USA > Ohio > Crawford County > A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio > Part 74
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JACOB RIEDLE.
Jacob Riedle, who is engaged in general farming in Chatfield township, where he owns one hundred and fifty acres of land, was born in the same town- ship. January 2, 1846, and is a representative of one of the oldest families of the county. His father, Jacob Riedle, Sr., was born in Rhineburg, Germany, September 24, 1809, and worked in a stone quarry in that country. In 1840 he came to the United States with his father, the family establishing their home in Crawford county. There were five children in the grandfather's fam- ily: Frederick, Mary, Jacob, Catherine and Elizabeth, all now deceased. They took up their abode on a farm in Chatfield township and there the grand- father lived to an advanced age.
Jacob Riedle, Sr., the father of our subject, began working as a farm hand by the month after his arrival in Crawford county, and later he turned his attention to the manufacture of potash. As a companion and helpmate for the journey of life he chose Miss Elizabeth Ricker, and they became the par- ents of five children : Elizabeth, the wife of Jacob Fauser ; Jacob, whose name heads this record: Peter, who is living in Chatfield township; and Catherine and Mary, who have departed this life. In the year 1859 the father pur- chased forty acres of the farm upon which his son and namesake now resides. There was a log cabin upon the place and a few improvements had been made.
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He at once began the work of developing the property and in due course of time transformed it into a valuable farm. His death occurred July 8, 1892, at the age of eighty-three years, and his wife passed away in 1897. They were both consistent Christian people, holding membership in the Presbyterian church.
When only thirteen years of age Jacob Riedle, whose name stands at the head of this review, came to the farm upon which he now lives. He was educated in the common schools, attending through the winter season, while in the summer he worked on the farm, giving his father the benefit of his services throughout his minority. He continued to assist him in the cultiva- tion of the place until his marriage, when he assumed the entire management and has since successfully engaged in its cultivation. He to-day owns one hundred and fifty acres of land, of which one hundred and twenty-five acres are cleared and divided into fields of convenient size for improving.
On the 9th of April, 1874, Mr. Riedle was united in marriage to Miss Fredericka Brosa, and they now have one daughter, Lena. They are well- known people of this part of the county and have a large circle of friends. Their home is a pleasant one, and Mr. Riedle has made most of the improve- ments upon the farm. He is industrious, determined and self-reliant, and may well be called a self-made man, for his prosperity has come as the merited re- ward to his efforts.
FRANK STUMPF.
Frank Stumpf, a well-known representative of the agricultural interests of Crawford county, is now living on section 21, Jackson township. He was born upon the farm which is yet his home, March 28, 1857, and in his life mani- fests many of the characteristic traits of his German ancestry. His father, Joseph Stumpf, was a native of Baden, where he followed the occupation of farming until thirty-five years of age, when he crossed the briny deep to the new world and located upon the farm which is now the home of his son Frank. He at first owned eighty acres of land, but with the passing years increased his realty possessions until at the time of his death he had a valuable tract of one hundred and fifty-six acres. His political support was of the men and measures of the Democracy. In this county he married Miss Catherine Becher, who was born in Crawford county and pursued her education in a log school house near her home. Her parents were natives of the fatherland and became early settlers of this community. The parents of our subject had the following
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children, all born on the old homestead where Frank Stumpf now resides, namely : Vince, a conductor on the Ohio Central Railroad; Lawrence, now deceased ; Lawrence, the second of the name, who is farming in Crawford county ; Elizabeth, of Galion; Amore and Martin, who have passed away; John, who is engaged in farming with his brother Frank; Lee, who is in the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company ; and Anth- ony, who has also passed away.
Frank Stumpf, of this review, is the third child. His entire life has been passed in Crawford county and in his youth he engaged in the pleasures of the playground and the duties of the school-room and in the labors of the field, finding, perhaps, in the first mentioned the greatest enjoyment, but the other two proved to him a practical preparation for life's responsible duties. He and his brother John now own and operate the old homestead together and are enterprising agriculturists whose labors are bringing to them a good finan- cial return.
