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 1 > Part 20
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Jacob Brenneman, the third son of Abra- ham, by his second wife, was the father of the subject of this sketch, and was born on the old homestead in Rockingham county, Va., October 7, 1796, and married Mary, the daughter of John Berry. After marriage he settled on the old homestead in Rockingham county and eight children were born to them, the four oldest of whom, John L., Abra- ham, Barbara and Isaac, grew up and reared families; the four youngest died while quite young after moving to Ohio. Abont 1828 Mr. Brenneman moved his family from the old home in Virginia to Fairfield county, Ohio, where he bought a farm of 120
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acres of partly cleared land; this he improved and was prospering when his wife died, about October, 1832. In the fall of 1836 he mar- ried Caroline, the daughter of David and Re- becca (Frey) Ogden, who were natives of Vir- ginia and of English descent. By this mar- riage Mr. Brenneman had eight children, viz: Catherine, David, Jacob, Rebecca, Noah, William F. (deceased), Sarah A. and Charles B.
About September, 1853, Mr. Brenneman moved his family to Marion township, Allen county, and settled on a farm of 160 acres, a small part of which had been cleared. He improved this land and made it his home the remainder of his life, dying January 1, 1865, being in his sixty-ninth year. He was a pros- perous and very successful farmer, and a hard- working and honest man, and taught his chil- dren that hard work was honorable, and that they should be honest and upright in all things. It may be well said that his word was as good as his bond. He was a democrat in politics, and a faithful member of the Mennonite church, and was honored and respected by all who knew him.
to Fairfield county, Ohio, October 1, 1842, and there rented land, and resided upon two different places for three and a half years. He then removed to Franklin county, where he remained one and a half years, and in 1847 finally removed to Allen county (then Putnam county), and settled in Monroe township. His · wife had some money and they together bought IIO acres of land, a little of which had been cleared by some former owner, or, possibly, squatter. With the assistance of his sons he cleared the rest of this land, and afterward bought eighty acres more, becoming one of the substantial and prosperous farmers of his day. David Brenneman and his wife were the par- ents of twelve children, viz: Daniel F., Abra- ham, Elizabeth A., Samuel C., Rebecca J., Mary A., Sarah E., Lydia F., David D., John H., Jacob P. and Martha A. Mr. Brenneman was a deacon in his church for many years, and Mrs Brenneman was a member of the same church, and he assisted in building the first Christian church in Monroe township. He was a democrat, and was honored by his fel- low-citizens by being elected to the office of township trustee, but cared less for political affairs than for general matters of interest to all, such as religion, education and social progress. He was a hard-working man, and reared his family to habits of industry, econ- omy and honesty. September 4, 1892, he died at the age of eighty-seven years and four months.
BRAHAM BRENNEMAN, one of the oldest settlers of Sugar Creek town- ship, and one of the most successful and wealthy farmers in Allen county, comes from sturdy German ancestry. His grandfather, Malachi Brenneman, was a farmer of the state of Virginia, and David Brenneman. Abraham Brenneman, the subject of this sketch, was born February 21, 1831, in Rock- inghamn county, Va., was reared a farmer, and has followed that occupation with more than ordinary success all his life. When he was about eleven years old his parents removed from Virginia to Fairfield county, Ohio, mak- ing the journey with wagon and horses. This son of Malachi, was the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Rockingham county, Va , May 14, 1805, was a farmer by occupa- tion, was a well educated man, and was a member of the Christian church. He married Miss Catherine Myers, who was born January 15, 1809, in Shenandoah county, Va., she being the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth . journey is still fresh in his memory. Coming (Crumpacker) Myers. Mr. Brenneman moved ! with his father in 1847 to Allen county, he
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here assisted in clearing the farm, and was educated, as were other boys of that day, in the common school. On August 21, 1856, he was married to Eliza Ward, born July 18, 1835, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Ridenour) Ward.
William Ward was the grandson of an Englishman who came to America before the Revolutionary war, and fought in that war as an American soldier. His name was William, and his son's name was William, bringing the name down to the father of Mrs. Brenneman, so that there were three generations of Will- iam Wards. William Ward, father of Mrs. Brenneman, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, July 1, 1810. He and his wife were the parents of four children, viz: Sarah, Eliza, Mary A., and John H. Their marriage oc- curred in 1833, and Mr. Ward died October 12, 1894. He was a member of the United Brethren church. The first wife of Mr. Ward died when Mrs. Brenneman was six years old, that is, in 1841, and he was then married to Sarah Faustnaught, a widow, née Sarah Wright. To this marriage there were born four children, viz: George H., Marion, Will- iam and David. After the death of his second wife he married Hanna Angus, by whom he had two children-Elizabeth and Leslie.
