USA > Ohio > Wood County > Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 2 > Part 18
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
In 1870 Dr. Mannhardt was married to Louisa Wingert. Socially he is an Odd Fellow, a Knight
But
-
A. Mannharde
577
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
Templar and K. P. ; politically he is a Democrat. Hle has been mayor of Custar ten consecutive years, and for twenty years clerk of the board of education.
J. H. STEARNS. This prominent and pros- perous farmer of Perry township is a member of the well-known family of that name in the county, and of which a sketch appears on a preceding page.
Our subject was born in Perry township, No- veinber 8, 1851, the eldest child of Justus and Mary (Hall) Stearns. His education was obtained in the district schools of his locality, and he was brought up on the same farm which he now owns and resides on. On September 17, 1871, he was married to Miss Ella, daughter of Adam and Mary Wininger, who was born in London town- ship, Seneca Co., Ohio, October 9, 1853. The young couple went to housekeeping on the farm of Mr. Stearns' father. The T. & O. C. railroad was then in progress of construction, and Mr. Stearns, Sr., had a contract for grading which he sub-let to our subject, on the completion of which the latter received in pay eighty acres of land in Jackson township, this county. About 1874 or 1875, soon after the B. & O. R. R. was put through to Deshler, Mr. Stearns bought land ex- tensively near that place, eighty acres of which he platted in town lots, and sold to an advantage. During his residence at Deshler, which was about three years, he was engaged in filling contracts for ditching, timber, etc., and at the end of this time he returned to Perry township, and bought 120 acres of the farm on which he now resides. His various investments had brought in a large amount of money, but owing to his kindness in going security and bail for people who left him to pay their indebtedness, he lost a considerable portion of his property. He now, however, is the owner of 210 acres of as good land as can be found in Wood county, and is prospering as a man of his indomitable courage and perseverance is bound to do. In spite of his adverse fortune at times, he has known no such word as discour- agement, and has at once set about remedying any disaster that might overtake him. In an expressive Western plirase he is a " hustler," and has not a superior in the township for ability to succeed in what he undertakes. "Cy," as he is familiarly known, is popular throughout his community, and has many warm friends, who admire his industry, go-aheadativeness and cheer- ful disposition.
In politics Mr. Stearns is a Republican, and has served his township three terms as assessor.
He has also been the treasurer of the township .. but has refused a re-election. He is a member of the Evangelical Church at Salem, in which he- has held offices of trust and honor. He is a. liberal contributor, not only to his own Church, but to other religious denominations, and has assisted in the organization and building of various religious and other institutions. Socially he belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees, at Fostoria.
To Mr. Stearns and his wife came five chil- dren, namely: Einma J., born December 29, 1874; John A., born June 23, 1878; Wilber H., born October 11, 1880; Alice E., born April 14. 1884; and Justus, born September 4, ISS6. The beloved wife and mother passed to her final rest October 2, 1894, and was buried in the cemetery at Fostoria. She was a most estima- ble woman, and a consistent member of the Evangelical Church. Her departure was deeply mourned by her family, but Mr. Stearns is devoted to his children, and endeavors to fill the place of the departed one by unremitting atten- tion to their comfort and interest in their welfare.
C. F. MUNGER, a farmer of wide reputation in Perry township, is a native of Brunswick township, Medina county, where he was born August 6, 1842, his parents being Caleb and Anna (Fairfield) Munger.
The subject of this sketch first went to school in Seneca county, Ohio, to which place his parents moved when he was six years old. He was reared to the duties of farm life, and, as he was an only son, was early taught the rudi- ments of the work. He lived at home until October, 1861, when he enlisted in Company B. 55th O. V. I., to which he was transferred from Company F. at his request. He served continuously with his regiment, in which he played the cornet, until, in Louisville, Ky., he suffered from a partial sunstroke, and was taken to Perry township by Orrin Stearns, where he was ill for some time. He first enlisted for three years, at the expiration of that time re-enlisting for the remainder of the war. Owing to his bad health he sought other work than that of farm- ing, but none suited him so well, and he returned home and went to work for his father.
On September 26, 1869, he was married. in Perry township, to Miss Amanda Stewart, who was born in Crawford county, Penn., February 5. 18.47. Her parents, Samuel and Mary M (Renner) Stewart, came to Wood county in 182. The father was a tailor in his younger days, later taking up farming. He died in Fostoria, Ohio
37
.
