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 35
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Samuel Hunsaker, the gentleman whose name opens this memoir, was educated in the district schools for a course of home study and the reading of good, solid, standard books, which were always at his command; and he was also a close student of the Bible. He was reared to farming on the home place in Perry county. Ohio, and when about twenty years of age came with his father to Allen | county-October 20, 1852 -- he being the only iving son and consequently the constant com-
panion of his father. On reaching his major- ity, the two entered into a business compact by which it was arranged that the son should receive a percentage of the crops. Samuel Hunsaker was united in matrimony, Decem- ber 13, 1866, with Miss Petronella Huyssman, who was born March 10, 1844, in the province of North Brabant, in the southern part of Hol- land, and is a daughter of Henry and Petron- ella (Kortier) Huyssman. Her father, Henry Huyssman, came from Holland to America in 1848, and settled in Monterey township, Put- namn county, Ohio, where he cleared up from the woods a good farm of 120 acres. He and wife were members of the German Reform church, and reared a respectable family of children, viz: Wilhelmina, Mary, Aaron, Walter, Petronella and Andrico, all born in Holland, and Cornelius and Hern. born in America. After his marriage, Mr. Hunsaker first settled on a 100-acre farm adjoining his father's land, and on this he resided fifteen years and then moved on the original home- stead and into the old dwelling, which had been erected by his father in 1855. He now owns 300 acres of fine farming land. and is in a very prosperous condition generally. In re- ligion Mrs. Hunsaker is a Methodist, but Mr. Hunsaker is independent in matters spiritual; he is, nevertheless, very liberal in his aid to the churches in a pecuniary sense. As a pio- neer he has taken great interest in the schools of the township and in the construction of good roads. In politics he is a democrat, has been a member of the board of education ten years, has been its president five years, and has been supervisor of the township three years; in 1893 he was elected justice of the peace, and now holds court in the same room where his father dispensed justice years ago; for twenty-two years he has been a Patron of Husbandry and has held all the offces in his grange, except that of master.
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ALEXANDER F IRICK
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The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hunsaker is been made happy by the birth of ten hildren, as follows: Augusta, born November 1, 1867, the wife of John W. Miller, and the other of one child; Nellie W., born January 0, 1869, wife of Edward Porter and the other of three children (one deceased); reorge H., born September 29, 1870, and mar- ied to Annie Myers; Louisa, born March 12, 872; Mary, born January 3, 1874, now Mrs. oseph Tilden and the mother of two children; Emma H., born Jaimary 27, 1876; Samuel, born May 2, 1878 and died September 1, 878; Aaron, born March 11, 1880; Lydia E., porn September 11, 1882 and William Clar- ence, born September 6, 1885.
Squire Hunsaker has always been a public- spirited gentleman, and ever ready to advance all undertakings, whether of a private or pub- lic character, in which the interests of the public at large are benefited. He inherites the enterprising and liberal nature of his father, George Hunsaker, who was one of the early stockholders in the First National Bank, of Delphos, and the National bank of Delphios, and our subject was a stockholder even in the days of his father.
LEXANDER F. IRICK, one of the . pioneers of Marion township, Allen
belle, December 10, 1817; Diana, March 19, 1821; Elizabeth, October 3, 1824; Julia, May 3, 1827, and Polly, October 3, 1829. Jon- athan Irick was a soldier in the war of 1812, and after carrying on his trade in Rocktown, Va., until 1824 or 1825, came to Ohio and located in Pleasantville, Fairfield county, where he followed .his trade until the end of his days.
Alexander F. Irick was between five and six years of age when brought to Ohio by his parents, and was reared to manhood in Pleas- antville. He is a natural mechanic, but early began work as a farmer. When about twenty years of age he went to Mercer county, Ohio, und was there married, February 10. 1839, to Elizabeth Kiggins, who was born in Miami county, Ohio, September 18, 1821. a daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Boyer) Riggins. the former a native of Washington county, Pa., and of Irishi descent. Mr. Kiggins came to Ohio when a young man, located in Mercer connty, was there married and became the father of ten children, viz: Lewis, Minerva, Mary, Rosina, Jennie, Elizabeth and Margaret twins), Catherine, Harriet and Charlotte. Mr. Kiggins died at the age of fifty-five years, and his wife at about the same age -- members of the United Brethren church. Lewis Boyer, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. hick, was a native of Rockingham county, Va .. and came the war of the Revolution, which he entered at the age of twelve years, becoming one of Washington's body guards. He lived to be eighty years of age. 'His wife was of Holland Dutch descent and bore the maiden name of Rosen Kerns.
