A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2, Part 46

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1248

USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 46
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 46

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Hamilton Robinson, the father of John C.,

is one of the oldest and most successful farm- ers of Pleasant township; he is the son of John and Margaret (Nelson) Robinson, who were both natives of Ireland-the former of county Down, near Belfast, and who immigrated to America in childhood. The father of John Robinson was James Robinson, a Protestant in religion, who was forced to leave his country on account of his religious belief in 1788, when he came- to America and settled in Westmoreland county, Pa., where he died in the year 1816. There John Robinson, grandfather of John C., was reared to manhood and received a limited edu- cation in a little old log school-house. He served in the war of 1812, and soon after his enlistment was given a captain's commission and after the war returned to his farm in Westmore- land county, Pa. Subsequently, in 1814, he started westward on horseback, accompanied by a friend by the name of John Law, carrying his camp kettle and necessary equipment on pack saddles, determined to seek his fortune. He halted in the wilderness of Richland county. Ohio, where he entered three tracts of land in the name of himself and two brothers. On this land, with the help of his companion, he erected a log cabin, in which he soon estab- lished his young family and began the task of clearing a farm from the woods. About the year 1800 he was united in marriage with Mar- garet Nelson, also a native of Ireland, who had come to America with her parents in child- hood; to their union were born nine children -Hamilton, the father of J. C., being the- youngest and the only one now living: they were named as fallows in order of birth: James. John, Alexander, William, Thomas, Agnes, Esther, Margaret and Hamilton. Mr. Robin- son was a man of unusual strength and cour- age, steadfast in his purposes and firm in his convictions, and was a stanch member of the Associated Reform church.

Hamilton Robinson was born in Richland

Fired Reed

643 644

Catherine Reel

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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.

county, Ohio, December 10, 1817, and there grew to manhood on the old homestead, which he assisted in clearing from the woods, and was educated in the pioneer schools of that day. January 25, 1842, he was united in mar- riage with Maria Riddle, also of Richland county and daughter of James and Effie Riddle. To this union eleven children have been born, viz: Eliza, deceased; Issabella, wife of James Leslie, deceased; William, deceased; John C., county commissioner; Margaret, deceased wife of Martin North; James H., farmer of Pleas- ant township; Jane, wife of Emanuel Good; Sarah, Thomas A., Nancy A., and Esther M., the wife of Lemuel Dwyer. Mrs. Robinson was born in Washington county, Pa., April 21, 1822, and when a child came with her parents to Richland county, Ohio. In early life she was a member of the Associated Reform church, but upon locatig in Van Wert county united with the Presbyterian church, with which she was connected at the time of her death, De- cember 24, 1779.

In September, 1852, Mr. Robinson moved to this county and purchased a farm in Pleasant township. upon which he resided four years; then purchased the farm on which he now lives, and since that time has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Van Wert county. He is a life-long member of the Associated Reform church and has always been a liberal supporter of church and school as well as all benevolent enterprises and institu- tions, Politically in early life he was a demo- crat, but being opposed to slavery he joined the republican party at its formation and has since been a strong supporter of its principles. He is one of the few remaining pioneers of Pleasant township who were instrumental in the early development of the county, and to him as much as any other man are largely due the good roads of the community and the growth and development of his township and 28

county; thus he can look back upon a long and useful life well spent, and no man stands higher for integrity and honor in the county than Hamilton Robinson.

.. .....

REDERICK REED, a prosperous farmer and ex-soldier, was born in Van Wert county, Ohio, on his father's farm in Jennings township, November 9, 1839, a son of Daniel and Mary (Tipton) Reed, and now resides in Tully township, in the county of his birth.

Daniel Reed, a native of Pennsylvania, was a son of Frederick Reed, a Pennsylvania farmer of good old Dutch stock, and when a young man came to Ohio, and in Harrison county married Miss Tipton, who was of En- glish extraction, to which union were born twelve children. About 1835 he came to Van Wert county, and settled in what afterward became Jennings township, bringing with him considerable money, but, as there were no stores in the neighborhood in those pioneer days, he was compelled to go to Sidney, Shelby county, to do his trading. Daniel en- tered one-quarter section of land, and three brothers-William, Quinton and James -- who came with him, and a fourth -- Peter, who come later-all entered farms adjoining, mak- ing quite a settlement of their own, but with- out neighbors. The land was covered with heavy timber, but they soon made a deaden- ing and raised their corn among the decaying trees. At one period, for six weeks, they ground their corn in a coffee-mill, the winter being too inclement to permit going the long distance to mill. But this episode was tri- fling, compared with the many other hardships inherent to pioneer life, unnecessary to be mentioned in detail. Daniel Reed · assisted, among other early tasks, in putting in the locks of the Cincinnati & Toledo canal, but of course

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

devoted his efforts chiefly to the development of his farm, succeeding in clearing up an ex- cellent place of 160 acres; but hard work event- ually overcame him and he died at the com- paratively early age of fifty-one years. He and wife were members of the Christian church, and his conduct through life was most exem- plary. He aided in organizing his township, served in several of the township offices, and at one time was county commissioner.' For fourteen years his brother William was a justice of the peace-or until he moved west.

