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 46
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Mr. Odum was a hard-working man and a skillful farmer, and highly respected for his integrity of character. Mrs. Odum still resides on the homestead.
Clement L. Odum was very well educated in his youth and thoroughly trained to farm- ing, a calling he has ever since followed. Mr. and Mrs. Odum were among the founders and organizers of the United Brethren church at Fairview, Ohio, in which Mr. Odum is a trustee and of which Mrs. Odum is a faithful member. In politics Mr. Odum is a democrat and is a very popular man with the party. In 1893 he was elected assessor of Marion town- ship and served two years, greatly to his own credit, and to the entire satisfaction of his con- stituents. He possesses the entire confidence of the people of Marion township, and also of the people of the county.
Of the children born to the second mar- riage of Richard Odum, David married Jennie Holmes, and is a farmer of Miami county, Ind., with six children: Hannah is married to Thomas Wert, and has two children; Re- berca is the wife of Rev. John N. Holmes, of Dunkirk, Ohio, and is the mother of three children; Flora is the wife of William Coch- ran, Jr., a manufacturer, and has four chil- dren; Alice is married to L. D. Seitz, a con- tractor of Delphos, Ohio, and Frances is the wife of J. B. Peters, a farmer and school teacher, near Kempton, Ohio. It is needless to say that the entire family stand as high in the esteem of their various communities as they stood in Marion township.
ARON J. OSMON, now a leading farmer of Allen county, Ohio, was born in Bath township, in same county, February 16, 1844, and de- scends from an old Virginia family, that carly became settlers in Ohio.
Brazelia Osmon, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of the Old Dominion, and was a blacksmith and farmer. He served in the war of 1812, and was a pioneer of Allen county, there being but two houses in the now city of Lima when he arrived here. He en- tered a farm, of 160 acres, from the govem- ment, and this land he subsequently cleared up and converted into a good homestead. He reared a family of eleven children, viz: Mary, Phoebe, Sarah, Rhoda, Elizabeth, Aaron, Abraham, died near Lima, in 1851, Ebenezer, now living in Wisconsin, Brazelia, deceased, Rachael, deceased, and Lydia, now living at Ada, Ohio, wife of Barton Holland, ex-sheriff of Allen county. The father of this family was a whig in politics, but later became a re- publican. He died near Lima, in the faith of the Baptist church, at the age of eighty-five years, his wife having preceded him to the grave some years previously.
Abraham Osinon, son of Brazelia Osmon, and the father of the subject of this sketch, was also a native of Virginia, and was a young man when he came to Ohio, and entered a tract of 120 acres, in Bath township, Allen county, which tract he likewise converted into a fertile and profitable farm. He married Miss Charity Tunget, the marriage resulting in the birth of ten children, viz: John J., who died at the age of seven years; Mary E., who was first married to Levy Spiker, who died a pris- oner of the war of the Rebellion, at Anderson- ville, Ga .; she then became the wife of Joseph Bressler, also deceased; William C., now re- siding at Marion, Ind .; Martha J., wife of J. H. Atmar, now residing in Lima, Ohio; Ehz- abeth A., died in infancy; Francis M., died at Petersburg, Va., near Cheat Mountain, was a member of company II, Twenty-second regi- ment Ohio volunteer infantry; Aaron J., our subject; George R .; Harrison H , who died in infancy, and Lewis L., of Perry township,
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Allen county. The mother of these children died June 28, 1877, in the faith of the Method- ist church, and is buried in Bath township; and the father died December 15, 1851, a member of the Methodist church, and lies beside her.
Aaron J. Osmon was reared a farmer and remained with his parents until May, 1864, when he enlisted at Lima, in company F, One Hundred and Fifty-first Ohio volunteer infan- try, and later in company B, One Hundred and Ninety-second Ohio volunteer infantry, under Col. Butterfield. He participated in the battles of Fort Beards, Fort Sumner, Fort Reno, Rockville and others, in the Shenan- doah valley, and was honorably discharged in August, 1865. He then returned to Allen county, Ohio, and purchased a farm of 143 acres in Perry township, where he has since made his home.
December 30, 1866, Mr. Osmon married Miss Amanda R., daughter of Asa Hungeford of Allen county, but formerly of New York. This marriage has been blessed with eleven children, born in the following order: Fran- ces Hill, born December 17, 1867; Martha Ellen, born July 14, 1869; William Herbert, horn March 26, 1871; Emma Lenore, born June 1, 1873; Lewis Hungeford, born Febru- ary 15, 1875; Alton Lawrence, born April 2, 1876; Royal Edwin, born November 8, 1878; Charity Agusta, born January 31, 1881; Asa Hungeford, born January 31, 1881; infant daughter, born April 25, died May 5, 1883; Ralph Waldo, born July 26, 1884.
