USA > Ohio > Allen County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 56
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio, v. 2 > Part 56
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practice of the law a year and a half, and then returned to Van Weit, where he practiced a short time, and was then appointed to a clerk- ship in the state insurance department at Co- lumbus, Ohio. In this capacity he was em- ployed three years, and has, since retiring from that position, been engaged in the practice of law in Van Wert. As the democratic candi- date for mayor of Van Wert, in 1894, he was defeated by a small majority; he has, never- theless, served as clerk of the board of elec- tions for three years.
Mr. Sutphen was married in Van Weit, in November, 1872, to Mary E. Clark, who was born in Van Wert and was a daughter of Judge I. D. Clark. To this marriage were born five children, as follows: Clarence and Clark, both of Van' Wert; Hattie, of Carey, Ohio, and Walter and Bell, both deceased. The mother of these children died in March, 1883, and on March 22, 1894, Mr. Sutphen was married to Mrs. Kate A. Green, of Wyandot county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Sutphen are communi- cants of the Lutheran church, and are promi- nent people not only in their church but also in general society. April 6, 1896, at the elec- tion held in Van Wert, Mr. Sutphen was elected mayor of the city over his opponent by 179 majority.
O RLANDO D. SWARTOUT, a popu- lar young business man of Van Wert. Ohio, was born in Clifton Park. Sar- atoga county, N. Y., December 2;, 1843, a son of Depew and Anna M. (Sherman' Swartout. The father, Depew Swartout, also a native of Saratoga county, N. Y., was born December 30, 1809, a son of John and Jemima (Rosencrans) Swartout, the former of whom was a son of an immigrant from Holland, who settled in Dutchess county, N. Y., as a farmer. John Swartout was born in Dutchess county in
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1781, was there reared, and in early manhood moved to Saratoga county, where, in 1802, he married, and had born to him ten children, viz: Sarah, Harry, Depew, Caroline, John, Amanda, - Benjamin, Amelia, William, and Richard-all deceased save Depew and Amelia, now of Washington, D. C.
Orland D. Swartout, when a lad, changed the spelling of the family name from the orig- inal, Swartwout, to its present form, which has been adopted by the family ever since. Depew was reared in Saratoga county, and was there married, in 1839, to Ann M. Sherman, who was born in Rensselaer county, N. Y., in July, 1816, a daughter of Zebulon and Mary (Phillips) Sherman, and to this marriage of Depew and Ann M. have been born three children-Sher- man, of New York city, Orlando D., our sub- ject, and Richard, a wholesale dealer in no- tions at Grand Rapids, Mich. Depew Swartout and wife still reside in Saratoga county, where the former followed his calling of carpen- tering and building for many years, but is now retired; he is a republican in politics, and he and wife are highly respected members of the Baptist church.
Orlando D. Swartout was educated in the ·common schools of Saratoga county, N. Y., and in addition attended, for eight months, the business college at Poughkeepsie: then for two years held a clerkship in the office of the inspector-general, of New York state, and then, in 1867, came to Van Wert, Ohio, and accepted a position as deputy probate judge under Andrew McGavren, with whom he re- mained fifteen months; he next became book- keeper in the Van Wert County bank, then be- came assistant cashier, and then cashier, his term of service running from 1869 until 1877; he next engaged in the insurance business in company with I. R. Beery for two years, since when he has carried on the business for his sole account; he has also acted as secretary for the
Building & Loan association, and as secretary of the Agricultural society of Van Wert county since 1880; was formerly secretary of the Citi- zens' National Gas company and is the present secretary of the Van Wert Natural Gas com- pany; he is also book-keeper for the Oil Well Supply company, limited, and is one of the park commissioners, all of which positions he has filled with marked ability and to the un- bounded satisfaction of all concerned. Mr. Swartout was married in Van Wert, Septem- ber 18, 1872, to Miss Mary A. Swineford, a native of Crawford county, Ohio, born in 1850. and a daughter of Simon Swineford, and this happy union has been crowned by the birth of three children-Alice M., Ella and Rachael. Mr. Swartout is a thirty-second degree Mason, and is a knight templar, and at present is cap- tain-general of Ivanhoe commandery, No. 54: also a member of the Royal Arcanum. His military experience was varied and brilliant. as will be seen by the following narration. He enlisted in July, 1862, in company H. One Hundred and Fifteenth New York volunteer in- fantry, for a period of three years, or during the war, and was sent direct to Harper's Ferry, where 10,000 men were taken prisoners, and was paroled, and soon after exchanged: then was sent to the South Carolina and Florida campaign and sea service in Olusta. Fla., and numerous other engagements; he was wounded at Olusta by a rifle-ball in the hip, and was sent to Buford hospital, in South Carolina. and was there confined from February 18 to May Io, when he again went to the front at Peters- burg, Va., and was almost constantly in battle until wounded at Deep Run in the shoulder, and for four months was confined in the Hampton, Va., hospital. Prior to this he was in front of Petersburg, and participated in that struggle and was present at the explosion of the mine. After discharge from the Hampton hospital he was detached from his regiment
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
and placed in charge of the discharge depart- ment in the general office at Hampton, Va., where he remained until the close of war.
