USA > Ohio > Putnam County > A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Putnam counties, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio, pt 2 > Part 2
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George Buchanan was educated in th com- mon schools and reared to farming. From Coshocton, Ohio, he accompamed his mother, in his youth, to Illinois, whence they came, in 1854, to Putnam county, Ohio, where, in 1859, he married Miss Elizabeth MeGinley, da ighter of Charles and Mary A. (Ewing) McGinley, and this union was blessed by the birth of five chil- dren, named as follows: Alice M., wife of Leroy Hixon, of Audrain county, Mo. ; Belle, deceased wife of Daniel Fender. of Michigan; Charles J, ; Eddie, who died in infancy, and Tereve J., also deceased. After his marriage, Mr. Bn- chanan located on a farm in Perry township, Putnam county, but four years later moved to Greensburg township, then moved to i berty township, and in 1867 to Eaton county, Mich. In 1870 he returned to Putnam county Ohio, en route to the South in search of health. He was a successful farmer and stock trader, and greatly respected by af with whom he had any dealing. A Freemason and an Odd Fellow, he was held in high . seem by his fellow -mem-
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bers of both brotherhoods; in politics he was a stanch democrat, and in religion a consistent Methodist, in which faith he died in 1872.
John Buchanan, elder brother of George, our subject, was a teacher in early life, later he became a lawyer, and was for a number of years clerk of court. During the Civil war he held a captain's commission, and was a gallant soldier. He married Susan Hinsel, of Illinois, and this union was favored with five children. all now residing in Nebraska.
Elizabeth (McGinley) Buchanan was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1842. Her fa- ther, Charles McGinley, was a native of Ve- nango county, Pa., and a son of Jacob McGin- ley, who was born in Ireland, but became an early settler of Pennsylvania. Charles McGin- ley, although reared to the pursuit of agricul- ture, came in his youth to Columbiana county, Ohio, and there engaged in contracting and mining, in which vocation he met with much success. He married Miss Mary A. Ewing, a daughter of James and Dorothy (Hipner) Ew- ing, and the seven children born to this marriage were named as follows: Sarah A., wife of Levi Guy, of Greensburg township, Putnam county; Margaret, wife of Benjamin Connell, of Mich- igan; Nancy, who died in childhood; Elizabeth, whose name opens this paragraph; Jacob, de- ceased; Mary, wife of Harrison Ayers, of Van Wert county, Ohio, and Ellen, married to John Campbell, of Greensburg township, Putnam county.
In 1858 Charles McGinley moved his fam- ily to Putnan county and cleared up a farm from the woods, and here passed the remain- der of his days, dying in 1874, a member of the Catholic church and in politics a sound dem- ocrat. Mrs. Buchanan, who has passed her hve decades of years, resided on the old home- stead in Greensburg township, until aged five She was educated in the common schools of Columbiana county and later became one of the
pioneer teachers of Putnam county. For a number of years after the death of her husband she continued to carry on the old homestead, with the assistance of her sons. but in 1890 moved to her present home in Kalida.
Alice M. Hixon, eldest child of George and Elizabeth Buchanan, was born in Perry town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, June 26, 1861, received her primary education m the common schools, afterward attended the Normal univer- sity at Ada, and for seven years was engaged in teaching school. In 1883 she was married to Leroy Hixon, has borne two children, Grace K. and Burton B., and resides at Laddonia, Mo. Belle, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Bu- chanan, was born February 7, 1863, was marri- ed, in 1879, to Daniel Fender, a native of Eaton county Mich., and became the mother of three children -- one that died in infancy, Grace M.and Charles --- while her own death occurred in 1889. Charles J., the eldest son of Mr and Mrs. Bu- chanan, was born February 8, 1865, received a good education and in early life began con- tracting; he has also been engaged in the man- ufacture of tile and brick, as well as the hotel business, and has traveled widely through the west; he has made a success of everything he has undertaken, and now stands with the fore- most business men of Kalida. Terence J., the youngest son, was born May 39, 1870, and died at Roswell, N. Mex., January 28, 1895. He was well educated, was full of energy and the soul of honor, and while in business with his brother, Charles, did much to advance the interests of the concern. His loss was deeply deplored by the entire community.
