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 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
OBERT JAMISON, one of the most skillful and experienced farmers of Jennings township, Putnam county, was born March 11, 1825, in Ross county, Ohio, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His grandfather, Francis Jamison, came from Ire- land to America before the Revolutionary war, and, being still a young man, took an active part in that struggle, serving at Cowpens, as well as in other battles. He was married in Pennsylvania, later came to Ross county, Ohio, from Westmorland county, Pa., reared a fam- ily of nine children, and died, between fifty and sixty years of age, a member of the Seceder Presbyterian church. Francis Jami- son, son of above and father of our subject, was born in Westmorland county, Pa., came to Ohio with his father, and was married, in Ross county, to Rachel Wroten, a daughter of Frederick and Ellen Wroten, of Delaware, and
253
OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
of English extraction. To Mr. and Mrs. Jam- ison were born ten children, viz: Julia A., John, Robert, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, Cyn- thia, William, Doretta and Rachel. From Ross county the family moved to Allen county and settled in German township in 1830, and in 1840 came to Putnam county, settling in Jennings township, and here the father died December 25, 1855, in his sixty-fifth year; his wife died subsequently, in her seventieth year. and both were highly honored members of the Methodist church.
Robert Jamison, whose name introduces this biography, was but five years of age when his father located just south of Elida, in Ger- man township, Allen county, Ohio. He at- tended the first school of Elida, which was held in a 16x18 log cabin, with logs sawed out here and there for windows, which were cov- ered with greased paper in lieu of glass; with puncheon seats and desks; a fire place the entire . width of the room, with stick and mud chim- ney, and with a pedagogne that could lead his pupils through the "three R's", reading, 'rit- ing and 'rithmetic. This temple of learning afforded him mental pabulum until the family came to Putnam county, where but little more was added to his scholastic acquirements. As a matter of course he was employed on the home farm during his minority as an assistant to his father, both in Allen and Putnam coun- ties. In 1850 he bought a tract of land in section No. 16, Jennings township, to reach which he had to cut a road two miles long through the forest. October 18, 1855, he married Alida H. Myre, a native of Holland and a daughter of Harmon and Magdalme (Smit) Myre. Harmon Myre came from Hol- land in 1850, in company with Frederick Smit, to which event allusion is made in the sketch of C. Baugh, on another page, his family then consisting of himself, his wife and three chil- dren -- Alida H., Wilhelmina and George B. 14
He bought a farm in Jennings township and improved and cultivated it until his death, about 1865, a member of the Dutch Reform church.
After marriage Mr. Jamison, with his wife, settled on the land mentioned above, and has continued to develop his farm until the present time. Here his wife, Elida H., bore him seven children, who were named Magdalena, Rachael, Harmon, F., Hilletje, Sarah W., John and Elida H. The mother of these, however, died June 7, 1884, a member of the Methodist church, and for his second life com- panion, Mr. Jamison was united September 1, 1886, to Miss Rebecca J. Myers, widow of Harrison Myers and daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Pruden) Klingman. To this union have been born two children, Minnie Zoe and Robert. The first marriage of Mrs. Jamison (with Harrison Myers) took place May 22, 1870, Mr. Myers being at that time a farmer of Jennings township and the owner of 120 acres of land. He had served under Capt. B F. H. Hankins in company H, One Hundred and Thirty-second Ohio infantry, from May 2, 1864, until September 10, of the same year. He was born in Allen county, Ohio, November 24, 1840, was a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Ward) Myers, and died October 22, 1878, the father of five children, viz: Sarah, Catherine, Ellen, Charles and Annie.
Mr. and Mrs. Jamison are members of the Methodist church, of which he has been a trustee. In politics he is a democrat, and has served as township trustee several terms as supervisor, and as a member of the school board; fraternally he is a member of Hope lodge, F. & A. M., at Delphos. He is a pio- neer who has seen the forests of Allen and Putnam counties dwindle away beneath the strokes of the sturdy axman, transforming the land from a wilderness into the blooming gar- den of fertility it now is. An honored and
254
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
venerated citizen, husband and father, he now enjoys the rest and comfort to which his well spent and useful life so deservedly entitles him, and but few residents of Jennings township can claim more devoted friends than he.
J ACOB R. JONES, one of the oldest and most experienced farmers of Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of Denbighshire, north Wales, a son of Robert and Mary (Roberts) Jones, and was born July 5, 1822. The father, also of Denbighshire, was a shoemaker, and about 1820 married Mary, daughter of Thomas Rob- erts, the union resulting in the birth of six chil- dren, viz: Mrs. Mary Hughes, Jacob R. (sub- . ject), Abel, Ellen, and David (deceased), and Isaac, a merchant of Denver, Colo.
