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 30
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Directly after his marriage, Mr. Gengler settled on his present farm of eighty acres, which was then all timberland and the home of all kinds of game. By hard work he drained the land, built a hewn-log house, and by degrees cleared away the timeber. In 1880 he engaged in the manufacture of tiling, and established a prosperous trade, which he still carries on, doing as large a business as any tilemaker in the county. That he has thriven is shown by the fact that his fann now com -. prises 200 acres and is highly muproved in all respects. In 1890 Mr. Gengler erected one of the most tasteful and substantial brick dwell- ings in Allen county, and his homestead is the admiration of all beholders. To Mr. and Mrs. Gengler have been born five children, named as follows: Nicholas, John, Margaret, Susan and Thomas. In politics Mh Gengler is a democrat, is exceedingly popular, and for six- teen years has been a justice of the peace, al- ways striving to prevent litigation, being truly a peacemaker; for sixteen years, also, he has been a member of the board . i education and
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has been an ardent friend of the public school system. He is a devont church member, is , strictly conscientious and bears an untarnished business reputation that any man might be proud of.
ENRY GOOD, a practical farmer of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, and a trustee of the Mennonite church, was born August 7, 1851, on a farin in Rockingham county, Va., in the Shenandoah valley, and is a son of Abraham P and Rebecca (Rhodes) Good, of German extraction, and were the parents of ten chil- dren, of whom two died young, the names of the eight who reached maturity being as fol- lows: Elzabeth, now Mrs. Huber: Frances. the wife of Mr. Shenk; Henry: Simon; Tenia, now Mrs. Culp; John, who died in 1894; Lydia, and Jacob.
Henry Good, the immediate subject of this m noir, received the ordinary common-school education usually given to farm lads, and was but fourteen years of age when the late Civil war was brought to a close. He has a vivid recollection of the marching sokliers and can- nonading and smoke that prevailed in the Shenandoah valley during the devastating raids ot both armies, but of course was too young to be an active participant in any of the san- guinary frays. In 1864 he came to Ohio with his parents, who first lived in Putnam county and later came to Allen county, our subject coming with them. At the age of twenty-two years, Henry Good married Miss Elizabeth Culp, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, August 22, 1851, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Good) Culp. Christian Culp was of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, was a black- smith and a farmer of Virginia, and while still a young mar was married in Fairfield county, Ohio, the union resulting in the birth of ten
children, viz: David, Noah, Magdalena, Fan- nie, Nancy, Annie, Susannah I., Sophia, Elizabeth and Christian. Christian Culp caine to Allen county in 1851 and settled in Sugar Creek township on an eighty-acre tract, which had been partially cleared, but not to any great extent. He performed this laborious work himself and in a short time retrieved from the wilderness a fertile farm, on which he passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1883 at the age of sixty-seven years and in the Mennonite faith, of which he had been a preacher.
After marriage Henry Good settled on his present farm, which then consisted of ninety acres, but which he has since increased t. 190 acres, improved with a tasteful modern dwell- ing, substantial and commodious barn and other out buildings, and has thoroughly drained. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Good have been born thirteen children, of whom four died young, the nine survivors being named as follows: Christian, Fannie, Abraham, Elizabeth, Loma, Aaron, John, Ezra and Laura. Mr. and Mrs. Good are strict members of the Mennonite church, in which members of the family have been minis- ters for generations. Mr. Good is a practical and successful farmer and a gentleman of modest behavior and truly christian principles; he is self-made and has accumlated his pos- sessions through his own manual labor and I good management, winning the respect of all know him. He and his aimable wife have given their children good educations and reared them to moral and industrious habits.
S IMON P. GOOD, a leading farmer of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, is a son of Abraham P. and Rebecca (Rhodes) Good, and was born in Rock- ingham county, Va., March 27. 1857, and
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well remembers the raids of the soldiers through his native Shenandoah valley while he was yet a child, and the departure of the family from the valley just before the final raid by order of Gen. Phil. Sheridan. When our subject was but seven years of age the family came to Ohio, in 1864, and here made their final settlement in Allen county.
