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 71
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Our subject's father was married at his early home to Rosannah Weigle, also a native of Somerset county, born of German parents. In 1835 he came to Freinont, Ohio, in the spring of 1837 settling in Section 12, Montgomery town- ship, Wood county, and, being unable to buy, he rented a home, taking leases and clearing up land. He and his wife were devout members of the M. P. Church. In politics he was a Demno- crat previous to the Civil war, but he voted for Abraham Lincoln, and in the fall of 1861 enlisted in Company I, 72nd O. V. I. He took part in the battle of Shiloh, was taken sick, and died in April, 1862, his remains being interred in the vicinity of Pittsburg Landing. His widow passed away at the age of sixty-four years at the old home, and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Bradner. They had seven children: Catherine. wife of A. A. Jellison, of Wilson, Kans. : John, who died in 1866 in Montgomery township: Jacob, our subject; Elizabeth J., the widow of Henry Pope, of Risingsun; Rebecca, the widow of Morris Hill, of Bradner; Roena, who married William Brown, and died in Montgomery town- ship; and Daniel, a resident of Bradner.
Mr. Stahl attended the commnon schools of his day, and remained at home until his enlist- ment, September 10, 1861, in Company D, 3rd Ohio Cavalry. He was wounded in his first regu- lar battle, at Stone River, and after three months in hospital was discharged on account of disabil- ity, on April 2, 1863. He came home; but in February, 1864, when his regiment veteranized and reorganized, at Nashville, he rejoined his old company, and served until the close of the war. During the interval spent at home he bought his first piece of land, eighty acres in Richfield township, Henry Co., Ohio, but he never lived there. On March 6, 1864, he mar- ried Miss S. Caroline Lamb, a native of Franklin county, Vt., born February 10, iS41, the daugh- ter of George W. and Sarah K. (Durkee) Lamb, who came to Wood county about 1852, and are now living in Montgomery township. Mrs. Stahl taught school in Wood and Sandusky counties previous to her marriage. One child was born of this union-Pearl A. M., who is at home.
In the fall of 1865 Mr. Stahl purchased forty acres of partially cleared land, with log build- ings, in Section 24, Montgomery township, in- curring a debt of $500. Since that time he has bought and sold extensively, and at present he owns 200 acres in this county, and some in Min- nesota. His oil interests are very valuable, and he is the founder of the Pearl Oil Co. His in- fluence is felt in various lines of effort, and his
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advice and opinion are often sought upon impor- tant questions. He has served two terms as township trustee, and in 1887 was elected to the office of county commissioner, which he held for six years. He belongs to Randall Post, G. A. R., at Prairie Depot, of which he was a charter mem- ber, and he is a leading member of the Christian Church, having been an elder therein for twenty- seven years. Mr. Stahl's competence was not acquired by self-denial; he lives well, and his Pennsylvania-German descent is shown in his unbounded hospitality, for no man ever turned away from his home hungry. Kind-hearted and generous, he has many friends, and his help is given readily to any worthy public inove- ment. His home is a most pleasant one. His
reading shows an intellectual activity far beyond that of the average man, and he keeps well abreast of the advancing tide of thought. He has a good memory, and, considering his years and his abundant labors, both in war and in peace, he is remarkably well preserved.
LOUIS MYERS, a prominent agriculturist of Center township, was born May 14, 1845, in Baden, Germany. His father, Fredline Myers, was a native of the same province, born De- cember 20, 1799. He married Mary Gross, and had five children: Rosa, deceased; Caroline, the wife of John Nagel: Clara, deceased, former- ly the wife of Leonard Smith; Lewis, our subject, and Wilhelmina, deceased.
The subject of this sketch was educated in Germany, and was trained in early life to his chosen occupation upon his father's farm. He served in the German army two years, taking part in the war between Prussia and Austria in 1866, and in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. He was married in 1868 to Theresia Schauble, who was born July 14, 1847. They had thirteen children, of whom the three eldest were born in Germany, and are now farmers in Center town- ship. The names with dates of birth are as fol- lows: Joseph, July 9, 1869; Frederick, March 10, 1871; Lonis, December 14, 1872; Martin, No- vember 11, 1875; Mary, March 18, 1877; Rosa, January 24, 1879; Julius, April IT, ISSt; Will- iam F., February 12, 1883; George L., January 5, 1885; Clara, November 16, 1888; August M .. September 26, 1891, and two who died in in- fancy.
