Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, Part 17

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago, J.H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens > Part 17
USA > Ohio > Ottawa County > Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens > Part 17

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

114

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

was born in Lorain county, Ohio, June 7, 1830, a daughter of Shubael and Eliza- beth Reynolds, and they had two chil- dren: Francis A., born August 12, 1868, and Willie, born July 12, 1870, and died December 14, 1870. In his younger days Mr. Levisee worked somewhat at the carpenter trade. He lives on the farm, which he cleared over sixty years ago, but retired from the active supervision of the place several years since, and his son Channcey now has the management. Mr. Levisee is a Republican in politics, and in Church connection is a Universalist.

F J. WHITTEMORE, M. D., a prominent and leading physician and surgeon of Clyde, Sandusky county, was born in Massachu- setts, January 15, 1831. In the Willis- ton Seminary of East Hampton, Mass., he was prepared for college, after which he entered the New York University, where his literary education was com- pleted, graduating in the class of 1851. Later he became a student in the med- ical department of the same university, where he received the degree of M. D. In Plymouth, Conn., he began the prac- tice of his chosen profession, and re- mained there for ten years-the follow- ing years in New Haven, Conn., until about four years ago, when he came to Ohio, leaving his son, a skillful physician, in charge of his extensive practice. He belongs to the Allopathic school, and in New Haven did a general practice; but since coming to the Buckeye State has made a specialty of chronic diseases, and his practice has grown so rapidly that he has almost more than he can attend to. He has ever been a close student of his profession, and well deserves the liberal patronage which he receives.

The Doctor is a son of Amos and Clara (Hamilton; Whittemore, both na- tives of Massachusetts, the former born at Spencer, the latter at Chester. The

father began business as an agriculturist, but later became connected with railroad work, serving for many years as yard- master. He was of English descent, the great-grandfather of our subject coming from Wales at an early day, locating in New England, where the grandfather was born. The maternal grandfather, John Hamilton, came to the New World from Ireland, and during the Revolutionary war served as lieutenant in the Continen- tal army, which rank he was holding at the time of Burgoyne's surrender. The father of the Doctor was called from this life about 1862, at the age of seventy-six years; the mother passed away at the age of fifty-seven years. They left one son besides our subject-Louis W., a resident of Hartford, Connecticut.

At Plymouth, Conn., Dr. Whitte- more was united in marriage with Miss Fallah Terry (now deceased), daughter of Eli Terry, who made the first clock in this country, and was the first large manu- facturer of clocks in the United States. His father, a resident of Windsor, Conn., constructed the first wooden clock. To the Doctor and his wife have been born four children: (1) Dr. Frank H., a gradu- ate of Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, who also studied in Europe, and has succeeded to his father's prac- tice in New Haven, Conn .; he is mar- ried and has one child-E. Reid. (2) William R., who studied law, but is now traveling. (3) Clara, wife of Rev. E. Oakley, of Romeo, Mich .; they have three children-Frank, Ralph and Roy. (4) Lillie (now deceased), who married Charles L. Knapp, a manufacturer, of New York City; they made their home in Brooklyn. For his second wife Dr. Whittemore wed- ded, in 1887, Miss Alice J. Blackman, of New Haven, Connecticut.

Although he has but lately come to Sandusky county, Dr. Whittemore has made many warm friends, and has secured a lucrative practice. He uses his right of franchise in support of the Republican

115

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

party; while in religious faith he belongs to the Congregational Church. He oc- cupies quite a prominent position among the medical fraternity and holds member- ships with the State Medical Association, and also with the Sandusky County Medi- cal Society.

J AMES RAMAGE, postmaster at Gib- sonburg, Sandusky county, has been a resident of that city for about twenty-two years, and is held in the highest esteem by his fellow citizens. He is now holding the office of postmaster for the second time, having been ap- pointed under Cleveland's first adminis- tration, and again under his present one.

