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 41
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James B. Mc Williams, the gentleman whose name opens this biography, remained on the home farm until twenty years of age, receiv- ing, in the meantime, however, an excellent academic education and teaching two terms of school. After a thorough course of prepara- tory study he entered the medical department of the university of Louisville, Ky., from which be graduated in 1884, at the age of twenty-
three years. For the first four years after graduating he practiced his profession at Chick- amauga, Tenn., meeting with flattering suc- cess, and then selected Allen county, Ohio, as his home. He is still a member of the Tri- Medical association of Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, and has as excellent library of works devoted to the science of medicine and surgery, and by subscribing to the best medi- cal periodical literature of the day keeps well up with the progress of his profession.
The marriage of Dr. McWilliams was sol- emnized in April, 1890, with Miss Einma O. Durbin, daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Shipley) Durbin, the former a well-to-do farmer of Auglaize township, Allen county, This happy marriage of the doctor has been blessed by the birth of two children-Frank D. and Lela R. Conjoined with his already extensive and remunerative practice, the doctor owns and operates a fertile farm of fifty acres, which is a model in itself and an ornament to the neighborhood. In politics the doctor is a sound democrat : in religion Mrs. McWilliams is a devout Methodist-and no more highly respected family can be found in the county.
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J OHN M. MARSH, M. D., one of the leading physicians of Delphos, Ohio, and a representative citizen of that place, is a native of Ohio, having been born near Upper Sandusky, Wyandot county, on June 3, 1863. His father, Nathan Marsh, was also a native of Ohio, and died when our subject was about a year and a half old. His mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary A. Hollanshed, was born in Ohio, and is now living in her fifty-sixth year, making her home with our subject. Dr. Marsh was reared on the farm until he reached his seven- teenth year. During his boyhood he attended the country schools, and in is i entered the
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Ohio Western University at Delaware, Ohio, and from that college was graduated in the class of 1887; taking a classical course. After leaving college he taught one of the schools at Upper Sandusky, and in 1888 began studying medicine in the same city, in the office of Drs. Sampson and Maskey. The same year he entered the Miami Medical college of Cincin- nati, and graduated from that institution in March, 1890. In June of the same year he located in Delphos and began the active prac- tice of his profession. About six months after locating in Delphos, he entered into a partnership with Dr. Charles Reul, which con- tinued until the latter's death in 1894. Since then Dr. Marsh has been practicing alone. He has met with good success, building up not only a good practice, but at the same time establishing a good name and professional repu- tation. Dr. Marsh is a member of the Allen County Medical society and of the Northwest- ern Ohio Medical association. He is at pres- ent health officer of Delphos, and surgeon of the Clover Leaf, C., H. & D and the P., A. & W. railroads. He is also a member of the Masonic order, as well as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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ENJAMIN F. MARSHALL, one of the well-known and representative citizens of Delphos, Ohio, and master mechanic of the P., A. & W. R. R., is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Perry county, that state, May 31, 1845. His parents were Joseph and Margaret (Mc- Kilarey) Marshall, both natives of Pennsylva- nia, and both of Irish descent. The mother of Joseph Marshall was Betty Beaty, who was popularly supposed to have been the daughter of Gen. Beaty, who was burned at the stake by the Indians when Pennsylvania was the frontier. joseph Marshall was a farmer for
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many years, at the same time running a dis- tillery and tannery. Later in life he sold out his farming interests, and engaged in railroad contracting on the Pennsylvania Central. He followed the latter work for some years, and then located at Altoona, Pa., becoming the agent at that point of the Pennsylvania Cen- tral road. When he moved to Altoona there was only two houses in that place. He died in Altoona in 1858, at about fifty-six years of age. He was quite prominent in the localities where he resided, and for some time he was justice of the peace in Perry county. His wife died in 1884 in her seventy-ninth year, her death occurring at Pittsburg, but her body being interred by the side of her husband at Altoona. To these parents there were born twelve children, only two of whom are still living-our subject and his brother, Winfeld S. Marshall, who is an engineer on the P., A. & W. R. R., and resides at Delplios.
