USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 16
USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 16
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
to struggle with the adversities of life in the dense forest. James, the eldest son, was at that time but fourteen years of age, and two years later the family moved to Huwey Run.
Curtis Baxter came to Allen county with his parents, reaching Amanda township Octo- ber 29, 1828, and still has a vivid recollection of the wolves and other beasts of prey, as well as the abounding deer and other game that roamed the forests through which his elders had to cut their way to reach a site for the erection of a cabin, and he also has pleasant memories of the superabundance of fish that made their home in the waters of the Auglaize river. The grist-mill was fifty miles away, and for daily use the pioneers ground their corn in household hand-mills. An old fashioned log school-house, with split logs for seats and desks, and floors of clay or puncheons, was the temple of learning, and here Curtis re- ceived his limited education. Amid such scenes Mr. Baxter grew to manhood, but mar- ried early .. January 8, 1843, he took to wife Miss Emily Johns, daughter of Griffith and Rachael Johns, who were the parents of thir- teen children, viz: Sarah, Emily, Ethan, Vienia, Jesse, Biah, Martha, Louisa, Palina. Melíss. Tamsa, Eliza, and one deceased. The father lived to be over sixty years of age, and he and wife were members of the Methodist church.
After marriage Mr. Baxter settled on a ların of seventy-five acres in the woods, which farm he later increased to 202 acres, but of this he disposed of thirty-five acres subse- quently, retaining for his own use 16; acres. On this homestead have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Baxter eleven children, viz: Samuel M .. Eliza J., Jobn. William A. B .. David E., Curtis T., Clarissa A., Elizabeth, Emily M., Charles and one child that died in infancy Curtis Baxter was a soldier in the late Civil war, serving in company \, Thirty-third Ohio esteem in which he is held as an ex-soldier
volunteer infantry. for eight months; his son. Samuel M., was also a soldier and served for two years in McLaughton's squadron. Curtis was enrolled September 22, 1864, at Lima, fought at Averysboro and Bentonville. N. C .. having accompanied Sherman on his march to to sea, and was present at the grand review in Washington, D. C., in which city he was hon- orably discharged June 5, 1865.
November 14. 1888, Mr. Baxter was united in marriage with his second wife, Cynthia E. Hawkins. Of his children by his first wife, Samuel M., deputy sheriff of Van Wert county, and also city marshal of Van Wert city, mar- ried Mary J. Miller, who became the mother of four children, and then died; for his second wife he married Ellen Cahill, but to this union no children have been born; Eliza J., is the wife of William J. Judkins and has six children, John married Jennie Hayden, of Iowa, and has two children; William A. B. married Sarah Dennis, and has three children: David E .. mayor of Delphos, married Vida Morgan, and has one child; Curtis T. married Osie Wester- field, and has four child: Clarissa A. married James E. Wickham and has three children. Elizabeth married Charles Mollenhour and has five children; Emily M. married David Rosell. and has six children; Charles M., married Estella Brickstell, and has three children.
Curtis Baxter is a highly respected citizen and has the full confidence of the people ot his township, whom he has served as trustee. constable, as a member of the board of infirmary directors, and as a member of the school board. He is an ardent member of the Methodist church, in which he has filled the office of steward for many years. and his social standing is with the best fami- lies of Allen county, who have an enduring re- spect for him on account of his christian virtues and usefulness as a citizen, not to mention the
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AVID BAXTER, SR., a prominent farmer of Marion township. Allen county, Ohio, is a son of Samuel and Keziah (Cremean) Baxter, was born in Ross county April 28, 1828, and was about six months old when brought by his parents to Allen county. By reference to the sketch of Curtis Baxter, which sketch precedes this biographical notice. the reader will find further details relating to the history of the Baxter family. The opportunities afforded for an education in the pioneer days were somewhat meager and our subject was compelled to rest satisfied with the knowledge to be obtained in the old log school-house. but even that was sufficient for the requirements of frontier life. The services of our subject were in demand as a woodsman and farmer and he was, at a very early day, given full employment in clear- ing away the forest and in bringing the soil into a state of productiveness, and he manfully de- voted himself to the performance of these duties on the homestead until he was twenty- two years of age, when he married Miss Eliza- beth Shock, daughter of Peter and Mary (Boyd, Shock.
