USA > Ohio > Crawford County > A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio > Part 14
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He was born on a farm in Harrison county, Ohio, May 13, 1828, his parents being James Perry and Minerva ( Huff ) Beall. The father was born
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in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1797, and was a son of Colmore Beall, who was of Scotch lineage. Representatives of the family have become very numerous in the country since the first of the name took up his abode in the Keystone state. The family there founded has since scattered until it is now represented in various states of the Union and its members have be- come prominent in business, professional and political life. The father of our subject was reared in the country of his nativity and was there married to a Miss Albert, by whom he had two children-Zenas, now deceased, and Mrs. Jane Chance, now a resident of Todd township, Crawford county. The fa- ther was a farmer by occupation. His first wife died in Pennsylvania and afterward, when a young man of about twenty-seven years, he came to Ohio, settling in Harrison county, where his father had entered land from the gov- ernment.
James P. Beall, Sr., settled in the midst of the wild forest, becoming one of the pioneers of the county, where he resided for thirty years. He then sold his property there and came to Crawford county, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1870, when he was seventy-three years of age. After taking up his abode in Harrison county he had formed the acquaintance of Minerva Huff, whom he married. She was of a Virginian family and was born in the Old Dominion. By her marriage she became the mother of ten children : Casander, William, Elizabeth and Colmore, all now deceased ; James Perry, of this review : Cyrus, who died while serving in the Union army during the Civil war ; Rebecca, deceased; John, who also died while a Union soldier ; Minerva, deceased ; and Zephaniah, who also served in the Civil war and is now a resident of Fulton county, Indiana. The mother died about 1874, at the age of seventy-three years.
Mr. Beall, whose name forms the caption of this review, was reared in Harrison county, Ohio, amid pioneer scenes and privations, and was educated in the old primitive log school house, which was built with a huge fireplace in one end large enough to hold immense logs. The windows were made by removing a log from one side and one end, and filling the aperture with glass. The desk was formed of boards resting on pegs driven into the walls, and there were slab seats, resting on wooden pegs. In such a school Mr. Beall learned to read, write and "cipher," but was only instructed in arithmetic for thirteen days. In after years, however, he applied himself to study at home, even after his marriage continuing his educational work, for he realized the value of education and wished to prepare himself for the duties of life. He worked on the home farm and remained under the parental roof until his
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marriage, which occurred in 1848. For three years thereafter he worked as a farm hand in Harrison county, and rather than remain idle one spring, before the time for farm work, he spent one week at splitting rails for thirty- seven and a half cents per day. He thus began an independent career under rather difficult circumstances. During the fifth year after his marriage lie cultivated a rented farm of one hundred and thirty acres and after paying his rent in cash he had four hundred dollars clear above all expenses. This was the result of hard work and good management. In 1852 he came to Crawford county, and the first year he was here was the year he rented lands and cleared the four hundred dollars, and the next year he could not rent to suit him, and, being offered a good proposition to work as a hired hand, he accepted the proposition. In 1854 he purchased the farm upon which he now resides, comprising one hundred and twenty acres of rich land. He has since prospered in his undertakings and at one time had extensive landed possessions, but has since sold much of it, although he still owns two other farms in connection with that upon which he now resides. He has engaged quite extensively in raising stock, mostly sheep and hogs, but for several years has lived a retired life, having in the meantime acquired a handsome competence, which supplies him with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
In 1848 Mr. Beall was married to Miss Mary Ann Kecklar, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1827 and went to Harrison county, Ohio, with her parents during her early girlhood. Mr. and Mrs. Beall have had seven chil- dren : James Perry and John W., who are deceased ; Mary Margaret, the wife of Charles B. Henry, a farmer of Bucyrus township: Lauraette, the wife of Edward Hill, also a farmer of Bucyrus township; Dorsey Lincoln, an attorney living in Toledo, Ohio: Eva Minerva, the wife of Wesley Beal, an agriculturist of Bucyrus township; and Nora Ellen, the wife of John I. Milliken, who also engages in the tilling of the soil in the same township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Beall are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He joined the church in early manhood and for many years he has been a leader in church work, serving as Sunday-school superintendent, church steward and in other offices. He has labored earnestly and conscientiously for the spread of the cause of Christianity among the people of this locality and has molded his life according to the teachings and tenets of the religious or- ganization with which he is connected.
