USA > Ohio > Erie County > A standard history of Erie County, Ohio: an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, civic, and social development. A chronicle of the people, with family lineage and memoirs > Part 85
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THEODORE HAHN. It has been the mission of Theodore Hahn to have been identified in his fortunes with Milan Township since 1891, and through his energy and good judgment to have promoted agricultural interests here during that period. When he entered upon his inde- pendent career, he had little to aid him save native thrift, industry and ambition, but these he has turned to such good advantage that he is now the possessor of a handsome property in the northeast corner of the township and of a reputation for honorable and straightforward dealing that gives him the esteem and regard of his fellow citizens.
Mr. Hahn was born August 7, 1866, in Ilesse Nassau, Germany, and is a son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Orth) Hahn. The parents were small farmers in the fatherland, and resided there until 1871, when, after the birth of all their children they decided that better opportunities could be found in America and accordingly came to this country, boarding ship at Bremen and making port at New York, in June of that year. From the metropolis the little party made their way to Erie County. Ohio, and settled in Huron Township, on the Bogart Road, where Conrad Hahn continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits during the
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remainder of his life, and where his death occurred April 14. 1915, at the age of eighty-seven years. He was a thrifty, energetic farmer, a homemaker and a good citizen, and throughout his long career so con- ducted himself and his transactions as to win and maintain his fellow- citizens' respect and confidence. As a builder and developer of the county, he contributed a handsome farm, well improved in every way, with large, modern and attractive buildings. His family was reared in the faith of the German Reformed Church, and his children have proved valuable additions to whatever community they have been called. Mrs. Hahn, who still survives at the age of eighty-one years, lives at the home of her son, Adam Hahn, a review of whose career, elsewhere in this work, contains a more comprehensive sketch of the family's history.
Theodore Hahn was reared and educated in Huron Township, and there made his home with his parents until 1891. In that year he entered upon his independent career when he purchased his present farm, located on the Wikel Road, in the northeast corner of Milan Town- ship. He has fifty aeres, forty of which are under cultivation, and these are operated for farming, fruit growing and stock raising, in all of which branches Mr. Hahn has met with well merited and satisfying success. Ile rotates his erops, running from corn to oats, wheat and elover, and then back, a system which he finds brings him excellent results. Mr. Hahn has an attractive dwelling, pure white in color, with eight rooms and all modern conveniences and comforts. His barn is 36 by 62 feet, gray colored, with a slate roof, and a lean-to for tools. etc., attached, 12 by 36 feet. Every department of this modern farm evidences the presence of good management, and the atmosphere of the place is that of prosperity and comfort.
Mr. Ilahn was married first to Miss Mary Blatt, who died leaving one daughter: Minnie M. C., born September 7, 1894, educated in the Berlin Township publie schools and the Sandusky Business College, and now residing at home with her father. Mr. Hahn was again married, September 13, 1899, in Huron Township, to Mrs. Anna (Dippel) James, who was born September 1, 1871, in the City of Cleveland, Ohio, daugh- ter of Henry and Elizabeth ( Weiss) Dippel, natives respectively of Hesse Nassau and Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. They came to the United States as young people and met and were married at Cleveland, where for many years Mr. Dippel was foreman for the Doane Oil Refining Company, and later was made its superintendent. In the meantime he had established himself in the coal business, and finally resigned to give his entire attention to that line, in which he was successfully engaged for over thirty years. He and his wife were leading and influential members of the German Evangelical Church, in which he was president of the board of trustees for many years. Mr. Dippel died in December, 1912, aged sixty-eight years, eleven months, while Mrs. Dippel passed away in April, 1913, aged seventy years. By her former marriage, to the late George R. James, Mrs. Hahn has one daughter: Florence, born December 5, 1892, who was educated in the Erie County public schools.
Mr. Hahn is an independent voter and not a politician.
FRED W. HECKELMANN. Some of that quality of enterprise which has the power to mold the world and its circumstances to the desires and ambitions of the individual have been exemplified by Fred W. Heekel- mann, who came as a poor German youth to this country about twenty years ago and has succeeded in establishing himself securely and pros- perously in the fine agricultural district of Milan Township, where he owns an excellent farm and manages it with the same successful ability that merchants would direct a store or a manufacturer run his factory.