Peter Shock was born in Allegheny county, Pa., in February, 1799, was married in his native state, and came to Allen county, Ohio, in 1846, settling in Amanda township on eighty acres of woodland. He and wife are still living at the ages respectively of ninety- six and eighty-nine years, and are the parents of eleven children, viz: Levi, Elizabeth, Huldy, Carlisle. Mary A., George, Catherine, Sarah, Alvina, William and Peter. The par- ents are members of the United Brethren church and are greatly venerated by their neighbors.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Baxter settled on thirty-seven acres of woodland. which Mr. Baxter cleared up and brought to a fine state of cultivation, and added thereto
until he became possessed of 213 acres, all of which he cleared from the timber as rapidly as he acquired it. He has now a most beautiful residence, and his farm buildings are models of convenience and neatness. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Baxter have been born ten children, viz: Lewis, Simon P., William, Mary, James, Nelson, Franklin, Ulysses who died at the age of ten years), Lester and Samuel, twins; Samuel died when six months old. Mr. and Mrs. Baxter are consistent members of the Methodist church, in which Mr. Baxter has been a class leader for twelve or fifteen years; as to a member of the church he can count the years back to the number of forty-six; but he does not confine his pecuni- ary aid to the Methodist congregation alone. for he has contributed to the building tund of every church edifice within a radias of ten miles from his home. In politics Mr. Baxter is a republican and has served as a member of the township school board; he takes great in- terest, indeed. in educational matters, and is equally ardent in his advocacy of good roads. He is a most excellent farmer, is straightfor- ward in all his dealings, and has the esteem of all the community in which he lives.
J OHN F. BAXTER, member of the Delphos city council from the Fourth ward, was born in Marion township. Allen county, Ohio, December 14. 1857. He is the son of Samuel and Mary Roobits Baxter, both natives of Ohio and both de- ceased. Our subject was reared on the farm in Allen county, and attended the district schools, securing a fair English education. He remained on the farm natil 1836 and then came to Delphos, and has resulted here over since. His occupation has been chnerly that of a salesman in the iry-goods business. hiav. ing held positions with S. F. Shenk. H. J.
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Wolfhorst & Co., and other well-known firms. He has always been a stanch republican in politics and has taken an active interest in pub- lic affairs. He was the nominee of his party in the Fourth ward for city councilman in the spring of 1895, and was elected by a majority of twenty-seven votes, which was an increase over the party's last majority, and the largest republican majority ever given for councilman by the ward. In the council Mr. Baxter is one of the leading members. He is chairman of the claims committee, and is also on the com- mittee on street light and police, and on the committee on sewers and on committe on buildings and grounds.
Mr. Baxter resides on the corner of West Third and Bredick streets, in the Fourth ward, Delphos, Van Wert county. Mr. Baxter was married on December 25. 1887, to Cora A. Smith, daughter of Casper Smith, of Delphos. Mr. Baxter is a member of the I. O. O. F., fraternally, and the National Union Insurance company. Mrs. Baxter is a member of the Presbyterian church and of the Daughters of Rebecca. For twelve years she has held a position as teacher in the Delphos public schools.
Smith are the oldest living settlers of Allen county in point of time. Emily Johns was also born in 1822 in Ross county, Ohio. Her death occurred on March 4. 1887. There were born to Curtis Baxter and wife seven sons and four daughters, one now deceased.
David E. Baxter, the eighth child born to his parents, was reared on the farm in Marion township, and while a boy attended the com- mon schools. When about eighteen years of age he began teaching, which he continued for a period of twelve years, and during that time, in the intervals between the terms of his schools, Mr. Baxter himself attended school at Elida, Ohio, and at Valparaiso, Ind. He began his political career in 1887, when he was nominated by the democratic party of Allen county for the state legislature. but was de- feated at the election, his party being generally disrupted that year. In 1888 he was elected as a democrat to the office of justice of the peace of Marion township, which office he holds at the present time, having been re- elected twice in succession. On June 30. 1888, he was appointed by President Cleveland post- master at Delphos, and held that office nearly through President Harrison's administration. His term of office as postmaster expiring on Angust 15, 1891, he accepted the position of assistant postmaster under C. P. Washburn. and held that. position for three meoths. In the spring of of 1892. he was elected mayor of Delphos, and in 1894 was re-elected to that honorable position. During Mayor Baxter's administration some of Delphos' most exten- sive street improvements have been made --- the Minute Fire department inaugurated, water works system constructed and the telephone exchange established. His administration has been singularly clean, energetic and satisfac- tory, winning for the mayor the high ch- connums of his fellow-citizens. Mayor Baxter
D AVID E. BAXTER, JR., mayor of the city of Delphos, Ohio, and one of the representative men of that city, is a native of Allen county, Ohio, having been born in Marion township, within five miles of Delphos, on the 29th day of April. 1858, a son of Curtis and Emily ( Johns) Bax- ter, of whom a full biography is given above. While prominent in his neighborhood Curtis never sought public office, the only position he ever held being that of one of the first infirm- ary directors of Allen county. He and his three brothers-James, David E., Sr .. and has three times been a delegate from Allen
D.E. Buster. fr
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county to the Ohio state conventions. taking a prominent part in all.
