Winfield Scott Marks
Winfield Scott Marks, representative citizen and general farmer residing on his excellent farm of 100 acres, which is situated three-fourths of a mile east of Powell, was born on the Olentangy River, in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, one mile east of Powell, December 4, 1839. His parents were Sheldon and Ann (Knight) Marks.
The paternal grandfather, Edward Marks, lived and died in Hartford County. Connecticut, and from there Sheldon Marks and all his children, except Winfield Scott, came to Delaware County prior to 1839. Sheldon Marks was horn June 4, 1792, in Connecticut, and died at Powell, Ohio, in 1878. He married Ann Knight, who was horn in Pennsylvania. January 6, 1800, and died in 1879. Her parents were very early settlers of Delaware County and they lived in the lower house, near the river, on the Powell road. Eight children were born to Sheldon Marks and wife, namely: Lorenda, who died one year after her marriage with Sylvester Andrews, residing at Bellfontaine; William Edward married Phebe Dedrick and they resided at Columbus, where he died; Sylvester died in childhood; Erastus Bryant, residing at Lowland, near Cincinnati, married Lucy Dedrick; Miles Cordon died in California; Milow married Mary Barber and died in Illinois. Thaddeus Stevens married Marcella Stanberry and died at Columbus; and Winfield S., of Liberty Township.
Winfield Scott Marks went to school in Liberty Township in his boyhood, taking advantage of the rather meager educational opportunities afforded the youth of his day. He early became acquainted with work on the farm and has made agriculture his main occupation through life. When he was young a large part of his present well-cultivated property was yet covered with forest trees, and the present highway on which so much traffic passes his door, was then hut a path through the woods. For the past 20 years, Mr. and Mrs. Marks have lived on the present farm and prior to that they lived on the old Marks homestead.
In 1859, by marriage, Mr. Marks became connected with two of the oldest and most prominent families of Liberty Township. His bride was Josephine Case, who is a daughter ni Augustus Lumis and Cynthia (Tuller) Case, and a granddaughter of Augustus and Lucinda (Curtis) Case, natives of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, who first settled on the Scmto River in Concord Township, Delaware County. The children of the grandparents were: Augustus, who was small when the family came to Ohio; William Hunter; Rufus Timothy; Lewis Enos; and Ann. who married Joseph Wells. The father of Mrs. Marks was born in 1816 and died in 1834. after moving to Delaware, aged 38 years. He married Cynthia Tuller, who was born and died at Powell. They had five children: James Oscar, Abbie Josephine, Philander Cicero, Dora and Lumis Augustus. James Oscar Case served as a member of the Ninety-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War. He was married (first) to Martha Tone and (secondly) to Olive Vance. Philander Cicero married Emma Collier and they reside at Powell. Dora married Charles Carlson, a prominent farmer of Liberty Township. Lumis Augustus is a conductor on the Hocking Valley Railroad. He married Marietta Case and they reside at Columbus.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Marks were: Milo Sheldon, William Oscar, Clara Edna, Edward Cicero, Lilliebelle, Alvin Halstead, Harry Raymond and Mary Ann. Milo Sheldon was employed on the railroad, where be was killed, leaving a widow and two children, William and Carl. William Oscar died March 24, 1866. Clara Edna married John Hall, residing at Arlington Heights, Cincinnati, and they have one daughter, Stella. Edward Cicero married Josephine Case, a daughter of Levi Case, and they reside at Hyattsville. They have three children—Luis, Sheldon and Ellsworth. Edward C Marks served in the army in the Philippine Islands for eighteen months. He enlisted for three years as a member of Company B, Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry and at Port Thomas was transferred to the Twenty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He saw service in Luzon and at lolo. Lillibelle married Harry Wilcox and died at Powell, in 1890. Their only child is also deceased. Alvin Halstead married Charlotta Thomas, a daughter ot Charles Thomas, and they reside at Winnipeg. Manitoba. Harry Raymond married Myrtle Black, a daughter of William Black, and they reside on the home farm. Mary was born October 20, 1883. and died April 14, 1886.
In politics, Mr. Marks is a Democrat, but is liberal in his views on many public questions. He is a very highly respected citizen.
20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908