USA > Ohio > Preble County > A Biographical history of Preble County, Ohio : compendium of national biography > Part 40
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ISAAC ULRICH.
The name of this gentleman appears on the roster of county officials of Preble county and he is now filling the office of county commissioner, discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity. He is also one of the leading and representative farmers of Lanier township and is justly regarded as one of the valued citizens of his locality.
A native of Montgomery county, Ohio, he was born in Jackson township, September 25, 1846, and is a son of Adam and Lena (Oldfather) Ulrich. His great-grand- parents were Martin and Dorothea Ulrich. His grandfather, Adam Ulrich, was born in the Keystone state, November 8, 1875, and was of German lineage. Some generations remote the name was spelled Ulrey. In 1828 Adam Ulrich removed with his family from Pennsylvania to Ohio and from the government entered a quarter section of land in Jackson township, two miles west of Farmersville, in Montgomery county. There he and his wife spent their remaining days, his death occurring on the 28th of Novem- ber, 1841. He was an ardent and consistent member of the Lutheran church and an earn- est Christian gentleman who enjoyed the confidence and respect of all. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Ann Hughes, was born in Pennsylvania, September II, 1786, and was a daughter of Owen and Elizabeth (Jenkins) Hughes, who were of Quaker parentage. She was reared in that faith and hers was an upright life that shed its influence for good upon all with whom she I came in contact. She died January 4, 1838.
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Her son, Adam Ulrich, the father of our subject, was born in Lebanon county, Penn- sylvania, June 25, 1815, and was fourteen years of age when he came with his parents to the Buckeye state. He was one of eight children, the others being Catherine, Dor- othea, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret and Isaac, all of whom are now deceased. He was reared on the old family homestead in this state, and as his parents were well ad- vanced in years when they came to Ohio, the management of the farm early devolved upon him.
After the death of his parents he pur- chased the old homestead, and as a com- panion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Lena Oldfather, their marriage being celebrated on the 19th of June, 1845. She was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, a daughter of John and Susan (Foutz) Oldfather. The former was a native of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, born Jan- uary 25, 1796, and his death occurred on the 23d of September, 1874. In 1811 he came to Ohio with his parents, Henry and Catherine (Zigler) Oldfather, who located in Jackson township, Montgomery county, where Henry Oldfather built a mill on Twin creek. That property later passed into the hands of his son John and some years later was rebuilt by him. The old mill is still standing, one of the few land- marks of pioneer days which yet remains. John Oldfather was a devout member of the Reformed church and for many years served as one of its elders. His wife, a daughter of Michael Foutz, was born in Montgomery county, whither he removed from North Carolina. At the time of his marriage Adam Ulrich located upon a farm and throughout his business career he carried on agricultural pursuits. He met with suc- 19
cess, and as his financial resources increased he added to his property until his landed possessions were very extensive. In 1877 he retired from active business life and re- moved to Farmersville, where he died July 12, 1887. In his family were eight chil- dren, seven of whom are yet living, namely : Sarah, the wife of Joseph Kinsey, a farmer of Montgomery county, Ohio; Isaac; John H .; Joseph, who carries on agricultural pursuits in Montgomery county ; Mary, de- ceased ; Susan, wife of Harvey Cook, an ag- riculturist of Montgomery county ; Jennie, wife of Franklin Rohrer, a farmer of Harri- son township, Preble county, and Owen M., who is in the postoffice service in West Dayton, Ohio.
Upon the home farm Mr. Ulrich spent the days of his boyhood and youth, working in the fields through the summer months, while in the winter seasons he pursued his educa- tion in the public schools. Soon after he had attained his majority he purchased from his father the farm upon which he now resides, and through the four succeeding years he continued to make his home with his parents, operating his own land. He then chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss Mary C. Nicodemus, the wedding being celebrated on the 20th of March, 1873. The lady is a native of Gratis township, Preble county, and a daughter of John and Mary A. ( Beachler) Nicodemus. Her father was a native of this county, and a son of Joshua Nico- demus, who came to Ohio from Mary- land in his early manhood. In this state he wedded Mary Shuey, who was born near Germantown, Montgomery county, and they began their domestic life upon a farm near Winchester, where the grandfather ac- quired an extensive tract of land. Through
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business reverses in later years, however, he lost his property and spent his last days in the home of his daughter in Winchester. He was at one time an extensive farmer and for a number of years also owned and operated a mill, which was built by Mr. Neff. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ulrich have been born four children -- Jesse E., Jennie S., Walter R. and Edgar F.
