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 23
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Adam Hummon, the gentleman whose name opens this sketch, was reared to the hard pioneer labor of clearing land and farm- ing. The foundation of his education was laid
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in the common schools and this was supple- mented by attendance at a union school in Findlay. At the age of eighteen years he taught a term of school in Indiana and after- ward taught several terms in Putnam county, Ohio. Before he had reached his majority he began his business career by fattening cattle, and followed this calling for a number of years. He made his father's house his home until twenty-six years old, and in the fall of 1865 married Miss Narcissa Guthrie, who was reared in Delaware county, Ohio, a daughter of Ben- ham Guthrie, who died when his daughter was still small. To this union were born three children, viz: Truman F., born in August, 1872, and now in the hardware business at Leipsic; Howard C., born in 1874, a farmer in Liberty township, and John E., born in 1877, and now attending school at Springfield, Ohio.
After marrying, Mr. Hummon came to Liberty township, Putnam county, in 1866, and bought forty acres of his present farm, mostly in the forest, and began clearing and increasing his possessions until, after present- ing his son with eighty acres, he has an estate of 320 acres, of which 120 acres are cleared, ditched and tiled, the labor having chiefly been done by himself. All of this tract is now un- der a superb state of cultivation and is unsur- passed by any other farm of its size in the county. He continues the business of cattle feeding and has also handled sheep, having been very successful in all his operations in this line. General farming has never been neg- lected, but this is done more for the supply of home wants than for marketing purposes ..
Having lost his first wife in May, 1881, Mr. Hummon selected for his second helpmate Miss Alice I .. Myers, whom he married March 23, 1882. This lady was born in Seneca county, Ohio, December 18, 1859, a daughter of J. C. and Nancy (Hufford) Myers, who are of Penn- sylvania-German descent, and at present reside
in Wood county, Ohio. Mr. Myers was for- merly a carpenter, but is now a prominent farmer and the father of eight children, viz: Charles W., Jacob M., Alice L., Emma E., Laura D., Mina M. and two who died young. To this second union of Mr. Hummon have been born four children in the following order: Simon P., December 11, 1882; Sarah E., De- cember 6, 1886; Mary E., December 28, 1890, and Clarence A., April 12, 1892. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hummon are consistent members of the English Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Hummon has always been a democrat, and has been elected by his party to fill many town- ship offices, including that of township treas- urer for two terms, and also that of township trustee, and on one occasion his name was placed before the county convention as a can- didate for county treasurer, but he failed in receiving the nomination. Mr. Hummon, how- ever, is very prominent in the affairs of his township, is popular with all classes, and is much esteemed for his straightforward conduct and public spirit. He is imbued with sound with sound business principles, which is made manifest in all his transactions, both public and private. He is a gentleman whose good intentions have never been impugned and is re- garded as one of the most substantial and re- liable citizens of Liberty township.
0 AVID HUMMON, one of the most enterprising farmers of Riley town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, was born on the farm he still occupies, July 1, 1849, and is a son of John and Mary A. (Wyninger) Hummon. John Hummon was born in Wyandot county, Ohlo, in 1815, was married in 1837, and a short time after this last event came to Putnam county and entered a farm of 160 acres, became prosperous in all respects, and at his death was the owner of
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fully 1, 100 acres. He was a devoted and zealous democrat, but refused every proffer of office and was loyal to the Union, doing much towards raising soldiers for the Federal army. He was a son Simon Peter Hummon, a native of Holland, who, on coming to America, first located in Pennsylvania, married Mary Kerns, came to Wyandot county, Ohio, where the wife died. Simon Peter then came to Putnam county, where he made his home with his son John the remainder of his days. To John and Mary A. Hummon were born ten children, two of whom died young, and the eight who grew to maturity were born and named as follows: Levi, December 31, 1837; Adam, July 31, 1839; George, January 24, 1845; Minerva, July 7, 1847; David, our subject; Simon P., June 8, 1851; Clara E., February 15, 1855; Ada, August 14, 1859, died in 1888. The father of this family was called to his grave March 6, 1878, dying in the faith of the Luth- eran church; his wife was called to rest Sep- tember 29, 1881, and died a member of the Methodist Protestant church.