Mr. and Mrs. Brenneman, after their mar- riage, settled on 150 acres of land near Cairo, in Allen county, a portion of which belonged to his wife before her marriage. Part of the town of Cairo is laid out on this land. When he settled thereon but eight acres were cleared, but the remainder was cleared by him and was made into a good farmi. A good and pleasant house was erected by him, and also other buildings, and many other improvements were made. In 1877 Mr. Brenneman bought his present farm, then containing 250 acres This farm was cleared and improved, and cost him $80 per acre, the total cost being $20,000
This is one of the best farms in Allen county, together with its improvements. Previously he had purchased, in Monroe township, 1773 acres, and in Monroe and Sugar Creek town- ships, 160 acres. He had also 166 acres in Bath township, 185 acres in German township, and eighty acres in Paulding county; making in all 972 acres, all fine farming land. This property, which is a good fortune in itself, he has acquired and accumulated by his own in- dustry and good management, generally mak- ing sure of his investments beforehand, but notwithstanding all the care he has taken, he lost, by misfortune, some $15,000.
Mr. Brenneman and his wife are the par- ents of eight children, viz: Henrietta, born October 24, 1858-died October 20, 1887; William C., born November 20, 1860; Mary C., born February 2, 1863; David W., born March 31, 1865-and died October 15, 1868; Sarah A., born July 20, 1867; Abraham P., born March 7, 1870-died October 12, 1871; Jacob B., born August 19, 1872, and Frank H., born December 23, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Brenneman are members of the Christian church, and Mr. Brenneman has served his church as trustee. In politics he is a democrat, but as the above brief sketch indicates, he has always cared less for politics than success in life as an agriculturists and as an accumulator of property. His career and example forcibly illustrate the possibilities of American citizen- ship, teaching what may be accomplished by industry, economy, hard work and good judgment,
J OSEPH BROWER, one of the most substantial farmers and most highly respected citizens of Ailen county, is descended from an old colonial Vir- ginia family of Holland origin. As will be seen, however, the Virginia family traces its
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first American ancestor back to Pennsylvania, where he lived a very short time after coming to America, more than 200 years ago. Four brothers came to America together as early as the time mentioned. One settled on Long Island, in the state of New York, one in the state of North Carolina, one in Kentucky and the fourth in Pennsylvania. The Pennsyl- vania branch finally settled in Virginia. Enoch Brower, the grandfather of the subject belong- ing to this branch, settled in Augusta county, that state, where he died, about 1835, the father of the following children: John, Daniel, · Christian and Magdalena-these are all that are remembered. Enoch Brower was a Ger- man Baptist or Dunkard in religion. He was a farmer by occupation and was always highly esteemed by all that knew him.
John Brower, the eldest son of Enoch, and the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania, and went with his father to Virginia. Like his father he was a farmer. likewise was a minister in the German Baptist church, and was among the first to preach in the English language in that state, beginning his ministry about 1830. He married Hannah Miller, who was born in Augusta county, Va. To this marriage there were born fourteen children; of these Samuel, Daniel, David, Enoch, Joseph, Elizabeth and Lydia grew to maturity-the others died in infancy or in childhood. John Brower was a prosperous farmer, owning several farms. He also owned a carding-mill and a linseed-oil mill, hauling the products of his mills to Richinond, Va., 129 miles distant, to market. He prospered, 'and in addition to all his other labors he preached the gospel to the people of his vicin ity. He lived to be fifty-five years of age, and died in Rockingham county, in 1842. He was one of the most devont of Christians, and of the strictest integrity in his life. He died as he had lived, highly respected and loved by all.