In 1873 Mr. Myers came to this country and located at Tiffin, Ohio. His mother had died in 1847, and his father accompanied him to his new home, and died there in 1879. In 1882 Mr. Myers moved to Hancock county, where he re-
mained until 1885, when he came to Wood county and rented a farm of 160 acres in Center township, which he still operates. He has also bought eighty acres near by, the greater part be- ing improved. With the help of his sons, he has brought the entire tract under cultivation, making one of the finest farins in the township. He is enterprising and progressive, and stands high in the regard of the community. He has at times taken an active part in local affairs, and has been school director and township supervisor. In pol- itics he is a Democrat, and he and his family are Jeading members of the Roman Catholic Church at Bowling Green.
EBENEZER DONALDSON, one of the most prom- inent residents of Grand Rapids, and known throughout the community as " Squire Donald- son," is a descendant of a family which became distinguished for valor and ability in Colonial times, and has always held an honored place in the history of this country.
The first of the family in this country was Jacob Donaldson, who was born in Scotland, and came to America in 1730. He settled in eastern Pennsylvania, but was killed, in 1756, by the In- dians, in the French-Indian war, while he was striving, as a settler on the frontier of his day, to extend the limits of civilization. He had three daughters and two sons, Isaac, and Ebenezer. the former of whom married Martha Reynolds, and a few years later removed with his growing family to Indiana county, Penn., taking up a tract of government land, and entering vigorous- ly upon its improvement. While living there, in 1780, Isaac, in company with a Mr. Barnhill, was returning from a visit to a neighbor, when they were pursued by Indians, and Mr. Barnhill was captured. Mr. Donaldson outran the In- dians, but was shot by one of the savages lying under the fence not far from the house, and scalped and tomahawked.
Ebenezer R. Donaldson, son of Isaac Donald- son, grandfather of our subject, moved from Pennsylvania, where he was born, to Harrison county, Ohio, in ISto, and later to Perry county where he spent the remainder of his life. He inarried Rebecca Hillis, and had children as fol- lows : Matthew, James, Elizabeth. Rebecca. John, Sarah, and Mary. James Donaldson, our subject's father, was born in Washington county, Penn., May 5, 1803, and was married in Perry county, in 1824, to Miss Anna Pugh. a native of Wood county, Va., born June 11, 1804. He settled first in Perry county, but later entered eighty acres of land in Weston township, Wood
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county, where he became a leading farmer. In politics he was in early life a Democrat, but afterward adopted the faith of the Whigs, and, on the struggle over the slavery question, he be- came a Republican. He and his wife were prom- inent Methodists of their locality. She departed this life February 18, ISSI, her husband follow- ing her to the grave March 27, 1886. They had four children : Alexander P., born September 17, 1825, was a private in the famous 49th O. V. I., and was killed May 27, 1864, in the battle of . Pickett's Mills; Ebenezer, our subject; David, born in 1829, is a civil engineer and surveyor, well-known in Wood county, and now resides in San Antonio, Texas; Colin, the youngest child, died in infancy.
Ebenezer Donaldson, the subject proper of these lines, first saw the light in Perry county, September 8, 1826, but his parents came to Wood county during his boyhood, and his edu- cation was obtained here, his first school being in an old log cabin on Beaver creek owned by Alex- ander Pugh. Reared upon a farm. he followed agriculture in early manhood. He was married in 1849 to his first wife, Miss Anna C. Dubbs, a native of Wayne county, born November 1, 1824, and settled upon a farm in Weston township, re- moving in 1854 to Washington township, where he remained until 1873 when he came to Grand Rapids. Six children were born of his first mar- riage. (1) Mary E., born in 1852, married W. A. Watson, and has had nine children-Alexander, Lowell, Myrtle, Donald, Richard, Stanley, Florence, Arthur and Margaret. (2) Stella, born in 1854, married Paul V. Palmer, of Adams township, Lucas county, and has three children -Carleton, Florence and Raymond. (3) Florence, twin sister of Steila, born in 1854, married V. H. Richards, of Wood county. (4) Olive, born June 5, 1860, is a teacher in the Sisters' Select School at Toledo. (5) Carrie, born October 20, 1863, married W. W. Edwards, a banker, of Leipsic, Ohio, and has two children-Ruth and Katharine. (6) Alexander, born December 30, 1865, now a resident of Henry county, married, and has two children-Annie and Ebenezer John The mother of this family died February 24, 1887, and our subject in 1888 married the widow of Col. S. H. Steedman.