Jacob R. Jones was reared to farming, hir- ing out at eleven years of age and working until 1848, when he came to America, and, until 1854, worked on a farm in the vicinity of Rome, N. Y., and then came to Ohio and for four years was employed in a machine shop at Newark, where, November 20, 1858, he mar- ried Miss Jane Price, born in Cardingshire, Wales, April 11, 1831, and a daughter of John and Bridget Price. Mr. and Mrs. Price were also natives of Wales, came to Newark, Ohio, in 1854, and were the parents of five children, viz: Lettie and May, deceased; Annie, wife of William Davis, of Van Wert county, Ohio; Jane, wife of our subject, and James, a sailor, who was drowned at sea when sixteen years of age. To the marriage of Mr. Jones and Miss Price have been born five children, as follows: Mary, widow of John J. Jones, who died February 25, 1894; Price, a clerk at Col- umbus Grove; Abel, farming on the home- stead; Annie, a seamstress of Columbus Grove, and Bertie, at home with her parents.
After his marriage Mr. Jones continued to
reside in Newark for seven years, and in 1865 went to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked in a cemetery until late in 1867, when he came to Putnam county, Ohio, and purchased 120 acres of uncleared land, built a log house, wrought out a farm from the wilderness, and in 1880 erected his present handsome dwelling. In politics Mr. Jones is a republican. He is a member of the Calvinistic Methodist church (sometimes denominated the Calvinistic Pres- byterian), and has been a communicant since 1849. He was a deacon for about twenty- eight years and also treasurer for the same length of time, but about 1891 he had the mis- fortune of meeting with an accident, in which he broke his leg, thus becoming incapacitated for active church work. His wife has been a member of the same denomination since she was sixteen years of age. Mr. Jones and his family are much respected by their neighbors, and Mr. Jones is recognized as one of the most progressive farmers of the township, his place being now in a most excellent state of cultiva- tion and exceedingly remunerative.
J F. JONES, a citizen of Columbus Grove, Ohio, and head of the firm of J. F. Jones & Sons, handle manu- facturers, is a native of Miami county, Ohio, born on December 31, 1832, He is the son of George W. and Eleanor (Gearhart) Jones the former a native of Bath county, Ky., born in 1808, the latter a native of Rockbridge county (now West), Va., born in 1812. In about 1827 grandfather Jones came to Ohio from Kentucky, locating in Miami county, and in 1816 grandfather Gearhart came from Vir- ginia and entered land in Miami county, where he remained until a few years before his death, which occurred in Greene county, Ohio. Grandfather Jones died in Kentucky, whether he had gone to settle up his business after re-
255
-
OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
moving to Ohio. The parents of our subject were married in Miami county, Ohio, about '1857 removed to Greene county, and in 1868 removed from Greene county to Logan county, Ohio, where the mother died in 1884. The father died in the same county in 1890. To the parents five children were born, as follows: our subject; Samantha, deceased; Simeon G., now a resident of Cleveland; Anna T., now Mrs. Samuel Kildow, of Cedarville, Greene county; and M. B., of Qunicy, Ohio. The parents were members of the Christian church.
J. F. Jones, our subject, was reared on his father's farm in Miami county. He attended the common district schools about two months in the year, and then entered Linden Hill academy, now at New Carlisle, Clarke county, Ohio, where he pursued his studies during two terms. He then taught his first school, dur- ing the fall and winter of 1853-54, in Cham- paign county, in what was and is known as Esq. Woods' school-house, in the western part of the county. After the close of his school he returned to his father's farm, where he worked until the opening of next school term, and in 1854-55 taught at what was called Spring Creek School, in Miami county. Dur- ing the session of this school he became ac- quainted with the lady, Martha J. Hart, who became his wife April 10, 1855. The follow- ing summer he farmed on his father's place, and the term of 1855-56 he taught in the Cecil district, in Miami county, being assisted by his wife, as he had more scholars than he could well look after alone. The three following years he taught in what was known as Knoop's school-house, in Staunton township, Miami county; the following two years he taught in the Peterson district, and in Favorite's district. In the spring of 1861 he removed, with his fam- ily, to Monroe township, Putnam county, whither his father-in-law had moved, in what is now known as Hartsburg, a station on the Nickel-
Plate railroad, named for his father-in-law, where for two years he followed farming. In February, 1864, he went to Delphos, Ohio, and took charge of the union school of that place as superintendent. In April, 1864, a few months after going to Delphos, lie entered the army as a member of company H of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Ohio volun- teer infantry, and went to the front in Vir- ginia, where he saw service until the following September, when his term of enlistment ex- pired and he was mustered out of service. He then returned to Delphos and took up his school work, of which he had charge for four years in succession; thence moved to Anderson City, Ind., where he had charge of the fall term of the First ward school until the holidays, after which term he was called to Pendleton, Ind., and there took charge of the schools as principal for the remainder of that year and the follow- ing school year. After finishing his second year in Pendleton he returned to Delphos, where he again had charge of the union schools for two years, following which he taught an inde- pendent school in Delphos, making altogether seven years of school experience in that city.
