USA > Indiana > Wells County > Biographical memoirs of Wells County, Indiana : embracing a comprehensive compendium of local biography, memoirs of representative men and women of the county whose works of merit have made their names imperishable, and special articles by Hugh Dougherty [et al.] > Part 38
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Democratic party and keeps himself well informed upon current political questions and industrial topics. His family belong to the Christian church, to the belief of which religious body he also subscribes and for the support of which he lends his influence and contributes material aid. He has lived an active, useful life, encouraging, the mean- while, all movements looking to the moral as well as the material good of his town- ship and county and those who know him best speak in high praise of his many ster- ling qualities of manhood. As a citizen he has ever had the interests of the people at. heart and the rectitude of his intentions in all relations whatsoever have been above cavil or criticism.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Snow con- sists of three children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Charles L., Júne 13, 1885: Bessie I., October 13, 1886, and Von E., June 14, 1891.
GEORGE DYSON.
This native of Hocking county, Ohio, was born October 9. 1839, and is one of the most prosperous retired agriculturists of Reiffsburg. Wells county, Indiana. His father, who also was named George. was a native of Guernsey county, Ohio, and was a son of Thomas and Rosanne ( Myers) Dy- son, the former of whom was a native of Guernsey county, Ohio, where George, his son, was reared to maturity and useful man- hood.
In the county named the younger George of the two immediate predecessors of the George of this sketch married Eliza
Styles, daughter of Freeman Styles, and af- ter marriage settled in Guernsey county. Ohio, where he engaged in farming until about 1832, when he removed to Hocking county and there passed the remainder of his life, dying on his farm in 1854, his wife Rosanne having died in 1845. To George and Eliza (Styles) Dyson were born eight children, of whom four are still living, name- ly: Mary. Martha, George, whose name opens this record, and Matilda.
George Dyson, with whom this biograph- ical sketch has the most to do, attended the schools of Hocking county, Ohio, until he was almost seventeen years of age, when, soon after the death of his father, he went to live with his uncle, Elijah, with whom he remained until he attained the age of twen- ty-one years. February 29, 1861, George Dyson married Miss Melissa Nutter, who was born February 28, 1844, and is a daugh- ter of Levi and Sarah A. Nutter, and after this happy event they went to housekeeping with a cash capital of one hundred and fifty dollars and a horse to boot. For some eigh- teen years after his marriage Mr. Dyson was employed in mining and to some extent in farming, near Gore, Hocking county, Ohio, where he eventually purchased a farm, for which he went in debt to the sum of nine hundred dollars. This sum he paid off with- in one year, having received seventy-five dol- lars per month as his earnings during that brief period. Mr. Dyson then sold his place in Hocking county, Ohio, and after some prospecting in Kansas, in 1883 decided that Indiana was as good a state as he cared to live in and accordingly purchased one hun- dred and three acres of good land in Not- tingham township, Wells county, for which tract he paid twenty-three hundred dollars,
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but found it necessary to clear up at least one-half of it. He has erected all the build- ings, which are substantial and tasteful, the dwelling being new, his former residence having been destroyed by fire, and has his land well drained and ditched. His live stock consists of Galloway cattle principally, but his hogs are of mixed character. He also works three oil wells, which net him a hand- some income. All that Mr. Dyson owns has resulted from his industry and good manage- ment, and for the proper use of these good qualities he cannot be too strongly com- mended.
To the marriage of George and Melissa (Nutter) Dyson have been born nine chil- dren, of whom six still survive, namely : Charles E., who is married to Ida Near, who has borne him three children, Ida, Virgil and an infant, and all of whom live at present at the home of Mrs. Dyson's father; Levi, who married Lydia A. Mowery, has a fam- ily of three children, Clarence, Velma and an infant, and lives in Harrison township, Wells county; Laura, married to Amos King, is also the mother of three children, Levi, Earnest and Jennie, and resides in Not- tingham township; Cynthia, still beneath the parental roof; Frank, who married Irene Myres, and has likewise a family of three children, Josie, George and one unnamed, lives in Harrison township, his wife being a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at that place ; Alice, the youngest of the fam- ily of six, is married to Cyrus Hoppes, lives near Petroleum and they have four children, Grace, Pearl, George and an infant as yet unnamed.
