USA > Ohio > Licking County > Newark > Centennial History of the City of Newark and Licking County Ohio > Part 75
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On the 30th of January, 1868. at Utica, Mr. Alsdorf was married to Miss Allie R. Stevens, who was born in Utica, Ohio, January 3, 1848, a daughter of James S. and Julia ( Penn) Stevens. The father was born at Utica, August 25,
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1821. His parents, Uzziel and Almary (Bacon) Stevens, came to Utica in the early part of the nineteenth century from New York state. They had five sons and a daughter: John, who died in California; Lemuel, of Utica; Uzziel, of Mount Vernon, Ohio; Elijah, of Logansport, Indiana; James S., who died at Mansfield, Ohio; and Maria, who became the wife of E. McConnell and after his death married the Rev. Samuel Collins, of Pittsburg, where she later passed away.
James Smith Stevens, father of Mrs. Alsdorf, was born at Utica in 1821 and was married November 2, 1843, in Utica, Ohio, to Miss Julia Ann Penn. The ancestry of the Penn family is traced back to Joseph Penn, who was born in 1781 in Anne Arundel county, Maryland, to which place his parents had emigrated from England early in the century. They were the possessors of a large estate. Their family numbered six children, of whom Joseph was the eldest. . Having arrived at mature years he married Rachel Jones, and with their two children, Rebecca and William, they arrived in Licking county in November, 1811, as members of a party of twenty-five adults, including his brother, Joshua, and four sisters, Rachel, Sallie, Mary and Margaret Penn, with their families. The second wedding ceremony performed in Washington township was a double one when two of Mr. Penn's sisters were married-Mary, to Joshua Barry, and Margaret, to Elijah Ryan. Mrs. Rachel Penn's brothers, Erasmus and Lemuel Jones, came from Maryland to Ohio in 1813 and settled on farms near Utica. Joseph and Rachel Penn had ten children, of whom two died in infancy. The others were as follows: Rebecca, born in Maryland in 1808, became the wife of Henry Marriott and removed to Union county, Ohio. William, born in Maryland in 1810, and Joshua, in Utica, both lived to an advanced age and died on the old homestead. Mary, born in 1818, died at the age of fourteen. Julia Ann, born in 1820, married James S. Stevens and passed away on the 12th of April, 1909. Rachel, born in 1823, and Marion Barry, born in 1826, never married but devoted their lives to the care of their aged mother and blind brother, William. Eliza, born in 1831, became the wife of William Gourley and died at their home near Utica. Joseph Penn, the father of this family, died in 1859 while his wife passed away in 1873, aged eighty-six years. She was the last survivor of the colony of twenty-five per- sons who emigrated to Ohio over the mountains from Maryland in 1811. Joseph Penn was a man of sterling integrity and strong Christian principles. His sym- pathies went out to the friendless and the suffering and his house was one of the underground stations, where escaping slaves were given aid and sent on their way northward. He was noted for his judicial fairness and was often called upon to settle neighborhood disputes. He and his wife held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and a memorial window has been recently placed in the new church to their memory by their only living daughter, Mrs. Julia A. Stevens.