Born in Hesse Nassau, January 10, 1873, Fred W. Heckelmann
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belongs to an old line of ancestry in Nassau. His parents were William and Christina Heckelmann, both natives of Hesse Nassau. They grew up and married there and all their children were born in that locality. William Heckelmann was a wagon maker, a trade which his father had followed before him, and two of his brothers also took up. William was nineteen years old when his father died, and subsequently pursued his trade in the old country until his death in November, 1894, when sixty-three years of age. His son Herman, a twin brother of Fred, succeeded to the father's business, while two other sons, Adolph and August, are also still living in Germany. Those who came to America were : William, Carl, Fred and Louis. William has been a resident of this country thirty-one years, ('arl came over twenty-eight years ago, F'red twenty-five years ago, while Louis has been in America only eleven years.
Ile had reached the age of seventeen when Fred W. Heckelmann ventured across the Atlantic and aspired to a fortune in the New World. Up to that time he had attended school regularly, and had gained some knowledge of practical accomplishment. Ile sailed on a vessel at Bremen and from New York came on to Erie County. In the main he has been identified with agricultural activities ever since and from a position as a worker for others has succeeded in getting property and has for a number of years been his own master. In the fall of 1906 he bought the ninety-seven aeres comprised in the Sayles farm, situated on the old Plank Road near Gaytown in Milan Township. Nine years have effected some remarkable changes in that farm, particularly in its efficiency of cultivation and in numerous improvements. Ile has raised large crops of corn, wheat and oats, potatoes, and has a group of substantial farm buildings, including an eight-room two-story house, with a slate roof, and barns and other outbuildings.
After coming to Erie County Mr. Ileckelmann married Miss Minnie Copenhafer. She was born in Wuertemberg, Germany, May 3, 1871. Iler mother died in the old country and her father is still living there at the age of seventy-six. Mrs. Heckelmann came to the United States and to Erie County when twenty years of age. Both the Heckelmanns and the Copenhafers have been identified with the German Evangelical Church for generations. Mr. and Mrs. Heckelmann have four children : Edna, aged sixteen, has graduated from the eighth grade of public schools: Hilda, aged fourteen has also completed the common school course and is now in the high school; Maria, aged thirteen, is now in the sixth grade of the publie school ; while the youngest, Edward, is also at school. Mr. and Mrs. Heckelmann are members of the Oxford Evangelical Church, and for twelve years he has been secretary of the church board. Politically he is a democrat, though of independent pro- (livities.
ALBERT M. Fisu has lived actively and usefully in Milan Township fully fifty years. This is a family with many exceptional characteristics and distinctions, and has been identified with the American colonies in the northeastern part of the United States for four or five generations at least. While in Erie County the family has been chiefly identified with manufacturing as well as agricultural activity, their homes have been centers of culture and influence, and several of the name have attained high rank in the professions.
Of old English ancestry, the earliest ancestors of Albert M. Fish of whom there is record lived in Connectient. ITis great-grandparents were Joseph and Abigail Fish, who were born in Connecticut, and it is believed that they lived and died there. Joseph Fish was born in 1756 and died in 1805, survived several years by his wife. They possessed
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many of the hardy characteristics of New England people, were upright, stanch and progressive, and made their influence eount for the better- ment of the community in which they lived.
Uriah Fish, grandfather of Albert M. Fish, was born in Connecticut, and personally exemplified the elements of a strong New England character, possessed a rugged physique and was positive and determined in his actions and in his mental processes. Ilis descendants may take pride in the fact that he served as a soldier throughout the War of 1812. Ile had probably moved to New York State before the war, and it is certain that more than a century ago this branch of the family was located at Otisco, Onondaga County, New York. Uriah Fish spent many years on his farm there, and eventually established around him his five sons, on separate farms. Ile died about 1856. He had been born during the Revolutionary war, and reached good old age. Ile possessed model habits, was a man of affairs. and had a business judgment which enabled him to provide for himself and for his descendants. Uriah Fish married Lovina Carpenter. She was probably born in Connecticut, and belonged to the old Carpenter family of the New England states. They were probably married before they left Connectieut for New York State, and she ontlived her husband some eight or ten years and was past fourseore when she died. Both she and her husband were members of the Univer- salist Church, and many years ago had been closely identified with the abolition movement. A brief record of their children is given as follows : Eliza married John Bishop and died in New York State leaving descend- ants. Lovisa married Lewis Wells, and they lived and died in New York State and were survived by two sons and one daughter. David spent all his life near the old homestead in New York, and after his death left three daughters. John was also a farmer near the old home in Onondaga County, and one son survived him. The next in age was Samuel, to be mentioned in following paragraph. Mindert eame to Ohio and died at Berlin Heights, being survived by several children. Willis C. was the favorite son, was made heir to the old homestead, but his fine sense of justice prompted him to break the will and by his own election the estate was divided in equal shares among all the children ; he married, but had no descendants.