Simon P. Good was reared a farmer, re- ceived a good common-school education, and at the age of abont nineteen years became a member of the Mennonite church, Rev. John M. Brenneman being the pastor, and since then has been a devoted adherent of the faith. September 4, 1883, he married Miss Barbara Greider, a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, born July 30, 1860, a daughter of Rev. John M. and. Anna (Erb) Greider. Mr. Greider was bern in Lancaster county, Pa., February 28, 1823, was a farmer and at twenty-four years age was married. He then came to Ohio and located in Clarke county, and there became a bishop in the Mennonite church; from Clarke county he removed to Montgomery county, bought 165 acres of land and cleared up a good farm. To himself and wife were born thir- teen children, of whom ten have lived to ma- turity and are named Samuel, Tobias, Susan- nah, Christian, John, Barbara, Mary, Benja- min, Jacob and Elizabeth. Mr. Greider died October 14, 1891, honored alike by the mem- bers of his church and the entire community. The parents of Rev. John M. Greider were Christian and Susannah (Miller) Greider, also natives of Pennsylvania, and had born to them the following children: John, Christian, Ben- jamin, Anna, Elizabeth, Mary, Barbara, Amos and Jacob The father of this family lived to reach the patriarchal age of ninety-five years, a venerated christian farmer.
After his marriage, in Montgomery county, Simon P Good came directly to his farm of eighty acres in Allen county, which he had
purchased a few years previously, and which, with the aid of his faithful wife, he has con- verted into a most comfortable home, and in- creased in dimensions to 120 acres, and made equal to any farin of its size in Marion town- ship. Here have been born their fonr chil- dren, viz: Anna, Rebecca, Mary and Eliza- beth. Mr. and- Mrs. Good are devout members of the Mennonite church, of which Rev. John M. Shenk is pastor. Of this denomination Mrs. Good has been a member since seventeen years of age, having united, in Montgomery county, with the congregation of which her father, Rev. John M. Greider, was the minister, and having been baptized by Rev. Joseph Bix- ler. Mr. Good and wife are among the most prominent residents of Marion township, being well known for their charity and strict morality, and their children, beside being well instructed in the ordinary branches of a secular course of education, are being trained thoroughly in the morality taught by the Mennonite church.
EWIS GRIFFITH, one of the set- tlers of Sugar Creek township. Allen county, Ohio, and a substantial farmer and highly respected citizen, is descended from excellent Welsh stock. His grandfather, whose name was also Lewis, was a native of Montgomeryshire, Wales, and of his children only three are now remembered, viz: Lewis, William and Mary. Lewis, the eldest son of Lewis Griffith, and the father of of the subject, was born in Montgomeryshire, Wales, about 1780. He was married in Wales to Miss Jane Mills, daughter of John and Mary Mills. In 1832 he came to the United States, sailing on the ship George Washington, and after a voyage of seven weeks landed in New York. He brought with him his wife and two children, viz: Lewis and Margaret. He set- tled at Paddy's Run, Butler county, Ohio,
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where he lived the remainder of his life, and where he followed his trade, that of blacksmith. He died in middle life, aged fifty-four years. on July 31, 1834. He was a man of fine character and disposition, honest with the world, and kind to his family. His widow, in 1835, married Joseph Griffith, in Butler county, but to them no children were born. They re- moved to Sugar Creek township, then Putnam, now Allen county, January 31, 1841, settling on 150 acres of land. Here he prospered ex- ceedingly, owning, at the time, 230 acres. He died at the age of seventy-three, and she died at the age of eighty-four years and ten months.
Lewis Griffith, the subject of this sketch. was born in Radnorshire, an inland county of southern Wales, January 14, 1828, and was thus four years old when he was brought to the United States by his parents. Here he has loved ever since, an honored citizen.
J OSEPH FORD, an old settler of Allen county and now largely engaged in farming in Marion township, was born September 17, 1816, a mile and a half southwest of Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Snell) Ford.
Joseph Ford, the father of our subject, was born near Hagerstown, Md., March 4, 1781, was a substantial farmer, and married, April 12, 1803, Catherine, a daughter of Samuel and Christian Snell, and boru May 4, 1781. After marriage Mr. Ford removed to Kentucky, and after living a few years in the wilderness of that state, came to Ohio and first located in Champaign county, in the woods, four miles south of Urbana, and in due course of time cleared up a good farm. He was also an old- time wagoner or teamster, and handed freight between Cincinnati and Dayton, and likewise
teamed for Gen. Wayne's army. To himself and wife were born ten children, viz: Sarah, James, Christina, Nancy, John, Harrison, Joseph, William, Maly and one that died in infancy. Mr. Ford served as a justice of the peace for eighteen years, was captain of a rifle company, was a successful farmer, own- ing 134 acres of land near Urbana, and died at the age of seventy-two years, a member of the Methodist Protestant church, of which Mrs: Ford was also a member and of which he had been a deacon for many years.
