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OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest                    Volume 99 : Issue 317

Today's Topics:
  #1 WILLIS FAMILY - DELAWARE COUNTY      [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE]

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X-Message: #1
Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 21:06:50, -0500
From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER)
Subject: WILLIS FAMILY - DELAWARE COUNTY


HISTORY OF OHIO
The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925
Volume V - Page 448-449

        THE WILLIS FAMILY OF DELAWARE COUNTY is one whose name had been
prominently and worthily identified with the annals of American history
from the early Colonial period, and the family has been established in
Delaware County, Ohio, for ninety years.
        About four miles distant from historic Plymouth Rock,
Massachusetts, was established the original home of the Willis family. The
material for this ancient dwelling was brought, ready framed, from England,
and arrived on the second or third vessel to arrive in this country after
the original voyage of the "Mayflower." The house was erected at Kingston,
Massachusetts, and was well supplied with furnishings brought likewise from
England, records, as well as many family heirlooms, showing that both in
England and Massachusetts the Willis family had been one of appreciable
wealth and influence.
        The original member of the Willis family to come to Ohio and
settled in Delaware County was Buckley H. Willis, whose wife was Susan
Bartlett, whose mother was born in the historic and storied old wayside inn
at Sudbury, Massachusetts.
        Buckley H. Willis was reared in the old Bay State; there his
marriage occurred and thence, after living for a time in Vermont, in 1834,
he came with his family to Ohio and settled in Delaware County. Mr. Willis
was of a verile type of manhood, not afraid to face the hardships of
pioneer life. He lived to attain the age of ninety-six years in Delaware
County, most of the time as an active farmer, working vigorously on a farm
himself until he was well past ninety years of age. He attained some
measure of distinction in Concord Township, because, for a number of years,
his was the only abolition vote cast in that township. When the republican
party was organized he immediately identified himself with it, and was an
influential factor in the organization of the new party in his home county.
        Ten children were born to Buckley H. Willis and his wife. These in
order were: Cornelia, who became Mrs. Cutler, of Columbus; Brainard, who
resided on a farm near Belle Point, Delaware County, until his death at the
age of ninety-two years in 1922; Jay B., father of Frank B., United State
Senator, a farmer of Delaware County; Plynn, a physician residing near
Ostrander, Delaware County; Emily, Henry, a farmer residing near
Hyattsville; Rollin K. and Frank A., whose sketches appear hereafter;
Elbridge R., who became a distinguished minister of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and now resides in California; and John B., who was assistant editor
of the Christian Science Monitor and now resides in Massachusetts. Of these
sons four served in the armies of the Union throughout the War of the
Rebellion; not one of them was ever compelled to enter a hospital as a
patient at any time, a splendid tribute to the type of manhood of this family.
        Rollin K. Willis, who now resides in Delaware, Ohio, was born on
the old homestead farm in Delaware County, September 26, 1843, and there he
was reared to adult age. At the age of eighteen years he went forth as a
gallant young soldier of the Union in the Civil War, he having been a
musician in the band of the Forty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with
which he served until the close of the war. He has in his possession a
piece of his regimental flag he aided in saving at Fort Donelson, where he
and others of his command were captured, the flag of the regiment having by
them been buried in the Confederate prison and having eventually been
brought home with the regiment. Mr. Willis participated in many engagements
and lived up to the full tension of the great conflict. In February, 1868,
Rollin K. Willis wedded Alice Elizabeth, daughter of Miner P. and Orilla G.
Tone, who came from new Hampshire and settled in Delaware County, Ohio, Mr.
Tone having been one of the specially successful sheep growers of the
county. Mr. and Mrs. Willis became the parents of four children. Roy, now
deceased, married Pearl Crumb, and they have one child, Dorothy. Myrtle
became the wife of James Morse, of Boston, and they had four children.
Myrtle, Alice, Grace and Eunice. Mr. Morse is now deceased. Rolla married
Ethel Bovey, and they have three sons, Wilbur, Paul and Vernon. Grace,
youngest of the children, died in California. Mrs. Willis died some years
ago, and later he married Miss Mayme Harter. Mr. and Mrs. Willis are active
members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is affiliated with the Grand
Army of the Republic.
        Frank A. Willis was born on a pioneer farm in Delaware County,
September 28, 1846. His youth was spent on this farm, in the work of which
he assisted during the summer seasons, while he attended the winter terms
of school until he was fourteen years old. In his native county he
continued as a successful and prominent exponent of farm industry until
1913, since which year he has maintained his home at Delaware, the county
seat. April 25, 1867, recorded his marriage to Mary E. Berlet, who likewise
was born on a farm in Delaware County, and who is a daughter of Frederick
and Margaret Berlet. Mr. and Mrs. Willis have one child, Nellie, who is the
wife of Myron Champion, of Delaware. Mr. and Mrs. Willis are zealous