Mr. Stumpf, of this review, was married to Miss Sophia Seafrety, who was born in Germany and died in 1898. Mr. Stumpf wedded Agnes Winters, a sister of his first wife. She was born in Germany, June 8, 1877, and they be- came the parents of twins, but one is now deceased.
In his political affiliations Mr. Stumpf is a Democrat. He and his family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church.
WILLIAM BROWN.
The subject of this review is a man of much influence in his community, for he is highly respected, and is justly regarded as a man of sound judg- ment in public affairs as well as in matters relating to the farm. The property which he now owns is located in Vernon township, and is one of the best im- proved and fertile farms of the locality.
Mr. Brown is a native son of Crawford county, his birth having oc- curred in Vernon township, on the 24th of April, 1852, a son of John and Catherine (Kinney) Brown. He was early inured to the labors of field and meadow, and his educational advantages were those afforded by the common schools of the neighborhood. At the early age of seventeen years he began his career as a farm hand, working for neighboring farmers until after his mar- riage, when he located on a farm of one hundred and thirty acres belonging to his father-in-law, in Vernon township, making his home thereon for two years. In 1880 he became the owner of the farm which he now occupies, consisting of
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one hundred and thirty acres, and here he has ever since made his home. He has been very successful in his farming operations, and in addition to the raising of the cereals best adapted to this soil and climate he is also extensively engaged in the breeding of Aberdeen and Durham cattle. For a number of years he was also engaged in the breeding of Shire and Norman horses, but of late years he has paid but little attention to that branch of business. In the spring of 1900 he acquired a two-thirds interest in a one-hundred-acre farm, formerly known as the Carlisle place, and his present fine residence was erected in 1893.
The marriage of Mr. Brown was celebrated in January, 1878, when Miss Clara McManus became his wife. She is a daughter of William MeManus. Two children have been born unto this union,-Frank and John W., both at home. The Democracy receives. Mr. Brown's hearty support and co-opera- tion, and religiously he is a member of the German Lutheran church, in which he is an active and zealous worker. He is well known as a public-spirited citizen, and exhibits among his excellent traits of character honesty, integrity and sterling worth.
JACOB BROWN.
Jacob Brown is one of the thrifty and substantial farmers of Crawford county, where he has passed his entire life. Personally he bears a high repu- tation for honorable and upright dealing with his fellow men, and is always found in the front rank in the world of improvement and public benefit.
Mr. Brown was born in Vernon township, Crawford county, on the 28th of November, 1855, a son of John and Catherine Brown. He acquired a lim- ited education in the common schools of his locality, and as early as nine years of age he was following the plow, making a hand at farm work, and from that time until reaching years of maturity he spent much of his time in working for neighboring farmers. After his marriage he rented one of his father-in-law's farms for three years, the place consisting of two hundred and ten acres, and was located west of the place on which he now resides. In 1881 he became the owner of eighty acres of his present homestead, which he purchased of his father-in-law, and by unremitting labor and close attention to business success has attended his efforts. In 1893 he purchased eighty acres of land adjoin- ing his home on the west, formerly known as the Cole place, thus making him the possessor of one hundred and sixty acres of rich and fertile land. Here he is successfully engaged in general farming and in the raising of Shorthorn
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cattle. His fields are under a fine state of cultivation, and in both branches of his business prosperity has abundantly rewarded his well-directed efforts.
