Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, Part 73

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 73
USA > Ohio > Ottawa County > Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens > Part 73

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le Ht Rademacher

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

H., born December 22, 1864, residing in Danbury; and John H., born July 22, 1869. By her first husband, John Lull- man, Mrs. Sass had a daughter: Kath- erina, who was born January 25, 1851, and is the wife of Henry Bosch, of Dan- bury.

R BELL. The subject of this sketch, senior partner in the firm of R. Bell & Co., is one of the leading men of Port Clinton, Ottawa county, where he has carried on the fish- ery business for many years. He was born April 7, 1832, in Cecil county, Md., and is the son of Abraham and Sarah Trump Bell.

Abraham Bell was born in Pennsyl- vania, near the Maryland State line, in 1800, and carried on his occupation of a tanner and currier in Maryland until 1834, when he came to Ohio and located five miles west of Port Clinton, on Lake Erie, in Erie township. Here he bought a .arm, built a tannery, and manufactured the first leather ever made in the county. He was engaged in the business for some thirty-eight years, and died in Ottawa county in 1875. In politics he was a Whig; afterward, on the absorption of that party into the Republican party, joining the ranks of the latter. In relig- ious faith he was brought up in the Quaker faith, and was connected with that denomination throughout his life. His wife was born, in 1802, in Cecil county, Md., and died in 1841, the mother of twelve children-six son's and six daughters.

The following is a record of the parental family: Robert M. lived at home until eighteen years of age, when he re- turned to the East, married and prac- ticed medicine at Harrisburg, Penn .; he afterward returned to Ohio, where he died, leaving a widow and two sons. Samuel T. is living retired at Riverside, Cal .; Mary Anna married James Hoops,

and lives in Chester county, Penn .; Ra- chel died when about twenty years old; Rebecca, who lives in Louisville, Ky., is the widow of Dr. Officer, and has had two children, both living with her; Phi- lena, who married W. W. Batlin, is de- ceased; Sarah Melissa married William Clark, and died in early womanhood; our subject comes next in order of birth; Abraham, who is in the general merchan- dise business, lives at Elwell, Ohio; Jo- seph M., who was a member of Company I, Forty-first Regiment Ohio Infantry, in the Civil war, died near Chattanooga, Tenn., in the latter part of 1863.

The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, assist- ing in the farm work and in the tannery, and having only the limited advantages to be obtained at a country school, until he was sixteen years old, when he started for himself, becoming a clerk in a store at Port Clinton, where he remained two years. At the early age of eighteen years he was married to Miss Amelia Wilson, and made his home in Erie township. Here he began fishing with seines in 1850, carrying on a small business at first, which has steadily grown ever since. In all these years he has missed but one season's fishing. In 1859 he went to California, crossing the Plains with an ox-team, and locating near the foot hills of the Sierra Nevada range. It was a wearisome journey to the land of gold in those days, and Mr. Bell was five months making the trip, leaving home on the 6th of March, and reaching Placerville, or Hangtown, August 8. He returned home via the Panama Route, and was twenty- four days coming from San Francisco to New York. In 1873 Mr. Bell erected the building which he still occupies, and has been carrying on a prosperous busi- ness ever since, sending carloads of fish as far west as Omaha and east to the Atlantic. His yearly catch is between five thousand and eight thousand tons of fish, and he uses two steam tugs in his

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business. Mr. Bell's first wife died in Port Clinton in 1873, when forty-one years old. They were the parents of the following named children: Perry, who died when twenty-four years old, was married, and left four children-Amelia, Norah, Richard and Perry; Phylena and George died in early youth; Joseph lives in Port Clinton (he married Miss Angeline Magruder, and has one child-Ruth; he is a member of the firm of R. Bell & Co .. and captain of one of his father's tugs); Rebecca; Josephine; Sarah Lucinda, who married W. R. Webster, editor of the Port Clinton News, and has one child- Chauncey; and two that died in infancy unnamed.

Mr. Bell was married in 1874 to Miss Huldah L. Masten, who was born in Scottsburg, N. Y., in 1852. Of this mar- riage four children have been born: John McAllister, Bessie, Edna and Earl. Mr. Bell is a Republican, and, socially, has passed all the chairs in the I. O. O. F. [Since the above was written Mr. Bell informs us that he left Port Clinton Sep- tember 19, 1895, and will spend the remainder of his life at Riverside, Cali- fornia .- Editor.