As stated, James Smith Stevens and Julia Penn were married at Utica November 2, 1843, and soon afterward removed to Roundhead, Ohio, where their eldest daughter, Maria, was born in 1844, her death occurring in Utica in 1847. Their second daughter, Louise, born in Roundhead in 1846, is the wife of Charles Augustus Berlt, of Utica. Allie R., born in Utica in 1848, is now Mrs. Alsdorf. ('lara Ellen died in Utica in 1869, at the age of twenty years. George Walter was born in Utica in 1851. Ida May, born in 1854, married Oscar Cary Mehurin,
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of Newark, Ohio, now deceased. James Penn, born in Mansfield, Ohio, in 1857. died in Utica in 1860. Of this familly, George W. Stevens has attained to more than local fame, being now president of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway System. In February, 1864, he entered the service of the Baltimore & Ohio at Utica as messenger boy and later became agent's clerk and operator. In 1870 he entered the service of the Pittsburg, Columbus, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway, acting as agent, later as train dispatcher's assistant and then train dispatcher. In 1873 he became dispatcher for the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company, was later chief dispatcher and then was made superintendent of the Ohio & Indiana division, while two years later he became superintendent of the eastern division of the same road. The excellent executive ability which he displayed resulted in his being made assistant general superintendent of the Wabash Road in 1887. On January 1, 1890, he was appointed general superintendent of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and in July, 1891, became general manager. He stands today as one of the foremost representatives of railway interests in the country, having since January, 1900, been president of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. He has been greatly interested in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association, promoting it through personal means and influence as well as by securing the powerful influence of the road in the establishment of no less than eight organiza- tions, the management of the road paying the salaries of the association secretaries at these points, realizing the great benefits accruing in many ways from this work for their employes. George W. Stevens married Miss Virginia Wilson, of Logans- port, Indiana, in 1881, and they have four children. The mother died at their country home, Virginia Manor, near Glasgow, Virginia, in August, 1904. James S. Stevens, the father of this family, died in Mansfield, Ohio, January 24, 1859. aged thirty-seven and a half years-a brief life surely, but one of great honor among his fellowmen because of his genial, kindly ways; unselfish practice of the golden rule, and earnest Christian character which made him universally liked and respected by all. His loss was mourned not only by his family and many friends at Utica, Mansfield and elsewhere, but also by the Methodist Sabbath school of Mansfield, of which he was superintendent, and which testified their appreciation of his worth by marching in a body to the station when the train conveyed his remains to Utica for burial. He was the organizer of the First Methodist Episcopal church Sabbath school in Utica, was its first superintendent and was ever active in the work of the church. Following her husband's death, Mrs. Stevens remained in Utica until she, too, was called to the home beyond. On the 26th of March, 1909, she celebrated her eighty-ninth birthday at Utica, in company with three of her children and two grandchildren. The dinner was served on President Steven's private car, which had been brought here for that purpose. One week later, however, she was taken ill and died at her home on the 12th of April, crowned with years and honored by all. She was laid to rest. with the loved ones gone before, on April 14, 1909, in the beautiful village cemetery.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Alsdorf has been blessed by the presence of six sons and one daughter: Fannie Louise, who died of diphtheria in 1880, when about three years of age; Albert S., who also fell a victim to that dread disease and passed away in 1879, when a little over five years old : Frederick C., who is engaged in important copper mining transactions in Arizona: Percy R., who is
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proprietor of the Standard assaying office of Central City, Colorauo; Robert Clyde, who is employed as draughtsman with the Standard Steel Car Works of Butler, Pennsylvania; Arthur K., clerk at the Baltimore & Ohio station at Utica; and George W., who is in his second year at the Ohio State University.
Such in brief is the life history of Robert B. Alsdorf, who for seventy years has lived in this county and is widely and favorably known. For more than forty years he and his wife have been members of the Presbyterian church and its teachings have constituted the guide and rule of his life. He has ever been an honorable, upright man and no history of Utica would be complete without the record of his life.
WILLIAM K. SCHWENK.
William K. Schwenk, who deals extensively in stock, making a specialty of dairy cows, is a native of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in Zieglerville, April 28, 1874. He comes of an old family of that county and the town of Schwenkville was named in their honor. His parents were Franklin and Hannah (Krause) Schwenk, natives of Montgomery county, where Mrs. Schwenk departed this life February 2, 1887, her husband now residing in Schwenkville. He has been engaged in raising and dealing in stock all his life, and his son, William K., acts as buyer and ships the stock to his father, who makes the sales. He exclusively controls the trade of that town and disposes on an aver- age of six cars of dairy cows per week. He is an expert in judging that class of stock, having followed the occupation since he was twelve years of age. He reared the following children, namely: Elizabeth May, widow of William Bard, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; Aaron, of Norristown, that state; Frank, of Zieg- lerville, Pennsylvania; Susan, who resides in Pennsylvania; Hannah, deceased ; and William K.
