Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-11-03
IN rHR BUCKEYE STATE.
A Dickinsonian Writes Of Visiting
Old Ohio Scenes.
Special Reflector Correspondence.

i
Old Ohio Scenes.
Special Reflector Correspondence.
LEXINGTON, Ohio, Oct. 25.-Your
readers may be interested with a let.
ter from this region of the Buckeye
State. | left Abilene two months ago
and have had a very pleasant time,
together with my wife, visiting rela-
tives and friends in Richland county.
There are some people in Dickinson
county who formerly lived in regions
have visited and my letter may
serve to arouse in them pleasant
memories Of their old home.
My father was one of the earliest
pioneers Of Richland county, his par.
ents having located three miles east
OF the city Of Mansfield about the year
1910 when he was but a few years
old. He helped to clear up more or
less OF the wilderness in the county
and died at his home three miles
northeast of Lexington in September,
1897, at the age Of 80 years. He
raised three sons each of whom served
three years in the civil war and all
are living at this time. | lived in the
vicinity of Lexington from 1865 until
1885 at which time with my family
moved to Dickinson county.
Lexington contains about 500 peo-
pie and the first families located here
about 1912. 1t was named after Lex
ington of Revolutionary fame. 1t
has electric lights an good schools
and an intelligent class Of people, 1t
is located on the Baltimore e. Ohio
railroad and is nine miles south of
Mansfield, the county seat. The
town has the honor of having had as
one of its citizens soldier who was
quite distinguished in the civil war.
1t was Col. E. j. Conger who was
second in command of the party
which captured and killed Wilkes
Booth, the assassin Of President Lin.
coin. Col. Conger was the man who
fired the barn in which Booth secreted
himself. He served one term as
mayor of Lexington after the close Of
the war and about thirty years ago
no went west and was associate JUS
tice OF the supreme court Of Montana.
1t is also worthy Of note that Gov.
John P Altgeld Of Illinois was raised
few miles from this village and some
Of his school days were spent here.
Mr.. Altgeld was visiting his relatives
here the past summer.
Mansfield contains between $4,000
and 10000 inhabitants and is a city
of great beauty, wealth and enter
prise. BIT few cities Of its size have
produced as many famous men as
Mansfield. 1t has been the home for
over 30 years of Americas greatest
living statesman, John Sherman.
Gen. W. Il. Sherman also lived in
Mansfield when he was young man.
The city was the home nearly fifty
years ago of Samuel j. Kirkwood who
later served as governor, United
States senator and cabinet officer and
who died in Iowa two or three years
ago. The city has also produced two
governors and two judges Of the su-
preme court. The governors were
Mordecai BARLEY and Thomas BARLEY,
bis son, and the judges Of the supreme
court were Thomas BARLEY and Jacob
Brinkerhoi1. Mordecai BARLEY and
Brinkerhbif were also members OF
congress about 60 years ago. The
city is the home Of Frank G. Carpen-
ter, the famous newspaper cores
pendent and OF Gen. r. BrinkerhoiI Of
world wide fame in prison reform
matters. M. d. Harter, the famous
free trade congressman who com
mitted suicide two or three years ago,
was also a resident of Mansfield when
he died. U. H. AMsBAuGH.