J OEL STIVERSON. one of the oldest and most experienced farmers of Wash- ington township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is a native of the Buckeye state and was born in Hocking county January 8, 1 829.
John Stiverson, father of Joel Stiverson, our subject, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1803, was of German extraction, and when a young man came to Ohio, settling in Washington township, Hocking county, before 1825, and in that year there married, for his first wife, Elizabeth Hensel, a native of the county and a daughter of Henry Hensel, who was born in Pennsylvania, of German descent. Mr. Stiverson settled upon and cleared up a farm of 280 acres, and became quite a promi- nent citizen of Hocking county. He had born to him, by his first marriage, twelve children, as follows: Katie, Emanuel, Josie, Lemuel, Sallie, Susan, Lizzie, Samuel, Mary, Lucinda, John and one who died young. After the death of his first wife Mr. Stiverson married Sarah Proach, this union resulting in the birth of two children - Delilox and Lydia. Mr. Stiverson was a respected member of the United Brethren church, of which he was a trustee, · and in politics was a republican. He lived to be about seventy-two years of age and died on his farm in Hocking county, a pillar of his church and a much respected citizen.
Joel Stiverson received the usual education granted to the farmer lads of his native county, was reared a first-class farmer, and in Hock- ing county chose for his first wife Elizabeth Giberson, a native of the county and a daugh- ter of Joel Giberson, of the state of New Jersey. Mrs. Stiverson became the mother
of one child-Eliza J. - and died in her native county. The second marriage of Mr. Stiver- son took place August 23, 1855. to Elizabeth Roush, who was born in Hocking county December 18, 1837, a daughter of William and Susan (Meyers) Roush. William Roush was born in Lancaster county, Pa., lost his inother when young, and came with his father, after his second marriage, to Ohio, where he was reared among the pioneers of Fairfield and Hocking counties. In the latter county he attained considerable influence, became a farmer of substantial means, owning 200 acres. and there had born to his marriage seven chil- dren, who were named George, Sarah, Anna, Elizabeth, Margaret, Jacob, Joseph and one that died unnamed. Mr. Roush lived on his homestead in Hocking county until quite ad- vanced in years, when he came to Van Wert county, bought 160 acres in Washington town- ship, and with his son, Joseph, cleared up one of the best farms in the county. He had two sons in the army during the late Civil war- George, who served three years in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio infantry, and Jacob, who was killed at the battle of Pitts- burg Landing. Mr. Roush was a useful citizen in all respects and died an honored member of the United Brethren church and a member of the republican party.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stiver- son resided on a farm in Hocking county until 1861, when they came to Van Wert county and settled on eighty acres in the woods of Washington township, which tract Mr. Stiverson has since increased, by patient and judicious industry, to 114 acres, and con- verted into a inodel home. To Mr. and Mrs. Stiverson have been born the following children: John, William (who died at the age of eighteen years), Margaret A., Susan, Lincoln, Noah, Ida M. (who died a mar- ried woman), Samuel (who died at the age
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J. M. Dull
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Mrs. J. JM. Dull
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
of twenty-three years), and four who died young. Mr. and Mrs. Stiverson have long been members in high standing of the United Breth- ren church, and in politics Mr. Stiverson has always been a stanch republican. He has ever been a true friend of public education, and has seen to it that his children have lost no advantages that the schools within his com- mand could afford. Socially, he and his faith- ful wife mingle with the best residents of Washington township, and none are more highly respected.
a LIAS DULL, a retired farmer, but still making his residence on the old homestead in Willshire township, Van Wert county, is of German descent, but comes from an old colonial American family of Pennsylvania-his great-grandfather and grandfather both now lying at rest beyond the mountains in the Keystone state. John Dull, father of Elias, our subject, was born, reared and married in eastern Pennsylvania, Hannah Lenhart becoming his wife. After his marriage John Dull located in Fayette county, Pa., where he farmed for some years, and then, in 1832, moved to Stark county, Ohio, wnere he entered 320 acres of land and set to work to hew out a home. but at the end of two years both he and wife, in 1834, were swept away with the scourge of that year- Asiatic cholera. They were members of the Lutheran church and the parents of the follow- ing children; Peter, Mary, Joseph, Phebe, John, Elizabeth, Lenhart, Jacob, Hannah, Elias, Catherine, and two died in infancy.