The parents are members of the Methodist church and live in full conformity with its teachings. Mr. Osmon is very popular with the republican party, and in 1893 was elected by that party county commissioner by a majority of forty-one over George Kanall, of Lima, the democratic nominee. Fraternally Mr. Osmor is a member of G. A. R. post, of
Westminster, and also Mart Armstrong post, No. 202, of Lima, Ohio. He is likewise a member of George R. Taylor's command, No. 8, U. V. U., department of Ohio; of the Auglaize grange, No. 347, P. of H. Mr. Osmon is an adept at farming and has a well improved and fertile farmi, which he has earned through well directed industry and in- telligent management. He is public spirited and generous, a friend of education, and con- tributes freely to the support of church and school. He is highly respected for his integ- rity and strightforwardness in all his transac- tions, and socially stands the peer of any man in the county of Allen, his family enjoying the same distinction.
J AMES PARKER, a highly respected farmer of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, and an ex-soldier, was born in Richland county, about 1837, a son of Thomas and Rachael (Ford) Parker, the parents of two children-James, our sub- ject, and a daughter, who died young. Thomas Parker died ere the memory of our subject had reached its retentive power, and the mother married Samuel Buzzard, to which union were also born two children, when the mother was again left a widow and sought a home in the west.
James Parker, on the death of his step- father and the departure westward of his mother, went to live with Jolin Enslen, a pioneer and farmer of Sugar Creek township, Allen county, with whom he found a good home, and, although lie received but little schooling, was thoroughly inducted into the art of farining. August 8, 1862, Mr. Parker enlisted at Gomer, Allen county, in company E, Capt. John Walters, Ninety-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, his company. the last year of the war, being consolidated with company
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I, Fiftieth Ohio infantry. His term of enlist- ment was for three years, unless sooner dis- charged by reason of the cessation of hostili- ties, and he faithfully served until honorably discharged at Camp Dennison May 24, 1865. He participated in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Ringgold; also took part in the Atlanta campaign, and fought in the battles of Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Pumpkinvine Creek, and Perryville, Ky., and was in numerous skirmishes. He was also at Rocky Face Ridge and in the siege of Atlanta, and near the close of that campaign was taken sick with scurvy, was laid up in the hospital at Marietta, Ga., four weeks, and then was granted a furlough home for thirty days. At Chattanooga he was in the convalescence hospital a short time, was one month in hospital at Nashville, Tenn., and at Louisville, Ky., eight weeks, and was finally sent to Camp Dennison, where he suf- fered from a bad form of his disorder until his final discharge-since when he has never seen a well day.
The marriage of Mr. Parker took place. October 20, 1866, with Mrs. Mary (Sherrick) Stucky, daughter of Samuel and Barbara (Stemen) Sherrick. Her father, Samuel Sherrick, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, a son of John Sherrick, a pioneer from Penn- sylvania, of German descent. Samuel came to Allen county from Fairfield county, cleared up a farm from the woods, and reared a re- spected family of children, viz: Henry J., Mary, Nicholas, Margaret, Lydia, Samuel L. and Mahala After marriage, Mr. Parker settled on liis present farm of forty acres in the woods of Marion township, of which farm six acres only had been cleared, but which is now thoroughly drained and cultivated. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Parker has been blessed with seven children, born in the following order: Isaac, Emma M., Thomas L., Bar-
bara A., Lizzie G., Laura B. and Lenora. In politics Mr. Parker is a republican, and in re- ligion he and wife adhere with sincerity to the teachings of the United Brethren church. As in war, so in peace. Mr. Parker has es- tablished an excellent reputation, and few men in the township stand higher in the es- teem of its citizens:
ILLIAM PATTON, a thrifty farmer, an ex-soldier and a native of Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, was born in 1844, descends from an old Pennsylvania colonial family, and is a son of John and Rachael (Clamon) Patton, natives of the Keystone state and the parents of eight children, viz: Andrew, Hannah, Ann, Mary, Frederick, William, Philip and Susanna. John Patton, the father of this family, came directly from Pennsylvania to Allen county, Ohio, many years ago, was a well-known farmer, and here passed the remainder of his days, dying the owner of a handsome farm of forty acres; Mrs. Rachael Patton is also deceased.