In the next generation is Samuel Fish, father of Albert M. He was born on the old homestead in Onondaga County in 1819. His son Albert has at his home in Milan among other heirlooms and possessions a fine etching of his father, and the portrait exhibits many of the lines and lineaments which denote force of character and energy, and those qualities were positively displayed by Samuel Fish in all his activities. Another engraving in Mr. Fish's home shows the large and beautiful homestead where the family lived for many years at Otisco, New York. It was on that homestead that Samuel Fish grew to manhood. After getting his education and starting out for himself he married a poor but noble girl from a neighboring family, and for several years they lived at the old Fish home. Albert M. Fish was born there in the same house and in the same room where his father had first seen the light of day. Albert M. Fish came into the world November 5, 1846, and has himself almost completed the span of three seore and ten. The first eighteen years of his life were spent among the scenes and environments of Onondaga County, and he gained an education in the public schools.
In 1864. when Albert was eighteen years of age, and a few days after the Presidential election at which Abraham Lincoln was retained for a second term in the White House, Samuel Fish, who had delayed long enough to cast his vote for the great emaneipator, started with his family for the West, and arriving in Milan located and bought a farm in what is ealled East Milan, just outside the corporate limits of the Vol. II -- 36
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village of that name. The purchase was a large ten-room brick house. surrounded by twelve acres of ground. While the place was small, Samuel and his son built up there a considerable industry as a tile and flower pot factory, and they conducted this from 1865 until the death of Samuel Fish on September 15, 1900. At that time he was eighty-one years of age. This factory at Milan was one of the landmarks in the industrial history of the township. Many years ago the proprietors introduced the manufacture of flower pots, and that was perhaps the largest feature of the business, and the wares had an extensive sale. After the death of his father Albert M. Fish continued the operation of the plant for five years, and then abandoned this branch of manufacture and bought some agricultural lands in that locality. He now owns ninety acres of well improved and high class farming land, and devotes his time to general agriculture. However, since the death of his wife he has made his home at the old brick house which was formerly owned by his father, and which is now the property of his sister Miss Celinda Fish. one of the best known women in Milan Township.
Albert M. Fish was married in Milan to Miss Emily Graves. She was born in Lorain County, Ohio, in October, 1846, but gained her early education in Berlin Heights. She died at the Fish home August- 8, 1911. She is remembered by her family and friends as a devoted wife and mother, and a woman of many excellent qualities. Her parents were Murray and Cynthia (Gibbs) Graves. Her father was born in Hatfield, Massachusetts, in 1818, and died in Milan in 1895. Iler mother was born in Cameron, New York, October 28, 1824, and died in Milan Town- ship, February 15, 1894. Murray Graves lived in Lorain County for a number of years but finally came to Milan Township in Erie County. Ile was a good citizen, very industrions, and his business was chiefly in butchering and dealing in meats.
The oldest of the children of Albert M. Fish is Fred A. Fish. He was born at the old home in East Milan in 1875, graduated from the Milan High School in 1892, subsequently took up electrical engineering. in which he gained his first knowledge at local plants, later pursued a technical course in Buchtel College at Akron and was graduated in the electrical engineering department at the Ohio State University. and for his standing was granted a scholarship in the University of Wiscon- sin. After completing his education in 1898 he subsequently filled a chair in the Ohio State University, and from that went to the Iowa State Agricultural College at Ames as associate and later as professor in electrical engineering, and has beenpied the position for a number of years. Ile is now living at AAmes, and is recognized as one of the best qualified educators in the state. lle married Anna Calkins. of Troy, New York, who is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Their two daughters are named Frances and Elizabeth.
