USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio > Part 98
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CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
STEPHEN TOWNSEND, M. D.
Success is determined by one's ability to recognize opportunity, and to pursue this with a resolute and unflagging energy. It results from continued labor, and the man who thus accomplishes his purpose usually becomes an important factor in the business circles of the community with which he is connected. Dr. Townsend, through such means, has attained a leading place among the representative men of Hilliard, where he is now successfully con- ducting a drug store, and as a physician is engaged in office practice.
The Townsend family was founded in America by his great-grandfather, a native of England. The grandfather, Stephen Townsend, was a life-long resident of Belmont county, Ohio, and a farmer by occupation. He married a Miss Bingham. Levi Kennard Townsend, the Doctor's father, was born near Jerusalem, Belmont county, about 1818, and was reared as a farmer boy, receiving a common school education. In early life he learned the black- smith's trade, which he followed until 1852, when he embarked in the dry goods business in Washington county, this state. He continued to follow that line of trade in various places until the fall of 1869, when he removed to Muscatine county, Iowa, and turned his attention to farming. He had married Abigail Stanton, a native of Belmont county, Ohio, and a daughter of William and Margaret (Leslie) Stanton. She died in Muscatine county, Iowa, in 1870, and about two years later the father returned to Ohio, and lived with our subject two years, but at the end of that time he again went to Muscatine county, Iowa, where he married and continued to reside until his death, in 1884. He was a Republican in politics, and in religious faith both he and his first wife were Quakers. The children born to them were \Villiam S., a physician of Galloway, this county, who is a graduate of the Iowa Medical College; Stephen, our subject; Thomas K., a resident of Lin- coln, Nebraska; Lewis, of Chicago; Anna, who died at the age of twenty- one years; Clarkson, of Chicago; Charles and Mary, both deceased.
Dr. Townsend, of this review, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, on the 13th of September, 1847, and was about two years old when the family removed to Washington county, and was nineteen when they located in Athens county, this state. Until that time his life had been spent upon a farm and his education was obtained in the district schools of the neighborhood. From the age of fifteen to nineteen he was employed at times by a merchant to drive a team, and then began learning the carriage builder's trade in Athens county, serving a two years' apprenticeship. The following two years he worked as a journeyman, and then opened a shop of his own in Guysville. where he continued business until the fall of 1880, when he accepted the position of man- ager for the Singer Sewing Machine Company, and filled the same for eight years. In the meantime he took up the study of medicine in Columbus under an able physician, and in 1887 entered Starling Medical College at that place, where he attended lectures three terms. He was graduated at the Wooster Medical College in the class of 1890, and for a few months had charge of the
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practice of Dr. Leeper while that gentleman was away on a vacation. He then came to Hilliard, and in November of the same year opened a drug store, which he conducted in connection with his practice for some time, but during the past year has given up outside practice. He is a wide-awake, energetic business man, whose success in life is due entirely to his own well-directed efforts.
In November, 1869, Dr. Townsend was married in Guysville to Miss Mary Windsor, who died at Logan, Ohio, in 1880. By that union there were five children, namely : Herbert, who is a member of Company C, Forty- first Regiment, with the army in the Philippines, and holds the position of company artificer; Emma L., widow of Harry Barnett; William Ellsworth, bugler with Grant's scouts on duty in the Philippines; Carl, a resident of Hilliard, Ohio; and Grace, who died young. The Doctor was again mar- ried in 1896, his second union being with Mrs. Alice Roll. He was formerly a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is now connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic fraternity at Columbus. In his political views he is an ardent Republican, and has served as county committeeman two years. He eminently deserves classification among those purely self-made men who have distinguished them- selves for their ability to master the opposing forces of life and to wrest from fate a large measure of success and an honorable name.
FREDERICK W. MICHEL.
Frederick W. Michel, who was widely known as a leading and representa- tive agriculturist of Franklin county, Ohio, and resided upon his well culti- vated farm in Prairie township, was called from this life in November, 1900, and his death was the cause of widespread regret, while the community mourned the loss of one of its truest and best citizens.