In the fall of 1875 he was called to Column- bus Grove to take charge of the public schools as superintendent, a position he held for three consecutive years. He next had charge of the school at Deshler, Ohio, for one year, and the following year he had charge of the schools of Belmore, Ohio. The next two years lie was assistant superintendent of the Columbus Grove schools, which finished his career as an educator.
For twenty years Mr. Jones has been more or less identified with and interested in the manufacture of handles, and since leaving the school-room he has given all his attention to that industry. His factory was established in 1879, but was then on a small scale, only four or five men being employed. The business
256
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
has steadily increased, until he now employs from forty-five to fifty men. They make a specialty of ax handles, also manufacture rail- road and mining-tool handles, all of second- growth hickory, and their trade extends from New York to the state of Washington, and from Cincinnati to Duluth. The firm of Jones & Sons was formed in 1882, the junior mem- bers being his sons, Charlie H. and George E.
Mr. Jones is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, being a member of Rufus Putnam lodge, No. 564, and of Shawnee commandery (Lima), K. T. Mr. Jones owns improved real estate in Columbus Grove, and also a farm near this city, in company with his eldest son, Charles H. Jones. Mrs. Jones was born in Miami county, Ohio, on May 22, 1834, and was the daughter of William Hart. Her death occurred at her daughter's home in Chicago on March 18, 1891, leaving three children- one daughter and two sons. Mr. Jones is a member of the Presbyterian church of Colum- bus Grove, of which he is a trustee. After severing his connection with the schools as an educator, he served as president of the Colum- bus Grove board of education for two years and as a member of the board for three years.
RANK S. JONES, one of the rising young farmers of Monroe township, Putnam county, was born in Fayette county, Ohio, June 7, 1866. His great-grandfather, Moses Jones, came from Wales in early colonial days and settled in Virginia, and there his son, John Jones, grand- father of the subject of this sketch, had his nativity. John Jones married Miss Martha Shinholt, a native of Maryland, in which state liis marriage took place, and then moved to Hardy county (now West), Va., and for some years was there engaged in farming. From Virginia Mr. and Mrs. Jones came to Ohio and
located at first in Athens county, whence they moved to Fayette county, where the father passed the remainder of his life, the mother subsequently passing away in Mercer county, Ohio.
J. W. Jones, the father of our subject, was born in Hardy county, Va., June 7, 1839, and was reared to farmning pursuits. He married, first, Miss Keller, who bore one son, Keuser (deceased). He next married Hibernia Fifer, and to this union were born the following chil- dren: Frank S .; Ida M., widow of Albert Brentlinzer; Rosette, wife of William Adams; William, Fred, Cora, Pearl, Maud and Clyde. The second marriage of J. W. Jones took place in Fayette county,. Ohio, and twelve years after that event he came to Putnam county, in October, 1874, and settled in Monroe town- shi, where, as a democrat, he has served his fellow-citizens as township assessor. His be- loved helpmate here passed away July 1. 1887, and was deeply mourned by lier bereaved hus- band, children and numerous friends, whose love and respect she had won after becoming a resident of the townsliip.
Frank S. Jones, our subject, was reared to farming and has always followed agricultural pursuits, with the exception of four years he passed in mercantile trade in Continental, Ohio. His homestead comprises 160 acres of fertile land, all of which is well cultivated and improved in a manner to make farm life happy. In 1890 he married Miss Agnes Hall, who was born in Monroe township, Putnam county, Olio, April 20, 1867, a daughter of J. D. Hall. To Mr. and Mrs. Jones has been born one child -- Theodore E .- whose infantile pranks are a continuous source of amusement and interest to his parents. In politics Mr. Jones is a democrat, and under the auspices of that party served as the first city clerk of Conti- nental. In religion both Mr. and Mrs Jones are devoted members of the Christian church,
257
OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
of which Mr. Jones has been superintendent of the Sunday-school since sixteen years of age. Mr. Jones is also a member of Oakwood lodge, No. 737, I. O. O. F., and socially he and wife mingle with the best people of Mon- roe township. Mr. Jones, by his industry and judicious management of his property, has made rapid strides in the pursuit of a compe- tence, which he will surely acquire. He has won the confidence and respect of the com- munity, and bears a name that stands without a blemish.