county, Ohio, is a native of Rocking- , to Mercer county, Ohio, after having served in ham: county, Va., and was born Oc- tober 2, 1810. a son of Jonathan and Mary (Boston) Irick. The mother, Mary Boston, was born December 17, 1793, and was a daughter of Philip and Susan (Walters) Bos- ton, the former of whom was born April 13, 1764. Jonathan Irick was a gunsmith, was After their marriage, Mrs. Irick lived in Mercer county for three years, then moved to Fairfield county, where they lived five years, and where Mr. Irick was employed as a car- penter. In 1845 they returned to Mer er married in Rockingham county, Va., and had born to han eight children, in the following order: John F., May 22, 1813; George W., October 1, 1815; Alexander F., as above; Isa-
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county, where they lived until November, 1845, when they came to their present farm in Marion township, Allen county. At that time Mr. Irick had a wife and four children, and a cap- ital of one cent, which he still retains as a precions memento, and which bears the date of 1814. Mr. Irick here rented a farm, which he worked until about 1852, when he bought eighty-four and one-half acres of his present farm, then all in the woods. He now has 1 34 3 acres in this tract and 1793 acres on the line of Putnam county, near Delphos, and all has been made by his own labor, assisted by his faithful wife.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Irick numbered twelve and were born in the follow- ing order: John F. (deceased), William L., Mary C., James I., Margaret T. (died at two years of age), Arminda, Alexander F., Frances C. (died in infancy), Lizzie, Davisa A., Jack- son and Eliza E. Of the above, John F. Irick served in the Civil war, havinging enlisted in 1862, for three years, in the first squadron Ohio volunteer calvary, under Maj. Richard Rice and Capt. John Dalzell; he died of small- box, December 31, 1863, and was buried on New Year's day, 1864. William L. Irick married, first, Mary Canada, who died in childbed, and for his second wife married Ellen Alspangh; Mary C was married to Se- astian Alspaugh, and is the mother of three children; James I. married Melvina Ditto, nd has had born to him six children; Ar- ninda is the wife of Charles Peltier; Alexander 7. married Rebecca Hohes and has three hildren; Lizzie is now Mrs. John Ludwig and ; the mother of six children; Davisa A. is married to David Hoffman and is the mother f five children; Jackson married Louisa Hoff- ian, and is the father of six children; Eliza ". is the wife ! Emanu J Tucker and is the other of two children. The venerable par- nts of the above family bave forty grandchil-
dren and four great-grandchildren, and have led a life of domestic felicity for over half a century, honored and beloved by all who know them.
AMES I. IRICK, one of the most prac- tical farmers of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, is a son of the venerable Allen county farmer, Alexander F. Irick, whose biography appears above, and to which attention of the reader is invited.
James I. Irick, our subject, was born in Mercer county, Ohio, July 29, 1845, and in September of the same year was brought to Allen county by his parents. He received a good common-school education, was reared to farming, and to his own industry and thrift does he owe his success in life. He early be- gan the work of clearing off land, becoming an expert chopper; many a giant of the forest in Allen county has fallen before the sturdy strokes of his ax, and he has proven his ability to cut and split five cords of wood in one day. September 6, 1866, Mr. Irick married Miss Melvina Ditto, who was born July 16, 1845, a daughter of William W. Ditto, a sketch of whose life will be found on another page. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Irick settled on their present farm, which then consisted of forty acres, all, with the exception of eight acres, deep in the wild woods. But, Mr. Irick was a skillful woodman and, as seen. an adept at chopping; with the assistance of his good wife and faithful helpmate, he cleared up his original tract, and has added to it until he now owns 120 acres of good farin-land, cleared and well improved in every respect. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Trick has been made the more happy by the survival of six of their ten children, viz: Emma A., born May 22, 1868, William W., born January 6, 1870, Franklin F., born July 9, 1874; Stephen D., born May
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16, 1877; Albertus J., born November 22, 1879, and Arthur E., born July 19, 1884-the other children having died in infancy. Mrs. Irick is a devout member of the Methodist church and has reared her children to lives of morality and industry. In politics Mr. Irick was formerly a democrat but is now independ- ent, having shaken off all party shackles; fra- ternally he is a member of the Odd Fellows' lodge at Delphos, and is'm good standing. As a farmer, Mr. Irick has few equals in his town- ship, and his farm is a model in all particulars.
