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 72
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
1840, and entered government land, a wild timber tract in Henry county, Ohio, where they settled, and there in time made for them- selves a comfortable home. Their son Thomas L. M. was born in New York State, but spent almost all his early years in Henry county, Ohio, under the rigorous conditions that were the lot of the average pioncering families. He married Mary Ann Raker, daugh- ter of John and Elizabeth (Bixler) Raker, who were both born in Pennsylvania, and in about 1830 came into Fulton county and set- tled on Bad Creek, Swan Crcek Township, where in course of time he became one of the largest landowners of the section, owning at one time 480 acres. Thomas L. M. and his wife, Mary Ann (Raker) Chamberlin, settled in York Township, Fulton county, soon after having married, and were resident in that place for the next fifteen years, moving then to Dickinson county, Kansas, having acquired a homestead of cighty acres near Abilene of that county. Six years later he purchased a further eighty adjoining acres, but later sold the whole property and returned to Fulton county, Ohio, where they remained for five years, then going to Craighead county, Arkansas, where Thomas L. M. Chamberlin bought 100 acres of partly im- proved land, which six years later he sold to his two sons Cary M. and John M. Chamberlin. He returned to Fulton county, and has since that time resided in the county, latterly with his son John M. His wife, however, died January 28, 1899. Thomas L. M. and Mary Ann (Raker) Chamberlin were the parents of three children, sons, Forrest L., Carey and John M. The last named is, however, their only surviving child.
John M. as a boy attended district school, but schooling ended when he was fifteen years old, and when he was in the year of his majority he married. From that time he has lived a responsible life of consequential farming. When his father returned from Ar- kansas he and his elder brother, Cary, now deceased, formed a part- nership to purchase their father's Arkansas property, which they operated jointly for five years. They divided the property and after the division the share of John M. consisted of 440 acres of which, however, only about 100 acres had been cleared of tim- ber. He cleared about thirty additional acres, and entered exten- sively into general farming, becoming a large raiser of hogs, cattle and horses. He also successfully grew corn and cotton. During his occupation of the Arkansas property he returned several times to Fulton county, making stays of various duration, between six and eighteen months. Eventually, in 1906, he sold the 440 acres he owned in Arkansas and bought another property of 179 acres, only twenty-five acres of which had been cleared. This acreage he rented out. and bought forty acres of the original Chamberlin homestead in Swan Creek Township, Fulton county. He has given his time to his Fulton county properties since, and altogether owns in the county within half an acre of 100 acres, in two tracts, one of sixty acres in extent. He follows general farming, stockraising and dairy- ing, and has reached a satisfactory material competence as the re- sult of his life of industriousness.
Politically he is a republican, and has to some extent entered into public life, although he has not concerned himself actively in national politics. He is of enviable repute in his own community, has served for six years as justice of the peace, has been township trustee since 1915, and in other ways has taken good part in the af- fairs of the community. Religiously he is a Baptist, and has been deacon of the local church of that denomination.
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In November, 1888, he married Phoebe Ketring, who was born in Henry county, Ohio, daughter of Philip and Alida (North) Ketring, the former born in Henry county, Ohio, and her mother in Lucas county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Chamberlin have had eleven children born to them, all of whom, however, are not now living. The children, in the order of their coming, were: Mary, who married Joseph Cogan, of Swanton, Ohio; John, now deceased; Grace, who married Frank Elton, of Swanton, Ohio; Thomas, de- ceased; Andrew, who married Mildred Dailey, of Delta, Ohio; Ar- thur N., who married Ethel Ywberg, of Lucas county, Ohio; George; Gertrude, deceased; Eva, deceased; Pansy; and Martha.
ROBERT H. BARNES, of Royalton, is a graduate from the Tri- State College at Angola, Indiana, in 1911, having spent four years there. For six years he taught school, being a teacher both before and after his course in college. In politics he is a republican, and his religious affiliation is with the Christian Church, in which he is all elder.
Mr. Barnes was born December 31, 1882, in Coshocton county, Ohio. He is a son of Isaac and Louise (Chase) Barnes. His par- ents now reside in Holmes county. In April, 1915, Mr. Barnes located in Fulton county. In May, 1912, he had married Miss Babel Holt, of Lyons, a daughter of Charles C. Holt. The children are: Gladys, Chester and Genevieve. He owns 100 acres of im- proved land, except about fifteen acres in timber and pasture. Mr. Barnes has all modern improvements and he has a herd of registered Holstein dairy cattle.
