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 6
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Pope have built up a large and lucrative busi- ness in Ottawa and Putnam county, and in addition to dealing in furniture give consider- able attention to undertaking and embalming. carrying a full and complete line of goods per- taining to that business.
Mr. Crawfis is one of the progressive men of Ottawa, and has been untiring in looking after the city's interest as a member of the common council, in which he has been the means of promoting much important munici- pal legislation. He is a member of the F. & A, M., belonging to Ottawa lodge, No. 325, Ottawa chapter, No. 115, and Putnam council, No. 69; he also belongs to the K. of P., being a charter member of Ottawa lodge, No. 565. Mr. Crawfis was married December 14, 1881. to Miss Harriet E. Darling, daughter of Vin- cent and Margaret Darling, of Putnam county. Mrs. Crawfis was born in Pleasant township. September 7, 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Crawfis are the parents of four children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Joel D., Sep- tember 3, 1882; Earl D., September 15, 1883; Ralph E., October 6, 1885, died Feb- ruary 17, 1887, and Julius R., whose birth occurred July 4, 1890.
J OHN M. CRAWFORD, the oldest and leading hardware merchant, of Column- bus Grove, Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of the state, having been born in Delaware county, November 2, 1841. He is the son of Calvin C. and Elizabeth (Mosses) Crawford, both of whom were natives of Marion county, Ohio, the father having been born in 1818 and the mother in 1820. They were married in Marion county in 1839, and m a few years returned to Delaware county. Iu 1849 they removed to Brown county, Ill . where they resided on a farm, and where. about 1850, the father died. Ilis widow and
six children continued to reside in Illinois until 1858, when she retuned to Marion county, Ohio. In 1864 she removed to Henry county, Ohio, and in about 1870 she was there married to John Knapp, a farmer of that county, and Mrs. Knapp is still living. There were seven children born to the parents, one of whom died young. The six surviving chil- dren are as follows; Dorcas, married to Dr. E. T. Martin, son of Rev. Wilson Martin; she is now a widow, residing at Napoleon, Ohio; John M .; William H., enlisted in the Tenth regiment of Ohio cavalry, and died at St. Louis, Mo .; DeWitt C., resides in Henry county. Ohio, where he is farming; Alletta M., wife of Henry Russell, lives at Liberty Center, Henry county, Ohio; Lawrence L. resides in Custer county, Nebr., where he is practicing medicine.
John M. Crawford was reared on farms in Illinois and Ohio, and attended the com- inon district schools, acquiring only a moder- ate education. He remained at home with his mother, working on the farm, until he reached his twentieth year and then was mar- ried. In the fall of 1863 he removed to Henry county, Ohio, where he purchased sixty acres of land in Liberty township. This land was in the woods, wholly without improvements. He located on the land and began clearing it, and as fast as he cleared he planted. In 1872 he rented his farm and came to Column- bus Grove, and engaged in the dry-goods busi- ness with Wilson Martin and Joseph Justice, under the firm name of W. Martin & Co. ; six months later Mr. Martin withdrew, and Messrs. Crawford & Justice continued the business for about one year, when they traded ont to T. M. Day. Mr. Crawford then engaged in the grocery and bakery business in Columbus Grove, continuing in that business for about one year. He next engaged in the livery business for about three morths, following
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which he entered the drug business, continu- ing in that line for about ten years. In 1880 he entered the hardware business in partner- ship with George Arnold, who was succeeded by John Light in about nine months. About a year and a half later Mr. Light was suc- ceeded by D. M. Foltz, and the firm of Craw- ford & Foltz continued for about seven years, at the expiration of which time (in 1890) Mr. Crawford sold out to Mr. Foltz. One month later he purchased the hardware stock of Norris Killen, since which the he has been in business by himself in his present stand on the corner of High and Sycamore streets. For about seven years Mr. Crawford was engaged in the saw-mill business with G. S. Gander, under the firm name of Crawford & Co., they operating and owning mills at Columbus Grove, Ottawa, Avis and Pandora, owning those at at the last three places at the same time. In January, 1894, Mr. Crawford purchased an in- terest in the pine lumber business in Column- bus Grove, the firm becoming that of Palmer & Crawford, and this interest he now owns. In June, 1895. he purchased the Columbus Grove machine shops, which he is now operating. Sep- tember 7, 1895, Mr. Crawford purchased an in- terest in the Exchange bank, of Columbus Grove, with W. Martin as vice-president.
