USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > Valley of the upper Maumee River, with historical account of Allen County and the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Volume I > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
262
VALLEY OF THE UPPER MAUMEE.
Ashley, and his mother, and bought a half section of the wild land in Washington township. This they settled upon, built them a cabin, and there worked at clearing and improving for seven years. In 1844 George H. Ashley went to Maumee township, with the intention of building a grist-mill on the Maumee river. He erected the frame work of the building, when he discovered that the damming of the stream would not be allowed, and he then abandoned the project. He settled there, however, and bought more wild land, and made of it a farm, adding it to his original purchase until he owned 256 acres. In 1864 he bought 160 acres in St. Joseph township, which he improved with good buildings, and made this his home until his death, August 7, 1868. He was a leading citizen wherever he lived, and while in Maumee township served a number of years as justice and as trustee. He and wife were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a local preacher. His wife, who shared the hardships of his pioneer life, died February 18, 1879. Their son, George L. Ashley, was born in Maumee township, February 2, 1853, and received his education at the district school and at the Methodist college at Fort Wayne. Adopting farming as his vocation, he has followed that successfully. In 1875 he was married to Josephine, daughter of Silas Darling, born March 8, 1857. She died January 17, 1879, leaving one child, Charles, born March 11, 1877. February 17, 1881, he was married to Adessa, daugh- ter of Jeremiah and Margaret (Stoner) Miller, born June 6, 1861. They have four children: Oliver, born March 29, 1882; Oscar J., March 5, 1885; George S., February 7, 1887; Josie M., February 14, 1889. Mr. Ashley and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has a fine farm of 7412 acres.
Alfred M. Taylor, of St. Joseph township, has passed through an eventful and busy life, and is now widely known as one of the worthy and deserving old citizens of Allen county. He was born May 25, 1817, in Orleans county, Vt. His parents, Gideon M. and Phœbe ( Wal- bridge) Taylor, removed with their family to Genesee county, N. Y., twelve years later, where Alfred grew to manhood, and received the education which the common schools of those days afforded .. At the age of twenty-one he started out for himself, and first made a trip to New Orleans. He remained in the south four years, following boating and tending wood-yard, and overseeing a cotton plantation, and then went to Wisconsin, going into the mining district and driving team and farming for one year. Returning to New York he resumed farming there, and his father dying soon afterward, he was left in charge of the farm and family. He and his brother bought the farm, and subse- quently he obtained entire control of the homestead of 250 acres. Feb- ruary 18, 1846, he was married to Mary V. Pond, who was. born in New Hampshire, July 11, 1822, a well-read and intelligent lady. They remained on the homestead for ten years, and then removed to Illinois, where they lived four years. January 5, 1860, he settled on the farm where he now lives and which he had traded for without inspection in
263
ANNALS OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
1856. It was then all woods, and he and family moved into a little log cabin and began clearing it. As the result of his untiring industry he now has a fine farm of 160 acres. Mr. Taylor and wife are members of the Baptist church at Fort Wayne. He is a veteran Odd Fellow and has been a charter member of the following lodges: Oakfield lodge, No. 188, of Prospect Hill, N. Y .; New Haven lodge, No. 256, and Har- lan lodge, No. 331. He is also a member of Summit City encampment. .He was formerly a Mason. Mr. Taylor and wife are highly esteemed by their neighbors, indeed, by all who know them, which was evidenced by the fact that when the post-office was established under the adminis- tration of President Grant, all were in favor of putting it into the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Appointed in 1869, they held the office six- teen years. On the election of Cleveland they resigned, but on the ur- gent request of the community they consented to hold it longer, and Mrs. Taylor was appointed, the office being moved and the name changed to Thurman. Mr. Taylor' cast his first vote for W. H. Har- rison, and since the organization of the republican party has voted for all of its presidential candidates.
George Shordon, a well-known farmer of St. Joseph township, was born in Springfield township, this county, October 12, 1839. Beginning with the pioneer days, he has grown with the development of the county, and has been an eye-witness of its marvelous development. He was reared to manhood at the home of his parents, Stephen and Cath- erine (Kieffer) Shordon, and received the education given in the pioneer school-houses. Appreciating its short-comings, he has bestowed upon all his children as good an education as he could obtain for them, and three are now teachers in the public schools. In July, 1862, he was married to Martha Bowers, by whom he had three children: Lilly D., Howard and Ethel. In the same year of his marriage he left the com- forts of home to enlist in Company D, Eighty-eighth Indiana infantry, and served faithfully until peace came. He was with his regiment in all its engagements except Chickamauga, being then sick; he was with Sherman in the march to the sea, and received an honorable discharge at Indianapolis in 1865. On his return home, his father deeded him eighty acres of wild land, upon which he built a cabin and began the work of clearing. By industrious perseverance, he now has a hand- some, well cultivated farm of 120 acres, with good and substantial buildings.
