USA > Ohio > Fulton County > A standard history of Fulton County, Ohio, an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and county, Vol. II > Part 34
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After the death of the parents O. N. Detwiler decided to go west, and he located in Washington. He went in company with other young men from Fulton county. They prospected for two years, buying lots as an investment, but finally returning to Swan Creek Township, to the farm left him by his father. In 1900 lie sold this farm to his brother Oliver Detwiler and for one year he lived on a rented farm, finally removing to Toledo, where he engaged in the meat business for a time, finding, however, that the farm suited him better and then he returned to Swan Creek Township.
When Mr. Detwiler bought his present farm it had improve- ments characteristic of the time, but he added necessary buildings, built fences and tiled the land and continued farming there until his death, March 3, 1909. On March 21, 1900, Mr. Detwiler mar- ried Mary Florence Miller, of York Township. She was born March 21, 1862, and was a daughter of John and Catherine (Hensel) Miller. The Miller family lived in Wayne county, the father dying there in September, 1908, while the mother died when Mrs. Detwiler was only two years old.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Detwiler are: Isa May, March 25, 1902, and Argyl Gilbert, November 30. 1904. They at- tended district school. Mr. Detwiler voted with the democratic party. Mrs. Detwiler is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She continues her residence at the family homestead in Swan Creek Township.
Fifty-four years was the allotted span of life to Mr. Detwiler. He spent most of it in Fulton county, and by the close of his life he was able to see many of his cherished plans take shape and march toward fulfillment. The farm where Mrs. Detwiler and her children live is one of the valuable ones of Swan Creek Township, and it not only affords a good home but also means for the education of the children for the serious duties and responsibilities of life.
PHILIP HENRY PETER. One of the successful agriculturists of Fulton county who have to their credit a large amount of work done in the improvement of farm land in this region is Philip Henry Peter of Swan Creek Township. He was born at Florida, Henry county, Ohio, on September 18, 1877, a son of William and Eve (Yerges) Peter, both of whom were born in Ohio. They were early settlers of Henry county, Ohio, where they owned and developed a
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farm. Later on in life they retired and are now living at Delta, Ohio, which has been their home for about thirteen years.
Philip Henry Peter was reared by his parents to be a praetieal farmer and started out for himself in 1900, renting land for the first eight years, and then, in 1908, buying and improving an eighty- aere farm in Swan Creek Township. On it he rebuilt the house, erected a fine large barn, and put in other valuable improvements, so that he was able to sell it at a handsome profit in 1919. Immediately thereafter he bought his present farm of eighty acres in the same township, one mile distant from his old one, and here is continuing his operations of general farming and dairying, which branehes have received his attention ever since he began farming.
On March 13, 1900, Mr. Peter was united in marriage with Mary Clemens, born in Defiance eounty, Ohio, a daughter of Nieholas and Elizabeth Clemens, of Bavaria, Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Peter have one daughter, Bessie, who is at home. Mrs. Peter is a consistent member of the Roman Catholic Church, but Mr. Peter is not eon- nected with any religious organization. He maintains membership with the National Union at Florida, Ohio.
Mr. Peter belongs to the elass of praetieal farmers who appreciate the value of their work and know how to make it yield them a fair profit. He does not undertake to carry on his operations without proper implements and applianees, and has learned how to make all of his efforts effective. Experienee has taught him that it is more profitable to operate a farm of the size of his own well than to try to handle a big one that requires a large number of helpers. As a citizen Mr. Peter stands well in his neighborhood, and while he has not taken an aetive part in politics, he is dependable, reliable and en- terprising and has at heart the welfare of the township in which he has made his home for so many useful years.
JOHN H. BRATTON. The men of Fulton county who have devel- oped their farms from wild land have a satisfaction in their present comfortable surroundings not given those who have had their way prepared for them by others. John H. Bratton as he looks over his finely cultivated fields today ean easily remember when they were covered with unsightly stumps, and the hard, back-breaking work required to dig them out. As he goes about his modern, comfortable house, barn and other buildings it is with the realization that they were all erected through his instrumentality, and that to him and his ambitious efforts all of the improvements on his property are due. Mr. Bratton has lived on his present farm in Swan Creek Township only since 1913, but he has owned a portion of it for a number of years, and was born in this same township on April 19, 1853.
