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 20
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Charles A Harmon received a solid com- mon-school education, was thoroughly trained to farmning, and has always followed the profes- sion of an agriculturist. His farm, which com- prises 130 acres of the old homestead on which he was born, is one of the best-kept and best- improved in the townshp, and is one of which any farmer might feel proud. He married Miss Lizzie Welsh, of Ottawa township. This congenial union has been blessed by the birth of the following children: Gracie, Jay. Lu- cretia, Roy N., Charles C., Arthur and Myrtle. In politics Mr. Harmon is a democrat. He is appreciated by his neighbors as a useful citi- zen, and is esteemed for his integrity. | blic i spirit, and his frank and genial demeanor to-
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ward all with whom he comes in contact, as well as for his liberality in his aid to all enter- prises calculated to benefit the public at large.
L. HAUCK, deceased, was, for nearly twenty years, one of the leading busi- ness men of the city of Ottawa. He was a native of Union county, Pa., born October 17, 1838, and was the son of Andrew and Mary (Beaver) Hauck. He was reared to manhood in his native county and state, and served in the Civil war as a inem- ber of company D, One Hundred and Fiftieth regiment, Pennsylvania volunteer infantry. Some time after the close of the Rebellion, in January, 1866, he became a resident of Ottawa, Ohio, where he engaged in the drug business in partnership with William W. Kelly .. Mr Hauck, with the exception of a few months spent in the grocery trade, devoted his life to the drug business, having had charge of the store in Ottawa for nearly twenty years, and it is needless to state that his success, finan- cially, during that time, was in every way most flattering. His early experience in life was by no means encouraging, and the success which he afterward attained and the prominent po- sition he won in the social and business world, were due altogether to his own unaided efforts. Not only was he known in Ottawa as a busi- ness man of superior qualifications, but at no time has the city ever known a more progress- ive, public-spirited and energetic citizen. In politics he was a stanch republican, and the Presbyterian church, of which he was a mem- ber for many years, represented his religions creed.
Mr. Hanck was married, October 24, 1867, to Miss Birmie Simon, daughter of John P. and Savilla (Gensimer) Simon, of Putnam county, Ohio. This marriage resulted in the birth of four children: Maggie, wife of E. L. Fry, of
Ottawa; Lulu, deceased; Phillip L. and Fred- die E. Mr. Hauck was a member of the F. & A. M. and Royal Arcanum fraternities, in both of which he was much esteemed. His death occurred October 2, 1890, and he was followed to the grave by a large concourse of people who felt that in his death they had lost a valued friend and kind neighbor.
J OHN C. HAUGHN, one of the promi- nent farmers of Liberty township, Put- namn county, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, July 19, 1843, and is a son of George W. and Mary (Coonrod) Haughn, natives, respectively. of Virgima and Ohio. George W. Hanghn was born in : 812, and when twenty-one years of age came on foot to Ohio, located in the then new county of Franklin and there engaged in farming. In that county, also, he married Miss Mary Coonrod, daughter of Wolrey Coonrod, who was one of the earliest settlers ---- when Chilli- cothe was still the capital of the state and Columbus unknown. From Franklin county Mr. Coonrod enlisted for and served through the war of 1812. In the early days religions meetings were held at his house, as were also the elections, and he was himself a politician and held many offices of honor and trust. He died in Franklin county, a Universalist in re- ligion, in which faith all his family were reared. The parents of our subject were of German descent and reared a family of eight children, viz: Rachel, who was thrice married -first to her cousin, W. Haughn; secondly, to Alexander Adams, and thirdly, to Jomm Duff, of Franklin county; the second child, Margaret, married G. Ney, and resides in Illi- nois; the third child is our subject; the fourth and fifth are James M. and Samuel J., resi- dents of Franklin county, Olno; the sixth, Mary ! C., is the wife of James Wade; the seventh,
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George W., resides on the old homestead, and the eighth is Anna, wife of Richard Stump- all three living in Franklin county.
John C. Haughn, the subject of this sketch, remained on the home place, assisting his father, until he reached his majority. At the age of twenty-four years, in 1867, he married Miss Nettie Taylor, who was born in Franklin county, Ohio, August 18, 1848, a daughter of Afford and Miranda Taylor, natives, respect- ively, of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and still living in Franklin county, where they were married. To their union were born five children, namely: Janet (or Nettie), the wife of our subject; Samuel, of Franklin county, James, who died in 1891; Mary, wife of Charles Reaves, a farmer, and. Josephine, married to James Bell, also a farmer. The parents of these children are still living at a ripe old age, the father having been born in 1821, and the mother in 1826. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Haughn has been blessed with mine children, born in the following order: Charles E., June 17, 1868, a farmer of Henry county; Afford W., December 17, 1870, also a farmer of Henry county; Isa D., July 15, 1873, married to Joseph Warren, farmer; Leslie S., February 7, 1876; Harry S., Sep- tember 26, 1879; Floyd D., February 6, 1883; Goldie M., July 16, 1885; Mary M., Decem- ber 18, 1888, and Ruth A., May 5, 1895 -- the last-named six at home with their parents.
