USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 78
USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 1 > Part 78
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After the war Mr. Davis returned to But- ler county, and was there married to Amanda Addison, who was born in Butler county, May 11, 1845, a daughter of Timothy and Sarah (Gallaway) Addison. The father of this lady, Timothy Addison, was born on the island of Nantucket, Mass., September 20, 1816, and was a son of Archibald Addison, a seamen of Baltimore, Md., but whose shipping point was Nantucket. The protection papers of Arch- ibald were issued by Daniel Coffin and dated September 2, 1806, and were granted for his safety, as an American citizen and seaman, from impressment by the British- the outrage- ous conduct of Britain in this particular being the prime and detestable cause of the war of 1812. Archibald, however, was an English- man by birth, and while on a voyage to Sonth America was seized, with three others, in- pressed into the British service, but after three years of the degrading servitude, he escaped with a comrade and succeeded in reaching the United States. Although he had at the time
about 500 doubloons to his credit in the Bank of England, he so keenly felt the indignity that had been placed upon him, and was so imbued with the spirit of American independence, that he never condescended to apply for it. Archi- ibald Addison married, in Nantucket. Mary Meeder, the union resulting in the birth of six children, viz: William, Sarah, Timothy, Lewis. John and Lucy. Archibald Addison, in course of time, came to Ohio and was a settler in Cincinnati in its primitive days, but afterward removed to Butler county, Ohio, and settled in the wilderness, where he cleared up a farmi of eighty acres, on which he passed the re- mainder of his life, dying about the year of 184 ;.
Timothy Addison was a boy of twelve years of age when he reached Cincinnati with his father, there learned the cooper's tradc, and in Butler county married Miss Sarah Gallaway. daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Montgom- ery) Gallaway -- the Gallaway and Montgomery families being of Scotch-Irish descent; to this union six children were born-Jane, Amanda, Lewis, John, Franklin, and Susan -- ail born in Butler county. About 1872 Mr. Addison came to Van Wert county, and lived in retirement at Middlepoint until his death, at the age of seventy-two years, in the Presbyterian faith. In politics he was a democrat. and for eighteun years was a constable in Butler county and was once mayor of Middlepoint.
Mrs. Elizabeth Montgomery, the maternal grandmother of Mrs. Davis, came from Penn- sylvania, was a cousin of the late president of the United States, James K. Polk, and had five brothers in the Revolutionary war, one of whom was shot seventeen times, but neverthe- less recovered; she had. also, two brothers in the old French-Indian war. Henry Gallaway. the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Davis, was also from the Keystone state and an old pic- neer and Indian fighter. The Montgomerys, indeed, were a fighting family. Some of the ?!
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
were with Brady, the famous Indian scout; others were captured and killed by Indians, while others made terrible retaliation. The finale members of the family were nowise lacking in those grand qualities which charcter- szed the early matrons of the colonies and the infant republic, and would often resist Indian attacks on their cabins in the absence of their husbands and brothers, already at war, until compelled to flee, with their children in their arms, to forts or block houses for protection- as did the grandmother of Mrs. Davis, on one occasion at night while at another time the great-grandmother of Mrs. Davis in a similar attack, brained an Indian with a slop bucket.
" The mothers of our forest land - Stout-hearted dames were they, With nerve to wield the battle-ax And join the border fray."
AVID O. DAVIS, one of the old set- tlers and substantial farmers of Washington township, Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Wales, November 29, 1833, and is a son of Evan O. and Mary (Jenkins; Davis. The father, Evan O. Davis, was born in southern Wales in, 1807 and was a blacksmith and farmer. He and wife were the parents of seven children, viz: Thomas, David O., Ann, Elizabeth, Thomas, Mary and Jenkins. In 1841 the family came to America in a sailing vessel, landing in Philadelphia after a voyage of seven weeks. Coming to Ohio, they settled in Jackson county on 100 acres of partly cleared land, which the father later cleared in full and on which he passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1867 at the age of sixty years, a member of the Calvinistic Methodist church and in politics a republican.
