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 36
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S QUIRE HIRAM MADDEN. - To the carly pioneers of Ohio, who in- vaded the unbroken wilderness in the effort to plant for themselves, their children and their children's children, a home on the rich virgin soil of this region, we owe much, for it is due to the impetus which they gave in those early days that Ohio has arisen to her present proud position as a great and glorious commonwealth. In this connection the name of Madden is widely known in the counties of Perry and Putnam, where the mem- bers of the family were among the early pio- neers.
Our subject is of Irish descent, and his paternal great-grandfather was an emigrant from England to America. His grandfather, Dennis Madden, was born in Maryland, and was a participant in the war of 1812. Ilis wife was formerly Miss Mary Butler, and to
them six children were born: Lewis, John B., Mary, Thomas H., Josiah and Julia A., all of whom are deceased. Dennis and Mary Madden lived in Virginia until 1815. when they removed to Perry county, Ohio, and en- tered 160 acres of land of the government. Here they passed the remainder of their days, . improving their farm home. The death of Dennis: Madden occurred in 1848 and his widow survived him ten years.
John B. Madden, our subject's father, was born in Fairfax county, Va., December 21, 1800. He married Miss Ruth Hall, who was born in Somerset county Pa., September 28. 1800. She was the daughter of Nathan and Catherine (Haskelrode) Hall, who came from Pennsyl- vania to Perry county, Ohio, in 1803. Our subject's father and mother were the parents of four children, named in order of birth as follows: Aaron B., deceased; Hiram, our subject; Amos, deceased; and Catherine, de- ceased, formerly wife of Eli Fickle. They came to Putnam county in 1853, and settled upon a portion of the farm now owned by our subject, obtaining it from the government. At that time there was not more than fifty acres of land cleared in the township, and their tract of fifty acres was entirely unbroken. The head of the household was compelled to go all over the township in order to secure enough help to raise their first log cabin. The un- broken forests abounded in all varieties of wild game, such as deer, wolves, bear, etc., and the family endured all of the hardships of pioneer life. The father was a Jacksonian democrat, and a man of influence in those early times. He died June 11, 1868, and the mother on September 11, 1883.
Hiram Madden was born in Perry county, Ohio, January 9, 1827, and was reared on the home farm, at the same time obtaining a good education for those days. He came .1 com- pany with his father to Putnam county, Ohio,
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in 1853, and secured the land from govern- ment, and owns the same to this day. He taught the first school in Monroe township, and for nearly a dozen years was a successful teacher, being considered an authority in those days on all educational matters. In the agri- cultural line he had the same experience as did his father, his land being new, and a large amount of hard labor being required to bring it into a proper stage of cultivation. As an instance of the wild character of the section at that time it might be mentioned that our sub- ject has stood upon the porch of his house and shot deer and other wild game. His farm is now a fine tract of land, containing 160 acres, with comfortable buildings and good equip- ments. Mr. Madden is a strong democrat of the old Jacksonian type, and in an early day was elected as the first justice of the peace of Monroe township, an office which he has filled in a satisfactory manner for twenty-four years. He has been elected to various other offices, which he has filled with great efficiency. With the exception of John Grant, he is the oldest pioneer now living in Monroe township, where the family name is familiar and honored.
Our subject was united in marriage, June 20, 1850, m Perry county, to Miss Catherine Davis, who is a native of Fayette county, Pa., born October 28, 1827, being the daughter of Hugh and Susanna (Etling) Davis, who were carly settlers of Perry county. Four children have been born to them, being in order of birthi as follows: Hugh B .; Sarah J., wife of C. W. Whitman; Catherine M., deceased; and John C., an attorney of Antwerp, Ohio.
J OHN MAIDLOW, late of Blanchard township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in England, February 11, 1812, and in 1820 was brought to America by his parents, who located in Baltimore, Md.,
but later returned to England, where the mother and one daughter died; the father then returned to Baltimore, bringing the surviving members of his family with hini, and resuming his trade of brick-laying. To his first marriage were born three children-John, Harry and the daughter mentioned above as having died in England. . To a second marriage, consum- mated in Baltimore, were born Mary : Mrs. Dr. Burdick, of Indiana), Georgia and Charles.