After his marriage Mr. Haughn first rented a farm, on which he lived until 1876, when he came to Putnam county and bought a tract of 160 acres of forest land in Liberty township, and which still constitutes a part of his present farm. Here he had te fell the first tree to secure a seat to sit upon, and here be settled his young funily and began his bush ess life in Patnam county. He cleared away a space in the woods, built a cabin (which he yet retains as arelic), settled his family in this, and for the first
year rented some cleared land and cultivated it, but since then has devoted his attention to his own premises. To his original tract of 160 acres he has added eleven acres, and of the total he has cleared ar I tiled 140 acres. For the first three years he failed in making crops sufficiently large for his own use, on account of the superabundance of surface water, but now his crops more than supply his home needs and he has a surplus to sell. The 140 acres cleared are all in a splendid state of cul- tivation and the farm is improved with a fine two-story frame dwelling, commodion barn and substantial out-brildings, wind-mill, or- chard, etc., and he has a most desirable 'rome: Beside the usual farm products. Mr. Haughn raises all the live stock necessary for he ge use and for marketing purposes. He's consulered to be one of the best farmers in the towoship, and from what has here been written the reader will readily glean that he has been a successful one. His residence is situated six miles northwest of Leipsic, m the Black Swamp, and the soul of his farm is all of the black productive character. In politics Mr. Haughn is a democrat, and as a m.ver of public duty he has accepted everal of the minor township offices, but is far from being an office seeker. He o a man of the strictest integrity and of sterling enterprise. Des such as he who lay the foundation on which is reared the superstructure of a com- amty's prosperity, and who maugmate that happy state of civilization which following gene: ttions enjoy, but are tardy in recognizing.
OUIS HELMKAMP, a nati -born tarmer of Jennings township, { stnam county, Ohio, was born November .5, 1845, or the present hon. stead, bought from the government by his father. . His grandfather, Christopher Hehnkanqq . was
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born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, in 1781, married Catherine Margaretta Schim- moller, became the father of eight children, and with four of them, Frank, Henry, Will- iam, and Mary E., came to the United States in 1832. and to Putnam county, Ohio, in 1836, and first located in Glandorf, but in 1838 came to Jennings township and bought eighty acres of land from the government, and afterward added eighty acres. He was a de- vout Catholic and died at nearly seventy-two years of age.
Frank Hehnkamp, son of Christopher and father of Louis, our subject, was born August 10, 1810, and married Henrietta Schleter, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was born in Hanover in 1802, in the same village with her husband and his father, and was a daughter of Gerhard and Elizabeth (Schmidt ) Sebleter. Frank and his wife came to Putnam county in 1835; bought eighty acres of land in the woods it government sale and settled down to farming His original deed, however, was dated Octo- ber 1, 1846, and was signed by James K. Polk, president of the United States. Mr. Helmkamp added eighty more acres to his purchase and in the end was a most substan- tial farmer. To himself and wife were born five children, viz: Bernard, in Cleveland; and Bernardina, Henry, Mary, and Louis in Put- nam county.
Lonis Helmkamp, our subject, was edu- cated in the common schools and was also thoroughly grounded in agricultural knowl- edge. May 1, 1869, he was united in mar- riage, at Fort Jennings, with Josephine Broek - man, who was born A April 23, 1852, at Glandorf, Patnam county, Ohio, a daughter of Joseph Brockman, who was born in Glandorf, Ger- wany, february 2, 1814, and came to America i 1844 ile first settled in Cincinnati, Ohio Joseph Brockman was first married in Cincin- nati, Ohio to Christina Lankman, by wher?
he had three children, Mrs. Helinkamp being the only one living; was among the pioneers of Glandorf, Putnam county, coming in 1854, and here married Caroline ( Land ) Whire, who still survives, and who bore nine children- seven still living. After marriage, Louis Helmkamp settled on his present farm of 140 acres, which he has under a fine state of culti- vation. He has a tasteful brick residence and has made his other improvements to corre- spond. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hehn- kamp have been born six children, viz: Hen- rietta, Catherine, Frank, Mary, Lonis and Bernard. Mr. Helmkamp has given his chil- dren excellent educational advantages and their moral training has been attended to strictly. He and wife are both devoted men- bers of the Roman Catholic church, as were their ancestors, and few, if any, of their neigh- bors hold higher social relations or are more sincerely esteemed. In politics Mr. Helm- kamp is a democrat.