On the 14th of October, 1875, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss Mary Schwerer, also a native of Vernon township, and a daughter of George and Elizabeth ( Heltman) Schwerer. The parents were born in Darm- stadt, Germany, and their marriage was celebrated just prior to their embark- ing on their journey for the new world. After their arrival in America they spent a short time in Pennsylvania and then continued the journey to Mans- field, Ohio, where they remained for some years, when they came to Crawford county, locating in Leesville. Later they removed to the farm which adjoins our subject's place on the east, and there they are now spending the evening of life in the enjoyment of the fruits of their former toil.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born four children, namely: Will- iam J., who operates one of his father's farms ; Elsie M., wife of Aaron Cole, of Vernon township; and Ralph W. and Edmon E., who are still at home. Mr. Brown gives his political support to the Democracy, but has refused to allow his name to be used in connection with public office, as the honors or emoluments of public positions have had no attraction for him. The family are members of the German Lutheran church, and for a number of years he has held the office of steward therein. His life has been characterized by energy, perseverance and hard work, and to these principles his success is due. He began his career under adverse circumstances, having been compelled to make his own way in the world, and his success in life illustrates most forcibly the power of patient and persistent effort and self-reliance.
ADAM FEICK.
One of the prosperous and highly respected farmer citizens of Crawford county, Ohio, who has been and still is prominently identified with the political and religious interests of his locality, is Adam Feick, the owner of one of the best cultivated and improved farms in the county.
The birth of Mr. Feick was in Vernon township, in this county, on June IO, 18-45, and he was a son of Philip and Elizabeth ( Fetter ) Feick, and was one of a family of ten children, five of whom still survive, these being as fol- lows: John, of this township: Jacob, a carpenter in Crestline, Ohio; Adam, our subject ; George, on the old home ; and Mack, of this township.
Philip Feick, the father of our subject, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and grew to manhood there, where he learned the shoemaker's trade.
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Immediately after his marriage he and his bride emigrated to America, lo- cating in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he carried on his business for three years. When neighbors and friends began the westward movement which re- sulted in the settlement of this part of Ohio, Mr. Feick also decided to secure some land in order to make further provision for his family. With one horse and a spring wagon he came to Crawford county, and as his means were lim- ited he gave the horse and wagon as part payment on a tract of forty acres of land in Vernon township. At that time little clearing and no cultivation had been done on this land, which was partly swamp and partly timber. During the spring and fall rains the struggling pioneers lost many of their cattle by their miring in the overflowed marshy grounds. However, Mr. Feick pos- sessed the sturdy perseverance of his race and did not permit himself to be discouraged, and in time he conquered difficulties and became one of the very successful farmers of the county, owning at the time of his death about two hundred and forty acres of fine land, all of which he had placed under cultiva- tion and improvement. His years extended to seventy-seven and he had been one of the most useful and progressive citizens of his township. In early life he had been connected with the Lutheran church, but after the division came he became a member of the German Reformed church and for years was both a trustee and an elder. A man of strong character, he was a leader among his Democratic brethren, and served in many of the local offices and was township trustee for a long period.
Although Adam Feick is now one of the most intelligent and well-in- formed citizens of his township, his early educational advantages were very limited. His schooling was principally in the German schools, only five weeks being afforded him in the English school; but any disadvantage of that kind has long since been forgotten, for Mr. Feick, in his public life, has mingled with the residents of his county to so great a degree that any difference is little noted. His father was an energetic and industrious man, and he re- quired the same habits in his children. so that very little time was given in those days to books, while the work on the farm was pressing.
On June 20, 1866, our subject was married to Miss Catherine Cook, who was a native of Richland county, Ohio, and who was a daughter of George Cook, a native of Germany, who came to America after attaining manhood, and settled in Richland county, where he became one of the substantial citizens. After his marriage our subject worked for his father-in-law for some eighteen months and then removed to his present home farm of eighty acres, which had been purchased by his father, some time prior to this, with this end in view.
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In 1878 this fine farm became the property of our subject, his father only re- quiring of him one-quarter of the crop during the former's lifetime.
