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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
The County of Noble, Ohio
A History of Noble County Ohio from the Earliest Days
with Special Chapter on Military Affairs and Special Attention Given
to Resources,
By Hon. Frank M. Martin
1904
For Reference: Noble County was formed in 1851
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JOHN FINLEY, M. D.
The medical profession of Caldwell is represented by a class
of learned and thoroughly well qualified physicians.
They have chosen the profession of medicine because of their
peculiar adaptation to it, and not as is so often the case,
because of the allurements of rapid moneymaking. As a
class of professional men, they are well versed in medical
lore, skillful in practice, sympathetic in nature, and
endowed with more than ordinary success. Dr. John
Finley, the subject of this review, stands well up in
the front rank of his colleagues in the vicinity, and is a
gentleman who bears the distinguished honor with becoming
modesty and professional pride. Dr. Finley is
distinctively a self made man, in the sense in which that
term is usually employed. Whether his self-education
was a matter of choice or necessity, does not figure in the
final results, nor in the sense of self-reliance and
independence which follows such a course. Some of our
greatest National characters have been self educated because
of parental disability to aid. Dr. Finley's
early educational advantages were very limited. He
attended the common schools in the desultory manner of
farmer lads generally, until he attained the age of thirteen
years. At that tender period in the life of a youth,
he began working on a farm as a hired laborer, continuing in
that capacity for thirteen years, often required to perform
tasks far beyond his strength but uncomplaining and ever
faithful, until his health became seriously impaired.
At the age of twenty-six he became convinced that there was
something in store for him besides the drudgery of manual
labor; and, in accordance with this belief, he entered upon
the study of medicine under the tutorship of Dr. J. H.
Abbott, in Cannonsburg. He pursued a thorough
course of four years in this preparatory work, which also
included two courses of lectures, the first at the College
of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Md. In 1876
he was graduated from Miami College of Medicine in
Cincinnati. His studies were pursued with the same
zeal, energy and determination which had characterized the
labors of his earlier years when working from twelve to
sixteen hours a day, as a farm laborer. Being now
fully equipped for his professional life, with health
partially restored, he entered upon a professional career
which has brought him to a prominent position in social
life, and placed him in the fore front of his professional
contemporaries. Dr. Finley is one of that
limited class of physicians who does not always enquire,
"will he pay," but, "how sick is he," instead. He is a
sympathetic friend as wee as a wise and faithful counsellor
in distress. With him there are no impassable roads,
or nights too cold or dark to travel. This
characteristic in his nature has endeared him to the people
of Caldwell and vicinity, and, coupled with his phenomenal
success as a practitioner, has brought him a very
large and lucrative practice, which is constantly growing.
The doctor first practiced at Hiramsburg for several years,
then removed to Sarahsville, where he was in active practice
for five years, but the prospects of Caldwell becoming a
large and prosperous town, together with the allurements of
the county seat, induced him to make another change, and he
came to Caldwell in 1895. Dr. Finley has always
been devoted to his profession and never sought official
honors, though he served four years as a member of the
Medical Examining Board during the first term of President
Cleveland's administration. He has been a
life-long Democrat. The subject of this review was
born in Beaver township, Noble county, on June 21, 1846, and
is a son of WILLIAM
and Margaret (Eagon) Finley
both natives of the Buckeye State. His father spent
his life in agricultural pursuits, and died in Noble county
at the age of sixty-six. The mother, now in the
declining years of a happy old age, still lives at
Cannonsburg, honored by her surviving children, and enjoying
the distinction of having four-score and three years
recorded to her credit. William and Margaret Finley
were the parents of seven children, four of whom are now
living. The eldest of the family was Nancy, who
married Jacob Hayne; Charlotte, wife of W.
E. Carpenter, of Parkersburg, W. Va.; Hester Anne,
wife of James Yoho, now deceased; John;
Hannah, now Mrs. Morrison, of Kansas; James,
deceased; Chas. W., a mechanic in Cannonsburg.
Dr. Finley has been twice married, his first marriage
being terminated by the death of his wife within one year.
He was married the second time to a sister of his first
wife, Arizona R. Danford, and to them have been born
two children, the son, Charles L., surviving, and the
daughter, Maude Estella dying in infancy. The
son, Charles L., now in his 19thyear, is a student in
the Hospital College of Medicine at Louisville, Ky., fitting
himself for the medical profession. Dr. Finley
is a member of the Masonic fraternity of Olive Lodge No.
116. From early manhood he has sustained relations
with the Methodist church, his wife being also a member, and
although a zealous christian worker and most exemplary wife,
he crowning glory consists in her devotion to her aged
parents, her labors being sweetened by the consciousness of
duty well done. The name Finley is a prominent
one in Southern and Central Ohio. Like many other busy
men of the day, Dr. Finley is not posted on his
family genealogy, but tradition traces the origin of his
family to the Emerald Isle. It is the belief, however,
that the Finleys who figured so conspicuously in the
pioneer days are descended from the same ancestors.
Every school boy in the state knows the thrilling career of
the Rev. J. B. Finley as the pioneer Methodist
preacher and Indian fighter.