Until he was thirteen years of age William K. Schwenk remained at home, in the meantime acquiring his education at the district schools, and then found employment on a farm, where he remained until he was twenty-one years old, at which age, in the year 1896, he went to Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio, where he engaged in buying dairy cows. During the fall of the same year he came to Etna where he followed the same work during the summer season, spending the win- ters in his native county in the Keystone state until his marriage, when he located permanently in Etna. Since then in addition to farming he has continued to deal in stock on a large scale, buying and selling cows, horses, hogs and sheep, with especial attention given to dairy cows, and is the largest stock-buyer in this section of the county. He ships in the neighborhood of five hundred head of dairy cows annually, together with a great deal of poultry, particularly during the holi- day season, and last Thanksgiving he disposed of a carload and also one at Christ- mas time. His horses are of the best breeds and every spring he ships two carloads or more to various parts of the country. He also handles fine cattle which he keeps in excellent condition. Mr. Schwenk spares neither time nor money in secur- ing and caring for his stock, and consequently is known in many states as a promi-
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nent dealer in horses and cattle. He owns a farm of fifty acres situated one- half mile north of Etna on the Etna road, which he keeps under cultivation, and a home in the village, and in addition to his general farming and stock-raising interests he is a stockholder in the telephone, gas, and oil company, and several other prominent enterprises.
Mr. Schwenk was united in marriage with Miss Mary Amanda Flake, who was born in New Jersey, January 22. 1882, and went to Pennsylvania with her father. there remaining until her marriage. She is a daughter of Joseph and Anna (Deyer) Flake. The mother departed this life in 1886, in her native state-New Jersey-and the father now resides in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Schwenk have two children, namely: Eva, who was born December 23, 1902: and Frank, whose birth occurred June 1, 1906. Mr. Schwenk gives his support to the republican party and although he is not an active politician he uses his vote and influence during campaigns to further its interests. He is numbered among the enterprising business men of the community and is held in high respect for his industry and straightforwardness in transactions.
FREDERICK G. RICKLY.
Switzerland, land of the towering Alps, has given many worthy and indus- trious citizens to this country and among them are Jacob and Katherine (Garber ) Rickly, who were natives of Canton Berne, Switzerland, where they were born in the year 1796 and 1799, respectively. There they were united in marriage and on September 1, 1834, started for this country with three children, two of whom died on the voyage. They located in Baltimore, Fairfield county, Ohio, subsequently removing to a farm near Kirkersville, where he spent the remainder of his life in the pursuit of agriculture on thirty acres of land. Jacob Rickly departed this life in 1872 while his wife lived to be ninety-four years of age and entered into rest March 16, 1893, while living at the residence of her son in Kirkersville. They had nine children, namely: Mary and Jacob, who died in infancy while enroute to this country from their native land ; Emanuel, who was born in Switzerland and passed away here in his sixtieth year: Jacob, a resident of Kirkersville: John. who lives in Wood county, Ohio: Frederick G .: Mary, wife of Joseph Wells, of Missouri: Elizabeth, widow of A. Kemple, of Wood county. Ohio; and Caroline. deceased wife of Abram Frideger.
Frederick G. Rickly was born on a farm one mile west of Kirkersville, on the National pike, in Etna township. November 20. 1839, and here he always resided. engaging in general farming and stock-raising. His boyhood days were largely spent in the work of the fields and during the winter seasons he attended the dis- trict schools, where he acquired his education. He resided on the home farm with his parents until his marriage when he purchased a farm containing twenty-eight acres which he cultivated for twelve years, subsequently disposing of it and pur- chasing his present farm, which embraces fifty acres and lies east of St. Jacob's Reformed church. It is a highly improved tract of land. provided with substantial buildings, most of which he erected. and here he pursued general farming, engaging
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to some extent in stock-raising. His farm is well cared for and Mr. Rickly, being a practical agriculturist, making such study of his soil as enables him to advan- tageously place his crops, he has from year to year gleaned from his fields harvests far in excess of those reaped from farms of a greater acreage. During the Civil war Mr. Rickly answered his country's call to arms and in 1864 enlisted in Com- pany E, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Hancock and, serving with the one-hundred-day men, was stationed on guard duty at Harper's Ferry.