J OSEPH H. HELLMANN, of Jennings township, Putnam county, Ohno, is a substantial farmer and the head of a respected family. His father, John M. Hellmann, son of George Hellmann, was born in the kingdom of Hanover, empire of Ger- many, February, 1816, and was reared on a farm. In 1843 he came to America, landed in New York, thene came to Ohio, stopping awhile in Toledo, and then coming to Fort Jennings, where he was employed for a time at farm work. In 1846 he married Mary A. Finkhoener, and the same year bought the farm on which our subject now lives, but which was taken in the midst of a forest. He and wife were parents of four children, viz: Frank (deceased), Christina, John H and Joseph 11. -the first two or ed born . Jackson town-
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ship and the latter two on the homestead, where the father is still living with our subject.
Joseph H. Hellmann, our subject, was born on his present farin December 28, 1853, was educated in the common schools, and at the age of twenty-nine was married at Fort Jen- nings August 29, 1882, to Bernardina Luers- man, who was born in Putnam county, Ohio, October 10, 1855, a daughter of Henry and Christina Luersman. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hellman have been born six children, namely: John M., Henry O., William J., Laura C., Bornardina and Mary. Mr. Hell- mann has been very successful in his calling, and very industrious, and thoroughly under- stands his vocation. His farm is nicely cleared and cultivated, and in 1894 he erected a sub- stantial two-story brick residence on his place, at a cost of $3,000; his barn and out-buildings are commodious and convenient, and every- thing about the premises denotes the presence of a masterly manager.
Henry Luersman, the father of Mrs. Hell- man, was born in Hanover, Germany, and came to America between the years 1842 and 1845. He first located in Memphis, Tenn., where he worked at his trade of carpentering until about 1850, when he came to Fort Jen- nings, Ohio, and here married Christina, a daughter of Frank Schimmoller, who was the father of ten children, seven living, viz: Ber- nardina, Elizabeth, Pauline, Mary, Henry Christina and Anna. Henry Luersman had bought a farm in the woods near Landeck, Allen county, Ohio, when a single man; he also bought a farm in Jackson township, Put- nam county, and was a well-to-do farmer. He and family were all members of the Catholic church, in which faith he died on his farm in Jackson township Mr. Hellman has proven himself to be a good business man as well as a skilful farmer, and his integrity is acknowl- edged to be beyond question. He is one of
the most respectable men of the township, and his farm, with its surroundings, is unsurpassed by any other farm of equal dimensions in the county.
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ANIEL A. HEMLEY, one of the well-known and prosperous business men of Columbus Grove, Ohio, and a worthy representative of one of the pioneer families, is a native of Putnam county, having been born in the town of Pan- dora, in Riley township, five and a half miles from Columbus Grove, in Pleasant township, on Angust 23, 1850. His parents settled at Pandora (then Pendleton) when there were no roads leading into that place or elsewhere in the neighborhood except those blazed through the woods. The father was John G. Hemley, a native of a Rhine province of Germany. The mother was Christine Risser, who was born in the same province as that of her husband. They were young people when they can to America, where they were soon afterward mar- ried. They came to Putnam county about 1836, located in Pandora, and lived there the balance of their lives. The father was an ex- pert harness maker by trade, at which he worked in Pandora for many years. In the earlier part of his business he carried on his back most of the leather he used from West Cairo, Allen county, where there was a tan- nery, as there was no other way of getting it transported. He moved to Pandora without a dollar in his pocket, but being an industrious and hard-working man, he prospered and made money by close work at his trade. When his death occurred he was in very fair cir sm- stances, owning a good farm, as well as good town property. He died in his sixty-second year. His wife died when our subject was but eight years of age. Both parents were 1 m- bers of the Lutheran church. To these par-
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ents seven children were born, five of whom are living, as follows: Christina, now the widow of Dr. Francis Herrmann, of Bluffton, Ohio; John G., deceased, for many years of Pandora, from which place he removed to Trenton, Mo., where his family now resides; he was a fine harness maker and a member of the Twenty- first regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry for three years; Amelia, widow of Jacob Risser, of Toledo; Mary, deceased, was the wife of L. Gibson, of Newville, Ind .; Ellen, now the wife of Philip Keil, of Lima; G. A., now of Chi- cago, was a member of the Twelfth Ohio cav- alry over two years and until the end of the war, going into the service at the age of four- teen years.