Abner Ramage, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Fayette county, Penn., and came to Ohio, settling in Holmes county in 1823, where he carried on farming. He was born in 1800 and died in 1861. He was married in Holmes county to Miss Susannah Custer, who was born in Leesburg, Penn., and was a full cousin of Gen. Custer, who was massacred by the Indians on the Little Big Horn, during the Indian troubles in the West some years ago. Mrs. Ramage was about fifty years old at the time of her death. She was the mother of ten children, of whom our subject is the eld- est, the others in the order of birth be- ing as follows: Mary, who married John Malone, is deceased; Sarah, who married a Mr. Mitchell, is also deceased; John J. lives in Delaware county, this State (he enlisted, at the commencement of the war of the Rebellion, and served all through the struggle, receiving a severe wound in the hip; he went to the front as orderly sergeant, and returned as second lieuten- ant; he was with Sherman on his march to the sea. On his return home he served two terms as county auditor of Delaware county, Ohio); Elizabeth died in youth; George is a practicing physician at Jennings, La. (he was an assist-

ant surgeon through the war); William lives in Memphis, Tenn .; Delila married M. J. VanSwearengen, and lives in Illi- nois; Lydia died when sixteen years old; Hampton lives in Findlay, this State. The Ramages are of French descent, and were early pioneers in America. The Custers are of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock.

James Ramage grew to manhood in Holmes county, this State, in his boyish days attending the common schools which were held in log schoolhouses, with puncheon floors, greased paper for win- dows, and slab seats and desks. He worked on his father's farm until twenty- eight years of age, in the meantime, when twenty-five years old, marrying Miss Christina Mills, who was born in Tusca- rawas county, Ohio, in 1831, and died in 1886. This worthy couple were the par- ents of nine children, as follows: Eliza- beth, now the widow of S. C. Bevington, and living with our subject (she has two children -- Elsie and Floyd); Abner N., who died when seven months old; Joseph, who died when three years old; Ida, de- ceased at the age of two years; Elmer, who died when about ten months old; John, unmarried and living at home; Alice, now the wife of P. A. Rust (they have two children-Florence and Dewitt); Hattie, who died when nineteen years old; and Rena, at home.

The subject of this sketch learned the carpenter's trade in Holmes county when he was twenty-eight years of age, and followed that occupation until 1861. He then entered the dry-goods business at Middletown, Holmes county, and carried same on for four years, when he sold out and went to Mansfield, this State, work- ing at his trade for about four years. In 1873 he came to Gibsonburg, at the time the Pennsylvania railroad was being built, and has worked at his trade most of the time except when acting as postmas- ter. Mr. Ramage has always been a stanch Democrat, and has been active in promoting the interests of his party. In

116

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

religious faith, he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for about thirty years; socially, he belongs to the I. O. O. F., and is a member of the Masonic lodge, at Genoa.

RED CURTISS. The annals of the lives of some men read more like a romance than sober history, on accout of the adventurous turn of their mind, and the circumstances un- der which they have lived, causing them to roam from place to place. Among these is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch , and who is engaged in the grocery business in Clyde, Sandusky coun- ty. In Green Creek township, that coun- ty, he was born September 16, 1855, and is a son of Charles and R. J. (Hurd) Cur- tiss.

Tradition has been more often con- sulted and relied upon than recorded facts, and as a consequence the English origin of the Curtiss family-like Homer's birth-place-has many locations. It is believed that our subject is descended from the Curtiss family of Stratford, Conn., who are known to have lived there in 1658, as the record shows, and were de- scended from William Curtiss, the founder of the family in America being one of the passengers on board the ship "Lion," which arrived in Boston harbor, Sunday evening, September 16, 1632. The pa- ternal grandfather of Fred was born in New York State, and came to Ohio at an early day, locating in Sandusky county, where his son Charles was born; but the former, who bore the name of Benjamin Curtiss, died when his son was a mere child. The mother again married, and the son was reared by his uncle, James Cleveland. After his marriage the father of our subject settled on the farm near his uncle, and after clearing up this tract he sold and bought the old homestead in Townsend township, Sandusky county, whese he engaged in farming, but later

became a merchant of Clyde, and was thus engaged until the time of his disap- pearance. He had been unfortunate in business, and those who knew him best assert that he was swindled by his part- ners. He took the matter deeply to heart, and one day, saying he was going hunting, he started out with his gun and was never heard of afterward. His fate will doubtless always be an unrevealed mystery. This occurred when our sub- ject was only five years old, and his mother was left with five helpless chil- dren and only five dollars of visible means for their support. She was born in San- dusky county, and is still living at the age of sixty-six years.

