USA > Ohio > Darke County > A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography > Part 84
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Upon that farm he made his home un- til his death, which occurred April 28, 1887. His brothers, Peter, Jacob and William, were soldiers in the war of 1812, in which the noted Indian chief, Tecumseh, took part. He had formerly been a resident of what is now Darke county. The father of our subject was an ardent advocate of De- mocracy and cast his first presidential vote for Andrew Jackson. He was always a firm supporter of the principles of the party, but never sought political preferment for himself. His wife, who was born in Read- ing, Pennsylvania, November 17, 1820, is still living on the old homestead in Wayne township. She is a member of the Lutheran church and a most estimable lady. The rec- ord of her children is as follows: Hannah is the widow of David Shafer, a resident of Webster, Darke county. Jacob F. is a mechanic living in Webster. Saralı Isabel
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is the wife of James Young, a mechanic living at Dawn, Ohio. Mary M. resides with her mother on the old homestead in Wayne township. Abraham and Emma were twins and the latter is deceased, but the former is married and follows farming in York township. Henrietta resides with her mother on the old home farm. Lucy A. is the wife of Thomas Omerod, a salesman of Warren, Indiana; and Sylvester is a farmer living at Green Mountain, Marshall county, Iowa.
In taking up the personal history of George S. Byrd we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Darke county. He acquired his education in the common schools, the first school he attended being a log structure with a mud and stick chim- ney ; the rooms were heated by a large old- fashioned fireplace and the benches were made of slabs placed upon wooden pins, while the desks used by the "big boys and girls" was a board in the rear end of the building laid on pins inserted in the wall. The birchen rod and the old dunce block were important factors in the discipline of the school. Mr. Byrd laughingly tells how, in punishment of some boyish prank, he was forced to sit upon the dunce block with a sunbonnet on his head. The amuse- ments enjoyed by the young people of that day were apple-parings, corn-huskings and taffy-pullings, together with other innocent games which are now known only as mem- ory reverts to them. Greenville, during the time of Mr. Byrd's boyhood, contained only about seven hundred inhabitants and he can well remember the first train which ran over the Dayton & Union Railroad. He witnessed the building of all of the fine pikes of Darke county and aided in the construc-
tion of the Brandon pike. Mr. Byrd spent a part of the year 1865 in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota on a prospecting tour, but preferring Ohio as a place of residence he returned home. He was married on the 15th of February, of the following year, to Miss Amanda Plessinger, and unto them were born four children, three sons and a daughter, all yet living. Mrs. Byrd was born in Richland township, Darke county, March 16, 1839, a daughter of Nicholas and Rachel ( Miller ) Plessinger. Her father was born in Pennsylvania September 24, 1808, and died January 19, 1885. He was a lad of about twelve years when he came to Darke county, arriving on the Ist of No- vember, 1820. He made his way at once to Richland township, where he afterward purchased eighty acres of timber land of the government, walking to Cincinnati to make payment thereon. He added to his possessions until he had accumulated two hundred and twenty-seven acres, constitut- ing a valuable farm, which was one of the earliest developed in the county. In politics he was a Democrat and was of German lineage. In his family were. six children, a son and five daughters, but only two are yet living,-Leah, wife of J. J. Winbigler, and Philip J., a prominent farmer of Rich- land township. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Byrd are as follows: Philip F., the eldest, was educated in the common schools and follows farming near Green Mountain, Marshall county, Iowa, and is a Democrat in politics. Rachel O., who was born on the old homestead and attended the com- mon schools, is her father's housekeeper. She is a member of the Christian church at Beamsville and a devoted member of the Sister's Home, Rebekah Lodge, No. 216, at Versailles. She has held all of its offices
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and is at present deputy grand master. In April, 1899, she was alternate to the grand association of the grand lodge, at Piqua, and she has the honor of being the second member of the Versailles lodge that has taken that degree in the grand lodge. She also belongs to the Ladies' Aid Society of the church and is a young woman of pleas- ing manner, highly esteemed throughout the community. Ira M. married Miss Ella Mitchell and follows farming in Marshall county, Iowa. Herschel M. is associated with his father in the real estate business. He acquired a good practical education and is devoting his energies to farming. In politics he is a Democrat and cast his first vote for William J. Bryan. In manner he is courteous and genial and has many friends throughout the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Byrd