USA > Ohio > Crawford County > A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio > Part 71
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Jacob Schwenk, the grandfather of Henry L., was a native of Germany, who came to America with his family in 1835. After three months spent in New York City they came to Crawford county and settled in Liberty township, and here Grandfather Jacob bought a farm of about one hundred and ten acres, built a cabin upon it and began the hard work of clearing the tract. Here his son Hironemus attained his majority and assisted his father, and some years later purchased it, giving his parents a comfortable home with him during the remaining years of their lives.
Hironemus Schwenk was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1818. After attaining his majority he married Mary Zimmers, and they reared a family of twelve children, seven of whom survive, as follows: Jacob, of Auglaize county, Ohio; Peter, of Hardin county, Ohio; Charles, of Hardin county, Ohio: Samuel, of Auglaize county, Ohio: Paulina, the wife of Jack Vanvoors, of Bucyrus ; William, of Bucyrus; and our subject. In 1866 Hironemus Schwenk sold the home farm and removed to Holmes township, where he bought the farm he now occupies, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres. This property was formerly the farm of Jacob Lutz, and here Mr. Schwenk lived and enjoyed every comfort of life until his death, in 1887. For many years he had been connected with the Democratic party, and was an active member of the German Lutheran church, and was known through the neigh- borhood as a most liberal and just citizen.
Our subject grew up on the farm and when his health permitted attended
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the district school. On October 9, 1887, he was married to Miss Lenora E. Fralick, who was born in Holmes township and was a daughter of Henry Fralick. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and was one of the early settlers of Crawford county. In the month of February preceding our sub- ject's marriage his father died, and with his bride he settled with his mother on the old home farm and managed it for the other heirs until 1895, when he purchased his farm of eighty-three acres, which he has made one of the most desirable in the township. Here he carries on general farming, and has made many improvements and is justly regarded as a model agriculturist.
To Mr. and Mrs. Schwenk three children were born, the one survivor being Ross Delvin, born October 18, 1899. Although much engaged in his farming enterprises, Mr. Schwenk has taken a great interest in township affairs. He is a stanch Democrat and is now serving his second term as town- ship trustee. He is also a trustee of the United Brethren church, of which he has long been a consistent member, and is well and favorably known through Holmes township.
CHRISTOPHER G. SCHIEFER.
Prominent among the agriculturists of Holmes township, Crawford county, is Christopher G. Schiefer, one of the highly esteemed German-Amer- ican citizens. The birth of Mr. Schiefer was in Wurtemberg, Germany, on July 11, 1824, and he was a son of Conrad F. and Rosina ( Krauter ) Schiefer, the former of whom was also born in Germany and was the son of Abraham and Sibula Schiefer. When Conrad Schiefer was called upon to select an occupation he decided to be a shepherd. After the death of his father, with his mother and his own family, in the fall of 1831, he emigrated to America. The voyage was long, covering sixty days, but they finally landed safely in New York. From there they went to Canada, locating some fifteen miles from Waterloo, where Conrad bought one hundred acres of forest land. This was a wilderness indeed. for at that time both bears and wolves were fre- quently seen. Many discouragements beset the emigrants, and as Mr. Schiefer learned of more desirable lands in the state of Ohio, he brought his family thither, in 1834, and left them in Cleveland while he prospected in Crawford county. He finally found what he considered a desirable locality, in Chatfield township, and before he returned to Cleveland had closed the bargain by which he became the owner of forty acres of land, two cows, one heifer, two yoke of oxen and all else on the place, for the sum of one hundred and ninety dol-
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lars. This remained his home during the rest of his life, his death being caused, on October 15, 1853, by being run over by a team. Before his death he had added to his farm until it contained seventy acres, and his industry made it one of the best in the county. Mr. Schiefer was a good and pious man, highly esteemed by his neighbors and valued in the Evangelical church. His knowledge of the Bible had come from its constant study. The mother of our subject, who also was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1800, was a daugh- ter of Michael Krauter, and she survived her husband for ten years.
