A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 62

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806

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JACOB F. WARE.

Jacob F. Ware, a retired agriculturist of Palestine, Darke county, is an honored rep- resentative of the early pioneers of Ohio, and is a true type of the energetic, hardy men who have actively assisted in developing

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and improving this beautiful and fertile ag- ricultural country. A native of this state, he was born in Preble county, December 13, 1820. His father, John Ware, was born in Knox county, Tennessee, in 1789, and was a son of John Paul Ware, a native of Ger- many, who, when a young man, was cap- tured and brought to America as a soldier in the employ of the British during the Revolutionary war, but after serving six months he deserted and joined the Con- tinental forces, with which he fought seven years. About 1814 he came to Preble coun- ty, Ohio, where he was killed by a horse at the age of sixty-six years. His wife had died previously in Tennessee.

The father of our subject grew to man- hood in his native state and in Guilford county, North Carolina, married Sarah Coble, a native of that county. Her father, Lewis Coble, was also born in Germany and came to this country when a young man. In North Carolina he married a native of Penn- sylvania. By occupation he was a farmer. It was in 1810 that John Ware and wife re- moved to Preble county, Ohio, and located in Twin township, where he lived for sixty- two years. He died at the age of eighty- five, honored and respected by all who knew him. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, under General Harrison, and was at the treaty of Greenville in 1814. He was a prominent member of the Lutheran church at West Alexandria, where he helped to build the house of worship. His wife died at the age of sixty-six years. In their fam- ily were fourteen children, six sons and eight daughters, all of whom grew to man- hood or womanhood, and five sons and three daughters are still living.

In this family our subject is the sixth child and third son. He was reared in

Twin township, Preble county, and attended school in a building constructed of round logs, with puncheon floor, greased-paper windows and a slab laid on pins driven into the wall for a desk. During his youth lie assisted in the work of the home farm and learned the carpenter's trade, and after at- taining his majority engaged in contracting and building for five years, doing all the work, such as hewing the raw timber into braces, studding, rafters, etc., which was all done by hand. Two of the barns built by him in Darke county, in 1844, are still stand- ing and in a good state of preservation. He employed from four to twelve men, but at the end of five years his health failed and he came to Darke county, locating in German township, in the woods, where with his own hands he cleared one hundred and twenty acres of land. He made the first jumping shovel plow ever made in the county. He raised fifty bushels of corn per acre for his first crop, and continued to successfully en- gage in farming until 1899, when he re- moved to Palestine and lias since lived re- tired. At one time he owned two hundred and forty-four acres of land, but has since given his son, Joseph, eighty acres of this. In 1871 his barn, 40x80 feet, and one of the best in the county, was destroved by fire, together with its contents, including two thousand bushels of threshed wheat, fifteen thousand bushels of corn, five hundred bushels of oats and fifteen tons of hay and all farming implements, amounting to five thou- sand dollars. He rebuilt the barn the fol- lowing year. On the 2d of April. 1898, he had the misfortune to lose his house in the same way, but this was insured and was afterward rebuilt.

On the 21st of October, 1844, Mr. Ware wedded Miss Mary C. Ritnoure, and to them

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were born five children: John R., who is married and lives in Wabash county, Indiana; Weltha Ann, the wife of William Stover. of Lightsville, Darke county, Ohio: Sarah Jane, the wife of Joshua Jeffries, of German township. Darke county: Martin A .. who died at the age of two years: and Joseph W .. a business man of Gordon, Mississippi. The mother of these children died February 16, 1878, and for his second wife Mr. Ware married Mrs. Lydia ( Paulus) Fry, widow of George Fry. She was born in Mont- gomery county, Ohio. April 10, 1836. but was reared in Darke county from her first year. By her first marriage she had four children: Mary A , Sarah J. : Franklin L .. deceased: and Rachael Alice. Her father. Daniel Paulus, was born in 1807, and is still living, in Randolph county, Indiana, at the age of ninety-three years, and enjoys good licalth. He had thirteen children, four sons and nine daughters, all of whom reached years of maturity and three sons and five daughters are still living. Mrs. Ware is the sixth child and fifth daughter in this family.