Mrs. Beall's parents were Jolin and Rosanna (Gordon) Kecklar. Her fa- ther and mother were born in Pennsylvania, but her grandparents, both pa-
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ternal and maternal, were born in Germany, and on coming to this country set- tled in Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandparents were Michael and Mary Ann Kecklar, and the maternal grandparents were Josiah and Martha Jane Gordon. They lived and died in the Keystone state. Mrs. Beall was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1827, and when she was seven years of age her parents came to Ohio and settled in Harrison county. Here her mother died, but her father died in Kansas, while on a visit to a daughter living in that state. Martha Jane, Mary Ann, Rosanna, Josiah and Malinda are the living children born unto John and Rosanna Kecklar. Their father was a blacksmith by trade, but farmed the greater part of his life.
An uncle of Mrs. Beall. Josiah H. Gordon, soon after his marriage re- moved to the south and was there living when the Civil war came on. In the conflict he became a Confederate soldier and rose to the rank of general and was killed in battle. By profession he was a lawyer, and he was one of ability.
EZEKIEL STEINHILBER.
Among the prosperous farmer residents of Bucyrus township, who have made farming a very successful life business, is Ezekiel Steinhilber, who owns a fine farm of eighty acres in a desirable part of this township. The birth of Mr. Steinhilber was in Todd township, on December 12, 1857. He was a son of John M. and Christina (Leitzy) Steinhilber, both of whom were born in Germany and who came with their parents to America. Grandfather Steinhilber settled in Chatfield township, Crawford county, and there lived and died, and his son John M. married there and lived on the old place for some seven years and then sold out and bought a farm in Todd township, where the remainder of his life was spent. They were good and worthy people and were the parents of nine children.
Ezekiel grew up on the farm and attended the country schools, remain- ing with his father until the age of twenty-one and then married and began housekeeping and worked for his father on halves. His wife, whom he mar- ried in 1881, was Sophia Hirtz, the estimable and amiable daughter of the late George Hirtz, of Holmes township, in which township Mrs. Steinhilber was born May 15, 1860. Her parents were natives of Germany.
Mr. Steinhilber was not possessed of very large means at first, and rented a small farm in Todd township, but both he and his wife were frugal and industrious and in 1880 purchased a compact little farm of thirty-five acres, which he sold in 1895 and bought the eighty-acre farm where he now lives.
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Seven of the children born to his marriage are still living, and he has reared them in the faith of the German Brethren church. The children are George, Joseph, Lawrence, Annie, Cora, Katie and Reuben. Four children died in childhood.
In his political connection he has always voted for the men and measures of the Democratic party. It is a very commendable thing to so live as to become independent in so few a number of years as has Mr. Steinhilber, but it is still more so to have gained in that time the esteem and respect of the neighborhood, and this he has done also.
JOHN HOPLEY.
In the promotion and conservation of advancement in all the normal lines of human progress and civilization there is no factor which has exercised a more potent influence than the press, which is both the director and the mirror of public opinion. Bucyrus has been signally favored in the char- acter of its newspapers, which have been vital, enthusiastic and progressive, ever aiming to advance the interests of this favored section of the Union, to aid in laying fast and sure the foundations of an enlightened common- wealth, to further the ends of justice and to uphold the banner of Ohio. In a compilation of this nature then it is clearly incumbent that due recogni- tion be accorded the newspaper press of the state.
The universal acknowledgment that the press is the most potent factor in molding public opinion indicates therefore the prominent position which the editor occupies. Every publication bears the impress of him who occu- pies the editorial chair, whether this is given consciously or unconsciously ; his thought goes forth into the work and receives the support or awakens the opposition of the reading public. A fair view of public questions, clearly presented, will therefore do more to form the general opinion of a community than any other one agency; and as the editor of the Bucyrus Journal for forty years Mr. Hopley has been an important factor in laboring for the interests of Crawford county along all lines of progress and advanced thought.
A native of England. he was born in Whitstable, in 1821. His paternal ancestors were substantial farmers of Suffolk county. His father was a surgeon in the British navy, and after his retirement from the army prac- ticed the profession of medicine and surgery at Whitstable, in Kent, and afterward in Lewes, Sussex county, one of the oldest towns in England.
جاد
John Hoplay
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He married a Miss Prat, who was descended from a long line of ancestry distinguished in the Church of England. Our subject has a genealogical table of the line of his descendants on the maternal side for hundreds of years.
John Hopley, of this review, pursued his education in the Royal Naval College, then located at Camberwell, in the county of Surry, a suburb of London, but at the present time it is situated at Newcross, in Surry. This college is for the sons of naval officers, and its course is very extensive and thorough, but it is not licensed to confer degrees. Accommodations are furnished for three hundred and thirty pupils, all of whom reside in the college. The Bell or monitorial system of teaching was in vogue. It was to this extent a normal, for the monitors at the head of their classes received much experience in the art and duties of teaching. Mr. Hopley excelled in athletics as well as in study. He was a constant and often successful con- testant for the honors of the various classes. About the close of his col- lege course he was made a teacher, and remained in the institution for some years. In 1842, soon after attaining his majority, he came to the United States with his maternal uncle, John R. Prat, of Zanesville. Ohio, whose store he entered in the capacity of clerk. He there continued until 1844. when he began teaching with a view of entering upon the study of law and making its practice his life work. In 1845 he removed to Logan, Hocking county, and induced the trustees to establish graded schools, theirs being among the first graded schools in the state. The system which he inaugurated was highly successful and proved an important factor in advancing the educational interests of Ohio.
In 1848 Mr. Hopley was united in marriage to Miss Georgiana Roches- ter, the fourth daughter of John Rochester, of Logan, Ohio. Her father was born near London, England. January 9. 1796, and in 1816 he mar- ried Miss Gladle, a daughter of a French gentleman who left his native land, owing to the French revolution, and entered the English army as an officer and was killed in Spain while fighting against Napoleon. Mr. Roches- ter came to America in 1820, settling at Englishtown, Athens county, Ohio, but soon removed to Logan. where for nearly half a century he was engaged in merchandising, being recognized as one of the most prominent and influ- ential citizens of the place. For more than forty-four years he was a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church and served for thirty-four years as an elder. while through a long period he was superintendent of the Sunday-school and a trustee of the church property. He aided greatly in promoting the
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moral advancement of the people among whom he lived, and the memory of his upright career remains as an inspiration and benediction to all who knew him. He died November 28. 1876, at the age of eighty-one years. His daughter, Mrs. Hopley, was born July 22, 1826.
Desiring to study slavery and its influence upon the social life of the south, Mr. Hopley removed to Tennessee, becoming a teacher in a school at Yellow Creek, that state, and later he engaged in teaching near Elk- town, Kentucky, and in New Providence, Tennessee, and during this time he gave earnest thought and attention to the institution of slavery and its influences. In 1852 he returned to Logan, where he remained for three years, and in addition to his work as a teacher he served as supervisor of "the schools. In 1855 he was made instructor in mathematics and com- inercial arithmetic in the Grangers' Commercial College, but that institution was not a very substantial one and in six months he removed to Wellsville, Union county, Ohio, and took charge of the schools there for a fractional term. From that place he came to Bucyrus, on the 12th of April, 1856, and was a very important factor in promoting the educational interests of this place in the middle of the century. The schools had been far from prosperous, but he entered upon the duties here with his usual thoroughness and zeal and the system which he established soon awakened the admiration of the people of this vicinity and of other portions of the state. In the school work he was an excellent organizer as well as disciplinarian and instructor. He knew how to utilize his forces, studied his pupils individ- ually and was particularly proficient in imparting to them the knowledge he had acquired so as to make a lasting impression upon their minds.
In 1858 Mr. Hopley was admitted to the bar, having in the meantime devoted much of his leisure to the mastery of the principles of jurisprudence. He then entered into partnership with A. M. Jackson, but the following year this was discontinued and he opened an office of his own and con- tinued to practice with encouraging success until 1862. In that year he went to England with Thomas Alsop on professional business, and on his return his law practice was virtually destroyed, for owing to the absence in the army of many parties who were needed as witnesses no cases could be tried. Mr. Hopley was then appointed by Mr. Chase to a clerkship in the office of the second auditor of the treasury, and soon by special order of Mr. Chase he was transferred to the latter's office, having a desk in the library of the treasury. As he found opportunity he studied the financial problems and employed his pen effectively in advancing the financial policy
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of the secretary of the treasury and the establishment of national banks. After the national bank law was passed he was transferred to the banking and currency bureau. Hugh Mccullough, who was then comptroller of currency, placed Mr. Hopley in charge of the statistical department of the bureau. His duties there included examination of regular reports and the reports of the bank examiners. Mr. Hopley during that period of his life occasionally furnished data for speeches made by members of congress whereby the statesmen became distinguished.
In 1864 he resigned his position in order to accept an offered position in a large bank in New York. In 1866 he went to Washington in a private capacity for his employer, and was soon afterward appointed national bank examiner for all the southern states excepting Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Kansas was afterward added to the list. After completing this work in 1867 he returned to Bucyrus, and in September purchased a half interest in the Bucyrus Journal. In May of the following year he became sole owner, and. becoming absorbed in journalism, he abandoned his inten- tion to enter upon the practice of law, and has since given his time to his work as a representative of the press. From August, 1870, until January, 1879, he served as postmaster of Bucyrus, but has never given his news- paper work into the charge of others. He has continued to be a close student of the important questions of the day affecting the state and national welfare, and the keen, analytical mind of the lawyer. added to the compre- liensive knowledge of the journalist, have made his treatment of such sub- jects of great interest, his opinions being quoted by the press throughout his section of the country.
On the 19th of April, 1898. Mr. Hopley and his wife celebrated their golden wedding. The members of their family are as follows: Charles Rochester: John Edward: Thomas Prat, who died in childhood: Thomas Prat, Mary Catherine. Georgiana Eliza. Harriet Eveline, James Richard, Frank Lewis and Joseph William. The second named is now United States consul at Southampton, England.
Viewed in a personal light, Mr. Hopley is a strong man, of excellent judgment. fair in his views and highly honorable in all his relations with his fellow men. He is a man of very strong convictions, and his integrity stands as an unquestioned fact in his career. He has always been a student, and the scope and amplitude of his knowledge render him a charming con- versationalist. He is in full sympathy with all the great movements of the world about him and watches the progress of events with the keenest interest.
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Though severe at times toward men and measures deserving criticism, he is nevertheless a generous friend and warm advocate of those who are bat- tiing for the right and of principles and policies for the public good.
CHILDREN OF JOHN HOPLEY.
All the children of Mr. Hopley are more or less engaged in the news- paper business.
J. E. HOPLEY was for years in newspaper business in New York, and afterward, at Bucyrus, established and managed the Evening Telegraph, the first daily newspaper established in Bucyrus. He took an active part in the politics of his congressional district, where he was a prominent and successful political manager. He was mainly instrumental in securing the nomination and election of Hon. S. R. Harris, a Republican, to congress, in a congressional district in which the natural Democratic majority is over four thousand. He acted as private secretary, at Washington, to the con- gressman whom he had so actively contributed to elect, and in this position, by his political foresight and ability, he became known to the prominent Republicans of the state. He is at present United States consul at South- ampton, England.
THOMAS P. HOPLEY was for some time a bookkeeper in his father's office. He was, and he is, a strong Prohibitionist and established the Tem- perance Ballot. Before commencing the publication of his paper he can- vassed the county for subscribers, and by this systematic visitation he secured a very large subscription list and placed his temperance paper on a paying basis before he had issued the first number. He continued this active canvass and knew more citizens in Crawford county than any other man in it. Having disposed of his paper to Andrew J. Hazlett, Esq., he went to Oklahoma and was among the first settlers at Enid, where he is now publishing two papers, both the daily and the weekly Enid News. He married Miss Rosa Curtis and is now the father of two children.
Each of the daughters-Mary C., Georgia E. and Harriet E .- is directly or indirectly in newspaper work. Misses Mary and Harriet are both in Chicago, and Miss Georgia is a well known newspaper correspondent in this state. She was one of the women commissioners to the Paris Exposi- tion and represented Ohio as the commissioner at the Pan-American Exposi-
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tion at Buffalo. At present, in the interest of the state labor bureau, she is investigating the condition of women and girls engaged in the factories at Columbus.
JAMES R. HOPLEY was in his father's office and is now with C. Harper, Esq., of Columbus, editing the Advertising World and also Ad. Art, two of the leading advertising publications of the country, having the largest list of bona-fide paid-up subscribers,-over twenty thousand. He is a news- paper man from his youth up, studying and practicing his profession as a science.
FRANK L. HOPLEY was also in his father's office until employed as manager of the advertising department of the American Clay-Working Machinery Company, in which capacity he has been acting for several years.
JOSEPH W. HOPLEY, the youngest of the family, was in his father's office when war was declared against Spain, and he went with his home company as newspaper correspondent, first to their camp at Washington and afterward to Cuba. He was with the company through the campaign- ing, and was present at the surrender of Santiago. Soon after this he contracted yellow fever, and after many weary and anxious weeks he was sent home a skeleton, only just alive. By good home nursing he was restored, and he is now assisting his brother as deputy United States con- sul at Southampton, England.
CHARLES R. HOPLEY is the only one of the family not in newspaper work either directly or indirectly. He was for years in the railroad busi- ness in Texas, and he is now in the Klondyke, where he owns several promising mining claims.
CHARLES BREISINGER.
It is pleasant indulgence to write the biography of a man who has been so prominent in the industrial and business affairs of the county as has Charles Breisinger. He has certainly won the somewhat hackneyed but ex- pressive title of the self-made man : the possibilities of accomplishment which surround each individual were improved by him, and by determined purpose, unflagging industry and a will to dare and to do he has worked his way steadily upward. He is now engaged in the manufacture of brick, a business which he has followed with marked success for nineteen years.
Mr. Breisinger is a native of Wurtemberg. born July 28, 1853, and was reared and educated there, beginning his studies in the public schools. After
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arriving at years of maturity he married Miss Julia Baushlinger, a daughter of Daniel Baushlinger, and unto them were born five children, of whom Maude, Carrie, Sadie and Carl are living, and Robert is deceased.
As before mentioned, Mr. Breisinger is connected with the manufacture of brick, establishing the enterprise in 1882. He was for some time asso- ciated in business with his father-in-law and the enterprise which they con- ducted was a successful one, but for the past nine years he has been identified with John Witter. They have a splendidly equipped plant, a large yard, steam power and a capacity of twenty-five thousand bricks each day. They own a splendid clay bed of eleven acres and in the yard employ twenty men. The brick which they produce is of an excellent quality, being manufactured after the most improved methods of the times and their sales are very extensive. In addition to the home trade they ship some brick and annually the business nets to the proprietors a good income. In his political affiliations Mr. Breisinger is a Democrat and is deeply interested in the growth and success of the party. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum and to the Deutsche Gesellshaft. Mr. Breisinger and his family attend the Methodist Episcopal church and he co-operates in many movements for the general good, being a public-spirited and progressive citizen.
GEORGE DONNENWIRTH.
There is ever a degree of satisfaction and profit in scanning the life history of one who has attained to eminent success as the diametrical result of his own efforts, and has had the mentality to direct his endeavors toward the desired end and to singleness and steadfastness of purpose. As a dis- tinctive type of the self-made man we can refer with singular propriety to the honored subject of this sketch, the president of the Bucyrus City Bank and a well known and honored resident of Crawford county.
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