September 15, 1861, Mr. Crawford was married to Miss Sarah A., the daughter of Rev. Wilson Martin, and to this union for children have been born, as follows; William L., born in Marion county, July 17, 1862; he is now in the drug business in Columbus Grove; Minnie E., born in September, 1864, now Mrs. Henry F. Light, of Columbus Grove; Dilla E., now Mrs. E. E. Mclaughlin, of Columbus Grove; Wilson M., born September 24, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and no family stands higher in the es- teem of the community in which they live.
EVI CRAWFORD, the subject of this review, is one whose ancestral history has been of long identification with that of the Buckeye state, while he himself has been conspicuously concerned with the noble art of husbandry in the township and county which figure as the place of his birth. He is now living in retirement at Kalida, and is well deserving of representation in this vol- ume. Mr. Crawford was born on the 14th of January, 1845, in Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, being the son of Hugh and Nancy (Henderson) Crawford, the former of whom was a native of the old Keystone state, where he was born on the 21st of November, 1825, his father having been a native of the Emerald Isle. The latter came to America in his youth and settled in Pennsylvama, where he became identified with agricultural pur- suits. In politics he was a democrat until the organization of the republican party The father of our subject was reared to farm life, and in his youth came with his parents to Mus- kingmin county, Ohio, where they purchased a farm and brought it into a fine state of culti- vation. Hugh Crawford received In- educa- tion in the public schools of Muskingum county, and remained in that section until he attained mature years. Or the 8th of April, 1831, hic led to the marriage altar Miss Nancy Hender- son, who was born on October 12, 1809. Of the children of this union we make record as follows: William H. is a resident of Michigan; Robert is a farmer of Putnam county, Ohio; Alonzo, engaged in farming in Hancock county; Charles died in infancy; Hugh died September 26, 1877: Albert died in childhood; Levi, the immediate subject of this sketch; Samantha died at the age of seven years; John G., a farmer in Union township, and Lina A., wife of C. S. Burt.
After his marriage Hugh Crawford located in Allen county, where he continued to abide
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OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
until 1887, which year represents his advent in Putnam county, where he purchased a farm and also engaged in the real estate business; later he sold this original purchase and bought another farm one-half mile away, and located in the same township. In his political ad- herency he was a stanch supporter of the re- publican party, taking an active interest in public affairs of a local nature. He was town- ship trustee for a number of years, and was held in the highest esteem in the community. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, in which faith he died on the 30th of March, 1877. His wife was born in Pennsylvania, whither her parents had come from the north of Ireland. She came to Muskingum county, Ohio, in her youth, and was there reared and educated, her marriage also being celebrated in that county. She was a member of tha Pres- byterian church, and she did not long survive her husband, her death occurring on the 13th of October, 1888. Two of their sons, William H. and Alonzo, did valiant service in the late war of the Rebellion. William H. enlisted for a period of three months as a member of the Twenty-first regiment Ohio volunteer in- fantry, and later served until the end of the war in the cavalry; Alonzo served three months in the Twenty-first regiment.
Levi Crawford, the immediate subject of this review, was reared in Putnam county, re- ceiving his preliminary educational training in the primitive log school-house in his native township, and supplementing this instruction Ly attending school in Kalida for one term. November 19, 1868, he was united in marriage to Susan Strain, daughter of Hugh and Sarah (Ewing) Strain, and to this union five children were born: Mrs. Erna Jones, born August 16, 1869, died May 16, 1891; Nancy A. is the wife of T. C. Ilicks, of Kalida; one daughter died in infancy. Rosa Clyde is the wife of L. Kline, a prominent merchant of Kalida, and Harry E.
remains at home and is attending school. Mrs. Crawford was born in Putnam county, May 28, 1844, was educated in the public school, and in her youth identified herself with the Presby- terian church. Her father, who was born in Ireland in 1798, emigrated with his parents to Pennsylvania, in which state occurred his mar- riage to Sarah Ewing. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, and in his political views originally supported the democratic party, but later became an ardent republican; he died on the 2d of March, 1888; his wife, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Ewing, was born in Scotland in 1799, came with her parents to Pennsylvania in her youth, and was there reared to maturity, being a member of the Presbyterian church. She became the mother of the following children, viz: Marga- ret, widow of Thomas Todd, resides in Leipsic; Amanda, wife of J. Bennett, a farmer of Tay- lor county, Iowa; Julia, wife of B. S. Ramsey, a carpenter of Leipsic, Ohio; Susan, wife of onr subject; Lemuel, farmer of Taylor county, Iowa. The mother died May 13, 1867.