In his political affiliations Mr. Ware is a Democrat, and he has most efficiently filled the offices of school director and supervisor of his township. In 1851 he was a member of the first board of education ever organized in the county. and served as school director in one district eighteen years. He has been , chairman of four different old settlers' or- ganizations-the West Alexandria, Preble county : Lightsville, Spring Hill and Ger- man-and is an active and prominent mem- ber of the United Brethren church in Pales- tine, in which he served as assistant class- leader five years. He has been a hard work- ing and industrious man, and the success that he has achieved in life is due entirely to his own well directed and energetic efforts.

HENRY KARN.

Henry Karn is a retired merchant and farmer living at the village of Glen-Karn. which was named in his honor, a fact which indicates his prominence as a man and citi- zen. He was born in Butler county, Ohio. April 20, 1835. His grandfather, Henry Karn, was a native of Pennsylvania, who followed farming as a means of livelihood and died in Butler county, Ohio. As the name indicates, the family is of German line- age. Henry Karn. the father of our sub- ject, was born in the Keystone state, in June. 1801, and was a young man of seventeen years when he came with his parents to But- ler county. In Montgomery county he was married, in 1824, but located in Butler coun- ty, where he operated his farm, conducted a mill and distillery and also engaged in mer- chandising. He was an enterprising. pro- gressive business man, well known through- out the county, and became the possessor of a handsome competence, but lost property to the value of ten thousand dollars in a single night, caused by a flood. He built a mill on Seven Mile creek and carried on business there for many years, or until his removal to Darke county, in 1852. He then located in Butler township, where he was engaged in farming until his removal to Neave town- ship, where he died March 21, 1878, at the age of seventy-six years and nine months. His political support was given to the Dem- ocracy, and he was a member of the Re- formed church. His wife bore the maiden name of Susan Good. She was of German descent, removed from Virginia to Ohio and was reared in Montgomery county. By her marriage she became the mother of eight children, all of whom are still living. John. the eldest. is seventy-five years of age, and

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Amanda Judy, the youngest, is fifty-nine years of age : John, of Darke county ; Reu- ben, who is living in the same place; Eliza- beth, the wife of John Vogt, a minister of the Reformed church, of Delaware county, Ohio; Susan, the wife of Jacob Baker, of this county; Henry: David, who is living in Hollansburg, Darke county; Nathan; and Amanda, the wife of Samuel Judy, who re- sides near Greenville. The mother passed away November 29, 1849. at the age of forty-six years and ten months.

Henry Karn is the fifth of the family. and was about seventeen years of age when he came to Darke county. He remained with his father until his marriage, which important event in his life occurred on the IIth of March, 1856, Miss Mary Jacoby bc- coming his wife. She was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 25, 1835, a daugh- ter of John Jacoby. Her grandfather was John Jacoby, Sr., and was of Dutch descent. He removed from Pennsylvania to Butler county, Ohio, where he followed farming. Her maternal grandfather was John Wickle, and he, too, was born in Pennsylvania, and became a resident of Butler county, Ohio, at a very early age. He was of German lineage. Mr. Jacoby was a native of Penn- sylvania, and became one of the pioneer set- tlers of Butler county. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Wickle, and was also born in Pennsylvania. They had eight children who reached years of maturity, but only four are now living, as follows : Daniel, now deceased; Sarah, the widow of Tilman Troxell and a resident of Arcanum, Ohio; Elizabeth1, the deceased wife of Jonathan Fisher : Susan, the wife of Stephen Bark- halter, of Oregon; Mrs. Karn; Frank, of Nebraska : Kate, deceased wife of John Mar- ker: and Lucinda, wife of David Marker, of

Lucas county, Iowa. Mrs. Karn was the fiftlı in order of birth, and was about nine- teen years of age when she came to Darke county.

