My Genealogy Hound

JOHN BALDWIN belongs to the agricultural class of Clark County, which has been his home since he was an infant four years old. He was born near Oldtown, Greene County, August 23, 1823, was reared on a farm and has made farming his life work. His parents, David Baldwin and Ellender McLaughlin, were born in Virginia and came to Ohio while still single. They were married in Greene County, subsequently removing to Clark County and are now deceased. The present home of their son John is eight miles south of Springfield, Madison Township, where he has been located twenty-nine years. His estate comprises one hundred acres of fine land which is furnished with adequate improvements of various kinds, including every needful arrangement in the way of farm building, fruit etc. The land is carefully and intelligently tilled, and brings in an income which more than meets the wants of the family.

The wife of our subject was known in girlhood as Miss Jane McQuality. She is a daughter of William McQuality, who bestowed upon her the best advantages which the section afforded in acquiring information, and the home training which fitted her for the duties which have devolved upon her since mature years. Her marriage rites were celebrated November 5, 1848, and her union has resulted in the birth of three children. The first-born is Florence, now the wife of Samuel Justus Buffenberger who owns and occupies a fine farm near that of our subject; they have one child, Warren Kiefer. William R. a young married man without family, lives with his parents and carries on the farm. Eliza died at the age of six years, six months and sixteen days.

Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin hold memberships in the Methodist Church at Selma, the relatives generally being connected with that denomination. The families on each side have supported the Whig and later the Republican party, and actively participated in upholding the Union during the late Civil War. Both our subject and his wife are respected members of society and well deserve a representation in a volume of this kind.

The father of Mrs. Baldwin was in many respects a very remarkable man. He came from Maryland with his father, Owen McQuality, before the State of Ohio was organized, settling near Chillicothe, where Grandfather McQuality met his death by being crushed by a tree which he had cut down. The family included five children, William being the first born. James reared a family at Jackson; Peter, a shoemaker of Brookville, Ind., also reared a family; Sarah married Isaiah Holloway and with her family lived near Selma; and Mrs. Manly Madden who resides with her family in California. Mr. and Mrs. Madden had two sons and a son-in-law killed in battle during the late war.

After living a bachelor for many years, William McQuality married Miss Sarah Rodabaugh, who was of the Pennsylvania Dutch stock. They had a large family, thirteen children being living when the mother was called hence. A few years after her death Mr. McQuality married Miss Elizabeth Enniphies, who also bore him a large family, four of whom are yet living. Mr. McQuality died in 1883; his widow now resides in Illinois. During the Mexican War, Cooper McQuality, a son of William was killed in battle and his body was never recovered. The father also sent three sons into the Union Army, all being with Sherman on his march to the sea, as also were their cousins. The names of the union soldiers were James, Albert and Howard, who entered the service from Illinois. The first named was an invalid for many years and finally died from the effects of his army life.