The parents of John H. Bratton were Robert and Elizabeth (Deill) Bratton, natives of Ireland and England, respectively. About. 1845 Robert Bratton came to the United States and located in Wayne county, Ohio, of which region John and Elizabeth (Hartzel) Deill, the maternal grandparents of John H. Bratton, were early settlers, moving there from Pennsylvania. Robert Bratton and Elizabeth Deill were married in Wayne county, Ohio, and about 1850 eame to Fulton county and bought eighty acres of land in the northern part of Swan Creek Township. This farm was all wild land, and Robert Bratton cleared and developed it and erected the necessary buildings on it. Here he died in 1868, his widow surviving him until 1899. Their children were as follows: George, who is a resident of Swan- ton, Ohio ; John H., whose name heads this review; Andrew, who is
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deceased; Mary, who is Mrs. Ezra Putnam, of Delta, Ohio; James, who lives on his parents' home place; and Anna Z., who is Mrs. Henry Zellers, of Swanton, Ohio.
John H. Bratton was reared in his native township, and attended its district schools. On March 25, 1879, he was united in marriage with Abigail Smont, born in Fulton Township, a daughter of James and Priscilla (Day) Smont, natives of England. After his mar- riage Mr. Bratton spent a year on his father's homestead, and two years in Pike Township, and then moved to Paulding county, Ohio, and spent four years there. With the death of his wife in 1889 Mr. Bratton terminated his residence in that county and returned to Fulton county, and was engaged in carpenter work. When he came back to Fulton county he bought thirty acres of his present farm, and when he located on it permanently he commenced those opera- tions which have resulted in the development of one of the best small farms in this part of the state.
In 1903 Mr. Bratton was married to Alma Mccullough, born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, a daughter of John and Alma (Sheldon) Mccullough. There are no children by this second marriage, but by his first one Mr. Bratton had the following family born to him: Pearl, who is Mrs. Ezekiel Parker, of Fulton Township; Robert, who died at the age of four and one-half years; Wesley, who is a resident of Fulton Township, married Minnie Habel, and they have a daughter, Ollie.
Mr. Bratton is a democrat, but has not held any public offices, his time having been fully occupied with his own affairs. He is a member of Swanton Lodge No. 448, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, of Swanton, Ohio; and is a charter member of Swanton Lodge No. 490, Knights of Pythias. As an Odd Fellow Mr. Bratton has passed all of the chairs in the local lodge. During his long connec- tion with Swan Creek Township Mr. Bratton has proved his worth as a man and citizen, and is held in high esteem by his neighbors.
ALBERT V. GREEN. While Albert V. Green is now living in retirement in Swan Creek Township at the edge of Swanton, he has been a busy man in his time. He is a son of James F. and Nancy (Pettibone) Green, and was born August 14, 1851, in Ottawa county. The father was born in Pennsylvania and the mother was a Connecticut woman. When he was a young man Mr. Green worked on a lake vessel, and he met his wife at Marblehead, Ohio.
Mrs. Green is a granddaughter of Governor Wolcott of Ohio. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Green lived in Ottawa county, where he was proprietor of a fishing outfit in Sandusky bay. In 1854 his wife died there. He later married Jane Shank, and they lived on an island in Sandusky bay until 1862, when they removed to Swan Creek Township near Brailey, where he had purchased eighty acres of timber land. He had three acres cleared in order to have a place to build a house, and he ended his days there, dying in 1877, where he had lived several years.
Albert Green had a sister, Artemicia, who was the wife of Wil- liam H. Poorman, and he has one brother, William L .. of Fremont. The children from his father's second marriage are: Josephine, de- ceased, who was the wife of Elvin Kessler; Delilah, wife of Samuel Kontz, of Sandusky; Luella, wife of James Shively, of Fremont ; Henry, of Toledo; George, deceased, and Viola, of Toledo.
Until he was twenty-four years old Mr. Green lived at the home farm, and then rented land and farmed for himself in Fulton
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county. On December 12, 1875, he married Pauline Huntley. She is a daughter of Lorenzo and Susan (Whitmore) Huntley, and their home was in the State of New York before moving to Ohio. For a while they lived on his father's farm, then moved to the Whit Manley farm, remaining there two years, when they removed to Swan Creek Township, where they lived until 1906, when they sold the place and moved to the vicinity of Swanton. For a time they lived in Swanton, where they owned property, but five years later they exchanged it for the 11/2 acres of suburban property where they live today.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Green are: Burton L., of Brailey; James A., who lives with his parents; Clarence J., who is proprietor of a general store at Brailey; and Arthur A., who has just returned from overseas service in the war of the nations. He was in the second depot of supplies division of the United States Expeditionary Forces in France.