After his marriage Mr. Ulrich and his young wife took up their abode upon his farm and with characteristic energy he began its improvement, making a very desir- able home for his family. In 1875 he erected his present handsome country resi- dence and later built one of the finest barns in the township. As his financial resources increased he has extended the boundaries of . his place until it now comprises two hundred . and ten acres. In addition he owns a farm of one hundred and fifty-eight acres in Gasper township, three miles south of Eaton. He has prospered in his undertak- ings, his diligence, resolution and keen dis- crimintion, combined with unfaltering energy, bringing to him a handsome financial return for his labor.
Mr. Ulrich is one of the best known and most highly esteemed residents of Preble county and withholds his support from no movement or measure calculated to prove of public good. The cause of education finds in him a warm friend and he provided his children with excellent opportunities in that direction. His sons, Walter and Jesse, have attended business college in Dayton and Jacob has been a student in a shorthand college. Mr. Ulrich served for nine years as a member of the school board and did all in his power to promote the effectiveness of schools. In politics he is a stalwart Dem- ocrat, and in 1891 was elected on that ticket
to the office of township trustee, in which capacity he served continuously until the spring of 1900, discharging his duties with marked fidelity. In 1899 he was nominated and elected to the office of county commis- sioner and is now the incumbent of this office. He and his wife hold membership in the Reformed church and for nine years he has been one of its deacons. Mr. Ulrich is a man of sterling worth, of high moral character and of genuine public spirit. His word is as good as his bond and in all life's relations he is found true to duty and faith- ful to every trust reposed in him.
JOHN H. ULRICH.
In taking up the personal history of Mr. Ulrich we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known as an enterprising and prominent farmer of Preble county. His life has been in a manner quiet and uneventful, but to the serious-minded student in such a history there are to be found lessons of value, for he has ever been true to his duty to himself, to his neighbor and to his country. Ohio claims him among her native sons, for his birth occurred in Montgomery county, on the 29th of December, 1847. He represents one of the old families of Pennsylvania. His great-grandparents were Martin and Dorothea Ulrich. His grandfather, Adam Ulrich, was born in the Keystone state, and was of German lineage. In 1828 Adam Ulrich removed with his family from Penn- sylvania to Ohio and settled in Jackson township, two miles from Farmersville, in Montgomery county. There he and his wife spent their remaining days.
Adam Ulrich, the father of our subject, was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania,
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June 25, 1815, and was fourteen years of age when he came with his parents to the Buckeye state. As a companion and help- mate on life's journey he chose Miss Lena Oldfather, their marriage being celebrated on the 19th of June, 1845. She was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, a daughter of John and Susan (Foutz) Oldfather. The former was a native of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and in 181I came to Ohio with his parents, Henry and Catherine (Zigler) Oldfather, who located in Jackson township, Montgomery county. At the time of his marriage Adam Ulrich located upon a farm and throughout his business career he carried on agricultural pursuits. He met with success and as his financial re- sources increased he added to his property until his landed possessions were very exten- sive. In 1877 he retired from active business life and removed to Farmersville, where he died July 12, 1887. In his family were eight children, seven of whom are yet living, namely : Sarah, the wife of Joseph Kinsey, a farmer of Montgomery county, Ohio; Isaac; John H .; Joseph, who carries on agricultural pursuits in Montgomery county; Mary, de- ceased; Susan, wife of Harvey Cook, an agriculturist of Montgomery county; Jennie, wife of Franklin Rohrer, a farmer of Harri- son township, Preble county, and Owen M., who is in the postoffice service in West Dayton, Ohio.