Source:
The County of Noble, Ohio - By Hon. Frank M. Martin - 1904 -
Page 209-211 |
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HON. LEVI WILLIAM FINLEY,
of Caldwell, ex-member of the Sixty-sixth general assembly
of Ohio, and a retired merchant was born within the present
limits of Noble county, on the 11th of March, 1844, and was
reared and educated in his native county. He is a son
of William and Rachel (Glover) Finley, both natives
of Pennsylvania, who were married in Noble county, living
there until 1870, and then removing to Wayne county, Iowa,
where they ended their days. the mother died in1875 at
the age of sixty-two and the father in 1885, at the age of
eighty. He followed farming all his life and was
regarded as well-to-do. The family comprised nine
children, eight of whom lived to years of maturity.
The eldest is Rebecca, wife of George Miley of
Buffalo township; Susan, wife of James W. Gibson,
now superintendent and matron respectively of Noble County
Infirmary; Eliza, wife of Levi Keller,
died in1877; John died in youth; Jacob, a
resident of Oklahoma, where he owns a fine farm; Isaac, died
in the army in t he Civil war, buried at Athens, Ala., a
member of the Ninth Ohio cavalry; Samuel C.,
proprietor of a meat market in Wayne county, Ia., and
George, who died in 1889. Mr. Finley
entered the army as a member of Company E, Eighty-Eighth
Ohio volunteer infantry, in July, 1863, serving two years as
clerk at headquarters of the Northern Department. His
regiments did garrison duty most of the time, being employed
in guarding railroads, recruits, deserters, prisoners and
the like. Previous to entering the army, Mr.
Finley had been engaged in teaching for a year or two,
and on returning, resumed this profession for about two
years longer, and then engaged in general merchandising at
Sarahsville, originally the county seat of Noble county.
He continued in that line six years, when failing health
obliged him to seek a change, and in 1873 he engaged in
farming, stock raising, and fruit growing. In November
1902, he left the farm and moved to Caldwell, turning over
the management of his 250-acres farm to his son.
Mr. Finley has always taken an active interest in
politics, being a Republican until 1872, when he became a
follower of the Liberal Republican candidate,
Horace Greeley, and since that time has been a Democrat.
In 1876, he was a Democratic candidate for county auditor,
but was defeated at the polls; and in 1883 was elected to
the legislature. In 1887 he was a candidate for State
senator, but failed in the nominating convention. He
was deputy collector of internal revenue for one year, 1897
to 1898, in the sub-division composed of the counties of
Noble, Guernsey, Monroe, Washington, Athens, Morgan and
Meigs, and was legislated out of this position in 1898 at
the outbreak of the Spanish war. He was a member of
the State Central committee for four years, and has served
on the Executive and Control committees of the county.
He was also deputy state supervisor of elections and held
various other offices in the township, to say nothing of the
various school board offices held at different times.
Mr. Finley was married Nov. 24, 1866, to Jane
Young, a native of Noble county, and a daughter of
William J. and Jane (McCann) Young, the father a native
of Rhode Island, and the mother of Noble county, Ohio.
to them have been born seven children, five of whom are
living: William L., editor of the Kenton
Press and president of the Scioto Sign Co., wife,
Emma Hancher, have six children; George R.,
married Iona McClintock, resides on home farm, four
children; Mary J. wife of A. C. Frye,
Rachel May, wife of J. B. Sparling; and Joseph
L., a student in Caldwell. Mr. Finley
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Summerfield Lodge No.
___; of Knights of Pythias, being Past Chancellor Commander
of same, and of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is
a minister of the Disciple church and active in religious
work, having been in the ministry for eight years, though
his early religious affiliations were with the Methodist
church. He is pre-eminently a good man, honored and
respected by all. Though never obtaining the full
measure of his political ambition, he takes defeat
philosophically. He is a student by nature and has
surrounded himself with a fine private library, where he
feels at home with familiar friends. His material
possessions are such as, with judicious management,
precludes the possibility of want, and he and his estimable
wife and young son, comprise a happy and contented trio
around the home fireside.
Source:
The County of Noble, Ohio - By Hon. Frank M. Martin - 1904 -
Page 224-226 |
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JACOB
FOGLE. - Jacob Fogle, a very early resident of what
is now Noble county, and grandfather to the subject of this
article, entered government land in Center township, and
lived there, a tiller of soil, all his life. Of the
seven children, all of whom are dead, ELIJAH
was one, father of Mr. Fogle, of whom this is
written. He was born in Center township, and lived
there until his death in 1841, a farmer by occupation.
Elijah and Sallie (Mayborn) Fogle were the parents of
eight children, only by whom, Jacob, is living; they
were: Peter, Jonathan, Amy, Hannah, Rufus, Luther,
Sallie, and Jacob. Jacob Fogle, was
born in Noble county Nov. 1, 1836, was there reared and
educated, and on reaching manhood chose the time-honored
occupation of an agriculturist, and has been interested only
in that all his life. Mr. Fogle was twice
married, first to Margaret Bryan, daughter of
Garry Bryan, an old resident of the county, who became
the mother of four children: Miles, a merchant
in Zanesville; Nancy Ellen, now Mrs. Vanfleet,
of Wisconsin; Sarah Catherine, deceased; and Mary
now Mrs. Davis of Zanesville. The second
marriage was to Mrs. Sallie (Merry) Miller daughter
of Colton Merry, an old resident of Noble county, and
to them have been born three children: Abigail,
now Mrs. Oliver, of Zanesville; Elizabeth, now
Mrs. William Oliver of Summerfield; and Ambrose,
a merchant of Summerfield. Mr. and Mrs. Fogle
are members of the United Brethren church.
Source:
The County of Noble, Ohio - By Hon. Frank M. Martin - 1904 -
Page 165 |
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