USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > A Biographical record of Fairfield County, Ohio, illustrated > Part 39
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stockholders held in Rising Block, to paign funds were short he advanced his in- go five hundred feet further. all the money would have been lost and probably no further efforts would have been made, a's has been the case in other places. Mr. Ham- berger has been a most active factor in pro- moting manufacturing and industrial inter- ests whereby the material prosperity and progress of the city has been advanced. At the same time he has won for himself a handsome competence, so that he is now enabled to live retired.
In the year 1866 Mr. Hamberger was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Groff, of Lancaster, a daughter of Anthony Groff, an early settler and a much respected citizen of this place. She was born August 16, 1847, and by her marriage became the mother of seven children : George A., an electrician, at home; Mary Ann, who married Frank Russell, foreman of the paint department of the Columbus Buggy Company ; Joseph who married Miss Fanny Brown and resides in Lancaster ; Agnes, who was a twin sister of Joseph and became the wife of William Keirnan, employed in the Cincinnati & Muskingun Valley Machine Shops; Febia Louisa, who married Charles Zimmerman, bookkeeper for Reagon & Connell, of Co- lumbus ; Leona, at home ; and Remple, who died in 1896.
In his political affiliations Mr. Ham- berger is a stanch Democrat and a very ardent admirer of William Jennings Bryan. He has been most active in promoting cam- paign work. in organizing committees, in securing funds to meet the necessary ex- penses, and when he found that the cam-
dividual check for one hundred dollars to. secure William Jennings Bryan to come to. Lancaster. He was active in arranging for and naming the places at which Mr. Bryan was to speak during the presidential com- paign of 1896, and labored most earnestly and effectively for the cause in which lie believed. For two years he served as a member of the city council and his efforts were practical and beneficial in behalf of the- welfare and improvement of Lancaster. During the discussion in congress of the. tariff in 1890, before the ways and means committee, Mr. Hamberger appeared and ably advocated the low tariff on foreign' wool, claiming that it would be beneficial to. all concerned. In the congressional report it is stated that Mr. Hamberger appeared before the committee in response to the re -- quiest of Congressman James H. Outhwait. district No. 12, of Ohio, and the statement which he made before the committee ap -- pears in full in the report, being the only one out of hundreds that found a place in the congressional record. His remarks- were so very comprehensive and so con -- vincing that the late President Mckinley,. who was chairman of the committee, or- dered the speech published. After its pub- lication Mr. Hamberger received a letter from F. M. Dyer, of Madison, Wisconsin, from which we quote as follows: "I have- read with profit your views delivered before the ways and means committee of the fifty- first congress, touching the duties on wool. I write you this for information, as one. word from a practical business man carries.
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more weight with me than volumes of for several years under the administrations sounds from political business men. Ist. of both Republicans and Democrats Mr. Hamberger served as deputy United States marshal of the southern district of Ohio, comprising forty-four counties, but finally resigned on account of the many disagree- able features connected with the office. From your experience in Ohio as a manu- facturer do you say that AAmerican wool is displaced by imported wool? 2d. Do the farmers derive any benefit from wool duties ? Would removal of duty on wool increase woolen and worsted manufactures? 3d. Would removal of duty on wool increase demand for American wool? 4th. What is the effect of the Mckinley law since its inception on wool growing: (2d). manu- facturers : and ( 3d). price of goods to con- sumers ?
"I am aware that I am drawing on you without warrant of acquaintance even. My apology is that the prominent part that is given me in this campaign in Wisconsin necessitates the use of facts of weight which I think you possess.
"Respectfully. "F. M. DYER, "Madison, Wis."