William W. Irick, son of James I. Irick, our subject, married Miss Nettie Waters Feb- ruary 26, 1891. This lady comes from Amanda township and is a member of a highly re- spected family. Mrs. Ditto, the venerable mother of Mrs. James I. Irick and the maternal grandmother of William W. Irick, still re- members her journey, at five years of age, from Browu county, Ohio, to Allen county, which is strengthened by a reccollection of the fact that, between Lima and Elida, she fell from the wagon and was nearly crushed to death by the hind wheel passing over her body -- which caused quite a delay in the journey; she also remembers the old log school-house in which her parents lived until their cabin was erected -- and a hundred pioneer incidents are still fresh m her memory. Wilham W. Irick is a very sturdy and bardy young man, who has never felt the sensation of fatigue in his life. Lik .. his father, he has made quite an enviable reputation as a citizen.
J OSEPH JETTINGHOFF, president of the Delphos Commercial bank and se- nior member of the firm of. Jettinghoff Brothers, merchant tailors and clothiers, is one of the well-known and representative citizen of Delphos, Ohio. Mr. Jettinghoff was born in Hanover, Germany, November 1,
1854, and came to the United States in 1871. He received a good common-school education in his native land, and at the age of fourteen years began an apprenticeship at the tailor's trade. Upon coming to the United States he caine direct to Delphos, where he had an uncle living. Being unable to get work at his trade he went on a farm in Van Wert county, where he spent two months working for Henry Pohlınan. He then went to the town of Glandorf, in Putnam county, Ohio, where he found employment in a merchant tailor shop, and remained for one year and a half. From Glandorf he returned to Delphos and went to work for Jacob Abel, a merchant tailor and clothing and dry-goods dealer, and for six years Mr. Jettinghoff remained in that store. At the death of Mr. Abel, in 1878. C. H. Osthoff, purchased the business, and M Jettinghoff continued in his employ for #x years. As soon as Mr. Osthoff took charge of the bnsi- ness our subject went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he spent several months learning cut- ting, and afterward was Mr. Osthoff's cutter for six years. In 1884 he went nto merchant tailoring for himself, and later took in W. F. Klages as a partner, and after . year and a half sold out to Mr. Klages. He was then for a few months engaged in the real-estate and insurance business, and then re-entered the merchant tailoring business, opening a shop on East Main street. From East Main ftreet he removed to East Third street. In May, 1894, he formed a partnership with his brother David, bought out the business of Mr. Osthoff, and the firm of Jettinghoff Brothers was formed. They do a general business in clothing, hats and caps, gents' furishing goods, and carry on merchant tadoring, having one of the largest establishments in their line in the city of Delphos.
Mr. Jettinghoff has been a stockholder in the Commercial bank of Delphos for a member
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of years, and in January, 1893, was made a member of the board of directors. In January. 1894, he was elected president of the bank, and re-elected in January, 1895. Under his presidency the bank has met with success, the stock appreciating in value from below to above par, and the reputation of the bank and its business has increased accordingly. He was one of the organizers of the Citizens Building & Loan association, and is at present a mem- ber of its board of directors. He is also a stockholder in the Delphos Savings & Loan Association company. Mr. Jettinghoff was married February 22, 1881, to Miss Anna Beckman, of Delphos, a daughter of Henry Beckman, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Jettinghoff'- marriage was the first one solemnized in the new Saint John's Roman Catholic church, of which Mr. and Mrs. Jettinghoff are both men- bers. Mr. Jettinghoff is a self-made man. When he came to Delphos twenty-four years ago he was a strange lad in a strange country, without money and without a trade thoroughly learned. To-day he is president of one of the leading banking houses of the city and senior member of one of the largest mercantile houses of the place. And all this has been accom- plished by him unaided, relying simply upon his good business sense, pluck and energy, with an ambition to make a success of his life.
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the 28th of the seventh month, 1714, take unto himself a wife and companion, one Anna Williams, and to this union there were born four sons, viz: Griffith, Reuben, Asa and Rob- ert. Griffith, the eldest direct American an- cestor of this sketch, was born on 26th of the eighth month, 1729, just two days before the passage of the act of the general assembly formning Lancaster county out of Chester county. He was united in wedlock to Rachel Lloyd, of Goshen, a Welsh lady, and to them were born six children, viz: Abia, Hannah, Grace, Rachel Mary and Leah.
Abia, the grandfather of Jesse J. was a native of Chester county, Pa .. and after his marriage he removed to Shamokin township, Northumberland county, Pa., in the year 1798. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, as follows: Asa, Hiram, Grif- fith, Jesse J., Reuben, Samuel, Elida, Emily, Lydia, Sarah, Eliza and Perry, the last named being the only member of this large family still living (March, 1896). He is a man of many years and inch experience and goodness, a minister in the Friends' society, and now living in Shamokin township, Cumberland county, Pa.