After his marriage Mr. Karn located in Butler township, where he was engaged in farming until his removal to a tract of land in Twin township, which he had purchased and where he remained until 1865. He then sold lis farm and returned to Butler town- ship, and afterward lived in Jacksonburg, Butler county, where he was engaged in mer- chandising, following that pursuit for seven years. On the expiration of that period he sold his store and took up his abode in Shelby county, Illinois, where he conducted a mer- cantile establishment for six months. He then returned to Darke county, Ohio, and located in Baker. He next went to Hollans- burg. where he conducted a store for six years. He also engaged in farming for a time, and was engaged in the manufacture of tiling, but at the present time he is living retired. His business career has been one of activity, enterprise and honesty, and his well-directed efforts have brought to him a handsome competence which now enables him to enjoy a rest which he has truly earned.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Karn were born three children : John Edwin, born April 17, 1859, 10w deceased; Celinda A., the wife of George W. Thomas, of German township, by whom she has six children, Eddie C., Myrtle, Ada, Harry H., Joyce and an infant girl; and Lewemma F., the wife of James C. Chenoweth, by whom she has seven chil- dren,-Nellie. Raymond, Bertha, Charlie, Frankie. Ernest and a boy infant.

Mr. Karn has accumulated about one hundred acres of land, and has a good prop- erty in Glen-Karn. There were no build- ings at that place when he located there, no

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railroad and no pike, and the introduction of these improvements have been secured largely through his own efforts. He laid out the town in 1884, built the first house there, and has since sold many lots. It 110W contains sixteen dwellings, two stores, an ice (lepot, and is an enterprising little village in the midst of a rich farming district. In his political views Mr. Karn is a Democrat. He lias never sought office, preferring to devote his time to his business interests. He is a member of the Reformed church, and with- holds his support from no movement or measure which he believes will prove of public good. He may truly be called a self- made man, and is the architect of his own fortune, having builded wisely and well.

JOHN BIDDLE.

The subject of this review is one of the representative citizens of German town- ship. Ohio, who has been actively identified with its agricultural interests for many years, and has also done a more extensive ditch- ing business than any other man within its borders. He is a native of the county, born in Neave township June 26, 1835, and is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Dixon) Bid- dle, natives of Maryland and Ohio, re- spectively. The Biddles are of German de- scent, but have been residents of this coun- try for several generations. Our subject's paternal grandmother, however, was a na- tive of Wales, and his maternal ancestors were of Scotch-Irish descent and early set- tlers of Darke county, Ohio. His grand- father. Baldwin Biddle, was a slaveholder of Maryland, and in coming to this state brought thirteen negroes with him, who as- sisted in clearing his farm near Fort Jeffer- son in Neave township, but he afterward set

them free. Our subject's father was thir- teen years of age when brought by his par- ents to this county, and he grew to man- hood in Neave township, where he continued to make his home throughout life, dying there in 1862, at the age of fifty years. In politics he was a Democrat.

John Biddle is the oldest of a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters. of whom seven are still living. He was reared in Neave township and pursued his studies in the log schoolhouse, remaining at home until after the civil war broke out. On the 2d of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company I, Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out as corporal June 6, 1865. He participated in the engage- ment at Tate's Ferry, near Richmond, the battles of Perryville, Stone River, Chick- amanga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, the Atlanta campaign and those of Bentonville and Greensboro, where John- ston surrendered. Mr. Biddle being on the skirmish line that night. Although he had his clothes pierced by bullets many times and the top of his hat shot off at the battle of Chickamauga, he was never wounded.

AAfter the war Mr. Biddle returned to his home in German township, Darke county, and was married in 1866 to Miss Anna Smel- ker, a native of this county, and to them have been born three children: Nora is now the wife of Clarkson Lowdenslayer, of German township, and they have two children, Otto and Arnold ; Orlando married Blanch Cable and lives in German township: and Cora is at home.

Thoughout his active business life Mr. Biddle has followed farming and for thirty- five years has been a contractor in ditch dig- ging. He has made most of the ditches in

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German township, where he makes his home and has also constructed many miles of ditch in Neave township and in Randolph county, Ohio. In this capacity he is widely known, and has made an enviable reputation as a business man.

Mr. Biddle is a prominent member of Reed Post, No. 572, G. A. R. ; has been the officer of the day in that post since its organi- zation ; was the major of the Darke County Battalion three years, and the president of the same one year. In his political views he is a stanch Democrat.

WILLIAM H. RIKE, M. D.

