Drs. Hill and Tappan were the first resident physicians of Darby Township. They were Eastern men—probably from the State of Vermont. But little is known respecting them. "The deep damnation of their taking-off" was for robbing a grave of the body of a squaw for the purpose of dissecting. This excited the resident Indians to a high degree, and, as the act also excited the indignation of many of the white citizens, they came to the conclusion that, under the circumstances, "discretion would be the better part of valor," and accordingly their leaving was somewhat precipitate. Their location was probably near where Plain City now is.
Dr. Isaac Bigelow. son of Dr. Israel Bigelow, was born August 25, 1797, near Balston Spa, Saratoga Co., N. Y. At the age of seventeen, in the year 1814, he came on foot from Center County. Penn., to make a payment for his father on a land purchase from his uncle, Isaac, the land being that where Plain City now stands. Returning to Pennsylvania, he studied medicine with his father. Dr. Israel Bigelow, and in 1817 returned to Ohio and located on Trickle's Creek, in Champaign County. He remained there one year, and in 1818 came to Darby Township, Madison County, and laid out the town of Westminster. This name was afterward changed to that of Pleasant Valley, but in 1872, after his death, the citizens petitioned their Representative in the Legislature—William Morrow Beach—for an act to change the name to Plain City. It was done. The reason therefor was the fact that there were four or five towns in Ohio by the name of Pleasant Valley, and perishable merchandise, shipped by railroad, was often sent wrong, and became a loss to the receiver before reaching its proper destination. In about 1828, after his father came on and located for practice, Dr. Isaac went out of practice and became a general trader. From September 23, 1847, until September 23, 1849, I was an inmate of his household, and, during all that time, I found him diligent, persevering and active in all his enterprises. He had kept a hotel and store on the southeast corner of Main and Chillicothe streets until after the year 1838, when he sold out to Samuel O. Weatherington. He built the large brick dwelling house on the northwest corner of the same streets, now occupied by Mooney Bros., in about 1842. He was Mayor of Pleasant Valley at one time, and was Postmaster during Polk's administration. He married, July 17, 1815, Miss Polly Bigelow, daughter of Isaac and Polly Bigelow, who then lived where Plain City now stands. He died in Pleasant Valley, Ohio, April 10, 1857, of pneumonia.
Dr. Daniel K Bigelow, son of Dr. Israel, was born in Balston Spa, N. Y., March 22, 1801 Studied medicine with his father, and commenced practice with his brother, Dr. Lebbens Bigelow. at Morris Cross-Roads, Fayette Co., Penn. In 1823, he moved to Adamsburg, Westmoreland Co., Penn., where he remained until 1831, when he came to Ohio and settled on the farm near Pleasant Valley where he afterward died. I know him well during the years of 1847, 1848 and 1849, and I can not recall the time that I ever saw him idle. His charges were ridiculously low, but he accumulated a fair estate, continuing in active practice up to the time of his death. He married, February 7, 1822, Miss Lydia Custer, of Georges Township, Fayette Co., Penn. She was the daughter of George and Catherine (Leatherman) Custer, and was born April 24, 1826, and died at her home, near Pleasant Valley, Ohio, November 14, 1854, of strangulated hernia. He died at his home, near Pleasant Valley, on the 10th day of November. 1850, of diabetes, aged fifty years.
Dr. William F. King was raised out on the Darby Plains. He was a brother of Joseph, Benjamin and Sarah King. He studied medicine with Dr. Israel Bigelow, of Pleasant Valley, Ohio. I remember him and Kilbourne Beach as Marshals of the Day one Fourth of July, and they both impressed me as being particularly handsome, graceful, courtly and distingue. He practiced in conjunction with Dr. Israel Bigelow, he attending mostly to the visiting of patients, and the old Doctor to the office business. He married Miss Diana, daughter of Dr. Israel and Polly (Brown) Bigelow, and died not many years afterward, at Pleasant Valley.
Dr. Fitch, a large, handsome, elegant-looking gentleman, was there about 1842. It is possible, however, that he was not as elegant as he appeared. He compounded a nostrum that met with a large and ready sale as an ague specific, that he called "the devil's toe-nail."
Dr. James Sidney Skinner, about 1842, vide Amity.
Dr. Willis Hix Twiford, son of Rev. Clement Twiford, born and raised in Ross County, Ohio. Studied with Dr. J. S. Skinner, and commenced practice in Pleasant Valley about 1842. Moved to Union City, Ind., in about 1853. Was a Surgeon of an Indiana regiment during the war. Is now living in Minnesota, where he went directly after the war. Is a member of the American Medical Association. He married Miss Nancy Dominy, daughter of Jeremiah Dominy, of Darby Township, Madison Co., Ohio, about the time he commenced his professional life.
Dr. Jeremiah Converse was born in Darby Township, Madison Co., Ohio, in the year 1822; studied medicine with Dr. Marshall P. Converse, and commenced practice at Liverpool in 1846. Graduated at Starling Medical College, Columbus, Ohio, in 1848. Located on the old homestead in Darby Township, of which he became the owner, three miles from Plain City, in 1847, where he still remains. He married Miss Sarah Hemenway, daughter of Farmery Hemenway.
Dr. James L. McCampbell located in Pleasant Valley in about 1846. He was a brother to the McCampbells north of town—Andrew, Samuel, and the family in and about New California. He was well qualified for the profession, and was active and diligent in business. He would have been a tall man, but rickets in his childhood had made him very short in the body. He had an immense practice in 1848 and 1849, and led the profession in the north part of the county. He died of typhoid fever, unmarried, in about 1850.