David Hummnon, subject of this sketch, as- sisted in clearing from the forest the farm on which he was born, and this has ever been his home. In February, 1875, married Miss Mary E. Wilkins, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, December 26, 1851, a daughter of Albert and Harriet (Allison) Wilkins, na- tives of the Buckeye state, who settled in Put- nam county in 1856; here the father died in 1890, at the age of seventy years, his widow following him to the grave in December, 1893, also at the age of seventy, both zealous men- bers of the Protestant Episcopal church. To the happy union of Mr. Hummon and wife have been born ten children, of whom three are deceased; the survivors were born as fol- lows: Evert J., March 19, 1876; Bertha, No- vember 27, 1879; Charles A., August 21, 1881; Maud V., March 11, 1883; Maroa, Feb-
ruary 14, 1889; Glenn L., February 14, 1891; and Grover C., May 8, 1893. Mrs. Hummon is a devoted member of the Protestant Episco- pal church, and fraternally Mr. Hummon is a Knight of Pythias. In politics Mr. Hummon is a warm advocate of democracy; he also takes a lively interest in public affairs, and al- though he has served as township trustee for five years and filled several minor offices, he has by no means been an office seeker. Mr. Hummon is recognized as one of the most skillful agriculturists of the township as well as one of the most prominent. He has increased his acreage from his original eighty, inherited from his father, to 201, forty of which belong to Mrs. Hummon, and most of which he has helped to clear, and 150 of which he has un- der cultivation. The land is well drained and fenced, and he has a good substantial dwell- ing, commodious barn and a fine orchard. His standing in the township is with the best so- ciety it affords, and he and family are alike honored by the entire community.
S IMON P. HUMMON, a prominent farmer and stockman of Riley town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in this township June 8, 1851, and is the youngest son of the ten children born to John and Mary A. (Wyninger) Hummon, both of German descent, who came from Wyandot county, Ohio, to Putnam county in 1846. Here the father entered and cleared up a farm from the wilderness, on which he died in 1878, his wife surviving until September 29, 1881, when she, two, was called away, dying a member of the Protestant Methodist church. John Hum- mon was a progressive farmer and left a hand- some estate to each his children.
Simon P. Hummon was reared on his fa- ther's farm, and received a good education in the common schools. He remained with his
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parents until twenty-five years of age, and then settled on his farm of eighty acres, inherited from his father, and to which he has since added, until now he is the owner of 199 acres, of which 165 acres are under a fine state of cultivation, it having been cleared to the ex- tent of sixty-five acres when Mr. Hummon took possession. He has, however, made all the improvements-having erected a comfort- able modern dwelling and substantial barn, with suitable out-buildings, and having ditched and tile-drained his fields, making the place .one of the model farins of the township. Agri- culture has been his chief pursuit, but for ten years he has been raising and shipping stock. He has been very industrious, and with the exception of the eighty acres inherited from his father, and sixty which belong to his wife, he has realized all his property through his own exertions.
The marriage of Mr. Hummon took place December 24, 1876, with Miss Sarah J. Harris, daughter of John W. and Mary E. (Doherty) Harris, of Fairfield county, Ohio, but who, in 1848, removed to Hancock county, adjacent to the Putnamn county line, their children being four in number, viz: Barrett, a farmer; Au- gusta, who died at the age of ten; Sarah J., wife of subject, and George. Mrs. Hummon was born August 25, 1856, and to her mar- riage with our subject have been born six chil- dren, named in order of birth as follows: Silva, born September 30, 1877; Lloyd, October 19, 1879; Wilber, January 26, 1882; Jesse, No- vember 10, 1885; Mistel, March 12, 1887, and Lizzie, August 13, 1890. Mrs. Hummon is a devoted member of the United Brethren church, and in politics Mr. Hummon is a democrat, as was his father before him, and has filled the office of township assessor two terms as a mat- ter of public duty, and not as a matter of am- bition, and not for the sake of emolument. In social relations Mr. and Mrs. Hummon move
in the best circles of Riley township and enjoy the esteem of all with whom they come in contact.
