USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 4
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 4
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71
Thomas A. Alban, our subject, spent his life on the homestead, and when a boy made many trips to Centerville, with grain, and on returning from the market would come home with his wagon laden with merchandise for the country merchants; this proved to be a sorce of considerable revenue, every dollar of which he turned over to his father. His sincere be-
lief in the old proverb "honesty is the best policy," has brought to him peace, prosperity and a guileless conscience. In 1849 he mar- ried Ann Jones, daughter of Thomas T. Jones, of Jackson, Ohio, and five children were born to this union, viz: Mary, wife of Hugh Evans, a farmer of York township; Ann, married to William W. Evans, of Jennings township; Elizabeth, wife of William B. Jones, of Van Wert city; Margaret, wife of Abram Jones; David, living with his father, and Thomas, a twin of Margaret, who died at the age of three. years. The mother of these children died in 1862, and Mr. Alban was next married to Rachel Evans. In the fall of 1865 Mr. Alban came to his present home, making many im- provements and clearing up most of the land, and has seen the county taken from almost a swamp, and converted into productive fields; his original purchase consisted of nearly 200 acres, and he has devoted much of his time to breeding fine short-horn cattle, deserving and taking many premiuns from the state fairs. Mr. Alban originally was a whig-then a republican, and for the last ten years he has been identi- fied with the prohibition party, and served two terms as infirmary director, from 1869 to 1875. He and wife are members of the Welsh Pres- byterian church, and are highly respected throughout the community for their steady habits and strict integrity. Mr. Alban avers that with his own hands he has cleared at least 200 acres of land.
a LIJAH ARNOLD, farmer and stock - raiser of Jennings township, Van Wert county, is a son of John and Rachael (Gilbert) Arnold, and was born in Fayette county, Ohio, in the year 1835. John Arnold was a pioneer of Van Wert county, moving to the same in October, 1836, and lo- cating on what is now known as the Thomas
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farm in Jennings township, where he reared his family. In 1861, he removed to Delphos, which was his home for some years; he after- wards lived for a limited period in the city of Van Wert, moving thence to Ridge township, where he died on the third day of March, 1869, at the age of seventy-three years; his wife died about the year 1845. John and Rachael Arnold had a family of ten children, as follows: Elizabeth, married Claude Griffin; Priscilla, widow of Mr. Keith: Levi, died in early child- hood; Mary, wife of Joseph Tomlinson; John, resides in Iowa; Hanna, deceased wife of Alex- ander Stowther; Samuel; Elijah, and Elias, twins, the latter dying at the age of twenty- two; and Charley, whose death occurred when quite young. By a subsequent marriage, witli Mary Ross, Mr. Arnold had one child, a son, Dallas.
Elijah Arnold grew to manhood on the farm, attending in the meantime the district schools, and in the fall of 1863 he enlisted in company G, Second Ohio heavy artillery, with which he served until the close of the war. In March, 1869, he married Miss E. C. Mathis, daughter of Ephriam and Caroline Mathis, a union blessed with the birth of the following children: Frank, deceased; Cora, a popular teacher and accomplished musician; Elva, and Ethel. Mr. Arnold came into possession of his present beautiful home in Jennings township by inheri- tance. He has made many improvements upon his farm, which contains 160 acres of ex- cellent land, and his residence and out-build- ings rank with the best structures of the kind in the community. He is a successful farmer and progressive citizen, active in all that per- tains to the well being of the community, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of a large circle of neighbors and friends. He was elect- ed to the office of township treasurer in 1881, and has held the position continuously since, his period of service being longer than that of
any of his predecessors. Mr. Arnold cast his first vote for the first republican candidate for president, and has been an earnest supporter of the republican party ever since. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold and daughter are members of the Methodist church; and he contributes liberally of his means to the promulgation of the doc- trines of the same.