began their domestic life upon a rented farm in Adams town- ship. Their capital was very meager, but they were industrious and economical and their resolute wills enabled them to over- come many difficulties. In the spring of 1880 Mr. Byrd made arrangements to pur- chase his present farm of one hundred and seven acres and installed his family in their new home, where they lived happily until death entered the household on the 24th of September, 1885, carrying away the wife and mother. She was most devoted to her family and her loss was indeed a great blow to husband and children. She was a de- voted member of the Christian church at Beamsville and a woman whose many ex- cellencies of character endeared her to all. Her remains were laid to rest in the Green Lawn cemetery at Versailles, where a beauti- ful granite monument has been raised to her memory. The following obituary was written by C. W. Heoffer, hier pastor :
"Amanda ( Plessinger) Byrd, wife of George S. Byrd, died September 24, 1885, aged forty-six years, six months and eight days. She united with the Beamsville Chris- tian church in 1860 and lived a faithful member till death. In her death the church has lost one of her valued members and the community one of its shining stars. Sister Byrd was an affectionate wife and a loving mother. Though dead, yet she speaks by her pure life and noble example. She leaves a husband, four children, brother and sister and a host of relatives and friends to mourn her loss.
"Dearest sister, thou hast left us; Here thy loss we deeply feel ; But 'tis God that hath bereft us : He can all our sorrows heal. "Yet again we hope to meet thee, When the day of life is fled ; And in heaven with joy to greet thee, Where no farewell tear is shed."
Since casting his first presidential vote for General George B. McClellan, Mr. Byrd has always been a stalwart Democrat. He has served for thirteen years as school di- rector and the cause of education has found in him a warm friend who has done effective service in its behalf. In 1897 he was elected by a handsome majority to the office of township trustee and capably filled the posi- tion. Socially he belongs to the Versailles Lodge, No. 286, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed all the chairs. He took the past grand degree at Sidney, Ohio, in May, 1896. He, too, belongs to the Christian church at Beamsville and has contributed to the building of three other churches in this part of the county. He is a man whom to know is to respect and honor, for his life has been an active, useful and upright one.
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He enjoys the friendship and regard of all with whom he has associated and through his long residence in Darke county he has made many friends. Mr. Byrd, with his daughter, Rachel, and son, Herschel, still resides on the old home place and their standing is high in the community.
JAMES B. AVERY.
The subject of this sketch needs no spe- cial introduction to the readers of this vol- ume but the work would be incomplete with- out the record of his life. He has ever cheerfully given his support to those enter- prises that tend to public development and has done all in his power to advance the moral, educational and social welfare of his township and county.
This worthy citizen of Greenville town- ship, whose home is on section 3, traces his ancestry back to Christopher Avery, who was born in Wiltshire, England, in 1590, and who, tradition states, came to America in 1630 or 1631 and landed in Salem, Massa- chusetts, though his home was for the most part in Boston. He had one son, James, who subsequently settled in Connecticut and from whom all the Averys in New England are descended. He left four sons, one of whom was an ancestor of our subject. The family has always been well represented in the wars of this country. Some have been noted in professional life and have dis- tinguished themselves in letters and politics, but it has been in manufacturing circles that they have been most prominent. Elroy M. Avery. of Cleveland, Ohio. is the author of a series of school text books and has rep- resented his district in the state senate, and in ministerial work members of the family
are scattered through the various Protestant denominations.
Our subject was born in New London county, Connecticut, August 27, 1826, a son of Billings and Prudence Avery, in whose family were four children, three of whom reached years of maturity, namely : James B., Theopolis and Amos G. Theop- olis is now deceased. The father died in Connecticut July 15, 1833, at the age of thirty years, and the mother March 23, 1833, at the same age.
In the county of his nativity James B. Avery grew to manhood, aiding in the work of the home farm and attending the local schools. In 1847, on attaining his majority, he came west alone, and after looking the country over stopped in Greenville township, Darke county, where he taught a district school during the winter. In the spring of 1848 he returned to Connecticut, but the fol- lowing fall he located permanently here, buying eighty acres of the land in Green- ville township where he now resides. To this he has added until he now has one hun- dred and thirty acres, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation. Only a few acres had been cleared when he took up his residence thereon.
