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 57
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man-resolute, energetic, perservering and in- dustrious. Starting life with empty hands, he has made for himself a comfortable home in which to pleasantly pass the last years of his life. To such men the country is indebted for its happiness and prosperity.
a HARLES F. STOCKLER, a highly respected citizen of Bluffton, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the Civil war, is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Brokel) Stockler. Joseph Stockler owned a small farm in Germany, upon which he lived and supported his family. He and his wife had but one son, Charles F., the subject of this sketch. Joseph Stockler died in Germany, a member of the Catholic church.
Charles F. Stockler was born October 13, 1834, was reared on his father's farm, and received a common-school education in his native country, coming to the United States after both his father and mother had died, they dying when he was about seventeen years of age. He embarked, in 1854, at Antwerp, in a sailing vessel, the good ship Amarcand, and was forty-two days on the sea. He landed in New York, having come in company with two cousins, Alexis Obert, who served three years in the army, and John Brokel, both young men, and upon reaching the hospitable shores of the United States, the entire party had left but $2.50. They found work at Utica, N. Y., on the New York Central rail- road, and then at Lyons, and after six months' labor of this kind they came on west to Cleve- land, Ohio. He worked on farms in various parts of the state of Ohio until the breaking out of the war, when he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and engaged to work for the government at driving and breaking mules. This he con- tmued to do until February 10, 1865. when he
enlisted in company I, Fifty-fifth regiment of Kentucky mounted infantry. He was pro- moted to fourth corporal and acted as com- missary sergeant, serving in this capacity until the close of the war. He was in the battle of Stone River and a number of skirmishes in Kentucky and Tennessee. Being injured by being thrown from a horse on the turnpike between Georgetown and Mount Sterling, he went to hospital No. 11, at Lonisville, where he remained four weeks. The previous season he had lain in the same hospital two weeks, sick with ague. Mr. Stockler was always an active soldier when in health, was always on duty, and in all the battles and campaigns of the war in which his regiment participated. He was honorably discharged at Louisville, Ky., September 19, 1865, the war having come to an end.
Mr. Stockler was married May 29. : 859, at Urbana, Ohio, to Clarissa C. Henkle, who was born at Urbana, September 9, 1830, and is a daughter of Fletcher and Emily (Sampson) Henkle, the former of whom was born in Virginia, of an old colonial family of German descent. He was a wagon-maker by trade and moved to Urbana when a young man. His wife was born in Cincinnati, and her peo- ple, the Sampsons, were among the first set- tlers of Urbana. She and husband were the parents of the following children: John. Clar- issa C., William B., Mattie, Kate, Henry and Molly. Mr. Henkle died in Chicago in 1891, aged about eighty-two years, having moved to that city about 1873 and engaged in garden- ing. He was an industrious man, esteemed by all for his upright and honest course of life. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he was a class leader and exhorter for some years. He was a republican h: politics and had two sons in the Civil war William B. and Henry -in Ohio regiments, the former in the 100-
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day service, and the latter in the one-year serv- ice. Mr. Henkle was a strong Union man, and a man of sterling character.
Mr. and Mrs. Stockler settled in Urbana, Ohio, remaining there until 1864, when they removed to Ada, Ohio. Later they removed to a farm lying a short distance west of Fort Wayne, and moved to their present farm in 1869. To them there have been born ten children, as follows: Albert E., Ida M., Enos H., Henry (who died in infancy), Lizzie, Mol- lie, Frank V., Estelle, Tima, and Ross E. Mr. Stockler has given all his children a good education, four of them being school-teachers -- Lizzie, Mollie, Frank and Estelle. Frank is now attending the Normal school at Ada, Ohio, with the view of better preparing him- self for his work in the teachers' profession. Lizzie married Prof. Noah Stull, principal of the high school at Spencerville, Ohio. He is a member of the county board of examiners, and she has taught in the graded schools for ten years. Mollie married Bert Hawk, of La Fay- ette, Ohio. She taught in graded schools for hve years. Estelle has been teaching at Beaver Dam two years. Mr. Stockler is a re- publican in politics, and is a member of Ada lodge, No. 343, F. & A. M. Mr. and Mrs. Stockler are among the most highly respected people of their township, and he has always been an industrious, energetic and successful man. Assisted by his faithful wife he has reared a family of children, all of whom main- tain honorable and responsible positions in the community, and are most useful men and women.