Fraternally Mr. Dyson is a member of Lodge No. 721, I. O. O. F., at Petroleum, and politically always voted for the Demo-
cratic party while he took an active part in politics, but of late he has voted as his judg- ment dictates, or, in other words, for the can- didate he judges to be best fitted for the of- fice to be filled. Mr. Dyson, although now living in respected retirement in Reiffsburg. still keeps a general supervision over his farming interests, being a business man from Alpha to Omega.
AMOS R. WILLIAMS.
Amos R. Williams is a native of Well's county, Indiana, and was born in Notting- ham township, December 1, 1849, a son of J. S. and Harriet (Bolenger) Williams. J. S. Williams was a native of Pennsylvania and removed from that state to Pickaway county, Ohio, with his widowed mother while he was still young, there grew to man- hood and for some years worked by the month or day at farm work. He married in Pickaway county Miss Bolenger, a native of that county, and after marriage settled on a farm, which he cultivated two years and then came to Wells county, Indiana, and set- tled in section 1, Nottingham township. He had no property at that time, but his wife fell heir to forty acres of land, and by his OW11 industry Mr. Williams eventually earned the money with which to purchase forty acres adjoining. This was all in the woods, but he worked hard and succeeded in clearing it off and continued making pur- chases until he owned three hundred and thirty acres, all in Nottingham township. He continued to reside on his original place until his death, which occurred September 14, 1901, when he left his widow with thir-
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teen children, viz: Martha, wife of H. C. Melick; George, who resides in Coventry, Indiana; Amos R., of whom more will be said further on; Mary, wife of Frank Powell, a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska; Emma, deceased wife of John Bowman; Sarah, deceased; Frank, deceased; Ada and Ida, twins, of whom Ada is married to' Al- infancy ; Hiram is a resident of Reiffsburg; Thomas Stine, of Petroleum; John died in infancy ; Hiram is a resident of Rieffsburg ; Alice is a wife of Henry Markley, and Amanda is the wife of Thomas Duncan, a resident of Nebraska.
Amos R. Williams attended school in Nottingham township until he had attained the age of twenty-one years, and at the age of twenty-two took a one-third interest in a saw-mill in partnership with his brother George and Henry Kirkwood. This firm operated the mill for three years, when Amos R. and Kirkwood bought out the interest of George Williams; six months later Amos R. Williams bought out Kirkwood and con- ducted the mill on his own account for six months, when he traded it for eighty acres of land in section 9, this being the east half of the quarter section on which he now re- sides, and of which but a small portion had been cleared. He had previously owned the forty acres now belonging to Amos Gehrett, but he sold this tract and bought the west half of his present farm and now owns one hundred and sixty acres in one compact body. On his original tract of eighty acres there were no improvements, save a small frame house and an old log barn, very little fencing and no tiling. Mr. Williams, how- ever, set strenuously to work to make his place worth living on, but his health gave way and in 1882 he moved to Bluffton, In-
diana, where he resided two years and then returned to his farm, his health having been restored. In 1893 Mr. Williams built one of the finest barns in his neighborhood, and in 1897 erected a palatial residence. Be- sides his farm, Mr. Williams has an inter- est in a string of drilling tools, and his per- sonal assessment for 1902 reached sixteen hundred dollars.
March 25, 1875, Amos R. Williams was united in marriage with Miss Mary Kirk- wood, daughter of William and Susan (Gehrett) Kirkwood, natives of Ohio, but early settlers of Wells county, Indiana. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Williams has been blessed with nine children, namely : Oliver J., who was born March 27, 1876, died September 3, 1877; William A., born March II, 1878, married Mary Foreman, and resides in Nottingham township; John F., born November 20, 1879, died August 2, 1880; Verne, born August 4, 1881 ; Pearl, born November 3, 1883 ; Delbert, born Sep- tember 15, 1885; Clem, born April 28, 1887; Samuel, born September II, 1889, and Anna, born September 3, 1892.