members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a stalwart republican in
politics.
        Jay B. Willis, the father of Senator Willis, was born at Dorset,
Vermont, and remembered distinctly the trip made by his father and mother
and their children over the Old Erie Canal to their new home in Ohio, where
on January 24, 1856, he married Lavina Buell. Shortly before the Civil war
they journeyed by wagon to Western Iowa and Missouri, but after two years
there, preferring Ohio, they returned to Delaware County and continued to
reside there until their death. They reared three sons: Buell, a farmer of
Lewis Center, Delaware County; Lloyd, a prominent real estate man of
Chicago, Illinois; and Frank Bartlett, who was named after his uncle, Frank
A., of whom specific mention has been made in this context. A daughter,
Dottie, died in 1877, at the age of two years.
        Frank Bartlett Willis, forty-fifth Governor of Ohio and present
United States Senator, has through his character, achievement and service
signally honored the family name. He spent his youth on the farm, attended
and taught country school, attended the high school at Galena and then
became a student at Ohio Northern University, Ada, Hardin County, Ohio.
        It was in connection with his choice of Ohio Northern that he first
evidenced that spirit of independence and ability to stand on his own feet,
which has been the characteristic of his life. Refusing the proffered
financial assistance of his parents, the future Governor made his own way
through college, and at the same time earned an enviable record for
scholarship. Following his graduation and a post-graduate course in law he
became an instructor in the law department of his Alma Mater, where he
taught for several years, not only becoming thoroughly familiar with the
laws of the land, but also building up a large circle of friends among men
who have been destined to play a considerable part in public affairs
throughout the state. In 1906 he was admitted to the bar.
        As a young man Mr. Willis became interested in politics, and in
1896 stumped the state for William McKinley. In 1899 he was nominated as a
republican candidate for representative from Hardin County. The county was
democratic, and its representative at the time in the legislature belonged
to that party. Mr. Willis rode from house to house on a bicycle, making a
most thorough personal canvass of the country.
        Mr. Willis played an important part in the legislature, in which he
served two terms. He attained distinction through his connection with the
reform of tax measures in Ohio. The Willis Tax Law, compelling home and
foreign corporations to pay a certain per cent on their capital stock into
the treasury annually, is still one of the fundamental features of the
taxation system of his state.
        In 1910 Mr. Willis was elected to Congress form the Eighth Ohio
District, which was composed of Champaign, Delaware, Hardin, Hancock, Logan
and Union counties, defeating Thomas C. Mahon by a vote of 21,030 to
19,519. In 1912 he was one of the three Ohio republicans Congressman
returned to their seats, receiving a plurality of 1,414 over Hon. W.W.
Durbin, of Kenton, although his district gave the democratic candidate for
Governor a plurality of 4,967.
        In congress Mr. Willis quickly achieved distinction. He won a
reputation for independence, great industry and ability to take care of
himself in debate. He jumped from obscurity to national fame in a single
day by a speech he made in the House of Representatives on the Arizona-New
Mexico Statehood Bill. The Willis voice, one of his assets, quickly became
known in the House. It is a big, booming voice, rich, rotund, with a touch
of middle-western nasal twang creeping into it now and then. Apparently
without effort its owner can fill almost any auditorium in which he speaks.
        Throughout his Congressional career and representing a great wool
producing district Mr. Willis always occupied a prominent part in the fight
for the continuance of a protective tariff policy, and particularly of a
tariff on wool.
        As the son of a soldier he labored faithfully in the interest of
the veterans of our wars. He was elected Governor of Ohio in 1914, serving
two years. In 1920 he was elected to the United States Senate to succeed
Senator Warren G. Harding, who on the same day was elected president of the
United States. On the resignation of Senator Harding in January, 1921,
Senator Willis, through appointment by Governor Davis, took his seat in the
Senate a few weeks in advance of the date on which he began his elected
term. His ability to see clearly into the heart of problems early won him
membership on four important committees of the Senate -foreign relations,
immigration, territories and insular possessions, and commerce. In 1924 he
became chairman of the Committee on Territories.
        Senator Willis has spoken in almost every historic spot in America.
In 1916 he presented the name of Hon. Theodore E. Burton for President, and
in 1920 the name of Hon. Warren G. Harding. In the estimate of many men the
speech he made nominating Mr. Harding is the only one ever delivered to a
Republican National Convention which actually helped the candidate in whose
behalf it was made. His expression, "Say, boys and girls, let's nominate
Harding," uttered spontaneously, caught the convention and aroused it to a
pitch of enthusiasm not hitherto reached during the nominating speeches.
        The Senator's wife was Allie Dustin, whose father and mother are
prominent residents of Galena in Delaware County, Ohio. They were married
July 19, 1894, and have one daughter, Helen. The family home is maintained
in Delaware, Ohio.

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End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #317
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