In the fall of 1848 Mr. Avery married Miss Marcella Earhart, a daughter of Sam- tel and Elizabeth ( Scribner) Earhart, early settlers of this county. By this union were. born five children: Prudence M., now the wife of David Hartle, Jr., of Darke coun- ty; Franklin, deceased; Emily, the wife of Orin Hartle, also of this county ; Lizzie, the wife of Frank Townsend; and Ira J., who lives with his parents.
Samuel Earhart, the father of Mrs. Avery, was a son of George and Mary M. (Smith) Earhart, who were among the first
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settlers of .Warren county, Ohio, and about 1818 came to Darke county, entering land in Greenville township. George Earhart was a Virginian by birth and of German de- scent. He died in Greenville township in 1852, his wife in 1858. They had ten chiil- dren, namely: Martin, Samuel and Eliza- beth, all deceased : Mary; Washington ; Ma- hala; William; Nancy; Julia and Henry J. They were earnest Christian people the grandfather being a member of the Christian church, his wife of the Presbyterian. Mrs. Avery's parents were life-long residents of Darke county and her father was an elder in the Presbyterian church, to which both belonged. He died in 1854, aged fifty-three years, Mrs. Earhart in 1873, aged sixty- seven. Their children were Marcella, the wife of our subject ; Anna M., Mary Jane and William Henry, all deceased; George F., a resident of Oregon; Samuel M. and Mrs. Elizabeth Saralı Warnfelt, both of Darke county ; Stephen James, of Oregon; Isaac S., of Oklahoma; David, of Florida; and Mrs. Lucinna Mergler, of this county. Azor Scribner, Mrs. Avery's maternal grandfather, came from New York to Darke county, Ohio, in 1806 or 1807 and traded with the Indians. Both he and his brother, Abraham, were soldiers of the war of 1812. He died in 1822, leaving the following chil- dren : Mrs. Sarah McCann, Mrs. Elizabeth Earhart, Mrs. Rhoda Clare, Mrs. Emily Kidder, Mrs. Maria Gates, Mrs. Nancy Stacy, Mrs. Julia Lec and Mrs. Mary Hool. The mother of these children was three times married, her third husband being a Mr. Davis. She died about 1849.
Mr. Avery is a well informed, enterpris- ing man who has taken an active interest in educational affairs, and has efficiently served às a school director many years. He votes
the Republican ticket, and both he and his wife are active and consistent members of the Presbyterian church of Greenville, in which he has served as an elder. He is a man of exemplary habits, of strong religious convictions and has endeavored to live up to the teachings of the Golden Rule. He has always been charitably disposed to all worthy enterprises, is well informed on current top- ics, possesses a retentive memory and is in- cisive and clear in speech. In fact he is one of Darke county's best and most valued citizens, a kind husband and father and å good neighbor.
GEORGE H. WINBIGLER.