Mayor Baxter is one of a company of citi- zens who are engaged in the development of oil and gas wells in the neighborhood of Del- phos, the company having under lease 2,000 acres of lands. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the degree of knight templar, being a member of Shawnee commandery, No. 14, at Lima. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F., of which he has filled all the chairs. He is at present the wor- shipful master of Hope lodge, No. 214, F. & A. M., of Delphos. He is also a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, and the Knights of Pythias. In November of 1895 he was elected as representative to the grand lodge of I. O. O. F., from the twenty-sixth district. Prior to Mayor Baxter's appointment as post- master, he was a county school examiner for three months, which office he was compelled to resign upon entering upon the discharge of the duties of postmaster, but is at the present time examiner for the Delphos union schools.
Mayor Baxter was inarried on Deceniber .. 23, .1884, to Miss Vida B. Morgan, who was born near Gomer, Allen county, and is the daughter of Thomas B. and Margaret Morgan. To their union one son-Richard A .- has been born. Mr. Baxter is now reading law, with the expectation of making it his future profession.
ARION F. BEALS, a highly re- spected resident of Bluffton. Allen county, Ohio, and a veteran of the Civil war, was born in Liberty town- ship, Hancock county, Ohio, February 12, 1839, and descends from an old Pennsylvania colonial family of English extraction.
Abraham Beals, the father of Marien F .. was a native of the Keystone state, was A. farmer and there married Miss Rebecca Alla- 3
way, who was born near Chambersburg, Bed- ford county, the marriage resulting in thirteen children, all of whom lived to reach manhood and womanhood, viz: Henry, Jonathan, John. Isaac, Washington, Catherine A., Mary J., Hiram, Abraham, Marion F., Rebecca. Rhoda and Emeline. The father of this family came to Ohio in an early day and first located in Stark county, cleared up eighty acres of wild land, on which he resided some years and then moved to another farm, three miles away, comprising 120 acres, which he also cleared up and became one of the substantial citizens of the county. In politics Mr. Beals was a dem- ocrat. He was an upright and respected gentleman and died on his farm at the age of fifty-eight years.
Marion F. Beals, our subject, received a good education in the district schools of his native township and assisted his father on the farm until his enlistment, at Findlay. Septem- tember 6, 1861, under Capt. Henry H. Alben, in company F, Twenty-first Ohio volunteer in- fantry, for three years, or during the war. January 1, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tenn .. he veteranized in the same organization, and served through until honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, July 25, 1865, thus serving a a continuous term of almost four years. He took an active and gallant part in the following sanguinary engagements: Ivy Mountain, No- vember 9, 1861; Bridgeport, Ala., April 15. 1862; La Vergne. Tenn., October ;, 1863: Nashville, Tenn., November 5, 1862: Stone River, Tenn., December 31, 1862, to January 2. 1863: Tullahoma campaign, Tenn .. june 23 to 30, 1863; Dug Gap, Ga., September !I. 186 ;; Chickamauga, Ga., September 19 and 20, 1863: Missionary Ridge, Tenn., Novelli- ber 25. 1863: Buzzard Roost, Ga., May 8. 1864; Resaca, Ga., Mas 13 to 16. 1864: New Hope Church, Ga., May 22, 1804. Kene- aw Mountain. Ga .. June9, 1864, and in the
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general assault) June 27, 1864; Vining's Sation, July 25, 1864; Chattachoochie River, Ga., July 6 to 10, 1864; Peach Tree Creek, Ga. ; Atlanta, Ga. (Hood's first sortie): Jonesboro, Ga,, September 1, 1864; Averysboro, N. C., March 16, 1865: Bentonville, N. C., March 19 to 21, 1865. During the Atlanta campaign, in which some of the battles above enumerated took place, the troops were under constant fire for nearly four months, Gen. Sherman having begun his march from Chattanooga. Tenn., May 4, 1864, and the fall of Atlanta having taken place September 2, 1864. In the Atlanta campaign the troops were for nearly four months under an incessant fire, but Mr. Beals passed unscathed through it all. Fol- lowing Gen. Sherman in the renowned march from Atlanta to the sea, he was present at the surrender of Johnston near Goldsboro, N. C., March 19, 1865. On the march from Raleigh, N. C., to Richmond, Va., a friendly race was made between the Fourteenth and Twentieth army corps, the march being executed in six days -- about thirty-three miles being accom- plished each day. Many of the soldiers. during this march, dropped out of their ranks, overcome with fatigue, and many others were permanently disabled, among the latter Mr. Beals -- but he kept up with his company. He had experienced a similar march from Beaver Creek to Bowling Green in Kentucky, when his regiment marched twenty-five miles, making five miles the last hour, and then camped on ground covered with snow. Mr. Beals, as will be seen, has made an exceptionally fine mili- tary record.