John H. Ulrich spent his boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads of that period. He assisted in the work of field and meadow, and in the common schools ac- quired his education. March 15, 1871, he married Miss Catherine Blackwell, a native of Virginia, who died in 1877, leaving one child, Ida, who is now the wife of John Smith, a farmer of Lanier township. On
the 15th of December, 1879, Mr. Ulrich chose for a second wife Miss Clara J. Fisher, a native of Lanier township, Preble county, and a daughter of David and Sarah A. (Neff) Fisher, both of whom were natives of this county, the father born November 28, 1828, and the mother on the 20th of April, 1827. Her death occurred Novem- ber 24, 1887. Her paternal grandfather was Abraham Fisher and her maternal grand- father Christian Neff, and both were among the pioneer settlers of Preble county. The latter was a miller and built a mill on Twin creek, in Lanier township, where he carried on business for many years. After the marriage of David Fisher and Sarah Neff they took up their abode on the old Neff place and Mr. Fisher conducted a saw mill for some time. Later he engaged in farming, and after the death of his wife he removed to the state of Washington, in 1892, and is now making his home there with his son. He had eight children, six of whom are living. In order of birth they are as fol- lows: Charlie, now deceased; Ira; Clara J .; Christian; Ella, wife of John Roberts, of Lanier township; Rosa, deceased; Dolly, wife of John Bush, of Lanier township, and Kittie, the wife of Dessa Bookwalter, of Gratis township. Unto Mr. Ulrich and his second wife were born eight children : Charles, who married Lavinia Kuhlenkamp and is now living in Winchester, his ener- gies being devoted to teaching in the district schools; Warren; Crissie and Carrie, twins; Adam; Roy and Ray, who were twins, but the latter is now deceased, and Grace, who completes the family.
After his marriage Mr. Ulrich located on the farm where he now lives. It was an eighty-acre tract at that time, owned by his father. Subsequently he purchased eighty
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acres, later eighty acres more, and still later another tract of forty acres. He has made many substantial improvements upon the place, including the erection, in 1882, of his commodious brick residence. From his perseverance, industry and capable manage- ment he has become one of the substantial farmers of Preble county, and his landed possessions now comprise two hundred acres. He makes a specialty of the raising of cattle and is also extensively engaged in the raising of other stock. His business is care- fully prosecuted and his success is well merited.
Mr. Ulrich has always been deeply in- terested in educational work, the schools finding in him a stanch friend. For twelve years he served as a member of the school board, doing all in his power to advance the efficient work done by the teachers and pu- pils. His political support is given the Democracy. In his religious belief he is a Lutheran, while his wife is connected with the Dunkards. He is now serving for the third year as an elder in his church and his life is in harmony with his profession, for at all times he has been honorable and up- right in his dealings and faithful to every trust. Energy and industry have been the salient features in his prosperity and his example should serve to encourage others who are forced to begin life dependent en- tirely upon their own efforts.
JAMES L. QUINN, M. D.
Dr. James L. Quinn, who in the exer- cise of his professional duties has won in- creasing respect and admiration by his ability and his strict regard for the unwritten ethi- cal code of his profession, was born on a farm in Twin township, September 21, 1841.