Elias Dull the subject of this sketch, was born in Fayette county, Pa., February 3, 1822, and has always lived on a farm. He was quite small when he lost his parents, and at the age of twelve years was bound out until eighteen years old for his board, clothes, and education
as far as the single rule of three; yet. during this term of apprenticeship he attended school from three to six months only, but after its termination he devoted two years to school at- tendance, as he felt the necessity of such ac- tion. Mr. Dull then went to work to make his way in the world, and after settling in Van Wert county, Ohio, he married. September 5, 1850, Jane Walters, whose genealogy will be found in the sketch of William G. Walters, on another page. This marriage took place in sight of the farm on which they have contin- uously lived ever since their wedding-day. It was at that time a literal wilderness, and Van Wert city was then a hemlet of but three houses. The children born to this union were named Harriet E., Hannah L., John W., William W., Rebecca J. and Mary R. Mr. Dull continued to prosper and at one time owned a farm containing 645 acres in one tract, and latter owned 1,000 acres in detached par- cels. With the exception of 200 acres, Mr. Dull has generously divided this property among his children-and it was all made through his own industry an persistent toil. In his politics Mr. Dull has always been on the side of freedom, first voting with the free-soil party and now being a prohibitionist. For several terms he served as township trustee. For fifty years he has been a member of the radical branch of the United Brethren Church in Christ, and for twenty-five years a class leader. He is widely known in the county, and stands out prominently as a pioneer and useful citizen of his township.
AMES M. DULL .- The subject of this biography is one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Liberty township. Van Wert county, Ohio, and son of Lenhart Dull, now deceased. James Monroe Dull was born in the township of Willshire,
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
January 23, 1846, obtained his early education in the common schools, and, while still young, began teaching, which profession he followed with gratifying success for several years. He grew to manhood in his native township, and May 17, 1868, was united in marriage to Mar- tha A. Lintemoot, daughter of Martin and Amanda (Hackett) Lintemoot, who were among the first settlers of the township of Liberty. Mr. and Mrs. Dull, immediately after their marriage, located on a part of the place where he now lives, in Liberty township; he has made additions to his farm from time to time until at present it embraces an area of 200 acres, nearly all of which is in an advanced state of cultivation. Mr. Dull is a model farmer, as is evidenced by the condition of his place, which is reputed to be one of the finest farms in Van Wert county; his improvements are of the latest and his residence, a fine two- story brick structure, supplied with all modern conveniences, is, without doubt, the best build- ing of the kind in Liberty township.
In addition to his farming interests, Mr. Dull owns and controls a third interest in the Rockford Milling company, and also owns a general merchandise store at Dull's station, which is managed by his eldest son. He is postmaster at said station, and through his push and determination, the post-office at this point was secured. Mr. Dull has been an un- swerving democrat ever since attaining his ma- jority, and for a number of years has served. almost continuously, as a member of the county central committee. Mr. and Mrs. Dull have an interesting family, consisting of the following children, whose births occurred in the order named: Wilbert A., Arthur P., Maurice L., Fannie M., Edgar M., Serena M., Daisy F., Curtis E., James M., Herbert O., G. Cleveland and Thurman, all living. Mr. and Mrs. Dull are members of the United Brethren church, and he belongs to to the
I. O. O. F., lodge No. 771, Ohio City, in which he has passed all the chairs.
Mr. Dull is one of the leading citizens of his township, and is universally respected in the community where he lives. He has made a success of life, and believing in the outset that a good name was of all things the most desired, and with no overweening ambition for public position, he has been governed since youth by those fixed principles of honor and rectitude which stamp him to-day as an honest inan and exemplary citizen. As stated in a previous paragraph, the parents of Mr. Dull were pioneers of Liberty township, where the father died in October, 1893; the mother is still living on the home farm. The following are the names of the children of Martin and Amanda Lintemoot: Martha A., wife of the subject; Ellen E., Catherine, Serena, Daniel W. and Cora.