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February 11, 1864, while on veteran fur- lough, Mr. Beals married, in Hancock county, Ohio, Miss Samantha Reed, who was born in Putnam county, March 26, 1840, a daughter of James I. and Mary : Edgerton; Reed. The Reeds are of Irish descent, and were early settlers of Pennsylvania, and their history,
after coming to America, is as follows, as far as the immediate ancestry of Mrs. Beals Is concerned or interested :
John Reed, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Beals, was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, and there married Miss Elizabeth Irwin, a native of the same county. About 1800 they came to America and settled on a farm one mile from Darlington. Beaver county, Pa., where they reared a family of six sons and one daughter and where the parents happily passed the remainder of their days. The old farm is now the property of George N. and J. P. Reed, Jr., sons of J. P. Reed. eldest son of Samuel, sixth son of John Reed. the original settler. The children of John and Elizabeth (Irwin) Reed were born in the follow- ing order: William, who married Miss Eliza- beth Dilworth; both died in Beaver county. and their descendants are now living near Enon Valley, Lawrence county, Pa. John, the second son, married Isabella Erwin, and lived near Findlay, Ohio, the result of this union beine James I., father of Mrs. Beals: Jang. Jelui T .. Edson S., Eli and Samuel; of these, Jane married Mr. Vaneman, but is now Mrs. Kur-, several of these children still live near Findlay . James Reed, the third son of John, the iam ... grant, married Fanny White, and died in Pittsburg. Pa .. in 1846; one of his children Mrs. O. Donnell, is still a resident of that city. Joseph Reed, the fourth sou, married Cleanand .. Kerr, was a Presbyterian chergyman and died .: Freedom, Beaver county. Pa., in 1842: Fis only daughter, Elizabeth, is the wife of John V. Mccullough, and resides in Seattle, Wa.h. Robert Reed, the fifth son of John the first, settled on a farm near Auburn, De Kall courty Ind., his eldest son, Joseph, died in W. -. n. Chio; his daughter. Flora, is married to Jaties Wilson and lives near Ottawa, Ohiothe pops- est son. Robert R., lives on a farm that foracris belonged to his father, whose body he heterre I
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at Waterloo, Ohio. Samuel Reed, the sixth son of John and Elizabeth (Irwin) Reed, mar- ried Elizabeth Cunningham, and lived and died on the the old home farm in Beaver county. Pa., his children are Nancy J., John P., Archi- bald S., James J., Rebecca, Samantha, Eliza- beth and Isabella M. Elizabeth Reed, the only daughter of John and Elizabeth (Irwin) Reed, was married to Jesse Savine. The father of these children, died at Darlington, Pa., at the age of fifty-nine years, and his re- mains rest beside those of his wife, in the old Wilson cemetery, near that town, in Beaver county, Pa. John Reed (second), grandfather of Mrs. Beals, married Isabella Irwin in Mercer county, Pa., moved to Wooster, Ohio, and a few years later removed to Findlay, and there died. His four children were named James I., John (third). Ely (who was a soldier in the Civil war and died shortly after his return to his home. ) and Isabel.
eider of these two, John T. Reed, was born in Putnam county, Ohio, February 10, 1843. and when but eighteen years old enlisted, Septem- ber 6, 1861, in company F, Twenty-first Ohio volunteer infantry, to serve three years or dur- ing the war. He served under this enlistment until January 1, 1864, when he veteranized at Chattanooga, Tenn., in the same organization, and gallantly served until honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, July 25, 1865. At Jones- boro, Ga., he was shot in the left thigh, Sep- tember 1, 1864, and in consequence was con- fined in hospital at Atlanta, Ga , and at Nashi- ville, Tenn., about two months -- but still suffers from his wound. On sufficiently recovering he rejoined his regiment at Louisville, Ky., in January. 1865, and served until the regiment was mustered out of service. Edson G. Reed. when but seventeen years old, enlisted at Findlay, Ohio, August 23, 1862, also in com- pany F, Twenty-first Ohio volunteer infantry. for three years, and valiantly served until killed in the battle of Stone River Deceniber 31, 1862.