His father, John F. Michel, was a native of Germany, who came with his wife and children to America in 1832. They sailed from Havre, France, and landed in Baltimore, Maryland, six weeks later, where Mr. Michel hired a horse and wagon and had his goods transported to York, Pennsylvania. Soon after he secured employment in the iron works some ten miles from York, where he labored until he found a better situation in the neighborhood of Wrightsville, where he rented a house and became a farm laborer. Suc- ceeding well, he next bought forty acres and engaged in farming, remaining until the time of his death in 1847. After his death his widow took our subject and his brother George to Ohio and located in Rome, which was the home of her son, Gottleib Michel, who had settled in Ohio some time before. There the mother died in 1872, at the age of eighty-six. She left these chil- dren : Gottleib. John, George and our subject.
Frederick W. Michel, who is our subject, was born in Baden, Germany, December 15, 1822, and was ten years old when he came to the United States with his father. His education was received in Pennsylvania, and at the age
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of eighteen entered the Slaymayer Iron Works, near Wrightsville, where he remained until the business was discontinued, when he immediately went into the employ of Smalls & Company, as a blacksmith. Later he engaged in work for a Baltimore firm, continuing with that house for six years and then returned to his home near Wrightsville. In 1853 he accompanied his mother and brother George to Rome, where our subject bought property and engaged in his trade of smith. During Morgan's raid through Ohio our sub- ject was called out and did service at Camp Chase. While still working in his shop he bought land, adding thereto a few acres at a time until at the time of his death he owned valuable property in Marion county and con- siderable real estate at Rome, Ohio.
The marriage of our subject took place in York, Pennsylvania, in November, 1847, to Miss Leah Lehr, who was born in York November 30, 1826, a daughter of one of the old settlers. Their children were: William. who resides in Marion county, Ohio; Frederick, who lives in Madison county, this state; George, who died young; Charles, who lives in Milford Center, Ohio; Sarah, who married John Renner, and lives in Norwich township; and John, who resides in Rome.
Mr. Michel was a very successful man, but he earned all he possessed by his own efforts. He was long identified with the Democratic party, and the family are connected with the Lutheran church, where they are highly regarded.
CHRISTIAN S. HERR.
Christian S. Herr, who follows farming on section 26, Hamilton town- ship, was born on section 14 of the same township October 7, 1833. His grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania, and was of German lineage. John Herr, the father of our subject, was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania, and in the year 1833 came to Franklin county, Ohio, locating in Hamilton township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death. which occurred when he was seventy-four years of age. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in his political affiliations was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. Ere leaving the Keystone state he married Ann Stopher, also a native of Pennsylvania, as was her father. The Stopher family was of German origin. Mrs. Herr died at the family homestead in Hamilton township when about forty-four years of age. She became the mother of eleven children, of whom the following reached mature years: Levi, Mary, Elijah, Samuel, Frank, John, Christian S., Ben- jamin, Henry and Amanda. Ann died when about seven years old.
Christian S. Herr, the seventh in order of birth, was reared in his native township, and when he had attained an age sufficient to begin his education he became a pupil in the little log school house of the neighborhood, there acquiring a fundamental knowledge of the English branches of learning. The days of his boyhood and youth were spent on the home farm and in the work of fields and garden he bore his part.
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In 1865 he was united in marriage to Susan Stoutzenbarger, who was born in Hamilton township, Franklin county, a daughter of Jacob and Eliza Stoutzenbarger, who were early settlers of Franklin county. Mrs. Herr was their fourth child, and is the only one who grew to womanhood, the others having died in infancy. Unto our subject and his wife were born three daughters and a son, namely: Etta, wife of William Holmes, of Columbus, by whom she has a daughter, Ruth; Irene, wife of Zeb Travis, a resident of Toledo, Ohio, by whom she has one son, Herbert; Jacob S., who is engaged in the grain and elevator business in Columbus; and Cora, who died at the age of one year.