'ALTER HUYSMAN, deceased, was one of the most substantial farmers and respected citizens of Monterey township, Putnamn county, Ohio. He was a son of Henry and Nettie (Kortier) Huys- man, was born in Holland July 26, 1840, and was about eight years of age when brought to America by his parents. Here he grew to manhood, was educated in the common schools, was trained to farming, and shortly after reach- ing his majority patriotically volunteered in defense of the flag under which he had passed the years of his adolescence, being enrolled August 21, 1862, in Capt. Fink's company F, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, for three years, serving gallantly and experiencing all the hardships of war until his discharge, with an honorable certificate of duty well performed, at Salisbury, N. C. After his return from the sanguinary struggle he mar- ried, October 4, 1868, Miss Henrietta Bloch- berger, who was born in Saxony, Germany, January 21, 1849, a daughter of Christiau and Dena (Bookman) Blochberger. Christian Bloch- berger was a native of Saxony and was born in October, 1818. In 1852 he came to the United States and settled in Jackson township, Put- nam county, Ohio, buying forty acres of land in the primitive forest, which he increased by arduous industry to 235 acres. He reared a respectable family of seven children, who were named as follows: Bernard, Angusta, Henri- etta, Caroline, Susannah, Henry and Richie, of whom the four older were born in Germany and the younger three iu Ohio. The mother of this family died in the faith of the Lutheran church at the age of about sixty-two years.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Walter
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Huysman settled on a farm of eighty acres in Monterey township, Putnam county, Ohio, and here they had born to them an interesting fam- ily of eight children, named Dena, Nellie, Car- oline, Henry, Ida, Walter, William and Nora. Miss Callie (Caroline) Huysman, third born of this family, is a very bright and intellectual young lady and a graduate of the high school of Delphos, Ohio. She has taught a year in Van Wert county, one year in the district schools of Allen and Putnam counties, and two years in the graded schools of Lima, in every instance showing a superior ability. In relig- ion the family are members of the German Reform faith, and in politics Mr. Huysman was a republican, under the auspices of which party he served as a member of the election board of Ottoville. He was a man of undoubted integrity, and died, in the prime of life, Janu- ary 21, 1892, leaving an untarnished name. His widow, with most excellent judgment and ability, has acted as administratrix.
Henry Huysman, the founder of the family in America, was born in Holland October 11, 1811, and was reared a miller in one of the old-fashioned wind-mills for which his native land is so famous. He married Peternella Kortier, the union resulting in the birth of nine children, viz: Wilhelmina, who died at the age of twenty years; Mary, who died at the age of fifty-four; Aaron; Walter, our subject; Henry, who died on the ocean at the age of two years. These five were born in Holland, and the remaining four were brought to life in America and were named as follows: Peter- nella, Henrich, Cornelins and Henry K. The father lived to be eighty-two years old, and died on his farm.
Aaron Huysman became a farmer and was a soldier in the late Civll war, serving with his elder brother, Walter, in company F, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio voliteer intan- try. Aaron was born in Holland, December
15, 1839, and was nine years of age when! brought to America. He was twenty-one years old when he assisted in the erection of the first log school-house ever put up in Monterey township, and in this he afterward acquired his limited education-attending one month. In this old school-house he enlisted for three years under Capt. Rend, and was discharged at Salisbury, N. C., June 24, 1865, on account of the closing of the war, having served in the engineer corps from July 4, 1863, working on fortifications, building pontoon bridges and taking part in the famous Atlanta campaign. In the course of duty he assisted in the erec- tion of the fortifications at Knoxville, Tenn., and was in the siege of that city twenty-one days. He was ruptured, while driving a team of six mules, by being thrown down an em- bankment sixty-five feet high, and was con- fined for five weeks in the Presbyterian church hospital, which he left of his own accord and rejoined his corps, in which he thenceforward served until his discharge, being sick, alto- together, nine months, and having a horse furnished him to ride on. On his return home he at once resumed farming, cutting wheat the afternoon of his arrival, while his brother Walter, who had returned with him, bound the grain.
October 31, 1867, Aaron Huysman was first united in matrimony, in Monterey town- ship, with Miss Grietge Osenga. The father of this lady, William Osenga, was of Holland birth, was a carpenter and sailor, and settled in Fort Jennings in 1847. He was the father of four children-Frockie, Francis, Ln and Grietge. He died at the residence of Aaron Huysman at the age of eighty-four years, a member of the German Reform church. To this first marriage of Mr. Huysman were born two children-Nelle and William- the latter dying at the age of one year. Mrs. Huysman died April 17, 1872, and the second marriage
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of Mr. Huysman took place December 8, 1872, to Mrs. Mary Miller, widow of Christian Miller, but who bore the maiden name of Mary Vogt. To this union have been born five children, viz: Maggie, who died at the age of nine years; Aaron, Mary, Rickie and Bertha.