FRANK RICHARD HARPER, a native of Wauseon, and one of the most aggressive and enterprising of its younger men of business, is the owner of a substantial business in automobile repairs and sup- plies, and has shown much ingenuity and all-around ability during his last fifteen years or so of business effort. He is well-regarded generally in the city, is a member of the Wauseon Water Board, and assistant engineer of that plant, and has taken an active interest in many affairs of public character and of community bearing.
He was born in Wauseon in 1875, the son of W. J. and Martha (Linfoot) Harper. The family is of English origin, and later of Canadian connection. His father, W. J. Harper, was born in Canada, but for the greater part of his life was in independent business in Wauseon as a plumber and steamfitter. He married in Wauseon, and there his only child, Frank Richard, was born and reared.
Frank R. Harper attended the public schools of Wauseon, after passing through which he proceeded to Fayette College, from which he graduated in due course. Entering upon a business career, he associated with his father and learned the plumbing and heating trade. For two years he was foreman of plumbers and steamfitters for his father, after which, having resolved to enter separately into business, he opened for himself on Fulton street, Wauseon, building his own shop. As a plumbing and steamfitting contractor he con- tinued in business in Wauseon for five years, with good success. But he was of enterprising and optimistic spirit, and saw better oppor- tunities of success in the rapidly developing automobile industry. He had much mechanical ability, and soon was in good business in auto repairs and sales. He converted his old shop into a garage and repair shop in 1906, and it served his purpose until 1909, when the success that had come to him, and the indications of the future, influenced him in building the place he has since occupied, a build-
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ing 50 by 150 feet. He drew the plans and superintended the build- ing, doing mueh of it himself. His present business embraees the sale and repair of automobiles, the sale of accessories, including Fire- stone tires, oil, gasoline, et cetera. He has an up-to-date gasoline and oil service station, his trade being sufficient to warrant him to buy oil in tank-car lots. Altogether he has had a very satisfactory re- turn upon his investment.
He has for some years shown an active interest in public af- fairs. Politically he is a republican in national politics. In local affairs he is independent, giving his support to the men he considers most capable. He is a member of the Wauseon Water Board, and also assistant engineer for that undertaking. Fraternally he is a Mason, a member of Wauseon Blue Lodge, and of the local Council and Chapter of that order. He also is affiliated with the Maccabees organization.
In March, 1899, he married Ada, daughter of W. T. S. and Ella (Dixon) Wilcox, of Wauseon. They have three children: Lowell, Clarence and Martella.
CHARLES NATHAN TURPENING. After several different business adventures Charles Nathan Turpening, of "Felus Creek Farm" in Swan Creek has returned to his first love and he is a farmer again. Mr. Turpening is the first born child in the family of Elmer and Mary Delilah (Warren) Turpening, and he was born February 7, 1885, in Swan Creek. His brothers and sisters are: Lois, wife of Henry Menser, of Swan Creek; Beulah, wife of Watson Lewis, of Swan Creek; Florence, wife of O. D. Mckinley, of Cleveland; Jay, of Swan Creek ; Maud, wife of Ford Enterman, of Toledo; Ruth and Cecil. The parents have lived on a farm in Swan Creek since their marriage, and the grandparents on both sides were all pioneer resi- dents of Fulton county.
On September 15, 1914, Charles Nathan Turpening married Opal Elton. She is a daughter of William and Minerva (Robbins) Elton. While she was born in Swan Creek, her father is from Eng- land. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Turpening settled on a farm he already owned in Swan Creek, but one year later they removed to the Elton farm owned by William Elton. Mr. Turpen- ing was a tenant here one year, when he removed to Delta and conducted a meat market, later engaging in the teaming business employed by the Turnbull-Wayne Company.
At this time the call to the farm was uppermost again, and for two years Mr. Turpening rented and then he bought the seventy- seven-acre tract in Swan Creek known as "Felus Creek Farm," which is his home today. The residenee property in Delta was part of the consideration in this deal, and Mr. Turpening has remodeled the house and added the necessary farm buildings there. The land is all under cultivation but about five acres reserved for pasture. "Felus Creek Farm" is a well improved place, and general farming, with some attention given to thoroughbred livestock, is the order of the day there. Mr. Turpening has Holstein dairy cows and he has White Leghorn poultry.