William Patton, our subject, was but a small boy when his parents were taken from him, and his recollections of his father are very faint. He was reared among strangers and early began to earn his living by working for the farmers of Allen county, performing his allotted tasks with alacrity until his enlistment, when between seventeen and eighteen years of age, at Gomer, to serve three years, if the war should not sooner terminate. He was enrolled at Lima, August 6, 1862, as a private, in com- pany E., Capt. John Walters, Ninety-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served until the close of the war-nearly three years-when he was honorably discharged, at Salisbury, N. C., June 26, 1865. Among other battles, he took part in the following: Stone River, January 2, 1863; Chickamauga, September 1.), and 20,
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1863; was in the charge up Lookout Mountain, called " the battle above the clouds," Novem- ber 24, and at Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863, and was also at the battle of Ring- gold, Ga. He was also through the entire Atlanta campaign, including the fights at Dalton, Resaca, Pumpkinvine Creek, Burnt Hickory and Kenesaw Mountain; was next under Gen. Thomas in the campaign against Nashville, where he fought two days, De- cember 15 and 16, 1864-annihilating the rebel general Hood's army. He was never in hospital, nor captured nor wounded, but on one occasion barely escaped death-a rifle ball passing above the right ear and cutting off the hair in its course. Mr. Patton was a brave, alert, and cheerful soldier, was in all the marches, skirmishes and engagements in which his regiment participated, and made a record not surpassed by any of his comrades from Allen county, nor, indeed, by any member of the regiment.
After the war Mr. Patton returned to Allen county and re-engaged in farin work. In April, 1866, he married Miss Catherine Jacobs, who was born in Seneca county, Ohio, in 1846, a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Boley) Jacobs. Jacob Jacobs came from France, settled in Seneca county, Ohio, was there married, and became the father of six children- Joseph, Louis, Peter, Mary, August and Catherine. Mr. Jacobs was a farmer, owning forty acres of land, on which he died when Mrs. Patton was but fifteen months old. His widow was next married to Louis Fosty, bore him three children -- Benjamin, John and Martin -- and still lives in Seneca county, on a farm of 100 acres. After marriage, Mr. Patton continued his farm work as a hired hand until 1877, when he bought a farm of twenty-three acres, and here have been born his ten children -. Philip Newton, Sarah J., Mary Susan, Louis Andrew, Albert B., John William, Ellen E.,
Frank P., Grover Cleveland and Robert Ed- ward. Mr. and Mrs. Patton are members of the Methodist church; in politics he is a demo- crat, and has served as supervisor.
Philip Newton Patton, son of our subject, married Margaret Stevick, is a farmer of Marion township and the father of one child; Mary Susan, daughter of our subject, is mar- ried to Clemens Rollerson, a fariner of Spencer township, Allen county, and also has one child; Sarah J. is the wife of Isaac Keller, a farmer of Marion township, has one child. The old comrades of William Patton glow with pride when they speak of his military career, his gallantry in battle, and his promptitude in responding to every call to duty, and what prouder tribute could an old soldier expect?
a ILLIAM C. PELTIER, a prosper- ous farmer of Marion township, Al- len county, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the late Civil war, was born August 16, 1837, in the county named, and is a son of one of the early pioneers. Antony Peltier, grandfather of our subject, was a na- tive of Canada, of French descent, and came to the United States in early manhood and lo- cated at Detroit, Mich., where he became an Indian trader, lived there through the war of 1812, and after that contest moved to Mamince City-now South Toledo-where he continued to traffic with the Indians until his death, at an advanced age, in the faith of the church of Rome.
James Peltier, son of Antony, was born in Detroit in August 1806, Jearned the French and English languages, and, like his father, became an Indian trader. About the year of 1830, at Findlay, Ohio, he was married to Jane Clark, daughter of John and Sarah Clark. In 1834 he moved to Lima, and in 1835 set- tled in Sugar Creek township, a mile and a
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quarter north of Elida, where he cleared up a farm, on which he resided until 1863, and then settled on the farm now occupied by his son William C. His death took place in Bluffton, Ohio, at the age of over eighty-three years. He and wife were members of the Methodist church, in which he was a local preacher for over twenty years, and in politics was a repub- lican. Following are the names of the six children born to James Peltier and wife: Louisa, now Mrs. S. J. Brand, of Bluffton; William C., John W., Enos, Joseph S. (de- ceased) and Charles W. Of these, four of the sons served in the late Civil war, in Ohio regiments.