Frederick Reed, our subject, was reared in the wilderness above alluded to, doing his share in clearing up the home farm. He at- tended the first school established in his town- ship, which was taught in a rude log structure, with the customary primitive adjuncts. He married, March 24, 1863, Susannah Berry, daughter of Malachi and Mary (Taylor) Berry, and the next December, leaving behind his young bride, enlisted in company G, Second Ohio heavy artilery, for three years or during the war, under Capt. Orris King, and served until December, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tenn., on account of the cessation of hostilities. He fought at Strawberry Plains, Bull's Gap, Knoxville, Lookout Mountain, Resaca, in many skirm- ishes, and wound up with guard duty at Knox- ville, Tenn. He contracted chronic diarrhea during his term of service and was laid up a month in his quarters, and later was attacked with rheumatism, from which he has never fully recovered. On his return home he re- engaged in farming, buying eighty acres of the old home place, on which he lived until his removal, in 1872, to his present farm of 100 acres in Tully township, which he has cleared up and thoroughly improved with first-class buildings. Here he had the misfortune of los- ing his wife in 1884, and on March 20, 1885, he married Catherine Mozel, the father of

whom came from Germany about 1852, bring- ing his family, which consisted of himself, wife and one son, Jacob. Mr. Mozel first settled in Holmes county, Ohio, on a farm, but about 1860 came to Tully township, bought forty acres, which he increased to eighty acres, on which he still resides. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mozel numbered seven, and were named Jacob, Catherine, Elizabeth, Peter, John, Louisa and Louis, the last two of whom died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Reed have been born five children-an infant, deceased. Elva M., Nora B., Olive E. and Arthur O. The parents are members of the Methodist church, and in politics the father is a repub- lican, but has never been a seeker after office. He has fully done his duty as a soldier and civilian, is self-made as to fortune, and enjoys the respect of all who know him.

OHN T. ROSS, of York township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a native of Brown township, Franklin county, and was born March 19, 1831, a son of John and Mary (Tomlinson) Ross, natives of Vir- ginia. The parents were married in Madison county, Ohio, and came to Van Wert county in 1835, where they entered 100 acres of land and an additional forty acres in Mercer county, all located in the wild woods, but which Mr. Ross subsequently cleared off, laboring at this work until his death, in his forty-third year. Mr. and Mrs. Ross were the parents of the fo !- lowing children, namely: Rebecca, wife of Harrison Boroff, of Mercer county: Robert and Benjamin, deceased; Nancy, widow of Robert Dunathan, of Mendon, Mercer county; William, deceased; John T., our subject: Lydia, the widow of Washington Price. of Delphos, Ohio; Lewis, residing in Van Wert. was a lieutenant in the Civil war: Paul S., whose residence is in Colorado; Richard T ..

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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.

residing in Payne, Paulding county, Ohio, and who was wounded, while serving in the Forty- sixth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, in the battle of Mission Ridge, from which wound he has never fully recovered; and Mary Jane, deceased wife of Rev. William Deal. The mother of these children for her second hus- band married John Arnold, the union resulting in the birth of one son, Dallas M., of Mercer county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are now deceased, both dying in the faith of the Meth- odist Episcopal church.

John T. Ross was reared to farm life, though when a young man he spent most of his time in hunting and trapping, and even as late as 1865 killed eighteen deer. In 1847 he entered forty acres of land, which he shortly afterwards sold and bought eighty acres in 1853, to which he afterward added 200 acres, all of which he has cleared from the forest and improved with the exception of twenty acres; a little old tumbled down cabin still covers the spot on which he first made his abiding place in this wild country, where, at the time, the Wyandot and Cherokee Indians held sway.