For a few years after coming to Grand Rapids "Squire Donaldson " was engaged in farming exclusively; but, in 1881, he was appointed post- master at the place, in which incumbency he served some four years. He is a man whose sterling qualities command the confidence and esteem of his acquaintances; he has been a justice
of the peace at intervals for many years, his first election to the office being in 1876. Since 1892 he has held the office without interruption. He is one of the honored ex-soldiers of the Union, having enlisted in 1861, and serving three years in Company H, 21st O. V. I., as a sergeant attached to the army of the West. His chief battles were the engagements at Jonesboro, and on the Chattahoochee River. He is a member of Bond Post No. 24, G. A. R. Politically he is a Republican, but in early years he was a Whig. and his first vote was cast for Zachary Taylor. For nearly half a century he has been a member of the M. E. Church, and he has often shown his sympathy with the best interests of the community by his advocacy of progressive measures.
HENRY R. LONGACRE, a prosperous agricult- urist of Portage township, is a native of the Key- stone State, born December 12, 1836. in Skip- back township, Montgomery county, son of John and Catherine (Reed) Longacre.
John Longacre was born February 2, 1815, and was married in Pennsylvania to Catherine Reed, who was born May 23, ISII. When a boy he learned the miller's trade, which he fol- lowed, for the most part, during his earlier years, and, in about 1837, he came to Columbiana coun- ty, Ohio, where he operated a mill for some years. Later he moved with his family to Alli- ance, Stark county, where he ran a mill for John Miller, and, when our subject was about twelve years old, the family came to Wood county, set- tling on a farm in Bloom township. The father purchased forty acres of land here, of which six acres were cleared, and a log stable and log dwell- ing house were the only improvements. Mr. Longacre's capital was limited, and by the time he had paid for his land, and bought a yoke of oxen, his funds were exhausted. He lived on this place the remainder of his active life, becoming a prosperous man, and during his later years, lived retired in West Millgrove, where he died March 26, 1894, at the age of seventy-nine years: his wife preceded him to the grave, dying in Bloom township, August 26, 1880, aged sixty- nine years. They were the parents of the follow- ing named children: Henry R. : Mary A., who died young: William, who became a member of the 57th O. V. I., and died in hospital at Pitts- burg Landing; Sarah J., of West Millgrove; Abraham, of Fostoria, Ohio; and John who died December 30, 1850, in infancy.
While living in eastern Ohio, our subject had the advantages of pretty fair schools; but he at- tended little after the family removed to Wood
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county. He had a thorough training to agricult- ure on the pioneer farm; but he also worked at the carpenter's trade to some extent, having picked up a knowledge of that business himself, for he was a natural mechanic. At the time of his marriage he rented a farm in Montgomery township, and being the possessor of a team and a few farming implements, he farmed here for two years, at the end of that time purchasing and removing to a farm in Section 36, Portage township, which then comprised twenty-five acres. He was obliged to go in debt for this, and they began life here in an old log house. Only a few acres of this land were cleared, and he had a difficult task before him; yet he not only succeeded in clearing this tract, but also added to it, until he is now the owner of sixty acres of good land. He has a good residence, barn and outbuildings, and has done most of the carpenter work about the place himself, saving many a dol- lar in this way. By industry and good manage- ment, he has acquired a comfortable property, of which he may well be proud.
On March IS, 1866, Mr. Longacre was mar- ried, in Portage township, to Miss Fannie Zieg- ler, who was born May 29, 1836, in Venango county, Penn., daughter of George and Catherine (Murray) Ziegler. The father was a farmer, and when Mrs. Longacre was eight years old the family came to Ohio, settling in Ashland county, where he rented a farm, having met with reverses in Pennsylvania which placed him in limited cir- cuinstances. On the breaking out of the Civil war they came to Wood county, and they both died in Portage township, the mother surviving the father eleven years, and passing her last years with her daughter, Mrs. Longacre. To our sub- ject and wife have come children as follows: Eliza, Mrs. Calvin Myers, of Perry township; Mary, Mrs. F. B. Adams, of Portage township; Perry H., at home; John, who died at the age of two years; Ella, at home, and George I., at home. Mrs. Longacre is a member of the Meth- odist Church. In politics Mr. Longacre is, like his father, a Democrat, and has served as school director and supervisor of his township; but he gives little time to public matters, attending strictly to his agricultural affairs.