The thriving little town of Versailles, Ohio, has its quota of professional men, and occupying a leading position among theni we find Dr. William H. Rike, a brief review of whose life is as follows :

William H. Rike was born in Newberry township, Miami county, Ohio, December 3. 1850. He is of German origin, but for sev- eral generations the Rike family have lived in this country. The Doctor's great-grand- father was born on board the vessel while his parents were en route from Germany to America. John Rike, the Doctor's grand- father, was a native of Maryland, who at the age of twenty-one came west to Ohio and located on a farm near Dayton, in Montgom- ery county. It was on that farm that Henry Rike, our subject's father, was born, and there he passed the first twenty years of his life. He then went to Miami county, this state, where he subsequently married and settled down to farming, and where he still resides. The Rikes have been known as a liberty-loving, patriotic family, many of them engaged in agricultural pursuits, and all oc- cupying useful positions in the respective lo-

calities in which they have lived. John Rike, the Doctor's grandfather, was a pri- vate soldier in the war of 1812.

Dr. Rike's mother descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry. Her maiden name was Rebecca Dowler, and Newberry town- ship, Miami county, Ohio, the place of her nativity, where she was reared and married. Her father, William Dowler, came to this country when a child, and from that time his home was in Miami county, Ohio, where he was for many years engaged in farming and school teaching. He taught from early manhood until he was sixty-five years of age. Henry Rike and wife became the parents of nine children, seven sons and two daugh- ters. All the sons lived to adult years, and the daughters died when young.

The second born and second son in this family is William H., whose name intro- duces this sketch. He was reared on his father's farm, receiving his early training in the district school and later attending the Piqua high school, of which he is a grad- uate, having completed his course with the class of 1870. In 1872 he began the study of medicine at Covington, Ohio, in the office of Dr. John Harrison and Dr. James Shel- lenberg, the latter now a physician in the Philippines. Young Rike carried forward his studies in the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, and from this institution re- ceived his diploma March 2, 1876. On the 9th of that month he married Miss Emma V. Fetter, a native of Miami county, and on the 29th of the same month he located in Versailles, where for nearly a quarter of a century he has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. He is a member of the Versailles Medical Society and the Darke County Medical Society, and at this writing is employed as a physician

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for the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Rail- road Company. Dr. and Mrs. Rike have two children, Blanch and Mary.

JOHN J. WINBIGLER.

This well-known resident of Versailles, Ohio, is serving as a justice of the peace in Wayne township, a position which he has filled for four terms with credit to him- self and satisfaction to his constituents. He is thoroughly impartial in meting out justice. his opinions being unbiased by either fear or favor, and his fidelity to the trust reposed in him is above question.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Winbigler was born in Miami township. Montgomery coun- ty. May 25. 1839, and on the paternal side traces his ancestry back to three brothers- Henry, John and Elias Winbigler-who were born in a province of France that now forms a part of Germany, and came to this country prior to the Revolutionary war, in which they all took part. John and Elias located in Frederick county, Maryland, and Henry in Erie, Pennsylvania. John was the great-great-grandfather of our subject. His grandson, Jacob Winbigler, the grandfather of our subject, is supposed to have been a native of Pennsylvania, but he died in Mary- land. He was a soldier of the war of 1812. The father was born near Harper's Ferry, Frederick county, Maryland. in 1817. and when about fifteen years of age removed to Montgomery county, Ohio, where he was married. in 1838, to Anna Maria Weaver. who was born in Miami township, that coun- ty. in February, 1821, and died in Darke county. in 1887. Her father. John J. Weaver, was a native of Berks county, Penn- sylvania, and an early settler of Montgomery county, Ohio, where he located about 1805.

There he entered a large tract of land for his children and engaged in farming. dying there at about the age of seventy years. On the 2d of November, 1844, the father of our subject came to Darke county and lo- cated in York township, where in the midst of the forest he developed a farm, devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits throughout life. He died May 4, 1876. In religious belief he was a Lutheran, and in politics a Democrat. He was widely and favorably known, and was called upon to serve as a justice of the peace and township trustee. In his family were nine children, all of whom married and are still living.