Throughout the greater part of his life George H. Winbigler has been a resident of Darke county and has watched with inter- est its progress and development, withhold- ing not his support from such measures as he believed would contribute to the public good. He belongs to the better class of citi- zons in this community, and the record of his life well deserves a place in its history. He is a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, born on the 4th of March, 1841, and is the second in order of birth in a family of nine children. His father, Samuel Winbigler, was born in Maryland, not far from the city of Washington, D. C., and was reared to agricultural pursuits. His educational ad- vantages were quite limited, for he was only a boy when his father died and he was thus early thrown upon his own reseurces. At the age of fourteen years he became a resident of Montgomery county, Ohio, and from that time until his death was dependent upon his own resources. In 1845 he emi- grated to Darke county and settled upon ninety-four acres of dense forest land, which
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had been entered from the government by Jacob Weaver, father of Mrs. Winbigler. His first home was a log cabin, and the subject of this review well remembers that primitive structure. The father continued a resident of Darke county until his death, devoting his energies to agricultural pur- suits. In politics he was a Jeffersonian Democrat and supported Stephen A. Doug- las, "the little giant of the west." He served as township trustee and in other official po- sitions, discharging his duties in an able manner. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran Reformed church in York township, and this organization he aided and also contributed liberally to the build- ing of the house of worship. He was of German descent, and possessed many of the sterling characteristics of his German an- cestry, being economical, thrifty and enter- prising. In this way he acquired a com- fortable competence, becoming the owner of one hundred and thirty acres of rich and arable land. He died May 4, 1876, re- spected by all who knew him, and a beau- tiful granite monument marks the last rest- ing place of himself and his wife in the Lutheran cemetery in York township. Mrs. Winbigler bore the maiden name of Ann Maria Weaver and was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, February 13, 1821. She died December 9, 1887, at the age of sixty-six years, and, like her husband, was a con- sistent Christian. Of their family of three sons and six daughters all are yet living : Jacob, who resides in Versailles with his family, was formerly a teacher, but is now engaged in the insurance and loan business ; George H. is the next of the family; Uriah is married and follows contracting in An- sonia, Ohio; Sarah is the wife of Irvin York, a farmer and stock dealer residing on the
old Winbigler homestead; Amanda E. is the wife of James Renchler, of Wayne town- ship; Malinda M. is the wife of Levi Kesler, of Versailles, Ohio; Lovina is the wife of Oliver Miller, also of Versailles; Jane is the wife of J. B. Werts, a salesman residing in Wayne township; and Louisa is the wife of Warren Plessinger, an agriculturist of Brown township, Darke county.
George H. Winbigler was a little lad of four summers when he came with his parents to Darke county, and since that time he has resided within its borders. He was reared to the work of the farm and has al- ways carried on agricultural pursuits. Farmer boys were at that early day im- portant factors in the development and culti- vation of the land, and educational priv- ileges were in consequence somewhat limited. The methods of farming were primitive and Mr. Winbigler can well remember when horses were used in tramping out the wheat on the barn floor. He can also remember seeing the first locomotive that ever came to Greenville, it making a run over the Day- ton & Union Railroad. At that time he and his brothers had accompanied their par- ents to the town preparatory to making a visit to Illinois. Now the county is crossed and recrossed by the iron rails, which have brought all the improvements and advan- tages of civilization. Mr. Winbigler has also witnessed the building of all the pikes which constitute such a splendid system of roads in Darke county, and in connection with one of his neighbors, Mr. Berch, he circulated a petition for the building of a gravel pike to Dawn, to intersect another pike, and this road is known as the Win- bigler & Berch pike. Ile remained with his parents until twenty-five years of age, and during a considerable portion of that time
.
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the management of the farm devolved upon him. When he attained his majority his only property was a horse which his father lad given him.
On the 25th of November, 1866, Mr. Winbigler chose as a companion and help- mate on life's journey Miss Faith Plessinger, who was born September 20, 1845, and died May 24, 1892. On the 21st of July, 1894, he wedded Mary E. Hartzell, who was born in Darke county, November 6, 1846, and is a daughter of Philip and Juliana ( Harman) Hartzell. Her father was born January 3, 18II, in Adams county, Pennsylvania, near tlie famous battle-ground of Gettysburg, and died April 5, 1873, in Darke county. In early life he followed the hatter's trade. He never attended school after attaining the age of twelve years and was therefore largely self-educated. He often studied by the light of a hickory torch or of a rude lamp filled with grease or oil. In 1836, at the age of twenty-five, he removed from Pennsylvania to Oliio. He married Juliana Harman on the 18th of October, 1832, and with a party of twelve they came to Darke county, set- tling at Pikesville. Only three of this party are now living. The journey was made in wagons, and the homes of these settlers were primitive. Mr. Hartzell was always a warm friend of education and gave his chil- dren the best advantages in that line that lic could afford. He took an active part in the early development of the county, com- ing here when there was not a railroad with- in its borders. In politics lie was a stanch Democrat, and was a true friend of the little red school house. He and his wife were earnest Christian people, and he was active in establishing the Reformed church at Beamsville, about 1840. He also aided in the erection of the first Reformed church at