RTEMAS M. BROWN is a successful business man of Ottawa, Ohio, and a brief outline of his personal and fam- ily history is herewith presented. His father. David Brown, was of Scotch and En-
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glish descent, and a native of Washington county, Pa., where his birth occurred about the year 1797. By occupation David Brown was a mechanic. He became a resident of Ohio in 1819, locating in Wayne county, where lie purchased 160 acres of government land and worked at his trade of millwright. In 1846 he moved to the county of Holmes, and one year later, disposing of his possessions in Ohio, he returned to Pennsylvania, where he purchased a part of the paternal homestead. He died in his native state at the age of sev- enty-eight years. The father of David Brown was James Brown, an extensive farmer of Pennsylvania, who married Miss Charity Po- cock. David Brown was a local politician of some note, supported for many years the dem- ocratic party, but changed his political views when the republican party sprang into exist- ence, identifying himself with the latter and continuing to vote with the same until his death. His first wife was Sarah J. Smith, whose stepfather's name was Freeman. She was born in Wayne county, Ohio, and died at the age of thirty-seven years, leaving four sons and one daughter. The eldest son, James, now dead, was an oil operator in Oil City, Pa .; the daughter, Sarah J., married Aquilla Naylor, of Sedalia, Mo. Daniel S. resides at this time in Oklahoma territory. He was captain of company F, Fifty-fifth regi- ment Ohio volunteer infantry, in the late war, and afterward served as provost marshal of the Fifth Ohio district. The next in order of birth is Artemas M., whose name introduces this biography. The youngest member of the fam- ily, Leander S., is a well-known physician, residing at Fort Collins, Colo., and is also a unister of the Christian church, and a man of much professional and literary acquirement.
The name of David Brown's second wife was Susan Holten, who bore him three chil- dren: David, deceased; John, a physician of
Middletown, Pa., and Silas, also a resident of the Keystone state.
Artemas M. Brown was born in Wayne county, Ohio, six miles west of the city of Wooster, November 3, 1835. He spent the first twelve years of his life in his native state, and then went to Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood, attending in the meantime the common schools and Pleasant Valley Normal school, in which he acquired a good education. The greater part of his intellectual training, however, is the result of home study, and be- fore reaching his twenty-first year he began teaching, which profession he followed with gratifying success for a considerable length of time. His first work as superintendent of schools was at Kalida, Putnam county, in 1867, where he remained for a period of eighteen months, and then accepted a position at Ottawa, where he continued two years, re- organizing the schools of the city, in the .vean- time, under the union school system. Mr. Brown severed his connection with educational work in 1870, and, in partnership with C. H. Rice and Nicholas Goetschins, organized the firm of Rice, Brown & Co., for the purpose of manufacturing wheels and wheel material. The firm thus constituted lasted about twenty years, its dissolution dating from the sale of the property in 1890. since which time Mr. Brown has been engaged in settling up the business of the same He purchased the sev- eral partners' interests in the Ottawa Buggy company, with which enterprise he is still identified, in connection with the real estate and loan business. He has agencies at Mc- Comb, Mount Blanchard and Dupont, and is in the enjoyment of a very extensive business in Putnam and adjoining counties.
Mr. Brown was married in Madison Jeffer- son county, Ind., in 1871, to Miss Henrietta M. Bruning, who was born in Cincinnati, October 27, 1846. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Brown
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JOSEPH BRUMLEY.
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has been gladdened by the birth of three chil- dren-Carrie A., a graduate of the Ottawa high school; Emna, also a graduate, and William B., a student at Kenyon Military academy, Gambier, Ohio. Mr. Brown is a republican in politics, and fraternally belongs to the Masonic order, holding membership with Ottawa lodge, No. 325. In matters edu- cational he manifests a live interest, and as a member of the school board has done much toward bringing the schools of Ottawa to their present state of efficiency. For many years he has been a consistent member of the Church of Christ and an active worker in the Sunday-school, having been chosen to repre- sent Ottawa township in the state Sunday- school convention which convened a short time ago in the city of Cleveland. In the true sense of the word, Mr. Brown is self- made, and it is a compliment well deserved to class him with the most intelligent and pro- gressive citizens of the county of Putnam. His daughters are active workers in the Sun- day-school and the society of Christian En- deavor, and are highly esteemed in Ottawa, where they move in the best social circles.