The family comprised (1) Benjamin, who, at the age of fourteen years, enlisted in the United States army. His mother afterward secured his release on the grounds of his minority, but as he was anxious to go into the field he re-enlisted for actual service, which he experienced until the close of the war, after which he came home on a visit. He then went to the Pacific coast where he remained twenty-two years, most of the time being in the employ of the government, but for the past few years he has been in the timber business. (2) Frank, who also served in the regular army, subsequently secured a position with the government, hauling supplies to the great Northwest. He became a hunter and trapper of Wash- ington and Idaho, and in the latter State was married, but he now resides in Seneca county, Ohio. (3) Fred is next in order of birth. (4) Mary is the wife of Robert Foster, of Townsend township, Sandusky county. (5) Ada, who lives in London, Ohio, is the wife of George J. Holgate. As the mother was unable to support the family, the boys were obliged to go among strang- ers as soon as they were able to earn their clothes and board, and consequently the carly life of Fred Curtiss was not a very pleasant one. At an early age he began peddling fruit on the cars and around the

117

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

depot, after which he drove milk wagon, ice wagon and dray, and later became brakeman for the Lake Shore & Michi- gan Southern railroad. On quitting that occupation he worked for one season on the farm of William McPherson, a brother of Gen. McPherson, and for a while lived with the General's mother, working during the winter for his board and being allowed to attend school, while during the sum- mer season he was employed in a brick yard.

On attaining the age of nineteen years, after a series of trials and vicissitudes, Mr. Curtiss determined to act on Horace Greely's advice to "Go West" and grow up with the country. Accompanied by an old friend, he accordingly started for Wisconsin, and on arriving in New Lis- bon, that State, he secured employment in a dry-goods store, where he remained six months. He then went to Minnesota, and thence to Iowa, but found no per- manent employment. At Sioux City, Iowa, he engaged with the captain of a steamboat to work his passage still farther west. He stood the life of a " roustabout " until he reached Fort Ran- dall, whence he proceeded to Yankton, S. Dak., and later went to Vermillion, in the same State. On reaching the latter place he had but twenty-five cents re- maining, and employment was a neces- sity. While looking around, to his great surprise he met Frank Haywood, the friend whom he had left in Wisconsin. Through that gentleman he soon found employment in a brickyard, where he re- mained until securing a better position in a sawmill up the river, where he received $2.00. On leaving that place he went to Nebraska, thence to Missouri, and still later we find him in Kansas, where he went to work as a stock drover, remain- ing there until shipping time in the fall, when he came East with the stock.

On returning home Mr. Curtiss be- gan work with J. L. Ames, a farmer of Sandusky county, with whom he remained

for four or five years, after which he be- gan railroading again as brakeman. On giving up his position he was employed by his uncle, T. P. Hurd, of Clyde, until he started in business for himself. He opened his present store in 1886, where he carries a full and complete line of staple and fancy groceries, and has now the largest trade of any dealer of the kind in the city.

In 1885 Mr. Curtiss wedded Miss Catherine Mulchy, a native of Sandusky county, where they are both widely and favorably known. He holds membership with the Masonic Fraternity, belonging to the Blue Lodge, Clyde, and is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. As a man and citizen he is respected and es- teemed by the community in which he lives, and enjoys the regard and confi- dence of all who know him. He is now serving as director of the First National Bank. Politically he votes with the Dem- ocratic party.

J ACKSON TINNEY (deceased) was born in Niagara county. N. Y., June 15, 1832, and died at Greensburg, Ohio, June 24, 1891. His father, Stephen Tinney, was a native of Massa- chusetts, and his mother, Julia Scott, was born in New York. When Jackson was only one year old his parents moved to Lenawee county, Mich., where they remained six years, thence removing to Ohio, and settling in Scott township, Sandusky county, in the spring of 1839, where the family has since resided. He was the third son in a family of four chil- dren.

On July 4, 1863, he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Inman, daugh- ter of William Inman, one of the pioneer settlers of Scott township; as a result of this union two children have been born- one son and one daughter. His wife and children survive him. His worth as a citi- zen was appreciated, as is shown by the

118

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fact that he was several times elected township clerk, while in 1890 he served as appraiser of the real estate of Scott township, to the great satisfaction of the public and with credit to himself. He was a man of honesty and upright char- acter. On the day before his death he worked as usual in the field, but in the evening complained of feeling ill, and took some home remedies, thinking he would feel better in the morning. About mid- night he rapidly grew worse, and died early Wednesday morning of heart di- sease before a physician could be sum- moned. His health failed about one year before his death when he had an attack of the "grip," from which he never re- covered. He died June 24, 1891. His funeral occurred on Friday following his death from the M. E. Church, of Greens- burg, the services being preached by Rev. S. Kaiser, of Gibsonburg, the text se- lected being Matthew vi: 25. The inter- ment was made in Metzger Cemetery.