RANK P. DULL, one of the prosper- ous farmers of Liberty township, and well known citizen of Van Wert coun- ty, Ohio, of which he is a native, was born in the town of Willshire, January 31, 1855. When young he attended school in one of the first plank school-houses of Willshire township, and by close application succeeded in obtaining a good English- education, which. supplemented by business contact with his fellow-men in different capacities, has made him a well informed man. He early chose agriculture for his life-work, and, after his marriage, which was solemnized January 6. 1881, with Hattie E. Martin, daughter of Will- iam and Nancy C. (Fitsimmons) Martin, he settled on the farm where he has since resided. consisting of 120 acres of well improved land in Liberty township. His improvements com- pare favorably with those of his neighbors: he has a large, commodious barn, and his place
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is well stocked; he is progressive in all the terin implies, and few people of the communi- ty stand higher than he does in the estimation of the public.
In company with his brother, James M., Mr. Dull owns a third interest in the Rockford Milling company, which, with his farm, has enabled him to accumulate a comfortable com- petence. Mr. Dull is a democrat in politics, is a prominent member of the Patrons of Hus- bandry, and, with his wife, he belongs to the United Brethren church. The following are the names of the children of the subject and wife : Curtis O., accidently killed by falling from a building, when a little past seven years of age; Dorothy G. ; Flossie died at the age of twenty-one months; Edna J .; Ray F., and Eleanor I.
The father of Mrs. Dull, William Martin, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., October 9, 1812, and his wife was born in Franklin coun- ty, of the same state, on the 20th day of Au- gust, 1827. They were married in Pennsyl- vania, afterward came to Crawford county, Ohio, of which they were early pioneers, and still later became residents of the county of Wayne; they came to Van Wert county in 1862, and here the father died; the mother is residing, at this time, with the subject of this brief sketch.
RANK BEVINGTON .- The Beving- ton family is of English origin. Henry Bevington, the grandfather of the subject of this biography, was born in one of the eastern states, and came to Van Wert county, Ohio, in a very early day, locat- ing in the township of York, of which he was one of the first pioneers. He married Betsy Heath, and accumulated good property, mak- ing a farm of 150 acres, in the township of York, on which he lived until his death. His
son, James H. Bevington, the subject's father, was born in York township, January 20, 1837. He married Malinda Hooks, daughter of William S. and Lydia (Harp) Hooks, whose birth occurred September 19, 1837, and reared a family of three children, viz: William F., Philip H. S., and Frank, all living. James H. Bevington was one of the leading farmers of York township; he served in the Forty- sixth artillery during the late war, was a prominent Methodist, and departed this life in the year 1877. His widow subsequently married John Johantgen, with whom she is still living, their home being in the township of Ridge.
Frank Bevington, under whose name this biography is written, was born in York town- ship, Van Wert county. Ohio, September 20, IS69. After attending the common schools during his youth, he took a course at the Normal college at Ada, Ohio, and for several years thereafter was engaged in educational work, teaching, in all, about forty-five months. He achieved quite a reputation as an instructor. and is still in the profession as a teacher.
Mr. Bevington was married December 27. 1890, to Martha Roebuck, daughter of Paul and Catherine (Harp) Roebuck, and soon thereafter settled on the farm where he now lives in Liberty township, and has since been engaged, with most encouraging success. in agriculture pursuits. Mr. Bevington is a man of more than ordinary intellectual endow- ments, is well acquainted with general litera- ture and keeps himself fully informed on the current questions of the day. His standing among his fellow-citizens is first-class, and he numbers his friends by the score in the town- ship where he lives. Mr. and Mrs. Bevington have three children, Lillie, born September 24, 1891; Normie, September 20,. 1893, and Harry Guy, born September 20, 1895. The father of Mrs. Bevington was a farmer, living
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
in Dublin township, Mercer county, but her mother is deceased. The following are the names of her brothers and sisters, Dellie, Nancy, James, Perry, Clark, Harvey and Nellie Roebuck.