After his marriage Mr. Herr located upon a farm on section 4. Hamil- ton township, and there carried on agricultural pursuits for twenty-four years, devoting his energies to the cultivation of the fields and to dealing in horses. In 1890 he located upon his present farm and erected a fine brick residence at a cost of thirty-five hundred dollars. It is the best in the township, and the other improvements upon the place are in keeping with the home. In 1897 he engaged in the grain business in Groveport, in partnership with Albert and Ray Herr. They have elevators at Groveport, Reese's and Columbus, and their operations in this line are quite extensive. They purchase and ship grain on a large scale and are meeting with excellent success in this undertaking. Mr. Herr also continues the cultivation of his farm of four hundred and forty acres, lying partly in Hamilton and partly in Madison township's.
In 1895, after a long and happy married life of thirty years, Mrs. Herr was called to her final rest, her loss being deeply mourned by her family and friends. In his political views Mr. Herr is a Republican on questions of national importance, but at local elections votes independently, regarding merely the fitness of the candidate for the discharge of the duties connected with the business affairs of town and county. His own diligence and careful management have brought to him creditable success and he is now accounted one of the substantial citizens of the community.
WILLIAM BULEN.
William Bulen, deceased, was for many years prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Franklin county, and was one of the most highly esteemed citizens of Truro township. His early horne was on the other side of the Atlantic, for he was born in England May 2, 1821, and was eleven years of age on the emigration of his family to Canada. Five years later they came to this county, taking up their residence in Truro township, where the father, William E. Bulen. purchased one hundred acres of land, but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, however, as he died shortly after locating there. The first home of the family in this county was built of logs.
Our subject aided in the arduous task of clearing and improving the farm. His early education, which was rather limited, was all acquired in
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM BULEN.
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the schools of England and Canada prior to the removal of the family to Ohio. In taking his father's farm he was compelled to pay the other heirs more than the property was worth, but he continued its operation for ten years, and then purchased the farm on which his widow now resides. He was enterprising and persevering, and his well-directed efforts were at length crowned with success, so that at his death he left an estate of five hundred and forty-eight acres of valuable and productive land, all improved in the best possible manner.
On the 30th of March, 1847, Mr. Bulen wedded Miss Mary A. Thomp- son, a daughter of McKee Thompson, one of the early settlers of Franklin county, who came here from Kentucky when very young. Here Mrs. Bulen received a common-school education, beginning her studies in a primitive log school house with its slab seats and other rude furniture. Of the five children born to our subject and his wife only two are now living: James McKee, the older, is now a resident of Bozeman, Montana; while Granville Moody is a prominent farmer of Harrison township, this county, where he owns and operates a farm of three hundred and forty acres.
In his political views Mr. Bulen was a Republican. He served as judge of clections, and for the long period of forty years most capably filled the office of school director, having always taken an active interest in educational affairs. He was a lifelong member and liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal church, with which his widow has also been connected for sixty years. After a long and useful life of seventy-seven years, he passed away March 10, 1899. He was a man of the highest respectability, and those who were most intimately associated with him speak in unqualified terms of his sterling integrity, his honor in business, and his fidelity to all the duties' of public and private life. Mrs. Bulen is an estimable lady of many sterling qualities, and has a large circle of friends in the community where she resides.
JOHN W. HOWARD.
