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 8
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tial buildings, as he has done as much in the way of building up the town as any other one citizen. He erected what is known as the Day block, located on the corner of Main and Syc- amore streets, which is a large two-story brick structure, the largest probably in town, con- taining a number of store-rooms and offices, and also a first-class opera house. He also owns the New Grove House hotel property on Sycamore street and one of the finest resi- dences in the town, also located on Sycamore street. When Columbus Grove was first in- corporated Mr. Day was chosen its first treas- urer, a position he held for ten years or more. Ile has also served as a member of the coun- cil and on the school board, and one term as treasurer of Pleasant township. In religion Mr. Day is a member of the Presbyterian church; as a republican in politics, he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in his second candidacy for president of the United States.
IRAM M. DAY, M. D., a native of Putnam county, Ohio, was born March 11, 1854, and is a son of Dr. Hiram and Harriet (Pierce) Day, who were respectively born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1816, and in Kent county, England, July 4, 1822.
Dr. Day's father, Dr. Hiram Day, by his first marriage, had born to him six children, named as follows: Almira R., married to A. G. Anderson; Mary C., wife of Martin T. Parke; Lacy A., wife of S. P. Krohn; Hiram M., our subject; Edward, M. ; and William O. To his second marriage, which was with Mrs, Mary Bushong, Hiram Day became the father of one daughter, Electa, who is the wife of Thos. Grafton. Dr. Hiram Day came to Put- uam county when he was a young man twenty- four years old and began the practice of medi- cine in Pendleton (now Pandora), and there 7
continued up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1890. He endured the hardships incident to the life of a pioneer physician and was an honor to his profession. He was one of the first three doctors to practice in Putnam county.
Dr. Hiram M. Day was educated in the common and normal schools, clerked for a short season, and then commenced reading medicine with his father, thus preparing him- self for a proper course of scientific study. Mr. Day passed the years of 1878, 1880 and 1881 in the Western Reserve Medical college of Cleveland, Ohio, and when graduated com- menced the practice of his profession at Pan- dora. He has built up a most excellent and remunerative practice, and was in a short time enabled to lay out two additions to the village of Pandora.
The marriage of Dr. Hiram M. Day. the subject of this mention, took place May 14, 1885, to Miss Jessie A. Ayres. born October 11, 1861, daughter of Samuel D. and Ann A. (Myres) Ayres. Samuel D. Ayres wis a native of Stark county, Ohio, came to Putnam county with his parents in 1852, became a merchant of Kalida and fully identified with the business and public interests of the county, and died, a prominent and well-known citizen, in the year 1880, aged forty-six years. He served in the war of the Rebellion as lieuten- ant in company I, Ninety-ninth Ohio volun- teer infantry.
The children born to Samnel D. Ayres and wife were five in number, and were named Samuel N :; Florence M., wife of F. A. Lorenz; George L .; Lloyd C., and Jessie A., wife of our subject. The maternal grand- mother of Mrs. Day bore the maiden name of Margaret Hardin; was wedded to Sammel Myres, and was the first white woman mar- ried in Putnam county. Her husband, Sam- uel Myres, was a pioneer from Baltimore Md.,
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and assisted in surveying the town of Kalida, and also built the first grist-mill in Putnam county. The children born to Dr. H. M. Day and wife are as follows: Gertrude Amelia, born March 17, 1886; and Arthur Hiram, born February 1, 1890. Fraternally the doctor is a Freemason and a Knight of Pythias. In pol- itics he is a republican and takes a deep inter- est in public affairs, but has never sought pub- lic office. As a physician he stands in the foremost rank of his profession.
J ACOB DEFFENBAUGH, a highly re- spected and experienced farmer of Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, August 2, 1833, was reared to farm pursuits until of age, and then learned carpentering. In 1858 he married Susanna Clevenger, who died in July, 1860; in 1861 he enlisted in the Twenty-first Ohio volunteer infantry for three months, and served in West Virginia, but took part in no battle. He was honorably dis- charged, at the expiration of his term, at Co- lumbus, Ohio, and returned home. In the fall of 1864 he married Mary M. Darbershire, daughter of Jesse Darbershire, who was born in Pennsylvania of English descent, came to Ohio, when young, with his parents, who set- tled in Medina county. Later Mr. Darber- shire moved to Clinton county, was there mar- ried, and in 1845 came to Putnam county, became prominent as a farmer, and died August 14, 1894, the father of eight children. His widow is now nearly seventy years of age and still clings to the faith of her husband that of the Christian church.