Griffith John, the third child of Abia, was born in Northumberland county, Pa., March 6, 1795. In 1816 he removed to Ross county, Ohio, locating in Chillicothe, where he at once began teaching school, following this profes- sion five years. From the money saved from teaching he purchased a tract of timber land containing twenty acres, which he cleared and improved. Afterward he purchased fifty acres more near by, upon which he lived for several years. While residing in Ross county he de- voted himself to teaching school, farming and " and surveying. Not long after arriving in Ross county he married Miss Rachel Miller, who was the daughter of one of the earliest
J ESSE J. JOHN .- In preparing the fol- lowing history of the John family it has been found necessary to trace it back through several generations to Phillip John, a wealthy resident of Pembrokeshire, Wales, who left two sons, Griffith and Daniel Griffith came to the United States in 1709, when yet a young man, and settled in Goshen, now in Lancaster county, Pa. According to the record of the Friends' meeting, in what was then ( nester county, Griffith John did, on . settlers, and in Ross county this worthy couple,
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lived until the fall of 1832, removing then to Allen county, Ohio, and locating on 160 acres of land, a part of which is now occupied by the village of Elida. At that time this country was almost a dense wilderness, with but few families residing in the neighborhood -- not more than four or five. The surrounding country was occupied by the Shawnee tribe of Indians, and also by the Wyandots, the mem- bers of both tribes being quite numerous. Jacob Turkeyfoot, an Indian brave, was the guide of Mr. John and his family, in their journey from Ross to Allen county. Upon settling in the woods in the latter county the John family had for neighbors the families of John Somerset, William Nuttle, William Bryan, and Smith Cremean.
After two or three years had elapsed and other families had come into the neighborhood. Mr. John found it necessary to spend a good deal of his time in surveying land for the new comers, being, in fact, kept busy most of the time. Mr. John was a tireless worker, and added to his first purchase until he became the possessor of 1,640 acres of land in a single body, which is sufficient evidence of his energy and success.
In 1852 the Ohio and Indiana division of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad was located so as to run through the farm of Mr. John. He determined to profit thereby, and on June 9 of that year entered into a con- tract with the management to grade one mile of the road. He had subscribed stock in the company to the amount of $1, 200, but not- withstanding this, at the completion of his work the company was indebted to him to the amount of $1,000, for which he received a mortgage bond on the road. It is worthy of remark that Mr. John was the only man be- tween Delphos and Lima that granted the right of way to the company for the road to pass through his farm, indicating that he
was about the only man, that, in that early day, realized the value of such a highway to the general public. In the fall of 1852 and spring of 1853 Mr. John laid out and platted the village of Elida, including in the site some thirty-one acres of land, but which has been added to consider- ably since that time. Such facts as these fully indicate that he was a man of more than ordi- nary public spirit. He always took an interest in all things calculated to promote public en- terprises, donating the lots upon which were erected the churches of the Evangelical Luth- eran and of the Methodist denominations. In educational matters he was always in the fore- most rank. Politically he was a whig until 1840, but afterward he became a democrat, and as such served his county as commissioner for a term, though he always preferred to re- main a private citizen. He, however, was not averse to serving his party in any way that would tend to promote its interests, to which end he performed effective work npon the stump and acted one term as school examiner. His activity continued until his death, which oc- curred February 20, 1856. His wife survived him six years, she dying June 23, 1862, at the age of fifty-nine years, nine months and ten days. This most worthy couple reared a family of thirteen children, all of whom but one grew to mature years. The names of these children were as follows: Sarah C., Melissa, Emily, Vienna, Ethan, Jesse J., Tamsey, Abia, Martha, Louisa, Jehu, Paulina, and Eliza. Four of them are still living, viz: Ethan, Jesse J., Abia and Martha.
Jesse J. John, the subject of this memoir, was reared on the farm, surrounded by all the hardships incident to pioneer life. In respect to education, however, he was more fortunate than most young men of pioneer days, the in- struction received by him in the public schools having been supplemented and rounded out by
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an academical training at Lima, Ohio. So well equipped was he in this respect that he began teaching school at the age of nineteen, and for some eight years followed the profes- sion of pedagogue in the surrounding district schools. About the time he brought his labors in this direction to a close he married and set- tled down in the village of Elida, taking charge of a portion of his father's business in connec- tion with his brother, Abia, they together oper- ating the store and elevator for a year before their father's death. They were then appointed administrators of the estate, after which they ran the saw-mill and elevator only for a short time. The estate having been settled, Mr. John received as a portion of his interest the elevator, which he then operated for seven or eight years, since which time he has given his attention principally to farming, owning at the present time upward of 200 acres of well im- proved land.