Benjamin F. Marshall, our subject, was reared in Altoona, Pa., where he attended the public schools and also an Episcopal school, securing a fair English education. At the age of fourteen years he went to work in the Penn- sylvania shops at Altoona, where he remained until the breaking out of the late war. In 1862 he ran away from home and went to Kentucky and enlisted in Company H, Fourth regiment Kentucky infantry, ariny of the Cumberland, Gen. Sherman commanding. He enlisted at Lexington, Ky., and joined the regiment at Chattanooga, Tenn., arriving there about three weeks before the battle. He also participated in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Chickamanga. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea; on Stoneman's raid, back of Atlanta, on July 22, 1864, he was captured, and was confined in Andersonville prison, where he remained until that infamous prison was broken up, when he, with others, was taken to Savannah,
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Ga., and thence to Charleston, S. C., where they were at the bombardment of that city. - From Charleston he was taken to prison at Florence, S. C., where he was confined for about three months. They were at Wilming- ton, N. C., as prisoners when Fort Fisher fell, and a few days later, when the northern army reached Wilmington, he was exchanged or parolled, on March 10, 1865. He then re- turned to his home in Altoona on a thirty-day furlough, after which he joined his regiment at Tuscaloosa, Ala. He was discharged from the service at the close of hostilities, in 1865, at Macon, Ga. His term of service covered a period of nearly three years, about eight months of which time was spent in the worst prisons the Confederacy had, namely, those of Andersonville, Savanah and Florence. While his health was not impaired by his prison ex- perience, he lost exactly eighty pounds of flesh, he having weighed 180 pounds when he was captured. After the war Mr. Marshall re- turned to the employ of the Pennsylvania R. R. company. at Altoona, taking an engine on the run between Altoona and Harrisburg, Pa. He was on that division from 1865 to 1869. From 1869 to 1871 he was an engineer on the Pacific railways, he having charge of the engine of the first passenger train to enter Salt Lake City, in the latter part of 1869. In 1871 he returned to Altoona, and took a run on the Pennsylvania road again, where he remained until 1873, and took an engine on the Pan- handle, between Pittsburg, l'a., and Dennison, Ohio, where he continued until 1877. From 1877 until 1882 he was in different places, and in 1882 he came to Delphos, and took charge of the shops of the Cleveland, Delphos & St. . Louis railroad, where he continued until 1884, when he went to Van Wert and took charge, as master mechanic, of the Cincinnati, Jack- son & Mackinaw railroad, where he continued unnl 1889. In 1890 he took charge of the
Findlay, Fort Wayne & Western shops at Findlay, where he remained one year, and then, in 1891, he took his present position of master mechanic of the P., A. & W. R. R. at Delphos.
Mr. Marshall was married in Angust, 1868, to Miss Anna Attig, who was born in Perry county, Pa., and- is a daughter of George At- tig, a railroad man on the Pennsylvania line. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall five living children have been born, as follows: Wilber, Cary, Loyd, Grace Leoma and Win- field Scott. Mr. Marshall is a member of the Masonic order, being a knight templar and thirty-second degree Mason. Mr. Marshall takes an active interest in public affairs, and is quite prominent in local matters. He made the race for councilman once, when he was defeated by two votes, owing to the lack of interest he himself took in the fight. and was, in the spring of 1895, again candidate for councilman in the First ward, representing the republican party. As a citizen he is enter- prising, public spirited, and broad and liberal in his views.
S UMNER F. MASON, now a practical and well-to-do farmer of Bath town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, and an ex- soldier of the late Civil war, was born in Reisen township, Oneida county, N. Y., in the year of 1831, and was but three years of age when brought by his parents to Allen county, Ohio.
Jarvis Mason, father of our subject, was born in Massachusetts, January 6, 1789, and was a son of Elisha Mason, who lived and died in that state, served as a soldier in the war of 1812-15. He married, in Now York state, Miss Elizabeth Hall, who was born June 10, 1799, a daughter of Enoch Hall, and this union resulted in the birth of fifteen children,
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as follows: Eliza, wife of Almond S. Harring- ton; Franklin; Lorrie, deceased wife of George Long; Jane, who was married to Nathan Harts- horn, and who is now a resident of Defiance county, Ohio; Janet, deceased wife of John Shinaberry, of Mercer county, Ohio; Julia and Eugenia, deceased; Summer F., our subject; Alden, deceased; Elizabeth, deceased wife of James Boyd; Zalmon R., of Bath township; Marcus D. ; Sarah H., deceased; Nancy A., wife of Philip Roush, of Bath township, and Sarah H., wife of James Neily. After living in New York state a number of years, Jarvis Mason removed to Cheshire, Mass., but sub- sequently returned to the Empire state, where he resided until 1834, when he came to Ohio and entered eighty-nine acres of land in Bath township, Allen county, and here cleared up an excellent farm. In 1854 he made a visit to Massachusetts, and on his way homeward con- tracted cholera, from which he died at his home July 21, 1854, Ins remains being interred in Blue Lick cemetery, Bath township. He was a warm member of the Methodist church, and in pohties a democrat, serving for a num- ber of years as supervisor of Bath township. His widow survived him until November, 1895, dying at the home of her son, our subject.