The Henkles are descended from old Rev- olutionary stock-directly from Count Henkle, an officer in the Revolutionary army. The Sampsons were English Puritans and of an- cient New England stock, from near Boston, Mass. Calvin Sampson, the maternal grand- father of Mrs. Stockler, was one of the pio-
neers of Cincinnati, Ohio. He went down the Ohio river on a flat-boat with his family, and became one of the first merchants of Cincin- nati, where his father was the first wholesale merchant. Hepzabel Leftbridge married Cal- vin Sampson and lived to be ninety-two years old, and was blind the last fifteen years of her life. The Sampsons were among the early settlers of Urbana, and also among the first merchants of that place.
R OBERT G. STOCKTON .- Among the inany distinguished families that in the early history of this country abandoned their own countries for the sake of political as well as religious liberty, was the family of which brief mention is made in this sketch. They were among the very earliest settlers of America, the first of the name of whom any data are obtainable being Thomas Stockton, who came from Scotland in 1620, and landed at Plymouth Rock, Mass. Subsequently one of his descendants removed to New Jersey, and later to Pennsylvania. This was the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch. His son, Thomas Stockton, served in the Revolutionary war, and was the progenitor of the Stocktons that settled in Washington county, Pa., for there is where he died. Thomas Stockton married a Miss Gra- ham, by whom he had children as follows: Robert, who died in Washington county, Pa .; Thomas; Mary, who married a Mr. Flack and died in Virginia; Sarah, who married a Mr. Vance, and, dying, left no family; Rev. John Stockton, who was pastor of the Criss Creek Presbyterian church of Washington county, Pa., for fifty years.
Thomas Stockton, second son of the above- mentioned couple, was born December 29, 1798, on the old homestead in Washington county, Pa., where he was reared and where
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he remained until he was thirty years of age. In 1828 he settled in Licking county, Ohio, where he purchased 480 acres of land, a por- tion of which he cleared, and remained there until 1865, when he purchased forty acres in section No. 14, Shawnee township, afterward adding thereto land lying in sections Nos. 22 and 23, until he owned in all, in this township, 280 acres, which he cleared and improved, and remained there engaged in farming until about 1873, when he retired from active life, and removed to Lima, where he died in 1875. Politically Mr. Stockton was first a whig until the formation of the republican party. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. He married Sarah Rea in 1835, this lady dying in 1879. By her he had the following children: Joseph R., Sarah Isabella, wife of Henry Adgate; Robert G., the subject of this sketch; Thomas M., who enlisted in company K, Ninety-fifth regiment Ohio volunteer infantry, was wounded August, 1862, at Paris Ky., was taken prisoner and died within the rebel lines, and was buried at Paris, Ky .; James, who died in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in 1892; Rev. John V., of Mercer, Pa., and Mary A., who died in infancy.
Robert G. Stockton was born October 9, 1840, in Licking county, Ohio. His education was received in the cominon schools, and dur- ing his minority he was brought up to work upon a farm; he was also engaged somewhat 111 teaching school. In 1865 he removed to Allen county with his father, and in 1877 set- tled npon the eighty acres of land where he now lives, which he cleared himself, and upon which he has made all the improvements that are on it. The only office he has ever filled is that of township clerk. As his ancestry have been, so is he a member of the Presbyterian church. He has served the church at Lima, of which he is a member, as elder; he has al- ways taken great interest in the work of his
church, and given liberally to its support. Politically he is a republican, and believes as strongly in its principles as he does in the pre- cepts of his church, for both, in his opinion, are founded on a basis of truth, and truth is al- ways the same. In 1870 Mr. Stockton was married to Miss Mary Heindel, daughter of Daniel Heindel, of Ottawa township, and one of the early settlers thereof. By her Mr. Stockton is the father of the following children: Eva L., Laura B. (deceased), Amanda B., Lydia A., Mary L., and Thomas H., deceased.