Mr. Williams is a member of Lodge No. 752, I. O. O. F., at Poneto, and has 'filled the chairs in Petroleum Lodge No. 721; his grown daughters are members of Rebekah Lodge No. 571. In politics Mr. Williams is a stanch Republican and has several times served as a delegate from his district in the county convention. He and family are among the most highly esteemed residents of Wells county, and well deserve the respect in which they are held. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have in their possession an old parchment sheepskin deed, bearing the signature of President Martin Van Buren and executed November 10, 1840.
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SAMUEL NEHER.
If one desires to gain a vivid realization of the rapid advance in the civilization which the last few decades have brought, he can listen to the stories that men who are still living among us can tell of their early ex- periences when the country was new and so- cial conditions in this part of the Hoosier state were in their formative period. The township of Nottingham is the abiding place of a number of old settlers who, having spent the. vigor and strength of their man- hood in carving from the wilderness homes for themselves and their posterity, are now in the evening of life, when the shadows are growing dim and the past gradually reced- ing from view, spending their declining years in rest and quiet, surrounded by neigh- bors and the results of the work they did in laying broad and deep the foundation upon which the community's prosperity has been builded. Conspicuous among these silver-haired veterans of a time long past is the venerable and highly respected citi- zen to a brief review of whose career the following lines are devoted.
Samuel Neher was born on the 18th of January, 1833, in Clark county, Ohio, and is the son of John Neher, whose parents were John and Magdalena Neher. The sub- ject's father was a native of Pennsylvania, born December 9, 1792, but in early youth he removed with his parents to Virginia, where he grew to manhood. In that state, on the 12th of May, 1816, he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Miller, a na- tive of the Old Dominion, born May 18, 1797, the daughter of David Miller. After his marriage John Neher engaged in farm- ing in Virginia, but in 1818 and 1819 re-
moved to Clark county, Ohio, settling on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres and go- ing into debt for part of the purchase price. Subsequently he sold a portion of this tract, retaining the improved part, and then ap- plied himself to the task of clearing the south eighty acres. Selling this after a while, he bought his father's old homestead in Clark county, a condition of the sale be- ing that he was to care for his parents dur- ing the remainder of their lives, which stipu- lation he faithfully carried out. John and Anna Neher remained upon this place the balance of their days, his death occurring in August, 1846, and hers in September of the same year. They were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject is now the only survivor. These children are briefly mentioned as follows: Magdeline, born April 29. 1817, died May 17, 1883; David, born June 20, 1818, died August 13, 1841; Catherine, born December 16, 1819, died March 29, 1895; Mary, born January 22, 1822, died August 15, 1881; Jacob, born May 10, 1823, died April 17, 1845: Joel, born February 3, 1825, died September 29, 1827; John, born May 6, 1827, died August 16, 1830; Anna, born December 25, 1829, died September 15, 1851; Samuel, the im- mediate subject.
Samuel Neher is indebted to the common schools of Clark county, Ohio, for his edu- cational discipline, but because of his early environments his school days were neces- sarily limited. His parents died when he was but thirteen years old and one year later he chose for a guardian his cousin, John Neher. The later hired the subject out to David McMillon, the conditions being that he was to remain with the latter until he was eighteen years old and to receive for
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his services his board, clothing, schooling and seventy-five dollars in money, which contract was faithfully executed by both par- ties. At the end of the stipulated period Samuel Neher began working by the month and soon learned and followed the trade of a carpenter. Two years later he was em- ployed on a shingle machine, at which he worked during two seasons. In 1856, shortly after his marriage, Mr. Neher set- tled on an eighty-acre tract of land in Allen county, Ohio, for which he had paid eight hundred dollars cash. The land was heavily timbered, excepting ten acres, and the only building was a log house. Mr. Neher pos- sessed two horses, two pigs, and a cow. At that time he had no neighbors within sight and the condition of things generally was dreary and uninviting in the extreme. However, Mr. Neher had abundant faith in the future possibilities of the land, and en- tered bravely upon the task of clearing the land and fitting it for cultivation. He re- mained upon that place nine years, during which time he succeeded in clearing up forty acres of land and erected a commodious and substantial bank barn. Selling that place for three thousand dollars cash, he removed to Mercer county, Ohio, and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, for which he paid three thousand nine hundred dollars. He remained upon that place about two and a half years and for two years and three months of that time he was afflicted with the ague. Finding the country there did not agree with him, Mr. Neher traded that farm for five hundred dollars and fifty- three acres of land in Allen county, Ohio, and lived upon the latter place four years, re- covering his usual health the meantime. The first year there he devoted part of his time