They had a large family, numbering fifteen members, the names of the five who still survive being: Christopher; Frederick, of Leavenworth, Kan- sas ; Mary, the widow of a Mr. Kennedy, of Kansas City, Missouri ; Abraham, of Clinton county, Iowa; and Christiana, the widow of Frederick Mack, of Chatfield township.
Christopher Schiefer passed his boyhood and youth surrounded by many strange physical features and experienced many thrilling events. At one time, when about eight years old, he was sent to look after some stock and became lost in the dense forest and spent a night of terror in the bushes, while he could hear the wild beasts prowling around him. His education was necessarily limited, the school facilities being poor, and the work which fell to his share occupied the greater part of his time. On reaching manhood he began his career as a farm hand, working by the month for the neighbors, gaining a rep- utation for honesty, industry and efficiency. On April 13, 1851, he was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Miller, who was born in Texas township, this county, and was a daughter of John and Maria ( Wirt) Miller, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, Grandfather Miller having emigrated to that state form Germany. Five children were born to our subject and wife, these being: Sarah A., the wife of Lewis Schiefer, of Chatfield township; Jacob F., of this township; Isaac, of this township; Abraham, of Lykens township; and Amanda, the wife of Charles Ollifelt, of this township. A very delightful cir- cuinstance of this family is that the children are all located almost within call of their parents.
Following his marriage our subject purchased a sawmill from Mr. Charles Kiplinger in Liberty township, which he operated some ten years. Some eighteen months after the purchase of the mill he bought five acres of land in the section in which he now resides and removed his mill to that land, having just enough money to pay for the deed, trusting to his success to get enough to pay for the land. The success came, and ten years later he sold his mill and bought four hundred acres of land in Iowa, but later exchanged that for
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the farm upon which he now resides. His landed property at one time amounted to four hundred acres in this and Lykens township. He has re- tained one hundred and fifty-five acres in his home place and has divided the rest among his children.
Until the time of the Civil war Mr. Schiefer was a Democrat in politics, but the issues of that struggle made him a Republican. For many years he has given a liberal support to the Evangelical church, of which he is a member. He is well and most favorably known and respected by all through the part of the county which has so long been his home.
CLYDE D. SHILLING.
One of the leading business men of Tiro, Crawford county, Ohio is Clyde D. Shilling, who conducts a large lumber business in this vicinity and who is one of the most progressive citizens of Auburn township. The birth of Mr. Shilling was in this township, on February 7, 1873, and he was a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Staley) Shilling, who reared a family of three children, all of whom survive, being: Frank F., of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Lorena, at home ; and Clyde D., who is the subject of this biography. Clyde D. Shilling grew to young manhood in his home and acquired his education in attendance at the common schools of his neighborhood. At the age of eighteen years he entered upon an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade, working in this line for four and one-half years.
At the age of twenty-three years Mr. Shilling began his lumber and tim- ber operations, the sawing being done in his father's mill, but on May 1. 1899, this mill was destroyed by fire. His father then offered him a one-half inter- est in another mill if he would agree to remain in the business, as he had shown such unusual ability in this line, and later, in association with his brother Frank, the mill was rebuilt. Since that time the business, under our subject's management, has become one of the leading ones in this locality and is a very important industry in Crawford county.
The marriage of Mr. Shilling was on September 12, 1900, to Miss Minnie Wood, who was born in Tiro, and who is the accomplished daughter of Jacob Wood. Mr. Shilling is a valued member of Tiro Lodge, No. 592, K. of P., and is chancellor and commander of the lodge.
Mr. Shilling is prominently identified with many of the leading business interests of Tiro, is secretary of the Tiro Building & Loan Association ; is a member of the town council; and is also a s tockholder and one of the directors
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in the Bell Spice Cabinet Company, of this city. He is one of the most con- spicuous young business men of this city on account of his energy, ability and business integrity, and has built up a business which opens avenues for much future usefulness.
WILLIAM H. BRIDGEMAN.