Mr. Ross was married to Elizabeth Magda- lena Reas, a native of Hanover, Germany, and to this union have been born seven children, namely: Henry, who died at the age of eight years; Albert, who wedded Emma Hook, and lives in Van Wert; Rosaltha, wife of J. D. Anderson, of Van Wert county; Cyrus, mar- ried to Hattie Tellis, and living near the old home; Julia Ettie, wife of George W. Crone, of Paulding county, Ohio: Wilhelmina, wife of John A. Jones, and mother of one child, named Russell.

September 15, 1861, Mr. Ross enlisted in company A, Forty-sixth regiment, Ohio voluil- teer infantry, and had his first fight at Shiloh, following which he took part at Corinth, Jack- son, Vicksburg, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Champion Hills and New Hope church;

at Noonday Creek in the Kenesaw valley, the charge at Kenesaw Mountain; and then at At- lanta, July 23, 1864, and on the 28th of the saine month sustained two slight wounds, one of which was in the forehead. At Jonesboro he was in a fierce fight with Hood's men; he was next at Blue Ridge, then at Grisselville, Ga., where the first brigade of the Third divis- ion had a combat with five brigades of Hood's army. He next took part at Bentonville. the last battle fought by Gen. Sherman. Mr. Ross was mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 27, 1865, and was paid off and discharged at Co- lumbus, Ohio, August 17 of the same year. Mrs. Ross died january 4, 1894, and Mr. Ross still lives on the homestead, surrounded by a large circle of devoted friends.

EWIS F. ROSS, retired manufacturer and dealer in drain tile, Van Wert, Ohio, is a native of Mercer county, Ohio, is a son of John and Mary (Tomlinson) Ross, and was born June 8, 1835.

John Ross, also a native of the Buckeye state, was reared to manhood in Franklin county, whence he moved to Mercer county in 1834, and engaged in farming. He had been married in Franklin county to Miss Tomlinson, a native of the county, who bore her husband a family whose names are given in the sketch of John T. Ross, preceding.

Lewis F. Ross, the subject of this sketch, was a lad of eight years at the time of his mother's second marriage, when the family re- moved to York township, Van Wert county. where Lewis F. worked on the home farm un- til sixteen years of age, when he went to live with his brother, John F., of the same town- ship, with whom he worked until twenty-one years of age, and then worked "on shares" until the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he enlisted for three years in company .,

٠ ٠اهـ

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Forty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, Septem- ber 10, 1861, under Capt. J. W. Heath. He participated in all the marches, shirmishes and engagements of his regiment until February, 1864, when he veteranized at Scottsboro, Ala., was assigned to his old company, and granted a veteran furlough home. On his way back to his regiment he was taken ill and was left at Chattanooga, Tenn., in charge of the camp equipage of his brigade, until September, 1864, when he rejoined his command and served with it until his honorable discharge, at Louisville, Ky., July 22, 1865. That Mr. Ross was a true, good and faithful soldier and patroit is proven by the facts that he was promoted to Fifth sergeant while in the ranks, and at Camp Sherman, one year later, was promoted to the First sergeancy, and, February 2, 1865, was commissioned first lieutenant. On his dis- charge from the army he returned to York township and engaged in farming, having pur- chased a farm of eighty acres. For ten years ' he also filled the office of justice of the peace, and then resigned, and for two years served as township assessor. In 1884 he sold his York township farm and came to Van Wert, and for two seasons was employed as an assistant to the county commissioners'in opening up and extending the Little Auglaize river for six miles, and then for a year was engaged in so- liciting for the Ohio Farmers' Assurance asso- ciation; in 1886 he embarked in the manu- facture of drain tile, which vocation he fol- lowed until. 1893, when he sold his plant and is now living in retirement.

The marriage of Lieut. Lewis F. Ross took place in York township, Van Wert county, Ohio, June 16. 1868, to Miss Ida E. Roberts, who was born in Knox county, Ohio, January 21, 1$51, a daughter of John and Mary- (Mitchel) Roberts, and this union has been blessed by the birth of three children, viz : Channcy C., a merchant of Van Wert, born

August 1, 1872; Otis C., a clerk, born June 8, 1876; Hallie, born July 21, 1882-died March 21, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Ross are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fraternally he is a member of G. A. R. He owns 100 acres of fine land in the county, and has a very pleasant residence in the city, where he enjoys, with his family, the esteem of a large circle of friends.