('arl W., the second son of Mr. Fish, has also been well educated and is now a foreman with a telephone company. Ile married Miss Olivia Brandrup, who was a well educated Iowa woman and had taught in San Francisco, California.
Roy M., the youngest of Mr. Fish's sons, was born at the old home- stead at East. Milan, December 11. 1881. Hle pursued the study of electrical engineering for a short period, but his health failing about that time he went West with his wife to California, and spent the greater part of 1908-09 in traveling along the west coast. After his return to Ohio he bought sixteen acres in West Milan, and is now engaged in the raising of small and tree fruits and general farming. Ile married Miss Ada M. llart, the daughter of Philip and Lucy ( Fisher) Hart. She was born in Norwalk, IInron County, was graduated from the Norwalk High School in the class of 1902 and from the Woman's College at Cleveland, and at
WilliamAinscow
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the age of twenty was principal of the Milan High School, a position she held for three years until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Fish have two children, Jean Allison and Robert M. This little family are members of the Presbyterian Church, while Roy Fish is affiliated with Milan Lodge No. 329, F. & A. M.
Mr. Albert Fish and his sons are rather independent in political matters. The father at different times served altogether for three terms as township trustee. He is treasurer of Milan Lodge No. 239. F. & A. M .. and is also a member of Milan Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry.
WILLIAM WINSLOW. It was by many active relations that the late William Winslow was identified with Erie County, and particularly with the charming little City of Milan. The handsome briek home on Front Street in which he died October 15, 1893, is still occupied by Mrs. Winslow, who lives there with her nieee, Miss Hardy. This home, a large and attractive thirteen-room house and bought by Mr. and Mrs. Winslow when they came to Milan, is in many ways reminiscent of the fine old Virginia home in which Mrs. Winslow was born and spent some of her early years, near Winchester, Virginia.
While Mrs. Winslow comes of old Virginia stock, and of the real F. F. V.'s, the late William Winslow was of New England and of some of the oldest aneestry found in Massachusetts. He was born at Pitts- ton, Vermont, in September, 1811. He was directly descended from the colonial governor, Everett Winslow, who was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The mother of William Winslow was a Miss Spencer. As William Winslow was a boy of only twelve or thir- teen years when both his paretns died, there is very little knowledge concerning his immediate ancestry. The parents died on their little farm near Old Pittson, Vermont. They were survived by seven chil- dren, all sons, and it is noteworthy that all of these attained great length of years, exeept one, who was accidentally killed by the kick of a horse when a young man. Of these sons, Alnathan died when past seventy-two; Loyal was the youth who was aceidentally killed at the age of seventeen; Horaee died when eighty-four; William was eighty- two when he passed away at Milan: Franklin attained the venerable age of ninety-one; Corydon died when past the age of three score and ten ; and Charles at the age of ninety-one. Charles, the youngest, was only an infant when his parents died, and the oldest was nineteen years old. They clung together until they were old enough to go ont in the world and earn their own living, and all the sons who reached maturity subsequently became heads of families and enjoyed worthy positions in the world.
When twenty-six years of age William Winslow and his brother. Horace, moved to Hartford, Licking County, Ohio. William engaged in the general merchandise business, after the manner of the early merchants in the Middle West, having a stoek of goods comprising practically everything needed in the home and on the farm, though it not infrequently happened that he was out of a certain line of goods for days at a time, sinee it required a week or more to get goods from New York City, which was then the general supply point for all western merchants. While William thus engaged as a merchant, his brother Iloraee went three miles into the country and bought a new tract of land and eleared it up from the wild woods, and spent his life there as a farmer.
From the start William Winslow prospered as a general merchant in Lieking County and from that beginning his operations and invest- ments covered a wider scope. Some years after moving to Licking County he invested $1,000 with his brother-in-law, Zenas King, who
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became head of the well known King Bridge Company. In this eom- pany Mr. Winslow had many responsibilities as superintendent of bridge construction, and this obliged him eventually to sell out his store in Hartford, and he then identified himself actively with the bridge con- vern. In order to look after these business interests he moved to Milan, locating in that city a year or so after the close of the Civil war. While this was his home he spent much of the time on the road traveling as superintendent of bridge construction, and after leaving that firm he spent most of his time in retirement, although he had milling interests at Milan which required some supervision.