Joseph Brower, the subject of this sketch, was born February 16, 1827, in a hewed-log house in Rockingham county, Va., three miles from Bridgewater, and twelve miles from Harrisonburg. He has brought up to work on his father's farm, and in his mills, and received the usual pioneer education of that day, attending school three months in the winter season, and working the other nine months throughout the year, until he was sixteen years old. Being versed in all kinds of farin labor he determined to make agriculture his life calling, and in 1844 started out to seek his own fortune in the new county of Allen, Ohio. In fact, others of the family also de- termined then to leave Virginia, and when the subject of this sketch came to Ohio he was accompanied by his mother, and his brothers, Daniel and Enoch. Daniel settled in what is now Sugar Creek township, three miles east of the home residence of the subject. The amount of land taken up was 170 acres, all covered with timber. It was then worth between $3 and $4 per acre. Upon this farm he lived until twenty-one years of age, assisting his elder brothers clear up the land, and then began working out on other farms. On August 9, 1849, he was married to Elizabeth Stephens, of Pittsburg, Pa., who was born October 17, 1824. She was a daughter of John and Rachel (Davis) Stephens. The name of the father of John Stephens was John Jones, so that John Stephen's name was in reality John Jones, but in crossing the ocean he gave his name to the captain of the ship as John Ste- phens, in order to preserve his father's christian name, and in part in heedlessness. He was always afterward known as John Stephens.
John Stephens was married in southern Wales, and he and his wife were natives of that country. They came to the United States about 1820, and settled in Pittsburg, Pa., where Mr. Stephens followed his trade,
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that of merchant tailor. After living there until 1836, he removed to Sugar Creek town- ship, Allen county, and settled on land he had entered in 1834, the piece containing eighty acres, all in the woods. Here he labored the rest of his life, clearing up his land, putting in and gathering his crops, erecting his buildings, and altogether doing what was necessary to make a good home. He and his wife were the parents of five children, viz: David, Mary, Stephen, William and Elizabeth. The first three were born in Wales, the others in the United States. Mr. Stephens lived to be seventy-nine years old, and died at Lima, Ohio, July 25, 1869. His wife died Septem- ber 23, 1865, on the farm, aged eighty-five years. Mr. Stephens was during his entire life a member of the Welsh Congregational church, and was always honored and respected by all that knew him.
After his marriage Mr. Brower first settled on rented land and lived on it for a year. This was east of his present farm, which he bought in 1847, when he was nearly twenty- one years old. The price paid for his first land was $4 per acre, and he earned the money with which to pay for it by splitting rails and clearing land This farm he cleared, and im- proved, living on it until 1864, when he sold it and moved to his present farm. This con- tains 157 acres. It is now highly improved, well drained, and fenced, and has good build- ings upon it, so that it is in every way a splen- did farm and home.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brower have been born four children, viz: Rachel, who died at the age of nine; John, who died at the age of five; Alonzo, and Abraham L. Mr. and Mrs. Brower are members of the United Brethren church, in which Mr. Brower holds the office of trustee, and of which he has been Sunday-school sup- erintendent for many years. He has always been liberal with his means in the support of
the church, and aided to erect the present church building in Elida belonging to his de- nomination. He served as township trustee four years, and as justice of the peace two terms, also as assessor and land appraiser. He has been a republican during his entire life since attaining his majority, and is one of the patriotic and honored citizens of his county. He is a successful farmer and stock raiser, is a prominent man in many ways, and especially in that of having acquired a comfortable for- tune by his own exertions, so that it is proper to consider him one of the self-made men of his day.
ADISON BRYAN, city marshal of Delphos, and one of the well known citizens, is a native of Marion town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, where he was born on August 26, 1852, is the son of Morgan and Sarah (Seathers) Bryan, deceased, both n'atives of Fairfield county, Ohio. They were among the early settlers of Allen county, at the tune of their coming Delphos being known as section No. 10. They lived and died in Allen county, and of their twelve children ten are now living.
Madison Bryan was reared on his father's farm in Allen county, and attended the country schools. He left the farm in 1872, was elected city marshal of Delphos, for a term of two years; in 1895 he was re-elected for another terin of two years, and is filling the office at the present time in a most efficient and satisfactory manner. In politics Mr. Bryan is a democrat, and is quite prominent in the councils of his party. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity, and belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Bryan was married July 1, 1873, to Allie Lewis, who was born in Van Wert county, Ohio, the
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daughter of Morgan Lewis, deceased. To this union two children have been born, as follows: Arminta Gertrude and Nellie.
NOS G. BURTON, M. D., of Lima, Allen county, Ohio, with his office in the Kendall block, was born in Pick- away county, Ohio. April 14, 1846, and is of English-Scotch descent paternally, and maternally of German extraction.