J OSEPH BRUMLEY, a prominent farm- er and early settler of Van Buren town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of Bedford county, Pa., and was born March 8, 1834. He is the eldest of three children born to John and Mary Magdalen (Hift) Brumley, the former of whom was born at Trenton, N. J., February 4, 1800, and the latter in Bucks county, Pa., January 1, 1800, and were married in Bedford county April 15. 1833. The father was a highly educated gen- tleman, was a county surveyor, and also owned a fine farm in the Keystone state, but through misfortune lost all his property, and in 1842 came to Ohio with but limited means, and first
located in Harrison county, where for a year he taught school. He also taught in Coshocton, Henry and Hancock counties, and did some surveying here in the meantime. - In 1853 he came to Putnam county and bought a tract of land in the woods in Van Buren township, which was cleared up and mostly paid for by our subject and his brother. There were no roads in Van Buren township at that period, and as Mr. Brumley was capable in every re- spect, he was appointed by the commissioners to lay these out and do other special work for the county. At his death, which took place December 18, 1856, in his fifty-sixth year, he was honored by all who knew him.
Joseph Brumley, father of John Brumley and grandfather of Joseph, our subject, was a prominent man in his day, at one time being treasurer of Washington City. D. C., and our subject has in his possession some of the old receipts for taxes made out by his grandfather at Washington in 1816; he also has an old docket and other papers made out by his father, John Brumley, who served several terms as justice of the peace in Coshocton county, Ohio, which he cherishes as relics. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Henry Hift, was a well-known farmer of Bucks county, Pa., but afterward moved to Bedford county, where he bought large tracts of land and became a very influential citizen. William H. Brumley, the only brother of our subject, was born Septem- ber 22, 1836, in Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio with his parents, and soon after his mar- riage enlisted in the Sixty-fifth Ohio volimteer infantry. He was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and after his recovery was retained at the hospital as nurse, as his wound had ren- dered him unfit for field duty; m fact, he never fully recovered, and died at his home from the effects of this wound June 23. 1871. AAngeline H. Bromley, our subject's only sister, was born October 30, 1838, and was ist married to
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Felix Herbst, who died, leaving two children; her second marriage was to William Jackson, a resident of Monroe county, Mich. The inother of this family died January 1, 1877, at the age of seventy-seven years, a respected member of the Uuited Brethren church.
Joseph Bramley, the subject of this sketch, was chiefly educated in Coshocton county, Ohio. On coming to Putnam county, in 1853, there were no houses in Leipsic, and he well remembers the difficulties his parents had in struggling through the first year or two of their existence here in the wilderness. In 1862 he married Miss Philopena Leffler, who was born in Hocking county, Ohio, September 16, 1842, a daughter of Solomon and Christian Leffler, both natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. About 1852 the Leffler family left Hecking county, where the father had owned a farm, and came to Putnam county, buying a tract in Van Buren township, on which they lived until abont 1883, when they retired to Leipsic, where Solomon still lives at the age of eighty-seven, his wife dying August 27, 1895, in her eighty-first year. Solomon Leffler has been quite a prominent man in his day, and as a democrat has filled some of the more important township offices; he has been quite successful through life, and now owns consid- erable property in Leipsic and at other places. He and wife are members of the German Lutheran church, and parents of sixteen chil- dren, viz: John, Daniel, now county commis- sioner; Jacob, William, George, Lewis, Cath- erine, Philopena, Christina, Nancy, Susan, Caroline, Henry, Mary and two deceased in- fants. To our subject and wife have been born nine children, in the following order: Jolm H., October 5, 1863, now farming the homestead; Daniel J., March 19, 1865; Ida A., July 1, 1867, married Thomas Bach and died in February, 1895, the mother of three chil- dren; Mary C., October 29, 1869: Abbie S.,
November 29, 1871; Benjamin B., March 7, 1874, attending college; Oscar V., March 9, 1876, attending the Ohio university; Minnie D., March 9, 1878, and Flora C., August 3, 1880. Of the above, Daniel J. is highly edu- cated; he resides at Evansville, Ind., where he is acting as civil engineer for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad company, in the esteem of which company he stands very high. In fact, all our subject's children have received, or are receiving, superior educational advantages.