Dr. Joel N. Converse, son of Lothrop, was born and raised in Darby Township. His mother married for her second husband Mr. Wheeler, who lived and died on the south end of what is now the Solomon Cary farm. He studied medicine, for awhile at least, at Jefferson, and, marrying, he settled at Beachtown, in Union County, Ohio. In about 1851, he came to Pleasant Valley, and in about 1853 moved to Union City. Ind., after which time until now he has been identified with railroad men, and with railroad enterprises. He resides in Lincoln, Neb. He married Miss Ann Eliza Phillips, daughter of Seth Phillips, of Darby Township.
Dr. John E. McCune is "native and to the manor born." He was born and raised and has always lived near the village. He left the farm and was for a time clerk for George A. Hill & Co.. but left that lucrative calling to commence the study of medicine with Dr. James L. McCampbell. He fitted himself very thoroughly for the profession, and then, like any other sensible young man when entering upon the profession, he married a sensible young woman, and then put out his sign. His history, as a boy, a clerk, a medical student, practitioner, druggist and citizen, is a part of the history of Westminster, of Pleasant Valley and of Plain City. Dr. Charles McCloud, vide Amity.
Dr. William Inskeep Ballinger, oldest son of Joshua and Delilah (Inskeep) Ballinger, was born in Logan County, Ohio, October, 1828, and was for three years, from 1848, a student at the old Marysville Academy in Union County, Ohio, under the superintendency of Rev. Sterritt, Rev. Joseph D. Smith and Hon. James W. Robinson. In September, 1860, he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, for three years, and, in the fall of 1853, entered as a pupil the office of Dr. David W. Henderson, Marysville, Ohio. He took one course of lectures at Starling Medical College, session of 1854-55, and one at Cleveland Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio, at the session of 1855-56, where he was graduated M. D. April 9, 1856. He settled in Pleasant Valley the same year, and formed a partnership with Dr. John N. Beach, and has been engaged in his profession to some extent since that date. In conjunction with Richard Woodruff, he built the flouring-mill in 1873. He married, February 18, 1857, Miss Matilda, daughter of John and Eliza (Mark) Taylor, of Darby Township.
Dr. Thomas Jefferson Haynes, son of J. B. W. Haynes, of Richwood, Union Co., Ohio, was a graduate in medicine. Practiced for a few years in New California, Union Co., Ohio, near which he was married to Miss Mitchell, daughter of Jesse Mitchell. He moved to Pleasant Valley in about 1860, and was Captain of Company G, Seventeenth Regiment, three-months men. He died there in 1863, of erysipelas of the throat. He was well read up in his profession, and was a man of much more than ordinary ability.
Dr. Salathiel Ewing is a son of James M. and a grandson of James Ewing, the first white settler of what is now Union County, Ohio. He has always been counted among our best practitioners. He and Dr. M. J. Jenkins were the prime movers in the organization of our county medical association, of which he became the first President. He is also a member of the State Medical Society.
Dr. A. Sells was raised near Dublin, Ohio. I have no history of him, but remember him well. He married Miss Angalia Halm, of Columbus, Ohio. His widow resides in Columbus.
Dr. A. Haner has been a practitioner in Plain City for several years. He is an active business man, and stands well in the profession. Dr. A. Carpenter was for a few years located at Amity. I regret that he declined a sketch for use in this connection. He married Miss Lucy Jane, daughter of Asa and Thankful Converse.
Dr. M. J. Jenkins, second son of Rev. Thomas and Anne Jenkins, was born in Aleramman, South Wales, November 15, 1853, at which place and neighboring towns the first ten years of his life were spent. In 1864, he came to America with his father, on temporary business, but his father, becoming infatuated with the country, left his son in charge of friends at Johnstown, Penn., while he returned to Europe for the balance of his family. Returning to America, his father became the pastor for seven years of the Welsh Congregational Church at Johnstown, Penn., when he removed to Radnor, Delaware Co., Ohio, where he became pastor of the same denomination for ten years, after which he removed to Sharon. Penn., and thence, in May, 1881, to Waterville, Oneida Co., N. Y. In 1873, M. J. Jenkins entered Ohio Wesleyan University, as a pupil, where he remained for three years, having previously prepared himself for college in the high schools of Johnstown, Penn., and Radnor, Ohio. After leaving Delaware, he entered the office of Dr. P. H. Bauer, at Richwood, Ohio. Graduated at Miami Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 1, 1878, and located at Plain City May 1 of same year. Dr. Jenkins was active in organizing the Madison County Medical Society, and was the first permanent Secretary. He was married, December 24, 1879, to Miss May Beem, of Richwood, Ohio, a cultured lady and oldest daughter of Owen and Ellen Beem.
Dr. F. M. Mattoon was born June 21, 1842, in Genoa, Delaware Co., Ohio; educated at Central College, Ohio. Commenced the study of medicine in July, 1869, under Dr. Andrus, of Westerville, Ohio, and attended a course of lectures at Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery in 1870, but remained a pupil under Dr. Andrus until the spring of 1872, when he entered the office of Dr. Davis W. Halderman, Columbus, Ohio, where he remained until graduated M. D. , at Starling Medical College, February 23, 1873. He located in Belle Center, Logan Co., Ohio, in April, 1873. Remained three years, and removed to Piqua, Ohio, and in 1877 came to the Darby Plains, stopping at Unionville Center for three years, and, in April, 1880, came to Plain City. He married, July 29, 1875, Miss Miriam R. Lecky, of Millersburg, Ohio, a graduate in the class of 1867 of the Ohio Wesley Female College, Delaware, Ohio.