William Shordon, a son of the above named Stephen and Catherine Shordon, was born in Springfield township, July 3, 1848. Coming with the family to St. Joseph township, he settled where he now lives at the age of four or five years. Here he grew to manhood and received the education obtainable in those days, and remained with his parents until they removed to Fort Wayne. Adopting farming as his vocation, he followed it successfully, and now has a fine' farm of ninety acres, upon which he lives, in St. Joseph township, as finely improved as any in the township, and 120 acres in Milan township. In addition to agriculture,
264
VALLEY OF THE UPPER MAUMEE.
he takes much interest in stock-raising, and gives particular attention to the breeding of Norman horses and Shropshire sheep. He is generally recognized as a valuable and prominent citizen, and has been for ten years the treasurer of the Maumee avenue turnpike. Mr. Shordon was married in 1869 to Senora Black, born June, 1851, daughter of John T. Black, elsewhere mentioned. She is a member of the Catholic church, to which Mr. Shordon also belongs.
A familiar name in Washington and St. Joseph townships, is that of · Christian F. Rose, one of the early settlers and esteemed old people. He was born in Germany, May 28, 1812, the son of Frederick and Christina Rose. His father dying, he had after twelve years of age to care for the family, and his early years were toilsome. April 28, 1838, he left his native land, borrowing the money to pay his passage, and after arriving at Cincinnati worked there at $15 per month for the money to pay back the cost of his passage. After about two years in Cincin- nati he came on foot to Indiana and found employment at Fort Wayne in digging on the canal. After one summer of this he found employ- ment with Mr. Hubble for two years, and for one year with Hugh Mc- Culloch. By economy he saved enough from his earnings by 1843, to buy eighty acres of timber land in Washington township. In 1844, he was married to Mary Schumaker, and they settled on the land in a log cabin, and began the tedious and toilsome work of clearing. 'The woods were so dense that he and his bride in going to their cabin from Fort Wayne, driving an ox-team, lost their way. They prospered, but in 1853, the wife died at the age of forty-one years, leaving two children : one, a son, died at the age of twenty-six, and the daughter married Frederick Blake. In 1854 Mr. Rose married Christina Brinckman, born in 1829, by whom he had eight children: Christian H., Frederick, Henry, Theodore, Louisa, Mina, one who died in infancy, and William who died in 1888. In 1871 Mr. Rose and family removed to St. Joseph township, settling where he now lives. He has a fine farm of 153 acres, . with a two-story brick dwelling, and a large bank barn. He and wife are members of the German Lutheran church, and are highly thought of.
Christian H. Rose, eldest son of the above, now occupies the hon- ored position of trustee of St. Joseph township. He was born in Wash- ington township, November 10, 1856. His childhood was spent in that township, his residence in St. Joseph township beginning with the re- moval of the family there. May 11, ISS2, he was married to Anna, daughter of Charles and Anna Moellering, and they have three sons: Theodore, born April 16, 1883; Henry, January 25, 1886; Frederick, January 1, 1888. Mrs. Rose was born in October, 1864. Mr. Rose being the eldest son in the family of his parents, much of the work of pioneer days fell upon him, and he is to be credited with much of the good results. In the spring of 1888, he was nominated by the demo- cratic party for trustee of St. Joseph township, and elected by thirty- eight majority, the highest ever received by a candidate for that office. His administration has already added one brick school-house of the
-
265
ANNALS OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
best model to the school facilities, and he is a competent and faithful officer.