At the time of his marriage Mr. Brumley was the owner of eighty acres, slightly im- proved, derived from his father's estat and this farm he has increased to 100 acres, has ditched and tiled it, and placed it under a most excellent state of cultivation. He has a com- modious dwelling, two barns, a wind-mil and every other convenience pertaining to a first- class farm; he has set out a fine orchard, has introduced Durham cattle, and done many other things indicative of the superior farmer. He and wife are members of the Methodist church, in which he has held several offices; in politics he is a republican, and his name has been frequently offered for the high positions of the county, but, the county being demo- cratic, he has been elected to some of the town- ship offices only. He is a gentleman e: gen- erous disposition, has done much toward ad- vancing the welfare of the county, and makes friends wherever he goes.
ENRY BUCK, one of the leading cit- izens of Putnam county, Ohio, and trustee of Pleasant township, was born on the farm where he now lives, north from Columbus Grove, adjoining the corporate limits, July 21, 1830. His father was Benjamin Denton Back, who was dee of the pioneers of Putnam county, having come
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here in 1835, at a time when there were but few settlers in Pleasant township, and Colum- bus Grove had not yet been started. At that time the country was nearly all in woods, and the ground was under water in almost all sea- sons. He was a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born in the year 1802, being the son of Enoch and Alice B. Buck. When a boy he left his home in Pennsylvania and came to Medina county, Ohio, where he was married, March 2, 1825, to Almeda Conant, who was born February 23, 1808-she being the daughter of Timothy and Rhoda Conant, both natives of New York state, who came to Medina county, Ohio, in 1816, when their daughter was eight years of age. Both parents died in Media county.
Benjamin D. Buck removed from Medina county to Putnam county in 1835, and settled where his son now lives, upon 300 acres of land he purchased from the government at $1.25 per acre. At that time his land was all in timber, and he had to make the first clear- ing on it to build his log cabin Here he lived and farmed all his life. His death occurred on September 16, 1865. His widow survived him, dying on March 23, 1892. To the par- ents seven children were born, four in Medina county and three in Putnam county, as fol- lows: William, born December 17, 1825, and died on February 16, 1841; Seth, born September 5, 1827, died November 22, 1875; Benjamin, born March 16, 1830, now living in Liberty township, Putnam county; Lavina, born December 29, 1833, married Allen Ed- monds, and died May 5, 1857: Orson, born July 18, 1836, and died January 26, 1882; Henry, our subject; Lewis D., born October 13, 1841, and now living in Allen county, Kansas.
Hemy Buck was born and reared on the farm where he now lives. He secured his education by attending the district schools
while a boy during the winter months, work- ing on the farm in summer time. He was first married on August 20, 1863, to Susan Wagoner, who was born in Athens county, Ohio, April 13, 1837, and was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Wagoner, who re- moved from Athens county to Putnam county about 1850. She was a member of the United Brethren church. Her death occurred January 1, 1879, leaving the following four children: Ella F., who was born in 1864, and was married June 24, 1885, to William Trask, who is now living in Pleasant township; Laura B., born October 4, 1865, and married William Redd on July 11, 1883, now living in Columbus Grove; Henry E., born May 22, 1867, and married January 4. 1890, to Della B. Kidd, now living at McComb, Ohio, where he is engaged in the photograph business; Albert E., born June 3, 1872, married Stella Higgenbothen, and is now residing at Ceredo, West Va., where he is a telegraph operator on the C. & O. R. R.
Mr. Buck was next married, on May 8, 1881, to Mrs. Mary J. Leonard, who was born in Miami county, Ohio, on July 13, 1841, and is the daughter of Charles and Dorothy Wol- verton, the father being a native of Miami county and the mother of Montgomery county, Ohio. The parents make their home with Mr. Buck and wife, the father being in his seventy-fourth year. Mrs. Buck has been three times married, the first time December 10, 1859, to Joseph Shepherd, who was a member of company K., Seventy-seventh Indi- ana volunteers, and never returned from the war. To this union two children were born as follows: Ella M., born in Clinton county. Ind., January 8, 1861, and married Oliver Ewry, of Dayton, Ohio, and Sarah B., born in Chnton county, Ind., on March 4 1803, and married to James Marks of Columbus Grove. Mrs. Buck's second marriage was
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November 9, 1871, when she married Martin Leonard, who died September 11, 1877.
Mr. Buck has been a member of the repub- lican party all his life, and has always taken an interest in public affairs and public ques- tions. He has filled various offices of honor and trust in his township, and in the spring of 1889 was elected trustee of Pleasant township, to which office he was re-elected in 1893 and again in 1895, his last term expiring in 1898. He owns his farm of sixty-seven and one-half acres, which is under fine cultivation. The cor- porate limits of Columbus Grove reaches the land. Mrs. Buck is a member of the Meth- odist church.