Thomas Burton, grandfather of the doctor. was an early pioneer of Pickaway county, was a substantial farmer, and married a Miss Cut- ler, of Scotch descent. Their son, Luke D. Burton, father of the doctor, was born in Pick- away county in 1818 and was also a farmer. He married Cynthia A. Hoffhines, who was born in Pickaway county January 10, 1819, this union resulting in the birth of the follow- ing children in the order named: William V .. John H. and Sarah A., deceased; George W., Enos G,, Edward T., Nelson J .; Luke, de- ceased. In 1860 Luke D. Burton brought his family to Auglaize county and bought a farm in Douchequet township, which he cultivated until his death, which occurred in June, 1876. He was a sincere member of the Lutheran church and in politics was a democrat, while as a citizen he was public spirited, generous and useful. His widow is now a resident of Wapakoneta, Auglaize county, where she is passing the declining years of her life in peace and comfort.
Dr. Enos G. Burton was reared on the farm until seventeen years of age, received a good academical education, and for six years followed the vocation of school-teaching. He then read medicine under Dr. C. Berlin, of Wapakoneta, and then attended the Medical college at Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he graduated in September, 1871. He immedi- ately began the practice of his chosen pro-
fession at Westminster, where his skill and ability were quickly recognized and where he has met with success in his practice and a re- munerative patronage seldom equaled in rural towns. He is still an ardent student of the science and practice of medicine, and beside his well-assorted and well-stocked library of choice standard medical works, he subscribes for the best periodical literature devoted to the science of medicine and surgery, published either in America or Europe, and is thus en- abled to keep abreast of the progress made in his profession from day to day and keep him- self fully posted in its technology.
The marriage of Dr. Burton took place May 18, 1875, to Miss Emina J Brown, and to this felicitous union have been born the fol- lowing children: Greg E., deceased; Edna O., Elma V., Don M. and Helen H. Of these Miss Edna O. has been, for the past six years, under the instruction of a noted local teacher of music in Lima and is already quite profi- cient in the art. Fraternally Dr. Burton is a master Mason of lodge No. 205, at Lima, and is also chief ranger of tent No 650, Independ- ent Order of Foresters, of the same city. In politics he is active as a democrat.
Mrs. Emma J. (Brown) Burton was born in Logan county, Ohio, December 6, 1856, graduated from the high school at Rushsylva- nia, and for two years was engaged in teach- ing. The father of this accomplished lady was born in Petersburg, Va., April 7, 1824, and a minister of the Methodist Protestant church all his useful life, and never attended a con- ference to which he did not devote all his salary. He married December 24, 1846, in Rushsylvania, Logan county, Ohio, Miss Martha J. Blair, a native of Nicholas county, Ky., born June 19, 1825, the union resulting in the following children: William U. (deceased), Henry M., John F. (deceased), Margaret A. (wife of Samuel McCoy), Emma J. (Mrs. Dr.
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Burton), and Marshall (deceased). In 1860, Rev. Mr. Brown left Logan county and brought his family to Allen county and located in West- minister. The reverend gentleman was a true patriot and entered the Union army as a pri- vate in company A, One Hundred and Eighty- first Ohio volunteer infantry, but was speedily promoted from the ranks to the chaplaincy of his regiment. This service, however, ruined his health, producing an incipient consump- tion that culminated in his death some six or seven years later. For eight years after locat- ing in Westminister, the Rev. Mr. Brown filled a number of circuits in his ministerial capacity, and was called-the pions, good and faithful steward that he was -- to meet the Master, August 25, 1873. His venerated widow is still a resident of Westminister and is beloved by all who know her or who remember her la- mented husband-and none who knew him can ever forget him.