LBERT J. ROLLER, farmer of Jen- nings township, and ex-county com- missioner, was born in the county of . Mahoning, Ohio, June 3, 1847, a son of John and Susanna (Fox) Roller. The father was a native of the aforesaid county and the mother of Columbiana county. John Roller and family moved to Van Wert county in 1865, and settled in York township, where Mrs. Roller yet resides. The following are the names of their children: Martha, deceased wife of Silas Rice; Albert J. and Allen F., twins, of whom the latter died at the age of twenty-four; Urban died when thirty-six years of age; Joseph M., is a resident of Liberty township; Mary Jane is the wife of Samuel Wentz, of Jennings; John lives near Elgin: Wilson lives with his widowed mother in York township, and Harriet died in infancy. The father of these children departed this life Sep- tember 5, 1866.

Albert J. Roller has spent his life as a farmer, and at the early age of sixteen, owing to the death of his father, was obliged to fore- go his school privileges in order to assist luis widowed mother, and younger brothers and sisters. In November, 1868, he entered into the marriage relation with Mary Jane Guthrie. daughter of George and Mary J. (Moore, Guthrie, and now has a family of nine children, whose names, in order of birth, are as follows: Walter, a medical student, of Van Wert

OF VAN WERT COUNTY.

651

county; Emery, a member of the mercantile firm of Tracy & Roller, of Elgin, Ohio; Ira, Ada, Myrtle, Leota, Marion, Ernest and Dwight. The mother of these children died October 2, 1894.

In 1886, Mr. Roller, was elected to the office of county commissioner, in which capac- ity he served six years. During his official term a number of substantial public improve- ments were made throughout the county, not- ably among which were the handsome jail, the armory, and over 300 ditches. As an official Mr. Roller displayed excellent judgment and business tact, and his course was commended by the people of the county, who looked upon as a most obliging and capable servant. His record, as a guardian of the people's interests, stands without stain or blemish, and should he be called to positions of trust in the future it is safe to predict that his duties will be per- formed in an able, impartial and consciencious manner. In addition to serving as a member of the board of commissioners, Mr. Roller served as trustee of his township and also as justice of the peace. Politically he is a demo- crat, and has done valuable service in the councils of his party in Van Wert county. He has made a success in life in more ways than one, having an excellent reputation as a neigh- bor and citizen, beside accumulating a suffi- ciency of this world's goods to place himself in very comfortable circumstances. Mr. Roller and family are members of the Methodist church, in which they are highly esteemed.

EORGE W. ROUSH, of Jackson township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a German by descent, and comes di- rectly from an old Pennsylvania fani- ily, his grandfather. also, named George W., having been born in Dauphin county, in the Keystone state, and there rearing four sons-

Joseph, John, Jacob and William. Of these, William Roush came to Ohio, in 1822, settled in Hocking county, and cleared up a farm. He, also, was born in Dauphin county. Pa., February 4, 1808, and was but fourteen years of age when he started in life for himself in Ohio. He married Susannah Myers, a daughter of Jacob and Anna (Ditto) Myers, of German extraction, the union resulting in the birth of seven children, viz: George W., Sarah, Jacob, Anna, Elizabeth, Joseph and Margaret, all born in Hocking county. In 1863 or 1864 William Roush moved to Washington town- ship, Van Wert county, bought 120 acres, and here followed farming until his death, at the age of seventy-seven years, a member of the United Brethren church, of which his wife was also a devoted member. Mr. Roush sent two sons to the Civil war, George W. and Jacob, but was always a democrat in his politics. Jacob Roush served in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, was shot through the neck at Vicksburg, Miss., and died seven days later.

George W. Roush was born January 15, 1831, in Hocking county, Ohio, and in 1856 settled in Washington township, Van Wert county. He was married, in Hocking county, January 13, 1853, by Rev. E. Bruce, of the United Brethren church, to Mary A. Davis, who was born February 26, 1833, a daughter of Jabez and Jane (McCoy) Davis, of Scotch Irish descent. After marriage Mr. Roush lived in Hocking county two years, then went to Marion county, Ill., in 1855, lived on a farm of eighty acres for a year, and in 1856 came again to Van Wert county, Ohio; here he cleared up ten or twelve acres in Washington township, and then sold out and located in Monterey township, Putnam county, on a farm in the woods, cleared it up and sold it for $4,000, and in 1882 came to Jackson township, Van Wert county, bought 120 acres also in

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

the woods, of which about fifteen acres was cleared. Of this farm he cleared up and sold forty acres, retaining eighty acres, which he likewise cleared, and on which he erected a comfortable dwelling.