Daniel A. Hemley was reared in Pandora and attended the public schools of that place. He afterward attended the Newville academy of Newville, Ind., for two terms. In 1866 he came to Columbus Grove and went to work for his brother-in-law, Jacob Risser, who was engaged in the grocery and shipping business, and remained until the latter's death, which occurred on August 21. 1871, by being crushed between two freight cars. The administrator, Henry Risser, then took charge of the busi- ness of his late brother-in-law, with Mr. Hem- ley as manager, and he thus conducted the business for three months, when the partner- nership of A. Risser & Co. was formed, Mr. Hemley becoming a member of the same. This firm was continued for about two years, when the firm was dissolved, and Mr. Hemley and E. Beese formed the firm of Hemley & Beese; this firm continued abont six years, when it was dissolved by their selling ont to N. W. Ogan, and Mr. Henley managed the business for Mr. Ogan until he sold out to Isaac Bushong and Wilson Martin, in 1878, and following that Mr. Hemley engaged in the agri- cultural veplement busmess in Columbus Grove, in which business he has since continued.
Mr. Hemley began on a very small scale, but increased from year to year until he soon had a large business. He conducted business by himself until 1890, when he sold out to J. F. Naas, but eight months later purchased the business again; in the fall of 1891 the firm of D. A. Hemley & Co. was organized, which was dissolved in the fall of 1892, and the firm of Hemley, Sarber & Dye was formed. In the fall of 1894 that firm was dissolved, and Mr. Hemley sold out to Mr. Sarber. Mr. Hemley, in the meantime, operated branch houses at different points in Ohio, and for the past seven years has been engaged in the same business at Delpho:, Ohio, where he has a large and pros- perous business in connection with W. V. LaRue, as his partner and manager. Mr. Hemley also owns and operates a large saw- mill at Kalida, Ohio. He has also been a large shipper of apples and produce, and man- ufacturer of cider and pure cider vinegar, dur- ing his time.
Mr. Hemley was married, October 21, 1875, to Miss Jennie, daughter of Capt. N. W Ogan, one of the pioneers of Columbus Grove, whose sketch and portrait appear on other pages of this vohnne. To this happy union two chil- dren have been born, viz: Dudley C. and Pauline, the former of whom was born March 18, 1877, and is to-day one of the coming young men of his town. He is a graduate of the Columbus Grove high school, also the Tri- State Commercial college, of Toledo, Ohio, and September 24, 1895, entered a five years' lit- erary course at Oberlin college. Pauline, the pride of the family and one of the promising young ladies of the town, was born June 24, 1882. Fraternally Mr. Hemley is a member of the Knights of Pythias, while Mrs. Hemley is a worthy member of the Presbyterian church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hemley are leaders in the social world and active workers in the church, as well as deeply interested in school work,
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fully realizing that the foundation of all good citizenship is simply the out-put of a good education.
In 1870 Mr. Hemley erected a fine resi- dence on Broadway, which he sold without occupying. In 1884 he erected a beautiful Queen Ann style residence, on Broadway, where he has since resided, surrounded by all comforts. In 1875 Hemley & Co. built the brick business block on High street now occu- pied by D. Foltz, the hardware dealer; in 1879 he bonght two lots on the west side of High street, and on one of these he erected a large business house and his agricultural store, which is 100 feet deep. In 1883 he built, on an ad- joining lot, his buggy and carriage depository, which is 115 feet deep, in which he has his office and headquarters. In 1890 he built a large and substantial brick business house on the east side of High street, two stories high and seventy feet deep, with metal front, now occupied by a first-class clothing house. From the foregoing facts it is plain to be seen that Mr. Hemley is one of the enterprising and leading business men of his town, and county as well, and one who is always ready to aid any worthy enterprise, and one who liberally contributes to all benevolent or charitable enterprises.