John Deffenbaugh, father of our subject, and his wife, Annie ( Parshall) Deffenbaugh, were both natives of Fayette county, Pa., where they were married about 1832, lived
two years thereafter in Fairfield county, Ohio, and then came to Putnam county, where the father entered 160 acres, cleared up a farm and continued to add to it until he became quite wealthy. He lost his wife March 17, 1875, and his second marriage took place in May, 1879. By the first marriage there were born nine children; to the second union there was no issue. The eight were named Nancy, deceased wife of George L. Evans; Jacob, our subject; William, who died at the age of one year; Joseph, Albert G., Lewis, Amanda A., wife of John A. Mckinley; Emma J., mar- ried to S. H. Keirns. and John H. The mar- riage of Jacob and Mary M. Deffenbaugh has been blessed by the birth of four children, viz: Olive M., married to B. G. Ford, died in Jan- uary, 1895, leaving four children; Lydia is married to A. M. Heidlebaugh, school-teacher and farmer; Milton S .. tile manufacturer and farmer, and Jessie E., yet at home.
Jacob Deffenbaugh, immediately after his second marriage, bought the 160 acres of land on which he still lives, but which was then all timber; he engaged in farming, and also in run- ning a saw-mill for four years; after a thne he sold eighty acres of his land, retaining eighty, of which sixty are in a good state of cultiva- tion, and improved with substantial buildings, orchards, etc. He and family are held in high repute by their neighbors and fellow-citizens generally, and the good name left by his father and which has been fully maintamed by our subject, is also a factor in the great re- spect in which the latter is held. John, the father, served six years as county auditor, making his home in Ottawa, but died on his homestead January 14 1886 As a democrat he filled many offices of honor and profit, besides that of anditor, among others that of justice for twenty-seven consecutive years, besides serving many years as county comuns sioner.
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J OSEPH DEFFENBAUGH, a substan- tial farmer of Union township, Put- nam county, Ohio, was born here October 22, 1837, a son of John and Annie (Parshall) Deffenbaugh, pioneers of Put- nam county, who settled here in 1835.
John Deffenbaugh, father of our subject, was born in Fayette county, Pa., October 26, 1806. Jacob, the father of John, was also a native of the Keystone state, of German par- entage; was a farmer and blacksmith, and in religion, a Presbyterian. John also learned to be a blacksmith, although he was reared on a farm. June 28, 1829, he married Annie Par- shall, who was born in Pennsylvania, March 22, 1811, a daughter of Elias Parshall, who was a native of New York-his wife of Penn- sylvania. The latter died when her daughter Annie was a child. Annie was reared by a step-mother, was married in Pennsylvania, and died in Putnam county, Ohio, March 17, 1875, a member of the Baptist church. To the marriage of John and Annie Deffenbaugh were born nine children in the following order: Mrs. Nancy Evans, deceased; Jacob, a farmer of Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, Ohio; William, who died at one year of age; Joseph, the subject of this sketch; Albert G., farmer; Amanda, wife of John Mckinley; Lewis M., farmer; Emily J., wife of Samuel H. Carnes-all four 'residents of Sugar Creek township- and John H., of Jennings town- ship. After marriage John Deffenbangh re- mained in his native state about three years, and in 1833 came to Ohio and for two years red in Fairfield county; in 1835 came to Put- nam county and entered 200 acres of land in Sugar Creek township, a part of which Joseph, our subject, still owns. Here John unloaded his household goods in a deep wildwood and sheltered his family as best he could until a primitive log cabin was built with its proverb- ial puncheon floor, etc., for the better shelter
of them all. He succeeded in clearing up a fine farm, however, and occupied it for about thirty-four years without interruption.
In 1868 Mr. Deffenbaugh was elected county auditor by the democratic party, and in 1869 moved to Ottawa. He held this posi- tion for two. terms, with an overplus of six months, and then returned to his farm, and for seventeen years longer continued his call- ing as farmer. He was faithful to his party and served six years as county commissioner under its auspices; as justice of the peace twenty-seven years, nine terms, and as town- ship trustee for several terms-his party being equally faithful to him. He was a devout Baptist in religion, and for many years was clerk of the congregation to which he be- longed. He died January 14, 1886, a truly beloved and honored man. His loss was deeply deplored by the community and no bet- ter man could have been taken from its midst.