It is nearly half a century since Mr. Green came to years of man- hood, and those years until his practical retirement were character- ized by well directed industry. As noted above, he began life with very little capital, and has made his prosperity by hard work and honorable means. He is one of the best known citizens of Swan Creek Township, and he can take pride in the record of his sons now beginning independent careers for themselves.
HENRY MEINTZER, of Swan Creek, is an American by choice, having been born January 13, 1849, in Alsace-Lorraine. He is a son of George and Christina (Menlein) Meintzer. When he first came to the United States Mr. Meintzer farmed for 21/2 years in Cook county, Illinois. From there he moved to Fremont, Ohio, where he worked for two years in a saw mill, and for nine years in an iron mill before he finally located in Fulton county.
Mr. Meintzer bought 106 acres of land in Swan Creek Township with about twenty acres cleared and the remainder in brush. He finished clearing the land and added substantial farm buildings from time to time, although there were some buildings when he bought the land. He remodeled the buildings and added forty acres to the farm, and he now has about 100 aeres under cultivation. While he is a general farmer he specializes in livestock and dairving.
In October, 1869, Mr. Meintzer married Sophia Holtzscherer, who was born February 29, 1852, in Alsace-Lorraine. She is a daughter of Frederick and Margaret (Nicholas) Holtzscherer. They never lived in America. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Meint- zer are: Albert, who died in infancy ; Sophia, wife of Robert Reedy, of Toledo; Nellie Jane, wife of Henry Wales, of Wauseon; Regina, wife of Fred Kuhlman, of Toledo; Henry George, of Swan Creek; Arthur, of Toledo; and twin brother, Harold, who passed away Feb- ruary 17, 1920, and Arnold, who lives at the family homestead. Arnold spent five months in training at Camp Zachary Taylor in preparation for service in the war of the nations. The family is republican and members of the Lutheran Church.
While of foreign birth the substantial qualities of Mr. Meintzer and his family are just those needed in American life today, and while the story of his life is briefly told it is a record that will be cherished by his descendants and should also be noted as one of the contributory factors in the development of Fulton county's farms and homes.
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W. F. POORMAN AND FAMILY
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DAVID M. ATON, of Swan Creek, dates back to the days of the log schoolhouse in Ohio where he secured his education. In politics he is a republican, and he has an army record in the Civil war that is a source of pride to him. He enlisted August 28, 1861, in Com- pany I, Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served his country until July 12, 1865, when he was mustered out, after having given four of the best years of his life to his country. Mr. Aton is commander of the Grand Army of the Republic Post at Swanton, and is still interested in things military.
On May 29, 1866, Mr. Aton married Rebecca Overmeyer, of Sandusky county, although she was born in Perry county. She was a daughter of Jared and Jemima (Coe) Overmeyer. After his marriage Mr. Aton lived on a farm near Brailey, and here his wife died February 10, 1871, leaving the following children: Wil- liam S., of Swan Creek; Amanda E., deceased; Cora E., wife of H. D. Camp, of Portage county ; and Levi F., of Fulton county.
On November 1, 1885, Mr. Aton married Sarah Crosby. She was born in 1841 in Swan Creek. She is a daughter of John and Sarah Crosby, who came from New York to Ohio. When Mr. Aton married her she was the widow of Henry Coe, and she had three children: Charles E., of Toledo; Clara, wife of Frank Zerman, a bond printer of Toledo; and Viola, wife of Ashford Kent, of Isa- belle county, Michigan. After his second marriage Mr. Aton located on an eighty acre farm in Swan Creek that has since been the family home. While there is some timber the land is under a high state of cultivation.
David M. Aton was born in Troy Township, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1846, a son of Rufus M. and Euseba (Mead) Aton, natives of New York. At the age of seventy-four he has a long and interesting retrospect and may take especial pride in the four years he spent as a soldier in helping preserve the Union. His life since the war has been filled with activities, and the farm home in Swan Creek is largely the product of his energies and efforts.
W. F. POORMAN. While agriculture is the oldest ealling, it is only within recent years that the farmer has received proper appre- ciation, or that he has recognized the possibilities lying at his hand. The present farmer conducts his farm along systematic lines and through the use of improved machinery has been able to increase the volume of his production without the employment of much addi- tional labor. Fulton county has long been the home of some of the most progressive farmers in Ohio, and one of them who has been able to live up to the reputation of this region is W. F. Poorman, of Franklin Township.
