Charles Darlington
In the memorial annals of Greene county and of the city of Xenia there are few names held in better remembrance than that of the late Charles Darlington, a practicing attorney at Xenia from the time of his entrance into practice there until his death in 1908. He was born at Zanesville, this state, son of Capt. James and Margaret (Bowman) Darlington, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in this state, a member of one of the old families at Zanesville. Capt. James Darlington was a steamboat captain and during the Civil War had charge of a boat in the government service. After the war he located at Zanesville, where he became a coal-mine operator and where he and his wife spent their last days. They were the parents of two children, the subject of this memorial sketch and a daughter, Virginia, widow of Arnold Green, a Cleveland attorney. Mrs. Green is a member of the Cleveland school board.
Upon completing the course in the public schools of Zanesville, Charles Darlington entered Wittenberg College at Springfield and later continued his law studies under the preceptorship of his uncle, Samuel Bowman, one of the leading lawyers of that city and who had three sons, Elden, Borden and Edward Bowman, all of whom became attorneys in that city. Upon qualifying for the practice of his profession, Charles Darlington located at Xenia and for a time was associated in practice with Judge Smith, but presently resumed his practice alone and so continued until his death, which occurred at his home in Xenia in July, 1908, he then being sixty-two years of age. Mr. Darlington never aspired to public office. Originally a Democrat, he abandoned the main wing of that party in the campaign of 1896 and affiliated himself with the "gold" Democrats, later espousing the Republican cause, and voted for Major McKinley for President, ever afterward continuing in the ranks of the Republican party. He was a Scottish Rite (32°) Mason, a member of the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias and was a member of the Episcopal church.
On August 31, 1873, Charles Darlington was united in marriage to Lissa Snively, who was born at Ft. Wayne, Indiana, daughter of Dr. David and Olivia (Bushnell) Snively; the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter at Hartford, Connecticut, both long since deceased. Dr. David Snively was for more than thirty years a surgeon in the United States regular army, serving with the rank of major, and during that time was stationed at various stations at widely separated points in the United States. He is buried in the national cemetery at Arlington. He and his wife had two children, Mrs. Darlington having had a brother, Alonzo Snively, a writer of considerable note, who died in California in February, 1913.
To Charles and Lissa (Snively) Darlington one child was born, a son, Capt. Charles LeRoy Darlington, who is now (1918) serving in the National Army of the United States, having enlisted his services and entered the officers training camp at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, shortly after the declaration of war against Germany in the spring of 1917, receiving a commission as captain. Charles L. Darlington was born at Xenia on May 28, 1877, and at the age of fourteen was placed in the University school at Cleveland, attending the same for four years, at the end of which course he entered Yale College and after a four-years course there was graduated in 1899. He then completed his law studies in the Cincinnati Law School and after a four-years course there was admitted to the bar and opened an office in the Union Trust building at Cincinnati. Upon the death of his father in the summer of 1908 Mr. Darlington returned to his old home at Xenia and reopened his father's office and was there engaged in practice, with offices in the Steele building, until he enlisted his services in behalf of the nation's cause in the spring of 1917. During the time of his residence in Cincinnati, Charles L. Darlington was united in marriage to Louise Swing, daughter of Judge Peter Swing, of that city. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Darlington has continued to make her home at Xenia. In her church work she has given special attention to the labors of the Missionary Society. She is one of the active members of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918