In 1866 Mr. Rickly wedded Sarah Hagy, a native of Etna, Ohio, where her birth occurred on December 24, 1844, and where she had always resided. She is a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Miller) Hagy, and a sister of Squire S. E. Hagy, a noted capitalist of this township. To Mr. and Mrs. Rickly have been born seven children, namely : Mary Katherine, whose birth occurred September 1, 1867, and who is the wife of Simon Smoke; Josephine L., born March 25, 1869, the wife of Charles Ileimberger, of Etna township; Edward H., whose birth occurred August 29, 1871, and who resides with his wife, Edna (Rugg) Rickly, in Reynoldsburg; Emma F., born November 16, 1885, the wife of Peter Myers; William J., of Outville, Ohio, born March 29, 1882; Charles A., born February 16, 1885; and Roy Rex, whose birth occurred March 17, 1892. Mr. Rickly has been a republican in politics all his life and since he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln has never seen cause to swerve from his party since he believes its principles to be in every sense adequate to maintain the permanent prosperity of the nation. He is a public-spirited man who has taken quite an interest in local affairs, having served in a number of township offices, among which are those of road supervisor and constable. He has also been a school director. He belongs to Baird Post, G. A. R., of Pataskala and is a member of St. Jacob's Reformed church, in which for many years he has been an elder. Mr. Rickly is a worthy representative of the citizenship of the county and his industry and upright character have stood him well in the battle of life and won him the respect and confidence of his neighbors.
SAMUEL S. DEVENNEY.
Samuel S. Devenney, engaged in general farming and the raising of short- horn cattle, was born on the farm he now cultivates in Mckean township, January 23, 1846. Here his family have been identified with the farming interests of this vicinity for the past eighty-five years. His father, John P. Devennev, was a native of Orange county, Virginia, where his birth occurred March 11, 1808, and his mother, Mrs. D. B. (Sheldon) Devenney, was a native of Southampton, Mas- sachusetts, where she was born August 27, 1809. Mrs. Devenney came to this county in 1827 with her mother and Mr. Devenney located here in the year 1831. In this township the couple became acquainted and were united in bonds of matri- mony in the year 1834. He was a tanner by occupation but after he left his native state he did not follow his trade but took up farming and in 1835 bought a tract of land here, which he cultivated and upon which he resided until the year 1842, when he disposed of the property and purchased the farm on which
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Samuel S. Devenney now lives. The father departed this life in the year 1895 and his wife one year later, and they were both laid to rest in Granville cemetery. They were the parents of the following children : Warner C., of Granville, Ohio; Emma A., wife of John M. Robison, of the same place; Helen; and Samuel S.
The last named acquired his education in the district schools here, pursuing his studies at intervals in connection with his farm duties. After leaving school he remained on the home farm and after the death of his father assumed the entire management. This farm embraces two hundred and twenty-seven acres of highly improved land and has also upon it two producing gas wells. Aside from this tract he also owns sixty acres in Granville township and seventy-five acres in Liberty township, both of which constitute valuable farms and are under culti- vation. He engages in general farming and also makes a specialty of stock-raising, particularly shorthorn cattle and sheep. His premises are provided with every means for the successful pursuit of agriculture and his fields are made especially productive by the use of modern methods of fertilizing and a full line of modern farm machinery. He is recognized as one of the most substantial and prosperous farmers in the district.
Mr. Devenney gives his political support to the republican party and while he does not reach out after the preferment of office yet he does what he can to secure the election of its candidates. He has allied himself with this party because, after candid deliberation, he has come to the conclusion that its principles are fully adequate and necessary in order to insure the financial balance and perma- nent peace of the commonwealth. He belongs to Center Star Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M., and takes pride in recalling the fact that his father and grand- father were also prominent members of the Masonic order.
JOHN W. BRETZ.
John W. Bretz, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising in Union town- ship, Licking county, was born February 14, 1848, in Pleasant township, Fairfield county, Ohio, on a farm entered by his great-grandfather, John Bretz, in 1808. the latter having come from Germany in 1732 when eight years of age, locating with his parents and a brother, Jacob, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He removed from there to Pleasant township, Fairfield county, where he purchased a quarter section of land for each of his twelve heirs, all of whom located upon their allotments. In recent years, however, their descendants have left their orig- inal tracts and migrated to different parts of Seneca and Wyandot counties, in this state. Among his children was Henry, the last-born, who operated the home farm upon which he departed this life in his seventy-sixth year, and he had one son, John, the father of the subject of this review, who inherited the homestead and engaged in general agriculture until his death which occurred in 1853. John Bretz, Sr., wedded Dina Musselman, a native of Pleasant township, Fairfield county, where she spent her entire life, and was a daughter of Jacob and Dinah Musselman. She departed this life in her sixty-sixth year. She was the mother of five daughters and six sons, among the latter being John W.