After his marriage our subject located in Kalida, where he remained for six years, being engaged in farming. In 1874 he removed to Henry county, where he engaged in the gro- cery business in the village of Deshler. There he remained two years, disposing of his inter- ests in 1876, and returning to his farm in Put- nam county, where he continued to abide for four years. In 1880 he disposed of his farm, and bought the old parental homestead, where the family continued to remain until 1890, in which year Mr. Crawford disposed of this place and removed to Kalida, where he since has been retired from active business. Mr. Crawford is a stanch supporter of republican principles, is a man of genial disposition and utmost integrity, is liberal and public spirited, and enjoys a distinctive popularity in the com- munity. Mrs. Crawford is a member of the
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Presbyterian church. Their granddaughter, Bertha Mabel Jones, born February 10, 1891, sheds brightness in the family circle.
J AMES W. CRITTEN, one of the well- known farmers of Pleasant township, Putnam county, Ohio, and one of the three trustees of said township, was born on the farin where he now lives, on Feb- ruary 19, 1849. He is a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Lake) Critten, both of whom were born in Licking county, Ohio, and were pio- neers of Putnam county. When Daniel Crit- ten and his wife came to Pleasant township, there was but one house in Columbus Grove, that being a log house, in which Capt. Fritchie kept hotel. Daniel Critten purchased eighty acres of land, the same being the farm of our subject, which is in section No. 20, one and a quarter miles northwest from Columbus Grove. When he purchased the land it was all covered with timber, and he began to clear it, but by mistake got off his land, and before he found it out had cleared five acres of an adjoining traet and built his log house on it. The country was all timber then, and was full of game. Wolves also were plenty, and Mr. Critten had to pen his sheep up under his honse, at night, to keep them from being killed. He lived on his farm until 1879, when he moved to Columbus Grove, where he lived the remainder of his life, dying in July, 1889, in his eighty-first year, a member of the Christian church. His widow lives in Cohim- bus Grove, she now being in her eighty-fifth year, and also a member of the Christian church. To these parents eight children were born, as follows: Ashford, now a citizen of Pulaski county, Ind .; Eliza, deceased wife of William Bogart; Isaac, deceased, leaving a widow; Elizabeth, now the wife of Frank l'ate, of Columbus Grove; Daniel, now a citi-
zen of Findlay, Ohio; Mary, died in infancy; Dorcas, now the wife of Louis Bushong, of Columbus Grove; and James W., our subject.
James W. Critten was reared on his father's farm, and attended the district schools. He remained on the farm until about 1870, when he came to Columbus Grove and for nine years was in a planing mill, part of the time having an interest in the same. In 1879 he returned to the home farm, where he has since remained. He was married on April 18, 1865, to Alwilda Petit, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, on August 16, 1851. Her parents are John and Jane (Severus) Pettit, the former of whom was born in Beaver county, Pa , April 10, 1829, and the latter in Coshocton county, Ohio, on June 8, 1832. They were married on April 24, 1849, and came to Coinbus Grove in 1854, where they now reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Critten the following e aldren have been born: Alma Irene, born June 4, 1871, and married to Samuel Barnt, who was born in Allen county, Ohio, and is the son of Henry and Delila (Stalter) Barnt; Leo Hanora, born November 17, 1874, now wife of J. E. Stemen; Lillie M,, born December 9. 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Critten and family are members of the Christian church. All his life M: Crit ten has been a democrat, and he has been quite prominent in his township. In the spring of 1890 he was elected trustee of Pleas- ant township for three years, and was re- elected, his second term being for the same length of time.
S TEPHEN CROW, a native of Cohim- biana county, Ohio, was born March 18, 1826, and in 1835 was brought to Putnam county by his parents, of whom mention will be made in full in a para- graph below. In this then wilderness. when
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Stephen Crow
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OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
there were but few settlers in the neighbor- hood, or, indeed, in the county, our subject was reared to manhood, aiding in developing the land his father had purchased in the wild- wood, and converting it into a fertile farm. He also assisted in other ways in fitting the country for the abode of civilized beings, the forest at that time swarming with wild game and filled with all prevailing malaria, but des- titute of roads or anything else that might add to the comfort or use of man. Ottawa at that time consisted of two dwellings, a small hotel and a still smaller store; the nearest mill was at Findlay, thirty miles distant, and to get to market what little surplus wheat the few set- tlers raised, they built small flat-boats, which they floated down the Blanchard and Auglaize rivers to Fort Defiance, where it was exchanged for salt, groceries and other necessaries.