J OSEPH BOWMAN, now of Jackson township, Van Wert county, Ohio, was born in Fairfield county, in the same state, October 15, 1844, and when five or six years of age was taken to Allen county, where he was reared on a farm until his en- listment at Lima, July 24, 1862, as a team- ster in company E, Ninety-ninth Ohio volun- teer infantry, to serve three years or during the war. He is of Pennsylvania-Dutch descent, and his grandfather, Daniel Bowinan, was an early settler near Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, where he entered a farm in the woods and became the father of two children, Jacob and Daniel, of whom the latter died in Illinois. Jacob, the father of our subject, was born in Fairfield county, March 4, 1813; was there married, October 23, 1835, to Mary Fickle, who was born in Perry county, Ohio, April 24, 1815, a daughter of Joseph Fickle, of Scotch descent. To Jacob Bowman and wife were born fourteen children, viz: Mary, Donald, Eliza- beth, Sarah, Joseph, Henry, Rachael, John, Leah, Benjamin, Catherine, Rebecca, Will- iam and Isaac.
After his marriage, Jacob Bowman lived on the farm in Fairfield about a year and then moved to Illinois, but in 1840 returned to Fair- field county, Ohio, and in 1849-50 moved to Allen county and bought 300 acres of land east of Lima, part of which was cleared. He soon sold this property, and for a time resided near Westminster, and then moved to Paulding county about 1865, bought 200 acres in the woods of Washington township, cleared up the farm, and there died June 11, 1891, aged
seventy-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman were members of the Christian church, and Mr. Bowman was in politics a democrat and a man of mark and great prominence, and a successful farmer. To each of his five sons he presented a forty-acre farm, and thus started them well in life.
Joseph Bowman was but a. little past his seventeenth year when he was enrolled for the Civil war, and served until July, 1865. when he was honorably discharged at Camp Chase, Cincinnati, Ohio. He served at Perryville and at other points in Kentucky, and at Stone River in Tennessee, serving from December 31, 1862, until January 2, 1863: was at Chick- amauga, Ga., September 19 and 20. 1863; Lookout Mountain, Tenn., November 24, 1863; Missionary Ridge, Tenn., November 25, 1863; Rocky Face Ridge, Ga., May 7, 1864; Resaca, Ga., May 13-16, 1864; Dallas, Ga .. May 25 to June 4, 1864; Snow Hill: Ringgold. Ga., Pine Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., June 27, 1864; Atlanta, Ga., Jonesboro, Buz- zard Roost, Lovejoy Station, September 2-6, 1864, and Northwestern, December 15-16, . 1864. In fact, he took part in all the engage- ments in which his regiment was concerned, and was injured by the concussion of a shell at Jonesboro, and wounded at Stone River, January 2, 1863, when he was captured and sent to Libby prison until January 27, 1863. when he returned to his regiment and filled out his time. After his discharge he returned to his father's place in Paulding county and mar- ried, March 11, 1866, Miss Amanda Kohl, who was born March 12, 1847, in Franklin county, Ohio, a daughter of John and Lydia (Wilson) Kohn, natives of Virginia and of Ger- man descent. Mr. Kohn was married in Vir- ginia, and in 1853 located in Paulding county on eighty acres of land, but subsequently moved to Franklin county, where he died in 1861, at the age of fifty-one years, a member
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OF VAN WERT COUNTY.
of the United Brethren church, and the father of twelve children.
After his marriage Mr. Bowman located in Lotta township, Paulding county, where he re- sided two years and a half, then lived in Pleas- ant township, Van Wert county, until 1883. when he bought his present farm of eighty acres, which he has converted into an excel- lent farm. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowman have been born four children, viz: Jacob ( died young ), Mary, Josephus (deceased) and Vic- toria. He is a good citizen and was a brave soldier; he is an excellent farmer and an up- right man, and has won the respect of all who know him.
TEPHEN S. BUCHANAN, undertaker and dealer in hard and soft wood, lumber and furniture, at Willshire, Ohio, was born November 15, 1848, in Fairfield county. His grandfather, George Buchanan, a native of Scotland, was there married to Miss Paden, and early came to eastern Ohio. He took part in the war of 1812, and was a whig in politics, and with his wife was an adherent of the Seceders' church. His son, Stephen Buchanan, father of our subject, was born in eastern Ohio in 1806, was well educated, and for several years was presi- dent of Lancaster academy. Fairfield county- the leading educational institution of its day in that part of the state. He was also a colonel in the state militia, took a deep interest in military affairs, and was a man of splendid physique and noble bearing, and intellectually was in advance of his age. He married Emily Crane, daughter of Harvey Crane, and there were born to the union five children, viz : Mrs. Amanda Goss, Harvey, Mrs. Elizabeth Gunda, James and Stephen S., our subject.
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