578
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
at nearly eighty years of age, and his wife at the age of seventy-two. Their family consisted of eight children, four boys and four girls. Our sub- ject went to housekeeping on the home farni after his marriage, and entered into partnership with his father, which continued until about 1888, when he paid off the other heirs and be- came sole owner of the eighty acres; he has since added to this, now owning 110 acres. In 1862 a substantial brick residence was built, and here our subject lives, his father living with him. Mr. and Mrs. Munger are the parents of four, children, namely: Edith, now Mrs. Lemuel Good, of Seneca county; Anna L., who married John Strawman, of Seneca county; and Raymond and Charles P., both residing at home.
Mr. Munger has always been a stanch Re- publican, and has served as trustee of Perry town- ship, and two terms as assessor. He has been for many years director of School District No. I. Both he and his wife are members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Munger is stewart.
Caleb Munger, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut November 6, 1802, and the mother in Massachusetts in 1803. Both were school teachers, and received a fair education. They moved to Brecksville township, Cuyahoga county, whence they went to Brunswick, Medina Co., Ohio, then to Liberty township, Seneca county, and in the spring of 1859 they came to Perry township, where Mr. Munger bought eighty acres of land in Section 25, about thirty -five of which were cleared, and on which were a log house and barn. Here Mrs. Munger died in 1882, and was buried in Fostoria. Two children were born to this couple, Ann S., now the wife of W. P. Dicken, of Seneca county, and our sub- ject. Mr. and Mrs. Munger were brought up in the Congregational faith; but when they came to Seneca county there was no such denomination in their vicinity, so they joined the Presbyterian Church, of which they were original members in Fostoria.
and obtaining a living by the hardest kind of work. Mr. Munger was employed in burning charcoal, cutting hoop-poles, etc. The Munger family is remarkable for its longevity: The father of our subject is over ninety-three; one of his sisters died at the age of ninety-five, and another at ninety-three, while a third lived to be eighty- seven. Edward, an uncle of our subject, is living in Chicago at the age of eighty-four years.
HENRY PADGHAM, an intelligent and energetic farmer, and a substantial and reliable citizen of Perry township, having his home in Section 26, was born in the County of Kent, England, Septem- ber. 19, 1829, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Underdown) Padgham. The father, who was born in England. January 29, 1794, decided to seek a home in the United States with the hope of bettering his financial condition, and conse- quently, in the spring of 1851, he started with part of his family for the New World, including the following members: Josepli, of Farmington, N. Y .; Walter, a farmer, who died in Iowa; Elizabeth, who was married, and died in Mich- igan; Philip, judge of the district court of Alle- gan, Mich .; David, an agriculturist of Manches- ter, N. Y .; Annie, wife of N. Aldrich, of Wash- ington, D. C., and Alfred, who died en route, and was buried at sea. Two sons, Thomas and John, had preceded the family, coming in 1845, and were living in New York State, while our subject and his brother William did not arrive in this country until 1853. In the family of twelve chil- dren all but two grew to adult age. Until the death of his wife, in 1863, the father made his home in the Empire State, and then came to Perry township, and lived with our subject for awhile. Life seemed to lose its charm for him after the death of his wife, and he died in Mich- igan at the age of eighty-five years. He had three brothers who lived to be over eighty-three years of age-John, who died in Australia: Jo- seph, who passed away at the home of our sub- ject: and William, who died in England. In politics the father was an ardent Republican.
Politically Mr. Munger was originally a Whig and Know-Nothing, later joining the Republican In the common schools of England Henry Padgham received his education before his twelfth year, and as a farmer boy he worked until eight- cen years of age. At that time he enlisted in 1 the standing army of Great Britain for twelve years, but before the expiration of that term con- cluded to come to America, where their family was then living, and bought his release for twenty-five pounds, English money, or $12: He had served for five years and one hundred and ranks. He cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams. He has voted for every President since that time, and has never missed an election. He has never sought office, but has always taken an active interest in the success of his party. He is a well-preserved man for his advanced years. When eighty-one years old he broke his right leg. but in four weeks was able to walk around-an exhibition of remarkable vitality. He was reared 1 as a farmer's boy, his father owning a small farmi, | sixty-three days, a portion of the time in Lon-
579
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
don and in other parts of England. On July 31, I853. he and a brother, William, took passage on the " Patrick Henry," which landed them at New York, September 7, following, and from there they went to Farmington, the same State. where their parents were then living. For four years our subject worked as a farm hand near that place, after which he located near Fostoria, Ohio, where his brothers, William and Thomas, were residing. For eighteen years the former was employed by C. W. Foster.
