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 II > Part 45
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and there has since been in active practice. December 9, 1875, he wedded Allie Emenhiser, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, born September 24, 1852. She is a daughter of Joseph Emenhiser, of Madi- son township. They have had six children, of whom one is deceased. The Doctor is an able physician of the eclectic school. When but a very young man he located at Hoagland, but with perseverance and enterprise and a determined purpose to succeed in life he has gained the confidence and practice of many people who regard him as an able and skillful physician. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., St. Mary's lodge, 167, at Decatur.
Dr. Franklin Greenwell, the leading physician of Huntertown, was born in Allen county, April 8, 1851. He is a son of George and Eliza- beth Greenwell, of Eel River township, already mentioned. His father, of Irish descent and a native of Maryland, settled in Allen county in 1846, and both parents passed the remainder of their lives in this county. Dr. Greenwell received a good common school education, and attended one term at the Methodist college at Fort Wayne, after which he taught two terms of district school in the country. In 1872 he entered the Cleveland medical college, where he remained during the terms of 1872, '73 and '74, and after a year's practice at Huntertown, he was gradu- ated with honors in 1876. He established himself at Huntertown, and by close attention to his business and skillful attendance upon the wants of the sick, he has made for himself an enviable professional reputation and gained a lucrative practice. In 1876 he was united in marriage with Jennie M., daughter of William T. and Jane Hunter, and they have had two children, one of whom is now living, Louise. Mrs. Greenwell was born in 1845. When Dr. Greenwell began the practice it was among his friends and acquaintances, and he made it a rule when called upon at first, to attend a patient whose case he did not thoroughly understand, to candidly offer and do all he could, but also advise the employment of a doctor of more experience. This candor and caution in the beginning of his practice won him the confidence of the people, and now with his many years of study and practice, he enjoys a large and lucrative practice. The Doctor also takes a lively interest in politics, always supporting the principles of the democratic party, and has been prominently 'spoken of at different times as a candidate for the office of representative, but he has always declined such proposals.
William De La Ruhl, M. D., a member of the American medical association, was born in Galion, Crawford county, Ohio, March 21, 1856. His parents, James Henry and Lucinda (Traul) Ruhl, were natives, the father of Shrewsbury, Penn., the mother of Stark county, Ohio. James H. Ruhl was the son of Jacob and Sarah Ruhl, whose parents were natives of Germany and settled in Pennsylvania, where they raised a family of six children. In 1831 Jacob and father moved to Craw- ford county, Ohio, and purchased a tract of land which embraced the site of the present town of Galion, which Jacob Ruhl and his brother laid out. James was married to Lucinda Traul in the year 1854, and
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two years afterward came to Root, in Adams county, and resided there about three years. He then came to Marion township and was engaged in the lumber business until 1860, when he settled on the farm he now owns on the Piqua road. He has five sons and two daughters, William being the oldest. He was born and reared on a farm. By attending the public schools, Dr. Ruhl gained a thorough common school educa- tion, to which he added a four-term course in a high school taught in Marion township, by John W. English, A. M. At the age of eighteen years he took up the study of medicine under Dr. Allen De Vilbiss, now of Toledo, Ohio. Afterward one year, he was under the instruction of Dr. Benjamin S. Woodworth, of Fort Wayne. then for two years he was with Dr. William H. Myers, of Fort Wayne, for one year he was home physician in the St. Joseph hospital of Fort Wayne. February 28, 1878, he graduated from the medical college of Fort Wayne, and in 1879, received an honorary degree, M. D., from the same medical col- lege. He located at Middletown in 1878, and began active practice in the profession, removing in 1879 to Sheldon, where he has since con- tinued and extended his practice. He was married November 10, 1878, to Mary L. Shookman, born in this county August 1, 1855. Of their five children, three are living. He and wife are members of the English Lutheran church.