EORGE BURKHART .-- The Burk- hart family had its origin in Germany, as its name implies. It belongs there- fore to that strong race of people, usually industrions, usually honest, usually able. The influx of German blood into this country is exceedingly valuable to Americans, whose habits of life tend too much toward the production of a weakly and nervons race. The eldest one of the family to whom it is deemed necessary in this biography to refer, was George Burkhart, a native of Wurtemberg. Germany, who died in his native land, aged sixty years. He was married twice, and by his first marriage had one son, Michael, who emigrated to the Umted States and settled in Jackson county, Ohio. By his second mar- riage he had two sons, George and Jacob, who came to this country and joined Michael in Jackson county in 18.43. Upon the arrival of
the latter two brothers they found Michael en- gaged in the manufacture of matches, and not long after their arrival in this country all three brothers moved to Columbus, Ohio, where they all continued in the same industry for some six years. Then, owing to the introduc- tion of machinery into the manufacture of these useful little articles, they found them- selves unable to compete with the more mod- ern methods, and in 1847 they abandoned the field, permitted machinery to have its way, and purchased three eighty-acre tracts of land, all adjoining, each having the same quantity of land, and settled down as it seemed for life to the occupation of farming. This land was in Noble township, Auglaize county, Ohio. The trees they cut down mostly for the sake of clearing the land, but not feeling willing to sacrifice so much excellent timber, as many others did and still do, they engaged here again on their farms in making matches, thus con- verting at least a portion of their trees into value instead of into ashes. Michael and his family still live in Auglaize county. Jacob Burkhart with his family removed from Auglaize county and are scattered around the country, while George remained upon his farin, where he still resides. He was married the first time in Germany, and his wife died in 1843. For a second wife he married Catherine Miller, of Lancaster county, Ohio. By his first wife he had two children: Henry, who died on the way to America; and George, who resides in Shawnee township, Allen county. By his sec- ond marriage he had the following children: Frederick, Henry, William, Jacob, Caroline, wife of William Stevely; Christiana, deceased* wife of Lewis Bowsher, and Maggie, wife of John Fisher.
George Burkhart, the subject of this sketch, is the second son of George and Elizabeth (Treerginger) Burkhart, and was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, March 20, 1843.
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With his father he came to the United States, and was reared upon the farm, with but little or no educational facilities, except such as he found at home around the family fireside, his father serving as his teacher as well as circumstances would permit; but with all that could be done he was compelled to rely mainly on his own efforts for such learning as he ac- quired, as he has since done for the wealth that : he has acquired. He is therefore a self-edu- cated and a self-made man in every respect. At an early age he began working away from home, in order that he might make a little money for himself. Brought up in the woods as he was, it was but natural that he should be a skillful wood-chopper, for there is, or at least used to be, such a thing as skill in chop- ping wood, especially in cutting down a tree so as to have it fall precisely where it was de- sired to lie, and then also in chopping off a log, all of which is Greek to the modern farmer's boy. When he was twenty-two years of age he purchased forty acres of land in section No. 22, which is a portion of his pres- ent farm, and upon this forty acres he settled down. Here he erected a sorghum mill and engaged in making sorghum syrup, in which industry he has been engaged ever since. His farin contains 121 acres of well-improved land. and the improvements thereon are among the best. He has a fine residence and other good buildings, upon the former putting the first slate roof in the township. Mr. Burkhart's specialty is potatoes, of which tuber he raises on an average 3,000 bushels per year. He is also engaged in breeding and raising stock, feeding all the produce of his fields, which he finds much more profitable than to sell grain, hay, etc., from his farm, for by this process he retains the fertilizers. Besides these branches of industry Mr. Burkhart is also engaged in the production of oil.
and is always interested in his party's success, whether prospects are bright or gloomy. He has served twice as township trustee. At the first election there was but one scratched ticket against him, and at the second election, in 1892, there was none. He is interested in educational matters, equally with politics, and has served as school director in his district. At the present time he is a trustee of Lima college, and he was on the executive cominit- tee on organization. He was also one of the building committee, and one of the first board of trustees
Religiously Mr. Burkhart is a member of the Lutheran church, and has served as elder thereof and also as treasurer. Mr. Bm khart has been married twice, his first wife having been Miss Mary Bowsher, daughter of Benja- min Bowsher, who died in 1876, leaving the following children: Charles, Ida. Frank. Will- iam and Mary. His second wife was Miss Emma Bowsher, daughter of Samuel Bowsher, by whom he has one child, viz: Francis, who- was born in 1869, was educated first in the common schools, and afterward at the West- ern Normal university at Ada, and is a gradu- ate therefrom. He has taught school in country districts and in Lima college, and is at the present time secretary of the Lima College association. Politically he is a democrat, and in 1895 was elected justice of the peace of Shawnee township. Mr. Burkhart is a strong believer in the education of the young, and has given his children the best education possible to him. In every other way he is an enter- prising, intelligent and progressive citizen.
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