Stephen Crow is the seventh of ten chidren born to James and Elizabeth (Moreland) Crow. The father, James Crow, was born in Washing- ton county, Pa., and the mother in Virginia. Both were brought when young to Ohio by their parents, who settled in Columbiana county at different periods, and there James and Elizabeth grew to maturity and were mar- ried. James Crow, the father, was reared to blacksmithing and farming, took great interest in public affairs, for several terms was a jus- tice of the peace, and also filled many minor township offices. Both he and wife were members of the Christian church, in the faith of which the father died, in Greensburg, Ohio, about the year 1865, his wife dying about the. year 1875. Of the ten children born to these parents, seven grew to maturity, as follows: Nancy, married to John Neill, but both now deceased: Abraham, who died in Putnam county, leaving four children; fason, a farmer of Wilhems county; W. R., who at his death left behind him five children: Lydia, who was married t . H. Brower and died the mother of
eight children; Stephen, the subject of this sketch, and Elizabeth, widow of John Bow- man, and the mother of seven children.
Stephen Crow, our subject, after the death of his father, had full charge of the home farm in the interest of all concerned until lie became sole heir thereof. In 1875 he bought his pres- ent farm, and to this tract of 160 acres he has added until he now owns 260 acres, of which 175 acres are nicely cultivated. Since com- ing to Riley township, he has sold the old homestead and now devotes his entire atten- tion to the cultivation of his own homestead and adjacent farms. The marriage of Stephen Crow took place in the fall of 1848 to Miss Elizabeth Fritz, who was born July 16, 1827, a daughter of John and Fannie (Shelby; Fritz, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Putnam county, Ohio, in 1835. John Fritz, the father of Mrs. Crow, was both a farmer and carpen- ter, and in the latter capacity for a long time was the coffin-maker for the neighborhood. Being very unfortunate in the loss of his wife and a number of his elder children, he passed the declining years of his life at the home of our subject, dying about the year 1875. a de- voted member of the Mennonite church. The children born to the happy umon of Stephen and Elizabeth Crow were eight in number and are named as follows: Mary M., wife of Louis Towslay, a farmer of Putnam county; William J., with his parents; James M. mar- ried Mary Agner, by whom he has one child; Isaac S., farmer, married Lula Branner, by whom he has one child; Fannie, wife of War- ren Dice, farmer; Elias, also a farmer, who married Rennie Climer and has two children; Sarah, wife of James Agner, and Thomas S., at home, who married Elva Scheib, by whom he has three children. Mr. C ww and his wife are members of the Christian church and in politics he is a populist. He is greatly res- pected as a citizen and his sterling inte arity as
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an individual has won him the friendship, true and deep, of all who have become acquainted with him.
J OSEPH T. CROW, one of the young and enterprising farmers of Palmer township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Greensburg township, same county, Jannary 21, 1851. He has been an agriculturist all his life, and has met with the success that naturally attends industry and careful management. He is a son of Miles and Lena (Schmidt) Crow, a short biograph- ical sketch of both of whom is here introduced.
Miles Crow is a son of Abraham and Sarah (Thompson) Crow, the former of whom was a son of Abraham Crow, who was of English extraction and a native of Washington county, Pa. The Crow family were brilliant lights in the old Covenanter church of Pennsylvania in the earlier days, and many of the same family are still prominent people in Washington and Butler counties, Pa. Abraham Crow removed to Columbiana county, Ohio, at an early day, and there he reared the following children: Thomas, William, Abraham, Jesse, James, John, Amy, Pattie, and Rachel.
Abraham Crow, the third son of Abraham Crow, was born in Washington county, Pa., and removed with his parents to Columbiana county, Ohio. Though a native of Pennsyl- vania yet he lived at different times in both Washington county, that state, and m Colum- biana county, Ohio, to which the family had moved, until 1834, when he removed to Put- Dam county, Ohio, and there entered 160 acres of land in section No. 12, Greensburg township. Later he purchased 165 acres in section No. 9, and these two pieces of land he cleared sufficiently to convert into a good farm, and there spent the remainder of his life, rear- mg a family of the following children. John,
Rachel (now Mrs. William Ayers), Eliza (Mrs. Alfred Thompson), Milton, Matilda, Mahala (Mrs. David Baird), Joseph T., Syl- vanus, Miles, Minerva (Mrs. Jackson Brower), Addison and Reason The mother of these children was a descendant of the Thompson family of Loudoun county, Va , and families of the same descent are leading ones of wes- tern Pennsylvania at the present day.