Joseph Ford, the subject proper of this biography, received a fair education for his early day, and began his business life as a teamster, using one of his father's teams, con- sisting of four to six horses and an immense freight wagon. On one of his carly journeys he passed through Allen county, when the town of Lima was erecting its first log cabin in the woods. He followed teaming until twenty-seven years old, and then engaged in farming and married, January 5 1844, Miss Isabella Moore, who was born February 2, 1826, a daughter of Thomas and Martha (Dodson) Moore, of Irish extraction. Thomas Moore was a farmer, drover and teamster, was an early settler in Kentucky, and later in Champaign county, near Urbana, Ohio. He was twice married-first to a Miss McCorkle, who bore five children-Betsey, Sally, Ann, David and Cyrus; to his second marriage were also born five children-Jesse, Samuel, Will- iam, Isabella and Martha J. The father of these families, Thomas Moore, was a major in the war of 1812, and was surrendered with the garrison at Detroit by Gen. William Hull, who had marched and cut his way through from Urbana, Ohio, a distance of 200 miles. Mr. Moore was the owner of a farm of 160 acres, and was the first man to plant an orchard in his connty. Ile was a member of the Methodist church, and before reaching his
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JOSEPH FORD.
MRS. JOSEPH FORD.
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OF ALLEN COUNTY.
fiftieth year of age died in his wagon while on one of business trips.
Our subject and wife lived in Champaign county until 1854, then came to Allen county and located on a tract of 160 acres of wood- land, which Mr. Ford had purchased in 1849. This tract he cleared up, and, with the aid of his faithful wife, increased it to 200 acres, and now has as fine a place as there is in the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Ford have been born the following children: Dora, John, Mary, James, Anna, Thomas, Edward, Frank, Alice, Maly and Ollie. In politics Mr. Ford is a democrat and has served as township trustee. Ile has given his children fine edu- cations, and he and family are among the highly respected residents of Marion township.
J OHN GROTHAUS, an ex-soldier of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio. and a prosperous farmer, was born in the village of Gressnold, kingdom of Hanover, German empire, February 2, 1841. Conrad Grothans, father of our subject, was a farmer in Hanover, married Gertrude Raugh, and had born to his union four children-Ma- tilda (who died at the age of about thirty years), Gertrude, Joseph (now in the German army), and John (our subject). The father of this family died at the age of of seventy-fonr years, a devont member of the Catholic church, end an ex-soldier of the Germano-Russian war.
John Grothaus, our subject, received a good common-school education in his native village, and at the age of eighteen years (1859) left the fatherland to escape a seven-year serv- itude in the German army, and came alone to America, preferring to fight for the rights of man and republicanism than for monarchical rile, which gives man no rights. He land of in New Orleans from a sailing vessel, after a voyage of nine weeks' duration, and at once
came to Delphos, Allen county, Ohio, and engaged in farm labor until his enlistment at Delphos, in May, 1862, in company F., Capt. Riley, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio vol- unteer infantry, for three years or until the close of the war, if sooner terminated. But his services over-lapped the three years, as he did not receive his discharge until July, 1865, and that was an honorable one and issued to him at Columbus, Ohio. During his military service Mr. Grothaus took an active part in twenty-two battles and in many skirmishes that deserve the name of battles in more than one instance. Among the heaviest and most serious of his regular engagements were the following: Louden. Knoxville, Lookont Moun- tain, the Atlanta campaign, Resaca, the fall of Atlanta, and all the conflicts from Atlanta to Goldsboro, N. C., thus witnessing the cli- max of the struggle, as it were, March 19, 1865.
When "the cruel war was over" Mr. Grothaus returned to Delphos, Ohio, and there married, in.March, 1867, Miss Mary Suthoff, to which happy union there came ten children, of whom seven lived to maturity. viz: Mary, Frank, Lizzie, William, Henry. Louis and John. Immediately after marrying, M. Grot- hause located on a forty-acre farm in Putnam county, Ohio, which farm belonged to his wife and had been partly cleared. The uncleared part Mr. Grothaus soon denuded of its forest growth and added twenty acre- to the forty- acre trret; in 1880 he sold the sixty acres and came to his present farm of 120 acres in Mar- ion township, Allen county. This tract, also, was a wildwood, but Mr. Grothans, by the ex- ercise of strennous and constant industry, has made of it as good a farm as a- may be found in the township.