William C. Peltier, subject of this sketch, was reared on his father's farm, received a good education, and for twenty-three winters taught shool at intervals in Sugar Creek and Marion townships, Allen county. August II, 1862, he enlisted at Lima in company E, Ninery-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, Capt. J. C. Walters, for three years or during the war, and served until July, 1865, when he was hon- orably. discharged at Salisbury, N. C. He fought at Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain (where he was wounded in the side by a rifle- ball), and was on the Atlanta campaign, from Dalton to Atlanta, Pumpkinvine Creek, Burnt Hickory, Kenesaw Mountain, and at the fall of Atlanta, was then with Gen. Thomas at Nashville and fought in the two-days'battle of December 16 and 17, 1864, and, in fact, in all the battles and skirmishes in which his regiment took part.
On his return to Allen county he resumed school-teaching and farming, and August 16, 1866, married Miss Leah A. McBride, who was born September 18, 1842, in German township, Allen county, Ohio, a daughter of Alexander and Leah (Wolf) McBride. Alex- 1 amier Mc Bride was of Scotch-Irish extraction. was a pioneer of Allen county, and he and wife
were the parents of ten children, viz: Levi, Lewis, Alexander, Nelson, Benjamin, Eli, Leah A., Mary J., Martha and Rebecca. Of the sons, four served in the Civil war-Levi, Lewis, Alexander and Benjamin. Mr. Mc- Bride died on his farm at the age of seventy years, a member of the United Brethren church and in politics a democrat. After his marriage Mr. Peltier settled on forty acres of land in the woods of Marion township, purchased with his own money. This farm he cleared up and added to, from time to time, until he has now 160 acres of as good farming land as there is in the county, well improved and under- drained. Mrs. Peltier was called home No- vember 18, 1887, lying in the faith of the United Brethren church. She was good wife and fond mother, and her death was deeply and sincerely mourned by the bereaved hus- band and children. In politics Mr. Peltier is a republican, is a good citizen, and is highly respected for his integrity and straight- forwardness.
ASPER POHLMAN, a practical and successful farmer of Marion township, Allen county, was born in Putnamn county, Ohio, February 1, 1844. He is a son of Mathias and Gertrude ( Applebaum) Pohlman. He was reared on a farm. and received a good common-schoc! education. At the age of eighteen he began to learn the trade of blacksmith at Delphos. and he fol- lowed this trade for seventeen years. On May 6, 1868, he married Miss Josephine Koordt, daughter of Joseph Koordt. She was born in Germany, and died about 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Pohlman were the parents of two children, viz: Joseph and Anna. Mi. Pohl- man married, for his second vite, Miss Mar- garet Schmitz, daughter of Jeenh Schmitz, and to this marriage there have been born
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
eleven children, viz: Frank, August, who died at the age of fourteen years; Bernard, Charles, Alexander, Josephine, Julia, Katie, Antone, Henry and Willie.
In 1878, Mr. Pohlman, abandoning his trade as blacksmith as a means of making a living, settled on his present farm, then con- sisting of eighty-three acres. Here he has worked faithfully and industriously, improving the farm and improving and erecting other buildings. He has also added to the size of the farm, so that now it contains ninety-seven instead of eighty-three acres. Among the noticeable buildings Mr. Pohlman has erected on his farm is a fine, new residence, which makes a most comfortable home for himself and his family. He has a very substantial barn, and other good buildings. What prop- erty Mr. Pohhnan has he has accumulated and acquired by his own industry and economy. and it is proper to refer to him as one of the self-made men of Allen county. In religion he is a devout Catholic, and has done his full share toward building up his church in Delphos. He is a very liberal man for his means, and is in every way practical and sensible. He has always been a hard-working man, and is bringing up his children in the fear of God and in the love of their country.
LEMENS POHLMAN, one of the well-known citizens of Marion town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, residing on his farm in the edge of Delphos, is a native of Hanover, Germany, having been born in the neighborhood of the town of Melle, October 2, 1840. His parents were Casper M. and Clara (Hensley Pohlman, the former of whom was a carpenter and general wood. worker. He brought his family over to Amer- ica in October, 1844, and came direct to the
farm on which his son resides. At that time there were only a few families in this locality, the place being then known as section No. 10. The canal had been opened in the spring of the same year he came, and Delphos was un- known, what is now the city being only a few log cabins. He purchased first only forty acres, but afterward added to the first tract until he owned altogether seventy-one acres. After coming here he worked at his trade, building churches, mills, etc., in different parts of the country. His death occurred in June, 1881, in his eighty-first year. His wife died in June, 1876, in her sixty-sixth year. On the same ship that Mr. Pohlman and his family came over in, was Father Bredeick, the founder of Delphos and of Saint John's Ro- man Catholic church.