George Nelson Worley, M. D., was born at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, the son of Nathan and Elizabeth (Moore) Worley, who were natives of Ohio. Mrs. Worley's father was a pioneer teacher near Canton, Ohio, having taught for eighteen years in one district, and she received all her instruction from him. Nathan Worley was a tailor, and worked at his trade in Upper Sandusky the greater part of his life. He died in 1879 from injuries received by a fall. There were born to them eight chil- dren: William H., Mary Ellen, Lena, Harry, George N., Jeremiah, Franklin, Julius V. William H. is at present marshal of Cameron City, Mo. Mary Ellen, Lena, Harry and Jeremiah are deceased. Franklin was in the employ of a railroad in Virginia for some years, but is now engaged with the Union Pacific. Julius V. is a railroad conductor, now on the Clover Leaf line. Dr. Worley was a teacher in Nelson's com- mercial college in Cincinnati for about a year, and then removed to Os- sian, Ind., and engaged in the drug business, at the same time studying medicine under John I. Metts, one of the oldest practitioners of Wells county. This he continued three years and then took private instruction under Prof. Van Vleck, of Cincinnati, in surgery. Dr. Worley began the practice of medicine at Williamsport. In 1879-18So he took a course in the Fort Wayne college of medicine. He has been engaged in the practice of medicine in Williamsport without interruption since 1873, and has been very successful. He has made interesting contribu- tions to medical literature. Dr. Worley was married to Serepta Lucre- tia Metts, on December 19, 1873, and they have three children: Alfred Minor, born December 19, 1874; William H., July 2, 1877, and Maud Myrtle, July 26, 1885.
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Simeon E. Mentzer, M. D., of Monroeville, Ind., was born in Mahon- ing county, Ohio, February 21, 1862. His parents, Jacob and Mary (Swartz) Mentzer, were born, reared and married in Ohio, and had four children, all of whom are now living. Of these Simeon E. is the third. In 1865 with his parents he went to Adams county, Ind., here was reared on a farm up to the age of sixteen years, when he came to Monroeville. He had gained a fair common school education and he was then engaged in teaching, three years in the public schools, mean- while attending for six terms the Northern Indiana normal school at Valparaiso. Subsequently, he began the study of medicine at Monroe- ville, under Dr. C. A. Leiter, as preceptor. He studied for one year and then entered the Ohio medical college at Cincinnati, and completed the course, graduating in March, 1885. He then located at Monroe, Adams county, and there practiced for one year. Dr. C. A. Leiter, then practicing at Monroeville, died in March, 1887, and immediately Dr. Mentzer moved here and assumed the greater part of the practice of his former preceptor. He has now established an extensive practice. He is cultured and capable, energetic, and recognized as an able man in his profession. His home is with his mother at Monroeville, where he enjoys the esteem of a wide acquaintance.
Medical Profession of Monroeville. - The medical profession of Mon- roeville has been well represented since an early day. In it there have been physicians who have reached the top-most round in the ladder of success, some of whom are now sleeping in the silent tomb. Since 1880 the following named gentlemen have represented the medical profession of Monroeville, viz .: Dr. C. A. Leiter, Dr. W. A. Connolly, Dr. A. Engle, Dr. Wilder and Dr. S. E. Mentzer. The first of whom was Dr. C. A. Leiter, who stood at the head of the profession of Allen county. He was not only a successful physician, but a man of very high intellectual attainments, and has since succumbed to the effects of an attack of chronic gastritis. He was a graduate of the university of Pennsylvania and of the Starling medical college, Columbus, hav- ing previously taken two courses of lectures in the Ann Arbor medical college at Ann Arbor, Mich. He was a son of Ex-Congress- man B. F. Leiter, of Canton, Ohio. Dr. Wilder has since moved to Michigan, where he went to continue the practice of his profession. Dr. A. Engle, the pioneer physician who, after having practiced his profession for forty years, has retired, going to his country home about five miles distant. The present representatives of the medical profession of Monroeville are Dr. W. A. Connolly and Dr. S. E. Mentzer. Dr. Connolly being a graduate of the Columbus medical college, has practiced in this his first location for twenty-five years. As a physician he has been very successful and ranks high in the profession of the county. Dr. S. E. Mentzer, a student of the eminent Dr. Leiter, com- pleted his studies in the Ohio medical college, Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from that institution, March 5, 1885. After having gradu- ated, he entered into a partnership with his preceptor, and at the expira-
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tion of the year he located at Monroe, Adams county, Ind., where he continued to practice his profession until the death of his preceptor (Dr. Leiter) when he again located in Monroeville, since which time he has succeeded in going to the front of his profession in Monroeville. As a physician and surgeon he has been successful and bids fair to stand as one of the leaders of his profession.
Dentistry .- The physician of the early days gratified, as best he could, the desires of those who had aching teeth to be freed from, and the more delicate work of dentistry of to-day was entirely unknown. When the profession began its remarkable modern development, Fort Wayne was fortunate in becoming the home of practitioners of more than ordinary merit. About 1850 Dr. Von Bonhurst became the first dentist in Fort Wayne. He subsequently removed to Lancaster, Ohio. He was followed here by Drs. Talbert, Wells, Knapp, Snyder, George W. Loag, Seneca B. Brown, in the order named, who are the oldest prac- titioners in the city.