B OSTWICK F. BURGESS, the popu- lar sheriff of Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Mercer county, Pa., Feb- ruary 18, 1846, the son of Archibald and Agnes Burgess. Archibald Burgess is sup- posed to have been born in Pennsylvania in 1803, and met a violent death near Columbus Grove, Ohio, June 1869, having been crushed by a train of cars. His wife, whose maiden name was Agnes' C. Brownlee, was born in Scotland, in 1811, and died in November, 1848. The following are the names of their children: James W., a farmer of Missouri; Alexander, manufacturer and dealer in lumber, in Oregon; Elizabeth, wife of John A. Nicholas, a promi- nent farmer of Putnam county, Ohio; Robert, resides at Ottawa; Andrew J., resides in Ar- kansas; Bostwick F., subject of this biography; William C., of Richland county, Ohio; Charley, a resident of Ottawa; Mary, widow of Robert Spalt; Letitia, wife of John Cummins, a farmer of Marion county; John and Agnes -- the last two deceased. Archibald Burgess was twice married, his second wife being Mrs. Martha Davis, by whom he had two children, Dora, wie of Charley Muntz, and Ellen, who died
in childhood. By occupation Archibald Bur- gess was a farmer. In an early day he pur- chased from the government 200 acres of land in Pleasant township, Putnam county, the greater part of which he cleared and to which he made additions at different times, until he became one of the largest owners of real estate in his part of the county. He was a man of great industry, gave much attention to agri- culture and was noted as a breeder of fine stock, especially sheep.
Bostwick F. Burgess was reared a farmer, received his education in the public schools, and remained under the parental roof until 1864, in February of which year he enlisted in company D, Twenty-first Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served until mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, in July of the year fol- lowing. During his period of service, Mr. Burgess, participated in a number of the bloodiest battles of the war, among which may be noted Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Jonesboro, and other engagements of the Atlanta cam- paign, and he was with Sherman in the cele- brated march to the sea. On December 16, 1864, while on a foraging expedition, about four miles from Savannah, he was captured by the enemy and held a prisoner at Florence, S. C., until his release on the 26th of Febr ary, 1865. At the time of his capture Mr. Bur- gess weighed 196 pounds, but such was the treatment he received, while in prison, that his weight at the time of his release had denin- ished to ninety pounds, which included a heavy over-coat. Immediately after his discharge, Mr. Burgess returned to his home in Putnam county, and remained with his father unni his marriage, which was solemized September 6, 1866, with Miss Rebecca Norton, a well-known teacher of the county of Putnam. Shortly after his marriage, Mr Burgess, with no capital but a stout heart and willing hands, began the battle of life as a farmer, and in due time suc-
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ceeded in securing a good home in Pleasant township, where he remained for a period of twenty-six years. His place at this time con- sists of 170 acres of finely improved land, lying in sections 15 and 22, and in addition to agriculture he pays considerable attention to stock raising, in which he has met with well deserved success. For a number of years past Mr. Burgess has been active in political work, and in 1893 was elected, by the democratic party, to which he has belonged since his twenty-first year, to the office of sheriff, the duties of which he has discharged in a most satisfactory manner to the present time. He is now candidate for re-election. He has always taken an active interest in educational matters and for .a period of seventeen years was a member of the school board. Frater- nally he is a member of the F. & A. M., K. of P. and G. A. R.
To Mr. and Mrs. Burgess have been born six children, viz: Eva A., wife of George Gett- man, a farmer; Cora, wife of O. L. Smith, deputy sheriff of Putnam county; Maggie A., died when eight years of age; Francis N , his only son; Zella L., deceased, and Zora. The two eldest daughters were among the success- ful teachers of the county, Eva having taught five years and Cora eight years. Zora, the youngest daughter, is unusually well accom- plished, particularly in music. She is an ex- cellent performer on the piano, and has a splendid voice, finely cultivated. She has been well educated in both public and private schools, and is a great favorite with all classes of people, young and old.
The parents of Mrs. Burgess were John and Elizabeth (McDowl) Norton, natives, respect- ively, of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The Nortons were an old New England family, and the grandfather of Mrs. Burgess came to Putna a county as early as 1832, and entered a traci of government land in section No. 13,
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