To the parents ten children were born, three of whom are now living, as follows: John, a farmer of Delphos; Mary, now the wife of Frederick Louse, a farmer of Marion township, and our subject. Clemens Pohl- man was four years old when he came with his father to Delphos, and he has resided here ever since. He secured his education in the parochial school at Saint Mary's college in Cleveland. In 1865 he was married to Berne- dina Brinkman, who was born at Glandorf, in Putnam county, Ohio, February 22, 1844, and is the daughter of Frank Brinkman, a na- tive of Hanover. To Mr. and Mrs. Pohlman seven children have been born, as follows: John; Clara, now the wife of Jacob Thourenin, of Canton, Ohio; Theresa, now the wife of Joseph Wiesgerber, of Delphos; Henry, de- ceased; Annie, deceased; Josephine and Rosa. Mr. Pohlman and family are mne nbers of the Saint John's Roman Catholic church. John Pohlman, deceased, was born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, August 15, 1833 came with lus parents to America ir 1844, naving always resided in Delphos, owned a farm and
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OF ALLEN COUNTY.
other property. He was a member of Saint John's Roman Catholic church, and died April 17, 1895.
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ILLIAM D. POLING .-- The par- ents of William D. Poling came to Allen county, Ohio, in October, 1845, just a half century ago at this writing. Poling; They were Benjamin and Elizabeth the father died July 19, 1895, at the age of eighty years and six months, but the mother is still living at the advanced age of seventy-nine vears. The known record of the Poling family begins with Rodney and Margaret (Black) Poling, who were natives of Virginia and the great-grandparents of our subject. They had four sons, Samuel, John and Benja- min and another whose name is omitted, all of whom came to Ohio, where their lives were spent. Samuel, the grandfather, who served in the war of 1812, was a great hunter and a pioneer of Fairfield county, Ohio. He mar- ried Elizabeth Stemen, daughter of Peter and Magdaline Stemen, of Virginia. There was borr to them a family of thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, all of whom lived to maturity. Their names are as follows: Peter, of Fairfield county, Ohio; Benjamin, the father of our subject; John and Samuel, deceased; Noalı, of Hocking county, Ohio; Ezra, of Van Wert county, Ohio; Rachael, deceased wife of William Funk, of Fairfield county, Ohio; Mattie, wife of David Weaver, of Fairfield county, deceased; Mary, wife of Abner Elder, of Fairfield county, deceased; M. Nancy, wife of Noah Welty, of Fairfield county, deceased; Elizabeth, deceased; Margaret, wife of Nathan Tucker, of Highland county, Ohio, Lonisa, wife of Bartel McGinnis, of Van Wert county.
Benjamin Poling, the father of William D. Poling, our subject, was reared on a farm, and received a linated education; in 1841 he was
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married to Miss Elizabeth Short, who was born in Pennsylvania. September 7, 1817, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Donaldson) Short, who came from Ireland and located in Philadelphia. The parents of William D. had five children: Anna M., deceased: our subject; Mrs. Rachael Laman; Mary E. and Samuel A. William D. was born prior to his parents com- ing to this country in 1845, and locating on eighty acres of timber land in Marion township, which was improved to the extent of a small log cabin and two acres cleared.
In time the father put the entire eighty acres under cultivation and purchased forty acres more adjoining. He was a sturdy pioneer and a thoroughly enterprising man, domestic in his habits, always refusing public recog- nition as regards office. Politically he was a democrat of the Jefferson type and lived con- sistently with his doctrines.
William D. was born April 19, 1843, was reared in the country and educated in the common schools. At the age of twenty he began teaching, and thenceforth taught winters and followed the carpenter's trade dur- ing summers. He had graduated from the commercial schools of Pittsburg, the only part of his education received abroad, and for eighteen years he inade teaching his pro- fession in winters-all in Allen county, except one term in Indiana county, Pa. In every. good substantial way he has liberally assisted in the building up his county and home inter- ests, and is a moral . and financial force in the community. In 1881 he was elected by the democrats of Allen county to the office of auditor and was re-elected for another term, and was then appointed to fill a vacancy ten months longer. In September, 1888, his official career .expired. He remained at the county seat until the following July, when he moved to the farm, on which he erected . handsome residence, in which he now lives. His farm
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