The first home of Mr. Padgham in Wood county was with his brother Thomas, whom he helped to clear his farm during the first year, and later worked as fireman in Crocker's mill, at Fos- toria. On November 27, 1860, he purchased forty acres of land in Section 26, Perry township, only about nine acres of which had been cleared, and a log cabin constituted the improvements. He had secured the land from William Jones, and had gone in debt for half the amount, but he went earnestly to work, and each season saw more of the land ready for cultivation. He now has fifty acres of rich and arable land,. upon which are good and substantial buildings, but for the past five years he has left its cultivation to others, and now practically lives retired from active farm work.
At Victor, Ontario Co., N. Y .. in November, 1857, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Julia Padgham, of the County of Kent, England. She died on September 27, 1883, from paralysis, and was buried at Fostoria. Mr. Padgham later wedded Rachel A. Huff, by whom he had one child-Ruth M. The mother died October 28, 1886, and was also interred at Fostoria.
In 1863, Mr. Padgham was elected captain of the Home Militia, and on May 2, 1864, enlisted in Company E, 144th O. V. I., doing guard duty at Wilmington, Del., until mustered out in the following August at the close of his term. He supported the Republican party until 1884, since which time he has been an ardent Prohibitionist, and has served as trustee of Perry township. For twenty-six years he has been a sincere and earnest Christian, a member of the Methodist Church, and to all worthy objects contributes lib- erally of his means.
D. E. COE, one of the pioneer citizens of Perry township, was born in Frederick county, Md., June 24, 1818, and is the son of Thomas and Ann (Souder) Coc.
Mrs. Coe died in Frederick county, Md., leav- ing one child, our subject. Mr. Coe married a second time in Maryland, and this wife died in
that State, September 12. 1833, leaving four chil- dren. Mr. Coe married again, and left Mary- land for Seneca county, Ohio, over the National pike, in a large wagon drawn by four horses (Pennsylvania style). He arrived, October 2, 1833, one mile east of Tiffin, Ohio, where he had previously bought 240 acres of land, and on which was a log cabin There Mr. Coe died at the age of seventy-one.' He was the father of nine chil- dren, of whom but two survive, D. E. and Caro- line, now the widow of. Thomas Shaw. of Seneca county.
Our subject attended the subscription schools of Maryland, and did not have as good an oppor- tunity for getting an education as did his brothers or half-brothers. He was reared to the duties of a farmer boy, and worked on the home farm until his marriage, which took place in Seneca county, March 24, 1842, his bride being Miss Margaret Hyter, who was born, March 25, 1824. in Frederick county, Md., and who is a daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Koons) Hyter. Mr. D. E. Coe rented land in Scipio township. Seneca county, for two years, when, in the spring of 1844, he bought 140 acres in Section 13, Perry township. The land was wet and full of stumps. and contained a log house 18 x24 feet. The forests were in their primitive state, and there were no roads in the vicinity. This portion of nature's wilderness Mr. Coe has transformed into a most desirable farm, and to-day has 240 acres of fine land, on which he has built a comfortable home, with the accompanying barus, bins, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Coe's children are: Clarinda, who married George P. Feebles, of Noble county. Ind .; Emma, now the widow of John Guier, of Perry township; Mary is the wife of S. S. Dicken, who lives near Kendallville, Ind .: Laura married V. D. Newcomb, and died in Seneca county: Alice is now Mrs. Luther Stewart, of Marion county, Ohio: Walter died at the age of thirty- four years; H. L. is a farmer of Perry township: Belle is the wife of Charles Cochard. of San- dusky, Ohio; Charles is farming in Perry town- ship. Mr. Coe is a Republican in politics, and has served as township trustee, and has been school director for twelve years. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church, of which he is also trustee. He has been a success- ful farmer, and is spending his later years in peace and quiet.
BENJAMIN P. SEARS, a well-known fript grower of Bowling Green, was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., November 7. 1819.