Three children were born to our subject and wife, and two of these still survive, these being : Catherine, the wife of Philip Glower, of Jefferson town- ship; and Philip, of Sandusky township. Mrs. Feick died on February 28, 1872, and on October 7, 1873, our subject was married to Miss Elizabetlı Frank, who was a native of Wyandot county, Ohio, and the daughter of Peter Frank, who emigrated to Wyandot county from Hesse-Darmstadt. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Feick, as follows: Peter, of Jeffer- son township; William, at home; Ida, at home; Bena, the wife of William Holcher, of Crestline, Ohio; and Lizzie, Christian and Tillie, at home.
Mr. Feick has been very prominent in Democratic political circles. For four years he served as constable and for nine years was the efficient super- visor of the township. The high esteem in which he is held in the county was shown in 1893, when he was elected to the important position of a director on the board of county infirmary, and for six years he faithfully and consci- entiously performed the duties of the office.
Mr. Feick has lived a busy and useful life, but he has never neglected his duties as a consistent member of the German Reformed church, in which he has served as trustee and is now one of its faithful stewards. He has been liberal in support of all charitable and benevolent enterprises in his locality and is justly regarded as one of the leading men of the county, highly esteemed both at home and abroad.
SOLOMON HARLEY.
The birth of Solomon Harley, who is the subject of this biography, was in Chatfield township, in this county, on October 24, 1841, and he was the second son in the family of his parents, John and Anna ( Rock) Harley. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harley, the seven survivors being as fol- lows : George, a merchant in Leesburg, Kosciusko county, Indiana : Solomon, the subject of this biography; Susan, the wife of John Bittikofer, of Sulphur Springs, in this county : Mary, the wife of Samuel Knecht, of Petoskey, Mich- igan : Caroline, the wife of Aaron Flohr, of New Washington, in this county ; Alexander, the county treasurer of Kosciusko county, Indiana; and Isaac, of Shelby, Ohio.
John Harley was born in Baden, Germany, in 1815, and he was a son of John and Margaret Harley, people of limited means who came to America
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after their son had become able to care for them. He nobly fulfilled this filial duty, building them a house for their comfortable residence and cared for them until their lives ended. John Harley was but seventeen years of age when he came to America and made his home soon after in Columbiana county, Ohio. There he married and lived for two more years in the same locality, coming then to Crawford county. Here he located on a farm of eighty acres, in Chatfield township, forty acres of which he had purchased prior to coming hither, the other forty acres being given him by his father-in-law. Upon this land Mr. Harley erected a log cabin, living in an old shed while he was building this residence. In time he cleared his land and in later years he purchased ad- ditional land until his farm consisted of one hundred and sixty acres. In 1864 he sold this farm and purchased the one hundred and ten acres which com- prise the farm of our subject, located in Sandusky township. Before remov- ing to this place Mr. Harley built on it one of the handsomest and most at- tractive residences in Crawford county, making it a home filled with comforts and conveniences. Here his useful life closed three years later, passing away surrounded by sorrowing friends. In politics he had ever been an ardent Republican, and was active in public affairs in his neighborhood. In former years he had been connected with the Methodist church, but at the time of his death he was a consistent member of the Reformed church.
The mother of our subject was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, on December 8, 1812, and she was the daughter of Henry and Maria Barbara (Reith) Rock, both of whom were natives of Berks county, Pennsylvania. They came to Crawford county from Columbiana county, having resided there some years, and located in Liberty township at an early day. Mr. Rock came into the possession of about three hundred acres of land and was one of the substantial farmers of the county. The mother of our subject died in her eighty-ninth year, on February 3, 1901, having been for many years one of the most devoted members of the Reformed church.
Solomon Harley, of this sketch, was reared on the home farm and edit- cated in the common schools. After attaining his majority he remained at home as the farmer, receiving his share of the yield, but in 1870 he purchased an interest in a sawmill and after that period he gave the greater part of his time and attention to the management of this property, continuing to operate this mill during the larger part of twenty-five years. After his marriage he removed to a residence situated near the mill, and here his first wife died, three years later, and then he returned to the home farm, where he has since re- sided.