Summer F. Mason was reared on the home farm in Bath township until eighteen years of age, when he began learning the carpenter's trade, which he followed until the breaking out of the Civil war in 1861, when he enlisted in company B, Eighty-first Ohio volunteer in- fantry, under Col. Thomas Morton. He inth. Later, with some comrades, he was de- tailed to bring some supplies to camp, and while in the performance of this duty was cap- tured by guerrillas at the mouth of Duck river, September 1, 1862, was held there for three months and then exchanged, when he rejoined his regiment at Corinth, Miss. Mr. Mason
also participated in all the engagements of the Atlanta campaign, including Dalton, Buzzards' Roost, Snake Creek Gap, Resaca, Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Rossville, Decatur, At- lanta (July 22 to 28), Jonesboro, Lovejoy Sta- tion, East Point, all in Georgia, and was in a number of minor engagements and lively skir- mishes, was in the grand review at Washington, D. C., and was finally mustered ont July 21, 1865, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, receiving an honorable discharge.
In 1873 Mr. Mason married Marilla, daugh- ter of Peter Snyder, of Allen county, and this nnion has been blessed by the birth of one child, Alfonso, who lives with his father in Bath township, where Mr. Mason owns a fine farm of eighty acres, which he has greatly im- proved and beantified and rendered profitable. Mr. Mason was a brave, true and faithful sol- dier, and as a citizen has manifested the same commendable qualities, performing his full duty in all his relations to his fellow-men.
e LI MECHLING, one of the most successuful farmers of Perry town- ship, Allen county, Ohio; was born on his present homestead in October, 1836, and . is of Pennsylvania-German origin, his ancestors having been among the promi- nent settlers of Westmoreland county, Pa., and their descendents are still eminent in the professional and mercantile world of western Pennsylvania.
William Mechling, grandfather of our sub- fought at Pittsburg Landing, Iuka, and Cor- | ject, in 1812 came from Westmoreland county, Pa., to Perry county, Ohio, and purchased a quarter-section of land in Hopewell township- this being a part of fourteen quarter-sections his father-in-law, Mechling, had entered some time previously. William had married, for his wife, a Miss Mechling, to which union were born Joshma, William, Louisa. Jacob and
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Samuel. To his second marriage, which was with Mrs. Catherine Rice or Ryson, who bore the maiden name of Saum, were born the fol- lowing children: Elizabeth, Mrs. P. Richards; Sheppard, deceased; John, who died in Perry township, Allen county, Ohio; David, of Illi- nois; Tena, who became Mrs. Jonas Bibler; Levi, who served in the late war in an Indiana regiment, but died in Illinois; Hannah, mar- ried to Samnel Switzer; and Jonas, who was killed in LaFayette (Ohio) stave factory.
William Mechling, who died in 1855, aged seventy-one years, had entered, in 1832, in sections Nos. 18 and 30, in Perry township, Allen county, 1, 168 acres, which he gave to his children, parceled as follows: To Joshna, 206 acres: to John, 100 acres; to Elizabeth Richard's, too acres; to David, 100 acres; to Samuel, 200 acres; to Hannah, 105 acres; to Louisa, 267 acers; to Levi, 100 acres. The father, William Mechling, was a very promi- nent as a democrat and for some years served as a justice of the peace. He carried on farming on a very extensive scale and was moreover a very liberal man and sincere Christian, and donated to the township an acre of land in the southeast corner of section No. 18 for church and school purposes.