Mrs. Tinney, widow of our subject, was born at Fremont, March 7. 1841. When she was a child her parents came to Scott township, where her father cleared a farm and made a home for him- self and family. For fourteen years he was assessor of Scott township, and was an esteemed citizen of the community in which he lived. Mrs. Tinney was edu- cated in the public schools of Scott town- ship.

Alfred W. Tinney, the son of Jackson Tinney, was born May 7, 1864, on the farm where he now lives. He was edu- cated in the common schoolsof the town- ship, in the Fremont High School, and Normal at Ada. For several years he has been one of the most successful teachers of Sandusky county, and is pronounced by those who know him as one of the ablest young men of Scott township. In addition to his school work he carries on the old farm of his father as well as a small farm of his own. He is always found attending to his business, never hav-

ing any time for the frivolous things of life. Cora, his sister, now Mrs. Kleinhen, was born August 8, 1868, and acquired a common-school education at home. She was married June 2, 1893, to Oscar Klein- hen, and they now live at Tinney; they have one child, Ida Loree, born August, 1894.

C APTAIN WILLIAM J. LAUNDY, who now lives a quiet and peace- ful life on his well-improved farm near Green Spring, Sandusky county, after a thoroughly successful and prosperous career on the great inland lakes, is by birth an Englishman; but it would be difficult to find in this coun- try a native-born citizen more intensly patriotic than he. His ancestry were liberty-loving people, and Captain Laun- dy reveres the stars and stripes as the only flag to which he now owes any alle- giance.

He was born in the county of Essex, England, April 26, 1842, and is a son of Henry and Sarah Ann (Fletcher) Laundy, people of Cambridgeshire, England, the former of whom was a gardener for Sir John. Young. Grandmother Laundy was a preacher in the Friends Church in Eng- land, and in her old age wrote many letters to her descendants in America. The father of Henry Laundy was a re- ligious refugee in England from Germany. Sarah Ann Fletcher, wife of Henry Laun- dy, was an Episcopalian. When William J. was a small child his parents emigrated to Canada from England in a sailing vessel, the trip consuming eleven weeks. They located on the St. Lawrence river, nine miles below Kingston, thence, in 1861, removing to Huron county, Ontario, where they died at the ages of eighty- two and eighty-four respectively, eight days apart. Henry Laundy was an or- thodox Quaker, a strong anti-slavery man, and an active "agent " for the "under- ground railway."

119

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

At the age of about twenty William J. crossed the border to the United States for the express purpose of taking up arms in behalf of its national preservation. He expected to join his brother Fletcher, who was a member of an independent com- pany of Illinois cavalry; but before he reached him Fletcher had lost his health in military service, and strongly dissuaded William from enlisting. The latter, there- fore, went to Milwaukee, where, in 1863, he went on the lakes. He commenced as a watchman, and worked up rapidly to the position of master, or captain, in which capacity he plied many years be- tween Buffalo and Chicago, being, all told, some twenty-three years on the lakes. In 1879 he had purchased his present farm, located close to Green Spring, Sandusky county, and when, in 1883, he resigned his captaincy, he came to his fertile acres, and has been here ever since.

In 1872 Capt. Laundy was married to Miss Deborah A. Rouse, who was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, December 20, 1851, youngest daughter of George La- throp and Mary (Knapp) Rouse, both of old New England stock, the former born in New York State September 18, 1809, the latter on September 13, 1818. They were married in Danbury township, Ot- tawa Co., Ohio, April 27, 1838, and were early pioneers of that county. Subse- quently they removed into the village of Marblehead, where Mr. Rouse was for many years engaged in general merchan- dising, and where he to some degree fol- lowed his trade of ship carpenter. He died May 26, 1853, and his widow sub- sequently married Robert Killey; she still lives at Marblehead. George L. and Mary Rouse were the parents of eight children, as follows: Sabra, born Jan- uary 8, 1839, married Dominick Barn- holtzer, and died July 22, 1895; Laura, born August 3, 1841, wife of John Bos- chen; Lucretia, born January 10, 1843, married James Fletcher, and died De- 8

cember 11, 1856; Betsy, born September 24, 1844, married T. Sexton, and died March 20, 1864; George Lathrop, born June 17, 1846, lives near Grand Island, Neb .; Ida, born April 24, 1848, died un- married, May 26, 1894; Joseph, born July 30, 1850, died February 24; 1864; and Deborah. Robert and Mary Killey had three children, of whom Frances, born December 15, 1855, and now the wife of Frederick Daily, survives.