OHN S. BAXTER, a well known citi- zen of York township, Van Wert county, born in Harrison county, Ohio, June 24. 1844, a son of Thomas and Nancy (Suddeth) Baxter, the former a native of Penn- sylvania and the latter of Henrietta county, Va. Thomas Baxter was but five years of age when brought to Harrison county, Ohio, by his father, Elias Baxter, and was reared a farmer, To the marriage of Thomas and Nancy Baxter were born eleven children, of whom some were born in Harrison and some in Van Wert county, the parents having taken up their residence in the latter county October 8, IS48. The eleven children alluded to were named, in order of birth, as follows; Elias, of Convoy, Van Wert county; Robert E., retired farmer, also of Convoy; Jolin S., our subject; William L., farmer, near Convoy; Thomas U .. of Paulding county; James K., residing in the vicinity of Convoy; Alonzo S., a farmer of Pleasant township; Rebecca, wife of Jacob Ackom; Sarah, married to John Wilkins; Nancy Jane, who died September 29, 1865, at the age of twelve years, and Janette, wife of Nathaniel Kraut, of Denver, Colo. Of the boys. Elias, served in the army of the Union under the call for three-months volunteers to crush the Rebellion. Robert and John S., enlisted together in July, 1862, in company A, Fifty- second Ohio volunteer infantry, and followed the fortunes of their regiment until the follow- ing mishaps took place: July 12, 1864, Robert
OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
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was taken prisoner at the battle of Peach Tree Creek, and was held prisoner until May, 1865. Jolin S., subject of this sketch, sustained a slight wound in the head at Resaca in May, 1864; had a sun stroke at Kenesaw Mountain in June, 1864, and while in hospital was taken with erysipelas, but recovered sufficiently to rejoin his regiment at Chattanooga; then he went to the siege of Atlanta, followed Sherman to the sea and through the Carolinas to the grand review at Washington, D. C., was mustered out at that city, June 3, 1865.
After and honorable discharge at Camp Chase June 18, 1865, at the close of the war, our subject returned to his father'sfarm, where he employed himself diligently until November 15, 1866, when he married Miss Ellen Stewart, daughter of Ebson and Elizabeth (Capper) Stewart. The children born to this marriage were Irvin S., who married Elizabeth Richards, and became father of two children, Earl and Russell; Arthur, who wedded Maggie May Brown; Bertha, the wife of L. M. Zeigler and the mother of one child, Howard; Oren M., married to Bertha Dorman, and the father of one child, Freida; Hattie May, Roscoe W., Chauncy R. and Mable L. The mother of Mrs. Baxter died in September, 1868, and her father, who served nine months in the war of the Rebellion, died in 1887. Elias Suddeth, the maternal grandfather of our subject, lived to reach the extraordinary age of 114 years, and at the time of his death was in the pos- session of all his faculties; Thomas Baxter, father of our subject, was born July 12, 1813, and died December 15, 1894, and his wife, who was born in 1815, joined him December 19, 1894, after a married life of over sixty years. In politics our subject is a stanch re- publican and in their church relations both he and wife are Methodists, Mr. Baxter having been one of the charter members of the Whit- field society. The Baxter family in their social
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relations, are universally respected throughout the township of York, and are well deserving of the esteem in which they are held.
ILLIAM J. BEBB, ex-soldier and farmer of York township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a native of Mont- gomeryshire, Wales, was born Octo- ber 4, 1844, and is a son of John and Sarah (Jones) Bebb, the last-named now deceased. John Bebb came to America shortly after his second marriage, bringing with him his bride, who bore the maiden name of Mary Jones, and also William J., their only son (our subject). and his half-sister-Sephorah. John Bebb first located in Jennings township, Van Wert county, but now makes his home with his son, William J., our subject. Mrs. Mary (Jones) Bebb died about two years after landing in America, and the half-sister, Sephorah, kept house for our subject until the latter's marriage, in 1878, to Elizabeth Goodwin, of Johnstown, Pa., whose acquaintance he had made in . Wales. Until 1860 our subject worked by the day in his neighborhood, and in 1860 he went to Gomer, Allen county, Ohio, where he worked at farm labor until the fall of 1862, when he enlisted in company F, One Hundred and Eighteenthi Ohio volunteer infantry, for three years, and served until honorably dis- charged in July, 1865. He was twice wounded; first, at Mossy Creek, in east Tennessee, and. secondly, at Resaca, Ga., and now receives a pension, which he justly deserves. After the war he located near Gomer, Allen county, Ohio, but sold his farm in April, 1882, and moved to Van Wert county and purchased his present farm of 120 acres in York township, on which he has made all the improvements it now contains. There have been born to his marriage four children, viz .: William John, Goodwin Louis, David Rowland and James
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Orlando. The mother of this family was called away December 1, 1895. In politics Mr. Bebb is a republican, and while a resident of Allen county served two terms as township trustee. He and wife are strict members of the Welch Calvinistic church, and their daily deportment gives evidence of the sincerity of their belief. Mr. Bebb is industrious and economical, and has earned his property through his own unaided efforts. He is liberal in his characteristics, and contributes freely to the support of his church. As an enterprising citizen he is behind no one in his township, and he possesses the friendship and respect of the entire community.