FREDERICK BOWER. Like many of Wood county's best citizens, the subject of this biog- raphy is of German birth, and his successful career bas given proof that he possesses in abundant measure the intelligence, public-spirit and admirable business qualifications which dis- tinguish his race. A leading resident of Rising-
sun, Montgomery township, he is widely and favorably known, and his influence is a helpful factor in every advance movement in his locality.
The family home for many generations has been Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, and John P. Bower, the father, was a native of that Duchy, born October 14, 1790; was a man of limited means, supporting his family by his daily wages at the stone-mason trade. Three years of his early manhood were spent in military service. He accompanied the army of Napoloen in Russia, as a cavalryman, going as far as Moscow, and suffering untold hardships from the intense cold, one side of his face being frozen badly. Later he served in the German army when it was a foe instead of an ally of Napoleon. He often told to his son stories of the retreat from Russia, and the agonies endured by the heroes of that disastrous campaign.
After the expiration of his term of service, he married Miss Regina Stondinger, who was born September 25. 1796, and afterward, in 1847, they emigrated to America, bringing with them such goods and chattels as might be needed in this country. They sailed from Antwerp on the "Globe Richmond, " and after fifty-two days ar- rived in New York, having only a five-franc piece left when they landed; but kind friends helped them to reach their destination in York county. Penn., where they made their home for more than ten years. The father followed his trade most of the time, and as he was very industrious, scrupulously honest and a thoroughly skilled me- chanic, he succeeded in gaining a foothold, and soon bought twenty acres of timber land.
Frederick Bower, son of the above, was born October 13, 1833, and as he was about fourteen years old when he came to America, he had al- ready received good educational advantages in his native land. He continued his studies in the schools of eastern Pennsylvania, making such rapid progress that at an early age he was com- petent to teach. This profession he followed for several years, $20 a month, without board, being considered good wages at that day. He used to walk three miles each day to reach his school. His mental abilities would have won him a high place in any profession had he gone on with his education, but circumstances were not favorable, and the comfort of his parents was his chief care. He worked at the carpenter's trade for some years, although he had never served an appren- ticeship, his natural mechanical ability enabling him to adapt himself to it readily. Of the twelve children of his parents, lie was the only one to live to adult age, and he became their mainstay.
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On April 18, 1856, Mr. Bower was married in York county, Penn., to Miss Mary Stump, who was born May 27, 1837, in Baltimore county, Md., a daughter of Daniel Stump, who later removed to Wood county, and died in Mont- gomery township. After his marriage our sub- ject continued to reside with his parents, and in the spring of 1858 the entire family came to this county, the journey to Fremont, Ohio, being made by rail. From that point they made their way over rough wagon roads to Montgomery township, where they bought eighty acres of land in Section 27; it was in a primitive condition, and their cabin of hewed logs was of the true pioneer sort. The father did not live long to en- joy the comforts which they began to gain by their united efforts. He was a man of medium height and build, and was active until a short time before his death. He possessed more than average mental ability, and was so upright in his dealings that no one ever suspected him of doing a wrong. His wife was a small woman, but a very industrious one, and her efforts were a great help to him. Both were devout members of the Lutheran Church, and held the esteem of every one who knew them. On November 10, 1860, the father breathed his last, and his faithful help- meet followed him September 14, 1865, the mor- tal remains of both being consigned to the grave in the cemetery near Bradner.
The task of beginning life in the wild woods, as Mr. Bower did, is one of which his posterity will never have a practical idea. The finances of the family were low at the time, and in order to secure food they made haste to plant crops, but the first year brought poor returns for their labor. The second year promised better, and in June they had a fine field of wheat just begin- ning to ripen, when the great hail-storm, which marked that month, laid the entire crop low, to- gether with all their vegetables. This storm wronght destruction throughout the county, but it did not represent to many the suffering which it caused the Bower family under the circum- stances. Any human being would have been discouraged, and they certainly were; but they bravely went to work to make the best of it. Our subject followed farming exclusively until 1872, when he engaged in the sawmill business, with which he has been connected ever since, sometimes in partnership, and again on his own account. For several years past he has been the sole proprietor of his business, an 1 in 1895 he erected his present substantial sawmill, which employs from ten to fifteen men. In his career as a lumber dealer he has dispensed thousands
and thousands of dollars for labor and timber. and he is familiar with every detail of the milling and planing business, whether it is buying large tracts of standing timber or the actual toil of the mills. As a business man he is noted for shrewd- ness and foresight-in fact, some less discerning persons have predicted failure for his ventures at times, but they always turn out satisfactorily. He also has valuable oil interests, and operates portions of his own land.