Mr. Huysman first settled on a farm of eighty acres in the woods of Montery township, and this he succeeded in clearing up and adding to until he became the owner of 240 acres of fine farming land, on which he has made many excellent improvements. He and wife are consistent members of the Presbyterian church, and in politics he is a republican. He enjoys the full confidence of the people, and has filled several township offices with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his fellow- citizens. A thoroughly practical farmer, he possesses one of the best farms in Putnam county. As a soldier he was faithful and active, and was one of the first men of his company to be placed on picket duty; as a civilian he is honored and respected for his public spirit and liberal aid to all measures devised for the promotion of the general welfare.
ENJAMIN F. IRVIN, of Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Fairfield county November 30, 1821, and is a son of Josiah K. and Catherine (Barkman) Irvin, of Lancaster county, Pa., where they were married and where all their children were born, with the exception of onr subject. In 1820 the Irvin family came to Ohio, lived in Fairfield county a few years, then passed two years in Franklin county, and in 1832 entered 120 acres in Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, on which they settled permanently in the fall of 1833, the father and two sons building a rude log cabin in the meantime and setting ont potatoes, planting corn, etc. Game, of course, was
plentiful, and the pelts thereof were current as legal tender, and were about the only currency used by these hardy pioneers-even for the payment of taxes. The county seat was Ka- lida; Sidney and Fort Ball soon afterward sprang up and formed milling points, but it re- quired a long time to make the trip to either town. The first barrel of salt purchased by Mr. Irvin cost him twenty bushels of wheat, and other necessaries were equally costly. Mr. Irvin is one of the organizers of the township of Sugar Creek, and was its first assessor, and was subsequently assessor of the county, but when the county became more thickly settled he declined holding public office-having served more from a sense of duty to the sparse popu- lation than from a desire to be prominent as a public man. Politically he was a democrat, and religiously, with his wife, was a member of the Presbyterian church-to which they were compelled to go a long distance on horse- back over trails and through timber and brush, infested with Indians, who were, however, of a friendly disposition. In the fold of this church both Mr. and Mrs. Irvin passed to the better life
The family born to Josiah K. and Catherine Irvin numbered seven, and was named as fol- lows in order of birth: Anna, who married a Mr. Downing, moved to the state of Delaware and there died, the mother of four children; Rebecca, deceased wife of Matthew K. May- berry, a farmer; Josiah K., also a farmer, died the father of five children; Washington, de- ceased, was the father of eleven children; Margaret, married to E. Nichols, became the mother of eight children, and was with her husband called to the world beyond; Hettie was married to William Bell, ex-county auditor, became the mother of four children, and is now, with her husband, resting in the quiet grave; the seventh child, Benjamin F., our subject, is the only survivor of the family
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Benjamin F. Irvin, our subject, for a long time had control of the liomestead on which . he was reared, and eventually purchased the interest of the other heirs to the estate, who, it will readily be perceived, were chiefly the grandchildren of his parents. * Here he engaged in farming continuously for several years, and then, with a partner, entered the saw-mill business, but, in about two years, became dis- satisfied with his partner's management, sold to him his mill interest, and returned to farm- ing, which he has since followed with a success seldom equaled. From the original tract of 1 20 acres he has increased his possessions to over 600 acres, of which he has by persistent effort and the expenditure of the capital that has come to him by still more persistent toil and the exercise of natural skill, cleared, ditched and brought under cultivation at least 400 acres, and improved with as fine buildings as there are in the county. In 1892 he moved from his primitive dwelling to his new two- story brick mansion, situated about three miles west of Columbus Grove. Beside devoting his attention to his general crop interests, Mr. Irvin has not neglected live stock, of which he owns probably some of the best grades of short- horn cattle in Putnam county.