Seneca Buel Brown, M. D., D. D. S., was born August 11, 1834, at Marlboro, Windham county, Vt. His father, John Brown, was born at the city of Rochester, county Kent, England, August 28, 1787, and came to America and located at Rutland, Vt., in 1820. He married a daughter of Archelaus Dean, a native of Massachusetts, of Puritan ancestry, who served through the revolutionary war and died in Ver- mont in 1846. She was born at Brattleboro, March 19, 1799, and died at Marlboro, Vt., September 30, 1877. She was a member of the Bap- tist church. John Brown, who was a member of the church of Eng- land, and in politics a free soil democrat, died' at Westminster, Vt., March 3, 1851. To the latter town, the family removed when Dr. Brown was four years of age. Here farm life occupied him until 1852. In the meantime, the district schools and three terms at Westminster seminary, completed his education. November 1, 1852, he entered the office of Oramel R. Post, D. D. S., at Brattleboro, Vt., as a student at dentistry, and on January 1, 1854, he began the practice at Ticonderoga, N. Y., on a circuit including Ticonderoga, Westport, Essex, Elizabeth- town, and Schroon Lake, in Essex, and Chestertown, in Warren, county, He came west and located at Piqua, Ohio, October 23, 1855, and there on June 9, 1864, he was married to Nannie Louise, eldest daughter of Hon. Stephen Johnson, of that city. July 6, 1874, nine years after their removal to this city, she died, leaving an only child: Katie, then seven years of age. February 14, 1888, he was married to Minne Rus- sell Graves, oldest daughter of Charles E. Graves, of this city. Dr. Brown came to Fort Wayne May 3, 1865, when the population of the city was 15,000, and is now the only resident dentist who was practicing in his own name in this city in 1865. He soon acquired a marked degree of respect and confidence. Eminent skill and personal character were the commanding influences which won an extensive clientelage, and a satis- factory meed of success. For twenty years he has been a member of both the American and Indiana state dental associations. He received
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THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
the degree of doctor of dental surgery from the Pennsylvania dental col- lege, March, 1870; was elected secretary of the Indiana dental associa- tion June 29, 1869; received the degree of doctor of dental surgery from the Ohio college of dental surgery March 1, 1871; was elected president of the Mississippi valley dental association, the oldest in the world now in existence, March 6, 1874; was elected a member of the board of Indiana dental examiners, June 29, 1880, holding the office seven years; was elected president of the Indiana state dental associa- tion, July 1, 1885; and member of the board of trustees of Indiana den- tal college, March 3, 1886; received the honorary degree of doctor of medicine from Fort Wayne college of medicine, March 6, 1888, and March 6, 1889, was elected president of the Indiana dental college. Dr. Brown is in politics a republican; in religion a protestant.
Dr. David Daniel Weisell, a prominent dentist of Fort Wayne, was born near Ithaca, Tompkins county, N. Y:, August 23, 1832. He , attended the district school until sixteen years of age, and subse- quently studied two terms at Hiram college, and one term at Mt. Union college. While at the former college he made his home with the parents of Mrs. James A. Garfield. When he was seventeen he began teaching in the district schools, and taught five terms. His study of dentistry began when he was twenty-four, in the office of Dr. H. M. Beadle, of Chautauqua, N. Y. He began practicing, at the same time studying medicine, at the village of Lordstown Center, Trumbull county, Ohio. He entered the medical department of the university of Michigan, in 1859, and after completing his course of lectures, began the practice of that profession at Northville, Mich. A year and a half later he became the successor of his preceptor at Lordstown Center, and there practiced medicine until the fall of 1863, when he settled at Avilla, Ind., and practiced both his professions over three years. This he continued at Zanesville until the fall of 1873, when he abandoned the practice of medicine, to which he had been giving his main attention, and removing to Fort Wayne, devoted himself to dentistry, in which he has since gained distinction. He is a member of the Masonic order, the Royal Arcanum, and the Chosen Friends. He possesses a genius for invention and has received patents on various contrivances, among them a. farm gate, a seat lock for vehicles, carriage springs, road cart, railroad rail, railroad nut lock, pneumatic mallet, artificial teeth, dental vulcanizer (spiral spring), pitman for dental burring engines, and other dental appli- ances, and a washing machine. He was married at Albion, April, 1864, to Anna E., daughter of Jefferson and Harriet (Harner) Smith, and they have six children: William Ellis, Jefferson Garis, Carrie Delia, Alfred Tennyson, Irma Jane, and Edward McIntyre. Dr. Weisell is a son of Michael G. and Catherine (McIntyre) Weisell, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Huntington, N. Y. His father was born September 27, 1787, son of Michael and Catherine (Garis) Weisell, his mother January 14, 1793, daughter of Robert and Rebecca (Quackenbush) McIntyre. They were married in 1817, and in 1834
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removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, where the father died September 18, 1870, and the mother January 19, 1875.