Mr. Hamberger replied on thirty-six sheets of foolscap paper, closely written. and this reply was printed and distributed all over the state. That year the state went Democratic, the first time in a long period. giving its support to Grover Cleveland, and
Socially he is identified with Butterfield Post. No. 77. G. A. R., and thus maintains pleasant relations with his old army com- rades. He served fourteen years as one of the soldiers' relief commissioners, whose duty it is to look after the wants of the old soldiers and orphans and widows of soldiers in Fairfield county. In everything pertain- ing to the upbuilding of Lancaster he takes an active part and is a liberal contributor to the enterprises which insure its progress. He is a self-made man in the fullest sense of that ofttimes misused term, his prosperity in life being due to his industry and in- tegrity. Fortune has certainly dealt kindly with Gu-tave AA. Hamberger. for all bless- ings that fall to man on earth seem to be his. Ilis life is a living illustration of what abil- ity. energy and force of character can ac- complish. It is to such men that the west owe, its prosperity, its rapid progress and its advancement.
THOMAS S. PRATT.
History is no longer a record of wars commercial activity. It chronicles advance- and conquests, of military invasion or ment in business, science and art. and each sanguine victories, but is the account of community owes it's upbuilding not to one progress made along lines of industrial and
person alene but to the combined efforts of
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many citizens. especially to those who are of this review: Anna, a widow : Caroline, connected with commercial interests. Of the wife of Dr. Reed, of Battle Creek, Michigan; Elizabeth, who married Amos Flood, of Lancaster; Emma, who is the wife of D. Picket and resides at Columbus, Ohio; and Charles F., a resident of Union City, Indiana. the last class Mr. Pratt is a representative, dealing in confectionery and fruit and con- chicting a good restaurant in Lancaster. He represents one of the old families of Fairfield county and his birth occurred in this city July 12. 1847. His father, George W. Pratt, was born at Culpeper Court House, Virginia, in 1820, and at the place of his nativity grew to manhood, receiving but meagre educational privileges. In 1844 he came to Fairfield county, making the journey on foot. He had previously learned the tanner's trade with his brother, James MI. Pratt, and after taking up his abode in this county he engaged in the tanning busi- ness as a partner of his brother. For a number of years they successfully manufac- tured leather. conducting their enterprise until 1884. when the father retired from business and soon afterward was called to his final rest. His wife bore the maiden name of Angeline Caldwell, and was born, reared and educated in Rushville, Fairfield county. Her parents, David and Mary (Botts) Caldwell, were early settlers of the county, removing from Maryland and Penn- sylvania respectively and becoming resi- dents of the Buckeye state at an early day. Mrs. Caldwell is still living, occupying the old homestead in Lancaster. Her husband was for many years a member of the city council and was a Master Mason. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Benjamin Pratt, a native of Virginia. David Pratt and his wife became the par- ents of the following children: Thomas S.,
In taking up the personal history of Thomas S. Pratt we present to our readers the life record of one widely and favorably known in Fairfield county. In retrospect one can see him as a schoolboy mastering the branches of learning taught in the schools of Lancaster. Having completed his literary education he learned the trade of a tanner with his father and continued to follow that business for ten years. On the completion of the decade he went into the coal regions and for ten years was employed in a store owned by a coal company. His next place of residence was New Straits- ville. and later he returned to Lancaster. where he established his restaurant, con- fectionery and fruit store. beginning his business in 1893 in the Martin block. Here he has since conducted his establishment. finding that reliable business methods, reasonable prices and an earnest desire to please are potent elements for success. These qualities have enabled him to enjoy a constantly increasing patronage and he now has a large trade.
On the 16th of January. 1878, was cele- brated the marriage of Mr. Pratt and Miss Ella C. Friend, of Hocking county, Ohio, a daughter of Sampson and Elvira Friend. They have one son, Henry G., who is em- ployed as a telegraph operator at Bechtol,
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Ohio. Our subject and his wife hold mem- bership relations in the Methodist Episcopal church, and he belongs to New Straitsville Lodge. No. 484. F. & A. M., and the Knights of Pythias lodge of the same place. He is also a representative of the Benevo- lent & Protective Order of Elks and in politics is a Republican, but while he keeps
well informed on the issues and questions of the day he has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his business affairs. his career proving that close application and a laud- able ambition will do much toward winning a position of the topmost rounds of the lad- der of success.
THE BAUMGARDNER FAMILY.
