist mill, on the Union City pike May 21, 1880, and is a son of Washington and Mary (Snyder) Hunt.  The father, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was brought to the northern part of Darke county, Ohio, when still a lad, and was here reared and educated, and has since spent his life in tilling the soil and in raising valuable livestock.  He and his wife have been the parents of eight children, as follows: Jesse, Nettie and an infant, all of whom are deceased; Bert, of this review; Ralph, who is in partnership with his father and brother; Ada, who is now the wife of Orville McEowen, and Clara and Ed, who live at home with their parents.
     Bert Hunt received the greater part of his education in the country schools,  commencing at the Sugar Valley school house and ending at the Pewee school in Neave township.  He was thoroughly trained from earliest youth in the numerous subjects which it is necessary for the successful farmer to know, and even as a lad showed himself an excellent judge of cattle and other livestock.  Accordingly, when only sixteen years of age he was admitted to full partnership with his father, and when his younger brother reached that age he also was taken as a partner, this connection having since proved a most satisfactory one in every particular.  The extent of the stock business built up by this firm may be seen, when it is known that about one hundred and fifty to three hundred head of cattle are kept on hand all the time, and that in addition to this great numbers of hogs are shipped annually.  Mr. Hunt, it would seem, is an extremely busy young man with these large interests under his control, yet he has found time to take an active and helpful interest in all matters that pertain to the welfare of his township and county, and no movement is considered complete that does not have his co-operation and support.  A man of genial personality, loyal to his word and sincere in his friendships, he is popular all over this section and few men are better known.  In politics he has allied himself with the new progressive party. A friend of education, he has served for some time as a member of the school board.
     On Aug. 22, 1903, Mr. Hunt was married to Miss Rose Suter, daughter of John and Lizzie (Smallenberger) Suter, and to this union there have been born five children: Hildred, John, Carl, Washington, Jr., and an infant.
Source:  History of Darke County, Ohio From its earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vols. I & II - Milford, Ohio - The Hobart Publ. Co. - 1914 - Page 365