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 55

Author: Reighard, Frank H., 1867-
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 628


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 55


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Politically, Doctor Cole is a republican and takes a deep interest in public affairs, especially as affecting his community. He rend- ered efficient service as probation officer of Fulton county for eight years. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been a trustee for sixteen years.


In 1892 Doctor Cole was married to Mayme Clark, the daughter of Andrew B. and Ellen (Cuff) Clark, of Wauseon, and to them have been born two sons, Charles J., born in 1901, who graduated from the Wauseon High School and is now a student at the Michi- gan State University, Ann Arbor, and Richard Sterling, born in 1908.


In both professional and farming circles Doctor Cole has en- joyed a high standing, and because of his success and his high per- sonal character he enjoys the confidence and regard of the entire community.


REASIN ISAIAH TEDROW. Having acquired ownership of the fifty-five acres of land he owns and operates in Clinton Township, on the outskirts of Wauseon, Reasin Isaiah Tedrow feels that he has reaped a fair profit from his industry and thrift, while at the same time he realizes he has held the respect and confidence of those with whom he has been associated.


Reasin Isaiah Tedrow was born in the township in which he . resides in 1857, a son of Isaiah and Phoebe (Cornell) Tedrow, of Pennsylvania Dutch stock. The paternal grandfather, Isaac Ted- row, came to Ohio from Pennsylvania at an early day, and bought 320 aeres of land near what is now called Tedrow, and there he rounded out his useful life, dying on his farm. In recognition of his value to his neighborhood the town of Tedrow was named in his


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honor. Isaac Tedrow reared a family of nine children, of whom Isaiah Tedrow was one, and he spent his life on his father's home- stead.


Reasin Isaiah Tedrow was one of two children born to his par- ents, and he was reared in Clinton Township and attended its rural schools until he reached his majority, according to the prevailing practice, being engaged in farming during the summers of these years when he was acquiring his education. After he was twenty- one he worked on the farm of a neighbor for a year.


In 1879 Mr. Tedrow was united in marriage with Columbia Bland, of Pettisville, who died three months later. In 1882 Mr. Ted- row was married to Cora Pocock, a daughter of Jesse and Susanne (Robinett) Pocock, of Clinton Township. Mr. Tedrow has three chil- dren, namely: Bessie, who is Mrs. L. D. Fauver, of Dixon, Ohio, and the mother of five children; Jesse Frank, who was born in 1891, married Lavina Ziegler, lives in Clinton Township, but has no chil- dren; and William, who was born in 1894, is at home.


Following his marriage Mr. Tedrow was engaged in farming on shares for two years, and in 1880 bought his present farm of fifty- five acres, on which he carries on general farming. He has made many improvements on this property, which under his care has become a valuable one, and his premises show the results of his ef- forts.


While he holds in general to the principles of the republican party, he prefers to vote independently, making his choice with ref- erence to the man, rather than be tied down by hard and fast lines. The First Methodist Episcopal Church holds his membership, and he is accounted one of its pillars. His fraternal connections are rep- resented by his membership with Wauseon Camp, Modern Woodmen of America. A hard-working and thrifty man, he has steadily forged ahead and has become one of the well-to-do men of his com- munity. While not inclined to go headlong into anything until he has made a thorough investigation, once he is convinced of its merit he will support a measure until it is carried through to sue- cessful completion. This fact is recognized by his neighbors, and if he is quoted as favoring a project, proves to them that it is a reason- able one and worth taking up, and a number depend upon his judg- ment with reference to public matters.


HENRY JAMES DOWLING. While he is of Irish ancestry, Henry James Dowling of the North Star Farm in Fulton, was born May 8, 1865, and has always lived at one place. While his father, James Dowling, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, his mother, Mary (Bracken) Dowling, was born in Kings county, Ireland. A gen- eration earlier the Dowlings and Brackens were all from Ireland.


Daniel and Catharine (Bracken) Dowling and John and Bridget (Tobin) Bracken, the quartet of grandparents of H. J. Dowling were all from Ireland. When they came to the United States the Dowlings settled in Trumbull and the Brackens in Fulton county. The Dowlings located in Trumbull county in 1840, and ten years later they came to Fulton county. They bought land and here James Dowling and Mary Bracken were married, and here their son was born. His time. of life was from 1834 to 1915, while she was born in 1829, and died in 1903-residents of the community where the son lives today.