Miles Crow, the ninth child of the above family, and father of subject, was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, Angust 21, :825. In early life he was the proprietor of an ashery, but otherwise he has during his entire life been a farmer. He is a republican m poi- itics, and is an honored member of the com- munity in which he has resided for so many years, and at the present time and for years past he is and has been a shining light in the Christian or Disciples' church He married Miss Lena Schmidt, who was born in Medina county, Ohio, April 10, 1829, and is a daugh- ter of John and Barbara (Buzzard) Schmidt. To this marriage there were born four children, as follows: Joseph T., the subject of this sketch; Mary M .; Sarah B. and John P. The mother of these children was called to her final home in July, 1863, leaving, to mourn their loss, her husband and the four children, who were still too young to be left without a mother's guidance and tender care.
Joseph T. Crow received a good common- school education and an excellent training as an agricnlturist. On February 22, 1878, he was married to Sophia E. Meyers, who was born in Greensburg township, December 7, 1854, and is a daughter of Joseph P and Elizabeth (Shank) Meyers, who came from Maryland in 1832, settled in Greensburg town- ship, and stood well among the earliest of the pioneers. To the marriage of Joseph T. and Sophia E. Crow there have been bord right children, as follows: Ammon, Ada B., Eliza-
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JOSEPH DARLING.
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OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
beth, Mary, Harry, Fannie, Atley and Joseph. Soon after his marriage Mr. Crow settled on his present farm of eighty acres, and upon this farm he has made most of the improvements. The soil is very fertile and his place is one of the most attractive as well as one of the most productive in the township. Besides his farm Mr. Crow owns a threshing machine and saw- mill, and in every respect is one of the most enterprising young men in the township. All he owns he has made by his own efforts, in- dustrious habits, and judicious investment. In everything pertaining to the promotion of the welfare of the community he is one of the most public-spirited young men in his county, and in local politics he is quite prominent. He has held the office of township trustee and some of the other minor local offices within his party's gift. In religious matters he is a member of the Disciples' church, and is active in church work. He is a deacon of his church and for six years has been superintendent of the Sunday-school. In his wife he has a most helpful and admirable partner, she never failing to aid him in his work and to do all possible to further his interests; and the result is as it should be, that they two now enjoy a comfortable competence, well, though ardu- ously, earned. Both possess to an unusual degree the confidence and esteem of the entire community in which they live.
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J OSEPH DARLING, of Riley township. Patnam county, is a native of Richland county, Ohio, was born July 9, 1818. and was reared to agricultural pursuits. His parents were Jonathan P. and Catherine (Butter) Darling, natives of Virginia. Jona- than P. Darling was a soldier in the war of 1812, and soon after the close of that struggle came to Ohio and located in Richland county, where he followed his vocation of farming un-
til his death, at the age of seventy-one years. He was a devout member of the Lutheran church, and the father of the following chil- dren: Robert, deceased; Joseph, the subject of this sketch; Rebecca, who died unmarried; Squire, a resident of Putnam county; Abigail, who died single; Vincent, who died, leaving a family of seven children; Sophia; Aditha, who was married to Matthew Alexander, became the mother of a family and died in Indiana; John P., residing on the old homestead.
Joseph Darling, our subject, was an able assistant to his father on the home farm until 1843, when he settled in Hancock, Ohio, where he resided until 1844. He then purchased 160 acres of land in section No. 4. Riley township, county of Putnam, Ohio, upon which he has since, resided and which he has brought to its present high state of cultivation. H's mar- riage occurred in 1840 to Miss Sophia Groff, a daughter of Joseph Groff, who was a native of Pennsylvania, of German descent, a farmer, and was the father of eleven children, who were born in the following order: Elias, Pola- tus, Eli, Julia A., Sophia (wife of Mr. Darling), David, Emeline, Christina, Fiatta, Caroline and James. To the union of Joseph and Sophia Darling have been born seven children, viz: Elias, who was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, was " taken by the insolent foe " and incarcerated in Libby prison, where he died with the sinall-pox; Abigail, the second child, is the widow of Volney O Gaustrander, who was a chemist by profession, served through the late war, and after marriage car- ried on farming until his death, which took place Jannary 25, 1885, leaving to the care of his widow three children; the third child born to onr subject bore the name of Catherine E., and died young; the fourth, Sophia A., was also taken away in childhood; Jonathan, the fifth child, is now in the hardware business at Gilboa, Ohio; the sixth and - venth, Joseph
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