Joseph Deffenbaugh lived on the home farm until his enlistment, August 13, 1862, in company D, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio volunteer infantry. He served faithfully and gallantly until June 24, 1865, and was honorably discharged at Salisbury, N. C., and returned home July ioth of the same year. Among his other services he took part in Burn- side's campaign in cast Tennessee, in the siege of Knoxville, in the Atlanta campaign, in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, in the march with Sherman to the sea, and in the fight near Bentonville, N. C. On his re- turn home, Mr. Deffenbaugh taught school two years in Sugar Creek township, beginning in the fall of 1865. In this interval he mar- ried, March 29, 1866, Miss Mary J. Clevenger, who was born in Union township, March 11. 1842, a daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Rimer) Clevenger, a family frequently spoken of in this volume. To this happy union have been born four children, in the following order:
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Francis M., January 31, 1867; Annie May, September 21, 1868, wife of Edward Good- win, of Jackson township; Martha E., Novem- ber 1, 1871, and Effie E., July 26, 1876. After his marriage Mr. Deffenbaugh lived in Sugar Creek township until 1873, when he bought his present farm in Union township, which will now compare favorably with any in the county.
Politically Mr. Deffenbaugh is a democrat, has served as justice of the peace nine years, and filled several minor offices. With his wife and two young daughters, he is a mem- ber of the Christian church, and lives a life in harmony with its teachings. One brother and one sister of his father are still living, viz: Cou- rad, of Fayette county, Pa., aged eighty- : seven, and Polly, in the same county. Jacob and Albert, two brothers of subject, were also soldiers in the late war, and his maternal unele, Nathaniel Parker Parshall, was in the war of 1812.
M. DEFFENBAUGH, a prosperous farmer of Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, was born on the farm he still occupies, November 27, 1844. He received the usual common-school education, and at the age of twenty-one years left the home farm to make his way through the world, for a time as a hired hand, and this was his experience until 1872, when he was able to buy eighty acres of land, improved with a small house, and here, having married, he settled down, cleared up and improved the land, developed a productive farm and made a comfortable home. In 1882 he sold this property and bought 106 acres of his father's homestead, where he was born and on which he still resides. Of this farm he has ditched, tiled, and brought under cultivation 100 acres; has built a fine two-story frame dwelling, a
substantial barn and out-buildings, has renewed the orchard, and has made it altogether a most desirable home.
The parents of our subject, John and Annie (Parshall) Deffenbaugh, were both natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married in 1829 and shortly afterward came to Ohio; they here made their home near Lancaster, Fairfield county, nntil 1835, when they came to Putnam county, entered land and cleared up a farin from the wilderness. Mr. Do ffen- baugh soon became most popular as a demo- crat and citizen, and was elected justice of the peace, a position he held twenty-seven years; he also served as county commiss oner for six years, as county auditor four years, and for many years was assessor; he was a nem- ber of the old-school Baptist church, having become a communicant m 1831. He lost his first wife March 17, 18,5, and in May, 1879, he married Mrs. Mary Alspangh. To his first marriage were born nine children-Nancy, Jacob, William, Joseph, Albert, Amande, L .. M. (our subject), Emily and John. To the second marriage no children were born . The respected father died January 14, 1886.
L. M. Deffenbaugh was united in marriage October 15, 1872, to Miss Lucinda Stover, who was born in Putnam county, Ohio July 23, 1850, a daughter of Louis and Mary J. (Vandermark) Stover, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. Mr. Stover was a small boy when brought to Ohio by his parents, who settled in Putnam county, where the son grew to manhood, was married No- vember 4, 1847, and lived happily with his wife over forty-one years, she dying February 19, 1889. They had born to their marriage eleven children, all of whom, with but one ex- ception, grew to manhood and womanhood, married and settled in the vicinity of the home of their childhood. They were nan. J. in order of birth, as follows: Sarah, Lucinda
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(Mrs. Deffenbaugh), Annie, Samuel (deceased), Mary, Levi, William, John, Daniel, Charles and Martha E. The exception alluded to was Samuel, who died at the age of seventeen years. In 1860 Mr. Stover moved to Allen county, where he farmed until his death, No- vember 26, 1894, having been a member of the Christian church since his thirty-fifth year.
To the happy union of Mr. and Mrs. Def- fenbaugh have been born three children, viz: Mary, wife of Edward Myers, a farmer; and James and Iva, yet at home with their parents, who are consistent members of the Christian church, and who, with their children, are among the most highly respected of the resi- dents of Sugar Creek township. In politics Mr. Deffenbaugh affiliates with the democratic party, and has filled some minor offices, but is no aspirant for political honors.