Mr. Turpening holds membership in the Church of God. He is a republican and member of the County Republican Central Com- mittee. He is trustee of Swan Creek. There are two children: Etta Vadys and Fern Louise.
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
BARNEY OLDFIELD. Despite the weird limitations of fame, so that no single celebrity in history is known to all the people all the time, it is safe to say that the name Barney Oldfield is and has been for years inevitably linked with the word automobile, con- stituting a degree of fame upon which even the vaulting ambition of a Caesar could hardly aspire.
As a driver and pilot in speed racing Barney Oldfield has been before the public for over twenty years. His life covers something more than forty years, and it is appropriate to note some of the early milestones in his career.
He was born on a farm three miles from Wauseon, Ohio, Jan- uary 29, 1878, and just eleven years later the family moved to Toledo, where during 1890-91 he sold newspapers on the streets. During 1892 he worked as waterboy with a railroad section gang, and from his savings of sixty-five dollars bought his first "Advance" bicycle. During the next year he was employed as bell boy in the Boody House, and was diligently practicing on his "wheel" and on Decoration Day of 1894 won second place in an eighteen-mile road race. During 1895 he was appearing in a number of events as a bicycle racer, otherwise doing duty as an elevator boy. In that year he won two medals and a gold watch in Ohio state champion- ships at Canton, and soon afterward began selling bicycles. By 1896 he was recognized as the bicycle race champion of Ohio, and then turned professional, and covered Ohio and Michigan as travel- ing sales representative of bicycle manufacturers. The two years following he campaigned as a racing man in season, and during the winter was employed as salesman and factory worker.
It was in 1899 that Barney Oldfield had his first experience with a machine driven by motor power. This was a gasoline motorcycle, and as a pilot he was soon ranked as an expert. During 1900, 1901 and 1902 he was a participant in nearly all the national events as a rider of bicycles and motorcycles.
Probably the most significant event in his entire career came in 1902, when he became associated with Tom Cooper, a former national bicycle champion with Henry Ford, an obscure engineer, Oldfield being the mechanic and later driver of two racing automobiles built from Ford's designs and financed by Cooper's money. Oldfield was a driver in a historic race, over a five-mile course, with the' Ford "999." The place and date was September 21, 1902, on the Grosse Pointe track at Detroit, and the time 5:20 set a world record. The next year, 1903, Barney Oldfield drove the "999" at Indianapolis in 0:59 3-5, the first time the minute mark was ever broken on a one- mile circular course.
Since then on virtually every race course in the country Barney Oldfield has broken records and thrilled throngs, and with seven- teen years of race driving to his credit he well deserves the title of "Master Driver," being the dean of all racers. As one critic has written : "He has seen three generations of drivers come out, race, and either retire or come to grief by the accident of the terribly dangerous sport. Barney Oldfield was more than a daredevil. He was a thinker-a student."
He has cut record after record, including the world's non-stop race record of 301 miles at Corona, California, with an aver- age of 861% miles an hour. In 1917 he set a record, still unbroken, on a mile tract at St. Louis, and with a series of distances ranging from one to fifty miles.
Barney Oldfield recently retired from racing. He has always
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been a successful business man, and was financially independent long before he retired from racing. In 1919 he became president of the Oldfield Tire Company at Cleveland. The history of auto- mobile racing proves that the great majority of accidents have been due not to faulty mechanism but to tire troubles, and for years Barney Oldfield has been a student of the tire problem, and in order to get his exacting specifications and experience translated into con- crete results, he is now head of a tire company making a tire accord- ing to his personal standards, under his personal supervision, and bearing his name as a personal guarantee.
"The unusual progress of the Oldfield Tire Company has been one of the miracles of the tire industry. The company has been in actual operation a little more than a year, and in this short time has passed more than eighty-five per cent of its competitors in vol- ume of business. To cap the climax, on May 21, 1920, Oldfield tires equipped the cars finishing 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8 in the Indianapolis 500- mile speedway race. The winner of the race finished without a single tire change, the first time in history that any tire has been able to accomplish this wonderful feat. Mr. Oldfield considers this victory of his tire as even more significant than any of the record- breaking performances in which he participated as a driver."
