USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 55
USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 55
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LIAS H. SHOOK .- It is always a pleasant task to write of an intelligent and progressive man, especially of one devoted to the development of mod- ern methods in agriculture. Such a man is
Elias H. Shook, the subject of this biographi- cal sketch, who in this respect is one of the leading citizens of the county. Mr. Shook was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, near Port Clinton, the county seat, September 30, 1835. He is a son of Isaac and Susan (East) Shook, the former of whom, like his son, was a prac- tical farmer.
Elias H. Shook was reared in Allen county from the time he was a small boy, about four or five years of age, his parents at. that time locating in German township, on section No. 21, where Mr. Shook himself now lives. He there assisted in clearing up the farm, which contained eighty acres, and in securing his education, at the public schools and in a subscription school, so that he was more than ordinarily well educated for the times in which he spent his youth. His father died about 1845, and he then went to live with his uncle, John East, where he remained until he was eighteen years old. At this time he returned to his home and began to learn the trade of carpenter, which trade occupied the most of his time for twenty years. Many of the best residences in Allen county have been erected by Mr. Shook. At the same time, however, that he was engaged in the carpenter trade and in erecting houses for other people. he was also engaged in farming to a consider- able extent, and about 1876 he erected a manufactory, for the purpose of making drain- ing tile, at which he was employed in connec- tion with his farming and building until 1892. when he sold out the tile manufacturing business.
Mr. Shook has purchased the old home- stead, which now contains eighty-two acres of land, and upon it has erected a fine frame residence, the old one having been destroyed by fire. He also has excellent barns for stock and grain, all of which he himself erected. He is engaged for the most part in general fart-
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ing and in the cultivation of small fruits, rasp- berries, strawberries, etc., and is also engaged in raising the best grades of stock, such as the Poland-China hog and Jersey cattle. Most of his farm is under a high state of cultivation, and he is generally looked upon as one of the most progressive men of Allen county. Not only this, but he has public spirit, which is something hard to find, most men thinking that if they successfully carry on their own private business they are doing all that is re- quired of them. Mr. Shook always is ready to assist any enterprise which bids reasonably fair to promote the public good. He is a man of broad and liberal views, and is one of the wheel-horses of the democratic party of Allen county, always ready to work for his party in or out of office. His party has honored him by giving him the office of township trustee, which office he has held for many years. He has also been sent by his party as delegate to several conventions, and is now a member of the county central committee, and one of the advisory board.
Mr. Shook was married September IS, 1858, to Miss Mary Blausser, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1832. She is a daughter of Joseph and Magalena (Stolter) Blausser. Mr. and Mrs. Shook are the par- ents of seven children, viz: David, a farmer of German township; Alonzo, also a farmer of German township; Frank, a fireman on the D. & M. railroad, living at Lima; Sherman, in the employ of the L. E. & W. railroad com- pany, at Lima; Charles, another farmer of German township; Princess Almeda, wife of Clarence Miller of Lima, Mr. Miller being a fireman on the P., Ft. W. & C. railroad, and Samson, living at home. Mr. Shook is in every way, and in the best sense, as will be seen by what has been written of him in this sketch, a self-made man. What he has ac- cumulated has been by his own labor and en-
ergy, and what he has made of himself per- sonally has been no less by the exercise of his own will and talents. Too many such men can not be found in any community.
J ACOB L. SHOOK, a successful manu- facturer of a high grade of tiling at Westminster, Anglaize township, Allen county, Ohio, was born in Frankin county, May 21, 1843, and is of German de- scent, The paternal grandfather of our sub- ject, John Shook, settled in Ohio about the year 1815; his maternal grandfather, John C. East, was born in Hesserland July 25, 1754. was a soldier in the British army, and was sent to America during the Revolutionary war. On arriving in this country he deserted the British and joined his fortunes with. the patriot army. Subsequently he located in Pennsylvania, but about 1815 or 1816 came to Ohio.
Isaac Shook, father of our subject, was born in Allegheny county, Pa., September 10, 1803, came to Ohio about 1815, settled in Pickaway county and died November 1, 1843, a member of the United Brethren church, and in politics a democrat. . He married Susanna East, Sep- tember 9, 1824. This lady was born in Penn- sylvania November 14, 1805, came to Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1815, and died in Allen county in August, 1882. The union was blessed with seven sous and one daughter.