To William J. and Deborah Laundy three children were born, their names and dates of birth being as follows: Fannie, September 13, 1882; Mary, August I, 1888; Luff, August 19, 1893. Capt. Laundy is a man of extensive information and broad and liberal views. He has been a great traveler, and his wide ex- perience in life has left upon his receptive mind deep impressions, thoroughly as- similated by his reflective faculties. His wife is a bright, sensible business woman, and the devoted couple have the universal esteem of the community in which they live.

W ILLIAM J. HAVENS. As a pioneer of the Black Swamp, a region lying between the San- dusky and Maumee rivers, ex- tending several miles on each side of a line drawn from Fremont to Perrysburg, and as one who has spent the greater part of a busy life in helping to subdue the dense forests, reclaim the marshes and change the once howling, malarial wilder- ness into one of the choicest and healthi- est garden spots of the Buckeye State, the subject of our sketch is well worthy of place in these pages. Having his resi- dence on the old parental homestead which he has so grandly improved and beautified, he is able to appreciate the marvelous changes which have taken place in this region within the last half century, and is worthy of the modest laurels of pioneer heroes.

120

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

The grandfather of our subject was William Havens, a farmer, living in the State of New Jersey, who married a Miss Mackley, and about the year 1815 re- moved with his family of eight children to Franklin county, Ohio, and settled on Black Lick creek, about twelve miles east of Columbus. Here, after experi- encing the usual vicissitudes of pioneer life, he died in 1820; his wife passed away twenty years later. Their children were Mary. Thomas, Susan, John, Sarah, Henry, Martha and William, all now dead except William, who is eighty-one years of age.

Henry Havens, the father of our sub- ject, was born in New Jersey, in 1809, and at the age of six years came with his father's family to Ohio. He grew up on the home farm in Franklin coun- ty, his educational advantages being very limited. In the fall of 1831, having saved up his hard-earned money, he came to Sandusky county and entered 160 acres of government land in Section 10, Jack- son township, at $1.25 per acre. He was married the same year to Miss Sarah Iams (daughter of Hugh Iams, who died in 1837), and on March 10, 1832, moved upon his farm in the Black Swamp. The moving party were ten days on the way through the forests, being obliged to cut out their way as they went among logs and underbrush. They built a double log cabin in which they lived comfortably for twelve years, when they built a frame residence, and herein he resided until within one year of his death, which oc- curred in 1853, when he was aged forty- four years; his wife died in 1851, at the age of thirty-eight. Their children were William J., Hugh, Birchard, Mahala, Ora and Mary J. Henry Havens was a highly-respected citizen, and held the office of justice of the peace in his town- ship for a term of years. He was one of the jurors in the first murder trial ever held in Lower Sandusky, known as the Sperry case.

William J. Havens was born Decem- ber 13, 1833, in Jackson township. He received only a common-school education, but by reading and observation he has developed a broad and liberal intelligence. For many years he has been engaged in mixed farming, the raising of grain and live stock of superior quality, and at one time was the owner of over five hundred acres of land, only two hundred acres of which he now retains, having divided the remainder among his sons. He has given special attention to the breeding and fat- tening of fine hogs, while his farm is a model one in point of culture. Mr. Havens is a public-spirited citizen, and has held various offices of honor and trust . in his community, such as land appraiser, town clerk, treasurer, trustee, and mem- ber of the board of education. In 1863 he enlisted in Company B, Fiftieth Regi- ment, Ohio Home Guards, became first lieutenant of his company, and in the fall of that year assisted in the guarding of Johnson's Island, in Sandusky Bay, where Rebel officers were confined as prisoners of war. In the spring of 1864, when Abraham Lincoln called on Ohio for troops, and Gov. Brough responded with 40,000 Home Guards, Mr. Havens went with his regiment to Cleveland, Ohio, where, after consolidation with other companies, they were mustered into the United States service, and he took his place as first lieutenant of Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth O. V. I. They were sent to the defense of Wash- ington, D. C., and were also located four months at Fort Ethan Allen, Va., where Mr. Havens was taken down with malar- ial fever, which impaired his health and rendered him unfit for service. After returning with his regiment he resumed farming. Mr. Havens is a member of the Sandusky County Pioneer and Histor- ical Society, of Manville Moore Post, G. A. R., Fremont, and of the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth O. V. I. Regimental As- sociation. He is a Republican in politics,

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, Part 17

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago, J.H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1040

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago, J.H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1040