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. 3 > Part 92
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1849
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
marriage was celebrated May 10, 1838, and in 1854 they emigrated to America. After residing in Washington township, Lucas county, for some time, they became residents of Ross town- ship, this county, and upon his farm here the father died May S, ISSI; the mother passed away September 15, 1893. In their family were six children-George, born March 18, 1839, died in England in 1840; Emanuel, born May 14, 1841, died in England, in January, 1842; Alfred, born November 11, 1842, died in Ross township, in August, 1868; George, of this sketch; Maria, born in August, 1848, died in Ross town- ship, October 25, 1868; and Frederick, born September 27, 1852, died in England in 1853.
George Whitmill was nine years of age when he left his native land, sailing from London, and after a voyage of six weeks, the vessel dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. His first home in this country was near Toledo, Ohio, where he attended school, and during his younger years he engaged in gardening. He continued always to follow agricultural pursuits, which he thoroughly understood.
In what was then Perrysburg township, but is now Ross township, on December 24, 1866, Mr. Whitmill led to the marriage altar Miss Josephine H. Christopher, who was born in Norway, and was a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Chris- topher also natives of that land. On coming to the New World they located at Ypsilanti, Mich., where the father worked as a carpenter and there died. His wife passed away at Saginaw, Mich., in 1893. The death of Mrs. Whitmill occurred September 14, 1875. By her marriage to our subject 'she became the mother of three chil- dren+-Florence A., born October 5, 1867, is the "Wife of F. L. Steen, of Cummings, Lake .township, Wood county; Mary M., born May 5, ASyo, flied May 17, 1871; and Clarence F., borul May 1, 1875, died September 1, following. In L'afcas county, Mr. Whitmill was again married "March 10, 1877, his second union being with Rose Munday, a native of England, where her parents, William and Elizabeth (Stofford) Mun- Hay, were also born, but now make their home in Oregon township, Lucas county. Two chil- dren graced the second inion-William, born -March 25, 1879; and Edna, born September 26, 1887.
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Upon his forty-acre farm in Ross township, Mr. Whitmill engaged in general farming, until his death. He assisted in organizing the town- ship, and there cast his first vote. He affiliated with the Republican party, for two terms served as treasurer of the township, and had also been
constable. He was ever an earnest worker in the interests of the community in which he lived, and occupied a very prominent place in the opinion of his neighbors.
D. J. CARGO, ticket and freight agent of the T. & O. C. railroad: address No. 309 Madison street, Toledo, Ohio.
JOHN SHIPLE, a farmer of Middleton town- ship, was born August 25, 1855, in the county which is still his home, and is a son of Sabastin Shiple, sketch of whom appears in that of G. A. Shiple. He attended the public schools of Middle- ton township, and worked upon his father's farm through the days of his boyhood and youth, thus becoming familiar with agricultural pursuits in in all departments. In 18So, he removed from the old homestead to the farm, which comprises forty acres of good land, on which have been made excellent improvements; it has been tiled and drained, and on it has been erected a sub- stantial barn for the care of stock-the work of development and cultivation having been carried forward until it is now one of the finest farms in Middleton township.
Mr. Shiple was married in Middleton town- ship, in 1880, to Barbara Dreps, a daughter of Joseph Dreps, who died November 2, 1895. Four children now grace their union, namely; Clara, Minnie, Bernard and Bertie. In his po- litical views Mr. Shiple is a stalwart Democrat, and his religious connection is with the Catholic Church. He is an enterprising and progressive farmer, genial in disposition, and in the com- munity in which he has so long made his home, has many warin friends.
H. W. LE GALLEY, D. D. S., who is one of the leading dentists of Wood county, and a highly esteemed resident of Bowling Green, was born near that city, August 20, 1862. Ile is the son of A. H. and Mary S. (White) Le Galley.