0 ROF. SAMUEL F. DEFORD, a rep- resentative citizen of Ottawa, Putnam county, Ohio, is a son of John and Matilda (Littell) DeFord, and was born .in Carroll county, Ohio, May 2, 1836. He was reared on the home farm, and attended the district schools until seventeen years of age, when, in 1853, he entered Mount Union col- lege at Alliance, from which he graduated in the scientific course in 1858, and in the class- ical course in 1859, and in 1861 received the degree of A. M. His summers, during his student days, were devoted to teaching, the remuneration for which he devoted toward de- fraying his college expenses. In 1856, prior to his graduation, he accepted the superintend- ency of the Monongahela public schools, of which he had charge for seven months. Com- pleting all of his most successful years in school work, and after graduation, he entered in earnest upon his educational work. He had erected a large school edifice at Lordstown.
Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1858; during the time of the erection of this edifice he was superintendent of the public schools of Newton Falls, Trumbull county. Mrs. Garfield, now widow of ex-President Garfield, but then a young lady-Miss Lucretia Rudolph-was one of his assistant teachers. He then conducted an academy until 1861, when he assumed charge of the public schools of Saint Mary's, Ohio, of which he was superintendent until 1863, and was then superintendent of the schools of Celina, Ohio, until 1869, and next had charge of the Maumee (Ohio) seminary for one year, when he came to Ottawa, and filled the position of superintendent of the public schools for fifteen consecutive years, or, until 1886. Owing to declining health, he now re- linquished school work, and in 1886, in com- pany with Samuel Slawson, established, owned and operated the Exchange Bank of Ottawa, but withdrew in the spring of 1888, and de- voted his attention to his farming interests, which are concentrated in the care of over 500 acres of land, scattered through the county and used and utilized chiefly in the production of grain and raising of stock In 1890 he erected a fine two-story brick building, 25x103 feet, at the corner of Maincross and Hickory streets, Ottawa, for office and business rooms generally, and he has also built some eight or ten dwellings, in Ottowa, for rental. Aside from these, he has erected a number of build- ings in Hector, Continental and Miller City, in Putnam county. He is now also engaged in the real estate and loan business, and, with his usual astuteness, has made a perfect success.
Politically, Prof. DeFord has always affili- ated with the democratic party, and under its auspices served one term of three years as county school examiner of Mercer county and for seventeen years as examiner for Putnam county; he was also coroner of Putnam county two terms and is the present incumbent of the
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office of president of the school board of Ottawa; he has also filled the offices of justice of the peace and member of the city council, and, in fact, almost every office to which the voters of Ottawa could possibly elect him-so great was their trust in his ability and integrity. Fraternally, Prof. DeFord is a member of lodge, No. 325, F. & A. M., of Ottawa chapter, No. 115, and of Ottawa council, No. 69; he has also been a member of the I. O. O. F. since 1857, having joined the order at Newton Falls, Ohio, and having, since then, entered the encampment; he has also a membership in the Royal Arc anum. Prof. DeFord has been a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal church since he was sixteen years of age, and in 1864 was ordained a minister of that denom- ination. He probably has done as much as, if not more than, any other person, as minister and school-teacher, n: the formation and up- building of the moral and educational intel- lectuality of Putnam county, for which he can never receive sufficient credit. Prof. DeFord has been an eminently successful man in all his undertakings, laying his own foundations and building thereon. Financially he ranks as one of the foremost in this county, all of which has been brought about through his untiring energy and keen business ability.
The marriage of Prof. DeFord took place, November _5, 1859, to Miss Mary V. Duncan, who was born in Lordstown, Ohio, August 28, 1837, a daughter of Thomas and Susan (Leach) Duncan, and to this happy union have been born five children, viz: Clara, who died at the age of three years and eight months; Ma- tilda E., who was bori November 17, 1867, and became the wife of W. F. Stevens, of New York city, librarian of R. R. Y. M. C. A. since 1890, sustained by Cornelius Vanderbilt ; Mary Ann, born July 18, 1869, and wife of George W. Meffley, dry goods merchant of Ottawa; John T., born June 30, 1874, and a
student of Mount Union college; Susan F., born in 1881, and now at home with her father.