August 18, 1862, Mr. Roush enlisted at Delphos, Ohio, in company F, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, to serve for three years or during the war; faith- fully he performed his duty until July 10, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Cleve- land, Ohio. He served at Kingston, Tenn .; Mossy Creek, Tenn .; Buzzard's Roost, Ga .; at the front of Atlanta, Ga .; at Resaca, Pump- kinvinc Creek, Acworth, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain and Jonesboro, Ga., and all the engagements and skirmishes in which his regiment took part. After the fall of At- lanta he went in pursuit of the rebel general, Hood, and so on to the close of the war.

To Mr. and Mrs. Roush have been born six children-Sarah J., William L., Hugh C., Margaret A. , Mary E., and John F. In politics Mr. Roush is a republican, and he and wife are meinbers of the Presbyterian church. He is vice-commander of G. A. R. post at Middle- point, and a man who is truly honored by all who know him. His uncle, Joseph Roush, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was with Gen. Hull at Detroit, but the strain of patriot- ism that has since run through the Roush fam- ily has been inanifested in a far superior man- ner by our subject in the struggle of the late Civil war.

J. ROWLAND, of York township, Van Wert county, a native of Harri- son county, Ohio, was born Septem- ber 8, 1836, and died December 2, 1895. His father, Lewis Rowland, was a na- tive of Pennsylvania, and was there married to Mary Shivers, who bore him six children, in 1

the following order: William, deceased; Rachel, wife of George Balor, of Indiana; S. J., sub- ject of this sketch; Eliza Jane, who died at the age of four years; John and Sarah Ann (twins)-the latter the wife of T. T. Whitten, of Van Wert county, and the former killed in battle near Richmond, Va., when but eighteen years of age, being a member of the Fifty-fifth Indiana volunteers. William Rowland was also a soldier in the late Rebellion, served in the Fifteenth volunteer infantry, and in the performance of his duty contracted the disease which caused his death. The father of this family came to Van Wert county in the fall of 1838, and first entered land contiguous to that now owned by Seth Painter. Here, in 1847, he lost his wife, whom he duly mourned, but in 1851 took to himself what he hoped would prove to be another help-mate, but the union proved to be uncongenial and a dissolution of the tie soon took place, and Mr. Rowland died a widower.

S. J. Rowland, the subject proper of this sketch, was reared to a thorough practical knowledge of agriculture, and received a very good school education. At the age of twenty- six years he was united in the bonds of matri- mony with Miss Sarah Jane Whitten, daughter of Philip Whitten, to which union were born three sons, viz: William H., Barcy A. and John A. Of these the eldest, William H., mar- ried Miss Emina Ireland, and now resides in York township, Van Wert county. Mrs. Sarah J. Rowland bade her last farewell to her hus- band and children in March, 1890, dying an ardent lover of her Master; her bereaved hus- band is also a consistent member of the Society of Friends. -

Mr. Rowland, in his politics, was an active republican and served as trustee of his town- ship. His son, William H., is also a repub- lican, but in religion differs with his deceased father. Our subject was the owner of a fertile

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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.

farm of seventy-nine acres, as well tilled, pro- ductive and attractive as any farm of its size in the county. Mr. Rowland was looked upon with great respect and esteem by his neighbors, and his upright course through life won for hin many deep and lasting friendships.

J 'OHN GEORGE RUPRIGHT, senior member of the firm of Rupright Bros., Van Wert, Ohio, manufacturers of brick and drain tile, was born in Union county, Ohio, January 10, 1844, and is the eldest son of Gotleib and Catherine (Kried- lein) Rupright. The father, Gotleib Rupright, was born in Nuernberg, Bavaria, October 15, ISIS, a son of Phillip Rupright, a farmer who came to America in 1837 and settled in Union county, Ohio, where he purchased military land and followed farming until his death, in 1859, having lost his wife in 1851. Phillip and his wife were sincere worshipers at the German Lutheran church, were quite success- ful financially, and were the parents of two children, viz: Gotleib, the father of our sub- ject, and Margaret, who died young. Phillip served three years in the Bavarian army, and participated in the battles of Waterloo and Leipsic. Gotleib Rupright lived on the home- stead in Union county, Ohio, until his mar- riage, in 1842, with Catherine Kreidlein, who was born in Nuernberg, Bavaria, January 9, 1817, and came to America in 1836. To this marriage were born ten children, viz: An in- fant, deceased; John G., our subject; Margaret: Catherine, deceased; Dora; Phillip; J. Conrad (the partner of John G.); Martin; Mary; and Gotleib, deceased. These parents were mem- bers of the German Lutheran church, and in politics the father was a democrat. He died in the fall of 1892, leaving a farm of 400 acres; his wife died in February, 1891.

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A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2, Part 46

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Bowen Number of Pages: 1248

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1248