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John W. Bretz was but five years of age when his father died. He remained upon the home farm for forty years, in the meantime taking an active part in agricultural life. During his boyhood-days, availing himself of the educational advantages of the district schools and, being then married, he came to Union town- ship, and located upon the farm he now cultivates, which contains one hundred and twenty-two acres of land. This finely cultivated farm is a mile and a half west of Hebron and it is here he engages in general farming and stock raising. The property is highly improved, provided with two excellent dwelling houses, a substantial barn and other outbuildings and, recently, he constructed a substantial cottage, which is now occupied by a tenant.
On April 25, 1876, Mr. Bretz wedded Christina Augusta Roads, whose birth occurred on the farm on which they now live, October 20, 1853, and here she has since resided with the exception of twelve years spent in Fairfield county. IIer great-grandfather, John Roads, was born in 1760, and lived to the age of sixty- five. His son, Abraham, born in Virginia, in 1787, removed to Ohio with his wife, Anna (Beaver) Roads, in 1810, settling upon the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch, and here they departed this life in 1836 and 1866, respect- ively, he having been forty-nine years of age while his wife was in her seventy- ninth year. They reared a family of eight children, among whom was Joseph Roads, who was born in 1815 and wedded Nancy Moore, April 26, 1838, her birth having occurred December 9, 1818. They reared a family of seven daughters and one son, the latter having departed this life in his sixth year, while all of the former lived to be married and reared families. Joseph Roads entered into rest here June 8, 1900, and his wife on July 17, seven years later. Mr. and Mrs. Bretz are now living on the farm which they own and which her ancestors settled upon over a century ago, the primitive conditions which surrounded the premises in her great-grandfather's time having long since disappeared and the last of the old landmarks, a log cabin, in which Mrs. Bretz' father was born and reared, having been removed several years ago and supplanted by an elegant residence in which the couple now reside. Mr. Bretz is a democrat in politics and belongs to the Old-School Baptists, both he and his wife being members of the Hebron church of that denomination, in which Mr. Bretz has for a number of years officiated as deacon. He is a substantial farmer, industrious and enterprising and his straight- forward life and the part he takes in the welfare of the community justly merits him the respect and confidence in which he is held by his fellow citizens.
JOHN C. NEEL.
John C. Neel, who for many years has been connected with the farming inter- ests of Union township and is one of the most prominent men in its financial circles, descends from a family, the members of which for over a century have been associated with the agricultural and stock raising enterprise of this state. His grandfather, James Neel, was a native of Pennsylvania and came from Lan- caster county in 1803, to a town of that name in Fairfield county, this state, where for a number of years he plied his trade as a bricklayer and many residences and
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other buildings are now standing as evidences of his workmanship. Later he removed to Perry county, where he engaged in farming until he departed this life in the year 1835. He was left an orphan at an early age and tradition has it that his parents, who were early settlers in the Keystone state, were there massacred by the Indians. He was united in marriage three times and in all had a family of eighteen children. The maternal grandparents were pioneers of Walnut township. Fairfield county, and the subject of this review remembers hearing his grand- mother relate the hardships endured while making a trip on horseback from that county to the state of Pennsylvania.
John C. Neel was born on the old homestead in this township, near his pres- ent farm, on February 16, 1850, and was a son of Jonathan and Nancy H. (Cherry) Neel, his father having been a native of Thorn township, Perry county, where he was born January 14, 1819, and his mother of Walnut township and during their infancy both lost their parents. In the year 1844 soon after they were united in marriage, they located here and spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. Neel passed away in 1894, having survived his wife by twelve years, her death having occurred in February, 1882. He was one of the most prosperous farmers of this vicinity and tilled about three hundred acres of land upon which he had made all necessary improvements and, at the same time being a man who took a deep interest in public affairs, he served in the office of township trustee for a number of years. Being dutiful in the fulfillment of his religious obligations, he attended divine services at the Methodist Episcopal church, later affiliating him- self with the Church of Christ, and was well known for his Christian conduct and integrity. In his family were four children, namely : Martha A., who passed away in her sixteenth year; John C .; Leroy, who departed this life in 1881, leaving a widow and two sons: and Albert R., who entered into rest in 1903 and is survived by his widow and two daughters living in Hebron.
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