The grandfather of our subject, William Le- Galley, came to Wood county, from Huron coun- ty, Ohio, in 1853, and purchased 220 acres of land in Plain township, which is now one of the principal gas and oil fields in the county, and where he is still living at a good old age, having been born in 1815. His parents were of French extraction, and died near Sandusky City when William was quite young. He was apprenticed to the tanner's trade with at man by the name of Terry, whose daughter, Maria, he afterward mar. ried. They had six children, namely : Fannic. who died in childhood: Myron, a farmer near
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WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
Bowling Green; J. H., the father of our subject: William T., residing near Bowling Green; Celia, who lives with her parents; and Charles, who is still at home.
The father of our subject was born in 1838, and was seventeen years of age when his father came to this county. He was married to Mary White, who was born in Erie county, Ohio, in IS41, and settled at once on a farmi in Plain township, where the family have lived ever since. He has three oil wells on his farm, which is ad- joining that of his father, and from which he derives a good income. He is a stanch Demo- crat, an ardent temperance man, and a member of the Baptist Church. The paternal family consists of three sons: Henry W .; Marion E. ; and Myron E., who is in the Dental College at Indianapolis, Ind. These sons are of the same political and religious belief as their father, and are worthy representatives of the good old stock from which they sprang.
Dr. Le Galley has spent his entire life in his native town, where he attended the public schools; he began the study of dentistry in ISS5, and, after obtaining his diploma, located in Bowl- ing Green in the month of July, 1887. He is a self-made man, and has become an expert den -. tal surgeon. He looks after the care and com- fort of his patients by making all operations painless, as near as it is possible to do so. He is the first dentist in the county to make use of "Cataphoric Appliance " (an electric current) for the painless filling of teeth. There are hundreds of people throughout Wood county who testify to the merits of the Doctor's professional ability, and as being thoroughly up to date in his methods of work. His wife is a valued assistant in the operating room, and is becoming an apt worker in the gold crown and bridge work department of the office. . They are very popular, not only with their patients, but with the public generally, and hold a high position socially.
The Doctor and his esteemed family, con- sisting of his wife, and their charming daughter, Alma, take an active part in Church and Sunday- school work in the Baptist Chutch, and give lib- erally of their means to the maintenance of or- ganizations that are founded upon the idea of the uplifting of humanity, and they have a host of friends among the people of the county. Fra- ternally, the Doctor is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
C. A. COOPER, who ranks among the ener- getic, self-made young farmers of Portage town- ship, was born June 17, ISGI, in Jackson town-
ship. Hancock Co., Ohio, son of Henry and Rachel (Wolfgale) Cooper. The father was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Fairfield county, Ohio, with his parents, who subsequently re- turned to Pennsylvania. Henry removed to Hancock county, entering land in Jackson town- ship, where he passed the remainder of his days, dying when our subject was fourteen years old. He was twice married, and had fifteen children. our subject being born to the second union; his widowed mother makes her home in Van Wert county, Ohio.
Our subject attended the district schools of his day, and was reared to farming life. He started in life with no capital but willing hands and a determination to succeed, and by industry and.careful management he has acquired a com- fortable property. On April 1, 1887, he came to Portage township, Wood county, buying the sixty-acre farm in Section 25 which he now owns and lives upon, and which he had placed under a good state of cultivation. Though obliged to go in debt for this land, he is now in independent circumstances, and is known as one of the sub- stantial men of his neighborhood. He is every- where respected for his integrity and many sterl- ing qualities, as well as his ability as an agricult- urist. On January 13, 1887, he was married. in Wyandot county, Ohio, to Miss Della Riter, who was born in that county June 19, 1865, daughter of Jacob Riter, a well-to-do German farmer. Two children have blessed this union: Bessie, born March 4, 1888, and Theodore, born May 19, 1893. Mr. Cooper is a stanch Republican in political faith, and is interested in the success of his party, though not active in party affairs.
