History of Urbana, (Champaign County) Ohio United States of America

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Biographies:

Joseph Fyffe, naval officer, was born in Urbana. Ohio, July 26, 1832; son of Gen. Edward Petty and Sarah (Robinson) Fyffe; grandson of William and Maximilia (Petty) Fyffe; and a descendant of Fyffes from Scotland, who originally settled in, Maryland near Annapolis. He entered the U.S. navy as a midshipman, Sept. 9, 1847, and saw his first service on board the Cumberland and on the bombship Stromboli in the war with Mexico, 1847. He was transferred to the Yorktown on the coast of Africa, was wrecked near the Cape Verde islands, and was commended for gallant conduct on that occasion. He was next on board the St. Lawrence, sent to England in 1851 to represent the United States in the London world's fair, and was assigned to duty at the U.S. naval academy, 1853-54. He was promoted passed midshipman, June 15, 1854; master, Sept. 16, 1855, and lieutenant, Sept. 17, 1855; served under Lieutenant Hartstene as a volunteer on the Release in the Grinnell Arctic expedition that rescued Dr. Kane in 1856, when he was decorated with the medal of the Arctic order of Victoria by the queen; on the Relief with the Brazilian squadron, 1856-57, and on the Germantown of the East Indian squadron and on the Lancaster on the Pacific station, 1857-60. In 1860-65 he was on the flagship Minnesota of the North Atlantic blockading squadron; was advanced to the rank of lieutenant-commander, July 16, 1862; participated in the destruction of the Confederate blockade runner Hebe, and commanded the leading party that destroyed the works near Fort Fisher, N.C., in August, 1863; in destruction of the Confederate blockade runner Ranger and in the engagement near Fort; Caswell, N.C., in January, 1864. He commanded the Hunchback, in various engagements on the James river in 1864 and 1805, including driving back two iron-clad rams near Dutch Gap canal, Jan. 25, 1865. He was on duty at the Boston navy yard in 1866; was promoted commander, Dec. 2, 1867, and served on the Oneida. Asiatic station, 1868-69; commanded the monitor Centaur, in the North Atlantic fleet, 1869-70; at the nitre depot, Malden, Mass., 1871-72; was lighthouse inspector, 1872-75; commanded the Monotary, Asiatic station, 1875-78; was promoted captain, Jan. 13, 1879, and commanded the receiving ships St. Louis, 1879-80, the Franklin, 1880-82, and the flagship Tennessee of the North Atlantic squadron, 1882. He was on the Pacific station in command of the flagship Pensacola, and on sick leave, 1882-83; was captain of the Boston navy yard, 1884-88, and in command of the New London (Conn.) naval station, 1891-93. He was promoted commodore, Feb. 28, 1890, was in command of the Boston navy yard. 1893-94, was promoted rear-admiral, July 10, 1894, and retired, July 20, 1894. He died in Pierce, Neb., Feb. 25, 1896.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Robert Roberts Hitt, representative, was born in Urbana, Ohio, Jan. 16, 1834; son of Thomas Smith and Emily (John) Hitt; grandson of Martin and Margaret (Smith) Hitt and of Robert and Asenath (Graves) John, and a descendant of Peter Hitt, who arrived at Germanna, Va., in 1714, from Nassau-Siegen, Germany; and of John Philip John, who arrived in Chester county, Pa., in 1709, from Pembrokeshire, Wales. He removed to Ogle county, Ill.,in 1837, with his parents; was a student at Rock River seminary and at Indiana Asbury university, and was graduated at Indiana State university in 1855, receiving his A.M. degree in course. He was a shorthand reporter, and in 1858 reported the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and his joint debate with Senator Douglas. He was clerk of the senate committee on privileges and elections in 1879. He was married, Oct. 10, 1874, to Sallie, daughter of William F. Reynolds, of Lafayette, Ind. He was secretary of legation and charg? d'affaires ad interim at Paris from December, 1874, to March, 1881, when he resigned, and was immediately appointed assistant secretary of state, under James G. Blaine. He resigned Dec. 16, 1881. He was elected a representative in the 47th congress, Nov. 7, 1882, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative R.M.A. Hawk; was re-elected to the 48th and following congresses, including the 56th and 57th, 1882-1901, and was renominated for the 58th congress. He served continuously on the committee on foreign affairs, and was its chairman from 1889. He was appointed by President McKinley a member of the Hawaiian commission in 1898; declined the post of minister to Spain in 1898, and was prominently named as an available U.S. ambassador to Great Britain in 1899. He visited Honolulu in 1898 and reported to congress on the legislation necessary for the future government of these islands as a territory of the United States. He was elected a member of the National Geographic society, a director of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb in 1884, and received the honorary degree of LL.D. from De Pauw university in 1894.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Robert White McFarland, educator, was born near Urbana, Ohio, June 16, 1825; son of Robert and Eunice (Dorsey) McFarland; grandson of William (a Revolutionary soldier) and Rebecca (White) McFarland, and of Charles (who served four years in the Revolution) and Elizabeth (Anchors) Dorsey, and great-grandson of Robert McFarland, who was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, 1703; landed in Philadelphia, 1746, and removed a few years later to Rockbridge county, Va., where he died in 1796. His maternal great-grandfather. Aquila Dorsey, served in the Maryland line in the Revolutionary war, and was in Braddock's campaign in 1775. Robert White McFarland was graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan university, A.B., 1847, A.M., 1850; was principal of Berkshire academy in 1848; taught in Greenfield academy, 1849-51; Chillicothe Union school in 1852; was professor of mathematics at Madison college, 1853-56; and professor of mathematics and astronomy at Miami university, 1856-73. During the civil war he served as captain in and lieutenant-colonel of the 86th Ohio volunteers, 1862-64, and was in Burnside's expedition in East Tennessee. He was professor of mathematics and civil engineering at Ohio State university, 1873-75; state inspector of railways, 1881-85; president of Miami university, 1885-88, and was a civil and mining engineer in Corning, Ohio, 1888-99. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Ohio Wesleyan university in 1881. He edited six books of Virgil's "?neid" (1849).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor