USA > Ohio > Crawford County > A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio > Part 60
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John W. French was reared to rural life and the work of the fields on the home farm. His school privileges were very limited, his only text-books being the testament and a spelling book, but through broad reading, supplemented by a retentive memory he has become a well informed man and continually in- creases his knowledge by keeping in touch with the advanced thought and progress of the day. At the age of twenty years he left his parents' home and removed to Putnam county, where he worked in a sawmill. AAfter three years he returned to Crawford county, and as he possessed considerable natural
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mechanical ingenuity he began working at the carpenter's trade in Lykens township. During the succeeding four years, in connection with Comfort Waller, he erected many houses and barns in the township, and thus largely promoted its improvement. In 1856 he went to Tiffin, where he entered the employ of contractor and builder, Scudder Chamberlain, with whom he re- mained for four years, when, in 1861, he returned to Lykens township.
On the 24th of February of that year occurred one of the most import- ant events of his life,-his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Jane Perky, a native of Seneca county, Ohio, and a daughter of David and Mary (Seitz) Perky. Her father was a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and her mother of Fairfield county, Ohio, and during their childhood they went with their respective parents to Seneca county, this state. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. French located in Lykens township, where he continued working at his trade until the HIth of May, 1864, when he enlisted at the call for troops to serve one hundred days, joining Company E of the One Hundred and Thirty- sixth Ohio Infantry. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and was stationed at Fort Worth, Virginia. In September of the same year Mr. French was mustered out and returned to his home. In the fall of 1866 he removed to Huron county and purchased fifty-three acres of land and continued carpentering, renting his farm. In the spring of 1873 he sold that property and came to Cranberry township, Crawford county, where he has since resided. Upon his arrival here he purchased seventy acres of land and, abandoning his trade, he has since given his attention to agricultural pursuits. After some years he added forty-one acres to his farm, so that the home place now comprises one hundred and eleven acres.
Mr. and Mrs. French became the parents of four children, of whom two are yet living, namely : Sherman L., a farmer of Cranberry township, and David P., who is operating the home farm. Imogene and Martin, the eldest and youngest of the family, are now deceased. The parents hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. French is a Democrat in his political faith. He is an example of the boys who educate themselves and secure their own start in life,-determined, self-reliant boys, willing to work for advan- tages which others secure through inheritance, destined by sheer force of char- acter to succeed in the face of all opposition and to push to the front in one important branch of enterprise or another. As a man his business ability has been constantly manifested in one phase or another and he has gained an ex- cellent success, a just reward for his meritorious and honorable effort, which commands the respect and admiration of all.
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ALBERT S. NYE.
Albert Sheridan Nye. one of the enterprising agriculturists of Cranberry township, was born July 30, 1867, in the township which is still his home, his parents being Jonathan and Lovina (Immel) Nye. The father was also a native of the Buckeye state, for he was born in Medina county, March 2. 1823, his parents being Jonathan and Sabrina (Briggs) Nye. The grand- father of our subject was born in Massachusetts, in 1770, and his father bore the name of Jonathan Nye and was a well-known resident of the Bay state. He was also a son of a Jonathan Nye, who engaged in whale fishing, following that hazardous occupation for many years.
The grandfather of our subject was reared in his parents' home and the common schools afforded him his educational privileges. After his marriage he turned his attention to farming, which he followed for a number of years, and subsequently he removed to New York, where his wife died. He was afterward married again, his second union being with the grandmother of our subject. By the first marriage there were seven children, but all are now de- ceased. Soon after his second marriage the grandfather came to Ohio, lo- cating in Medina county, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of forest land, where he erected a log cabin. Through the following years he performed the arduous task of clearing away the trees and plowing and plant- ing the fields, operating his farm until 1825, when he sold that property and came to Crawford county. Here he entered one hundred and sixty acres in the mids of the forest, near what is now North Robinson, and built a log cabin, into which the family removed. He cleared eighty acres of his land and gave the remaining eighty acres to two of his sons. Upon this farm the grand- father died in 1849, his wife surviving until 1853. Upon her death the farm passed into possession of Jonathan Nye and his brother Lorenzo. In 1857 they sold this property and the father of our subject came to Cranberry town- ship, where he purchased his present home, comprising a tract of eighty aeres, while Lorenzo Nye bought ninety-five and a fraction acres just across the road from his brother.
Here they continued their farming work, and as Lorenzo Nye was mar- ried, Jonathan boarded with him until his own marriage, which occurred on the 21st of April, 1861, to Miss Lovina Immel, a native of Cranberry township. She was born on the farm adjoining that which belongs to her husband and was a daughter of Philip Immel, one of the early pioneers of the township, who emigrated to Ohio from Pennsylvania, his native state. His parents were of
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Pennsylvania Dutch lineage. After his marriage Mr. Immel started with his bride for Ohio, making the journey by wagon, and on his arrival in Crawford county he entered eighty acres of land in Cranberry township. the deed being signed by Andrew Jackson, then president of the United States. He at once built a log house, and blankets were hung at the openings to serve as doors. In true pioneer style he began the development and cultivation of his land and throughout his active business career carried on farming with good success, maintaining his residence upon the old homestead until his death, which oc- curred in 1885.
.After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Nye they began their domestic life in an old log cabin on his farm. The building was in a dilapi- dated condition and the wind whistled through the structure and the rain and snow was blown through the apertures. In severe weather it was almost in- possible to keep the room at a temperature to save them from freezing. During the five years in which they were paying for their farm they endured many hardships, but at length the indebtedness was discharged and their financial resources were increased so that they were able to erect a more commodious residence, and in 1866 the present home was built. Their marriage was blessed with six children, of whom three are now living : William Sherman, a resident farmer of Auburn township: Albert Sheridan, of this review; and Eli Liberty, at home. In his political affiliations Mr. Nye is a Republican, and in ante-bellum days was a strong Abolitionist. His religious views are in harmony with the Methodist doctrine, although he is not a member of the church, and throughout his whole life he has so lived as to win the confidence and regard of all with whom he has been brought in contact.
Albert Sheridan Nye became familiar with farm work upon the old home- stead. His elementary education was acquired in the common schools and was supplemented by study in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. In the fall of 1888 he left that institution and returned home, working through the following summer in the fields. He also became extensively engaged in the breeding of fine poultry and now carries on business along that line. In the fall of 1889 he began teaching, and at intervals has thus been connected with educational work through five school terms.
On the 17th of May, 1893. Mr. Nye was united in marriage to Miss Anna Springer, a native of Ottawa county and a daughter of M. M. Springer. The young couple located upon their present farin, which comprises fifty acres, a mile and a half east of New Washington, and which Mr. Nye had purchased the year previous. Here he has since engaged in agricultural pursuits
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and in the raising of fine poultry, and both branches of his business prove a profitable source of income. When he was only eight years of age he was the owner of a number of thoroughbred fowls, and in his early youth he de- veloped a fondness for the business which he now carries on and in which he has met with excellent success. His poultry has been displayed at various fairs and poultry shows among those sent by leading breeders of fancy poultry throughout the country, and he has won many premiums. In his farming work he is energetic, and the well-tilled fields indicate his careful supervision and bring to him a handsome financial return.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Nye has been blessed with three children : Charles A., Ettie L. and Hobart J. Mrs. Nye is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and to its support Mr. Nye is a liberal contributor. In fact, he gives his aid to all measures calculated to prove of public benefit. He is a member of Hyperion Lodge, No. 651, K. P., which he joined on its organi- zation, and politically he is identified with the Republican party, being an un- swerving advocate of its principles. In 1900 he was appointed census enum- erator of his township, and for the past three years has been president of the school board, and has also served as a member of the election board for many years. At different times he has been the nominee on his ticket for the office of township trustee, justice of the peace and assessor. In his political service he has discharged his duties with marked prominence and fidelity, and in all life's relations he has won the confidence and good will of those with whom he has been associated. He is known as a reliable, progressive and wide- awake business man, being accounted one of the leading representatives among the younger men now engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native county.
LOUIS C. MARTIN.
The career of the gentleman whose name is mentioned above is one the active years of which have been devoted to the welfare of mankind and the in- fluence of which is good and far-reaching. The Rev. Louis C. Martin, pastor of the German Reformed church of Galion. Ohio, was born in Lanesville, In- diana, in 1863. His parents were natives of Germany and his father is a min- ister of the gospel and of the church which his son has so well represented.
Mr. Martin's childhood was spent at Terre Haute, Indiana, and there he attended the public school and prepared to enter the theological seminary of his church at Sheboygan. Wisconsin. Afer a complete course at the institution just referred to, he was, in 1883, graduated from Heidelberg college at Tiffin,
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Ohio, with the honors of his class. Immediately after his graduation Mr. Mar- tin entered upon the mission work of his church at Boone City, Iowa, where he achieved a phenomenal success. From Boone City he went to Chilton, Wis- consin, and, after two years' successful work there, he was given charge of the large congregation at Huntington, Indiana. From Huntington he removed to Waukegan, Illinois, where he had charge of a congregation of his church.
Following his arduous work at the stations mentioned, he was afflicted with nervous prostration and for a year rested at Galion, Ohio. During this time he had charge of a mission in Dayton, Ohio, where in eleven weeks he had laid the foundation and plans ready for a chapel. After that he became pastor of the church of his denomination at Ironton, Ohio, where he originated and established the Protestant Deaconess hospital. His successful manage- ment of that institution brought him many congratulatory communications from those in charge of other charitable homes and led to the reorganization of some institutions along lines which he had made successful and popular. When he severed his relations with the church and the Deaconess Hospital at Iron- ton he returned to Galion, where he was called by family considerations and where he has since lived. He is at this time pastor of the Windfall congrega- tion of the Peace Reformed church, just over the line in Morrow county.
Mr. Martin married, September 20, 1887, Miss Sarah Zimmerman, a daughter of John S. Zimmerman, one of the prominent citizens of Galion, and they have three children, named Carl, Aurelia and Miriam.
JACOB UHL.
Jacob Uhl, an honored veteran of the Civil war, now engaged in farming in Cranberry township, where he owns and operates a farm of one hundred acres, was born in Offenbauch, Bavaria, Germany, January 25. 1833. His father, Benedict Uhl, was a native of the same country, born in 1797, and there he learned the wheelwright's trade. In early manhood he married Miss. Anna Mary Mesmer, also a native of Bavaria, and they became the parents of six children, three daughters, deceased, and three sons, who are yet living : Benedict, who makes his home in Toledo, Ohio; Jacob; and Daniel, who makes his home in Cranberry township. With his family the father came to the United States in the spring of 1836, embarking on an Italian sailing vessel at Havre, France. They landed in New York City after a voyage of forty-four days and by way of the Great Lakes came to Ohio. After spending a few days. in Huron, this state, they continued on their way to Plymouth, where the.
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mother and children remained while the father sought a location. He finally purchased forty acres of land in Cranberry township, one mile north of New Washington, a Mr. Elias Resch purchasing the other forty acres of the eighty- acre tract. For a short time the two families lived in the log house erected by a former settler.
A few months later Benedict Uhl purchased two lots in New Washington and built a hewed-log house, which served as a residence and shop, and there he worked for two years at his trade, but the pioneer settlers had little money to pay for labor and therefore he left the town and returned to his farm, upon which he built a log cabin, which the family occupied until about 1850, when he erected a commodious frame house. After his return to the farm he began clearing and developing his land, and for twenty years, in connection with agricultural pursuits, he also followed his trade. He added a tract of fifty acres to his land and successfully carried on business along the two lines until his death, which occurred in 1863. He was a consistent member of the Catho- lic church, and in his political faith was a Democrat.
The wild scenes of pioneer life surrounded Jacob Uhl in his youth. He saw the dense forests, the cabin homes and shared in the arduous task of sub- jugating the wild land in order to make it cultivable. His education was obtained after the primitive manner of the times in a frontier district, and after attaining his majority he began to earn his own livelihood by working as a farm hand in the neighborhood. A great change in his mode of life occurred. however, when in August, 1861, he responded to the call for troops and entered the military service of his adopted country, becoming a member of Company C, Forty-ninth Ohio Infantry. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and he participated in all of the engagements with his com- mand until the 27th of May, 1864, when he was shot through the neck in the battle near Dallas, Georgia. After being wounded he lay for a few days in the field hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, and was then sent to Cleveland, where he remained until the following January. Although he had not entirely re- covered, he then rejoined his regiment at the camp near Huntsville, Alabama, and in January, 1866, he was discharged at Columbus, Ohio, returning home with a creditable record for loyalty and bravery.
In the following fall Mr. Uhl was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Nederlost, a native of Bohemia and a daughter of John Nederlost. who came to the United States about 1855, locating in Cranberry township. Crawford county. Mr. and Mrs. Uhl began their domestic life upon eighty acres of his present farm, which he had purchased while at home recovering from the
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wounds sustained in battle. Some years afterward he bought twenty acres adjoining on the south, making his farm a valuable tract of one hundred acres, now well improved and supplied with all modern accessories and conveniences. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Uhl has been blessed with six children, namely : Anna E., the wife of John R. Miller, a merchant of New Washington ; George J., a farmer of Cranberry township ; Michael B., who is engaged in the poultry business and the manufacture of chicken brooders in Cranberry township; Joseph, who is attending St. Mary's College in Dayton, Ohio; Lawrence, who is operating his father's farm; and Mary, who is at home with her parents.
In his political views Mr. Chl is a Republican and believes most firmly in the principles of the party. He is a zealous and devout member of the Catholic church and served for several years as a member of the church council. He has never sought political office, preferring to devote his time and attention to his business interests, in which he has met with creditable and gratifying success.
JOHN BAUMGARTNER.
One of the most prominent business men of Chatfield township is John Baumgartner, and, furthermore, he owes his success entirely to his own efforts. Starting out in business life empty-handed, he has steadily worked his way upward and his business connections are now extensive and important. He belongs. too, to that class of representative American citizens who, while pro- moting their own success, also contribute to the general prosperity, for the in- dustries with which he is associated are a means of livelihood to many men of the community, furnishing employment to a large force.
Mr. Baumgartner is a native of Columbus, Franklin county, Ohio, where his birth occurred on Christmas day of 1858. His parents, John G. and Chris- tina (Moll) Baumgartner, had four sons. His mother died when he was twelve years of age, and three years later he came to Chatfield township, Craw- ford county, living with Lewis Durr until he had attained the age of twenty years, when he began working for Mr. Brose in a brickyard. He there re- mained as an employe for four years, and then purchased a half interest in the brick and tile yard, the business being carried on under the firm name of Brose & Baumgartner until 1893. when the present style of Baumgartner & Company was assumed. Our subject is the secretary and treasurer of the company, and the success of the enterprise is largely due to his enterprise and careful, competent management. The annual sale of tile and brick amounts to
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about ten thousand dollars. In 1879 a sawmill was also added to the business and the lumber manufactured and sold also adds materially to the income which the firm enjoys. Mr. Baumgartner also owns a cider mill with a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels of cider per day. He purchased the Chatfield mill and elevator in 1900, and not long afterward sold a one-fourth interest, retaining three-fourths, the style of the firm being the Chatfield Mill and Grain Company. The mill has a capacity of fifty barrels per day. Thus Mr. Baum- gartner has continually extended the field of his operations until to-day he is one of the leading business men of his township.
In 1882 occurred the marriage of our subject and Miss Elizabeth Brose, and unto them have been born seven children: Susan S., Daniel F., William H., Manette F., John J., Almenia C. and Fredeline F. The family is well known in this locality and their circle of friends is almost co-extensive with the circle of their acquaintance.
In his political affiliations Mr. Baumgartner is a Democrat, and for several years he served as president of the Chatfield township school board. He mani- fests a commendable interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his town and county and co-operates in many movements for the general good. With- out pecuniary help and with no special advantages of any kind, he entered upon his business career, and by close application, untiring energy and strong reso- lution he has steadily advanced until he now occupies an enviable position on the plane of affluence. Straightforward dealing has ever characterized his transaction of business, and his strict regard for commercial ethics has won him the confidence, while his success has gained for him the admiration, of his fellow men.
DAVID A. SCOTT.
David A. Scott was born January 13, 1845, on the farm where he yet resides, and represents one of the early pioneer families of Cranberry town- ship, for the Scotts came to this section of the state during an early period in its development and have ever been important factors in its upbuilding and sub- stantial growth. William Scott, the father of our subject, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1808. His father was killed in the war of 1812, and about 1817 the grandmother of our subject died, leaving a family of eight children. William Scott was then but nine years of age. With his four brothers and three sisters he went to Wayne county, Ohio, where they found homes with relatives, and in that locality William Scott was reared, learning
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the trade of a cabinet-maker in his youth. In the spring of 1832 he came to Cranberry ownship, and from the government entered the south forty acres of the farm now owned by his son David. The forest trees stood in their primeval strength and in the midst of the green woods he erected a log cabin. In the succeeding autumn he returned to Wayne county and was there united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Irvin, who was born in Wayne county about 1812, her parents being honored pioneer people of that section of the state. In the spring of 1833 he brought his bride to his new home, and after two or three years he entered another forty-acre tract of land adjoining his home- stead on the north. As the years passed he made excellent improvements upon his place, and in 1861 erected a handsome and commomious frame residence on the north half of his farm. Then with his family he left the cabin home which had sheltered them during so many years of the pioneer days and took up his abode in the new dwelling, where he remained until his death, which occurred in November, 1883. His wife passed away about 1879, and only two of their nine children are yet living, the sister of our subject being Letitia, the wife of Henry Rapp, of Auburn township, Crawford county. In politics he was a stanch Democrat, and served as trustee of the township for several years. He was widely and favorably known as an influential and prominent citizen, co-operating in all movements for the general good. He did not hold membership in any religious organization, but was a God-fearing man, who supported all charitable and church work. His preference was for the Pres- byterian church, of which his wife was a devoted and consistent member.
David A. Scott is familiar with the history of Crawford county from early days. He lived here at a period when the work of progress and improvement was in its incipiency. He acquired his education in the district schools and worked in the fields from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn, thus becoming familiar with all departments of farm labor. When twenty-one years of age he took charge of the home farm, which he operated on the shares, and on the Ist of July, 1869, he secured as a com- panion and helpmate for the journey of life Miss Adeline Runnion, their wed- ding being celebrated on that date. The lady is a native of Cranberry town- ship and a daughter of William Runnion, who came to Crawford county in pioneer days from Richland county, Ohio, which was the place of his nativity. At the time of his marriage Mr. Scott received from his father as his patrimony fifty acres of a tract of sixty acres which adjoined the home place on the east, and there he settled with his bride, remaining upon that place until his mother's death, when he removed to the old home place in order to care for his-
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