In the fall of 1840, Peter and Elizabeth (Black) Parker, the hus- band a native of Ohio and the wife of Virginia, came to St. Joseph township from Ohio, and settled in the woods on an eighty-acre tract of land. They brought with them their son, James D. Parker, born March 30, of the same year, who is now one of the leading citizens of the township. The family settled in a little log cabin and entered heartily upon the work of clearing away the forest and tilling the soil. Indus- trious and intelligent, the father prospered in his affairs, and came to own a fine farm of 200 acres. He and wife were devoted members of the Lutheran church, and politically he was a staunch democrat. Being widely known as a worthy citizen he was twice chosen to serve as county commissioner, and his integrity and faithfulness in this position were never questioned. James D. Parker was reared in the pioneer home, and was busily occupied in youth with the labors of farm life. In 1860 he was married to Sophronia. daughter of Daniel Eby, born in 1840. They had three children: Anna E., Charles and Nina. Subsequent to the death of his first wife, Mr. Parker was married to Lovina, daughter of William and Sarah Wackard, by whom he has two children: William E. and Joseph R. Mrs. Parker, who was born February 15, 1858, is a member of the Grace Reformed church. Mr. Parker is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1863 Mr. Parker enlisted in Com- pany E, One Hundred and Forty-second Indiana infantry, and served faithfully until the close of the war. He now owns forty-eight acres of the old homestead and is a worthy citizen.
During the year 1840 Frederick Meyer, sr., emigrated from Ger- many to America, and coming directly to Fort Wayne, found employ- ment on the Wabash & Erie canal. He was born November 21, 1813, the son of Christian and Christina Meyer, both natives of Germany. By economy Mr. Meyer was soon able to send to Germany for his wife, Christina Dinkes, to whom he had been married in 1839, and buy a little farm of forty acres in the woods. There they made their home in a round-pole cabin, and began a life of patient endeavor, which resulted in their owning a good farm of 120 acres, in St. Joseph township, well improved. In 1887 the wife died at the age of seventy-six, leaving six children living, out of seven born: Frederick, Henry, John, Mary, Charles and William. Mr. Meyer, sr., is a member of the Lutheran church, as was liis wife. He is generally known and highly esteemed throughout the country. John Myers, son of the above, was born in St. Joseph township, March 26, 1847. Though only a boy at the time, he enlisted in 1864, in Company F, One Hundred and Forty-second Indiana infantry, under Capt. Robert Swan, and served faithfully until the war was over. He was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, in 1865. After the war he traveled extensively through the west for about eight years, going twice to California. Finally, in 1877, he set- tled down, and was married to Sophia, daughter of Frederick Buller-
.
266
VALLEY OF THE UPPER MAUMEE.
man, and born in 1853. They have had five children, of whom two are living: Anna A. and Louisa. He and wife are members of the Luth- eran church. He is a highly respected citizen, and has been success- . ful financially, having a good farm of 100 acres. .
Fred A. Meyer, a son of the above named Fred and Christina Meyer, was born in Prussia, April 14, 1840. His introduction to this country was at the age of three years, and being raised by his parents at their pioneer home he experienced all the trials and privations of a frontier life. At twenty years of age, he started out for himself, hiring as a farm hand, and continued to be engaged in this way until 1863, when he had accumulated enough to buy the eighty acres of land where he now has his home. It was then covered with dense forest, but by steady labor, every day, and many a night, he made of this a pleasant and fertile farm. This necessary toil, however, from the days of childhood, deprived him of those educational advantages that are now common. In 1869 Mr. Meyer was married to Caroline Mengensen, and they had six children, of whom four survive: Charles, Christina, Sophia and Caro- line. Mrs. Meyer was born in 1846. She and her husband are faithful members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Meyer now has a good farm of 100 acres, in St. Joseph township, improved with substantial buildings.