John Maidlow, the subject, was reared in Baltimore, Md., until fourteen years of age, when he came to Ohio, and in Knox county found employment among the farmers. In 1837 he came to Putnam county, and entered forty acres of land in Blanchard township, in section No. 17, and in the fall of the same year erected a cabin. In March, 1838, he brought his family (having married in Knox county); he added to his original purchase from time to time until he became the owner of 800 acres in one tract, erected a fine brick resi- dence, and became the most extensive culti- vator of the soil in the locality, as well as one of the foremost stock-breeders in the county. He was a very popular citizen, was a whig in his earlier days, but in 1856 became a demo- crat and served two terms as township trustee. He married Lucinda, daughter of William Dowde, and this prolific union resulted in the birth of fourteen children, of whom twelve reached the years of maturity, viz: James A. ; Elizabeth, now Mrs. N. Conine: Ann, wife of E. Sandel; Charles E .; William, deceased; Rebecca J., now Mrs. E. Buckland; Agnes, deceased wife of Thomas Wolford; Alice, wife of Robert Brooks; Alfred S., on the old home- stead; Putnam, of Ottawa, Ohio; Lenna, wife of George Huntzman, and Martha, married to HI. McDngall.
James A. Maidlow, the eldest of the chil- dren above enumerated, was born in Knox county, Ohio, September 16, 1836, and was
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but an infant when brought to Putnam county by his parents. He was reared to farming, as a matter of course, and was educated in the old log school-house of his earlier day. He assisted in the work on the old place until 1860, when he moved npon his own portion of the old farm, which portion then comprised forty acres-but he now owns and cultivates 420 acres, and has, beside, given three of his children forty acres each. His farm is well improved with all necessary buildings, and well stocked, and is a model in neatness and general appearance, giving every evidence of being cultivated under skillful and experienced management. In his politics Mr. Maidlow is a democrat, and as such has served as town- ship trustee; fraternally he is a member of Ottowa lodge, I. O. O. F.
Mr. Maidlow was united in the bonds of matrimony, March 19, 1860, to Miss Mary A., daughter of John Buckland, and this union has been blessed with eight children, as follows: Viola, wife of Jolin Nemeyer; Alva R .; Carrie, now Mrs. C. R. Sherwood; Hulda, married to Jackson Anderson; Lucinda, wife of Nathan Hickerson; Alice, wife of B. F. Conley; Mary E. and Fannie H. Mr. Maidlow and his in- teresting family constitute an important ele- ment in the refined social circles of Blanchard township, and Mr. Maidlow is recognized on all hands as being a gentleman of unswerving honor and unbending rectitude, and he enjoys the sincere esteem of all who have the happi- ness of knowing him.
EWTON H. MARCY .- This name is one familiar to everyone who resides in Hartsburg, Putnam county, Ohio, where Mr. Marcy has so many exten- sive business interests and is so closely identi- fied with the prosperity of the town. In fact, the founding of this prosperous village is due
entirely to the efforts of Mr. Marcy and his as- sociates, who came here in 1884 and estab- lished their business.
Roland Marcy, paternal gradfather of sub- ject, was a native of Berkshire county, Mass., where the whole of his life, was passed. Had- lock Marcy, the father of our subject, was also born in Berkshire county, where he was reared on a farm, securing a good common-school education. He was a participant in the war of 1812, and was a man of sterling worth of character. He was united in marriage to Miss Laura Strickland, also a native of Berkshire county, and the union was blessed by the birth of four children, the order of birth being as follows: Theresa, Royal, Adelia and Newton H. In their early married life they moved to Crawford county, where they lived on a farm for several years, and then removed to Lorain county, Ohio, in 1835. These were the early pioneer days, when the land was in its native state, and the log cabins of settlers few and far between. There the parents of our subject purchased seventy-five acres of new land and developed it into a good farm. They were. honest, hard-working people, who devoted their time to the making of a home and the care of their family. Both were devoat mem- bers of the Methodist church and highly re- spected people. In 1856 they sold their Lo- rain county property and moved to St. Croix county, Wis., where the father afterward died. The mother's death occurred in lowa.