David O. Davis, as will have been seen, was but eight years of age when brought to
America by his parents in 1841, but yet re- members the voyage and the home he left in Wales. He received his education in the dis- trict schools of Jackson county, Ohio, was there reared to farming, and there married, March 31, 1862, Miss Ann Alban, who was born in Jackson county, Ohio, September 12, 1835, daughter of Thomas and Annie (Mor- gan) Alban, the union resulting in the birth of six children, viz: Thomas, Evan, John (died at twenty-four years of age), Mary, Alban and David. The father of Mrs. Davis, Thomas Alban, came from Wales to America about the year 1834, was a farmer, and settled on a partly cleared farm in Jackson county, to which he gradually added, through his skill and well directed industry, until he owned about 300 acres, all well improved and cultivated. He and wife were parents of eight children, who were named as follows: David, Thomas, John, Evan, Ann, Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth. Mr. Alban was one of the pioneers of Madison township. Jackson county, Ohio, and was an honored member of the Calvinistic Methodist church, of which he was an elder for many years, and in the faith of which he died. leav- ing his property to be divided equally among his children.
For three years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. David O. Davis resided in Jackson county, and in April, 1865, come to Van Wert county and bought 175 acres of their present farm in Washington township. Mr. Davis has finished clearing up the heavy timber from this land and transformed it into a productive farm, which he has increased to 225 acres. and improved with a tasty and substantial dwelling and good out-buildings, fenced off the fields, and placed them all under a good state of cultivation. Both Mr. and Mrs. Davis are active and devoted members of the Calvinistic Methodist church, of which Mr. Davis has been Ian elder for several years: he also assisted in
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
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the building of the first church of that denomi- nation in the neighborhood and always aids it liberally with his means. In politics Mr. Davis is a strong prohibitionist and is a stanch advocate of the cause of temperance. He takes an active interest in the cause of educa- tion, and was for many years a school director in his district. He is one of the most re- spected Welsh residents of Washington town- ship, and, assisted by his faithful wife, has reared a most excellent family. He is a self- made man, and, guided by a keen perception and a well developed intelligence, has made a competence that in the near future will fructify in ease and comfort for the remainder of a peaceful and happy life.
J AMES S. DAVIS (deceased) was a pros- perous young fariner of Union township, Van Wert county, Ohio, born in Jackson county, in the same state, in 1852. His father, James Y. Davis, was a farmer and coal miner of Jackson county and was born in 1818. While working in a field he received an injury which resulted in the loss of a limb, but he is still living. The mother of our subject died when the latter was an infant of eighteen months, and until five years of age he was taken care of by relatives; he then went to live with Mr. Hugh Anderson, of Allen county, Ind., with whom he remained eleven years; he next started out as a farm hand, working in Allen county, Ind., Van Wert county, Ohio, and in Michigan. In 1880 he was united in marriage with Minerva J. Hoaglin, born March 31, 1859, a daughter of David E. and Eliza- beth (Snyder) Hoaglin, to which union three children were born, viz: Orel J., Lota M. (deceased) and Anna G. After his marriage Mr. Davis lived on a rented farm until 1892, when he bought his home. He was essentialy a self-made man, in the sense in which that
term is usually used, never knew parenta! care or training, and was compelled to rely upon his own energies and industry and native- born intelligence and sagacity to attain a posi- tion among men and to become the prosperous and respected farmer that he was. Mr. Davis was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics was a democrat; he was liberal in his support of church and school and took a lively interest in whatever tended to promote the general welfare of the town- ship and county, and, indeed, of the whole country. His untimely death took place jan- uary 23, 1896, and his loss was a most severe blow to his afflicted widow and children, as well as to a wide circle of sincere friends. His widow is also a devout member of the Method- ist Episcopal church, and is a highly respected ·lady.
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ESSE K. COOPER, deceased citizen of Pleasant township, Van Wert county. Ohio, was a son of Archibald and Mar- garet A. (Kilgore) Cooper, and was born July 21, 1827, in Fairfield county. The father, Archibald, was born in Maryland Oc- tober 29, 1801, of sterling English ancestry, and when he had reached the age of four years. or in 1805, the family moved to Virginia, where he was educated in the common schools. On the death of his mother, in 1819, he moved to Fairfield county, Ohio, and settled on a farm; October 5, 1826, he married Miss Kil- gore, the union resulting in the birth of four children. In 1875 Mrs. Cooper was called away, and the following year Mr. Cooper mar- ried a Mrs. Powers. Mr. Cooper was a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church, in which he served as a ruling elder for thirty-five years, and died in that faith December S, ISS1. an honored and respected gentleman.
Jesse K. Cooper was educated in his na-
JESSIE K. COOPER, DECEASED.