At a pioneer epoch in the development of Preble county the Quinn family was founded within its borders, and its members have since been prominent in connection with pub- lic affairs which have contributed to the general welfare, upbuilding and prosperity. His parents, General John and Mary Ann (Pottinger) Quinn, were natives of Geor- gia and Butler county, Ohio, respectively. His father came to the Buckeye state in his seventeenth year, and his mother's people were among the first settlers of Butler coun- ty. The Doctor was reared upon a farm and in the public schools acquired his elementary education, which was supplemented by study in Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio. He entered that institution in 1860, pursuing a classical course, but the outbreak of the civil war prevented the completion of the regular course. He enlisted on the 2d of May, 1864, as a member of Company D, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Ohio Infantry, serving for four months in Cincinnati, Kentucky and Maryland. He was engaged in patrol duty and in guarding government property. In Maryland, however, he did general military duty, and on the Ist of September, 1864, his term having expired, he received an hon- orable discharge. He attended a commer- cial college in Cincinnati through the fol- . lowing winter, and in the winter of 1865 en- gaged in teaching school in Butler county, Ohio; but this was merely a means to an end, for it was his desire to become a mem- ber of the medical profession. He began the study of medicine in 1866, under private tutors, and attended his first course of lec- tures in Miami College, at Cincinnati, dur- ing the winter of 1867-8. In the institu- tion he pursued thrce courses, one a sum- mer course, and was graduated on the Ist of March, 1869. He was then appointed
-
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resident physician in the Cincinnati hospital, and his first year in practice was spent there. He gained thereby an excellent knowledge of the practical work of his profession, and in the spring of 1870 he established a pri- vate office in Cincinnati, where he remained for more than a year. In 1871, however, he located in Muncie, Indiana, but soon de- cided to establish a home in Eaton, where he opened an office in May, 1872. He has since been in constant practice in this city, and his business has continually increased, both in volume and importance, so that he is now accounted one of the most success- ful and able practitioners of Preble county. He has been connected with the Hospital In- terne Society of Cincinnati, and with the lo- cal medical societies of a professional char- acter, thereby keeping in touch with the prog- ress that is constantly being made by the medical fraternity.
The Doctor was married in Covington, Kentucky, in 1873, to Elizabeth Quinn, a native of Preble county, and to them have been born four children, namely: Carlotta M., Ruth, John and Lillie; but the second named died at the age of twelve years. The others are with their parents. The Doctor has been connected with the Masonic fra- ternity since 1871, and is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He has been a life-long Republican in his political views, having cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He is now serving his second term as the coroner of Preble county, has been a member of the board of education, was for two years a member of the pension board of examiners, under Presi- dent Harrison, and has recently been reap- pointed to that position by President Mc- Kinley. He stands today in a commanding position in the ranks of his profession, where
advancement results entirely from individ- ual merit, and is likewise prominent as a citi- zen and a man. A gentleman of fine ad- dress and thorough culture, he also occu- pies a first place in society as well as in medical circles, and in the history of Preble county he well deserves mention.
HON. ROBERT W. QUINN.
The profession of the law, when clothed with its true dignity and purity and strength, must rank first among the callings of men, as it relates to the rights of man. The work of the legal profession is to formulate, to harmonize, to regulate, to adjust, to admin- ister those rules and principles that underlie and permeate all government and society and control the various relations of man. As thus viewed there attaches to the legal profession a nobleness that cannot but be reflected in the life of the true lawyer, who, conscious of the greatness of his profession, and honest in the pursuit of his purpose, em- braces the richness of learning, the profound- ness of wisdom, the firmness of integrity and the purity of morals, together with the graces of modesty, courtesy and the general amenities of life. Of this class of lawyers Hon. Robert Wilson Quinn is a worthy representative and through a third of a cen- tury he has been numbered among the leading members of the Eaton bar.
He represents one of the most honored pioneer families of the state, his great-grand- father, John Quinn, having emigrated from the north of Ireland to the new world about the year 1750. He located in New Jersey and some time afterward was united in mar- riage to Miss Crooks, by whom he had ten children, five of whom, four sons and a daughter, ultimately came to Ohio. The
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sons who thus founded the family in the then far west were John, Robert, James and Jo- seph C. The daughter was Elizabeth, who subsequently became Mrs. Bennett and re- moved to Indiana at an early day.
Of this family Robert Quinn was the paternal grandfather of our subject. He was born in New Jersey, February 24, 1761, and during his boyhood accompanied his fa- ther's family to Maryland, and in after years removed to Virginia and in 1789 to Georgia. He served his country in the war of the Rev- olution. He was married in 1787 to Eliza- beth Lacy, a sister of General John Lacy, who served with distinction in the war of the Revolution. Elizabeth Lacy was born December 4, 1760, and was an ardent seeker after knowledge, becoming a lady of supe- rior mental culture. From Georgia they removed to Ohio, in the year 1805, set- tling in Montgomery county, near German- town. A year later they came into what is now Lanier township, Preble county, and rented a farm a mile and a half south of the present site of West Alexandria. The same year Mr. Quinn entered the southeast quar- ter of section 31, township 6, range 3, and not long afterward entered the southeast quarter of section 18, in the same township. This farm he and his son developed and im- proved, and it remained the property of his descendants for three-quarters of a century.