Jacob L. Shook, our subject, worked at the carpenter and joiner's trade until seven- teen years of age, when he was appointed, by Gov. Bishop, a guard at the Ohio state peni- tentiary, a position he held for two years. four months and eleven days, and located at Lima, Ohio, where he bought, with his savings, four town lots, from the sale of which he netted $2,500, and this profit he invested, some siv years ago, in his present busuiess, which has been a source of profit to him up to the present
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time. In 1894 he bought a farm of ninety acres in Adams county, Ind., to which he expects to remove in 1896, and follow agriculture for the remainder of his life. He married in Allen county, October 12, 1878, Miss Mary J. Baker, a native of the county, born September 21, 1858, and a daughter of Jacob L. and Mary (Grubb) Baker, and to this union have been born the following children: Howard C. and Ada, deceased, Edith G., Jacob L. G., and Nettie M. The father of Mrs. Shook was born in Washington county, Pa., and the mother in Morgan county, Ohio, and since their marriage have always been identified with Allen county. Mr. Grubb was an elo- quent and successful minister in the Gerinan Baptist church, in which the major portion of his life was passed, and in the ministry of which he died December 14, 1893. In poli- tics he was a democrat. To his marriage were born children as follows: Addison (deceased), Andrew M., James I., Jacob M. (deceased), Mary J. and Minnie (deceased).
Mr. Shook is a self-made man, all he owns being the result of his well directed toil and good management. In politics he is a demo- crat, and with his wife is a member of the German Baptist church, the teachings of which have been the guiding rules of his life. Fra- ternally he is a member of lodge No. 581, I. O. O. F., and socially he and wife are held in in high esteem by the community in which they live.
ETER SNYDER, an industrious and successful farmer of Bath township, Allen county, Ohio, is a native of New York state and was born in 1820, a son of Philip and Mary (Sharpstein) Snyder, also natives of the Empire state and parents of twelve children, viz: John, who
died in Michigan, where Henry also died; Lydia, died in New York; Cornelius, who died in Michigan; William living in lowa; Mary. deceased wife of Asa Slocum, of Michigan; Walter, who died in Michigan: Louisa, de- ceased wife of Samuel Learn, of the same state; Philip, also died in Michigan; Pliebe, wife of Mr. Pifer, also expired in that state; Lorenzo D., died in Michigan, where so many of his brothers and sisters took their departure from terestrial life, and Peter is the subject of this sketch, and the youngest of the family. Philip Snyder, the father of this family, was a blacksmith and an expert at his trade, which he followed all his active life. His children, as will be seen, nearly all settled in the state of Michigan, where the mother died at the home of her son, Lorenzo D.
Peter Snyder, the gentleman with whom this memoir has most to do. was thirteen years of age when he found a home in Tram- bull county, Ohio, where he worked out at farm work five years by the month, and econo- mized his earnings. He then came to Bath township, Allen county, where he worked at any honest employment he could find until his marriage, in 1839, to Miss Clarinda Edgecomb, a daughter of Uriah Edgecomb, of Bath towli- ship. He then rented a farm of 160 acres and diligently set to work to meet the obliga- tions incurred by this very important step in his life, and so far succeeded that he was able, in 1849, to purchase forty-seven acres, which, by intelligent enterprise and well directed effort he increased by the addition of too acres. then, at a fovorable opportunity, sold the whole tract and removed to Shawnee town- ship, where he resided until 1861, when he returned to Bath township and purchased 160 acres on which he resided several years, but. finding another opportunity for profit, aga sold out and purchased his present far of 160 acres, which he has thoroughly cleaned
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up, improved, and converted into one of the best farins in the township.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Snyder was blessed with ten children, born as here de- tailed: Joseph died a soldier in the late war; Murilla became the wife of Suinner F. Mason, of Bath township; William also died in the army; Walter is living in Indiana; Amy is the wife of Marcus Mason, of Bath township; Henrietta is married to Charles Shimaberry; George lives in Shawnee township; Jasper re- sides in Paulding county; Newton and Clay C. reside in Lima. Mr. Snyder lost his wife in November, 1863, and for his second compan- ion he married Mrs. Ellen (Baker) Kollar, widow of George W. Kollar, who died in the army. The second marriage of Mr. Snyder has been crowned by the birth of seven chil- dren, viz: Alta, wife of Albert Roberts, of Bath township; Ida M., deceased wife of James Getz, of Bath township; Della, wife of Dr. Kiser, of Bluffton; Edward F., of Beaver Dam, Allen county; James, Laura and Addie, at home. Mr. Snyder is politically a republi- can and has served as trustee of Bath town- ship, a number of years, and no man stands higher in the esteem of his fellow-citizens than he and his family.