Dr. Henry Clay Sites, one of the successful dentists of Fort Wayne, was born at Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, July 12, IS4I, son of Emanuel and Frances (Beery) Sites. The father was born in York county, Penn., the mother in Fairfield county, Ohio. Dr. Sites was reared on a farm, and received a common school education. Taking full advantage of his educational opportunities, he was able at the age of eighteen to teach a term of school. At the beginning of the war he enlisted in Company B, Seventeenth Ohio regiment, and served nearly four months. Returning home he attended school about three months, and then enlisted again in Company F, Eighty-eighth Ohio, as a second lieutenant, and served four months, receiving his discharge at Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Sites began the study of the profession in which he has be- came prominent in about 1870, and since then has devoted all his time to its study and practice. He established himself at Fort Wayne in May, 1874, and has practiced here successfully ever since. Dr. Sites is a member of the G. A. R., the I. O. O. F., and the Knights of Pythias. At the June session of the grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias, for Indiana, Dr. Sites was elected grand master at arms. In political faith he is a republican. He was married June 28, 1870, to Jennie, daughter of John C. Perry, born at Savannah, Ga.
Dr. S. Brenton Hartman, a prominent dentist, born in Fort Wayne, October 5, 1849, is a son of Rev. D. P. Hartman, formerly a prominent Methodist pastor of Fort Wayne, and one of the founders of the Wayne Street Methodist Episcopal church. Dr. Hartman obtained his educa- tion in the public schools and in the Fort Wayne Methodist college. In IS7I he began the study of dentistry, and in September, 1876, he entered the dental department of Michigan university, where he was graduated March 28, 1877, and had the honor of being president of his class. Soon after graduating he opened an office at Fort Wayne. He is a member of the Indiana state dental association. He is also a member, and at present is recording steward, of the Wayne Street Methodist Epis- copal church.
Dr. Edward F. Sites, a prominent dentist of Fort Wayne, was born near Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, April 21, 1855, being the son of Emanuel and Frances Sites. He was reared on a farm, and in addition to a district school education he pursued his studies two years in the Southern Ohio normal school of Pleasantville, Ohio. In the fall of 1876 he entered upon the study of dentistry, and in order the better to fit him- self for its practice he spent between one and two years in the Fort Wayne college of medicine. In the fall of 1878 he entered the dental department of the university of Michigan, from which he graduated in the spring of 1879. He immediately began the practice of his profes- sion in Fort Wayne, and he is now recognized as one of the leading dentists of the city. Dr. Sites was married May 27, 1885, to Miss Car- rie L. Pfeiffer, by whom he is the father of two children: Mabel M. and
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He is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of Fort Wayne lodge of Perfection. He not only possesses an excellent knowledge of dentistry, but also those other qualities which are necessary to put it into successful practice. He is deservedly popular in his profession, and socially his standing is very high.
Dr. William Wilson Shryock, one of the leading dentists of Fort Wayne, began the study of his profession in September, 1876, in the office of Dr. S. B. Brown, with whom he remained three years. He then spent one year in the dental school of the university of Michigan, and subsequently, in 1881, spent eight months as assistant to Dr. George W. Loag, of Fort Wayne, and four months in Auburn, in charge of the office of Dr. Ellison, of that place. In the fall of 1881 he entered the Indiana dental college at Indianapolis, and graduated in February, 1882. He established an office at Fort Wayne, and soon won a large and lucra- tive practice. His dental parlors are at 27 West Berry street. Dr. Shryock is a member of the Indiana and American dental associations. He is a native of DeKalb county, Ind., born May 25, 1857, son of Joseph and Ann E. (Shoaff) Shryock, both natives of this state. At the age of ten years he entered the Fort Wayne schools, first in the Methodist col- lege, and then in the public schools. At fourteen he began the study of music under Prof. S. B. Morse, and pursued that study six years, gradu- ating from the Indiana conservatory at nineteen years of age. He was married December 3, 1885, to Emily L., daughter of Horatio N. and Christina Ward, of Fort Wayne. She was born at Louisville, Ky., November 16, 1858. The Doctor and wife are esteemed members of the Episcopal church.
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ORGANIZATION OF ALLEN COUNTY.