to the raising of potatoes, meeting with phenomenal success, some of the land yield- ing a bucketful of tubers to the hill. Selling that place, he then purchased one hundred and seven acres of land near Beaver Dam, in the same county, for which he paid three thousand six hundred dollars, going into debt for a part of the purchase price. He sold seven acres of this land, thus enabling him to erect a good two-story house. After abiding on that place four years he dis- posed of it for five thousand dollars, and in 1876 came to Wells county, Indiana, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land known as the Ferguson farm, paying for it four thousand nine hundred dollars. About sixty-five acres of this land was cleared, but other improvements were con- spicuous by their absence, there being a few poor fences, no ditches and the buildings were in very poor condition. By dint of hard and consecutive toil he cleared all but about fifteen acres of this land, put up sub- stantial and commodious buildings and brought the place up to a high standard of excellence. When the town of Petroleum was organized Mr. Neher sold off ten acres of his land and later sold seventy-two acres to Cyrus Hoppers, retaining seventy-four acres of as fine and productive land as can be found in Nottingham township. For the past eight years he has rented this farm, but it is now managed by Mr. Neher's son-in- law, Charles Dyson, who lives on the place. Mr. Neher has upon this place nine produc- ing oil wells, which net him a comfortable income. He has all his life been a hard working man and by his perseverance and indefatigable industry has accomplished his full share of redeeming this part of the coun- try from its original wildness.
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On the 20th of January, 1856, Samuel Neher was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Nevel. She was born in Tuscara- was county, Ohio, April 4, 1838, the daugh- ter of John and Sokoonda (Bartholomew) Nevel. Her father, a native of Pennsyl- vania, was born May 12, 1796, and died in 1886, and her mother, a native of Germany. was born June 10, 1808, and died February II, 1879. The union of the subject and his wife was blessed by the birth of eight chil- dren, briefly mentioned as follows: John married Lucinda Warner and they have two children, Erwin and Ora ; Amos is deceased ; David married Alice Warner and is the father of three children, Oscar, Ethel and George; Mary became the wife of S. N. Burket and is the mother of these children : dren : Ollie, Estella, Effie, John. Charles, Raymond and Ralph; Sarah became the wife of Clinton S. Ferguson and they have three children, Clara, Samuel and Roy: Jacob is deceased ; Samuel I. married Ella Lockwood and has one child, Hugh ; Ida is the wife of Charles Dyson and the mother of three chil- dren, Iva, Virgil and Ethel.
Politically Mr. Neher has throughout his life been a firm supporter of the Republi- can party, but at the last election. feeling that the suppression of the liquor traffic was the most vital question before the American people, he cast his vote for 'the Prohibition candidates. While residing in Ohio he was elected to the position of supervisor and at one time declined to run for trustee in the face of the expressed wish of his friends. The religious principles of the subject and his wife are embodied in the creed of the German Baptist church, of which they have for many years been active and influential members. Mr. Neher has continuously
since 1863 held a license to preach and is still deeply interested in the material and spiritual welfare of his church. During his connection with the church in the capacity of a minister he has had pastoral oversight. of as many as four charges at one time, though never receiving much compensation. Besides his ministerial labors, he maintained a careful supervision of his farming inter- ests and in all the varied activities of life he has demonstrated a large capacity for hard and consecutive work, both physical and mental. He lives a quiet, peaceable life, con- secrated to his fellow man, and his words as well as his example have inspired others to noble deeds and greater activities in right living. To say that Mr. Neher is a good man and upright citizen and a devout Chris- tian is to express a fact of which his neigh- bors and fellow citizens are fully cognizant. His aim has always been to do the right and it is to such as he our country is indebted for the stability of its institutions and for the large measure of prosperity which it enjoys.
GIFFON SNOW.