ACOB N. STOLZENBACH, member of the livery firm of Botkins & Stolzen- bach, was born July 14, 1867, in Rose- ville, Ohio, and is a son of J. H. and Louisa (Jockers) Stolzenbach. J. H. Stoizen- bach, father of the subject, was born nt: Han- burg, Germany, in 1829, learned the tanner's trade, and in 1849 emigrated to the United States, and located in Pittsburg, Pa., where he followed his trade. Subsequently he went to Zanesville, Ohio, where he also worked at his trade. In 1857, he settled at Ro-cville, Ohio, and there established himself in the business of a tanner, which he successfully conducted for thirty years. Removing to Lima in 1870, he there becanie interested in the firin of Stolzenbach & Co., though he is now practically retired from active breiness. While lie was a resident of Roseville lie was an active citizen, taking interest in public af- fairs, and served as a councilman, and as a member of the school board. He was also a member of the republican central committee many terms. In his religious belief he is a Lutheran, and for years has been prominently interested in church work and life. To his marriage with Miss Jockers, who was a resi- dent of Muskingum county, Ohio, there were born seven children, as follows: Marta, of
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Lima, Ohio; Conrad, of Junction City, Ohio; Charlie, of Lima; William, of Canton, Ohio; Mary, of Lima; Jacob N., the subject of this sketch, and Albert, of Lima.
Jacob N. Stolzenbach was reared and edu- cated in Roseville, and had learned the tan- ner's trade by the time he was twenty years of age, when he accepted a position as clerk in the office of the C. & M. V. Railroad company, at Zanesville, Ohio, which position he filled for about two years. Removing then to Lima, Ohio, he accepted a position with Stolzenbach & Co., and in 1889 formed his present part- nership with W. S. Botkins. He was married November 19, 1895, to Miss Cora Bostapb, a daughter of Samuel Bostapb, of Munhall, Al- legheny county, Pa., a lady of refinement and excellent qualities. Mr. Stolzenbach is a re- publican in politics, and an excellent citizen in every way, and greatly respected by all.
ROF. NOAH H. STULL, superin- tendent of the public schools of Spen- cerville, Ohio, ranks among the first educators of the state. Mr. Stull has been located at this place for the past nine years as teacher and superintendent, having begun his work here in the autumnn of 1887. He was born at Huntsville, Logan county, Ohio, September 26, 1863, and is the son of William and Mary (Scott) Stull, natives of Philadelphia, Pa., and Hardin county, Ohio. The mother passed away in 1875, at the age of forty-nine years, and the father died in 1883. at the age of sixty-nine years.
The Stull family has its origin in Hesse Cassel, Germany, where the grandfather, Abraham Stull, was born, where his earlier life was spent, where he married, and where a part of his family was born. The grandfather was a distiller by trade, and on coming to America located in Philadelphia, where he died. He
was a magnificent financier and amassed a large fortnne. His private enterprises were many and prospered under his able and efficient direction. His family was a large one, for whom he amply and generously provided. His children settled in Ohio principally, and be- came valued citizens of the state. The father of Supt. N. H. Stull located on a section of land in the west part of Hardin county, and operated his princely domain for a few years, when he removed to Huntsville, in Logan county, and later to Ada, Ohio. where he re- tired from business, after having been engaged in railroading successfully for a number of years. The mother of Supt. Stull was the daughter of Jonathan Scott, of Irish extraction. The family of Scott were open-hearted, generous and hospitable, and their friendships were wide and valuable. In religion Mr. Stull was a Methodist and a man who carried his religion into his life and never wore it as a mere Sunday garment. Nine children were born to him, to all of whom he gave a good education. The following are their names: Madison, of Ada, Ohio, a teamster by occupation; Matilda J., wife of John F. Firestone, of Welcome, Neb .; Colonel, of Ada, Ohio, one of the enterprising men of that section; Samantha J., wife of John F. Miller, of Huntsville, Hardin county; Will- iam B., a sheep raiser of Australia; Lena and Ellen deceased; Squire, a farmer of Milan, Mo., deceased, and Noah H., the subject of this biography.
Noah H. Stull was born in Huntsville, . Ohio, and received his education in the union schools of Ada, from which he graduated in 1882 and also from the Ada Normal school in the class of 1893. At the age of nineteen he began teaching and has ever since followed this profession as his occupation His work is congenial, which may be the secret of his pro- nounced success as an educator. Since his connection with the Spencerville schools the
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regular and prescribed course of study has been adopted, and he has successfully, by de- grees, introduced into his curriculumn the ad- vanced principles of educational work. In 1892 he was made one of the county school examiners. Politically he is a democrat and socially a member of the Knights of Pythias of Spencerville lodge, No. 251.