To recur to the genealogy of Prof. Deford, it may be stated that the family is of French Huguenot origin. The great-grandfather of our subject was John DeFord, who fled from France under the persecution of his sect, and found refuge in the state of Maryland, where he passed the remainder of his life as a farmer; the next in line of descent, also named John, was born in Maryland, but passed the greater part of his life in Pennsylvania, whence he came to Ohio, in 1799, and entered about 1,000 'acres of land in Carroll county, being at the time about forty years of age, an l his death taking place at the extreme age of 103 years, His wife was Lydia Hopwood, of Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of seven children, viz: Harriet, widow of John H. DeFord, aged ninety-one years, and a res- ident of Ottawa, Kans .; Hannah, deceased; Elizabeth, wife of John Stull, of An asta, Ohio; John, the father of our subject, died at the age of eighty-seven; William, aged eighty- eight, a farmer prominent in the politics of Carroll county, Ohio, and a member of the state legislature for several terms; Daniel, who died at the age of fifty-six years, and Nathan B., a farmer of Kansas. John DeFord, the father of our subject, passed his life as a farm- er in Carroll county, Ohio, and was twenty- one years a justice of the peace. His wife, Matilda Littell, was a French lady, who died in 1894 at the age of eighty-one years, and was the mother of eleven children, as follows: Alonzo, a farmer of Charlotteville, Va. ; Will- iam, deceased; Lydia, wife of William Mosier, of Uniontown, Pa. ; Louisa, wife of James Daniel, farmer and mason of Carrollton, Ohio. Sam- uel F., our subject; John W., of Celina, Ohio; Matilda ( ., wife of Mr Sweet, a fruit Farmer of Baltimore county, Md. ; Harnet M., wife of Rev. John N. Cummings, D. D . of t. Pres-
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byterian church at Nankin, Ashland county, Ohio, where he has been pastor since his grad- uation in Union Theological college; Mary L., wife of John Moreland, farmer, of Newark, Ind .; Thomas B., of Carroll county, Ohio, and Hannah, wife of John Jackman, of Mis- souri-and it may be added that no more worthy set of people than the above eleven ever saw the light of day in the state of Ohio.
0 ANIEL D. DICKEY, one of the prosperous farmers of Perry town- ship, Putnam county, Ohio, is the son of John and Mary (Deitz) Dickey, the former of whom was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, about 1796, and the wife in 1799, July 9th. His father was of Irish extraction, but was reared in Pennsylvania, where but one of his sons, Jacob Dickey, is still living. John Dickey was reared on his father's farm in Pennsylvania and there attended school in his early boyhood days. He then learned the carpenter's and shoemaker's trade, and at times worked at the cooper's and blacksmith's trade. While yet a boy he came with his parents to Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1807. where the family owned a large tract of land. He married Mary Deitz, who was born in Somerset county, Pa., about 1799, and died in the faith of the Dunkard church in 1874. After their marriage they lived for a while on a rented farm in Tuscarawas county. In 1939 he moved his family to Allen county, where they lived for three years and then moved to Putnam county, where they purchased a farm on which the subject of our sketch now lives. It was then all a woodland, but he set reso- lutely to work and soon had a home with a small farm around it; thus he continued to im- prove and enlarge it until it has become a line farm. Vere he spent the remainder of his life, and here his family of nine children were
born: Susan, the wife of John Schafer, of Paulding county, whose sketch may be found on another page: Mary, the widow of Eli Zigler of Perry township; Jonas, deceased; Jacob, a farmer living in Perry township; John, who died in infancy; Moses, of Defiance county; Lydia, the wife of L. Corkwell, of Jackson township; Daniel D., the subject of this sketch, and Eliza, the wife of Levi Troyer.
In 1844 Mr. Dickey decided to make a visit to Tuscarawas county: there being no other mode of traveling at that time, he set out on foot, and walked there and back. On his return journey he purchased a few matches and brought them with him; they were the first matches seen about his home in this town- ship. In politics he was a democrat; relig- iously he was an active worker in the Dunkard church, in which he was a deacon. At one time he taught school both in the English and German languages. He was an energetic, hard-working man, and chantable to all, but death called him away in 1851.
Daniel D. Dickey, his son, was born De- cember 3, 1837, and was given a fair educa- tion in the common schools, and when not attending school he worked on his father's farm, and while still a youth he worked at the carpenter's trade. On September 25, 1861, at his country's call for faithtul men, he en- listed in company .A, Fifty-seventh Ohio volun- teer infantry, and went to the front, where he participated in the battles of shiloh and Poa Ridge. At the latter place, on April 8, 1862, while on the retreat, he was twice wounded, and still carries one of the balls in his right shoulder. On account of disability from these wounds, on August 31, 1802, he was dis- charged at Columbus, Ohio.
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