Lee Atherton
Lee Atherton, general farmer, residing on his finely-improved farm of eighty-six acres, in Thompson Township, was born near Newark. Ohio, March 9, 1848, and is a son of Augustine Washington and Cynthia (Taft) Atherton.
Thomas Atherton, the great-grandfather of Lee, came from Shippensburg. Pennsylvania, to Newark. Ohio, when the latter was a mere hamlet of log cabins on the frontier. His son, John Atherton. was probably the first manufacturer at Newark, his industry being the making of chairs. John Atherton was born at Shippensburg and he became a man of consequence in the new country where he and his father were pioneers. He gave up his manufacturing business while still young and bought a farm two miles north of Newark, which he operated during the remainder of bis life. He married Achsa Ackley, whose father was a pioneer of Licking County, and a veteran of the War of 1812. John Atherton and wife had three children, namely: Augustine Washington; Walgrave, who resides near Madison, Wisconsin, and who married a Miss Fleek in Licking County, Ohio; and Gibson, who is now deceased. The latter was a very prominent member of the bar at Newark, was twice elected to Congress, and subsequently served on the Supreme Bench of Ohio.
Augustine Washington Atherton was born on his father's farm near Newark, February 10, 1824, and died June 15, 1889. lie married Cynthia Taft, who was born August 26, 1825, and who still survives, being in the enjoyment of health, and the center of a very devoted family circle. There were seven children born of the above marriage, namely: One son, Herbert, is serving his third term as mayor of Newark, Ohio; Lee. who is the direct subject of this article; Alice, now deceased, who was the wife of Felix Blizzard, of Newark; Wallace, who was killed on the railroad, at Bement, Illinois; Gibson, who died at Magnetic Springs; Warren, who is a blacksmith in Newark; John, who left home and has not been heard of for many years. Augustine W. Atherton served as lieutenant of a home company during the Civil War, but never enlisted. Otherwise, he spent his life in the section in which he was born. He was a member of a Masonic Lodge north of Newark and always took an interest in the fraternity. In politics he was a Democrat but he never consented to hold office. He was one of the founders of the Christian Union Church.
Lee Atherton remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age. He then went on the road as a commercial traveler, first handling notions, but later glassware, and covering a territory that reached into Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. In 1877 he settled down to farming, in Licking County, Ohio, and in 1880 he purchased his present farm in Thompson Township. He has made all the improvements here and owns one of the most attractive properties in this section.
In 1876, Mr. Atherton was married to Ella Pound, who is a daughter of Isaac Pound, of Orange County, New York, and they have two sons—Bert, residing on the home place, and Edson, who is a resident of Scioto Township.
In politics. Mr. Atherton is a Democrat and has been township trustee for a number of years. At the time of his last election he received every Democratic and Republican vote pulled except one. He is a member of Prospect Lodge, No. 444, F. & A. M., and of Magnetic Springs Lodge, No. 380, Knights Pythias, of which he is past chancellor, and he has been sent as a representative to the Grand Lodge.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908