Among the excellent citizens and successful business men of Tiro, Craw- for county, Ohio, is William H. Bridgeman, who is the reliable and efficient foreman and engineer of the Bell Spice Cabinet Company, of this city. The birth of Mr. Bridgeman was in Mansfield, Richland county, Ohio, on June 8, 1855, and he was a son of William F. and Sophia ( White ) Bridgeman. These parents reared a family of seven children, and the five survivors are: William H., who is the subject of this sketch; Matilda M., who is the wife of C. A. McCaskey, of Shelby, Ohio; Alexander A., who lives at home; Rose, who is the wife of N. J. McBride, of Shiloh, Ohio; and Melinda, who is the wife of A. W. Lash, of Auburn township.
William F. Bridgeman, who was the father of our subject, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1833, and in 1848 came to America and settled in Mansfield, Ohio. Here he learned the trade of brickmaker and later married in this locality, and continued to follow this line of work until about 1859, when he came to Crawford county and began farming on rented land in Ver- non township. Later he purchased a small farm here and resided upon it until his death, on May 7, 1883. His political affiliations were with the Democratic party and he was honored by it with almost all of the local offices, in which he served with efficiency and satisfaction. Mr. Bridgeman had long been one of the leading members of the German Reformed church, in which he was a trustee, and he was known as a public-spirited and progressive citi- zen as well as an honest and upright man.
The mother of our subject was born in Switzerland, in 1830, and came to America about 1848, making the journey on the same vessel that brought young William Bridgeman to these shores. She also located in Mansfield, and later married the father of our subject. She still survives and is an hon- ored member of the home of her sons, our subject and Alexander.
William H. Bridgeman, who is the subject of this biography, was reared on his father's farm and acquired his education in the public schools of his neighborhood. In 1878 his father purchased a sawmill and gave the manage- ment of it into the hands of his son, who was permitted to retain the proceeds
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for his own use. Until 1881 our subject conducted this mill, but was then married and settled on a farm belonging to the family of his wife. After three years on this place he purchased an interest in a threshing machine and for the two following years engaged in the threshing business. In 1887 he bought an interest in the Shilling sawmill, of Tiro, which interest he still re- tains, as good, paying property, and until 1899 he worked in the mill, later employing a man to fill his place there while he spent a year in a different line. During the next twelve months he successfully engaged in the buying and shipping of lumber, but in the spring of 1901 he accepted his present respon- sible position as foreman and engineer of the Bell Spice Cabinet Company, and has continued here ever since. Mr. Bridgeman is a stockholder in this company and is one of the well known and progressive young business men of the county.
In 1881 Mr. Bridgeman was married to Miss Frances J. McCaskey, who was a native of Auburn township, in this county, and who was a daughter of Jolin and Anna J. (Furrow) McCaskey. Her father was a native of Ire- land, and her mother was a native of Ohio. Two children were born to our subject and wife, Otis J., and Pearl, both of whom have passed away.
Mr. Bridgeman is prominent in the Lutheran church and is a trustee, and he is also a member of Tiro Lodge, No. 592. K. of P., and at present is filling the office of "master at work." He is also connected by membership with Lodge No. 688, I. O. O. F., of Tiro, of which he is the treasurer In politics he is one of the prominent Democrats, and is a man highly respected in social and business circles over a great part of Crawford county.
WILLIAM McMANIS.
Among the residents of Crawford county, Ohio, who number tlieir per- sonal friends by the score and who have served their fellow citizens in various positions with integrity as well as ability, is William McManis, a long-time resident of Vernon township. The birth of our subject was in Crawford coun- ty, on September 4, 1827, and he was a son of James and Sarah ( Walters) McManis, to whom five children were born. Three of these still survive, our subject being the only son, the daughters being : Sarah, the widow of Nicholas Brown, of Williams county, Ohio; and Matilda, the widow of Thomas Couts, also of Williams county.
The father of our subject was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, but he was born in Pennsylvania and came to Liberty township, in Crawford county, when he
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was a young man. Here for a time he engaged in work on the surrounding farms and gained such a reputation for sobriety and industry that he soon mar- ried and became a resident on the Crall farm, which is located just west of Sulphur Springs. Here he resided for a number of years and then re- moved to Fremont, Ohio, where he worked at the carpenter's trade and lived in that city until his death, in his seventy-sixth year. In his political belief he was a Democrat and took an active interest in public affairs.