EV. WILLIAM DUNLAP, deceased, was born in Sidney, Shelby county, Ohio, July 13, 1831, and was a son of William and Elizabeth (Blakely) Dunlap, the former a native of Dublin, Ire- land, born January 29, 1787, and came to Philadelphia, Pa., in 1816, lived there three years, and then settled in Shelby county, Ohio. His parents moved to a farm when he was quite young, but afterward moved back to Sidney, where William went to school when a child, and also finished his education there in early boyhood, as he was always industrious as a student. Although his father was at one time in good circumstances, by some mistake made in taking a contract on the canal at Sid- ney, he failed in business and lost all his prop- erty. When William, however, was sixteen years old, he bought two acres of land near Sidney and built a house on it for his parents, where they lived until the death of his father. Then his mother lived with his sister Mary until after his marriage, November 16, 1854, to Anna Sollenberger. He was then twenty- two years old. After his marriage he moved on a farm one-half mile from Sidney, where he
lived six months. Then he moved on a farm two miles from Port Jefferson, known as the Cox farmi, where he farmed in summer and taught school in winter. In the latter voca- tion his experience extended through seventeen years, having begun when nineteen years old. After he moved here his mother lived with him until her death, in 1864. Soon after her death he moved to Port Jefferson and pur- chased a dry goods store in partnership with S. T. Thirkield, but his health failed and he sold out his interest in this store and bought a steam grist-mill in 1867; he sold this in 18; 1 and built a water-mill in partnership with William Manning, which he kept until he en- tered the ministry in 1873.
William Dunlap was converted when four- teen years old, but did not join the church at that time, and dated his conversion from 1870. After the loss of a little boy. Sherman, Mr. Dunlap was converted by a lady, Mrs. Doran, giving the illustration of a shepherd taking a little lamb and putting it in another field, that he might entice the flock into that field. Thus applying it to himself, he was converted in the meeting held by Rev. I. Smith and joined the church at Port Jefferson. He was licensed as a local preacher immediately afterward by Rev. Joseph Fergueson; was always active in church work, being a class leader and Sabbath-school teacher, and in 1872 was sent as a supply to Fort Recovery. He entered the ministry in 1873, at the conference held at Van Wert. His appointments were Versailles, Dover, Mount Victory, Marseilles, Bettsville, Middle- point, Elida, McComb, Rockford and Ohio City. He was one year at Rockford and one at Ohio City; three years at Marseilles and two years at each of the other places. While at Mount Victory he had a glorious revival, and as a re- sult a church was built. He also had a large revival at Elida, and many were converted during his ministry, although his greatest power
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REV. WILLIAM DUNLAP DECEASED.
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lay in his ability to strengthen the members and build up the church. He always left a charge in a more spiritual condition than he found it; he was a good Bible teacher, studied the Scriptures much, and loved to explain them.
Rev. Dunlap came to Van Wert in Octo- ber, 1891. For a year before his death he had been gradually failing, but the last eight months of his life he spent in his chair. Heart failure being his disease, he could not lie down often, but he was always very patient. Once he said: " Why, nothing can harm a Chris- tian: when God has him, he can say to all other powers, 'Stand back! You dare not touch my child.'" About a month before his death he had a vision. He saw his name written in Heaven in large letters of gold; he said it was beautiful. Often during the night, when one of the family would go to see how he was resting, he would say, " O, I've been having a blessed night; I've been talking with Jesus; I'm happy." He was loved and respected by all who knew him; he was a sweet-spirited man, and even in his great feebleness he greeted all who came to see him with a cheer- ful smile. A few days before his death he said to Dr. Avann, with a playful smile, " When you are talking about me at my funeral, and trying to comfort my family, I shall be stirring around in the other country." He was one of God's noblemen, and a true minister of His word. His sermon was always clear and to the point. His faith was firm, and his last expressions were, " Jesus saves; O, I'm so happy; the Lord is good." The last chapter in the Bible that he tried to read was Romas, 5; but he could not read it, so he handed it to his son-in-law, Mr. Littler, who read it for him. His funeral was conducted by inany ot his ministerial brethren, at 10:30 A. M., February 2, 1895, in the First Methodist Episcopal church; Dr. Avann offering prayer 10
at the home. The following-named brethren were present: J. F. Mounts, R. Rauch, W. R. Shultz, J. H. Bethards, S. Baumgardner, M. Gascoigne, J. F. Newcomb, W. H. Leather- man, W. J. Hagerman, J. M. Avann and J. H. Fitzwater. The Masonic order, of which he was a member, took charge of the remains at the church, and held service at the grave. Mr. Dunlap left a wife and three daughters to mourn his loss.
