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 21
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UDSON J. CALL, the leading insur- ance agent of Bluffton, Allen county, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the late Civil war, was born July 28, 1845, in
Mr: Burkhart, politically, is a democrat, | Erie county, Ohio, is descended from an old
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colonial family of Vermont, and is a son of Dana and Eliza (Grenald) Call.
. Dana Call, the father of our subject and son of Cyrus Call, a soldier of the war of 1812, came with his father to Ohio in an carly day, located in Erie county, and is now living on a farm in Allen county, near Lima, at an advanced age. To him and wife were born the following children: Henry S., Hudson J., Serena, Adna, Amina and Eva. In politics he is a prohibitionist, and of his sons two -- Hemy S. and Hudson J .- served in the late war. Henry S. Call responded to the first call for volunteers in April, 1861, and enlisted for three months, at Cleveland, Ohio, served out Ins time, and then enlisted in a company of sharpshooters, which was stationed at Wash- ington, D. C., to assist in repelling the sttack of the rebel general, Jubal Early.
Hudson J. Call, our subject, was educated at Oberlin college, and at the early age of six- teen years enlisted, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, June 3, 1861, for three years, or during the war, but was honorably discharged Angust 28, 1863, at Frederick City, Md., being incapaci- tated from sickness. On recuperating, how- ever, he re-enlisted for three years, unless sooner discharged on account of the closing of the war, entering, at Lima, Ohio, company C, Seventy-eighth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, and serving throughout the struggle, being honorably discharged at Newark, N. J., July 27, 1865. He fought at Cross Lane, W. Va., Winchester, Monocacy, South Mountain and Antietam; was also on Sherman's famous march to the sea and in skirmishes innumera- ble; was through the Carolina campaigns and from Goldsboro, N. C., was sent on detailed duty to New Berne, N. C., and thence went to Newark, N. J., where he received his discharge on the day named above.
On his return to Ohio, Mr. Call went into business at Ottawa, Putnam county, and mar-
ried in Gilboa, in the same county, December 13, 1865, to Miss Nancy Hoaglin, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio, July 5, 1848, a daughter of James and Nancy Hoagland. Mr. Call continued his residence in Ottawa abont a year and a half after marriage, and in the fall of 1867 came to Bluffton, where he still resides: In the spring of 1880 he entered into the general insurance business, and now repre- sents some of the most substantial companies doing business in this country, among which may be enumerated the North American, the Hartford, the National of Hartford, the Queen, the Royal of Liverpool (England;, and the Phoenix of Brooklyn, N. Y. He stands at the head of this line of business in this section of of the country, and is far-famed for his alac- rity in adjusting losses, a feature which never fails to please his patron.
Mr. Call is a member of Bluffton lodge, No. 437, F. & A. M., of Bluffton; and Heroic. lodge, No. 466, K. of P., in which he has held the office of chancellor, commander and pre- late; of Robert Hamilton post, No. 262, G. A. R., of which he has been commander' and is also a member of the Royal Arcanum, in which he has held the office of regent and collector. In politics Mr. Call is a democrat and has served as a member of the town council. Mrs. Call is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and to herself and husband have been born three children-Louvella, Jennie E. and Addie. Mr. Call is a gentleman well informed on all current subjects and possesses excellent business qualifications, and stand highs in the respect of all for his strict integrity. As a sol- dier his record stands without a blemish, and from his long service came out without a wound, excepting a slight one on his right hand, and all though his enlistment performed his duty manfully, faithfully and cheerfully; as a civilian he has performed all the duties that have devolved upon him with credit to himself
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and to the satisfaction of all concerned, and stands to-day one of the most honored citizens of Bluffton.
LIAB CARMAN, the oldest of the living pioneers of Sugar Creek town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, and also . . Comfort Clifton, a native of Virginia and a the oldest man in the township, being now in his eighty-seventh year, was born in Shelby county, Ky .. July 14, 1809, and is of French-German descent, his ancestors on his motlier's side, having fled from France to Ger- many, to avoid religious persecution, and there intermarried with German families, the Car- mans being of that race.