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H. J. Dowling had one sister who died in infancy, leaving him to inherit the property-the family homestead known as the North Star Farm. He was the only heir to a farm of 260 acres of excellent land, with two sets of farm buildings on it. In 1912 Mr. Dowling built a modern eleven-room house, and he has built and rebuilt farm buildings until he now has all up-to-date improvements.


In April, 1903, Mr. Dowling married Rose Bertha Dennis. She is a daughter of Philip and Eunice (Welch) Dennis. While she was born in Fulton county her father was born in Seneca and hier mother in Lucas county. The grandparents, Charles and Margaret (Case) Welch, lived in New Jersey before locating in Ohio.


The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Dowling are: J. Harold, Walter E., Mildred L., Dean F., Stanley L., and Ferol C. The family belong to the Caraghan Catholic Church, and since 1910 Mr. Dowling has been a member of the church council. Beside common school education he studied at the Fayette Normal School. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus of Toledo. The Dow- ling vote is cast with the democratic party.


As this record shows, the Dowlings have been in Fulton county for seventy years. Mr. H. J. Dowling is distinguished not only by the ownership of one of the most completely equipped and thor- oughly modern farms in the county, but also by a constant exercise of his personal influence in behalf of community progress, advance- ment of church and moral causes, and his record is one of which his immediate and more remote descendants will always be proud.


WILLIAM SATTLER, of Fulton Township, has only recently lived in Fulton county. He was born April 23, 1872, in Wood county, at Perrysburg. He is a son of Philip and Genevieve (Volk) Sattler, both immigrants from Germany. They were married in Medina county, but soon removed to Wood county. They both died in Wood county.


William Sattler continued his residence in Wood county, and on August 21, 1895, he married Anna Haas, of Wood county. She is a daughter of Frank and Anna (Ault) Haas. Her parents came from Germany. Mr. Sattler rented a farm in Troy Township, Wood county, and lived on it six years. He bought a farm near Perrys- burg and remained there seven years. When he sold it he removed to Fulton county, where he bought unimproved land and cleared and improved it. He owns 120 acres and he cleared thirty-five acres, giving him ninety acres of cultivated farm land with some in timber and pasture.


The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sattler are: William, of Amboy; Paul, of Fulton; and Floyd, Lillian, Genevieve, Richard, Agnes, Peter, Victoria, Boniface, Cecil and a boy and girl who died in infancy. The family are Catholics, and Mr. Sattler votes with the democrats.


JOHN W. DENNIS, of Fulton Township, was born September 12, 1870, and he has always lived in one community. He is a son of Philip and Eunice (Welch) Dennis, both natives of Ohio. They settled near the Fulton-Lucas county line. Their children are: Mary and Jane, deceased; Madison, of Swanton; and Ella, wife of Uriah Denlinger, of Kansas. The second group of children are: Georgia, wife of Frank Crippen, of Findlay; Jessie, wife of Frank


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Warner, of Buckley; John W. Dennis, of this sketch, and Rosa, wife of Henry Dowling, of Fulton Township.


On February 11, 1896, Mr. Dennis married Eva Coon, of Spen- cer Township, Lucas county. She is a daughter of Almon and Mary Ann (Cunningham) Coon, the father from New York and the mother from Wayne county, Ohio. After two years with his par- ents, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis moved to their own farm of 178 acres in Fulton Township. He cleared and tiled the land and now has 140 acres under cultivation. Beside general farming Mr. Dennis has a Holstein dairy.


The Dennis children are: Enid, born June 26, 1897, and died December 24, 1898; Philip, born October 25, 1899, at home; Hazel, born August 14, 1902; Fern, born July 6, 1906, died December 25, 1906; and Vern, born February 23, 1910. Mr. Dennis has a ten- room house with bath and furnace heat and electric lights. He votes with the republican party.


While he has always lived in one community, Mr. Dennis' life has not been without variety and has been expressed in hard work, progressive advancement in material prosperity, and the accumula- tion of the esteem and respect of his friends and neighbors.


FREDERICK GRAEDEL, of Amboy, was born August 24, 1847, in Switzerland. His first introduction to the United States was six weeks spent in a hospital. When he was able to work he went to Louisville, Kentucky, for a few months. He was a journeyman at the brick and stone mason's trade, and worked in several different states before he finally settled down to the quiet life of a farmer.