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ON. JAMES V. SMILEY, mayor of the city of Lima, and an active, en- terprising inan, is a son of William and Mary A. (Sliester, née Stevenson) Smiley. Francis Stevenson, the great-grand- father of Mr. Smiley on his mother's side, was the first white settler in what is now Auglaize township, Allen county, having located there in the fall of 1829. He was of sturdy Scotch ancestry, and came from Ross county, Ohio, to Allen county. The second log cabin erected in that township was erected by him, and stood on section No 17. Here he lived nearly twenty
years, engaged in clearing up his land and in making a home for his family. His death occurred in 1847, and that of his wife the next year.
James Stevenson, his son, married Miss Arabella Hnllinger, by whom he had five daughters and one son. His settlement was two miles east of Westminster. Here he lived until his death, which occurred in either 1851 or 1852.
The paternal grandfather of the subject emigrated from Washington county, Pa., and settled in Harrison county, Ohio, at an early date, and there died. He married a Miss Vin- cent and reared a family of three sons and two daughters, of whom the father of Mr. Smiley was the second son. He was born in 1816 in Harrison county, and was reared on his fath- er's farm, accustomed to all kinds of pioneer farin labor. Not, however, satisfied with that kind of life, he learned the trade of plasterer. and followed this trade as a means of liveli- hood throughout his life. Some time after acquiring his trade he removed to Morgan county, Ohio, removing to Allen county in 1875, where he passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1881. He married Mrs. Mary A. Sliester, née Stevenson, who still survives, and resides in Van Wert county, Ohio. To this marriage of Mr. Smiley and Mrs. Sliester there were born the following children: Frank, Emma (wife of J. S. Gorrell), Mary, and the subject of this sketch.
James V. Smiley was born February 23. 1853, and hence is in the prime of his life and in the vigor of his powers. Like most boss of American parentage his education was obtained in the common schools, but unlike many of them he prepared himself for the work of a teacher, and at the age of twenty-one began teaching in Logan county, in the district schools. This profession he followed for twelve years, with unusual success, in Logan. Au-
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glaize and Allen counties, the length of time he taught in the same vicinity being a fair indi- cation of the estimation in which he was held by the patrons of and the managers of the public schools.
In 1887 he entered the employ of the Buckeye Pipe company of Lima, remaining with that company for three years. In 1890 he was elected truant officer of Lima and was the first incumbent under the law providing for such officer. In the spring of 1890 he was elected city clerk, which position he filled for two years, and in 1894 he was elected mayor of Lima, a position he fills at the present time. It will thus be seen that Mr. Siniley has been and is equally as popular as a public official as he was as a school-teacher. His duties are well performed, and he is always true to the trust reposed in him by the people. Politic- ally he is a republican, and, believing strongly in his party's principles, he takes an active in- terest in its success. Fraternally he is a mem- ber of Solar lodge No. 793, I. O. O. F .; of Ohio encampment, No. 256, and Wayne castle, K. of G. E.
Mr. Smiley was married, in 1880, to Miss Ella Plummer, daughter of Rev. C. Plummer, of Allen county, and by her he has four chil- dren, viz: Frank, Lee, Fred and Ruth. The career of Mr. Smiley has been and is such as to eniphasize the fact that sometimes at least the faithful performance of duty as it comes to hand, with a single purpose to serve others, will be recognized and will meet with its reward.
ACOB C. SNIDER, the popular young tile manufacturer at Harrod, Auglaize township, is a native of Jackson town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, and was born July 19, 1859. His great-grandfather, Adam Snider, was a resident of Pennsylvania. of
either German birth of German parentage. Adam Snider, Jr., the grandfather of our sub .. ject, was born in Pennsylvania and there mar- ried Elizabetli Lones, to which marriage were born the following children: Mrs. Sarah Shook: Mrs. Rebecca Hollman, deceased: Mrs. Mary Shrider; Mrs. Susanna Dauenhour; Nancy, widow of a Mr. Carselow; William, Jacob, John and Leonard. The father of this family came to Ohio in the pioneer days and first lo- cated in Perry county, and in 1841 came to Allen county, here entered a large tract of land in Jackson township and hewed out of the wilderness an excellent farm. He took an act- ive interest in democratic politics and became a leading citizen of the township. He was a noted student of the Scriptures, which he read and re-read, and died in January, 1889. a de- vout member of the German Reform charch and a highly respected gentleman.