Joseph Carman, the great-grandfather of our subject, came from Germany to America in the early days of the settlement of New Jersey, bringing his family, and located on the Delaware river, in the colony of New Jersey, about thirty miles from Philadelphia, Pa., and for many years carried on farming together with boot and shoe making. Joseph Carman, Jr., son of above and grandfather of our sub- ject, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution under Washington, and was married in New Jersey to Miss Elizabeth LaRue, the result of the nion being the birth of seven children- four sons, Caleb, Isaac, Joshua and James, and three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth and one whose name has lapsed from memory of their sorrows. Joseph Carman, Jr., removed to Kentucky in 1789, where he became a com- panion of the famons frontiersman, Daniel Boone, frequently meeting him and coming side by side with him in the same forts. Mr. Carman held a patent for about 1, 700 acres ot land, which he had located, in part, in what is now Shelby county, and part in Franklin county, near where Frankfort now stands. This gentleman met with an untimely death at the hands of Indians, while hunting.
James Carman, son of Joseph, Jr., and the father of our subject, was born in Virginia, March 2, 1782, in which state his father had resided for a few years. He learned to read and write, and at the age of seven and one- half years went to Kentucky with his father, there grew to manhood, and married Miss daughter of Samnel Clifton. The Etherton brothers, Peter and Aaron, reached Kentucky simultaneously with Joseph Carman, and there came with them a number of Virginians, one of whom, William Linn, was lost in a river, and this stream is still known as the No-Linn. With these Virginians also came Isaac Hodgens, for whom the town of Helgens- ville, in La Rue county, is named. and who was the great-uncle of our subject, Eliab Carman; LaRue county, also, was named for a great- uncle of our subject.
James Carman and wife, for a few years after their marriage, continued to reside in Kentucky, and in that state their first three children were born. Just before the war of 1812 Mr. Carman moved to Clark county, Ind., where he resided until 1818, when he sought a home in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he followed teaming until 1866 or 1867, when he came to live with our subject, with whom he passed the two remaining years of his life, dying in Allen county in 1869, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years, eight months and sixteen days. He had been twice married, and to his first union, as recorded above, were born four children, Caleb, Elizabeth, Eliab and Matilda -- the last named born in Indiana. The mother of these died in Ohio county, Ky., and the second marriage of Mr. Carman took place in Butler county, Ohio, with Mrs. Mary Smith, a widow, who had borne the maiden name of Mary Edwards, and to this union were born two children-Silas and Louisa.
Eliab Carman, the proper subject of this
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memoir, was but a mere child when taken by his parents to Indiana, but still remembers the illumination and celebration in honor of Jack- son's victory at New Orleans. He was reared chiefly in Ohio, however, partly learned the cooper's trade and also assisted in teaming with his father in Cincinnati, and was there married, February 1, 1830, to Miss Mary Rich- ards, who was born January 12, 1811, in Montgomeryshire, Wales, a danghter of Rich- ard and Sarah (Davis) Richards, the former of whom came to America about 1820, and was one of the original settlers with the Welsh colony at Paddy's Run, Butler county, Ohio. In 1834, he came to Sugar Creek township, Allen county, and settled in section No. 19, his being one of the first Welsh families to come to the township, and here he bought a quarter section of land, much of which he cleared.np and converted into a fertile farm. To himself and wife were born eight children, viz: Mary, Sarah, Jane, Elizabeth, Martha, Susan, Thomas, Evan and William. The parents lived to reach the age of abont sixty- seven years, and both died in the faith of the Presbyterian church.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Carman resided in Cincinnati until September 2, 1836, when they came to Sugar Creek township, Allen county, making their way by wagon, but at times cutting their way through the forest. Mr. Carman at once settled on eighty acres of his present farm, the deed to which bears the signature of Andrew Jackson. The land was all in the woods, but our subject set manfully to work, built a log cabin, cleared up a farm, and by degrees added to it, through untiring industry and a wise thrift, until he owned 200 acres and became one of the most influential and prosperous farmers of the township. Eight child in were born to the union of Mr and Mrs. Carman, and of these, six lived to mature years, viz: Sarah C., Elizabeth, Abi- 1
gail. James, Louisa and Phebe A. The be- loved mother of this family died September 5, 1852, a devoted member of the Baptist church and a lady of great amiability of temper. The second marriage of Mr. Carman took place in August, 1884, to Mrs. Henrietta Poe, widow of. James M. Poe, of the colonial family of that name, and a direct descendant of the famons Adam Poe, who killed the In - dian, Bigfoot. In religion Mr. Carman has. been for many years a Baptist; in politics he is. a democrat, has held the office of supervisor,. and fourteen years was a member of the school board-the first and second school-house in. his district having been erected during his in- cumbency. This venerable gentleman has neccessarily witnessed marvelous changes in the physical and moral aspects of Sugar Creek township since he first made it his home sixty years ago, but still lives to enjoy, as he has done in the past, the honor and respect of every citizen of the Sngar Creek township and those adjoining.