0 SCAR BILLINGS, who during his long and useful life was closely identified with the flourishing township of Allen, Ottawa county, and whose death was sincerely mourned by hosts of friends who knew him as the devoted husband and father, good citizen and faithful minister, was born December 20, 1824, at Syracuse, New York.

He was a son of Augustus and Clar- inda 'English, Billings, both of whom were natives of New York State. After completing his education in the schools of his native town, Mr. Billings came with his mother to Ohio, settling in Woodville township. Sandusky county, where he learned the manufacture of furniture, with a man named Chamberlin. He worked

at this trade until the Civil war broke out, when he enlisted, in 1861, in Company I, Twenty-first Ohio Infantry, under com- mand of Capt. I. K. Seaman, as a drum- mer. He served four months and re- ceived his discharge in August, of the same year, returning to Sandusky county. Here he remained a short time, and then took his wife and family to Minnesota, settling in Waseca county and engaging in farming. Here he lived for nine years, and then went back to Ottawa county, locating near Genoa, and bought a farm which he carried on for three years. He again sold out and came to Allen (then Clay) township, and buying seventy acres of partially cleared land, remained here until his death. Mr. Billings was mar- ried in Woodville, February 4, 1854, to Miss Mary A. Bosse, and to this union came one child, Alice, born November 5, 1854, who died April 18, 1855, the mother passing away July 21, of the same year. Mr. Billings was again married, October 27, 1858, taking for his second wife Phi- linda Baldwin, daughter of Nelson T. Baldwin, a farmer of Sandusky county. Of this marriage nine children have been born, viz. : Minerva C., born July 3, 1859, is the wife of Jacob S. Stewart; Sarah J., born June 22, 1861, became the wife of Bradford Lidsey, a farmer of Allen township; Nelson O., born March 10, 1863, is a barber at Genoa (he is married and has one child, Harold); Arthur T., born August 31, 1864, and Lorenzo A., born March 3, 1868, live at home with their mother and carry on farming; Leon- ard G., born December 11, 1870, re- ceived his primary education in the pub- lic schools of Allen township, and was for one year in the High School at Elmore, after which he spent three years at the Academy of the United Brethren at Fos- toria, and then began teaching till he was twenty-one, then began barbering with his brother Nelson; Casper A., born July 23, 1874, lived at home; Myrtie B., born August 29, 1876, and Laura, born May

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28, 1880. Nelson T. Baldwin, the father of Mrs. Billings, was born in the State of New York and came to Ohio with his par- ents, when a small boy. They settled in Sandusky county, where Mr. Baldwin still lives. He married Cathrine C. Boose, and they have had a family of four children as follows: Philinda, wife of the subject of this sketch, was born in Woodville, May 14, 1842; Warren, born March 6, 1844, is a farmer and stonemason, and lives in Nebraska (he married Matilda Widmer); Sarah, born June 1, 1846, is the wife of Frederick Volkel, of Genoa; William, born July 2, 1850, is a farmer at Wood- ville. The mother of these children died in Woodville, March 3, 1892, and Mr. Baldwin married, for his second wife, Mrs. Sneakburger, a widow.

Oscar Billings, the subject of this sketch, was a member of George Doug- lass Post No. 183, G. A. R., of Millbury, Ohio, and in his political views he was a Republican. He and his family were de- vout members of the United Brethren Church, in which Church he was a local preacher for more than twelve years pre- ceding his death, which took place Au- gust 12, 1894. He was a man of excel- lent character and a good father and hus- band, whose death will long be mourned.

F RED BOLTE, a highly popular citizen of Port Clinton, Ottawa county, and a well-to-do business man, is a native of Hanover, Ger- many, born August 20, 1851, a son of Cord and Charlotte (Harms) Bolte.

Cord Bolte, father of our subject, was born in 1818, in Germany, was a black- smith by trade, and died in 1865; his wife, Charlotte (Harms), was born in 1815, and died in 1892, at the residence of her son Fred, in Port Clinton, Ohio. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cord Bolte, as follows: William, a blacksmith, residing in Germany; Louisa, now the wife of George F. Meyer, of

Port Clinton; Anna (widow of William Dickman), also living in Port Clinton; Meta, wife of Benjamin Boock, of Ca- tawba Island, Ottawa county; Henry (de- ceased); Sophy, wife of Mr. Andrew Heinsen, of Bay township, Ottawa coun- ty; and Fred, our subject. When the latter was six years old his parents moved with their family to Amt Syke, Germany, five years later taking up their abode in Osterholz, in both of which places young Fred received his education, which was concluded when he was fourteen years old, after which he served a three-years' apprenticeship to the trade of blacksmith, and for two years followed that business in Osterholz. During the next two or three years his time was occupied in working at his trade in Bremen, Stade, Gadebusch, Berlin and Hanover, which brings us to 1873, in which year, desirous of bettering his condition, he emigrated to the United States arriv- ing at New York on July 10. From there he came directly to Sandusky, Ohio, where for eight months he followed his trade, and then moved to Oak Harbor, being here similiarly employed other eight months; but returning to Sandusky, he once more made his home there, this time remaining about a year.

