Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/889

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��SHARON TOWNSHIP.

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��SHARON TOWNSHIP.

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��ADAMS, ANDREW, retired farmer ; he was born in Bedford Co., Penn., June 15, 1820; Andrew was the fourth of nine children ; Mr. Adams spent his youth on a farm ; he came with his parents to Ohio, and did such work as was usual with young men of that day. He was united in matrimony to Miss Ann Zeigler, April 7, 1842 ; she was born near Somerset, Perry Co., Ohio, and came with her parents to Blooming Grove Township, Richland Co., about 1817, being among the first settlers of that county ; they have had five chil- dren, three of whom are living, viz.: Wil.iam H., far- mer, in Plymouth Township ; John A., farmer in Plym- outh ; Sarah M., married to George Souders, farmer, and lives in De Kalb Co., Ind. Mr. Adams started with small means. He helped to clear up a large amount of land in the county, and, by diligence and economy, he has acquired considerable property. .

BALLARD, ASA N., A. B., M. D., one of the prac- ticing physicians of Shelby ; he was born in Clinton Co., Ohio, Oct. 17, 1842; he spent his younger days on the farm. In October, 1861, he enlisted in Co. D, 48th 0. V. I.; served four years and eight months, being retained six months after the close of the war for garrison duty in Texas, during which long period he missed but few days' duty ; he took part in four sieges, ten hard-fought battles, besides many skir- mishes, a full share of marching, etc. ; the principal engagements were Shiloh, Corinth, Holly Springs, Chickasaw Bluffs, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, Jackson, Sabine Cross Roads, La., Pensacola, Fla., Fort Blakely, and Mobile; he re-enlisted in February, 1864, but, before getting his furlough, was captured in the battle of Sabine Cross Roads, La., April 8, 1864 ; matched about two hundred miles to Tyler, Texas, wjiere he, with over three thousand others, were kept for six and a half months almost exclusively on Indian meal and beef diet, in a stockade inclosure, with mother earth for a bed and a Texan sky for a covering ; after his release, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in December, 186-5, and at once detailed for staff duty, in which capacity he traveled through Texas, but most of the time was Acting Ordnance Officer of the Eastern District of Texas, with headquarters at Galveston; upon arriving at Columbus for final muster-out. May 22, 1866, he was commissioned Captain by brevet. He then attended and taught school alternately until he completed the classical course at the National Normal School, .in 1871 ; for a few years following, he superin- tended public schools, closing his labors in that direc- tion as Principal of the Eighth Ward, Indianapolis. He married Miss Mary Harrison, of Mori-ow Co., Ohio, in 1873. While in Indianapolis, he began the study of medicine under Dr. J. B. Hurd, but resided in Cincin- nati while attending medical lectures, practicing in the Free Dispensary during vacations, until he graduated at Pulte Medical College in 1876 ; in March of the same year located in Shelby, where he enjoys a good practice.

BARGAHISER, JACOB L., farmer; was Born m Richland Co. Nov. 29, 1834 ; his father, Levi Bargahi- ser, was born Dec. 5, 1791, in Pennsylvania. When he

��was 12 years of age, he came to Ohio with Martin Ruff- ner ; he remained in the cabin when Ruffner went to the Zimmer family and was killed by the Indians, of which a full account will be found in another part of this work. He entered the southeast quarter of Sec. 6 in 1815, and about 1818 or 1819 he commenced the first clearing. He was married to Susanna Eshelman, of Licking Co.; they had five children, three of whom are living, the subject of this sketch being the youngest ; he died Dec. 26, 1868 : his wife survived him until May 25, 1878. Jacob was married to Sarah E. Price Sept. 4, 1856 ; they have seven children — Andrew, Le^ vina D., Lorenzo D. and Susanna, living ; Levi, Isaac M. and Frankie are dead. Mr. Bargahiser is a Director of the Buckeye Insurance Company, and is what is termed a solid farmer.

BLOOM, S. S., attorney at law. He was born in Waterford, Juniata Co., Penn., March 11, 1834; he never knew a mother's fostering care, and at her death, quickly following his birth, was moved to his grand- father's family, Mr. John Stambaugh, near Blain, Perry Co., Penn., where he spent his entire youth on the farm. His grandfather dying when he was 19 years of age, he soon came to Shelby, Richland Co., where his father had settled in 1836, but where he died in 1843. He was married to Miss Anna M. Stambaugh, a lady of the same name but not the same family as his grandfather. In March, 1856, moved with her to Shelby ; his wife and infant son dying in August, 1867, he was again left alone in the world, but this gloom cast so early upon his life, did not deter him from pursuing the even tenor of his way. In 1859, he was again raar. ried to Mrs. Jennie M. Smily, daughter of the late Robert Mickey, with whom he is still living, happy and contented, surrounded by the children which have blessed their union— a son and two daughters. In 1858, Mr. Bloom was elected Mayor of Shelby by the votes of both parties, for, though a Democrat, his party has always been in a large minority in his village and township. He continued to be re-elected until the spring of 1863, when the party lines* were closely drawn, and he was defeated for a sixth term by a few votes. During this time he also held the office of town- ship clerk for five years, and Justice of the Peace for three years; in 1863, he was nominated without opposi- tion to the Legislature, and was one of the few who were that year elected upon the Democratic ticket in the county. He served two years in the House of Rep- resentatives, with only eighteen Democratic colleagues. In 1865, he was re- elected by a handsome majority, During the two terms he served on the Committee of Agriculture (being then a farmer), and also on the Committee on Benevolent Institutions. During his second term, having been admitted to the bar, he served on the Judiciary Committee ; he also raised on his mQ- tion a special joint committee on insurance, of which he was made chairman, to which committee all bills re- lating to insurance were referred. His labors on the last-named committee were untiring, and finally culmi- nated in State supervision of insurance, and soon after, the creation of the present insurance department m

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