James I. Reed, father of Mrs. Beals, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., August 28, 1812, was a farmer, and February 8. 1837, married Mary Edgerton, of Richland county, After his marriage, Marion F. Beals lo- cated in Paulding county, Ohio, on a farm of eighty acres, which he partly cleared, and then engaged in the milling business at Ant- werp, in the same county, where he remained until 1872, when he came to Bluffton and en- tered into the grocery trade, at which he pros- pered for a few years, and then engaged il. carpentering, his present occupation. To Mr. and Mrs. Beals have been born four children. who still survive to render the household more happy and are named as follows. Etta M . Ohio, and soon afterward settled on a farm in Hancock county, which he cleared up from the wilderness, and then moved to Crawford county, but shortly afterward, about 1844 or 1845, returned to Hancock county, where his death took place, in 1860, at the age of forty- eight years. Having lost his wife while resid- ing in Crawford county, he chose for a second heipmate Susan K. Robinson. To his first marriage were the following children. Isabel J . Samantha L. (Mrs. Beals). Mary, John T .. and Edson G. ; and to his second union were : Charles A., Frank C. and Heury G. In poli- born Samuel J., Rachael E. and Emma R. : tics Mr. Beals is a democrat, and for two terms In politics Mr. Reed was a democrat and in served as constable, and for two years as religion a Methodist, and as a citizen was use- marshal of Bluffton; he is a member of Rob- ert Hanniton post. No. 252. G. A. R., in which. ful, upright, and highly respected. Of his children, two of his sons were soldiers in the he has filled the office of day quand. He is late Civil war-John T. and Edson G. The highly honored by his comrades and tell -
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citizens and greatly respected for his military record as well as his manly and upright character.
ILLIAM L. BECHTOL, one of the prominent and successful citizens of Allen county, residing at Elida, was born in Marion township, Allen county, Ohio, April 25. 1849, and is a son of Jonathan and Mary (Bussard) Bechtol, botli of whom are also residents of Elida.
Jonathan Bechtol came to Allen county, Ohio, in 1847, locating in Marion township. He was born in Center county, Pa., February 28, 1826, and is a son of Samuel and Mary (Epler) Bechtol, both natives of Pennsylvania. The Bechtol family, as may be inferred from the orthography of the name, are of German origin, but when the first American progenitor emigrated is not now remembered. Samuel and Mary Bechtol came to Ohio in 1843, set- tling in Delaware county, where Mrs. Bechtol died. Mr. Bechtol then removed to Allen county, where he afterward lived with his son, Jonathan. until he died. His family consisted of fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, some of whom still live in. Pennsyl- vania. When Jonathan Bechtol located in Allen county, he was accompanied by Peter Fisher, and they together followed the occu- pation of digging wells and making pumps. This business Mr. Bechtol followed for twenty years, and even now occasionally makes one of the old-fashioned wood pumps. At first he located in Marion township. Allen county, where he inet and married Miss Mary Bussard, a daughter of Peter and Catherine Bussard, the marriage taking place April 26, 1848. Mr. Bechtol then leased a tract of land containing sixty acres, and upon this property he lived five years, clearing the land and converting it into a good farm. Moving then to Sugar
Creek township, he purchased forty acres of timber land, which he cleared and improved and made it his home until about 1865, when he sold it and purchased eighty acres of par- tially improved land, also in Sugar Creek township. These eighty acres lie about two and a half miles north of Elida, and upon this land he lived until about 1888, when he moved to Elida, where he still resides, his son, Emmi F., living upon the farm. Mr. Bechtol has aiways followed farming, making pumps and digging wells, and has been an unusually suc- cessful and prosperous man. He has always been public spirited and enterprising, willing to aid any enterprise which promised prosper- ity to the people. He and his wife are mem- bers of the United Brethren church. Jonathan Bechtol and his wife are the parents of six children, viz: William L. a farmer and a resi- dent of Elida; Emmi F., residing npon the home farm; Catherine A., wife of Frank Morris, of Ohio City; Sarah A., wife of Peter Collett. of Logansport, Ind .: David L., a resident of German township; and Mary E., wife of Charles Baxter, of Marion township. Allen county. Mr. and Mrs. Bechtol are both full of public spirit. They have contributed largely toward the building up and the improving of Allen county, and are good, highly respected Christian people. They are now enjoying the evening of their Jays, surrounded by their chil- dren and by many warm and admiring friends.
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