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In 1875 our subject, in connection with his brother Isaac, took charge of the home farm and carried on a general line of agricultural work in the interest of the heirs, continuing until about 1887, when the whole burden was assumed by our subject, his brother Isaac marrying at that time and removing to an- other locality. Mr. Harley still continued on the farm and in 1900 bought the property. His long residence upon it made it doubly valuable to him, and he has now not only one of the best farms but also one of the finest residences in this vicinity.
The first marriage of Solomon Harley was in 1870, to Miss Minerva A. Stevens, who was a native of Cranberry township, in this county, and who was a daughter of Jacob Stevens, a resident of Tiro, of whom extended men- tion is made in another part of this work. Two children were born of this union, the survivor being Elmer J., who is in the insurance business in Kan- sas City. The second marriage of our subject was in 1875, to Miss Anna Immel, who was a native of Cranberry township and a daughter of Philip Immel, a native of Pennsylvania, who was one of the pioneers of Crawford county. To this marriage six children have been born, the five survivors being as follows : Nora, Charles, Homer, Clara and Leroy, all of these still residing in their beautiful home, with the exception of Charles, who lives in Tiro.
In politics Mr. Harley has been a life-long Republican and has most effi- ciently served for the past twelve years as justice of the peace, filling also many of the other offices, serving during one term as the careful and accurate town- ship treasurer, and for several years served as a member of the board of school directors, and many of the excellent reforms introduced into the school system in this district have resulted from his intelligent interest. Mr. Harley is justly considered one of the leading citizens of Sandusky township, and is a man who has established a reputation through the county for unimpeachable integrity.
AMOS F. KELLER.
Rising above the heads of the masses are many men of sterling worth and value, who by sheer perseverance and pluck have conquered fortune, and by their own unaided efforts have risen from the ranks of commonplace to emi- nence and positions of respect and trust. It is to his perseverance and in- domitable energy that Amos F. Keller owes his success in life, as well as to his keen and brilliant mind. He has continued through life a diligent student, being now one of the best informed men on general subjects in Crawford county, and as an orator he also stands in the front rank.
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A native son of the Buckeye state, Mr. Keller was born in the house where he still resides, his parents being Phillip and Hannah (Stucker) Keller. He acquired his early education in the common schools of the neighborhood, supplementing the knowledge there gained by a scientific course under Professor Churchill, of Oberlin University, and for eight years thereafter he also pursued the Ohio teachers' reading course. At the age of nineteen years he began teaching in the district schools, which profession he fol- lowed for eighteen years during the winter months, while in the summers he worked in field and meadow. When twenty-one years of age he and his brother, John H., took charge of the home farm, which they conducted on the shares for two years, after which our subject had entire charge of the old homestead, the brother removing to another farm. On the 30th of October, 1895, Mr. Keller was united in marriage with Miss H. Maudesta Carrothers, a daughter of James B. Carrothers, of Vernon township and a sketch of whom will be found on another page of this work. This union has been blessed with three children,-Constance Rebecca, John Carrothers and Robert Warren.
In political matters Mr. Keller was reared in the faith of the Republican party, and his first vote was cast in its favor, but in later life he has identified himself with the Labor party. In 1894 he was a candidate on the People's ticket for congress, and in 1896 and again in 1900 he stumped this entire section of the country for Bryan. He has also held the position of organizer of labor under Powderly one year. Mr. Keller is a great reader, and in recent years his study has largely been confined to philosophical and historical works, while at the present time he is engaged in reading law. He has one of the largest and most complete general libraries in Crawford county. Religiously he is an active member of the German Reformed church, in which he is at the present time serving as an elder, and he is as broad-minded and liberal in his religious views as upon all other subjects. With a capacity and experience which would enable him to fulfill any trust to which he might be chosen, he has never sought to advance himself in office, but has been content to do his duty where he could and leave the self-seeking to others. Viewed in a per- sonal light, he is a strong man, of excellent judgment, fair in his views and highly honorable in 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 conversationalist. 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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