In July, 1889, Mr. Graedel married Elizabeth Messer, who was also from Switzerland. She is a daughter of John and Barbara Messer, who came to Woodville, Ohio, in 1857, and there is where Mr. Graedel met her. His own relatives did not come to the United States. For five years Mr. Graedel conducted an ashery in Wood- ville, and then he moved to a farm near Woodville, where he re- mained twelve years. Then he bought a forty acre place in Harris Township, Ottawa county. He occupied this farm six years, when he sold it and located in Amboy Township, Fulton county.


Mr. Graedel remodeled and added to the improvements in Am- boy and he now has a farm with every advantage. For years he would work at bricklaying and stonemasonry at times, but now he devotes his whole time to the farm. He makes a specialty of Duroc Jersey hogs along with general farming and other livestock.


The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Graedel are: Elizabeth, Bertha and Frederick John. Mr. and Mrs. Graedel had their educa- tion in Switzerland. They belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he votes with the republican party. He is a member of the National Union and Council.


WILLIAM LEISKA. While the Leiska name harks back to Ger- many, the family located in Ottawa county, Ohio, as early as 1883. William Leiska, of Amboy, was born near Berlin March 3, 1873, and he was quite young when his parents immigrated to the United States. He is a son of William and Willamena (Schumebeck) Lei- ska, who immigrated to America and died in Ottawa county, Ohio.


William Leiska married Ida Lacumska, November 23, 1904, in Ottawa county, Ohio. She is a daughter of August and Willamena


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(Reginski) Lacumska, also an immigrant family from Germany. When he was twelve Mr. Leiska began working in a sawmill, and remained there four years. When he was twenty-five he went to Wisconsin and worked eighteen months on the railroad, when he returned to Ottawa county. He remained there on a farm seven years, when he sold it and located in Fulton county.


Mr. Leiska bought land in Amboy and finished clearing and im- proving it. He started with seventy-four acres and added to it until he now has nearly ninety-five acres, and aside from a few acres in timber and pasture it is all under cultivation. The Leiska children are: Reinhard August, Ernest William and George Edward. Mr. Leiska and his wife went to common school and had special studies in German. They belong to the German Lutheran Church, and he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 875 of Metamora.


JACOB KLEIN. It was in 1875 that Jacob and Magdalena Klein came from Kiesterburch, Prussia, in Germany and located in Am- boy. In another biographical sketch is the story that a colony of Prussians was planted in that community, and Jacob Klein of Am- boy, is the second Jacob Klein of Amboy Township. He was born April 26, 1871, and was four years old when the family left Germany. He is the oldest child.


Jacob Klein, Sr., bought sixty acres, with about twenty-five acres cleared, when he reached the wilds of Amboy. He has added to the farm until there are now 200 acres of excellent farming land, in two separate groups of bodies. There are enough work in clear- ing, draining and improving the land, but when he died April 17, 1915, he had accumulated sufficient of "this world's goods" to make him very comfortable. The widow lives in Metamora. Their chil- dren are: Jacob: Peter of Fulton Township; Wendell, of Van Buren county, Michigan ; and Edward, of Amboy. Children deceased are: John, Nicholas, Louis, Randolph and Lena. Four are living, five are dead and there was only one girl among them.


Jacob Klein, Jr., always lived with his parents, assisting them in every way until St. Valentine's Day of the Century year, Feb- ruary 14, 1900, when he married Anna Gerten, of Rab, Lucas county. She is a daughter of John and Mary (Herr) Gerten, an- other immigrant family, the father coming from Germany, but the mother was born in Lucas county. Mrs. Klein passed away Decem- ber 4, 1919.


Mr. and Mrs. Klein at once took up their residence on an eighty acre farm he had acquired the previous year. It was almost all cleared, and he had made the improvements himself. He tiled and fenced and rebuilt some improvements, and he has added to the farm until there are now 225 acres all in one body. Mr. Klein has fed and marketed a great many cattle, and he has a Holstein dairy herd at the present time.


The Klein children of this generation are: Louis E., born De- cember 1, 1900; William P., born July 29, 1902; Arnold W., born January 14, 1904; Harold R., born March 24, 1906; Leon J., born February 5, 1908; Maynard J., born August 29, 1910; Vincent S., born August 8, 1912; Rosella M., born September 6, 1914; and Ur- sula M., born June 28, 1916. Mr. Klein is a democrat, and for eighteen years he has been a school director. He is interested in


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the good roads question and has been road superintendent two terms. The Kleins are communicants in St. Mary's Assumption Catholic Church at Caraghan.