Throughout his active carer Mr. Winslow was a stanch republican in politics, and for many years was interested in every movement for the advancement of the town and county. Perhaps he rendered his greatest public service as chairman of the old Normal School Institute at Milan, which in its day was one of the best schools of the class in Ohio, and a great many successful men and women received part of their education there. He was also chairman of the old Milan and Inron Canal Committee, which canal in its day was one of the busiest waterways in the United States, and upon its waters floated vast car- goes of wheat and all kinds of grains between Milan, which was the concentration point, and Huron, where the grain was loaded on to the lake vessels and carried to the larger markets of the world. Many years ago Milan was regarded as the greatest grain port in the United States, if not the greatest in the world, with the possible exception of Riga. Russia. In the early days Milan occupied about the same position in the grain industry as the City of Duluth, Minnesota, now has. While never a seeker for political honors himself, Mr. Winslow was always ready to work and use his influence in behalf of his friends. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and did mueh for its support and upbuilding at Milan.
The late Mr. Winslow was three times married. The only daughter of his first wife, Josephine, died when a promising young woman at the age of eighteen. Ile married his second wife at Hartford, Ohio, Miss Fannie B. Wheelock, who died in young womanhood and without chil- dren.
In Champaign, Illinois, in January, 1875, Mr. Winslow married Miss Anna (. Renner. Mrs. Winslow was born in Old Virginia. in the Shenandoah Valley near the City of Winchester, February 29, 1828. She was carefully reared and educated, attended young ladies' sehools in Virginia, the Hartford Academy and the Granville Seminary, and after her parents removed to Champaign, Ilinois, she followed teaching for some time. Her parents were Henry and Mary (Wiley ) Remmer, both of whom represented the fine old colonial stock of Virginia. Her maternal grandfather, Rev. Bernhard Wiley, was a prominent preaeher in the Reformed Church, and carried the gospel mission all up and down the Shenandoah Valley until his death, at his home in Woodstock, Vir- ginia. In 1852 Mr. Renner left Virginia and moved to Champaign, Illinois. In Virginia he had been a farmer, but lived retired in Cham- paign and died there in his eighty-sixth year, while his wife was seventy when she passed away. Both were members of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Winslow is one of the lovely characters in Milan society, a woman of the highest ideals, and her life has been a benediction to all who came within the radius of her influence. She was one of the prime movers and organizers of the old Public Library Association of Milan, which was turned over to the township and which was the nucleus of the present beautiful library and for which others receive the honor. But it was really she, by her untiring efforts, who did more than any one other to start and continue to build this library. She is one of the
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active members and still a regular attendant of the Presbyterian Church at Milan. Her niece, Julia M. Hardy, was educated at Milan and in Oberlin College, and is also a woman of thorough culture and together they maintain the fine Winslow home which has stood for so much in Milan ever since it was occupied by the Winslow family.
ISAAC W. HOOVER. As the originator and developer of what is one of the most important manufacturing industries carried on within the limits of Erie County, a special interest attaches to the name of Isaae W. Hoover, who has done much to increase and build up those outside associations by which people in many diverse quarters of the world know of Erie County as the source of a certain type of agricultural machinery which has served to lighten the burdens of erop harvesting and at the same time has decreased the cost of production of one of the most com- mon articles of food. Originally Mr. Hoover was a farmer who special- ized in the potato crop. Out of his experience in harvesting that crop by the old fashioned and tedious and laborious method of the plow or potato fork he conceived the idea which he perfected in the manufacture of his first potato digger. Some thirty years ago he manufactured his first machine. Having tried and tested its availibility for his own pur- poses, he began on a small scale to manufacture for others. Since then he has been in inereasing ratio a manufacturer, and his machines have lightened the burdens of men throughout the civilized world. Mr. Hoover was not only a good manufacturer, taking great pride in his output, but also had ability to sell his products. His success has been the result primarily of getting out a machine which was of demonstrated practical value, and also has been due to his care in never letting one of his diggers go out of his shop unless it was perfeet. He has prospered, and his success and prosperity have prodneed a permanent and far reach- ing benefit to mankind.
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