The mother of our subject was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1800, and her parents removed to Crawford county some time prior to 1820, and settled in Liberty township, where Mr. Walters died in a few years, his widow surviving for some years after.
William McManis, who is our immediate subject, on account of domestic misfortunes, made his home from the age of ten years until he was eighteen with neighboring farmers, beginning at the latter age his personal career as a farmer, working through the succeeding three years for Mr. John Dickson.
On January 16, 1851, our subject was united in marriage to Miss Emeline Dickson, who was a native of Vernon township and who was born on the farm on which the family of our subject now resides. She was a daughter of George Dickson, who was a native of Indiana county, Pennsylvania, coming to Crawford county in 1822. He put in a crop of wheat on the land which was then in Richland county, and in 1823 removed his family to our subject's pres- ent farm, his father having entered this land some time prior to his deathi.
After marriage Mr. McManis and his bride located on the farm of grand- father Andrew Dickson, and here he carried on his farming operations as a renter, and then he moved to a farm of ninety-three and one-third acres which belonged to his father-in-law. Two years later removal was made to the farm adjoining his present one, lying to the west, which also was the property of Mr. Dickson, who was a large land-owner. In 1874 Mr. McManis located on his present farm, working faithfully for his esteemed father-in-law until the death of the latter. Prior to this event Mr. Dickson willed to our sub- ject eighty acres of the homestead, and afterward the latter bought eighty ad- ditional acres from the other heirs, making his farm one of one hundred and sixty acres of finely cultivated and improved land. Mr. McManis also owned seventy-eight more acres of land in this township, but this he recently sold to his son-in-law, Jefferson Easterday. Mr. McManis has long been regarded as one of the most thorough farmers in this locality, his excellent crops and fine, sleek cattle testifying to the interest he has taken in these pursuits.
To Mr. and Mrs. McManis were born eight children, but all have passed
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away except these three : Clara, who is the wife of William Brown, of Vernon township, and they have two children, Frank and John William; Emma, who is the wife of Jefferson Easterday, and they have two children, Maud and Mable; and Cora, who is the wife of John Weidemeier, of Vernon township, and they have one child, Ruth Emeline. Those who have passed out of life bore these names: Mary M .: George, who left five children, John, Bertha, Emma, William and May; John ; Agnes ; and Maggie, who was the wife of William Bloom, and one son, Raymond, survives her.
The argicultural interests of this section have received much attention from our subject. For some years he followed threshing in this county, and by many young farmers he is regarded as an undoubted authority in the man- agement of agricultural operations. Mr. McManis is of that kind and neigh- borly nature that makes him a willing adviser and very often a substantial helper. As a leader in the Democratic party he has been honored with many offers of preferment, but aside from one term as township trustee and a long season as school director he has declined them all. He is well known and is respected and esteemed by all who have come within his genial presence, and is a representative man of Vernon township.
JAMES B. CARROTHERS.
A prominent citizen of Crawford county, Ohio, is James B. Carrothers. who testified to his loyalty to his country during the Civil war, and since that time has become one of the most substantial farmers of this part of the state.
The birth of James B. Carrothers was in Vernon township. Crawford county, Ohio, on February 2, 1841, and he was a son of John and Elizabeth (Laird) Carrothers, and is one of the three surviving children of eight who were born to these parents. The others are: George Carrothers, who resides in Findlay, Ohio; and Dr. Morton M. Carrothers, who is a practicing physi- cian, also in Findlay.