131-132
MRS. HESTER A. COOPER.
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
tive county and distinguished himself, also, at the high school of Reynoldsburg, Franklin county. In the days of his youth he learned the carpenter's trade and also that of mill- wright; became an inventor of more than ordinary pretensions and patented the first suc- cessful grain-drill in the state. In 1856 he began the manufacture of this agricultural implement at Lancaster, Ohio, which he suc- cessfully conducted until 1864, when he came to Van Wert county and settled on a farm in Pleasant township, which farm his father had entered in 1836. He became one of the most prosperous agriculturists and largest land own- ers in the county, being the possessor, at one time, of over 700 acres, of which he gave to each one of his sons a fair-sized farm, which he himself had assisted in clearing and im- proving. He was systematic and progressive in all his business transactions, and Van Wert county owes much of its business prosperity to Iris thoroughly practical efforts. Fraternally he was a knight templar Mason, and was also a charter member of Van Wert grange, No. 82, P. of H., which was organized in 1873, and was held in high esteem by the members of both orders. Politically he was a republican and was ardently interested in the success of his party, but was by no means an office seeker-having espoused the republican cause simply from conscientious conviction of the justness and beneficence of its principles. He was a true patriot, and with others passed a week in Fairfield county in search of Morgan raiders during the last war. He was noted for his generosity and benevolence, and died July 26, 1891, a sincere and pious member of the Presbyterian church.
Hester A. (Kistler) Cooper, relict of Jesse K., was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, March 25. 1831, a daughter of Samuel and Eliabeth (King) Kistler. Samuel Kistler, the father, was born near Reading, Pa., about the year 7
ISO5, his father, Henry Kistler, being of good old Dutch stock and an early settler of the Keystone state and also a pioneer of Fairfield county, Ohio. Samuel Kistler was a prominent farmer and a saw-mill . operater, and was united in marriage, in 1825, to Elizabeth King, daughter of Philip and Mary (Wright) King, to which union were born eleven children, as follows: Caroline, deceased wife of Henry Weisley, of Cass county, Ind .; Matilda. de- ceased wife of James "Holmes, of Fairfield county, Ohio; Aaron B., deceased; Hester A. Cooper. the subject of this paragraph; George W., deceased; Samuel A., of Lancaster, Ohio: Oliver P., of Danville, Ill: Elijah, of Fairfield county, Ohio; Jolin W., of Clinton, Mo .; William, who died in childhood, and Elizabeth, now Mrs. Newkirk, of Fairfield county, Ohio. The mother of this family, Mrs. Elizabeth (King) Kistler, was an ardent and active mem- ber of the Lutheran church. and always con- tributed liberally to its support. Mr. Kistler was a prominent member of the Masonic fra- ternity, was a captain in the state militia, and was honored and respected as one of that class which played so prominent a part in the de- velopment of Fairfield county. His wife died in 1870, and he about 1879.
Mrs. Hester A. (Kistler) Cooper was reared in the country home of her parents in Fair- field county, and there received her education. She was married to Jesse K. Cooper, October 14, 1852, and to this happy union were bom the following children: Darius O., of Pleasant township; Cyrus D., deceased: George W .. of Hoaglin township; Samuel A., deceased; infant daughter, deceased; Jesse K., deceased; Hiram V., of Pleasant township; Alva A., de- ceased; Nora E., and an infant daughter, de- ceased. Of these, Norah E., married to Sam- uel Grunewald, a successful farmer, who was born in Ashland county, Ohio, in 1861, a son of Henry and Anna K. (Trull) Grunewald.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Heury Grunewald was born in Germany about the year 1829. and in 1850 married Miss Trull, who bore him eleven children, as fol- lows: Ellen L., deceased; Adam, a farmer of Liberty township, Van Wert county. Ohio; Harmon, of Cleveland, Ohio; John H., of Ashland county, Ohio; Jacob, deceased; an infant that died unnamed; Samuel, who mar- ried Miss Cooper; Christian, of Ashland county, Ohio; George G., a teacher. of Pleas- ant township, Van Wert county; Lydia, wife of Milton Shambarger, of Ashland county, and Anna L., wife of William Milligan, also of Ashland county. With his young wife Henry Grunewald came to America soon after mar- riage and settled in Ashland county, Ohio, with the agricultural interests of which he has since been thoroughly identified. He and wife are both members of the Presbyterian church, and in politics he is independent. Samuel Grunewald was educated in Ashland county and grew to manhood on his father's farm. When a young man he learned the carpenter's trade, having a natural aptitude in the use of tools, and followed this calling until his mar- riage to Miss Nora E. Cooper, October 9, 1885, to which filicitous union have been born the following children: Anna M., Amy F., Henry R. and Jesse K. After marriage Mr. Grunewald relinquished his trade and under- took the cultivation of the old Cooper home- stead, in which occupation he has made a complete success, being both practical and progressive in his ideas. Mr. and Mrs. Grunewald are members of no church, but are liberal in their contributions to that and every other good cause, and both are mein- bers of the Van Wert grange.