While he spends a great deal of time in Cleveland, he has made his residence in Los Angeles for ten years. He is a member of the Elks, and politically a republican. He married in Chicago, Illi- nois, in November, 1904, Bessy Gooby, a native of Alameda, Cali- fornia. They have no children.
OTTO E. FUNKHOUSER, partner and manager of the Wauseon firm of Harrison and Funkhouser Brothers, clothiers, haberdashers and shoe dealers, the fine store of which company is probably the largest of its kind in Wauseon, has, because of the death of his part- ners, become solely responsible for the continuance of the business. That he has shown himself to be a good business man is evident by the place the firm has among the more responsible of the retail merchants of Wauseon. He is quite a young man, with the best part of his business career still before him, and as he is conducting an extensive business with marked ability, it is reasonable to assume that he will for many years hold a high place among the business people of Wauseon and Fulton county.
He was born in German Township, Fulton county, Ohio, in 1888, the son of J. U. and Anna (Weber) Funkhouser. The family is of Swiss origin, his father having come to America from Berne Canton, Switzerland, when only thirteen years old. He must have been a boy of strong purpose and courageous spirit, for he came alone, and he applied himself resolutely to farm work in German Township, Fulton county, finally saving sufficient money to acquire a property for himself in that township. His farm was 115 acres in extent, and it yielded him and his family a comfortable living. He was well-known to many Wauseon and Fulton county families, and has a worthy reputation in his own township. He died on Jan- uary 29, 1919, mourned by a large family and a host of friends. His wife, Anna (Weber) Funkhouser, is still living. She and her husband were the parents of fourteen children, ten sons and four daughters, and eleven of the children are living.
Otto E. was the thirteenth born of their fourteen children. He was reared under wholesome conditions and rugged environment. While still a young boy his summers were spent in farming oecupa-
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY 529
tions, and in the winters he attended the country school. Having in his twentieth year resolved to give up farming and enter com- mercial life, where he thought better opportunities for advance- ment lay, young Funkhouser obtained a position in a dry goods store in Archbold. He was only a short while in that store, but as a clerk in Vanderbrock's clothing store in Napoleon, Ohio, he re- mained for four years, coming to Wauseon in 1912. He had been of steady habits, and had saved some money by his service of the previous four years, and was able in 1912 to purchase a one-third interest in the clothing and gent's furnishings business of E. H. Harrison of Wauscon. His brother, Fred Funkhouser, also acquired a like interest in the business, the firm under the reorganization tak- ing the trading name of Harrison and Funkhouser Brothers, by which it has since been known. The three partners worked in the store for a while, but in December, 1912, Mr. Harrison died, and the business was thereafter conducted by the two brothers Funk- houser, the Harrison family, however, holding their interest. So the business went on until January, 1918, when Fred Funkhouser also died, leaving Otto E. in control of and responsible for the busi- ness. But matters were much complicated by the fact that Otto was at that time in military service, having been drafted in the United States Army in the previous September, the first year of the war. His military record is briefly stated as follows: Drafted September 6, 1917 ; was sent to Camp Sherman, Ohio, where he remained for almost a year; thence to Camp Humphrey's, near Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia, where he served until discharged on February 6, 1919. Returning to Wauseon soon after being honorably discharged from the army, he immediately took up the direction of the store business, and has since conducted it with marked success. Today the store draws a good portion of the city trade, and has an exten- sive country trade.
JOHN W. SHETLER. One of the men who has won the respect and approval of his fellow citizens for his uprightness and Christian courage under affliction is John W. Shetler, one of the farmers of German Township, well known throughout Fulton county as a local preacher of the Brethren Church. He was born in Richland county, Ohio, in 1843. His father, a native of Germany, came from that country when he was seventeen years old to the United States, and after some time spent at Chicago, Illinois, he located in Rich- land county, Ohio, where he worked at blacksmithing. Still later he moved to Franklin Township, Fulton county, where he spent the remainder of his useful life. He and his wife had nine children.