Joshua Mechling, son of William and father of Eli Mechling, was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., in 1809, and came to Perry county, Ohio, with his father. He was here reared to farming, received a common-school education, and was married, March 27, 1834, to Miss Sophia, daughter of Gotfried Weimer, who came from Somerset county, Pa., to Perry county, Ohio, having been born Octo- ber 8, 1810. April 17, 1836, Mr. Mechling moved to Perry township, Allen county, and settled on the farm owned and occupied by his son Eli. This farm be cleared up from the woods and passed on it the remainder of his life, dying December 17, 1879, his remains
being interred in the Lutheran churchyard. His widow survived until 1893, when she, too, passed away from this homestead, on which fifty-nine years of her life had been spent, in the enjoyment of as much happiness as usually falls to the lot of mankind. The children born to Joshua and Sophia Mechling were named as follows: Harriet, widow of John Brentlinger, who died from exposure while serving in the army; Eli, our subject, now living on the old homestead; Hannah, who was married to George Ridenour, she and her husband being now both deceased; William L., living in Lima, Oho; Elizabeth, died in infancy; Simon, who died in Kansas, in 1893; Maria, wife of W. T. Kimes. of Shawnee township, Allen county, Ohio; Martha, wife of Aaron Alberts, and Sophia, wife of E. V. Ridenour.
Eli Mechiling, the eldest son of Joshna Mechling, is the gentleman whose name opens this biographical memoir, and was educated in the public schools of Perry township, Allen county, Ohio, where he was reared to farming on his native homestead, to sixty acres of which he fell heir; he subsequently purchased forty acres of the old farm, thus making a compact but spacious place of residence, on which he has erected a handsome dwelling and substantial farm buildings, necessary for the successful prosecution of his calling-in which he stands at the head. In politics he is a stanch democrat, and is very popular as well as influential with his party, with whom he has actively worked and served for years, and in the local management of which he is a prime factor. He has filled the positions of town- ship trustee and clerk, and March 13, 1895, was appointed county infirmary director. In religion Mr. Mechling is a Lutheran, and was one of the founders of the Luther in society of Perry township, to the erection of whose church edifice, in 1856, he contributed very
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liberally; he has served as church trustee and for years has been a deacon, and in every 'way has taken an active part in advancing the prosperity of the organization, and has shown in his daily deportment the sincerity of his faith in its teachings.
Mr. Mechling was united in wedlock with Miss Sarah Ridenour, daughter of John Ride- nour, born May 27, 1842, of which family further may be read in the biography of S. O. Ridenour, on another page of this volume. The children that blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Mechling were two in number, and were named Louis L., deceased, and Milton A., who married Ollie Hoskins, and now inan- ages the home farmn. This farm, beside being under the highest possible state of cultivation, and being a model from an agricultural point of view, has within its bounds no less than mine producing oil wells, which are a source of considerable income. Mr. Mechlig is a push- ing man of business and has an extended circle of acquaintances, while as a politician he is far-seeing, sound, shrewd and loyal to his party.
OBERT MEHAFFEY, president of the Metropolitan bank at Lima, Allen county, Ohio, is a native of Ireland and was born August 23 1833, a son of James and Martha (Clarke) Mehaffey, na- tives of Ireland.
James Mehaffey, the father of our subject, was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, about 1799, received a good education and was reared a farmer He married Martha Clarke, a daughter of John Clarke, also a farmer of county Tyrone, and who lived to reach the remarkable age of 100 years. To the union of James and Martha Mehaffey was born six cluldren, in the oider here named: James (deceased), Samuel, Daniel, Robert, John, Martha (wife of Joseph Karens), and William. Mr. Mehaffey was
very successful as a farmer and he and wife were ardent members of the Episcopal church, in the faith of which they both passed away.
In 1850 Robert Mehaffey, the subject of this ineinoir, came to America, and in 1852 settled in Jackson township, Allen county, with which he has ever since been identified, having seen in the interval many wonderful transformations in its physical characteristics, in its financial prosperity and in its moral and educational progress. August 19, 1856, Mr. Mehaffey was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Richard- son, daughter of Joseph and Eda (Smyth) Richardson, both natives of Sinyth county, Va., where they were married. Joseph Rich- ardson, son of William Richardson, was born in 1812, and was reared a fariner; his wife was born in 1814. Immediately after their mar- riage they came to Ohio, and after a residence of two years in Greene county, came to Allen county, in 1835, and settled in German town- ship, where Mr. Richardson became a promi- nent farmer and a citizen of consequence. He taught the first district school in German town- ship, in a log house, and also taught the first select school in Lima. Indeed, the Richardson family have ever since been closely identified with the educational interests of the county. Mr. Richardson was also an active and influ- ential democrat and served two terms as county auditor, and as county clerk two terms. The death of Mr. Richardson took place in May, 1856, and that of his widow occurred in the year of 1874. Beside their daughter. Mrs. Mehaffey, they were the parents of the follow- ing children: William; Mrs. M. J. Ballard, now a school-teacher of Lima and a member of the county board of examiners; Eda A., deceased; Charles S., deceased, and Virginia.