The descendants of New England pioneers in Ohio are among the best citizens of the state. The Yankee contingent of that band of pioneers who redeemed Franklin county from the wilderness and made it "to bloom like the rose" had a worthy representative in Eleazar Howard, father of John W. Howard, of Norwich township. Eleazar Howard was a son of Abner Howard, a native of Tarlton township, Windham county, Connecticut, a soldier of the Revolution, who died in the Nutmeg state. Eleazar Howard was born in Windham county, Connecticut, in the latter part of the eighteenth century and married Matilda Wood, and not long after his marriage he and two of his brothers set out for the west. When they had arrived in the state of New York his brothers refused to go further, and one of them returned to Con- necticut and the other remained in eastern New York and died there. Eleazar went to Monroe county, in the western part of New York, and acquired four hundred acres of land there. Returning to Connecticut, he brought his family to his big woodland farm in the Genesee valley, where they had a home for 51
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many years. Later he came to Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, and there bought a large tract of land on which he settled. In the spring of 1851 he removed to Illinois with his wife and youngest son, where he and his wife both died. A man of much force of character, he was original in thought and speech and independent in action, and in politics he was not a partisan but held himself aloof from party affiliation, free to vote as he thought best and he withdrew eventually from the Baptist church, of which he had early become a member, and his life thereafter was guided alone by the golden rule. His children were named as follows in the order of their birth: Edwin, who died in Monroe county, New York; George, who died in the same county, near Rochester; Orson, who died in Empire township, McLean county, Illi- nois; John W., who is the immediate subject of this sketch; Joseph, who died in Gates, Monroe county, New York; and Hartwell Carver, a resident of Champaign City, Illinois.
John W. Howard was born in the town of Henrietta, Monroe county, New York, April 22, 1824, and attended school near his father's home in a log school house with slab benches, and early acquired a somewhat remarkable record in mathematics, for which he seemed to have a natural talent. May 20, 1843, he started with his father's family for Norwich township, Franklin county, Ohio, where they arrived June 8, following, and during their eighteen- days journey he drove cattle, provender for which and the other stock belong- ing to his father they brought along by wagon. The wild farm in Franklin county was covered with black walnut trees, which would to-day be worth more than the land upon which they grew, but which they were glad to get rid of as best they could. Mr. Howard assisted his father as long as the latter remained in Ohio and at the age of twenty-six married and began housekeep- ing in an old log house which stood on the homestead. Not liking Ohio, the elder Howard with his wife and youngest son removed to Illinois, leaving the homestead to his boys who remained, but it was under an incumbrance of seven thousand dollars which it was necessary for them to clear off in order to make good their title to the property. In the division of the land John W. Howard received one hundred and fifty acres. Later he bought the farm of one hundred and ninety-four acres on which he now lives and since that time he has become possessed of several fine farms, including one at Arling- ton, near Columbus, for which he paid seventeen thousand dollars. He became known as one of the largest land-owners in the county, and before he gave farms to his children owned nearly six hundred acres.
Mr. Howard's success in life has been won on strictly legitimite and hon- orable business principles. Always energetic and industrious, he for many years took the lead in all work on his farm and became known for his ability in cradling wheat and cutting corn, and at such work he had few equals and no superior. He is one of the prominent Masons of his township and is a stanch Republican, and filled the office of township trustee with much ability for four years. He was married, in Norwich township, in 1850, to Mary Rogers, who died after having borne him children as follows: Martin, who
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lives in Empire township, McLean county, Illinois; Emma, who married Charles' Walcott, of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio; Edward T., who lives on his father's home farm; Inez, who is Mrs. Harry Walcott; and Nettie, who married Walton C. Lakin.
FREDERICK FERDINAND WING.
From that thrifty and progressive German stock which has been so bene- ficial to our American citizenship came Frederick Ferdinand Wing, a promi- nent citizen of Franklin county, Ohio, who is kown as a prosperous livery- man and harnessmaker, of Dublin, Washington township.