The son of a pioneer, Jacob Klein has exhibited many of the best characteristics of those who did the pioneer work of reclaiming Ful- ton county from the wilderness. His mature life covers a span of three decades, and in that time an enormous volume of useful work has been rolled up to his credit. His farm is one of the best in the county, and that taken in connection with the good citizenship and the active part he has taken in local affairs, make a record of achieve- ment that any man would be proud to possess.


ANDREW STRONG deserves success because he has always been a hard worker, has gone out and sought opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to him, and as a consequence, while still by no means an old man, is able to take life at leisure and merely supervise the fine farm where he lives in Amboy Township.


Mr. Strong was born in Fulton Township February 18, 1854. He is a son of Hiram and Sophia Ann (Johnson) Strong. His father, a native of New York state, left home when a young man and came west to Michigan, but moved soon afterward to Fulton county, where he married and settled down to farming in Fulton Township. He died in Pike Township August 29, 1890, his widow surviving him until February 12, 1910. By a previous marriage he had two daughters, while by her union with Hiram Strong there were seven children.


Andrew Strong attended the district schools of his home locality, and from the age of sixteen until his marriage at twenty-four he was gaining experience, making a reputation for industry, also providing for his living expenses by working as a hired hand on farms. After his marriage he rented for two years in Fulton Town- ship. He then bought a house and lot in that section and for seven- teen years was busily engaged in buying, butchering and selling livestock. In the meantime he acquired fifty-one acres of timber land in section 19 of Amboy Township, and in 1893 moved to that place and undertook the heavy task of clearing and developing. All but twenty-four acres of his splendid farm today is under culti- vation, the rest being reserved for timber pasture. He has added to his land until his home farm now contains 117 acres. Its im- provements are of the highest class, comprising a large brick house, barns and complete facilities for the business carried on. Mr. Strong has not considered himself in the class of active farmers since 1907, though he is busy every day, and personally looks after the man- agement of his land.


February 10, 1878, he married Nancy Haynes, who was born in Fulton Township, a daughter of Jacob and Nancy (Berry) Haynes. They are the parents of four children: E. J., of Meta- mora; Frank M., of Columbus, Ohio; Zina, at home; and Zera, whose husband, Roscoe Sullins, is the practical man in charge of the operations of the Strong farm.


Mr. Strong has been quite active and prominent in local affairs, serving as township trustee seven years, and nine years as clerk of the School Board. He is a republican and a member of the Gleaners in Amboy Township.


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


EDWARD A. OTTGEN. Just one generation from the German im- migrant, Edward A. Ottgen of Amboy was born there in July, the American Centennial Year. He is a son of John C. and Fannie (Schwen) Ottgen. The father came from Germany and the mother from Switzerland. John C. Ottgen was born August 10, 1839, in Prussia, Germany. His parents were Simon and Louise Ottgen. In 1844 they moved to the United States and settled in Huron county, Ohio. About two years later they removed to the wilds of Amboy in territorial days in Fulton county. It was in 1846 that John C. Ottgen bought a tract of timber land and busied himself clearing it.


When Mr. Ottgen had chopped off space he built his cabin home, and here they ended their days. Their children are: Henrietta Lutz, of Toledo; Christian, of Amboy; Edward A., of Amboy, Eliza- beth, wife of Charles White, of Chico, California; Margaret, wife of Henry Smith, of Blissfield; Ollic, wife of William Cook, of Fulton; and Katic, wife of Charles Bagoon, of Bowling Green.


Although a German immigrant escaping military duty in Ger- many, John C. Ottgen enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and he served the country of his adoption three years. At the end of the service he met with an ac- cident, a broken arm, and it always troubled him. He died June 26, 1914. There were but two acres cleared when Mr. Ottgen settled on an eighty acre farm rented from his father. He built a log house on it, and before many years he had purchased all the shares in it.


John C. Ottgen died with cancer on his lip, suffering more than three years from it. He married Fannie Schwen December 19, 1867. She was born December 19, 1846, in Switzerland, and the day she was twenty-one she became a bride in America. She was a daughter of Alexander and Anna (Len) Schwen. In 1850 they located in Spencer Township, Lucas county. They later lived in Richfield. He died in 1889, as a result of an accident, and she died ten years later. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Ottgen are: Anna Albertina, wife of Frank Ottgen, of Amboy; Edward Alexander, of Amboy; Ora C., who married Alta M. Mills and resides in Amboy at the old homestead.