William Snider, son of Adamn Spider, Jr .. and father of our subject, was born in Perry county, Ohio, November 19, 1829, and was twelve years of age when brought by his par- ents to Allen county, where he was reared to farming and has ever since been identified with the agricultural interests of Jackson town- ship. He received a good common-school ed- ucation and was thus thoroughly prepared for the ordinary affairs of business life, in which he has been very successful. May 15, :852. he married Elizabeth Matthews, who was born April 27, 1831, a daughter of Samuel Mat- thews, and this union has been blessed by the birth of the following children: Leonard, Am- brose, Samuel A., and Jacob C., our subject. all married. Mr. Snider owns a handsome and profitable farm of eighty acres if' Jackson township, and is in very comfortable circum- stances. He is a democrat in politics, and, though not a partisan, has never missed at- tending the polls since he cast hus first vote. He and wife are members of the Germa: Ke-
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form church and are among the most respected residents of Jackson township.
Jacob C. Snider, whose name opens this biography, received a good common-school education and remained on his father's farm until twenty-nine years of age. December 4, 1884, he married Miss Hester May Matheny, who was born in Fayette county, Ohio, Sep- tember 27, 1867, a daughter of Charley and Verlinda (Morgan) Matheny. Her father was born in Adams county, Ohio, in October, 1829, and his wife was born in Kentucky May 30, 1831. They were married in Adams county, Ohio, whence they moved to Fayette county, and in 1873 migrated to Hardin county, where they now make their home in Ada. They have had born to them the following children: Jen- nie, wife of Leonidas Richeson, proprietor of the tile factory at Ada, Ohio; Lewis A .; Ann, deceased wife of James Johnson; Grant and · Melissa F., both deceased; Hester May (Mrs. Snider); Ada F., wife of Charles P. Baker, and Leonidas. The children that have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Snider are three in number and named Donel Earl, Oca P., and William C.
In politics Mr. Snider is a democrat, and he and wife are devoted members of the Chris- tian church, in which he has been assistant superintendent of the Sunday-school. Mr. Snider has been engaged in making a high grade of tiling at Harrod and has established a fine reputation for the quality of his product. He owns three acres of land inside the corpor- ate limits of the town and a good home, and is recognized as among the most enterprising young business men of the township. In the spring of 1895 he was a candidate for town- ship trustee, and was defeated, but lowered the republican majority one-half, thus fully indicating that he was not only popular with his party, but with the public at large of his township, as a politician and business man.
EORGE SOLOMON, one of the most substantial farmers of Richland town- ship, Allen county, Ohio, and an ex- soldier of the Civil war, was born at Mount Eaton, Wayne county, February 8, 1828. He is a son of Paul and Catherine (Phillipi) Solomon. Having acquired all of the limited education supplied by the common schools.of his day, he then learned the trade of carpenter. When nine years of age, in 1837, he was brought by his father, to Ohio, the family settling in Richland township, then Putnam county, now Allen county, where he learned his trade. Arriving at the age of eighteen years he returned to Wayne county. where he worked one summer at carpentering. but returned then to Allen county, where he finished learning his trade. In Richland town- ship, Allen county. he married Catherine Lloyd, who was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, May 7, 1831, and is a daughter of Minor and Mary (Beamer) Lloyd, and then located in Beaver Dam, Allen county, where he lived until 1855, and on December 25, of that year, he moved to his present home.