Newton H. Marcy, our subject, was born in Lorain county, Ohio, June 18, 183;, and is of Scotch and Irish extraction. He lived upon the home farm until he reached the age of ten years, and then found employment in factories and mills of various kinds. Although he did not attend school after he was twelve years of age, nevertheless he obtained a good . amon- school education, and early in life developed that business acumen which has brought him
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success in his numerous enterprises. He was united in marriage in October, 1859, to Miss Esther Gott, who was born in Lorain county, Ohio, in May, 1839. She is the daughter of Peter and Mary (Pangborn) Gott, who were very early settlers of Lorain county, Mr. Gott being, by occupation, a substantial farmer of that section. Soon after his marriage our sub- ject moved to St. Croix county, where he en- gaged in the shingle and saw-mill business for six years, doing an extensive trade throughout Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. Mr. Marcy has, in fact, been engaged more or less in the lumbering business all of his life since maturity, and is well known in this branch. In 1884 he settled in Putnam county, Ohio, founded the town of Hartsburg, and has ever since worked for its growth and advancement. His busines partner was Mr. G. A. Whiting, whose inter- est he purchased several years since. From a financial standpoint our subject has been very successful, and he is now the owner of an ex- tensive store business, which supplies every- thing demanded by a farming community. In politics he is a republican, and fraternally he is a member of Oakwood lodge, No. 737, In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, having passed all of the chairs. He is a progressive citizen of Monroe township, and is highly esteemed. Mrs. Marcy is a consistent member of the Methodist church, and is a lady who possesses a wide circle of friends. To Mr. and Mrs. Marcy, four children have been born: Stella L., wife of J. W. Whiting; Willie, de- ceased; Carrie, wife of A. S. Henry, and Eddie, deceased.
..
ICHIAEL MARK .- In the subject at hand we have a valuable ex- unple of the efficiency of self-help, when accompanied by untiring in- dustry and integrity. The gentleman whose
name heads this sketch is largely the architect of his own fortune and almost unaided he has carved out a name and reputation to which we can point with pride. His ancestors, both paternal and maternal, were of good old Ger- inan stock, and the sturdy nature and charac- teristics of this race have been transmitted to our subject, as is clearly evidenced by the suc- cess which has met his efforts in the battle of life.
His father, George Mark, was born in Luxemburg, Germany, where, in his early manhood, he was united in marriage with Miss Opelania Poary, daughter of Henry Poary, the latter being also a native of Germany, who emigrated to this country, and for a number of years lived in Forest, Ohio, where he met hi death in a railroad accident. Not many years after the marriage of George and Ope- lania, they decided that America possessed possibilities for advancement which could not be enjoyed in the fatherland, and accordingly they came to this country. Their eldest child, a daughter, died upon the ocean voyage and her remains found a last resting place in the deep sea. They located at Tiffin, Ohio, where the father engaged in shoemaking dur- ing the winter months, finding employment as a butcher during the remainder of the year. They were identified with the early history of Ohio and witnessed the development of that country from a wilderness into a prosperous and thickly populated state. They lived, at various times, at Berwick, Defiance, and other points in the state. Politically Mr. Mark was a Jacksonian democrat, and religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Mark were adherents of the Catholic faith. Their children, in order of birth, were: Frank, Mary A., Nicholas and Michael.
Michael Mark, the subject of this sketch, was born at Berwick, Seneca county, Ohio, March 4, 1855. fle was nine years of age, only, when his mother died at Frenchtown,
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Ohio, and from that time he practically made his way unaided in the world. He managed to obtain a common-school education, and by untiring energy and perseverance attained to positions of trust and responsibility. For nine years he engaged in agricultural pursuits and then for a number of years he found occupa- tion in different branches of the railroad serv- ice. He was assistant car inspector for the Tuscarawas Valley railroad company, and was afterward a section foreman on the Chicago, Saint Paul & Minneapolis railway, being lo- cated at White Birch, Wis. He then returned to his native state and located at Kirby, Wyandot county, where he engaged in the stave business on his own account, and at the same time made contracts for railroad ties with the Pennsylvania lines. March 4, 1891, he came to Continental, Ohio, where, with the exception of six months passed as clerk in the mercantile business, he has since been in the employ of the Buckeye Stave company. He holds the responsible position of foreman, is paid a good salary, and has, by thrift and economy, become the possessor of a modern residence property, which has most comfort- able surroundings and equipments. He was first married at Forest, Ohio, April 2, 1876, to Miss Mary A. Roose, daughter of David Roose, and to them was born one daughter, Myrtle. Mrs. Mark died April 6, 1879, and June 21, 1880, our subject was, at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Taylor, born, March 2, 1856, a daughter of John and Chloe Taylor.
In politics our subject is an ardent republi- can and has always stood by the principles of that party. Although never seeking political preferment, he has, nevertheless, several times been called upon to fill public places of trust. At Kirby, Ohio, he was a member of the coun- eil of the city, and also acted as marshal of that place. He is a consistent member of the
Good Templdrs, and follows out the teach- ings of that order in his daily life. He is of an unassuming nature, but his convictions are firm ones, and his life's record shows lofty ideals of right and justice. Mrs. Mark is a member of the Methodist church, in the work of which she ever takes a deep interest.
