Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The Marckel Scrapbook - Johnathan P. Buffington

From the Marckel Scrapbook...


JONATHAN P. BUFFINGTON

“LIFE WORK FINISHED FOR J. P. BUFFINGTON

 Like a tall and mighty oak in the great forest which the sturdy pioneers cleared to make way for what is now Defiance, J. P. Buffington, one of the pioneers of early Defiance, has fallen to rise no more off this earth…




Surrounded by his family and friends, who mourn his sudden death, who will ever cherish his memory, Mr. Buffington breathed his last Wednesday night at 7:30 o’clock, aged 82 years, 4 months and 17 days.   

He had been over town during the day and remarked about how well he felt.  At about 4:30 in the afternoon, he fell on the walk in the rear of his home.  He was picked up and carried into the house.  Physicians were summoned who found that his entire right side was paralyzed.  Death ensued several hours later…


Jonathan P. Buffington was born Nov. 12, 1828, on the old homestead of the family in Brandywine township, Chester county, Pennsylvania.  He descended from a sturdy, honest and God-fearing stock, remotely natives of England and members of the Society of Friends, who formed part of the colony that came with Wm. Penn and founded the city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania.  There his ancestors were farmers and with strong arms, industrious and steady habits, helped to lay the foundation of a mighty nation.  The ancestral home in Chester county, Pennsylvania, covered part of the ground on which the Revolutionary ‘Battle of Brandywine’ was fought.


Mr. Buffington was about four years old when his parents moved to Ohio.  He was reared a farmer boy, attending the neighborhood schools and the high school at Springfield, O. and later his education was completed by a three years’ attendance at Granville College in Licking county, at which college he had as classmates and fellow students, Geo. H. Williams, afterwards district attorney of the United States for Oregon under President Grant; Geo. R. Sage, once judge of the U. S. court; Geo. L. Converse, member of Congress; Wm. H. Corwin, who became a prominent physician.


On leaving college, Mr. Buffington was 23 years of age, and he once became engaged in buying and selling cattle.  In 1853 he removed to Defiance, O. and engaged in the drug business in a store on First street which he occupied for eight years when he removed to Clinton street where he remained till he retired from business a short time ago.  In 1854 he established a drug store at Bryan, conducting both stores for two years, and they at that time, had the distinction of being the only drug stores in three counties, Defiance, Williams and Paulding.

Mr. Buffington was a member of St. Paul’s M. E. church, in the building of which he was a large contributor.  He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being Knight Templar.


Politically he was originally a Whig, and when the Whig party was merged into the Republican, he went with his party and has always remained an advocate of the political principles represented by that party.  He was chairman of the first Republican Judicial convention ever held in the Northwest, which convened at Defiance, O. in 1855 and represented six surrounding counties; he was also chairman of the first Republican Legislative convention held in the same year.

At this convention, every county had a candidate, but the delegates could not agree, and had started to go home without nominating a candidate when Mr. Buffington arrested their attention by calling from a window to them and suggesting the name of a man who had not before been mention(ed) as a candidate – Judge Haymaker of Brunersburg.  The name was unanimously accepted, the delegates returned to the hall and Haymaker was nominated and duly elected.


Mr. Buffington, during his career in public affairs, numbered among his friends and acquaintances many prominent men in State and Nation, among whom may be mentioned Hon. Salmon P. Chase, Governor of Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury under President Lincoln’s administration and Chief Justice of the United States; Hon. James A. Garfield, member of Congress and President of the United States, accompanying both of these distinguished men in their campaigns through this section of Ohio.  He formed a strong affection for Mr. Garfield whom he described as one of the most lovable and companionable of men.  

Mr. Buffington was associated in different campaigns with Hon. Columbus Delano General Jas. Ashley and others.  One notable trip was made with Salmon P. Chase, from Defiance to Antwerp, (18 miles through rainy, disagreeable weather), where Chase was to speak.  They secured a canoe or pirogue, a pair of horses and driver , which towed them on the canal, arrived at Antwerp at 12 noon, took dinner at the little hotel, and left to return about 4 o’clock, but on arriving within three miles of Defiance, at Schooley’s lock, the canoe got fast and the team gave out, compelling the party to abandon the boat and walk through the rain and mud to Defiance, where they arrive a little after midnight.


In 1857, Mr. Buffington was married to Harriet C. Piper of Clifton Springs, N. Y., to which union three children were born: Florence M., who married John D. Lamb; Alice M. and Carrie, who including Mrs. Buffington, survive the husband and father, all residing in Defiance.


During the war of the Rebellion, Mr. Buffington was warmly loyal to the Union cause.  He was secretary of the military committee of Defiance county through the entire war; was Deputy United States Provost Marshal of the Northern District of Ohio, and assisted largely in raising two companies of men for the One Hundred and Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and one company for the Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  He never applied for any compensation for his services, but after the war the government, through its bookkeeping and accounts discovered that compensation was due him, and the amount was sent, though through no solicitation on his part.  Mr. Buffington has been identified with the business interests of Defiance in different ways: was formerly a director of the Merchants’ National Bank and a stockholder in the Turnbull Wagon Company.


The last sad rites will be said Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the home.  Rev. Lance of St. Paul’s M. E. church will officiate.  The funeral will be in charge of Defiance Commandery, Knights Templar.  Burial in Riverside.”




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