Politically Mr. John is a republican and was the first postmaster at Elida, holding that position three years, occupying at the same time and for fifteen years altogether the po- sition of freight agent in the office of the Pitts- burg, Fort Wayne & Chicrgo railroad com- pany at Elida. In January, 1847, he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and since that time has labored faithfully and earnestly for the cause of religion generally, and for the church of which he is a member especially. His zeal for his church has been recognized by his fellow-members by their always keeping him on its official board. Hav- ing been born January 6, 1827, he is now sixty-eight years of age, but notwithstanding his long and active career is still hearty and well preserved. On May 15, 1753, he mar- ried Miss Mary Roush, who was born in Juniata county, Pa., December 17, 1835, and is the laughter of jacob M. Roush. Mr. and Mrs. [ohn are the parents of fourteen children,
whose names are as follows: Griffith, Martha, Lucina and Paulina (twins); Francis P. : Jesse C .; Jehu E .; Charles E .; Wilbur F .; Eliza O .; Letta A .; Isaac N .; Abia O., and Mary M. Of these Lucina, one of the twins, is dead.
It is not easy to say too much in eulogy of such a man as Mr. John. He is a man of great worth, and has endeared himself to the people of his county by his life-long devotion to their interests, and to everything tending to promote the public good. Though not a pro- hibitionist in the political sense of that term, yet, knowing that morality has a most useful handmaid in temperance, Mr. John has always devoted himself intelligently to this cause, and his influence in this direction has been felt far and near. .
HOMAS P. JOHNSON, a prominent business man of Bluffton Allen county, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the late Civil war, springs from an old colo- nial family of Virginia, and was born in Bath township, Allen county, Ohio, February 4, 1841.
Capt. Daniel Johnson, grandfather of our subject, was of Scotch-Irish descent and a na- tive of Virginia, was a pioneer of Bourbon county, Ky., and was a captain in the army of "Mad" Anthony Wayne, taking part in the battle of Fallen Timbers and at Fort Defiance; he was the father, also, of William Johnson, who likewise took part in the war of 1812. Another son of the captain-Thomas Johnson, father of our subject -- was born in Bourbon county, Ky., and there married Mary McClure, daughter of Moses and Sallie (Me( orkle) Mc- Clure. About the year 1830 Thomas Johnson came to Ohio and until 1839 lived in Chan .- paign county, and then came to Allen county,' settling on a farm in Bath township, where he followed his trade of carpenter in conjunction
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with his farming interests. He lived to be seventy years of age, and died in Van Wert county. Of his children, two sons-Thomas P. and Samuel M .- served in the Civil war, `the latter having enlisted, in 1861, in the Fourth 4 Ohio cavalry, for three years, but was captured, n April, 1862, by the rebel raider, John Mor- : gan, near Nashville, Tenn., and imprisoned at Salisbury. N. C., where he died.
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Thomas P. Johnson, subject of this memoir, was reared a farmer and was educated at the high school of Lima; he began teaching at the age of seventeen years in Allen and Van Wert counties, and followed the vocation, with the exception of the time he was serving in the de- fense of his country's flag, for the long period of seventeen years, teaching in the public schools of the counties mentioned, including that of Elida, Allen county. Thomas P. John- son first enlisted at Luna, Ohio, April 20, 1861. for three months, in response to the first call for troops, in company A, Twentieth Ohio volunteer infantry, served out his term, and was honorably discharged at Lima in the same. His younger brother, Samuel M., being then in the army, and his parents needing his assistance and attention at home, Thomas P. refrained from re-enlisting until May 2, 1864, when he en- tered, at Lima, company B, One Hundred and Fifty-first Ohio infantry, for 100 days, and was again honorably discharged, in 1864, at Columbus; he had been appointed chief of transportation of the Second brigade, Second division, Twenty-second army cops, and held the office until his discharge. Again, at Lima, Ohio, September 8, 1864, he re-enlisted-en- tering company A, Capt. Holland, One Hun- dred and Eighty-eighth Ohio volunteer in- fantry, and served until the close of the war, being again honorably discharged at Colum- bus July 26, 1865, having been promoted to corporal for meritorious service. He fought in the battles of Philippi and Carrick's Ford,
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