His grandfather. Eli Sears, was an agricult-
580
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
urist in Delaware county, N. Y., and had two sons, David F., oar subject's father, and Thomas B. The foriner was born in 1791, and married at an early age to Miss Sallie Pine, a native of the same county. He was drafted during the war of 1812, but his brother, who was not then married, took his place. He returned home at the close of the war, and settled in Tompkins county, where he married and reared a family of twelve children. Our subject's parents moved to Tompkins county, after their marriage, traveling in a primitive vehicle drawn by a pair of steers. They cleared a farm in the woods, where they spent the rest of their lives, and died. Mr. Sears died in 1872, aged eighty-one years, two months and twelve days. They had ten chil- dren: Almarin, and George W., who died in Tompkins county; B. P., our subject; Adaline E., who married, first, John Woodworth, and then Cyrus Barber: Franklin, who died in New York State: Caroline, the wife of Terry Smith, of Seneca county, N. Y .; Jane, who married A. V. McKeel, of Tompkins county, N. Y .; and De- Witt C., a resident of Grand Detour, Ill. Two other children died in infancy.
Our subject grew to manhood upon his fa- ther's farm, obtaining his education in a subscrip- tion school held in a log house. May 15, 1848, . he married Miss Elvira Shannon, a native of Seneca county, born January 15, 1827. Pre- vious to his marriage he had clerked in a store for a year, but the young couple settled at once upon a farm near the old home, where they re- mained a number of years. Mr. Sears then sold his land and engaged in the grocery business, but lost everything by fire in 1876. In the following year he came to Bowling Green, hoping to make good his losses, and in 1879 he purchased his present property, containing three and a half acres, then in the outskirts of the city, but now surrounded by residences. Here Mr. Sears and his wife devoted themselves to the raising of ber- ries and other fruits, with the success due to in- dustry and good judgment. No serious cares or troubles marred the serenity of their well-spent days. Their only child, W. S., is now a law student in Bowling Green. He married Hester Brewer, and has one child, Elvira.
Our subject's wife was a woman of excep- tional intellect and culture. She was educated in a seminary in New York State, and was a teacher before her marriage. Early in life she developed a taste for literary work, and hier poems found ready acceptance in the periodicals of the day, the discouraging reply, " declined with thanks," so familiar to most writers, having
1
never been received by her. At her death, which occurred March 12. 1895, she left some of her best and longest poems still in manuscript, and an effort is now being made to publish them in book form. A natural leader, she always took a prominent part in philanthropical and religious work, and in literary circles, wherever she might be. When she came to Bowling Green the local W. C. T. U., was in a disorganized condition. and she gave her energies freely to revive it. Her success was so marked that she was chosen local president, and later county organizer. She lectured throughout the county, establishing unions, and afterward, as county president, con- tinued the work. She was a delegate to the State convention at Cincinnati, and the National meeting at Cleveland. Her death was regarded as a severe loss to the W. C. T. U., and me- morial services were held in her honor through- out the county.
JOHN CURRENT, a progressive and successful general merchant of Dunbridge, was born near Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio, January 16, 1845. His father, Thomas Current, was a native of Wheeling, Va., where he was reared on a farm. When a young man he removed with his parents to Sandusky county, and there carried on agri- cultural pursuits. He married Catherine Wash- burn, who was born in that county in 1838, and they became the parents of five children: Eliz- abeth, wife of William Parker: James, a member of Company A, ILIth O. V. I., who died in the army; John, subject of this sketch; Maria. wife of William Pero, of Toledo; and Thomas, who died in infancy. The mother of this family died in 1853, and the father afterward wedded Mary Scranton, of Sandusky county. They had two children, Thomas and Mary, both of whom are deceased. The father died in October, IS; I.
John Current attended the district scheols, and worked upon his father's farm until 1861. when, though only a boy of sixteen, he joined Company I, 57th O. V. I., under Capt. A. S. Skelton, and Col. William Mungen. From
Findlay the regiment went to Camp Vance, and thence proceeded to the front. On January 1. 1864, he re-enlisted at Larkinsville, Ala .. and was shortly afterward made a corporal. He acted as orderly for Gen. A. V. Rice, and when the latter was wounded at Vicksburg. Corpora! Current carried him off the field. Our subject was never absent from his regiment during his long service, except when wounded in the wrist at Dallas, Ga., which necessitated his being sent to the hospital at Nashville. Tenu. He partici-
-
-
-
MRS. CAROLINE CURRENT.