Among the early settlers of the county, of English origin, one of the most prominent is Adam Jeffries, who was born in England, July 12, 1822, the son of Daniel and Susannah Jeffries. In his native land he received a good schooling until thirteen years of age, when he entered the law office of John W. Wall, of Devizes, Wilts, England, as copying and engrossing clerk. There he was engaged until past twenty years of age, and such proficiency did he attain in penmanship that when a con- gratulatory address was to be prepared for the queen upon the occasion of her escape from assassination at the hands of Edwin Oxford, young Jeffries was selected to do the work. In 1843, he emigrated to America, and his twenty-first birthday occurred while he was at sea. His voyage occu- pied eight weeks, and he remained one week in New York city and another week on the Hudson river, before he came to Allen county. He made his home first in Eel River township, where his parents had pre- viously settled on a tract of forty acres. Here young Jeffries worked on the farm in summer and taught school in winter. After he had taught five terms, his father was badly crippled by the falling of a tree upon him, and Adam had to take charge of the farm. He followed agricul- ture up to 1874, when he retired from participation in the farm work. His life has been one of struggle and successful persistence. When he came to this country he had saved only $50 from his wages as clerk, having received only $3 a week as his highest wages. He accumulated property, and came to own 307 acres of land. He remained on this farm until 1874, when he sold out and removed to Texas. Thirteen months later they returned to Indiana, and until 1882, lived at Fort Wayne, moving then to St. Joseph township, where they now live. Mr. Jeffries was married April 13, 1848, to Rebecca, daughter of John and Elizabeth
-
267
ANNALS OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
(Johnson ) Ashley, early settlers from Connecticut. Mrs. Jeffries was born June 24, 1817, and was at the time of her marriage the widow of Aaron Bixby. She and husband and children are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffries had five children, one of whom died at the age of four years and another in 1884, leaving three living: Mary, Ethel and Sarah R.
Julius Young, who came to Allen county in 1843, is one of the in- dustrious settlers coming from Germany, who have done so much to develop the county. He was born in that land December 25, 1829, the son of Frederick and Dorothea Young, and came to America with an uncle, when only fourteen years of age. Coming into a strange land, unable to speak a word of English, his trials were many and he had to live at first on wages that amounted to only $4 per month. About 1858 he purchased on time forty acres of wild land, in St. Joseph township, and built a little log hut, to which in 1860, he took a wife, Sarah Bret- teny, who shared his toil and pleasures. In 1862, Mr. Young enlisted in the Eleventh Indiana battery, and served with it until it was dis- charged, when he enlisted in the Eighteenth battery and served until the close of the war. His service was gallant and faithful, during which he incurred disabilities for which he receives the small pension of $6 a month. He was honorably discharged at Indianapolis in 1865, and returned to his home. His perseverance as a farmer has been rewarded by a handsome farm of 120 fertile acres, well improved, and he enjoys the respect and good-will of all who know of his early struggles and his deserved success. Mr. Young and wife are members of the United Brethren church, of which he is a trustee. He has four children : Sarah, William, Julius and Frederick.
John H. F. B. Meyer, a prosperous young farmer of St. Joseph town- ship, is a son of one of the early German settlers, John Meyer, who came to this county with his parents in 1844, at the age of twelve years, and located in this township, where the family settled on eighty acres of woodland. John Meyer married Sophia Luhman, and by this union had six children, of whom five are living: Henry, Frederica, Mary, Dora, J. H. F. B. and Fred. The father was a true pioneer, who toiled long and faithfully to carve a home out of the wild-wood for his family. When he settled he first worked five years upon rented land, and then bought eighty acres, which he cleared and occupied until his death. He came to own 247 acres of farming land. He and wife were members of the Lutheran church, and were highly respected by all. John, their son, was raised on the homestead, and received a good education in the public and parochial schools. May 2, 1886, he was married to Katie Goegline, and they have a pleasant home on the farm of eighty acres which Mr. Meyer owns and cultivates.
When three years old, Henry Young, now a leading farmer of St. Joseph township, was brought here by his parents, Henry and Louisa (Blume) Young, and introduced to the scenes of pioneer life. He was born November 11, 1842, in Ohio. His father being a cripple, Henry
268
VALLEY OF THE UPPER MAUMEE.
found it necessary as soon as he was old enough, to stay at home and attend to the farm, thereby losing all opportunities for attendance on school, but he is by no means lacking in practical acquirements, and has a good education obtained by his own efforts. In 1863 he purchased eighty acres of land in the woods, which he has made into a good farm, and added to until he now owns 295 acres of fertile and valuable land, handsomely kept and provided with a commodious two-story brick dwelling and good barn. In 1864 he was married to Louisa Sheffer, who was born April 26, 1842, and they have had ten children, of whom eight are living: John H., Mary, William, Christina, Lizzie, Christian, Anna and Clara. About two years after his marriage he embarked in saw-milling in connection with agriculture, and followed the milling busi- ness about eleven years. He and wife are members of the Lutheran church, in which he has held an official position for eighteen or twenty years.