In the land of the Alps in the early part of the nineteenth century lived two young people, Jacob Baumgardner and Maria Em- hoff, who were destined to figure promi- nently in the pioneer history of Fairfield county as early settlers of this part of the state and as founders of a family that has figured largely in promoting the material progress and the educational and moral ad- vancement of this portion of Ohio. Upon one of the westwardbound sailing vessels which left Europe in 1817 these young people were numbered among the passen- gers. They crossed the Atlantic in com- pany with Johonn Emhoff and his family, consisting of his wife, Fanny, his son John and the other daughters Barbara and Fanny. They had previously lived in Arisdorf, in the canton of Basil, Switzerland. but the father believed that he might better his con- dition in the new world and provide better opportunities for his children. Therefore he came to America. The youngest daughter
was then the affianced bride of Jacob Baum- gardner, who accompanied the family on the emigration. The conditions of a sea voyage at that time were very different from those of the present day. In the slow sail- ing vessels it required weeks and sometimes months to cross the Atlantic and the vessel. upon which the party started encountered some very severe weather. Great grief also came to them in the loss of the husband and father, who died while at sea and was buried beneath the waves of the Atlantic. At length, however, the other members of the party arrived safely at Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania. There the family separated, the son, John Emhoff, going to New Orleans, where he located. making his home there until his death. The daughter Barbara went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she became the wife of John Sayler and spent her re- maining days. The other daughter. Fanny. became a resident of Baltimore, Maryland. where she was married to a Mr. Bussart, by-
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whom she had a daughter, Nancy, who be- came the wife of Noah Ream. Mrs. Buss- art remained a resident of Baltimore, Mary- land, until called to her final rest. The youngest daughter of the family, Maria Em- hoff, and her affianced husband, Jacob Baumgardner, came to Fairfield county, Ohio, settling in the vicinity of Basil, and here on the Ist of December, 1817, they were united in marriage by Justice Adam Weaver.
The domestic life of the young couple was begun on a farm about two and one- half miles south of Baltimore, Ohio. They were worthy and honored pioneer people of the neighborhood, taking an active and help- ful part in the work of improvement and progress as Fairfield county emerged from primitive conditions to take its place among the leading counties of this great common- wealth. In the midst of the forest Mr. Baumgardner developed a farm, cutting away the trees and preparing the land for cultivation and then engaging in the tilling of the soil. He used the crude farm in- plements which were known in that day and which made farm labor a more difficult and arduous task than at the present, but with characteristic energy and perseverance he continued his work until his land became very productive and brought to him a grati- fying income as the result of his labor. It was upon this farm that he and his wife reared their family of eight children, four sons and four daughters, namely: Eliza- beth, Mary, John, Lydia. Solomon, Sary, Henry and Jacob. All reached years of ma- turity, were married and had families of their own. They took an active part in
transforming the country into fine farms and thus made the name of "Fairfield" one well merited in this section of the state.
Jacob Baumgardner, the husband and father, died on the 15th of October, 1829, in the thirty-eighth year of his age. The widowed mother then continued to live with the children upon the old home place until April, 1831, when she was again married, becoming the wife of Benjamin Caley, at which time she went to the home of Mr. Caley, about four miles south of the city of Lancaster, in Berne township. She was ac- companied by all of the children by the first marriage with the exception of Elizabeth, the eldest daughter, who went to live with a family of the name of Heistand, and John, the eldest son, who resided with a: family by the name of Schaefer. By the- second marriage there were born two chil- (Iren : Rosan and George Washington Caley. The different members of the fam- ily continued to live upon the Caley farin until they married and went to homes of their own. Again the husband and father was removed by death from the household and the mother left a widow. For some. time she continued to live upon the farm with her son, Solomon Baumgardner, who succeeded her in the ownership of the prop- erty, and afterward she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Rosan (Caley) Wilson. until she was called to her final rest on the 15th of December, 1875. when she had reached the advanced age of eighty-one years. Thus passed away one of the esteemed pioneer women of Fairfield coun- ty. Much has been written about the pio- neer men who have pushed their way for-
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ward into the wilderness of the west and there developed farms or planted industries which have promoted the material prosper- ity and upbuilding of the localities with which they became connected; less has been said about the pioneer women. but their part is no less important because their work is of a more quiet nature. They have performed the duties of the household and have reared the children who have become the valued citizens of the later generation. Mrs. Caley certainly deserved great credit for what she accomplished. Carling for the little home upon the frontier, she was de- voted to her family and as the result of her careful guidance and earnest efforts in behalf of her children they became men and women of strong character, of sterling pur- pose and of upright lives.