John J. Winbigler, the eldest of this family, was five years old when brought by his parents to Darke county. His educa-

- tion was not begun until he was ten years of age, when he became a student at a log school-house in York township, and for three months he attended a select school in Jaysville. He assisted his father in clear- ing and improving the home farm until he attained his majority, and in 1860 com- menced teaching school, an occupation which he successfully followed for about twenty years, in the meantime devoting some at- tention to other lines of business. He served three years as a member of Company D, Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and did garrison duty most of the time. At the close of the war he was honorably dis- charged. July 3. 1865. Returning home he resumed teaching and for three years, from 1867. engaged in the saw-mill business in York township. He was also employed as a traveling salesman for a time until 1880. In 1871 he removed to Versailles, where he has since made his home with the exception of four years, spent on the old homestead.

In October, 1865. Mr. Winbigler mar-

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ried Miss Susana A. Lyons, by whom he had three children that are still living, namely : John S., Armena J. and Harry F. He was again married in October, 1888, his second union being with Leah Plessinger.

Religiously Mr. Winbigler is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and fraternally is a member of G. W. Larimore Post, No. 445. G. A. R., of which he was the first commander. By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Democratic party, and he takes quite a prominent and influential part in local politics. He has served as clerk and assessor of York town- ship, assessor of Wayne township two terms, and as deputy assessor many times, having made out about twenty assessment books. He is now serving his fourth term as the justice of the peace of Wayne township, and is a notary public. He is also interested in the real estate and fire insurance business. Mr. Winbigler is regarded as one of the leading and highly respected citizens of Ver- sailles, and it is therefore consistent that he be represented in a work whose province is the portrayal of the lives of the promi- nent men of Darke county.

FRANCIS G. WILEY.

Francis G. Wiley is filling the position of clerk of the courts at Greenville. He was born upon a farm in Harrison township, Darke county, on the 15th of January, 1857. His father. Caleb Wiley, was a native of Vir- ginia, born October 13. 1799, a son of John Wiley, also a native of the Old Dominion. The latter removed to Madison county, Ohio, with his family, in 1812, and in 1817 the Wileys went to Preble county, this state, where the father of our subject resided until

1827. That year witnessed his arrival in Harrison township, Darke county, where he secured one hundred acres of land on sec- tions 27 and 28, much of which was cov- ered with a heavy growth of timber. He cleared away the trees and transformed the land into richly cultivated fields, also in- proving the farm with good buildings. He there devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life, and on the 13th of March, 1890, at the very advanced age of ninety-one years, was called to his final rest. Ilis wife still sur- vives him and is yet living on the old home- stead. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Sproul, and she was born in Preble county, Ohio. She became the mother of seven chil- dren, namely : Marshall J .; Mary .1 .. the wife of John C. McKem; Josephine, who married Andrew P. Wilson, and is now a widow living in Los Angeles, California; William H., who resides upon the home farm; George W., a dealer in hardware, boots and shoes at New Madison, Ohio ; Francis G., of this review ; and A. J., who is with his brother in New Madison.

Francis G. Wiley was sent to the district school when he had attained the usual age. and, applying himself closely to his studies, hie gained considerable proficiency, while during the summer months he gave his time and attention to the work of cultivating the farm, following agricultural pursuits until his election to the office of clerk of the courts in Darke county in 1897. He entered upon the discharge of the duties of the office on the Ist of August, 1898, for a term of three years, so that he will continue as the in- cumbent until August, 1901. He soon mas- tered the duties of the position, is thorough and accurate, and has the confidence and re- spect of the bench and bar and all with whom

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he has been brought in contact through his official service.

In 1883 Mr. Wiley was married to Miss Anna Templeton, of Preble county, Ohio, a daughter of N. F. Templeton. They have three children .- Edith, Lizzie and Harmoil E. They occupy a pleasant home in Green- ville, and have here a large circle of friends, Mr. Wiley also owns a good farmi of fifty acres under a high state of cultiva- tion, which he rents. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, and be- longs to that class of enterprising American citizens who recognize their duties to their township, county and state, and never fail in its performance.

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A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 62

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 806

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806