Anton F. Kohlmeier was born in Prussia, December 23, 1831, the son of Christian F. and Sophia L. Kohlmeier. With his family he came to America when about fourteen years of age, and first made his home at Fort Wayne, where he remained four years. His father then pur- chased seventy-two acres of the canal lands in Washington township, a tract then entirely wooded, upon which they cleared a little spot to erect a cabin upon, and there began the career of persevering industry, which was rewarded at last by the possession of a beautiful and rich farm. Being engaged in this labor nearly all the time, Mr. Kohlmeier had no leisure for school, but the education he has obtained is the result of his own natural aptness and home study. When he was sixteen years old he took a position with B. W. Oakley as a general chore boy, at Fort Wayne, and a year later became a clerk, a position he held for seven years, and received a salary of $4 per month. After the close of this service he returned to the farm of his father and remained there until 1858. In the latter year he was married to Sophia, widow of Anton Sleinkemper. He and wife are members of the Lutheran church, and he has been a warden of his church for twenty-two years. He has prospered in life and now has 160 acres of land in cultivation, with good buildings, in St. Joseph township, and a house and lot in Fort Wayne.
Frederick Bleke, one of the progressive farmers in the valley of the St. Joseph, is a son of the worthy old settlers, Charles Bleke and his wife, Mary Gieseking, who came to Allen county in 1846, and bought 260 acres of land, mostly unimproved, upon which they lived until their death. These parents had four children, of whom only two represent- atives are living. They, like their parents, are prominent in the affairs of their townships, and highly esteemed by all. Frederick Bleke was born in Germany, March 21, 1845, and was raised from the age of one year on the homestead in this county. He remained with his parents until twenty-eight years old, when he started out for himself, and was given by his father as a reward for his faithful help, the old homestead. This farm of 260 acres, now in his possession, is one of the handsomest
-
269
ANNALS OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
and best improved in St. Joseph township, and is supplied with good and comfortable buildings. In the Lutheran church to which he and family belong he is prominent, and among the people of the township he is highly regarded. He holds the honorable position of president of the Fort Wayne and Leo gravel road. Mr. Bleke was married May 23, 1873, to Mary, daughter of C. F. Rose, and six children have been born to them, of whom three survive: Amelia, Louisa and Amanda. Mrs. Bleke was born in Allen county, May 31, 1849.
Frederick Bullerman, now a substantial citizen of St Joseph town- ship, came from Germany at the age of twenty-two years, and found his first employment in New York state, where he worked upon a farm for two years. He then came to Allen county and settled in Adams township, where he leased ninety-two acres of land densely wooded, which he began to clear. Mr. Bullerman was born in Germany, Sep- tember 7, 1822, son of Frederick and Sophia Bullerman, who followed him to this country two years after his arrival. In his native land he was educated in German, but his education in the English language was
obtained by his own exertions. After Mr. Bullerman had toiled six years on the farm he leased, he managed to save enough from his hard earnings to make a payment on the farm he now occupies, which he purchased at that time. Here he renewed the toil of clearing, now cheered and encouraged by his wife, Maria Schrader, to whom he was married August 4, 1849. Mr. Bullerman began as a poor man, but he now has a fine farm of 120 acres, substantially improved, and enjoys the merited respect of his neighbors. He and wife are members of the Lutheran church. They have had ten children, of whom seven are living: Henry, now commissioner of Allen county, Fred, William, George, Christian, Sophia, Mary, Maria, Mina and Anna. Mrs. Bullerman was born April 8, 1825.
Among the leading settlers in 1846 were Martin and Anna Maria (Koester) Schaick, who settled upon forty acres of unimproved land. With them came their son, Christian Schaick, now a well-known citizen of the township, who was born at Wittenberg, Germany, July 29, 1839. About one year after the arrival of the family, the father died, and the oldest son having left home, the care of the family speedily fell upon Christian, who faithfully performed the duty which was thus imposed upon him. On this account his early life was toilsome and he was deprived of educational advantages. August 29, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Forty-eighth Indiana, and served at the front, gallantly and faithfully, with the exception of six months on furlough on account of illness, until he was discharged at Washington, May 30, 1865. Returning to this county he began clearing forty acres he had purchased while in the ser- vice, and renewed the experiences of pioneer life. March 30, 18.67, he was married to Elizabeth Griffith, born January 3, 1845, daughter of James and Margaret (Comfort) Griffith, natives of Pennsylvania. They were early settlers at Pickaway, near Columbus, Ohio, where the father worked as a carpenter until 1855, when they removed to Adams
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.