Solomon Baumgardner was only about seven years of age when he took up his abode upon the farm which is yet his home. Here he has lived continuously since April. 1831. lle was educated in the schools of the locality and in his youth bore his part in the work of developing and improving the old homestead, early becoming familiar with the labors of field and meadow. . After arriving at years of maturity he sought a companion and helpmeet for life's journey and was joined in wedlock to Rebecca Swar- ner, a daughter of John and Rebecca (Bix- ler ) Swarner, the marriage ceremony being performed on the 24th of February. 1852. by the Rev. John Wagenhals. Ten sons and one daughter were born of this union, namely: John Swarner. Franklin Pierce, William Henry. Solomen. Jr., George Washington, Jacob Adam, Mary Rebecca.
Albert. Frederick Horn. Edward and Find- ley May. All of the children, together with the parents, are yet living, so that the fam- ily circle remains unbroken by the hand of death. On the 24th of February. 1902, Solomon Baumgardner and his estimable wife celebrated their fiftieth, er golden, wed- dling anniversary and had the distinction and pleasure of seeing all of their children and grandchildren present at the home place on that joyous occasion. It is a fact worthy of note that so large a family found it possible to all meet together again. The Baumgardners come of a hardy, long-lived stock, four generations of them now living. and they are characterized by a sturdy in- tegrity, Christian principles and by tem- perance, industry and thrift. They occupy leading positions in their chosen walks of life and are of the noblest type of citizen- ship in this country. Of the descendants of Jacob and Maria ( Emhoff ) Baumgardner there are living five children, forty-eight grandchildren, seventy-seven great-grand- children and thirty-five great-great-grand- children, while five children, twenty grand- children, fifteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren are de- ceased, making a total of two hundred and eight descendants. The family name is in- separably interwoven with the history of Fairfield county through eighty-five years and the record is one of which any family might be proud. for fearless in conduct, honorable in business and stainless in char- acter the representatives of the name have always been active in promoting the wel- fare of this section of Ohio along lines of material, intellectual and moral progress.
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JAMES T. PICKERING.
James T. Pickering is well known as an attorney at law, practicing at the bar of Lan- caster, and also is the postmaster of that city. In a profession where distinction is won through individual merit he has gained an en- viable standing and in public office his loyalty to duty has won for him high encomiums from his fellow townsmen. He has a wide acquaintance throughout Fairfield county. for he is one of her native sons and has spent his entire life here, his birth having occur- red on the 7th of June, 1858. Far back for many generations the ancestral history can be traced. The family is of English lineage and was founded in America by William Pickering in early colonial days. The great- grandparents of our subject were .Abraham and Ann Pickering, who resided in Rock- ingham, Virginia, whence they emigrated westward in 1806, taking up their abode in Fairfield county, Ohio. They brought with them their little son. James Pickering, who was then but six years of age. His birth had occurred in Rockingham county in 1800 and amid the wild scenes of frontier life in the Buckeye state he was reared to man- hood. When he had attained the adult age he married Catherine Williams and took up his abode in Violet township. Fairfield county, where he carried on general farm- ing and stock-raising. With the passing years his financial resources increased, his labors in fields and meadows bringing to him good returns. By his marriage he had four sons and a daughter, namely: Jacob, La- fayette, Joseph. James and Elizabeth.