S AMUEL CHAMBERS, one of the most progressive farmers of Bath town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, was born in Franklin county, Pa., April 7, 1819, the youngest son of Robert and Catherine Hise) Chambers. His grandfather Chambers was a native of England, who early came to America, took an active part in the patriot army during the Revolutionary war, and died at his residence near Martinsburg, Va. He was a farmer by occupation and of his de- scendants there is knowledge of only three sons, Robert, Joseph and Jacob, of whom the later died in Dayton, Ohio.
Robert Chambers was born abont 1772, at Martinsburg, Va., where he grew up to man- hood and served in the war of 1812-15, as a volunteer for his native state. About 1819 he
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moved to Franklin county, Pa., and in 1837 removed to Miami county, Ohio, where he passed the remaining years of his life, dying in 1852. He had married, in Virginia, Cath- erine Hise, and to this union were born eleven children in the following order: Sarah, who married Samuel Taylor, of Franklin county, Pa., where she died; Susan, who was three times married; first to George Foth, secondly to James Frazier, and thirdly to James Ward -and died in Allen county, Ohio; Jacob died in Auglaize connty, Ohio; Polly, mar- ried to Jesse Ray, died in Kansas; Nancy, who was first married to Daniel Shafer and secondly to John Shafer; Eli, who died in In- diana; Elizabeth, who was married to James Thackery and died in Miami county, Ohio; Otho, who died in Franklin county, Pa .; Maria, married to Joseph Bennett and residing in Cass county, Ind .; Samuel, our subject, and Catherine, who was married to Dorance Vroman, and died in Illinois. The mother of this large family passed the declining years of her life at the home of our subject, dying Jan- uary 18, 1860.
Samnel Chambers, whose name is placed at the opening of this biographical memoir, re- ceived his early education in the primitive log school-house in vogue in his youthful days, and, his parents being by no means wealthy, he was placed out to work for neighboring farmers at the early age of nine years- work- ing, in one instance, for five years for one em- ployer, Daniel Zuck, Franklin county, Pa, He was industrious and frugal, and in 1837 was able to bring his parents to Oho, locating in Miami county, where he was employed in clear- ing up lands until 1852, when he came to Bath township, Allen county, and purchased eighty acres of his present form, to which he added forty acres, won through his own diligence and frugality. He has carried on general farming, and in addition has largely devoted his atten-
tion to the manufacture of cider and sorghum, from which he has derived a considerable revenue.
The marriage of Mr. Chambers was solemn- ized, in 1844, with Miss Harriet Miller, who was born in Washington county, Md., a daugh- ter of John K. and Susan (Krebs) Miller, who early came to Ohio and settled in Miami county, where the marriage of their daughter took place. The children that blessed this nnion were born in the following order: Absa- lom, who died September 28, 1890; Sarah J., who was married to N. D. Hadsel and died December 6, 1883; Maria C., wife of George C. Smith; Eli, of Van Wert county. Olio; Susan E .. who was married to Henry D. Miller and died April 19, 1877; Emma, who was first married to Joseph Brower, and sec- ondly to Michael Alstetter, of Bath township, Allen county ;. John, who died August 30, 1858; George, who married Eliza Dodson, who has borne one child -- Clara E. ; and Har- riet L., wife of Allen J. Driver, of German township, Allen county. The mother of this family was called from earth June 21, 1890, an inconceivable distressing bereavement to the husband and surviving children and a dis- tressful sorrow to numerous sincere friends.
In his politics Mr. Chambers was at first a whig, but later joined the ranks of the repub- lican party, in which he takes a warm interest, but has never sought recognition of his services through the emoluments of public office. For forty years he has been a devoted and active member of the German Baptist church and has always been liberal of his means toward its support, as he has also been in promoting all enterprises intended for the well-being of Bath township and the county of Allen. He is recognized as one of the most intelligent and enterprising farmers of the township and is re- spected, wherever known, as a substantial and useful citizen, and as an upright man.
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S AMUEL D. CHAMBERS, one of the representative citizens of Delphos, Ohio, and a well-known man in both Allen and Van Wert counties, is a native of Ohio, having been born at Bolivar, Tuscarawas county, November 2, 1835. His father was Thomas Chambers, who was a na- tive of Washington county, Pa., born in the year 1808, and was a son of James Chambers, a native of Ireland, who first located in Wash- ington county, Pa., but subsequently removed by wagon to Licking county, Ohio, where he died. Thomas Chambers was a molder by trade, and followed that vocation in the fur- nace towns of Ohio for many years. From the fall of 1844 until the spring of 1849 he re- sided in Cincinnati, and at that time removed to Lima, where a brother and brother-in-law were then living. In September, 1850, he re- moved his family to Delphos, the foundry hav- ing been removed from Lima to this point on account of the canal, and here his death oc- curred in November, 1879. At Painesville, Ohio, in 1833, he married Miss Mary Cannon, who was born in Ohio in 1818. She is still living, and makes her home with our subject.