August 29, 1894, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth E. Stockler, of Bluffton, Ohio, who had been a teacher in the Spencer- ville schools, and since her marriage has been retained. She is the daughter of Charles F. and Clarissa (Henkle) Stockler, living near Bluffton, Ohio. Supt. Stull and Mrs. Stull are beth members of the Methodist church and are esteemed as among the county's most worthy and respected citizens. It is a pleasure to write of such people --- men and women who make the social and moral life of a place bet- ter for having lived in it.
RANK STUMP, one of the well-known citizens of Delphos, Allen county, Ohio, and a leading saloon and res- taurant proprietor, is a native of Baden, Germany, where he was born October 3 OSEPH SUTHOFF, one of the well- known and prosperous farmers of Marion township, Allen county, on the edge of Delphos, Ohio, is a native of Hanover, Germany, born October 13, 1530, and is a son of Francis and Elizabeth (Huck- rey) Sutlioff, both natives of Hanover. The family came to America in the fall of 1837, and located, first, in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Francis Suthoff was employed in various ways for about two years. He then removed his family to Lawrence county, Ohio, where was employed in the iron furnaces, being : the Actua furnaces most of the time. Here Is 17, 1857. After finishing his education, he served an apprenticeship at the saddle-maker's trade, and followed that trade in the old coun- try until 1873, and then came to America. He landed at New York city, but came direct from that city to Gallion, Ohio, where two of his uncles were living. He put in two months and a half at his trade in Gallion, and then he concluded there was not enough in the sad- dler's trade, and throwing it up he learned the machinist's trade, in Gallion. He worked at the machinist's trade in Gallion until 1879, and then went to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he worked for two years, going from Fort Wayne i wife died m about 1800, leaving three out of
to Bucyrus, Ohio, where, on May 25, 1881, he was married to Miss Kate Burmoth, of Crest- line, Ohio. In February, 1883, he came to Delphos and went to work in the Clover Leaf Railroad shops, where he continued until 1890. . Then he spent about eight months in the Lake Erie shops at Lima, and ther en- gaged in the saloon business at Lima for three years; returning to Delphos he opened his present place of business on the west side of Main street, second door from Second street, which he purchased from H. W. Bechman. His business embraces one of the first-class bars and the leading restaurant in the city where everything can be found to suit the palate of the most fastidious epicure.
Mr. Stump takes an active mterest in the affairs of Delphos, and formerly was an active worker in the ranks of the democratic party, but has never held or sought public office He is a member of the Odd Fellows, Machinists' union and the National union, and is, beside, a member of the Roman Catholic church. Two daughters have been born to M .- and Mrs. Stump-Celia and Naomi Ruth.
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five children. In 1846 he returned to Cin- cinnati, where he was again married, his sec- ond wife being Agnes Repa, and in November of the same year he came to Delphos. He purchased forty acres of land in Jennings town- ship, Putnam county, near Delphos, and en- gaged in farming, which vocation he continued the balance of his life, his death occurring in 1866. His wife died in 1888. He and wife were both members of Saint John's Roman Catholic church.
Joseph Suthoff is the only surviving child born to his father, and was sixteen years of age when he came to Delphos. He had secured his schooling in Cincinnati, and so, after coming here, he went to work with his father on the farm. In 1849 he went on the canal, being employed on the state boats, at which he continued until 1852. In April of that year he joined a party of six others, who were bound for the gold fields of California. From Delphos the party went to Saint Mary's, where they took the canal packet to Dayton, thence went to Cincinnati by railaoad, where they took a boat down the Ohio, and up the Mississippi to Saint Louis. From Saint Louis they went up the Missouri river to Independ- ence, Mo., where they purchased their out- fit for crossing the plains. Their outfit consisted of one wagon and five yoke of oxen, and provisions. They left Independ- ence on April 29th, and journeyed across the plains in company with seven other teams, and reached Soda Springs, Idaho, on July 4th the same year. Here the trail forked, one lending into Oregon and the other to Califor- nia. At this point the wagons separated, three going to Oregon, our subject forming one of the Oregon party, which reached its destina- tion, Jacksonville, Ore., in September, 1852, the last 700 miles of the journey having been made by our subject on foot. Mr. Suthoff re- mamed in the gold fields for five years, two in
Oregon and three in California, during which time he was engaged in mining about three years, the balance of the time being spent in packing. In August, 1857, he returned to Delphos, making the trip by water and the Isthinus. The following October, less than two months after reaching home, he started once more for the gold fields, sailing from New York to San Francisco. He went next to the mines in Siskiyou county, Cal., and remained there for two years, following mining all the time, meeting with success, and making enough money to get a good start in life. In August, 1859, returned to Delphos. When he returned in 1857 he purchased eighty acres of land in Marion township, and in 1859, upon his sec- ond return, he purchased eighty acres more, located near his first eighty. So, in 1859 he settled on the first purchased and began farm- ing, at which he has since continued. In March, 1864, he traded for his present place, which contained at that time ninety-two acres, and located just on the edge of the city of Del- phos. In 1882 he erected his present residence, which is a substantial two-story brick. In 1874, in company with Theodore Wrocklage, Mr. Suthoff made a trip to Europe, spending about two months in Germany, most of the time at Medical Springs, in hopes of improving their health.