Of this number Jacob Pickering was the
father of our subject and his birth occurred in Violet township, Fairfield county, in 1827. The work of the farm early became familiar to him and the public schools of the neighborhood afforded him his educa- tional privileges. He married Samantha Ford, who was born in the same township, May 1. 1826, a daughter of Philip and Nancy (Callahan) Ford. The great-grand- father on the mother's side was the Rev. George Callahan, one of the pioneer preach- ers, who rode the circuit in the early days, preaching in school houses, in dwellings and in forests, wherever the people would con- gregate to hear the gospel tidings. The other great-grandfather on the maternal side was John Ford, who removed from the valley of Fredericksburg, Virginia, to Fair- field county, Ohio, and settled in Violet township in 1806. By the marriage of Mr. Pickering and Samantha Ford four children were born, of whom three are yet living, namely: Jennie E., the wife of Charles E. Aly, of Lancaster : James T., of this review : and Ella S., who is a teacher in the high schools of Lancaster. In his early political views the father was a Democrat, being identified with that party until the organiza- tion of the Republican party, when he joined its ranks. continuing to give it his support until his death, which occurred on the 3d of June. 1886. His wife still survives him and is now living in Lancaster.
James T. Pickering, whose name intro- duces this review, was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of that period, work- ing in the fields and meadows and receiving
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his mental discipline in district schools, which he attended between the ages of six and sixteen years. He then accompanied his parents in their removal to Delaware, Ohio, and became a student in the high school of that city, and when his further educational training had prepared him for a collegiate course he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, in which institution he was graduated with the class of 1883. After his graduation he engaged in teaching school for three years and in the meantime took up the study of law, which he diligently pursued for two years, being admitted to the bar before the supreme court of Columbus in 1888. In 1890 he formed a partnership with his brother. C. C. Pick- ering. under the firm name of Pickering & Pickering, and began a general practice of law, which he has continued up to the pres- ent time. His reputation as a lawyer has been won through earnest, honest labor, and his standing at the bar is a merited tribute to his ability. He now has a very large practice, and his careful preparation of cases is supplemented by a power of argu- ment and forceful presentation of his points in the court room, so that he seldom fails to gain the verdict desired.
In 1895 Mr. Pickering was married to Miss Jessie D. Chaney, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a daughter of William and Eleanor ( Har- sha) Chaney. This union has been blessed with two children: Eleanor C. and Dor- othy. The parents are acceptable member's of the Methodist Episcopal church, taking an active interest in all that tends to ad- vance the work and extend the influence of the church. Fraternally Mr. Pickering is connected with Lancaster Lodge, No. 57, F. & A. M., and has also taken the degrees of the chapter. In his political views he has ever been a stalwart Republican, and having made a close study of the questions and issues of the day he has ability to support his position by intelligent arguments. In July, 1898, he was appointed by President McKinley to the position of postmaster of Lancaster and is still serving, his admin- istration of the affairs of the office being such as to win him high commendation. He has a public-spirited interest in all that per- tains to general progress and improvement. and his entire freedom from self-laudation or ostentation has made him one of the most popular residents of Fairfield county, with whose history he has now been long and prominently identified.
SAMUEL REAM
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
SAMUEL REAM.
Samuel Ream is well known throughout Perry county as a farmer, stock dealer and banker and his business interests have been of marked benefit to the community, his ac- tivity not only contributing to his individ- ual success but also proving an active factor in the development of the city. Through- out his entire career he has been known for his sterling rectitude of character and his unquestioned integrity. He was born in 1829, in Clayton township, and is a son of William and Eliza ( McClure) Ream. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Ream, became one of the pioneer settlers of Perry county, arriving here in 1801 in company with two brothers who removed from Reamstown, Pennsylvania. He married Rachel King, a sister of the late Judge Thomas King. the first representative of Perry county in the Ohio state legislature. Among their chil- dren were William Ream, the father of our subject : Andrew : David; and S. K. Ream. The last named married Maria Ritchey, a daughter of the Hon. Thomas Ritchey, a
member of congress. William Ream, the father of our subject, was united in mar- riage to Eliza McClure, a daughter of James McClure, of Delaware county, Ohio, and a sister of Dr. William McClure, who died in Somerset in 1832. David Ream served as county commissioner at one time, being elected on the Republican ticket. although the county was strongly Democratic. The children of the parents of our subject were : David, who is a resident farmer of Reading township; William M., a resident of To- peka, Kansas; John E., who is also living in Reading township; and Samuel.
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