Edward A. Ottgen married Ethel E. Mills March 25, 1904. She is a daughter of William and Serena (Carpenter) Mills and was born in Ogden Township, Lenawee county, Michigan. The father is a native of the Wolverine state while the mother is from Eng- land. Mr. Ottgen owned a threshing outfit in partnership with Clare Champion, and for eighteen years they served the community in threshing season. He combined threshing with general farm- ing, but in 1910 they disposed of the threshing outfit and engaged in the automobile repair business, having a garage at the farm- stead.


The children born to Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Ottgen are: Mildred Orlena and Leota Rosamond. The Ottgen family vote has been with the republican party. They are members of the Reformed Church and for many years J. C. Ottgen was an elder. For fifteen years he was Sunday School superintendent. E. A. Ottgen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 875 of Metamora, and of the Ancient Order of Gleancrs of Whitesville.


JOHN PETER SHAFFER. While John Peter Shaffer, of Amboy, is Ohio born, his ancestry came to the United States under cir-


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cumstances out of the ordinary. Mr. Shaffer was born February 24, 1855, at Upper Sandusky. He is a son of Henry and Julia (Ott- gen) Shaffer. They were from Prussia and came from Germany with a colony seeking a home in the United States. They were married in Prussia, and in the winter of 1855 they reached America in time for their son to be a native born citizen of the United States.


The Prussian colony traveled directly to Maumee, and a land agent met them there and escorted them through the woods to Amboy Township, only five years after the organization of Fulton county. On the way from Maumee the travelers blazed the trees so they could find their way back to civilization. The colony, how- ever, bought a tract of land and only returned to Maumee for their families and household goods. The next western journey was made with ox teams, and the Prussians were in Amboy Township to live there. They cut a space in the timber and built a large log house in the clearing, where they all lived together until the different families could build cabins for themselves. The land was divided among the colonists, and Henry Shaffer, who founded the house of Shaffer in Amboy, received fifty-three acres to his portion.


When Mr. Shaffer first lived in the wilds of Amboy he walked to Maumee many times with a sack of corn to have it ground into meal in order to furnish food to his family. He would fill a two bushel sack half full of meal and start on the long walk home again. The men and the women of the colony all worked in the clearings until finally the men had an opportunity of working on the railroad to earn some money and the women went on with clear- ing the land and planting crops in order to have food for their families. The pioneers knew many hardships the young people of today do not understand at all. It was not the high cost of liv- ing, but the problem of something to eat at any price or sacrifice. Would the men and women of this day and generation survive the test that was given the forefathers in the wilderness country?


Mr. Shaffer added to his place until he had 132 acres of land, and he died there surrounded with comforts. He died May 30, 1889, far from the land of his birth, at the age of sixty-seven. She died there February 5, 1913, aged eighty-seven years. Their chil- dren are: Evelyn, the wife of Elisha Barneby, of Lyons; John Peter Shaffer; Thomas, of Toledo; and Minerva, wife of Fred Jef- fries, of Toledo.


On February 20, 1881, John Peter Shaffer married Isabelle Snyder. She is a daughter of Jonas and Susannah (Hostder) Snyder, the father from Pennsylvania and the mother from Holmes county. For one year they lived in the Shaffer home with his par- ents, and then they moved into another house and worked part of the same farm. At the end of two years they moved to the Snyder farm in Fulton Township. They lived there three years and re- turned to the Shaffer farm in Amboy and remained six years as a tenant on the farm owned by his father. They then bought a farm in Fulton Township, remaining there three years, when they moved to a farm in Swan Creek Township they had owned for eight years.


Mr. Shaffer remained three years in Swan Creek Township, when they removed to Swanton. They remained one year in Swan- ton and lived again in Amboy. While he bought forty acres, he inherited part of the Shaffer homestead and lived there. He bought out other heirs and the old homestead is still in the family name.


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The buildings are in good condition, and a modern residence is the plan for the early part of 1920-a place to hold them the rest of their days. It is called "The Popple Grove Farm." Mr. Shaffer has registered Holstein cattle and operates a farm dairy. He is also a breeder of thoroughbred Duroc-Jersey hogs.




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