In 1888 Mr. Grothaus suffered the afflic- tion which comes to all through death, the "insatiate archer, " in this mustance, taking from him his beloved helper ve, who was a
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woman beloved by all who knew her, a de- voted mother and a true Catholic. Mr. Grot- haus never again married, but since the death of his wife has devoted his attention to the care of his farm and the welfare of his chil- dren. He has done much toward the up- building of his township, was very liberal in his aid toward the erection of the Catholic church at Delphos, and as a soldier and cit- izen enjoys the unlimited respect of all his fel- low-townsmen.
OHN T. GROVES, of Marion township. a highly respected farmer and pioneer of Allen county, Ohio, was born in Champaign county, May 21, 1819, and is paternally of pine Dutch descent. Of four brothers who came from Holland in the carly settlement of this country one found a home in the state of New York, one went to Virginia, one settled in Pennsylvania, and of the fourth all trace was lost. Of these four, the great- grandfather was he who went to Virginia, and from him is descended the branch of the family now so favorably known in Ohio and other western states.
Henry Groves, a son of the original Vir- ginia immigrant and the grandfather of John T., our subject, was a native of the Old Dominion, where he married and reared the following children: Henry, Thomas, Peter, John, Mary, Anna, and one whose name has been forgotten by the present generation. Mr. Groves was a farmer at Harper's Ferry, where his son Henry, father of our subject, was born, was reared a farmer and married Susan Spear, of Irish descent, the nion resulting in the birth of Jacob, John T., Peter, Cyron, Mary, Thomas, Elizabeth and Andrew. Henry Groves, father of our subject, directly after his marriage came to Ohio, accompanied by two brothers, Thomas and John, and in ISit set-
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tled in Champaign county, being among the original pioneers. Thomas Groves became a soldier in the war of 1812, and under "Mad" Anthony Wayne ascended the Auglaize river and was at Fort Wayne when that famous general and hero died. In 1835 Henry Groves brought his family to Allen county and settled in Marion township, where his death occurred August 20, 1840, at the age of about fifty-two years, in the faith of the Lutheran church, and a man of decided mark and influence.
John T. Groves, the subject proper of this memoir, was a youth of seventeen years when he came to Allen county with his father in 1835, and had early been innred to farm labor, a vocation he has continued to follow until the present time. March 12, 1840, he was first united in marriage with Catherine Palmer, daughter of Christian and Annie Palmer. Mr. Palmer was a Virginian by birth and of Ger- man descent; he was a pioneer of Allen county, having settled on eighty acres of land near Delphos, in 1836, which land he cleared up, made into a good home, and died thereon at the age of about seventy-five years, a member of the Intheran church and the father of the following children: Jolm, Catherine, Mary, Christian and Samuel.
After marriage Mr. Groves bought a fifty- two-acre tract of land in the woods, and this he cleared from the forest, but sold it and bought ninety-five acres of his present farm, which he also cleared up, thus doing his share of the hard work that has made Marion town- ship the garden it now is. To John T. and Catherine Groves were born six children- Henry, died October 31, 1894, aged forty-six years, one month and one day; Mary, William, Elizabeth, Christian C. and Sarah E. June 12, 1866, he had the great misfortime of losing his wife, who was a lady of many womanly virtues and greatly respected by her many friends and immediate neighbors. Of her
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children, William married Barbara Oberinger, is the father of four children, and resides on the home farm; Elizabeth is the wife of Will- i. "1 Bryan, a farmer of lowa, and is the mother of three children; Christian C. is a farmer of Indiana, is the husband of Sadie Philips and is the father of one child; Sarah E. is married to Christian C. Donaldson, of Paxton, [] .. and is the mother of two chil- dren. The second marriage of John T. Groves, our subject, was with Elizabeth Cotner, daughter of Thomas Cotner, and to this union have been born four children-Catherine A., Jolin T., Susie and Arminta. In politics Mr. Groves is a republican, but has never been an office seeker. He is a typical American pio- neer and has always subsisted on the product of his own labor- every foot of his present possessions being the result of his honest toil, and now, venerable in years, he is enjoying in peace the fruits of early industry, respected by all who know him.