Mr. Irvin was first married, in 1856, to Miss Sarah Leese, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, and was an orphan of an old pioneer of Putnam county. To this union were born four children, viz: Lafayette, in the wire-fence business; Margaret, yet single; Della, who married Samuel Searfoss, who died in Kansas, Mrs. Searfoss being now at home with her father, and being the mother of one child; Sarah J., married to William Vanwye, is a resident of Van Wert county, Ohio, but is now unfortunately deprived of sight. The mother of this family having died in 1861, Mr. Irvin married, in 1863, Miss Sarah J. Hayton, who was born in Franklin county, Ohio, a daughter
of Nathaniel Hayton, who died about 1860. To this second inarriage have been born eight children, named as follows: Emma, widow of a Mr. Orwick, and mother of one child; George, a farmer; Benjamin F., Nathaniel, James, Charles, Kimmer and Guy. Mr. Irvin is a democrat in his politics, has held a num- ber of township offices, being implicitly trusted by his fellow-citizens, and is, with his wife, a consistent member of the Christian church.
SHLEY JACKSON .- Descended from a line of American ancestors who had long been residents of this country and who were prominently identified with the early development of this great re- public-men who were known as respected and upright citizens, it is meet that our subject, Ashley Jackson, be accorded due mention in this work, possessing as he does, in a marked degree, the sterling attributes of his progeni- tors, coupled with a large share of modern push and enterprise.
His great-grandfather was a citizen of the state of New Jersey, where his grandfather, Joseph Jackson, was born in 1795. The latter was married to Chloe Watson in Pennsylvania, and they settled on Fishing creek, in that state. In 1834 the family removed to Seneca county, Ohio, and afterward made their home in various portions of the state. For fifty years the head of the family was a Baptist minister and as such met with a success and attained a reputation far above the ordinary. He died in Clyde, Ohio, in the fall of 1892. He was a "dyed-in-the-wool " abolitionist, and for years before the breaking out of the Civil war kept a station on the once famous underground railway, often forwarding the es- caping negroes miles toward Canada under the cover of some dark night.
Noah Jackson, our subject's father, was
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born in Pennsylvania in 1823. He was reared upon a farm, but after reaching manhood worked in machine shops in Philadelphia and later traveled for an extensive tea house which had its headquarters in that city. He was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Shiveley, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1826, being the daughter of Joseph and Eve Shiveley, re- spected citizens of that state. In 1853 they removed to Ohio, settling in Henry county upon an entirely new farm of 160 acres, where they lived to see it develop under their industry and thrift into a fine, productive fann and a most comfortable home. The family were Identified with the early history of Henry county, where they made their home for so inany years. Like his father, Noah Jackson was an abolitionist and an ardent republican, and was deeply interested in the outcome of the great slavery question. The children of the family were seven in number, being named in order of birth: Vernon, Frank, Ashley, Willis, Gratia, Lincoln and Della M .-- the first two named now being deceased.
Ashley Jackson, our subject, was born in Henry county, Ohio, June 9, 1854. He re- mained on the farm home until he was twenty- one years of age, after which he passed five years in the west, where he was engaged in selling win-dmills, chiefly through Nebraska. He then returned to Ohio and engaged in the stave-milling business. At present he is fore- man of the extensive stave factories of the Buckeye Hoop & Stave company, a concern whose operations are exceedingly large. Mr. Jackson oversees all of the men employed in this institution and superintends the operations of the factory, and buys the timber -- a position of responsibility and trust which he fills most acceptably and with credit to himself and his employers.
Ashley Jackson was married, in 1884, to Miss Mary G. Watson, daughter of William
and Eliza W. Watson. To them was born one son, Glenn. Mrs. Jackson died in 1886, and our subject was later united in marriage- with Miss Margaret Shaffer, whose parents were William and Mary (Morris) Shaffer. This union has been blessed with one daugh- ter, Edith. Mr. Jackson is at present a mem- ber of the common council of Continental. He is also affiliated with several fraternal societies, being a charter member of the Masonic lodge of his town, a present master Mason, and also a charter member of the local lodge of Knights of Pythias. Our subject's religion is that of nature and of humanity. He is an agnostic and altogether liberal in his views, while there is nothing apologetic in his attitude in this re- gard. He is ready to accept truth from what- ever source derived, and not from mere tradi- tional tenets and dogmas, having a clear ap- prehension of the fundamental truth and the altruistic element in human life.
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