His home is a pleasant one, the farin of sixty acres being a part of the land which he helped to redeem from the wilderness, and every improve- ment represents the labor or oversight of some member of the family. Of fourteen children, all are living except one, and a brief record of them is as follows: (1) John P., a sawmill owner, of Portage township, is married, and has one child; (2) Elizabeth, now Mrs. John Har- mon, of Prairie Depot, has one son; (3) William lives in Lorain, Ohio, and has been for several years employed as a lineman by the N. Y. C. & St. L. Ry. Co. ; (4) Adam F., a sawmill owner, of Portage township, is married, and has two sons and two daughters; (5) Eliza (Mrs. Harry Blackman, of Perry township), has two sons and one daughter; (6) Lavina is at home; (7) Martin L. died in infancy; (8) Albert J., and (9) Daniel WV. are partners in the sawmill business, in Perry township; and the others -- (10) Charles H., (II) May, (12) Frank, (13) George, and (14) Angie, are all at home. This forms a family of which any parent might well feel proud. The sons have made good use of the assistance given by their father toward their start in life, and are steady-going and prosperous, while the daughters are accomplished and womanly, the older ones being established in good homes.
Mr. Bower is intelligent and fond of reading, and is well-informed upon subjects which an or- dinary mind would take no interest in. His memory is excellent, and the observations of his long life make his conversation both entertaining and instructive. In his locality his influence is widely recognized, and he has the respect of all who know him at all, and the friendship of those who know him well. He is strictly temperate in his habits, having never used liquor or tobacco in any form. A Democrat on national issues, he is willing to support a good and competent candi- date in local politics without regard to party lines, and no one stands higher in the confidence of the independent voting public than he. While living in a Republican stronghold, he has been elected justice of the peace by a plurality of one hundred on the other side, and defeating one of
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the best men in the township. He has also served creditably as township trustee, and was school director in District No. 5 for years. Of the Lutheran Church he is a leading adherent, and was a charter member of Onward Lodge No. 329, K. of P. at Risingsun, in which he has held various offices, and has also been chosen as rep- resentative of the Grand Lodge. Six of his sons, now of age, are members of the same Order.
W. SWARTZ. As a representative of the in- telligent and hardy pioncers who opened up Perry township for settlement, and have since taken a conspicuous part in developing that region, we are pleased to place in this volume a brief sketch of the life of the gentleman whose name stands at the beginning of this notice. The place of his nativity is Rockingham county, Va., and the date of his birth is January 29, 1826. When but a child he removed to Hampshire county, W. Va., with his parents, Christopher and Mary (Burger) Swartz. There the father bought land, but, unfortunately the title was defective, and he lost everything. By trade he was a carpenter, and, in 1853, he removed to Seneca county, Ohio, where he rented land until coming to Mil- ton township, Wood county. In that township he and his wife made their home with their sons -Levi, Isaac and Jacob-until they were called from this life, the father at the age of seventy- six, and the mother when seventy-five years old. In the family were the following children: Eliz- abeth, who first wedded Wilson Messick, but is now the widow of Jacob Oates, of Hampshire county, W. Va .; Mary A., who was the wife of Samuel Park, and died in Crawford county, Ohio; Jesse, the first son of the family to come to this State, who died in Highland county sev- eral years ago; John, of Hampshire county, W. Va .; Esther, who wedded John Rodeffer, and died in Hampshire county; our subject, who is next in order of birth; Samnel, of Hampshire county; Sarah, now Mrs. Josiah Hall, of Perry township, Wood county; Frances, wife of Hiram Hunter, of Plain township, Wood county; Bar- bara, wife of Hunter Robinson, of Henry county, Ohio; Isaac W., of Milton township; Jacob, a farmer of the same township; and Caro- line, who married Hiram Hunter, and died in Milton township.
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