Gen. John Tipton, who came to Fort Wayne in 1823 as Indian agent, was a leading spirit in the movement for the formation of a new county, of which Fort Wayne should be the seat of justice, and in the following session of the legislature a bill was passed and approved December 17, IS23, entitled, " An Act for the formation of a new county out of the counties of Randolph and Delaware," concerning which, and the terri- tory then attached to Allen county, full mention is made in the chapter upon the " Courts, Bench and Bar."
At the suggestion of Gen. Tipton it was provided that after the Ist of April, 1824, the new county should be known by the name of Allen, in memory of Col. John Allen, of Kentucky. This act also provided that Lot Bloomfield and Caleb Lewis, of Wayne county, Abiathar Hath- away, of Fayette, William Connor, of Hamilton, and James M. Ray. of Marion, should act as commissioners for the locating of a seat of justice for the county, and meet for that purpose at the house of Alexander Ewing, on the fourth Monday of May following. The commission met on the 24th of May, as ordered, and had little difficulty in determining the location of the county seat. There appears to have been some com- petition, however, and an offer was made by Messrs. John McCorkle and John T. Barr, proprietors of the plat of Fort Wayne, in which they agreed, if the county seat were located there, to pay Allen county $500 cash, and donate the following tracts for public use :
" All of that oblong square or piece of ground situate and being in the town of Fort Wayne, aforesaid, and stained red on the plat of said town, as recorded in the recorder's office in Randolph county, in said state, which is granted as a public square, whereon public buildings for said county are to be erected, and bounded by Main, Court, Berry and Calhoun streets; also a lot, or piece of ground four rods square, laid out at right angles, at the northwest corner of the plat of Fort Wayne, west of and adjoining said plat, which is donated and granted for a church and public burying-ground, to be occupied by no particular denomination, but free to all-except so much of said lot as may be necessary for said church, which may be occupied by the first church of professing Christians in said county, who may erect thereon a house of worship of convenient size, of *suitable materials; also, a lot of land, of the same size as the regular lots in said town, to be laid off east and adjoining the lots of land last above mentioned, as a place whereon to erect a semi -. nary of learning; also, lots numbered 8, 9, 101, 102, 103, and the lots regularly numbered from 104 to 118, inclusive; also, a tier of lots along the south side of said plat, to be laid off immediately opposite the tier of lots on the first recorded plat of said town (opposite 104 to 118), which are to be divided from said last tier by an alley, and, in size and
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ORGANIZATION OF ALLEN COUNTY.
otherwise, to conform to the plat of the town lots numbered regularly from 92 to 100, inclusive of each."
This proposition was accepted, and subsequently a deed was made of the land described, to John Tipton as county agent. Meanwhile, Gov. William Hendrick, had issued a commission to Allen Hamilton as sheriff of Allen county, dated April 2, 1824, to be in force until an elec- tion should be had, and Sheriff Hamilton at once issued a notice to the people of the county to hold an election on May 22, 1824, for the pur- pose of electing two associate judges of the circuit court, one clerk of the circuit court, one recorder and three commissioners. This first elec- tion, of which all records have vanished, was duly held by the handful of settlers, and resulted in the choice of Samuel Hanna and Benjamin Cushman as associate judges; Anthony L. Davis, clerk and recorder; William Rockhill, commissioner for three years, James Wyman for two years, and Francis Comparet for one year. Subsequently, the election of Mr. Cushman was contested by Alexander Ewing, and that of James Wyman and Francis Comparet, by Marshall K. Taylor, unsuccessfully, however, in each case. The commissioners-elect met at the house of Alexander Ewing at noon on May 26, 1824, and producing their certifi- cates issued by Sheriff Hamilton, proceeded to business, their work that day consisting of the appointment of Joseph Holman as county treasurer, who was required to give bond, with two sufficient sureties, in the con- siderable sum of $1,000. On the next day, Col. Tipton was appointed county agent, and he filed his bond in the sum of $5,000 with Alexander Ewing and Samuel Hanna as sureties. He was then ordered to pay to each of the commissioners who had just concluded their duties in the selection of a county seat, the sum of $3 a day each, for their services. This ended the preliminary session of the commissioners, who next met, in their first regular session, Monday, May 31, at the same house, after- ward known as Washington hall. The following appointments were made: Hugh B. McKeen, lister of taxable property ; Lambert Cushovis, constable; Robert Hars, inspector of elections; William N. Hood, inspec- tor of flour, beef and pork, for the township of Wayne; Samuel Hanna, road supervisor for the township of Wayne; John Davis and Alexander Coquillard, overseers of the poor, in Wayne township.
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