He was born in Perry Township, Richland county, Ohio, in 1856, a son of Peter W. and Caroline (Cornwall) Poorman, and grandson of Elias Cornwall. The Cornwall family is of German and English extraction, and was founded in the New Jersey colony many years ago. It was from the State of New Jersey that Elias Cornwall came to Ohio and located in Richland county, near Mansfield. Mrs. Poor- man's father, Elias Cornwall, who went west in young manhood, but the family has since lost sight of his movements.
The Poorman family is of Scotch descent on one side and Ger- man on the other, but nine generations have lived in the United States. The paternal grandfather, Peter Poorman, came to Ohio from the vicinity of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and bought 160 acres
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of land in Perry Township, Richland county, on which farm his grandson was later born. All of the members of the Poorman fam- ily have been agriculturists with the exception of one, who is a ma- chinist now living at Pennsville, Ohio. Peter W. Poorman inherited the homestead from his father and spent his life on it, passing away in 1895. He and his wife had two children, namely: W. F., whose name heads this review ; and Samantha Almeda, who married Lloyd Bodley and lives in Hillsdale county, Michigan.
Like all farmer boys of his generation and neighborhood he at- tended the district school during the winter months and made him- self useful on the home farm throughout the productive season, com- pleting his schooldays at the age of nineteen years. In the period between his leaving school and his marriage Mr. Poorman was on the homestead, but at the time he was married he bought his present farm of 120 acres in Franklin Township, although when he made his initial purchase there were only eighty acres in it. With the excep- tion of eight years he has continued to live on this farm, and has carried on the raising of diversified crops. His farm is well culti- vated and nicely improved, and he takes a pride in having everything up-to-date.
On September 5, 1885, Mr. Poorman was united in marriage with Susie Merillat, a daughter of John M. and Susan Merillat of Franklin Township, both of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Poorman be- came the parents of the following children: Oliver, who is married, has one child and lives near Swanton, Ohio; Edgar A., who is a veteran of the great war, served as an aviator in the army camps, is now at home; Carrie May, who married Jesse E. Ubank, lives at Toledo, Ohio, and has one son ; Arthur H., who is a farmer of Frank- lin Township; Roy C. R., who lives at Wauseon, Ohio; Freeman Ivan, who is now at home, is also a veteran of the great war, served in France from June 26, 1917, until August 22, 1918, and also was in the campaign along the Mexican border, a member of Company A, Sixteenth Regiment, First Division, was wounded by a rifle ball at Chateau Thierry on July 18, 1918, was in a French hospital, recovered, and finally sent home, landing at Newport News, Virginia, from which port he was sent to Camp Sherman and there mustered out; and Hazel Frances, Flossie G., Lewis Dale, Ora and Verdie, all of whom are at home.
ROBERT N. MURRAY, one of the substantial farmers of Swan Creek Township, is a man whose standing both as a citizen and agri- culturist is unquestioned. He is a native of Fulton county, having been born in York Township May 26, 1848, a son of John and Mary (O'Brien) Murray, he born in County Down, Ireland, in 1804, and she in County Armagh, Ireland. They came to Albany, New York, prior to their marriage, and were there married, coming thence to Berea, Cuyahoga county, entering the tract of land from the gov- ernment on which Berea now stands. When the prospectors for the railroad came through to survey the land they managed to frighten the settlers away and secured their land at a nominal figure, and among them were the Murrays. They then came to Lucas county, in which the present York Township was included, entering in 1834 a tract of timber land. This they improved. made into a fine prop- erty, and it is now owned and occupied by their youngest son, Thomas C. Murray. The family did not settle on this property, how- ever, until 1838, when they were brought here by boat to Toledo.
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Ohio, and thence with oxen to their destination. The father died on this farm on January 18, 1872, the mother surviving him until March 14, 1888, when she, too, passed away. Their children were as follows: John, who was born March 13, 1835, died in Novem- ber, 1883; Ellen, who died at the age of eighty years was Mrs. J. W. Wright; Mary, who died on June 25, 1900, was Mrs. Thomas Fra- ker; James W., who is deceased; Samuel, who lives at Delta, Ohio; Sarah, who was born on October 2, 1844, and died on June 24, 1900, was Mrs. D. D. Donahue; Robert N., whose name heads this review ; Hugh, who is a farmer of York Township; Mathew, who died in 1915; Thomas, who is a farmer of York Township, and his twin sister, Katie, is Mrs. Nathan Wright, of Wauseon, Ohio.