Mr. Mehaffey has been one of the most successful financiers of Allen county andI has always been prominent in its monetary affairs. He has been president of the I rst National
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bank, Merchants National bank, and Merchants bank, and is now, as has been already men- tioned, president of the Metropolitan, all of Lima. In politics he is a stanch democrat, and has served as justice of the peace six years, as clerk of courts six years, state senator four years, and has held the position of lieutenant- colonel of militia, having been commissioned by Gov. Tod. In religion he adheres to the faith of his father, and is a member of the Episcopal church at Lima; fraternally he is a royal arch Mason, and is also a member of the Blue lodge, at LaFayette. As a business man he has few if any equals in Allen county, and his social standing is with the best people in the county.
EORGE R LEIST .-- At a family re- union of the Leist family, of German township, Allen county, Ohio, Au- gust 20, 1891, it was shown that the family is traced back in America from Ger- many to a Christen Lyst, who was born in 1712, and a David Lyst, born in March, 1713. Then we find a David Lyst, junior, who was no doubt the son of David, referred to, and the father of Andrew, who was born in 1755, as the dates are far enough apart that this could have been the case, and as we know that some married quite young, we believe this is true. The name was first written Lisht, then Lyst, then List, now Leist. We find, also, that this Andrew had two daughters named Mary. Mary was born 1781, and Mary the second, 1786. We infer from this that the first Mary died in infancy, and that the next daughter born was called Mary the second. Taking the above as correct, the genealogy would be: David, born 1713. His son, David, Jr. (date of birth not known), was the father of Andrew, born 1755, who was married to Elizabeth. This runs the record
back to 1712, or 179 years, ten years before the birth of George Washington. From the above to the present generation the Leist fam- ily of America have all descended.
George R. Leist, one of the representative and leading citizens of Allen county and a resident of Elida, in which village he has for the past thirty-one years been variously en- gaged, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, February 22, 1837. He is a son of Elias S. and Elizabeth (Rhoades) Leist, both of whom were natives of Pickaway county, Ohio, and died when the subject of this sketch was quite young-the mother when he was but eight years of age, and the father when he was eleven years old Left thus early in life to care for himself, he learned the lesson of and the necessity for self-reliance, which has been of inestimable value to him all the way through life. His education was acquired in the public schools, and when he was eighteen years of age he entered a mercantile establish- ment at Leistville, Pickaway county, Ohio, in which he remained three months. He then went to Tarlton, in the same county, where he attended school for one year. For six months afterward he was employed as a clerk, but then the head of the firm dying he was thrown out of employment, and so went to Laurelville, Hocking county, and there en- tered the employ of Reigle & Hedges. With this firm he remained two years and then re- turned to Leistville, where he became a clerk for a Mr. Bitler. For several years he re- mained in and around Leistville, and in 1864 he removed to Allen county, and settled at Elida, entering into partnership with Joseph McMillan, the firm carrying on a general mer- chandise business for one year. Mr. Leist then sold his interest in the business, and about a year afterward became a partner of George Miller, remaining with him for two years and doing business under the firm name
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GEORGE R. LEIST.
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of Leist & Miller. He next formed a partner- ship with Benjamin Miller in the warehouse business, buying and shipping grain, in which he continued for one year. He was then clerk for his former partner for about two years, and afterward clerk for Dr. Herts in a general store. Soon after this he himself opened a general store in company with Dr. R. Rice, with whom he was associated in business for three years, when he once more sold out, and for several years lived retired. In 1883 he again embarked in business in partnership with J. H. Enslen, the firm name being Leist & Enslen, and the business that of general mer- chandising. This arrangement continued for five years, at the end of which time Mr. Leist retired from the firm. Since this time Mr. Leist has been engaged in speculation of vari- ous kinds, buying and selling farms, real estate, making loans, and purchasing securi- ties. He is everywhere known as one of the keenest, shrewdest men of the county, and is one of its most solid and substantial financiers, and is always alive to its best interests. Po- litically he is a stanch democrat and has filled the office of justice of the peace for six years. He is a member of Lima lodge, No. 205, F. & A. M., of Lima chapter, No. 49, of Lima council, No. 20, and of Shawnee commandery, No. 14, and also Elida lodge, I. O. O. F.
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