ORRIN GOODELL is numbered among the en- terprising and thorough-going farmers of Troy township, residing in Section 28, where he has now made his home for over forty years, during which time he has aided in the growth and de- velopment of his locality. He is a native of Huron county, Ohio, born in Townsend town- ship, in 1844, and is a son of Cyrenius and Lu- cretia (Studley) Goodell, both of whom were born in New York. When a boy the former ac- companied his father, David Goodell, to Huron county, and there the grandfather worked at his trade of a shoemaker at an early day, and also opened up a farm. In Huron county the parents of our subject were married, and in 1855 they brought their family to Troy township. Wood county, where the father purchased the farm of a Mr. Phillips, on which Orrin now resides. His death occurred near Bowling Green, Ohio, in
1851
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
1883, and his wife passed away near Dunbridge, Ohio, in August, 1894. In political sentiment he was a strong Republican, and became one of the prominent early settlers of Troy township. Our subject is the eldest in the family of five children, and was followed by Marion, a resident of Webster township, Wood county; Jane, wife of Henry Sternaman, of Middleton township, this county; John, who makes his home in Dun- bridge, Ohio; aud Albert, of Bowling Green. The paternal grandfather, spent his last days in Huron county, his widow then making her home with her children; she passed away in Richland county, Ohio.
The education of Orrin Goodell was begun in Huron county, but at the age of eleven years he was brought to Troy township, where he com- pleted his literary training. He early began to assist in the work on the home farm, and has since devoted his attention to agricultural pur- suits with good success. He owns the old home- stead, comprising sixty-seven acres of valuable land, pleasantly situated, and adjoining the vil- lage of Luckey. In the development and prog- ress of the county he has taken an active part, and by his sagacity and foresight, while contrib- uting to the welfare of his native State, he has been enabled to accumulate a comfortable com- petence. He takes quite an interest in political affairs, and casts his ballot with the Republican party. In June, 1865, in Troy township, he married Miss Celestia Williamson, a native of that township, and a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Sternaman) Williamson. Her father was born. in New York, whence he removed to eastern Ohio, later coming to Wood county, but his last days were passed in Iowa, where he died. His wife was called from this earth while in Webster township, Wood county, in 1853. Three children grace the union of our subject and his wife: Sanford married Miss Helen Banks, a native of Webster township, who before her marriage was engaged in teaching in Wood county; Cyrenius is still with his parents; and Myrt is attending school.
CONRAD SHEFLER, a retired farmer of Mont- gomery township; post office, Risingsun, Ohio.
J. W. FRY, a thorough-going, energetic farin- er of Portage township, is a native of Ohio. born January 16, 1855, in Mahoning county, a son of Jonas and Elizabeth (Greenawalt) Fry, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere.
teacher. He was trained to agriculture on the home farm, where he remained with his parents the greater part of the time until bis marriage. Previously he had purchased forty acres of land in Bloom township, but never lived on it, and shortly after his marriage he sold it, and rented a farm in Perry township for six years. On No- vember 29, 1887, he removed to the farm of 160 acres in Section 36, Portage township, which he still occupies, and which he has since given all his time and attention to, improving it in many ways. In 1892, he erected a fine barn, 40 X70 feet in dimensions, and remodelled his residence. and he now has a most comfortable home, of which he may well be proud, his fine property having "been all acquired by his own efforts. He has been very successful, and his prosperity is well deserved, being the result of industry and careful management.
On October 23, 1881, Mr. Fry was united in marriage, in Bairdstown, Ohio, with Charlotte E. Graham, who was born June 9, 1858, daugh- ter of Adam Graham, of Montgomery, Wood county, and six children were born to thein, as follows: Bert Clyde, who lives at home; Frankie F., who died in infancy; Minnie E., a very bright child, who died when four years old; Lottie Hazel; Flora G., who died in infancy, and John H. Mrs. Fry was called from earth April 5, 1894. dying very suddenly, and was buried in Millgrove cemetery. Mr. Fry is a Democrat, but gives no time to politics beyond going to the polls and casting his vote, preferring to devote himself en- tirely to his business affairs.