George W. Cooper, son of Jesse K. and Hes- ter Ann Cooper, was born September 4, 1857, in Lancaster, Fairfield county. Spent his boy- hood at home and attended the public schools. 1 He came to Van Wert with his parents, lived !
at home until married, March 10, 1881, to Adeline H. Custer, a daughter of Joseph and Saralı Jane (Smith) Custer, old residents of Van Wert county. Mrs. Cooper was born Feb- ruary 28, 1860. After marriage, Mr. Cooper took sixty acres of his father's land south of Van Wert and farmed it successfully until Aplil 17, 1885, when he bought 160 acres in section No. 20, Hoaglin township, where he now lives. He has a comfortable home, new and modern out-buildings, and 100 acres cleared, and in all has a model farm. He also owns forty acres in section No. 17, Union township. Of his 160 acres, only thirty acres were under cultivation when he came into possession of it. His hard work has made it the farm it is. Mr. Cooper is a member of Hoaglin grange. No. 400. In religious belief, while not a mem- ber of any church, he inclines to and attends the Methodist and Presbyterian churches. In politics he is a republican, but always takes into consideration the man he is voting for. Nine children have been born to this marriage: Norah Lillian, Anna Saralı (deceased), infant (deceased), Florence Ellen (deceased), Mabel Victoria, Bessie Marie. Earl Cecil, Edna Blanche and Hazel.
Hiram V. Cooper, one of the most suc- cessful young farmers of Pleasant township, Van Wert county, was born in Van Wert July 3, 1864. He was well educated in the com- mon schools and grew to manhood on the old homestead, receiving a first-class training in agricultural pursuits. September 6. 1888, he was united in marriage with Miss Ella Gilli- land, daughter of John and Lucy (Cavett) Gil- liland, of Ridge township-one of the oldest families of Van Wert county, and whose name meets with frequent and honorable re- currence on the pages of this volume. To the happy union of Hiram V. and Ella Cooper have been born two children-Velnia A. and Doit-both bright and promising little ones.
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
Mrs. Ella Cooper was born May 25, 1867. and interesting details of her parental history may be found in the elaborate sketch of the Gilliland family on another page, to which the reader is respectfully referred. After his mar- riage, Hiram V. Cooper was presented with 160 acres of good farming land, by his father, and to this tract he has since added forty acres by purchase, making a most excellent farm of 200 acres, all well improved and un- der a high state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are not members of any religious de- nomination, but are liberal contributors to all, and both take a deep interest in the welfare and prosperity of the community, and Mr. Cooper is an active member of the Van Wert grange. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are high- ly esteemed throughout the township and county, coming, as they do from the oldest and most respected families, and living well up to the esthetics and morality that so well become good citizens, here or elsewhere.
ERRIN DEPUY, deceased, was born in Stark county, Ohio, April 23, 1814, and was a son of John and Julia DePuy, who were farmers of that county until 1855, when they retired to Can- ton and there passed their lives in quietude un- til their death in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church. They were the parents of the following-named children: Perrin, the subject of this sketch; William, Lucette and Charles, deceased; John, a well-known citizen of the city of Wabash, Ind., and George, of Chicago. In politics the father was a republican.
Perrin DePuy, the deceased subject of this memoir, was reared to manhood on the home farm in Stark county, Ohio, and received his education in the pioneer schools of his early boyhood. He early began the study of the
law, and was admitted to the bar in Stark county, where he successfully followed the profession, making a Gne reputation, until about .: 849, when he came to the city of Van Wert and was here soon at the head of his profession, which, with repute and lucrative prosperity, he followed until his death, which occurred February 4, 1871, in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was a democrat, and filled several of the minor city offices, not for the emolument at- tached to them, but from a sense of duty as a good citizen. At his death he left $40,000 in trust with the school board for educational purposes-a munificent sum at that period. His marriage took place in Mansfield, Ohio, October 25, 1859, to Miss Maria L. Barr, who was born in Richland county, Ohio. January 28, 1836, a daughter of Col. Jacob and Eliza- beth (Rice) Barr, natives of Hagerstown, Md .. and members of the Dunkard society.