Mr. Suthoff was married on November 9, 1859, to Mary Haunhorst, daughter of Henry Haunhorst, of Delphos. To this union seven children have been born, as follows; Amos, deceased; Josephine, now Mrs. Benjamin Richter, of Fort Wayne, Ind .; Rosellia, de- ceased; Rosellia Philomere, now Mrs. Otto Stallkamp, of Delphos; Joseph J , Katie Cecel- lia, and Katie Veronica. All the family are members of the Saint John's Roman Catholic church, of which Mr. Suthoff was a trustee for five years, and in the faith of which he has faithfully lived, being a dutiful el irch member.
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DAFT BROTHERS .- The enterprising mercantile house of John H. Taft & Bro., is composed of John H. and Robert V. Taft, and was established in Spencerville in 1882, under the firm name of J. H. Dunathan & Co., John H. Taft being one of the founders of the same, which was one of the small mercantile houses of this part of the country. The original firm was suc- ceeded by Taft & Gamble, and later by John H. Taft, who becanie sole owner. This change occurred in 1888, and he remained sole propri- etor until 1892, when his brother, Robert V., was admitted to partnership, since which time the junior member has had the entire con- trol of the business at Spencerville, the other 'brother, J. H., looking after his growing ill- terests in the cities of Sidney and London, Ohio. The Spencerville business has grown from a small and unpretending concern to one of good proportions, now occupying its own building, a fine brick edifice, two stories in height and 45×90 feet ground floor, the first being divided into two beautiful rooms, con- nected with arches. At an early day the building will be enlarged by the addition of thirty feet to the block. The house carries a fine stock of dry goods and notions, clothing, shoes, carpets, cloaks, etc. The store is bright as a picture and the neatest business place in the village. The firm is full of energy and business and thoroughly alive to the best interests of the public. Eight employees are engaged, and time does not drag with them for lack of occupation. The cash system is adopted, this greatly simplyfying the book- keeping. The elder brother devotes his time to the keeping of stock in shape and does the purchasing for their several stores. Under the sagacions management of the junior part- aor, Robert V. Taft, the business in Spencer- ville has doubled within the past two years, and further comment is unnecessary.
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The Taft family came fromn Baltimore, Md., late in the 'sixties and located at Kossuth, Au- glaize county. They are originally from Green- ville, N. C., and are of English extraction. The father of our subject, Elias F. Taft, was a soldier in the Union army during the Rebel- lion, and was a stanch supporter of the Union cause, while two of his brothers were soldiers in the southern army and proved the :selves valiant defenders of the southern cause, even though they had a brother who was ghting for the flag of his country, and it is barely possible that these three brothers part . pated in some of the same battles as each served their country through the greater part of the great struggle.
Elias F. Taft, father of the Taft B . , was reared and educated in his native state, near Greenville, N. C., and upon arriving of man- hood estate began tilling the soil and was iden- tified with agricultural interests for several years, and soon after the war closed he with several others moved to Auglaize county Ohio, in order to better their condition, and here abandoned the agricultural line and began in a commission business at Kossuth, which ne fol- lowed for some time. and in which he mnet with serious reverses financially, though at this time his boys were active young men and each put his shoulder to the wheel to assist in re- deeming the lost fortune. Later a few years the fathier located at Spencerville, where lie died at the age of fifty-five years; the wife and mother yet is enjoying the fruits of her earlier life in a comfortable home m the same town.
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