John W. Shetler attended the Mclaughlin School during the winter months until he was twenty-two years of age. During the summer months he helped his father cultivate his farm of 100 acres. From the time he was twenty-two until he was twenty-five he hired out to farmers, and then, deciding to found a home of his own, he was married to Sarah Jane Bigbee, of German Township, the cere- mony taking place in 1869. They became the parents of four chil- dren, three of whom survive, namely: Elva, who married Arthur Gunsalus, of Franklin Township, Fulton county, has two children ; Frank, who married Emma Geesey, has three children, and lives in Fulton county ; and Ora, who married Ernest Stine. The child who died, at the age of seventeen years, was Ida May.
After his marriage Mr. Shetler bought his present farm of fifty- seven acres and here he has carried on general farming ever since.
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Mr. Shetler has been a great sufferer and lost his right arm as a result of an operation, but he has endured his affliction with a pa- tience and fortitude which have proven that lie has been supported by his religion, and this is a convincing argument in favor of Chris- tianity, that lie oftentimes uses in his sermons with telling force. For many years he has been a member of the Brethren Church, which he is now serving as trustee, and his work in its behalf as a local preacher cannot be over-estimated. In simple words and real eloquence he addresses his congregations, and his sincerity and deep conviction of the truth of his message bring many to a realiza- tion of their duty to their Maker and themselves, when, perhaps, a college-bred man who did not know them or their needs would re- ceive scant attention.
WILLIAM A. LEININGER, who is one of the representative and well-to-do agriculturists of Fulton county, is the owner of one of the largest farming properties in the vicinity of German Township. Furthermore, the Leininger family is placed among the pioneer families of that township. Mr. Leininger is a native of the town- ship, has lived practically sixty years therein and is of the third generation of the family to have had residence within the borders of Fulton county. The family record through three generations of residence in German Township is an estimable one, and the per- sonal record of William A. Leininger is all that could be desired of a scion of one of the pioneer families of the county. He has followed manly occupations and useful production since early man- hood, has shown much skill and forethought as a farmer, and his farming has been extensive and consequential. Throughout his life he has maintained a helpful public spirit, has undertaken the duties of several of the local offices, and has been a consistent and earnest church worker. He owns 325 acres of good agricultural land, the result of commendable enterprise and of persistent well-directed industry.
William A. Leininger was born in German Township, Fulton county, Ohio, on April 5, 1861, the son of Frederick and Eva (Len- hardt). Lcininger. Frederick Leininger, father of William A., was born in the canton of Monchhofen unter Elsass, although he was only six years old when he came with his parents to America. His father soon after landing came into Fulton county and bought gov- ernment land in German Township. It was wild timber land. Grandfather Leininger, the pioneer and progenitor of the Leininger family in America, gave most of his life to the hard, rigorous pio- neering work necessary to bring that timber land into good cultiva- tion. And as his son Fredrick grew, so his work became more effec- tive, for the son ably aided his father in the bringing of the land into good tillage. Frederick Leininger married Eva Lenhardt, from Munnichberg, Bairen.
Their son William A. in his boyhood was afforded the customary education then possible in the sparsely settled parts of the county. The instruction was necessarily limited, and as he passed through life he supplemented his early instruction in academics consider- ably. However, a comprehensive education was not in those days considered of such vital importance as it is deemed nowadays, and William entered upon the serious occupations of life moderately satisfied with what schooling he had been able to obtain and con- fident that he could succeed in life. From the time he left school until he was twenty-two years old he assisted his father in the work
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of the home farm, and then, having married and wishing to be- come established in a home of his own, he rented the farm of 120 acres, the property he now owns in German Township. Three years later he removed to Ridgeville Township, Henry county, where he bought a farm of forty acres, which he still owns. After three years of somewhat successful farming at Ridgeville Township he returned to Fulton county, taking up the farm he had formerly. Then fol- lowed another move into Henry county, and another return to Ger- man Township, in each case to the same farm that he had formerly occupied. Then he bought the Leininger family homestead and also the farm he had been renting, thus becoming the owner of quite an extensive farm holding in these days of highly paid labor. He has been ably assisted by his sons, four of whom have now passed their twenty-first year. Still Mr. Leininger has always been known to be a hard worker, and his success in life has been mainly due to his indefatigable application to whatever task has come to him for exe- cution. Latterly he has taken life less strenuously, his sons taking over the burden of the farm management.
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