John Carrothers, Jr., their father, was born April 4, 1807, in Fernamagh county, Ireland, and he was a son of John, Sr. and Mary Carrothers. When a small boy six or seven years old, he emigrated with his parents to this coun- try. The voyage was a long and perilous one. The ship was wrecked at midnight during a storm, and everything on board was lost save the lives of the crew. His father had five hundred guineas stowed away in the till of a chest which with all other valuables, including the family record, was lost. When the vessel was driven against the rock it was damaged so that it at once
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began to fill with water, and at that moment it was not known by any soul on board that land was anywhere within probable reach, and, with death and desperation confronting them, the captain and first mate hastened to their cabin and drank to intoxication. The second mate ordered a detail of men to the pumps and also the life-boats to be lowered. Meanwhile he had made such observations as were possible in the darkness and discovered what was either a cloud or land. A life-boat, manned by a few trusty sailors, was sent to investigate. The distance was four miles: they returned with the news of land. The women and children were ordered to be taken first from the sink- ing ship, and were handed out of the window to the boats. When the subject of our narrative was handed out, the receiver did not catch him until after he had fallen into the water between the ship and the boat, when he was caught by the hair of the head and thrown into the boat! The drunken cap- tain and first mate were the last to be rescued from the ill-fated vessel, and the life-boat was so near the ship when it sank that it was nearly drawn under by the suction of the water. When daylight came they found themselves on a barren island of four acres, poorly clad and with nothing to eat. The signal of distress-the white flag-was hoisted, and lest the white only should not attract attention, it was again lowered and to it was attached a lady's red petti- coat. They were soon signaled by a British man of war and carried to Nova Scotia, and thence to Philadelphia.
The destination of the family was Guernsey county, Ohio. After resid- ing a few years in that county the parents of John Carrothers died. He was married April 25, 1834. to Elizabeth Laird, who survives him and with whom he lived a little over fifty years. In 1836 they moved to the eastern part of Crawford county (then Richland county), where Mr. Carrothers entered a quarter section of land, on which he erected a log house and cornmeneed the slow process of hewing a home out of the forest. At that time wild game was abundant and many a deer and turkey fell under his unerring aim and was carried home to make glad the household. From a slight injury to the ankle received in the year 1828 there developed a cancerous growth which rendered him for many years a continual sufferer. In 1853 it was removed by a sur- gical operation. Two years afterward it returned and he submitted to an un- successful attempt to remove it by caustics. Some months afterward the limb was amputated, by Drs. H. Mack, of Shelby, and Keller, of West Liberty. He submitted to the operation without chloroform. Two leading character- istics of his life were courage and energy. His family consisted of six sons and two daughters. The two daughters and one son preceded him to the
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spirit world. Five sons are living, four of whom were in the late war. They were all present at his bedside during his last sickness and deatlı. Years ago he united with the Church of God. A few days prior to his death he made his last requests and spoke of his willingness to depart. Frequently he exclaimed, "Bless the Lord, Oh my soul." Thirty days before his death he received an injury from a fall, and his last illness was one of constant suffering, ending only in the sweet repose of death, which took place at his late residence in Vernon township, Crawford county, Ohio, on Wednesday, May 21, 1884, in the seventy-seventh year of his age.
Elizabeth (Laird) Carrothers, their mother was born in Fermanagh county, Ireland, December 15, 1809. She was a woman of conviction and having found the truth she planted herself upon it with a firmness unshaken by friend or foe. She was sincere and could not bear a sham any more than she could be a sham herself. The beauty of her character was that she always seemed to be cheerful and happy when being visited by any of her host of friends. She appreciated everything natural, no matter how homely or insig- nificant, and would give it due value. She made choice of her funeral text, the words found recorded in Romans XIV, 8 .: "Whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord, and whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." She seemed to realize that the Lord both died and rose that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living, that the Lord was just as able and willing to care for her in life as in death, in this lfe as in the life to come, and this has been her constant faith in all the changes and cares of this life. What she did, she did it as unto the Lord, and not as unto man. She seemed to impress her Christian character and faith upon her chil- dren and leaves to the world five sons of honor and character, two of whom are trustees of Findlay College, and three are honored members of the Church of God. Her sons can well attribute their honorable standing to the teaching of a noble, pious mother. They can well concole themselves with the knowledge that they have bestowed that reverence and affection due so worthy and kind a mother. She held her membership in the Church of God at Liberty for many years and to the time of her death, which took place at Findlay, August 31, 1891, when she was eighty-one years, eight months and sixteen days. Her funeral took place at the residence of her son, James, near Tiro, Crawford county, September 2, 1891. Her remains were followed to the grave by a large concourse of people, and they were deposited in a vault beside her hus- band to await the summons of her Lord unto whom she lived and unto whom she died.
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