William Groves, the third child born to Jolin T. and Catherine (Pahner: Groves, was born on the Groves homestead in Marion township. Allen county, Ohio, August 16, '854, received a good common-school edu- cation and was reared a farmer. At the age of twenty-five years he married Miss Barbara Oberinger, a native of Ohio, born January 3, 1859, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Neece) Oberinger. The father, John Ober- inger, was born in France, reared to farming, served in the French army, and on coming to America made his home in Putnam county, Ohio, where his death took place at the age of about sixty-nine years, the father of the following children: Michael, Barbara, Mary, Martin, Catherine, John and Lena. Mr. and Mrs. Groves have always made the home farm their residence since their marriage and are the parents of the following children: Lille, Henry 1. , Walter F. and Clara. In politics ! by his own energies, prospered and thrived.
Mr. Groves is a republican. He is a thor- oughly practical farmer and has done much to assist his father in redeeming the township from the wilderness. He is a gentleman of the strictest integrity, and is deservedly re- spected by the citizens of the community in which he was born and reared.
HOMAS GRUBB, one of the enter- prising farmers of Amanda township, Allen county, was born in La Fayette, Ohio, September 27, 1853. His par- ents were Jolin B. and Elizabeth (Robinson) Grubb, who are at this writing both residents of Auglaize township. Six children were born to them, two sons and four daughters, our subject, Thomas, being the fourth child.
Thomas Grubb, the subject proper, spent his early years upon the farm, and his edu- cation was obtained in the common schools. He lived with his parents until 1878, and two years later came to Amanda township and pur- chased 120 acres of land in section No. 35, on which he located. The land was wholly un- improved, and was a veritable frog pond, as its owner facetiously remarked. With indus- try, combined with good judgment, however, he has made his once forlorn farm one of the finest in this section of the country, and at present has 100 acres of it under cultivation, having placed in the soil 2, 500 rods of drain- tile, and enclosed with substantial fences. In 1890 he erected a commodious frame residence, and in 1894 put up a handsome frame barn, 40 x 50 feet, with eighteen-feet posts. Numer- ous other buildings and conveniences have been added, and the farm approaches an ideal one. He keeps a high grade of stock, believ- ing that the expense is no more to grow a choice animal than to harbor an indifferent one. Starting in life empty -handed. he has,
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and may be justly esteemed as a self-made man and one of the well-to-do citizens of the . county.
Mr. Grubb has served his township as jus- tice of the peace six years, and is a member of the order of Patrons of Husbandry, and has been secretary of the county organization, having held nearly all of the offices of the fraternity, and has been a member ever since its introduction into this section. His polit- ical faith is that of a populist, and in this, as in all his hands and heart find to do, he abides no lukewarm or half-way measure.
In August, 1878, he was married to Miss Catherine Bowers, daughter of John B. and Amanda E. (Shannon) Bowers. She was a native of Clarke county, Ohio, and was born near Springfield, April 20, 1857. Three chil- dren came to bless this union, viz: Rolla G., Laura B. and Zida M. Mr. and Mrs. Grubb are worthy members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and Mr. Grubb is a stewart of the same. He is also president of the township Sunday-school association, and is an active! and efficient worker in the various church societies. It is an agreeable task to write of such men, and it makes one reflect how much more than riches are such persons to be valued in a community.
J ACOB B. HALLER is one of the old and greatly respected citizens of Ger- man township, Allen county, Ohio, who has seen it transformed from a dense forest into one large fertile field, and has done his part in the way of bringing about this great change. Mr. Haller was born January 15, 18to, in Lancaster county, Pa., is the third son and third-born child, and the only our now living of a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, born to Samnel and Elizabeth (Beck) Haller, who were both
natives of Lancaster county, Pa., where they both grew to inan and womanhood, were there married and resided for a number of years, when they sold their possessions and removed westward, locating for a time at Lan- caster, Ohio, and later came still farther west and located in German township, Allen county, and settled in the almost unbroken forest, where they lived the life of pioneers, experi- encing all its hardships and privations. They became the parents of the following named children: John, Samuel, Jacob B., Catherine and Betsey, now Mrs. Plummer. Mr. Haller was a mason by trade in early life and the after part of his life was prominently identified as a farmer and stock dealer; he was a dem- ocrat in politics and prominent wherever known. He and his wife both lied on their homestead farm in German township and were greatly missed among those with whom they had associated during the stirring scenes of the settlement of this wild country.
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