Mrs. Anna (Sollenberger) Dunlap was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, February 2, 1833, a daughter of Abraham and Barbara (Winger) Solienberger, natives of Pennsyl- vania. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap, viz: Franklin A., Illyria and Sherman, all deceased; Mary B., wife of F. A. Littler, a druggist of Dunkirk, Ind. ; Laura E., at home; Eddie, deceased, and Maggie E., at home. Mr. Dunlap was made a Mason in Port Jefferson, Ohio; he was also an honored member of the I. O. O. F. He owned, at his death, 135 acres of farming land in Ridge township. Van Wert county, and also two business properties on Washington street, in the city, as well as his residence property. In politics he was a republican. The marriage of Mr. Dunlap took place in Sidney, Ohio, Novem- ber 16, 1854; he was a kind and loving hus- band, a sincere Christian, and an ardent and faithful laborer in the vineyard of the Master.
HOMAS M. BERRY, a well known citizen of the township of Jennings, is a native of the county of Van Wert, Ohio, dating his birth from the 29th day of July, 1859. His grandfather, Malachi Berry, who married Polly Taylor, was a sol- dier in the war of 1812, and an early settler of the county of Van Wert, moving to the same a number of years ago, and bringing with him the following-named children: Noah, who
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grew to manhood, and died on the home farm; Barbara, deceased wife of Michael Weaver; John, a soldier in the late war, died from ex- posure in service; Mary, who has achieved a. wide-spread reputation as a weaver of hand- some coverlets, by which she has accumulated a comfortable fortune and who makes her home with the subject of this sketch: Malachi, who resides in Jennings township; Martha, who died in childhood; Anna, deceased, was twice married, her first husband being Joel Jenkins, the second Henry K. Morris; Joseph; Sally, deceased wife of Joseph R. Miller; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Elisha Marvin-she and hus- band were both mutes; Lydia, deceased wife of Jesse Coil; Susanna, deceased wife of Fred- erick Reed, and Elijah who died in the army, in 1861, at the age of nineteen. Malachai Berry, Sr., purchased quite an amount of land on coming to Van Wert county, and became a prosperous man. He was a zealous church member and died in November, 1861, honored and respected by all who knew him; his wife survived him until 1887, dying August 27 of that year, at the advanced age of eighty-nine.
Joseph Berry, father of Thomas M., was born in Champaign county, Ohio, accompanied his parents to Van Wert county, and later mnoved to Iowa. His first wife was Mary Jane Fitzpatrick, who died in Iowa, leaving two sons, Thomas M. and Malachi, the latter residing in Chattanooga, Tenn .; he wedded May Upde- grove, daughter of Capt. J. R. Updegrove, and has two children. Joseph Berry's second wife was Clarissa Richards, who resides at this time in the town of Cavett, Van Wert county, Ohio.
Thomas M. Berry, the innmediate subject of this biography, was reared on a farin and had the ordinary educational advantages, though he has ever a student and lover of books. His early life was beset with consid- erable hardships, as he was obliged to bear his part in supporting the family, his father not
being at all a prosperous man -- he and wife being mutes. Much devolved upon young Thomas, and he was obliged to forego many of the privileges, such as those more fortunately situated are permitted to enjoy. October 16, ISSo, when twenty-one years of age, he was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Wolford, daugliter of Rev. George and Catherine Wol- ford, of Allen county. To this marriage the following children have been born: Ada May. Beatrice, Malachi, Minnie, Norma, John, Anna, Eunice, Nellie and Myra. Mr. Berry owns a good farm, well underdrained, and is one of the progressive citizens of his township. He is now serving his third term as township clerk, and has discharged the duties of the position very efficiently. He is a member of the K. of P. order, in which he has passed all the chairs of the subordinate lodge; he also belongs to Jen- nings grange, Patrons of Husbandry. Mr. Berry and wife are members of the Methodist church, and maintain a very high position in the esteem of their neighbors.