On May 2, 1864, Mr. Solomon enlisted at Beaver Dam in company E, One Hundred and Fifty-first regiment, Ohio volunteer in- fantry, to serve 100 days, under Capt. S. D. McKee. He served out his full term of en- Jistment and was honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, at its expiration. He had a taste of war when Gen. Farly made his famous raid on Washington, and performed ali duties assigned him in the defenses of that city, at Fort Sumner, Fort Reno, and at Fort Simmons. Most of his company were sick with fever and some from exposure, and at one time there was not one man in the company fit for daty except Mr. Solomon, who was obliged to remain on duty for several weeks at a time every night, so that it is within the lim- its of truth to say that he performed his full
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share of soldier's duty. At Columbus, Ohio, on account of some oversight, on the part of the company's officers, the men were obliged to sleep out of doors all night, for want of barracks or tents, and as they had not then had blankets issued to them, many of them suffered a great deal. Mr. Solomon, however, stood it better than most of the others, be- cause in his early life he had been used to the life of a hunter, and had then slept out of doors more or less in his youth.
After the close of the war he returned to Putnam county, in the fall of 1864, but on ac- count of being then taken sick he did not settle down at that time, as had been his intention. However, on December 28, 1865, he removed to his present farm, then consisting of forty acres, partly cleared, and which by persistent industry and energy he has succeeded in re- claiming from the wilderness, and has improved it with good buildings, and especially with a fine, substantial residence, and now has a most confortable home. To Mr. and Mrs. Solomon there have been born two children-James B. and George H. G. Politically Mr. Solomon is a democrat, and liis wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has been honored by election to the office of township trustee, and was for several years a member of the school board.
The Solomon family is descended from sturdy Pennsylvania-Dutch ancestry. Heury Solomon, the grandfather of the subject, was born in Pennsylvania, and was married in his native state. He removed later to Stark county, Ohio, where he lived until his death. Those of his children whose names are now remembered were as follows: Daniel, Samuel, David, John, Paul, Sasan, Hattie and Polly. Paul Solomon, the father of the subject, was born in Pennsylvania, and became a farmer and a mill-wright. In Pennsylvania he mar- ried Catherine Phillipi, and, removing to Wayne 19
county, Olio, became one of that county's earliest pioneers, settling down on a farm in the woods. His children were Henry, john M., David, Samuel, Francis, Isaac, George, Sarah, Elizabeth, Susan and Christian. In 1837, as stated above, Mr. Solomon removed to Richiland township, and settled on the land now occupied by the subject of this sketch, not a stick having then been cut, and died there a year and a half after coming to the county. His sons later cleared up the farm. He was, so long as he lived, a hard-working, industrious man, and was highly honored as an upright citizen by all who knew him. While in Pen- sylvania he was a member of the state militia, and served in the suppression of the whisky insurrection in that state. He had two sons in the Civil war, viz: Isaac, who was in the same regiment with the subject, and died from the effects of exposure.
Minor Lloyd, the father of Mrs. Solomon, was born in Maryland and was of Scotch de- scent. He was one of the old pioneers of Put- nam county, but sold his property there and removed to Richland township, Allen county. about 1848 or 1850, settling on eighty acres of land which was then covered with the prime- val forest and inhabited by wild beasts and game of various kinds. This fann he cleared. converted it into a good home, and added to it until he had 120 acres, and became a thrifty and well-to-do farmer. To him and his wife there were born the following children: Mar- garet, Peter, James, William, Isaac, Elizabeth, Mary J., Eliza A., and Catherine. Mr. Lloyd died on his farm, about 1856, at about the age of fifty-two years. He was hard-working and industrious, was highly respected for his hon- esty and integrity, and was a member of the Methodest Episcopal church. .
Mr. Solomon, the subject of this sketch, has always been an honored citizen. He was reared amid pioneer scenes and trials in the
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wwilderness, and at the early age of eleven years began to handle the rifle and to kill deer and wild turkey, many of which fell before his aim. On one day he killed seven deer and wounded two others, and caught the two wound- ed ones the next day. The last deer he killed in Putnam county was in 1865, and there has been none killed there since. Mrs. Solomon had three brothers in the Civil war -- William, James and Isaac-all in Ohio regiments of in- fantry, in the three years' service, and all of whom participated in many battles. Beside one brother, Mr. Solomon had four nephews in the army-C. W. Solomon, Isaac Lytle, Lewis Lytle and James H. Lytle. The three Lytle boys were sons of Mr. Solomon's eldest sister, and were all of her sons that were able to enlist. The youngest of the three was not then of legal age, but being large and strong, was accepted. Thus it will be seen that the Solomon family in all its branches has patriot- ism in its blood, and no doubt would be ready again in case of war to take up arms in their country's defense.
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