The gentleman whose life history is em- bodied in this review enjoys distinction as an enterprising farmer and successful stock raiser, while his standing as a worthy citi- zen, with the good of the community ever at heart, is second to that of no other resi- dent of the township in which he lives. Giffon Snow was born on the farm which he now owns and cultivates, August 8, 1865, being the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Booth) Snow, of whom appropriate refer- ence will be found on another page of this
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volume. Reared in the country and early taught the lessons of industry and thrift with which the majority of farm lads be- come familiar, young Snow grew up a sturdy youth, strong in his determination to be- come an honest and useful man and to make the world better by his presence. His ac- quaintance with practical life began at an early age and until his eighteenth year he assisted with the labors of the farm and contributed his full share to the maintenance of the family. His educational privileges were such as the district schools afforded and these he attended until his seventeenth year, making the most of his opportunities the meanwhile. At the age of eighteen he entered into partnership with his brother to cultivate the home place, each to receive one- third of the proceeds of their labor, the father furnishing the stock and necessary implements for the prosecution of the work. Subsequently, on the death of the father, the two brothers took the farm on equal shares and in this way continued to run it until the place was divided and each received his part of the heritage.
Mr. Snow prospered as a farmer and in due time was in a situation to set up a do- mestic establishment of his own; accord- ingly, on the 3rd day of September, 1892, he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Goodin, daughter of J. D. Goodin, a well known citizen of Chester township. Mrs. Snow was born in Wells county, Indiana, January 21, 1873, and was an infant two weeks old when her mother died. She is a child by her father's first marriage and has two sisters living, viz: Elizabeth, wife of Thomas McGeath, and Nettie, wife of Dillon Hall, her only brother, Madison, dying some years ago. By the second marriage Mr.
Goodin had two children, Lawrence and Herman Goodin.
For about eight months after his· mar- riage Mr. Snow lived on the home farm and during the succeeding year rented the Wil- son place in Chester township, which he cultivated with a fair measure of success until again taking up his residence on the old family homestead. He has brought his share of the farm to a high state of tillage, devotes his attention to general agriculture and by industry and successful management has accumulated a sufficiency of this world's goods to place him in very comfortable cir- cumstances. As a breeder of live stock, es- pecially Galloway cattle, he has materially in- creased his income, as he raises for the market nearly every year quite a number of these animals and always receives for them the highest price which the best grade of cattle commands.
Mr. Snow has voted the Democratic ticket ever since old enough to cast a ballot, but he cannot be called a politician, never stepping aside from his chosen calling to take a very active interest in party affairs. He is a gentleman of quiet, unassuming de- meanor, attends strictly to his own business and wherever known has always been un- assailable. Honest in all of his dealings and exceedingly sociable in his relations with his fellow men, he is esteemed an excellent neighbor and a loyal friend, and as a citizen no one stands higher or discharges his duty in a more praiseworthy manner. Mr. Snow is an intelligent gentleman and in matters of business is characterized by soundness of judgment which makes his opinions and ad- vice valuable to those who ask for them. Mrs. Snow is a consistent member of the Christian church; while not identified with
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any religious organization himself, Mr. Snow has profound respect for sacred things ' and to the extent of his ability contributed of his means for the moral and spiritual ad- vancement of his kind. He is a liberal pro- vider for his family, believes in using the good things of this world and to this end has supplied his home with many of the con- veniences and comforts which make rural life pleasant and desirable. Mr. and Mrs. Snow have one child, Vertner A., who was born on the 6th day of November, 1894.
EDWARD TERHUNE.
Edward Terhune is a son of Garrett and Mary A. Terhune and was born in Miami county, Indiana, January II, 1854. He at -. tended the common school in district No. 4, Chester township, Wells county, Indiana, until he was eighteen years of age, after which he remained with his father working for his board and clothes until he was twenty-one. He then continued to live with his father, working by the month for about five years. He spent some time in Illinois and in 1878 was in the state of Missouri. June 12, 1879, he was married to Ellen Mc- Cullick, a daughter of Henry, Sr., and Su- san (Truby) McCullick, and who was born August 29, 1858. The father, Henry, Sr., was a native of Virginia and the mother of the state of Ohio, and they were among the first settlers of Wells county, Indiana. Af- ter his marriage the subject remained at home for one year, and then, in the fall of 1880, settled on the farm where he now lives. Then the land was all in the woods, but has now about sixty-five acres of cleared
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