ILLIAM JONES, one of the rising young farmers of Pleasant town- ship, Putnam county, was born in Fayette county, Ohio, March 2, 1870, and is a son of James W. and Hiberna (Fifer) Jones, natives of Virginia, but married in Illinois, where they resided two years, and then moved to Ohio. Here they located in Fayette county, where they lived until 1875, when they came to Putnam county, where Mr. Jones, a few years later, purchased a tract of wild land, which he cleared up and improved, and on which he still makes his home. The father of Mrs. Jones, John Fifer, a farmer and cattle dealer, came from Virginia to Ohio at a comparatively early day, and also pre- ceded Mr. Jones some years in his coming to Putnam county. He here cleared up a farm on which he passed the remainder of his days, having reared a family of ten children, viz: Silas, John, Ephraim, Richard, Joseph, Ange- line, Jane, Sallie, Bettie and Hiberna. He died some years since, at an unremembered date, and his wife followed him to the grave in the spring of 1895.
To the marriage of James W. and Hiberna Jones were born twelve children, of whom one died in infancy; the others were named Kenni-
son, who died at the age of twenty; Frank, William (our subject) and Frederick, all farm- ers; John C., at home; Ida, widow of Albert Brinklinger and the mother of one child; Etta, wife of William Adams, a farmer of Defiance county, Ohio; Cora, married to L. Gilts, also a farmer; Pearl, wife of Dan Range; Maud, at home, and Anna, who died at the age of four- teen years. The mother of these children was called to the home beyond in 1888, a consist- ent member of the Lutheran church, leaving, to mourn their loss, her loving husband and surviving children. The husband has now reached his fifty-sixth year, and is a highly honored citizen of Pleasant township, Putnam county.
William Jones, our subject, was reared, from the age of five years to manhood, in Put- nam county, and here received his schooling, and was early inured to the life of a farmer. March 18, 1894, he married Mrs. Elizabeth (Gettman) Pope, a widow, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, June 26, 1859, a daughter of Adam Gettman, one of the most substantial citizens of Pleasant township, whose biography may be found on another page of this volume. The first husband of Mrs. Jones was George Pope, who died September 26, 1892, leaving three children, viz: Francis A., born October 17, 1882; Almina, born June 26, 1884, and Jasper, born March 10, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Jones own a fine farm of 110 acres, improved with an elegant brick residence, a commodious barn and all necessary out-build- ings, wind-pump, and all the other modern conveniences pertaining to a model farm. It is desirably situated five miles north of Colum- bus Grove and about the same distance south of Ottawa, and under the skillful management of Mr. Jones is made to compare most favor- ably with, if not to excel, in productiveness, any farm of its size in the township, if not in the county.
258
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
J OSEPH JUSTICE, recorder of Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of the Buck- eye state, born January 27, 1846, in the county of Marion, being a son of John and Jane (Lloyd) Justice. His youthful years were passed amid the routine of farm labor, and in the common schools he acquired a good English education, such being his prog- ress that at the age of twenty he was suffi- ciently advanced to obtain a teacher's license. He taught the schools of Marion county for a period of about eight years, and in 1872 located at Columbus Grove, where for a short time he was employed as salesman in a dry- goods house. Subsequently he entered a drug store, where he clerked about one year, when he purchased an interest in the establishment, and continued the business with gratifying suc- cess at Columbus Grove until he removed his stock, in 1878, to Ottawa. He continued the business in the latter city until 1885, when he disposed of his stock, and opened a similar business at the town of Gilboa, where he con- tinued the trade for a period of four years, re- turning to Ottawa at the end of that time to take charge of the recorder's office, to which position he was elected in 1889. He has since discharged the duties of recorder in a most efficient manner and has proved himself not only a capable official but a most courteous and progressive citizen.