On December 13, 1876, Robert N. Murray was married to Alice A. Du Maresz, born in York Township, a daughter of John and Mar- garet (McKay) Du Maresz, he born in the parish of Saint Saviour, Island of Guernsey, and she at Big Tree, Allegheny county, Penn- sylvania. In 1834 Mr. Du Maresz came to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was married, and there he lived until four children were born to him and his wife, when he went to Michigan, spent five years, and then located in York Township, Fulton county, Ohio, where he died on September 15, 1892, being at that time eighty-three years of age, as he had been born.on May 8, 1809. His wife died on April 11, 1889, aged seventy-four years, a's she was born on July 1, 1814.
Following his marriage Robert N. Murray moved to an eighty acre farm, of which only twenty-three acres were cleared. On it was an old log house and a log barn. Mr. Murray began at once to thoroughly improve his place, erecting a large barn and a modern residence and other outbuildings. After the death of his father-in- law, Mr. Murray bought the Du Maresz homestead of eighty acres, which was 1/2 mile away from his own farm. This property was well improved, but he rebuilt the house, and conducted both farms until 1893, when he sold his original farm and went to Auburn Township, Rush county, Kansas, and bought 240 acres of land, all prairie. Mr. and Mrs. Murray spent ten months on this property, and then when he had things well started he left his son to conduct it and came back to Ohio, buying eighty acres of improved land in Swan Creek Township. In 1911 he bought thirty acres of improved land in the same township, and has made a number of improve- ments of all kinds on this property, rebuilding all of the structures and putting things in fine shape, although he continues to reside on his thirty-two acre farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Murray have become the parents of the following children : John D., who was born April 1, 1878, married Adelpha Verne Taber, and they have one daughter, Ardys Ruth, born Sep- tember 10, 1909; and Mary Margaret, who was born in October, 1879, who is now Mrs. Claude L. Sturtevant, of Toledo, Ohio. Both Mr. and Mrs. Murray attended the district schools of their neighbor- hood, but they have added to their store of knowledge and are very well informed persons. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Swan- ton, Ohio, claims them as members. Mr. Murray is heartily in ac- cord with the principles of the democratic party, and supports its candidates at each election. He is a Mason and belongs to Delta Lodge No. 248, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Delta Chap- ter No. 254, Royal Arch Masons. He is also a believer in the work of the Grange, and belongs to that organization operating under the name of Brailey Grange No. 1974. Having had a long and varied experience in different neighborhoods, Mr. Murray is one of the
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leading farmers of this region, and his success has been fairly won through his own unaided efforts.
GEORGE HENRY HAYNES. While for many years a general farmer, Mr. Haynes lives on a place partly in the City of Swanton and partly on the outside, and therefore many of his interests and activities have been identified with that thriving commercial and industrial community.
Mr. Haynes was born in Spencer Township of Lucas county, Ohio, September 14, 1850, a son of Jacob and Nancy (Berry) Haynes. His father was a native of Virginia and came with his parents at an early date to Maumee, Ohio. Nancy Berry was born in New York state, and her father and mother, Peter and Mary Berry, natives of Vermont, came west in 1838. They traveled by the Erie Canal, by lake boat as far as Toledo, and were identified with the pioneer development of northern Ohio.
Jacob Haynes after his marriage settled in Spencer Township of Lucas county, and for many years worked as a saw mill operator. Soon after the birth of his son George Henry he moved to the little community of Ai in Fulton Township of Fulton county. He was employed by the different owners of the ashery at Ai, and later bought land, his last home farm being on Dutch Ridge. He died there in 1901, after a long life of usefulness and at the age of eighty- six. His widow passed away in 1913, aged eighty-five. They had a large family of children, a brief record of whom is as follows: Samantha, Mrs. Frank Beard, of Toledo; George Henry ; Mary Jane, of Fulton Township ; Eliza, deceased wife of William Stout; Nancy, Mrs. Andrew Strong, of Amboy Township; Arabella, Mrs. Eli Lay- man, of Fulton Township; Edward, of Toledo; Dora, wife of Ira Thompson, of Centerville, Swan Creek Township; and Minnie, Mrs. S. W. Sipe, of Amboy Township.
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