J OHN LEWIS MARTIN, one of the substantial farmers of Jackson town- ship, was born in West Falirlen, Prus- sia, May 21, 1829. He is the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Steinhurst) Martm. His father was born in the same place in Prussia in 1792, where he received an education such as is usually given to German youths. He lived on a farm, where he worked hard until called to serve his three years in the army. Later on he fought under Blucher during 1812-14, when the great Napoleon was over- running all of Europe. He was with Blucher at the battle of Waterloo, when Napoleon was forced to give up the struggle.
In 1828 Henry Martin married Elizabeth. the daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth Stein- hurst, who died September 14, 1892, and De- cember 23, 1852, respectively. Elizabeth Mar- tin was born in the province of Hanover in 1800, and there she was educated. Eight years after their marriage, in November, 1836, the young couple came to America and located on forty acres of uncleared land, which the husband had entered in Greensburg township, Putnam county, Ohio. He toiled industriously until he had a farm cleared and a small log cabin with a dirt floor, in which they lived un- til their deaths. He died in September, 1844, a prominent member of the Catholic church, of which his wife was also a member. In politics he was a democrat. Four children blessed their union, named as follows: John Lewis, the subject of this memoir; Theodore,
Acematthias M.L.
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OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
who died in 1872; Catherine, the wife of Henry Rhode, a farmer near Delphos, and William, living in Missouri.
John Lewis Martin, the subject of this sketch, came with his parents from Germany and lived with them on the farm in Putnam county, and there received his education. About 1849 he went to work for Col. Ewing, of Gilboa, and remained with him four years, during which time he saved considerable money, with which he purchased a tract of 100 acres of land in Union township. On February 14, 1854, he married Agnes Feldt- inan, who was born in Glandorf, Putnam county, August 14, 1836. Her parents, Henry and Margaret (Bultman) Feldtman, were na- tives of Hanover, Germany, came to America and located in Glandorf, Putnam county, in 1834, and became members of the Glandorf Catholic church. After their marriage Mr. Martin and his young wife moved upon the land which he had purchased the year before. He cleared the land, which he continued to cultivate and improve until 1865, when he sold it for $2, 500, and purchased, for $4, 500, the 182-acre tract on which he now lives. This land was nearly all forest then, and he again set to work and soon had it cleared and in excellent condition, has added seventy more acres to it, and in 1874 built his present sub- stantial brick dwelling. He and his most esti- mable wife have been blessed with ten chil- dren, named John, William, Frank and Bar- ney, all four of whom are farmers in Jackson township; Mary, the wife of John Graft, a farmer in the same township; Annie, deceased; Annie, the wife of Fred Allemeir, a farmer of this township; Lewis, a farmer also living in this township; Joseph, farming in Jennings township, and Agnes, who still lives at home
Mr. Martin is a thoroughly self-made man, and has gained all he has by hard work. Ile has had quite a little experience in catching
criminals, having, unaided, brought to justice several horse thieves and rescued the horses for their owners. He is progressive and ener- getic, a prominent and public-spirited citizen, honored by all. In politics he is a democrat, and has been township treasurer for five years, and for a number of years has been school director. He and his entire family are con- sistent and faithful members of the Catholic church, and live well up to its teachings.
LBERT C. MATTHIAS, M. D., of Gilboa, Blanchard township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born May 19, 1844, in Stark county, Ohio, a son of Jacob .and Mary (Stambaugh) Matthias. His pater- nal great-grandfather, Daniel, was a native of Cumberland county, Pa., and was a son of Daniel, who came from Alsace-lorraine, Ger- many, prior to the Revolutionary war, in which he took an active part. He was married in Germany, but his son, Daniel. Jr., was born in Cumberland county, Pa. The latter was a United Brethren preacher and came to Ohio in 1806, settling in Nimishillin township, Stark county, two and a half miles from Louisville, Ohio. He passed his day's in preaching and farming, dying in 1867 and leaving the follow- ing family: Daniel, Michael, Catherine (Mrs. John Gilbert), Susannah (Mrs. Eshelman), Henry, Samuel, and Jacob.