In March, 1891, Mr. Justice purchased a half-interest in a flouring-mill, at Columbus Grove, with which he is still identified, oper- ating the establishment in partnership with his father-in-law, E. Henderson, under the firm name of E. Henderson & Co. Mr. Justice expects to give his entire attention to manu- facturing at the expiration of his official term, and is already planning to enlarge his business by increasing the capacity of his mill. He was one of the incorporators of the Putnam County Abstract company of Ottawa, and for a num-
ber of years has been one of the leading demo- crats of the county, contributing largely to his party's success in many state and national contests. In addition to the office of recorder, Mr. Justice served two terms as mayor of Ottawa, having been elected in the years 1882, and 1884 respectively. He has also been the representative of his party in several congres- sional and judicial conventions, and at this time is a member of the executive committee for the county of Putnam. Fraternally, Mr. Justice belongs to the F. & A. M., having been made a Mason in 1869, at Marion, in lodge No. 70. He was the first master of Leipsic lodge, No. 548, and held the position for seven years; is also a member of Ottawa chapter, No. 115, Putnam council, No. 69, and belongs to the Eastern Star chapter, No. 28 Mr. Justice was married at Columbus Grove, Oc- tober 14, 1875, to Miss C. Irene Henderson, daughter of Eli and Melissa (Hall) Henderson. Mrs. Justice was born in the town of Gilboa, September 8, 1855, and has borne her hus- band three children, viz: Henderson Clair, born June 21, 1876 -- died September 5, 1883; Charles L., born November 26, 1880, and Joseph M., whose birth occurred May 31, 1884.
Mr. Justice's prternal ancestors were En- glish; and the mother belongs to an old Welsh family. John Justice, the subject's grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, and there mar- ried Elizabeth Foraker, who bore him three children -- William F., John and Rhoda, who married William Moses, of Brown county, Il. After her husband's death Mrs. Elizabeth Jus- tice brought her children to Ohio, settling near Circleville, and about 1813 removed to what is now Marion county. John Justice, father of Joseph, our subject, was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1805, accompanied his mother to Ohio, and died in the year 1870. By occupation, he was a farmer, and is remembered as a man of integrity and a substantial citizen His
259
OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
wife, Jane Lloyd, was born in Wales, Sep- tember 13, 1809, and came to America when nine years of age in company with her parents, David and Elizabeth Jones Lloyd, who settled in Delaware county, Ohio. Mrs. Justice was the mother of nine children, and departed this life May 29, 1892. The following are the names of the children of John and Jane Jus- tice: Elizabeth A., deceased, Sarah J., de- ceased; William F., deceased; Isabella P., wife of Samuel Luellen; John B., deceased; David L., now living in Casselton, North Dak .; Joseph; Thomas P., deceased, and Mary C., wife of John Shroat.
J OSEPH KERSTING, the popular gen- eral merchant of Glandorf, Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of Wurtem- berg, Westphalia, Germany, was born April 14, 1856, and is a son of Anthony and Catherine (Doering) Kersting, who died in Ger- niany, leaving five children, viz: Francis, who died in Germany; Frank, a retired contractor of Westphalia; Anthony was ordained a priest in the Franciscan order at Cincinnati, Ohio, is now known as father David, and is prelate of the theological school at Oldenburg, Ind .; Felix is a merchant tailor of Miamisburg, Ohio, and Joseph is the subject of this memoir.
Joseph Kersting attended the elementary schools of his native country until thirteen years of age, and then began working by the day; at fifteen years of age he went to Bologne and entered a wine and liquor house as bottle- washer, but in less thau eighteen montlis worked himself up to a position in the count- ing-room; two years later he went to Bonn, managed a business for a widow for ten months, and then, in 1874, he came to America, located iu Cincinnati, and for five months was em- ployed as a collector by a newspaper firm, next by Benling Bros., a Catholic book concern,
for a year, and then for a short time in the liquor business. The six and a half years fol- lowing he was book-keeper for a wholesale leather house, but the confinement was too wearing, and for two years following he trav- eled as salesman for a wholesale tailors' trim- mings house through northern Ohio, southern Michigan, the entire state of Indiana, and southwestern Illinois. A Philadelphia firm of- fering him better inducements, he accepted, and for four years traveled for this house over the same territory. He then came to Glan- dorf and embarked in his present business May 1, 1888, in partnership with Ignatius H. Kahle, the firm continuing until December 8, 1892, when Mr. Kersting succeeded as sole proprie- tor. He carries a line of general merchandise, as full and as well selected as any in the county, and his knowledge of the business, general tact and pleasant manners have brought him a suc- cess seldom equaled. He is by nature a pub- lic-spirited man, and has taken a decided stand in favor of public education-compulsory, if necessary-and much credit is due him for the part he has taken in elevating the Glandorf graded schools to the present state of efficiency. He is the founder of the Glandorf Building & Loan association, which is one of the strong- est organizations of the kind in the state, and is the present secretary of the concern. He is a stanch democrat, and his labors have been greatly conducive to the success of his party:
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.