From Ohio Mr. Bolte was attracted to Indiana by Cupid's magnet, and April 10, 1876, was married to the lady of his choice-Miss Mary Cloy, who was born February 18, 1859, in Auburn, Ind., daughter of Christopher Cloy, of that city, where she passed all her days up to her marriage. Her parents were pioneers of near Garrett, Ind., and had a family of four children: Julia (deceased); Mary (Mrs. Bolte); Fred, an upholsterer in a railroad shop, at Garrett, Ind .; and Charles (deceased). The father of these died in 1893; the mother is still living. After his marriage Mr. Bolte remained in the "Hoosier State " about a year, and then moved to Flat Rock, Ohio, where he followed his trade nine months. From

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there he proceeded to Graytown, Ottawa Co .. Ohio, and for two years conducted a blacksmith shop there, at the end of which time he opened a saloon and res- taurant there, twelve months later em- barking in the hotel business in the same town, in which he continued some seven years. Mr. Bolte then rented the hotel, and gave his undivided attention to the saloon and restaurant until 1890, when he was elected sheriff of Ottawa county on the Democratic ticket, and this incum- beney he ably filled four years. At the time of his election to that office he re- moved his residence to Port Clinton, the county seat, where is still his home, al- though his business is in Graytown.

During the winter of 1894-95 Mr. Bolte took a trip to Europe, spending some time at the place of his birth, and visiting his brother William, who has never left the Fatherland. On his return from Germany, our subject sold his hotel property at Graytown and opened his present new saloon and restaurant at that place. In politics he is an ardent sup- porter of the Democratic party, and on that ticket he was elected treasurer of Benton township, which position he held for some time prior to his election to the office of county sheriff. To him and his amiable wife have been born four chil- dren, their names and dates of birth being as follows: Louise, February 24, 1878, at present devoting her time to the study of instrumental music; Henry, February 4, 1880, also studying music; Otto, Oc- tober 10, 1881, and Charles, March 13. 1885, all born in Graytown, Ohio, except Louise, whose place of birth is Flat Rock, Ohio. They are all attending the public schools of Port Clinton.

N ATHANIEL AMOS HADDEN, the well-known and highly-re- spected fruit grower and shipper, of Catawba Island, Ottawa coun- ty, was born at Rice Creek, Calhoun Co.,

Mich., August 7, 1836, and was the third son of Amos and Mary Jane (Dutcher) Hadden, both natives of New York State.

His parents left New York, and settled in Michigan in 1835, buying, from the government, 120 acres of wild land in southern Michigan, among the wolves and Indians, their nearest neighbors being four miles away, and there made for them- selves a fine farm home, which stands to- day (1895) a monument to the energy and good management of its owner, Amos Hadden, who died suddenly in his own yard, in November, 1893, at the age of eighty-three years. His wife, now eighty- four, still lives there, where for sixty years she has lived, and faithfully assisted her husband in making the home and family what it is. They were Methodists in re- ligious faith, and in a few years, with others who followed them from New York, planted Methodism in that section of country, and built a good church, which still stands. A small stream of water runs through this section, called Rice creek from the quantities of wild rice growing on its banks, and from this the early settlers named themselves the "Rice Creek Settlement," which name has since been given the post office now there, with its daily mail.