Jacob Matthias, the father of the doctor, was born in Fayette county, Pa., whither the grandfather of the doctor had removed from Cumberland county, and in 1806 came to Ohio with his father to Stark county, where Jacob was reared to manhood. In 1849 Jacob moved from Stark county to Hancock county, and located on 220 acres of land in Blanchard township, where he remained until 1866, when he moved to Hillsbale, Mich .. where he died in 1880. His children were named as follows:
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Jessie L., who died in Michigan; Inlia, wife of Rev. B. F. Sholty, of Pioneer, Ohio; Susan, married to J. H. Hickerson; Henry H., of Montgomery, Mich; Lydia, widow of George D. Wickham; Dr. Albert C., our subject, and Frank, of Nebraska.
Dr. Albert C. Matthias received his pre- liminary education in the common schools of Hancock county, Ohio, and then engaged in clerking in McComb, in the same county. In 1861 he enlisted in company K, Sixty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, was veteranized Jan- uary 1, 1864, and served until February, 1865. He fought at Shiloh, Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Rocky Face Ridge (where he was complimented for bravery by Col. More of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio volunteers, and recom- mended for commission by Gen. C.G. Harker), and at Resaca, where he was shot in the right elbow, and was confined in Cumberland hos- pital, and at Nashville, Tenn., Jeffersonville, Ind., and Cleveland, Ohio, receiving his final discharge in February, 1865. While in the Cleveland hospital he attended a course of medical lectures, and after his return he at- tended school eight months, and then com- menced reading medicine with Dr. G. A. Dean, at McComb, was fully prepared for college, and after a due course of study graduated from the Western Reserve college (now the medical department of the Adelbert university) in Feb- ruary, 1869. He commenced practice in Git- boa, Ohio, and has been in constant practice there ever since.
The marriage of Dr. Matthias was solem- ized April 12, 1866, with Miss Eleanor Harris, daughter of Robert Harris, of Leipsic, Ohio. The lady, however, was born in England. This marriage has been blessed by the birth of Alva C., now in the drug business at Gilboa; Everett HI., in the same trade at the same place; Mary M., wife of Dr. M. A. Darby-
shire, of Ottawa, Ohio, and Edward S., attor- ney at law, Van Wert, Ohio. Dr. Matthias is independent in politics, but has filled vari- ous public offices, including those of mayor of Gilboa, member of the council, member and president of the school board, treasurer and president of the board of United States exam- ining surgeons, etc. He is a member of the Lindsay post, No. 75, G. A. R., at Gilboa, and was post commander for eight years of Ottawa lodge, F. & A. M., and also Ottawa chapter, R. A. M., Putnam council, R. & S. M., and Gilboa lodge, No. 459. 1. O. O. F; also of the Northwestern Medical society of Ohio, and of the State Medical association, and has been president of the county society. In 1884, the doctor was appointed medical director for the G. A. R. of Ohio, and from 1890 to 1895 was A. D. C. on the staff of the national commander. He was a delegate from Ohio to the national encampment of the G. A. R., at Boston, in 1890, and was the delegate to represent his regiment at Chattanooga in the Chickamauga battle field to dedicate the na- tional park, in September, 1895.
MERY MATHILE is one of the sub- stantial and successful farmers of Mon- roe township, Putnam county, Ohio, and was born in sunny France, where his ancestry, both paternal and maternal, is to be traced. His paternal grandfather, Daniel Mathile, was a machinist by trade, and also served in the army of France, under Napoleon, during the French revolution. The father of our subject, Paul Mathile, was also born in France, and was apprenticed to the family trade -- that of machinist. That he possessed great aptitude in this direction is evidenced by the fact that he became a master mechanic and overseer of many men, and that at one time he found occupation in Germany as an
.
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OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
overseer in extensive paper-mills there. His carecer also included a military experience of five years, during which time he served as a soldier in the French army. He married Adell Vincent, who, as the daughter of Daniel and Madeline (Mateo) Vincent, was born in France, April 26, 1805, Daniel Vincent also having been a soldier under Napoleon. Paul and Adell Mathile lived in France and Ger- many until 1845, when they emigrated with their children to America, making the voyage in a sailing vessel, which was thirty-one days on the ocean. They first located in New York city, but six months later removed to Colum- bus, Ohio, and this state afterward became their permanent home. The father bought a farm of thirty acres, upon which he was living at the time of his death, in 1851, and there the mother continued to reside until our sub- ject, Emery, settled upon the farm at present owned by him. Then the beloved mother made her home with her son until her death, January 6, 1887. The union of Paul and Adell Mathile was blessed by the birth of four children: Flora, wife of Frank Gastinger; Charles L. ; Emery, our subject, and Caroline, wife of Anthony Sage, -the eldest daughter, Mrs. Gastinger, being now deceased.
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