JOHN CURRENT.
591
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
pated in the battles of Shiloh, Yazoo River, and many other engagements. and received an honor- able discharge in August, 1865, and returned home.
Mr. Current continued his residence in San- dusky county until 1868, when he came to Wood county, and for twelve months worked by the month. He then rented a farm for a year, after- ward working a sawmill for a year, and subse- .quently renting the Ewing farm for two years. In 1874 he purchased forty acres of land near what is called Devil's Hole, Middleton township, which he cleared and operated for fifteen years, when he abandoned agricultural pursuits and came to Dunbridge, where he has since carried on general merchandising, meeting with excellent success. He is a wide-awake, progressive busi- ness man. strictly honorable in all his dealings, and these qualities, combined with a genial inan- ner, have enabled him to secure anextensive trade. He still retains the ownership of his farm, and operates it in connection with his mercantile in- terests.
Mr. Current was married at Bowling Green, in 1871, to Caroline Williams, who was born near Fremont, October 3, 1850, a daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Parker) Williams. Four chil- dren grace this union: Charles E., a dealer in stock; Maude D., who is engaged in school teaching; Grace, wife of George De Verna, a farmer of Perrysburg township; and Claude A., attending school. For five years Mr. Current has served as township trustee; was constable of Middleton township three years; school director a number of years; and a member of the town- ship board of education, which indicates the con- fidence and trust reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. In politics he is a Democrat; soci- ally he is connected with the Masonic Lodge at Bowling Green; Dunbridge Lodge, No. 786, I. O. O. F .; and Robert Stewart Post, G. A. R., of Dunbridge. He is also a member of the Grange, in which he has filled all the offices, and is justly numbered among the prominent and highly es- teemed citizens of his locality.
.
JOSEPH HOLLINGTON. The subject of this sketch has lived upon the site of the present city of Bowling Green longer than any other resident. Born in England May 21, 1824, he came to Plain township with his parents, in 1833, and has seen this spot redeemned from a trackless waste of for- est and swamp, and made the home of a progress- ive civilization, And in this change he has had his share of helpful work. He was one of the building committee of the old court honse, and
collected $12,000.00 for the enterprise. In the struggle for the county seat he took an active part, and, indeed, in every event of note in the history of the county, his name is enrolled among the participants.
His father, Joseph Hollington, was born in 1792 at Redditch, Worcestershire, England, then the leading manufacturing center for heedles. He was a candle-molder by trade, and retained the ownership of his shop after he came to Amer- ica. He married Mary Perry, by whom he had five children: Richard (born March, 1822, died 1893), a well-known resident of West Unity, Ohio; Joseph, our subject; Ambrose, a minister of the M. E. Church at Delaware, Ohio; Mary Ann. the widow of the late Octavius Walters, of Delta, Ohio, formerly member of the Legislature, and William, a prominent real-estate dealer in San Diego, Cal. Our subject's father took an active interest in the politics of his adopted country, and was an ardent Whig. He and his wife were members of the Church of England previous to their removal to America. He died in 1847, his wife in 1854, at the age of sixty.
Joseph Hollington was nearly ten years old when his parents came to Wood county. He . was married at twenty-four to Miss Elizabeth L. Lamb, who was born in New York State in IS29. They had three children: Mary E., who died when six years of age; Mary Ann, who died aged twenty-nine, and Maria, born January 29, 1852, who married W. H. Frederick, a native of Sen- eca county, Ohio, born May 3, 1845. Mr. Fred- erick was educated in the public schools of his birthplace, learned the trade of mason in early life, and in 1874 came to Bowling Green to en- gage in that business. He was a solcher during the Civil war, enlisting August 30, 1862, in Com- pany D, 49th O. V. I., which was attached to the army of the Cumberland. His chief battles were at Stone River, Liberty Gap and Chickamauga. In the last-mentioned engagement. September 19, 1863, he was severely wounded, and shortly after- ward received an honorable discharge. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of Wiley Post No. 46, G. A. R. Mr. Hollington is also a Republican, and before the war he was a Whig. and took an influential part in the local political movements of that time.
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.