Samnel D. Chambers was the eldest of a family of six children, only two of whom are now living-himself and brother Winfield. Our subject attended school in Cincinnati, Lima and Delphos, securing a common-school education. When fifteen years of age he be- gan a three-year apprenticeship at the mold- er's trade, which he finished with the excep- tion of a few months. In 1853 he entered the store of F. J. Lye, merchant of Delphos, as a clerk, where he remained three years, going thence to Lytle & Roebuck, general merchants of Delphos, and with that firm continned until 1859. In that year he entered into a co-partnership with Peter Phelan and en- gaged in the general mercantile trade, under the firm name' of Phelan & Chambers. This
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firm continued until the death of Mr. Phelan in December, 1876, when the firm went out of business; Mr. Chambers then took part of the stock, and in 1877 formed a co-partnership with Henry Davies, under the firm name of Davies & Chambers, they continuing together until 1887, when Mr. Chambers retired from mer- cantile life. In 1878 Mr. Chambers was elected to the office of auditor of Allen county, as the nominee of the republican party, notwithstand- ing the fact that the county was then and is at present democratic. After serving one term of three years, Mr. Chambers retired from politics.
Since retiring from mercantile business, Mr. Chambers has been identified with various enterprises in Delphos. He was one of the organizers and a director and secretary for a time of the Delphos Savings & Loan associa- tion; next he was cashier of the Delphos Com- mercial bank for about one year; for the last five years he has been treasurer of the Delphos Electric Light & Power company, and for a number of years has been a member of the board of directors of the Delphos National bank; for a number of years he has also been a director of the Ohio Wheel company; he is also interested in the Hinge Belt Coupler com- pany of Delphos-a company formed for the manufacture and sale of a patent device for the coupling of belts, which is, in the opinion of the promoters and many others, destined to fill a long-felt want and work a revolution in the mode of coupling together belts of every description.
Mr. Chambers is a member of Hope lodge, No. 214, F. & A. M., of Delphos, and of Shawnee commandry, No. 14, K. T. of Lima. Hle is also a thirty-second degree Mason, be- ing a member of Cleveland consistory. Mr. Chambers was married, in 1862, to Sarah J. Kepner, of Columbia City, Ind. To their union two children have been born Mr. and
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Mrs. Chambers and family are members of the Presbyterian church of Delphos. During the late war Mr. Chambers served in the 100-day service as quartermaster of the One Hundred and Fifty-first regiment Ohio national guards.
a APT. WARREN CLARK, one of the. leading carpenters and contractors of the town of Bluffton, Allen county, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the Civil war, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, July 31, 1839, and comes from an old Pennsylvania colonial family of English descent.
Andrew Clark, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was a son of a Revolutionary soldier, of English birth but American patroitism. Andrew Clark was also a Baptist minister and a pioneer of of Portage county, Ohio, when that county was a part of the Western reserve. His son, Jonathan Clark, father of our subject, was born in Butler county, Pa , was reared a farmer, and married Hannah Randolph, who was born in Juni ta county, Pa., Angust 11, 1811, a daughter of John and Mary (Dawes) Randolph -- the Randolphs coming from the old Virginia family of that name and the Dawes family being of Welsh descent. To the marriage of Jonathan and Hannah Clark were born eleven children, as follows: John, Thomas, Warren, William, Alva, Francis, Germon, Albert, Jane, Amanda and Florence. Jonathan Clark be- came a resident of Orange township, Hancock county, Ohio, in 1852, coming from Mahoning county and settling on a farm, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying in August, 1863. In politics he was first a whig and later a re- publican, and always a strong Union man. giving to its cause four of his sons during the Civil war, viz: Waren, William, Alva and Francis. Of these William and Alva enlisted in Hancock county in 1861, and Francis in
1862, in company A, Forty-ninth Ohio volun- teer infantry, for the term of three years. William met his fate in death in the battle of Stone River, Tenn., which was a fight of three days, continuance, December 31, 1862, to Janu- ary 3, 1863; Francis was killed in the skirmish at Pickett's Mills in 1864, and Alva served out bis full term, sustaining a wound in this hand. Amanda, the sister of the brave brothers, was married to a soldier, Charles Bender, and it will be seen patriotismn was a prevalent char- acteristic of the Clark family. Jonathan Clark, the father, was a local minister in the Disci- ples' church and a gentleman highly thought of by his neighbors.