EVI HENRY, a sagacious and ex- perienced agriculturist of Liberty township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Crawford county, Pa., March 20, 1837, and is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Letwiler) Henry, of German descent. These parents were married in Crawford county, Pa., and in 1844 came to Ohio, located on leased land in Wyandot county, and there made their home for twelve years, when they came to Potnam county and bought a tract of wild land in Liberty township, which the father 1
cleared up and converted into a comfortable home, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1870, a member of the Evangel- ical church, of which his wife was also a member. They had a family of twelve chil- dren, all of whom grew to maturity, but of whom only three are now living. The order of birth of the twelve was as follows: Jacob, who died the father of one child; John died the father of three children; Cephas served through the Civil war and died in the rebel prison at Salisbury, N. C .; Daniel served in the 100-day service, and at his death loft five children; Abraham served in the Forty-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, was taken ill and brought home to die; Maria is married to Michael Dumm, and resides in Wyandot county, Ohio; Nathan died single; Levi 's the subject of this sketch; Lydia, Judia, and Magdalene died unmarried; and Mary A. is the wife of H. Hudson, deceased. The father of this family was in politics a democrat, and while residing in Pennsylvania was a justice of the peace and a gentleman of considerable local prominence.
Levi Henry, the subject proper if this memoir, was but seven years of age when brought to Ohio by his parents. He was reared to farming and educated in the com- mon schools of his district in Wyandot county. On coming to Liberty township, Fatnam county, in 1856, he lived with his parents un- til August, 1861, when he enlisted in the Forty-ninth Ohio vohinteer infantry, under Col. Wm H. Gibson, was assigned to the army of the Cumberland, and saw some very hard service. He was in the battle of Shiloh, siege of Corinth, and in the severe engagement tat Murfreesboro- at the last-named place re- ceiving a bullet wound through the foot, from which he suffered in hospital at Madison Ind., an entire year. After partial recovery he was here retained as nuise and given charge of a
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ward, was thus employed when his three-year term of service expired, and here received an honorable discharge. On his return home he married, in March, 1866, Miss Martha A. Woodell, who was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in March, 1846, a daughter of Joseph and Catherme (Welker) Woodell, who came to Putnam county in 1848, their daughter, Martha A , being then two years old. Here Mr. Woodell entered a tract of land and cleared up a farm, and later purchased an im- proved place, to which he moved his family, and on which he ended his days in 1893. He was a promment and enterprising gentleman, and very popular as a republican, under the auspices of which party he filled several of the minor offices of the township, Here, also, his widow passed away in January, 1895. Their children were four in number and named as follows: William E., who twice enlisted in the Civil war, received two honorable dis- charges, became a practicing physician at Leipsic, Putnam county, and died in 1884; Martha A., the wife of Mr. Henry; John W., a farmer of Auglaize county, Ohio, and Mary J., who died, ummarried, about 1869. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Henry has been blessed with five children, viz: Nora, still at home with her parents; Stella B., wife of Thomas Miller, a resident of Sidney, Ohio; Mae E., Maud P., and William (born October 25, 1884), at home.
On marrying, Mr. Henry, our subject, first rented land from his father, on which he r .- sided until 1872, when he bought and moved upon the firm he still occupies, and which was then considerably improved, leaving him but a small number of acres to clear off and drain. Ilc has fifty acres under an excellent state of Ullage, does the usual farming and raises the necessary hve stock for home use. .. his farm presenting, altogether, as neat an ap- pearance as any in the township. In politics
Mr. Henry is a republican, and takes consider- able interest in public affairs, but has never been an office seeker; yet, through a sense of duty as a good citizen, he has served as town- ship assessor, and is now serving as township trustee. Mr. Henry is a steady-going, industri- ous farmer, and has won the esteem of his neighbors, who respect him for unselfish prin- ciples, liberal disposition, and his many other good qualities of mind and heart.
HARLES FREDERICK HENRY, a rising farmer of Jackson township, Putnam county, was born in Monterey township, Putnam county, Ohio. April 10, 1851, a son of Conrad and Mary (Peters) Henry. The father, Conrad Henry, was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1819, and at the age of twenty-one came to America from Germany and located at New Orleans, La., in 1840, re- maining there three years. He then came to Delphos, Ohio, where he was employed as a clerk in the store of a firm that had a contract for digging the canal at that point. He there married Mary Peters, who was born in Ger- many in 1826, and came to America at the age of seven years, and to this marriage were born the following children: An infant, who died unnamed; Ann Catherine Louisa, wife of William B. Roof, of Michigan; Charles F., our subject; Wilhelmina, widow of John F. Ham- monds, of Monterey township. Putnam county, Ohio; Lewis P., farmer of Jackson township; Ida Eliza, who died an infant. Mary Matilda, wife of George Keller, farmer of Jennings township, and Adam Edward, a farmer of Monterey township. After marriage Conrad Henry settled on a farm in Monterey town- ship, on the canal. This farm he had pre- viously purchased in the wild woods, on taking possession of which he immedi vely proceeded to clear away the forest and to cultivate the
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