Col. Jacob Barr was a gallant soldier and patriot in the war of 1812, having raised a company for the defense of American rights, and entering the United States service as cap- tain. For conspicuous bravery on the field and other meritorious conduct, he was ad- vanced to the rank of colonel. and held this position on being retired from the service at the close of hostilities. He was a whig in his politics, was a phenomenally successful bus- iness man and was highly respected wherever known. To Col. Jacob Barr and his wife, were born a family of seven children, as fol- lows: Samuel W., of Mansfield, Ohio, in- ventor of a cash carrier, now in general use: Susan A., wife of R. M. Coulter, of Richland county. Ohio; Maria L., widow of Perrin De- Puy, our subject; Amanda, wife of M. H. Bonner, a contractor of Van Wert: Jacob H., of Mansfield, Ohio; Frances J., wife of Dr. J. A. Jones, of Mansfield, and Elizabeth, de- ceased. Mrs. Maria L. DePuy is now living
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
in retirement in her pleasant home at the cor- ner of Main and Cherry streets, Van Wert, honored and respected by the entire conmiu- nity, of which she has so long been a member. She is a faithful adherent of the Presbyterian church, is very benevolent, and is a member of the Home and Foreign Missionary society.
PILLIAM WILSON DEPUY, M. D .. deceased, formerly one of the most distinguished physicians of Van Wert, was born May 13, 1824, in Stark county, Ohio, and was a son of John De Puy, who was of German ancestry, and was born in Pennsylvania October 22, 1787.
John De Puy was a farmer by occupation during his entire life, and followed that occu- pation both in Pennsylvania and Ohio, remov- ing to the latter state in 1821; and locating in Stark county. Politically Mr. DePuy was an old-line whig until the organization of the re- publican party, and he then became a repub- lican, as he was strongly opposed to slavery and was equally as strongly in favor of the preservation of the Union. In matters of re- ligion he was a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church and was a very liberal-minded and charitable man, both in matters of money and in matters of opinion. Straightforward and upright in his character, he was respected by all as a good citizen, a good neighbor and a patriotic man. He was married to Miss Julia Housel, of Pennsylvania, who was born No- vember 15, 1792, and who died in November 1857. By her he had the following children: Lucetta, Perrin, John H., Charles, William W., Elizabeth, George and Jacob. George and John H. are the only ones now living, but all were married and became heads of families. john De Puy remained in Stark county from the time he removed from Pennsylvania, in 1821, to his death, which occurred July 10, 1863,
and left his family comfortably situated so far as this world's goods are concerned.
Williamn Wilson DePuy was born in Stark county, Ohio, and was reared upon his father's farm. His early education was obtained in the common schools, and later he had the ad- vantages of a college training; graduating in 1846 from school, he located in Stark county. Ohio. Almost immediately afterward he re- moved to Van Wert county, and there began the practice of his profession, continuing thus engaged for two years, when he removed to Whitley county, Ind .; there he remained two years, going from there to Wabash county, Ind .; and later returning to Van Wert county. This was in 1868, and the city of Van Wert was thenceforth the scene of his labors until his death, January 14. 1891. Of his qualifications as a physician too much can not be said. In his youth he was a thorough student and he was devoted to his profession, which he ever looked upon as a means of doing good, rather than as a means of livelihood. To the poor he was as atttentive as to the richt, because he realized that besides medicine they needed sympathy and a kind word often as much or more than the medi- cine itself. He was always liberal and was always charitable, and always kind. No man feared him, all men loved him. and none felt his loss when he died more than those who had felt in kindness the touch of his hand. The government of the United States, in its great struggle for existence with the rebels of the south, from 1861 to 1865. knew that his services as a surgeon were con- stantly at its command, but those services were not called for. In politics he was a re- publican, in religion a Methodist, and he was true to both his party and his church.
While practicing in Whitley county, Ind., he married Miss Sarah Ellen Bonner, by whom he had the following children: Viola, ida and
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