Greenville, of which he and his wife were charter members. The Children's Home, a beautiful structure, north of Greenville, is located on a part of the old Hartzell farm. Mrs. Hartzell was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, October 21, 1810, and died June 6, 1893. Her youngest brother, Hen- ry, was a drummer boy in the war of 1812 and was killed at the battle of Lake Erie. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell were four sons and five daughters, eight yet living, namely : Clara, who was a successful teacher of Darke county and who is the only living charter member of the first Reformed church at Greenville, and is now the wife of C. F. Bartling, who is living retired in Greenville; George is a farmer of Brown township; Maria, who resides with Mrs. Winbigler; Julia A., who was formerly a successful teacher of Darke county, now en- gaged in dressmaking in Greenville, where she is highly esteemed and is known as a capable worker in the Reformed church, being especially active in missionary work; Philip H., who is the twin brother of Mrs. Winbigler, was educated in the Greenville high school, was formerly a teacher, but is now a carpenter and joiner of Springfield, Ohio, where he is regarded as a leading citizen, being a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, a Democrat in politics and in religious belief connected with the Re- formed church; Neander, a farmer residing at Okarche, Oklahoma, is the father of trip- lets, Faith, Hope and Charity, and twins, Alpha and Omega; and Reuben II. is mar- ried and lives in Springfield, Ohio, where he occupies the position of foreman in the Superior Drill Company.
Mrs. Winbigler spent her girlhood days in Darke county, and, following in her fa- ther's footsteps, became a successful teacher.
·
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She was educated in the public schools and in the normal school of Greenville, and for nine years followed the profession of teach- ing in Darke county, spending one term as a teacher in the Children's Home. She is a lady of broad, general culture as well as scholarly attainments, and her work in the schoolroom was signally useful and effective. She has also been a most active and earnest worker in the church. She is a member of the Reform Missionary Society, of Green- ville, the Ladies' Aid Society, of Pikeville and of Dawn, and was formerly a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
After his first marriage Mr. Winbigler began farming upon rented land in Richland township. His first purchase comprised forty acres in that township, but later he sold that property and in 1873 bought ninety- four acres on section 21, of which only thirty acres had been cleared. His first home was a little log house, but to-day he has a modern country residence and near by stands a large and commodious barn and other substantial outbuildings. All the improve- ments and accessories of a model farm are there found. His land is of clay and black soil, well adapted to the raising of corn, wheat, oats and tobacco. His marked in- dustry has been one of the salient features in his success, and his life stands in exem- plification of what may be accomplished through determined purpose and enterprise. In politics he has been an earnest Democrat since casting his first presidential vote for Gen. George B. McClellan. He has frequent- ly served as a delegate to county and con- gressional conventions. He is an anti-ex- pansionist and is always firm in support of his honest convictions. He has three times been elected to serve as township trustee
of Richland township-a fact which indi- cates the confidence reposed in him. Both he and his wife are warm friends of public schools and believe in employing excellent teachers. He has acted as school director for a number of years and in this capacity has done much for the cause of education. They are earnest Christian people, the former belonging to the Lutheran and the latter to the Reformed church in Greenville, and Mr. Winbigler has contributed toward the erection of four different churches in Darke county. Both he and his wife are representatives of honored and highly re- spected families of this community and well deserve mention in this volume.
ISAAC NEWTON BOOKER.
Darke county has many enterprising and energetic business men whose success is due to their industry, perseverance and sound judgment, and to this class belongs the sub- ject of this sketch, who is at the head of the hardware trade in North Star. He was born in Huntington county, Indiana, Oc- tuber 25, 1863, a son of Jacob and Rebecca ( Detrich) Booker, the former born in Penn- sylvania, December 17, 1833, the latter in Virginia, November 3, 1839. Our subject never remembers seeing his paternal grand- father, Emanuel Booker, as he died in Mont- gomery county, this state, about 1866. Throughout life the father engaged in farm- ing. He began for himself in a humble way, had a hard struggle, and never ac- cumulated much, though he lived well. He died September 24, 1896, and his wife de- parted this life September 3, 1893. both be- ing laid to rest in Gilbert cemetery, Darke county. They were active members of the German Baptist church and most estimable
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