Warren Clark, the subject proper of this mnemoir, was abont eleven years of age when his father settled in Hancock county, and there Warren received a good common-school edu- cation and was taught the carpenter's trade. October 4, 1860, he married, in Hancock county, Miss Susan D. Ford, a native of the county, born January 12, 1843, and a daughter of John W. Ford, a native of Virginia. John W. Ford was of English-Irish and Dutch stock, was born January 11, 1813, hnd was a son of Joseph and Susan (Vermillion) Ford. He was a pioneer of Champaign county, Ohio, whence he moved, in 1836, to Hancock county, and cleared up a farm from the woods. His only children are Levi J. and Susan D. (Mrs. Clark), of whom Levi J. was a soldier in com- pany A, Forty-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, for three years, and was badly wounded at Pickett's Mills. The father, John W. Ford, is still living, a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and in politics a republican.
In 1861, tearing himself away from his bride, Warren Clark enlisted, in Hancock county, in company E, Thirty-first Ohio vol- unteer infantry, under Capt. Daniel Rose, for three years, and served as private until pro- moted, for merit rious work., to be second
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lieutenant in 1863, and in August, 1864, to be until 1870, when he went to Grand Rapids, Iowa, engaged in contracting until 1879, and then returned to Ohio and settled in Bluffton, where he has become the leading contractor and carpenter of the town. first lieutenant, and to a captaincy in April, 1865, with which rank he was honorably dis- charged at Louisville, Ky., in August, 1865, on account of the close of the war. Lieut. Clark was attached, in August, 1864, to the staff of To Capt. and Mrs. Clark have been born three children-John A., Elizabeth H. and Ted-W., who still live to bless and make glad the hearts of their parents. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in that faith have reared her children. Capt. Clark, has been commander of Robert Hamilton post, No. 262, G. A. R., and has also filled all the minor offices of the order. In politics the captain is a republican and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln for president of the United States, but, although active in : the interest of his party, has never accepted, much less sought, public office. He, however, performed the gratuitous duty of acting as a member of the first election board of Allen county, and was a member when the Australian ballot system was introduced. The captain as a soldier served his conntry with honor to him- self, taking part in all the marches and en- gagements of his regiment, and doing his duty faithfully and with alacrity, and to-day enjoys the respect of his fellow-citizens for the mani- festation of the same good qualities in civil life. Gen. Walker, First brigade, Third division, Fourteenth army corps, and in October, 1864, was detailed to the staff of Gen. Absalom Baird. As leading up to these high positions, Capt. Clark had taken part in the battles of Mill Springs, Perryville, Stone River, Chicka- manga (his being the last regiment to leave this bloody field), Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Pumpkinvine Creek, Burnt Hickory, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta (July 28, 1864), Jonesboro, and in Sherman's march to the sea. As aid-de-camp to Gen. Baird he acted as provost-marshal and commanded the escort and the foraging detachment-and as a forager he was a success. The foraging detail com- prised about sixty men, who, led by Capt. Clark, would sometimes ride as far as twenty nales from camp and bring back all they could pack of turkeys, chickens, hogs, sheep, sweet potatoes, and many other delicacies, Skir- mishes often occurred, and on one occasion Capt. Clark narrowly escaped capture by Wheeler's cavalry, being close enough to the rebels to see Wade Hampton, who was in command. On this occasion Capt. Clark found two wen hanging in the woods, whose PILLIAM R. COCHRAN is the old_ est person now living who was born in Marion township, Allen county, Ohio. His great-grandfather was a native of Scotland, came to America before the Revolutionary war, and settled in what is now the state of Tennessee, and of his children the names of three are remembered, viz: Will- 1 iam, Benjamin and Isaac. The grandfather 1 of our subject, William Cochran, left his native state of Tennessee and came to Ohio in bodies he cat down and buried. After the battles of Bentonville and Savannah, the regi- ment marched to Goldsboro, N. C., and Capt. Clark was the first man of Sherman's army to enter that town; thence he went to Raleigh, N. C., followed Johnston out of that city, and marched thence to Washington, D. C., and took part in the grand review of May, 1865. After the war, Capt. Clark returned to Han- cock county, Ohio, and resumed his trade of carpenter, which he there successfully followed " in the carly pioneer days, locating in Ross
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