It was there at Rice Creek in 1836, the year after the settlement of his par- ents, that N. A. Hadden, the subject of this sketch, was born and reared to young manhood, assisting his father in every- thing pertaining to the farm, and receiv- ing a liberal education in the good schools which naturally followed in the wake of this civilized people from the East. In the spring of 1859, when he was twenty-two, he, like thousands of others, was seized with the Pike's Peak gold fever, and, with a party of eleven men, left the old farm and started for Pike's Peak. At St. Joseph, Mo., they were discouraged by returning men, and the eleven, with two additions, decided to go to California. They bought oxen and provisions, and

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started on their long journey across the Plains, which took six months. They all arrived in safety, but our Mr. Hadden was the only man of the thirteen who was not obliged to ride on account of illness. He literally walked almost the entire dis- tance. On their arrival each went his own way, our subject working in the gold mines with good and ill success, until called home by the death of a brother in the army, in 1862. In the spring of 1863 he was married, and with his wife lived on the old farm until the fall of 1865. Here two children were born to them, one dying. He then removed with his wife and little daughter to Mendon, Mich., where for five years he he was success- fully engaged in the drug and grocery business. Here a son was born and died, and his own health became impaired, and then it was that he turned his attention to Ottawa county, Ohio, the former home of his wife. In 1870 he bought a vineyard, also two lake lots on the north point of Catawba Island, and erected a summer hotel, which, when just finished and opened, and with its first guest, was en- tirely destroyed by fire, on the night of March 13, 1872, at the close of a fine school entertainment, which he had gen- erously allowed to be given on the third unfinished floor, and which was undoubt- edly the cause of the fire. By this ca- lamity he was thrown out of home and business, and left heavily in debt. Dur- ing that summer his third son was born, and in the fall he took his family to Kala- mazoo, Mich., where they spent a year, and in July, 1873, he accepted the posi- tion of bookkeeper and salesman for the firm of J. C. Butler & Co. (now George R. Butler), proprietors of the sash, door and blind factory in Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio, whither he moved his family and where he lived for fifteen years, during which time he settled his entire indebted- ness, built him a good home, and bought land on Catawba Island. This last pur- chase of fifty-five acres was made in No-

vember, 1879, and was entirely woods and stone, and looked to many like an unprofitable investment, but with his characteristic pluck, energy, push and hard work he has made for himself a fine fruit farm of about ten thousand trees, and erected a comfortable and commodious residence, with all the necessary outbuild- ings. This he has named "Sunnyside Orchard," and is the present home of himself and wife. In 1888 he left the Butlers and devoted his entire time to fruit culture. For eight years he has been rewarded with good crops, and has become the third largest grower and shipper of fruit on the Island, making a specialty of the peach.

In religion, Mr. Hadden has been a Methodist from boyhood; in politics a Re- publican, having cast his first vote for Abra- ham Lincoln, and he has voted for every Republican President since. He has been president and manager of the Catawba Island Fruit Co., since its organization in 1888. Mr. Hadden is a man of perfect habits, and is one of the most social and liberal of men. He has one brother liv- ing, Smith Hadden, of Olivet, Mich., and a widowed sister, Mrs. N. L. McCormick, who with her daughter lives with the aged mother at the old Hadden homestead.

On May 14, 1863, Mr. Hadden was married in the old M. E. Church at Port Clinton, Ottawa Co., Ohio., to Miss Marion J. Dutcher, who was born June 22, 1839, at Oswego, N. Y., eldest dangh- ter of Ira S. Dutcher, a sketch of whom follows. Miss Dutcher first came to Ca- tawba Island with her father's family when she was but sixteen years old. The "point " was then called ".Ottawa City." Two years later she taught her first school, and the first school ever taught on North Bass Island, or "Isle St. George," as it is now called. From here she was called to the high school of Port Clinton, which she successfully taught a year or more, and then went to Elmore, and taught mu- sic. From there she was called to Gyp-

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sum, where she taught until her marriage. After seven years in Michigan, she came with her husband and little daughter back to Catawba Island, thence, after the fire that destroyed their home, they removed to Sandusky, as already related. Here for fifteen years she assisted her husband in retrieving his fallen fortunes, by teach- ing music and playing pipe organ in two of the city churches. After her two chil- dren were graduated from the high school, the son gone to college, and the daughter married, she with her husband rented her Sandusky home, and went to live on their fruit farm, "Sunnyside Orchard," at Ca- tawba Island, in 1892, where they now, '1895) reside. Mrs. Hadden is a progres- sive woman, being interested in all affairs pertaining to the Island, and entertains largely at their pleasant hospitable home. She is the founder of " The Ladies After- noon Club," which was organized at her home on June 15, 1892, and has been its president since. It is devoted to litera- ture and current events. She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since early childhood.

To Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Hadden were born four children, a brief record of whom is as follows: (1) Ira Amos, born Feb- ruary 28, 1864, died September 8, 1865. (2) Stella Belle, born March 29, 1865, was married to Arthur B. Alexander, of Decatur, Ill., where they now reside; she made music a specialty, spent a year and a half abroad in travel and study, and is a thorough, brilliant musician and an ac- complished lady. (3) James Bertrand, born August 24, 1867, died August 28, 1868. (4) Clarence Bernard, born May 23, 1872, a graduate of Sandusky High School, also of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. (1893), after which he spent a year in post-graduate work in political econ- omy and social science, under Dr. Richard T. Ely, University of Wisconsin, at Madison, Wis. He has assisted his father in the management of the Catawba Island Fruit Co. every season for seven

years, and is now (1895) financial secre- tary of the Associated Charities of Cin- cinnati. He is also in active work at the Social Settlement, having charge of the "Idlewild Athletic and Musical Club," and other classes.

Ira S. Dutcher, father of Mrs. Na- thaniel A. Hadden, was born March 13, 1814, at Dover, Dutchess Co., N. Y., of Holland and English ancestry. When five years old he went with his parents, Ruleff (or Ralph) and Almira (Waring) Dutcher, to Auburn, Cayuga Co., N. Y., where he received his education. His father being a millwright, Ira inherited from him his love for machinery and me- chanics, and when quite a young man went to Rochester, N. Y., where he learn- ed the millwright's trade, which he worked at more or less until the last few years of his life. He was married July 4, 1838, to Miss Mary Ann Veeder, who was of Scotch, English and Dutch extraction, her grandmother on her father's side being a Scotch lady, and on her mother's side a "Yaukee woman" or English lady. Mr. and Mrs. Dutcher went to housekeeping in East Oswego, N. Y., in 1838, and for thirteen years Mr. Dutcher built elevators and mills on the Oswego river. In 1852, being sent for to come to Sandusky, Ohio, to build an ele- vator and put machinery in mills, he removed his family there, remaining three years, and in 1855 came to Ottawa county, where he resided until his death thirty years later. He began his career by building the "Cement Works " at the north point of Catawba Island, then called Ottawa City, as it was thought a little city would surely grow out of this enterprise, and a plat for a city was made and named as above. The land was owned by J. B. James, a wealthy gentle- man of New York, who was sanguine in the belief that good cement could be pro- cured from the limestone which abounded in such large quantities. So Mr. Dutcher was employed as builder and superintend-

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ent, and in 1855 moved his family to the superintendent's house, which to-day is the "Catawba Island House," owned by J. P. Cangney. For various reasons the cement business did not prove as remu- nerative as Mr. James had expected, and in 1859, after a four-years' trial he aban- doned the enterprise and removed the ma- chinery to an Eastern plant. Mr. Dutcher had opened a general store, while man- ager of the works. When he found his occupation gone, he moved his store and family to Port Clinton, where he formed a partnership with John Jenney, under the firm name of Dutcher & Jenney, and for four years did a general mercantile business, occasionally going out for a job in his favorite machine work. In the fall of 1863 he sold out and moved to a ten-acre farm on the extreme northeast point of Catawba Island, known as "Scott's Point," which he had purchased some time previous. Here, in the old- fashioned log house with its numerous ad- ditions, "neath the old Linden tree " (an immense tree over a hundred years old), he moved his family, and lived many happy years. Here his grandson, Clar- ence B. Hadden was born in 1872. Mr. Dutcher devoted the most of his time to the cultivation of fruit, and was one of the earliest growers of the peach for profit on the Island. His place was called " Linden Place," and his large new house, which he built in 1874- 75, " The Linden." Here he lived until his death, in 1886. The old house later was accidentally burned, the great linden tree was struck by lightning two or three times, and was taken out root and branch, so to-day no trace of either exists. The new house is now owned and occupied by the second daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Davey, who provide a home for the aged widow, who, on Oc- tober 2, 1895, was eighty years old. Mr. and Mrs. Dutcher had eight children, only two of whom are living-the two eldest daughters, Mrs. N. A. Hadden and Mrs.

J. A. Davey-both of whom live on Ca- tawba Island. Two sons and a daughter who died in infancy are buried in Oswego, and two sons and a daughter are buried with their father and grandmother Veeder in the Catawba Island Cemetery. Mr. Dutcher in politics was a Whig in early life, and later an active Republican; he cast his first vote for Gen. William Henry Harrison in 1836. He was always a tem- perance man and worker. He was town- ship treasurer, township clerk and school director for many years, was a Good Templar, Odd Fellow and a Royal Arch Mason, holding the office of worshipful master in both Port Clinton and Oak Harbor Lodges. In 1868 he joined the Methodist Church at Catawba Island; his wife has been a Methodist since girlhood.

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Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, Part 73

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