Joseph Wing, grandfather of Frederick Ferdinand Wing, was born in Germany and came to the United States and located at Buzzards' Bay, Mas- sachusetts, where he took up one thousand, three hundred acres of land, and it is on a portion of this land that ex-President Cleveland has his summer home. He married and by his death left thirteen children, some of whom died without issue, thus leaving one hundred and twenty-five acres of the home farm land to each of those who remained. Jesse Wing, son of Joseph Wing and father of the subject of this sketch, was born on the old family home- stead, at Buzzards' Bay, Massachusetts, received a good education and learned the shoemaker's trade. He married Celinda T. Sprague, who was born in Delaware, Ohio, in 1812, and was visiting relatives at Buzzards' Bay when she met Mr. Wing, and they became attached to each other. Miss Sprague was a daughter of Pardon Sprague, a native of Ireland, who came to the United States when a young man and was married in Massachusetts. He was a pio- neer at Delaware, Ohio, where he built a hotel. After the death of his first wife he married a Miss Meeker, and they remained in Massachusetts until September, 1838, two children having been born to them meantime, and then came to Columbus, Ohio, all the way by canal-boat, and from Columbus they came direct to Dublin, where Mr. Wing opened a shoe shop on the site of the present building of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, in which he employed skilled workmen and built up a business by which he prospered until 1857, when he removed to Worthington, where he died Jan- uary 2, 1859. After his death his' widow returned to Dublin, where she died October 10, 1875. She was a member of the Christian church and a woman of many virtues. Mr. Wing was a free-soiler and a Whig, and was not only a lover of liberty but a lover of justice and a citizen of much worth and influence. Their children were as follows: Pardon Jesse, who died in Dublin at the age of fifty-five; Elnathan Disbro, of Columbus, was accidentally killed March 30, 1901, by being run over by a team; Sophia, who died at the age of sixteen years; Frederick Ferdinand, who is the immediate subject of this' sketch; Gerrard, who served in the Civil war three years as a mem- ber of Company H, One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was wounded in the hand at Resaca, Georgia, and died years after- ward at Dublin; John Quincy Adams, of Dublin, who married Emily Shepp,
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of Burlington, Iowa; Albert Chapman, who went to Burlington, Iowa, and thence to Kansas, where he married and whence, after two children had been born to him, he set out with his family, carrying their portable property by means of two mule teams, for Washington Territory, dying of mountain fever en route, leaving a widow and three children, one an infant, which soon died; Mary, who married Thomas Simmons and died at Plain City, Ohio; Tamson, who married Matthew Batchelder and lives at Burlington, lowa; Rose, who died in infancy ; and Clara, who is Mrs. Frank Bannon, of Colum- bus, Ohio. .
Frederick Ferdinand Wing was born December 1, 1838, at Dublin, Frank- lin county, Ohio, where he received a limited education at such times as he could be spared from home, he having begun work at the age of seven. When he was fourteen years old he hired out as a farm hand in his neighborhood at a salary of only seven dollars a month. His wages went to his father except what was necessary for his clothing. At the age of sixteen he bought a horse and wagon on credit, paying for them out of the profits of huckstering. He moved at this time to Worthington with his father's family, and then he engaged in hauling ashes for William Parks, with whom he remained during the winter. He then hired out to his uncle, Frederick Wing, of Worthing- ton, as a farm hand. He became utterly discouraged by the circumstances of his life and one day, in the corn-field, tied the team with which he was working to a fence and went home and declared to his father that he would never work again by the month for any man and intended to devote him- self to huckstering again. His father pointed out the facts that he was too young for such business and had no horse or wagon or other capital. The boy said that he could get money with which to begin business and his father told him that if he could do so he had no objection to his trying the business again. The lad was the owner of two pigs, which he promptly sold for ten dollars. He bought a horse on credit and hired a wagon at a daily rental of twenty-five cents. His first week's business was successful enough to double his original capital of ten dollars and he soon sold his horse and bought another one, for which he agreed to pay fifty-five dollars, and a wagon and harness, which increased his total indebtedness to ninety-five dollars, which he was able to pay off from the proceeds of his enterprise in six weeks. His father having now been stricken with what proved to be a fatal illness, the boy gave up huckstering and managed his shop until the following spring. when he bought a horse, for which he was to pay one hundred dollars, and mortgaged it and the horse he had previously bought to secure the indebtedness thus incurred. He raised a crop of corn that season on the river bottoms near Worthington, but his mare died, which left him unable to pay his mort- gage; but the youth borrowed five dollars from each one of nine different men, making a total of forty-five dollars, and paid the balance due on the mortgage. He kept the shop open through the succeeding winter, during which he added harness-making and repairing to shoe-making and repair- ing with such success that he continued in the business about a year. After
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