ICHARD BREES, a prosperous farmer of York township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a native of Wales, born October 16, 1841, a son of William and Catherine (Griffith) Brees. He came to America with his grandfather, An- drew, and his uncle, John, accompanied by his sister, Jane, who had married Evan L. Jones, now deceased. Andrew Brees, the grandfather, located in York township, pur- chasing eighty acres of land, all in the wilder- ness; he had, however, come to America at the solicitation of George Bebb, with the in- tention of settling in east Tennessee, wliere lie had purchased 400 acres, without ever having seen the land. Mr. Brees remained for two years with his grandfather and then worked I here and there at whatever his hands could
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
find to do, until he had attained twenty years of age, when he enlisted in company H, Fifth Ohio volunteer cavalry, October 14, 1861, and served with his regiment throughout the war, until honorably discharged, November 29, 1864, doing continual service, with the excep- tion of one brief spell of illness. On his re- turning to Ohio he was married, in 1869, to Mary Evans, daughter of Rowland and Jane Evans, the marriage resulting in the birth of the following children: William, who married Clara Cox, and became the father of one daughter; Selma J .; two children who died in infancy, Rowland and Jane; John, Rowland, Robert, Richard and Isaac Newton. In 1865 Mr. Brees bought his present farm of eighty acres, at that time wholly unimproved, but which is now adorned with splendid buildings; he also owns eighty acres where his son Will- iam now resides. This property Mr. Brees has gained through his own individual exer- tions, having received in no way aid from any outside source. Mrs. Brees is a consistent member of the Calvinistic church; in politics Mr. Brees is a stanch republican and has served his citizens as school director, consta- ble and supervisor. He is recognized as an industrious, thrifty and useful citizen.
LEXANDER WRIGHT BROWN, a prosperous farmer of York township, Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Pennsylvania, Lawrence county, De- cember 26, 1826, a son of Robert and Marga- ret (Wright) Brown, both natives of the Key- stone state: maternally he is of Scotch-Irish descent. The paternal grandfather was Abra- ham Brown. Robert Brown came to Van Wert county in the spring of 1844. He had leased a tract of land in York township before coming, resided on it until about 1848, and then bought a tract near Delphos, but passed
his later years at the residence of his son, our subject, his first wife having died in 1845, and having married for his second wife the widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Jones. To Margaret and Rob- ert Brown were born the following children: Edith, widow of John Connor; David C., who died at the age of sixty-two years; Sarah Jane, deceased wife of Peter Book; Susannah, who died in childhood; Alexander W., our subject; Elizabeth, wife of Peter Moore: Mary Celina, who died after attaining womanhood; Abraham B., now a resident of South Dakota, and a soldier of the late war, who was wounded at Shiloh and also in the fight at Kenesaw Mountain, while serving in company A, Forty- sixth regiment Ohio volunteer infantry: Will- iam John is a resident of Nebraska; Jantes C. : and Nancy has been twice married, her first husband having been Jacob Wooley, and her second husband Gabriel Coil; Samuel, a resi- dent of Liberty township, Van Wert county. was a soldier in the forty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, and was slightly wounded; James served in the Twelfth Indiana cavalry.
Alexander W. Brown left his father's house at the age of twenty years and engaged with William Heath for six months at fifty dollars for the term, half of which was claimed by his father. In October, 1849, he wedded Marga- ret Bevington, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Heath) Bevington, and this union has been blessed by the birth of nine children, as fol- lows: Henry, who died in childhood: Albina. wife of Elijah A. Tomlinson: Elizabeth, mar- ried to W. H. Whitten; Nancy, deceased wife of M. C. Tomlinson; Charles Wesley, of Mercer county; Emma, wife of W. L. Bolton: Rebecca Jane, now Mrs. J. F. Price; William Edgar and Walter A., at home. The mother of these children died December 17, 1894.
Mr. Brown made his first purchase of land in 1847. with but $10 in cash, and now owns a finely improved farm of 200 acres, on which
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he makes his home, and also owns eighty acres elsewhere, Mr. Brown is highly popu- Jar in his county, and has heid nearly every office of his township within the gift of its citizens, such as township trustee, town clerk, assessor and school director; he is a stanch supporter of the Methodist church, having been identified with that denomination since 1858. In politics he is a republican, and no man in the county holds a higher position in social circles than he.
DWARD CARMEAN, an ex-soldier of the Civil war and now a prosperous merchant of Jackson township, Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Allen county, September 25, 1844, a son of William and Margaret (Miller) Carmean, of whom an extended notice is made elsewhere in this vol- ume, and in which will be found the genealogy of our subject. It will there be found that William, the father, was drowned accidentally in an attempt to cross the Big Auglaize river when our subject was but two months old, and that the infant was thus left to the care of its bereaved mother at a very tender age. She was, however, equal to the task imposed on her, as is proved by the subsequent career of her son.
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