John Quinn, the eldest son of this pio- neer, and usually known as General Quinn, was the father of our subject. He was born in Columbia county, Georgia, near the town of Wrightsboro, January 26, 1790, and was in his sixteenth year when the family came to Ohio. He inherited his mother's fond- ness for literary pursuits, although his early education was limited by reason of the poor school facilities, but his studious habits and
extensive reading made him a thoroughly well informed man. Being the eldest son, much of the work of clearing the land and transforming it into a good farm devolved upon him. As the years went by his broth- ers, James and Robert, grew to manhood and married, leaving him still to care for the home property. He served for six months as a sergeant in the war of 1812, under the command of Captain J. C. Hawkins, of the Ohio militia, and about 1824 he was elected the general of the militia of Preble county, thus obtaining the title by which he was ever afterward known. He served as a member of the state board of equalization of real estate and in the year 1830 was elected sheriff of Preble county, which position he held for two terms, retiring January 1, 1835. In the fall of 1837 he was elected a member of the house of representatives of Ohio, that service ending his career as a public official. He was a citizen in whom the public trust was well reposed, for he ever placed the general good before party prejudice and the welfare of his community before self-ag- grandizement. In politics he was a Whig and afterward a Republican. Firm in his convictions, his opinions could be altered only by incontrovertible logic, yet he never entered into heated controversy. For many years he was an elder in the Disciples church, or Church of Christ, and labored earnestly to advance the cause of true religion among his fellow men; and he harmonized his life with its great principles.
General Quinn was married July 19, 1831, to Mary Ann Pottinger, a daughter of Thomas Pottinger, one of the pioneers of Butler county, Ohio, in which county Mrs. Quinn was born January 2, 1804. As the infirmities of age came creeping on this wor- thy couple retired from their farm and in
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1872 came to Eaton to reside in the family of their son, Robert W., their last days being happily spent in his home. The father died on the 12th of February, 1873, and the mother survived him for two weeks. The funeral discourse of each was delivered by Elder Levi Purviance, an aged minister who had united them in marriage nearly forty- two years before.
Robert Wilson Quinn of this review is the eldest living child of their family. Their first born was Thomas Pottinger Quinn, who died of cholera in 1854. He was then a young man of twenty-two years, pursuing law studies, and seemed to have a bright future before him. Their third son, John Willett Quinn, entered the Union army in 1861 as a member of the Seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died of typhoid fever in the spring of 1862, in his twenty- third year. James Lacy Quinn, the fourth son, is a practicing physician of Eaton. He was born September 21, 1841, and was also a defender of the Union during the civil war. Samuel Milton, who served for a short time in the army, studied law with his brother Robert in Eaton, later pursued a course in the Cincinnati Law College, and is now a practicing attorney at the Cincinnati bar.
Judge Quinn, whose name introduces this record, was born on the 28th of September, 1835, at his father's country residence in Twin township, Preble county. His ele- mentary education was acquired in the pub- lic schools, wherein were taught the com- mon English branches of learning, including reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and English grammar. Occasionally a teacher could be secured who was capable of giving instructions in elementary algebra. On leav- ing the public schools he became a student in Farmers' College, in the fall of 1853, and,
with the exception of six months spent as teacher, he remained in that institution until July, 1856. Soon after the completion of his literary course he began the study of law under the direction of Hon. William J. Gil- more, of Eaton, who was afterward one of the justices of the supreme court of the state. He continued his reading for about two years and then entered the law depart- ment of the Cincinnati College, in which he was graduated in April, 1858. Successful- ly passing an examination, he was admitted to the bar in Cincinnati. Among his class- mates were several who have attained dis- tinction in the affairs of the nation. These include the Hon. Edmund T. Noyes, lato United States minister to France ; Hon. Samuel McKee, of Kentucky; and Judges Avery and Moore, of the common-pleas bench of Hamilton county.
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