Thomas G. Fleming, a key player in Licking County’s agriculture, epitomizes a legacy in breeding standardbred horses and Polled Durham cattle. Born on July 4, 1857, in Perry Township, his deep familial roots have flourished into a notable partnership with his father and brother, making them prominent livestock dealers in Ohio. His marriage to Bertha Stump in 1883 marked the beginning of transforming a 234-acre farm into a beacon of agricultural excellence. A pragmatic voter, Fleming supports the Republican Party nationally but opts for capability over party in local elections. His leadership in the Licking County Agricultural Society underscores his commitment to the community’s agricultural advancement.
Thomas G. Fleming needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for the Fleming family is most widely and favorably known in Licking County, and the subject of this review occupies a prominent place in business circles, being associated with his father and brother in the breeding of standardbred horses and Polled Durham cattle. He was born in Perry Township on the 4th of July, 1857, and is a son of Nathan Quinn Fleming, of whom extended mention is made on another page of this volume. The home farm was his playground in youth and his training school for the experiences of practical business life. His intellectual training was obtained in the common schools of the neighborhood and in the Ohio Wesleyan University. On attaining his twenty-third year, he entered into partnership with his father in the breeding of fine cattle and horses, and the business connection between them has since been continued. They are today numbered among the most prominent dealers of Ohio, with extensive business interests and large investments in fine stock.
On the 11th of October, 1883, Mr. Fleming was married to Miss Bertha Stump, a daughter of William and Catherine (Fleming) Stump, of Licking Township, Muskingum County, Ohio. Following their marriage, the young couple removed to their present home farm, which Mr. Fleming had purchased in the previous September. The place comprises two hundred and thirty-four acres of rich and productive land and is as fine a farm as can be found in Licking County. He has erected thereon a handsome modern residence, of attractive style of architecture, has a substantial barn and all of the modern equipment and accessories of the model farm of the twentieth century.
Mr. Fleming is one of the stalwart advocates of the Republican Party where important national issues are involved, but at local elections, where the only consideration is the capability of the candidate, he frequently casts an independent ballot, for his is never a blind following of party leadership. For three years, he served as a director of the Licking County Agricultural Society and is one of the leading representative men in this part of the state, standing as an active factor in farming and stock-raising interests. In partnership with his father, he is one of the best-known representatives of this business in Licking County and central Ohio, and the years are registering for him an honorable and gratifying success.