J. H. WIIITKER, one of the best-known and most prosperous farmers in Weston township, was born in Freedom township, Wood county, November 7, 1845. His parents, Ernest and Elizabeth (Bullmar) Whitker, were natives of Holland, where they were married, and later they came to the United States. To their union eight children were born, of whom the fol- lowing record is given: Caroline is the wife of Fred Tickets, a member of the sanitary police force at Toledo, Ohio; John H. is our subject ; Fred is a manufacturer in Toledo; Mary is now Mrs. Delmar, of Toledo; William, resides in Freedom township; Ed is a partner with his brother Fred, in Toledo; Lizzie died in youth: Lizzie (and) is the wife of William Brewer. a jeweler, in Toledo. The father owned a faras of eighty acres, which he cultivated, and was also engaged in teaching. He died of cholera, and
During his boyhood, our subject attended : his wife took the school, which she taught for school at Bloom Center, Delilah Bailey being his i some years. She died when seventy-two years of
1852
WOOD COUNTY, CHIO.
age. William, the brother of our subject, cleared up the farm which his father owned. and is now the possessor of it.
Our subject, after the death of his father, made his home with an uncle until he was fifteen years old, when he went to Toledo to work in the grocery store of another uncle. . He remained there for three years, and then worked on the Wabash railroad for a year and a half. The Civil war breaking out about this time, his patriotic impulses led him to offer his services to his country, and he enlisted in the 14th O. V. I., under Col. Steedman, later becoming a member of Company G, 130th O. V. I., enlisting at Toledo. His regiment was attached to the 10th Army Corps, and he participated in all the bat- tles in which it was engaged. He was honorably discharged at Toledo in the fall of 1864. After returning to the peaceful pursuits of life, Mr. Whitker was for some time engaged in the tobacco business in Toledo, and in 1866 became associated with Mr. Keel, shortly afterward buy- ing out the interest of that gentleman, and carry- ing on the business himself for about two years. He then sold out, and, in connection with A. J. Richard, bought a sawmill, which he operated for two years. He then took up the construction of railroads, building nine miles of the Pennsyl- vania, nine miles of the Baltimore & Ohio, seven miles of the Nickel Plate, and also some of the Coldwater railway. He also took some extensive ditch contracts in Wood county, building most of the Weston cut-off, and having an $18,000-con- tract on the Jackson cut-off. In 1887 Mr. Whit- ker removed to Weston township, and purchased the farm of eighty acres on which he now resides. On this he has made extensive and valuable im- provements in the way of building, ditching, draining, etc. In the fall of 1891 he suffered a severe loss by fire, his barn and a large amount of grain, stock and machinery being destroyed. valued at $3,000, on which he had no insurance.
On January 2, 1866, Mr. Whitker was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Matzinger, a native of Switzerland, and nine children have blessed their union, their names and dates of birth being as follows: F. E., born November 2, 1867, is a member of the firm of Bankey & Whitker, the leading grocery men of Bowling Green, and of the county; L. E, who was born March 11, 1868, is a prominent teacher of music; John W., born June 28, 18to, is in the hardware business in Toledo; Maggie C., born April 3. 1872; Mary A., born February 3, 1874; Mertic A., born September 18, 1877, died when twelve years old; Henry, born December 25, 1880; |
Anna May, born September 5, 1882; and Alice A., born April 30, 1887. In politics, Mr. Whit- ker. was formerly a Democrat, but is now ? Populist, and was nominated for the office of county commissioner on that ticket. He is a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. He has held the offices of secretary and treas- urer, and master of the Grange, of which he is a member, and also commander of Neibling Post, G. A. R., at Weston. A genial, courteous man, he owes all he possesses to his own industry, energy and perseverance, and is highly esteemed by all who know him.
W. H. DENNIS, a farmer residing in Liberty township; post office, Weston, Ohio.
HENRY P. MEYER is one of the progressive and enterprising business men of Wood county, and, for some time, has been prominently con- nected with the development and progress of his locality, and from a humble position has worked his way steadily upward until he now ranks among the substantial citizens of the community. He was born in Soltau, Hanover, Prussia, Sep- tember 23, 1854, and is a son of Henry Meyer, a farmer by occupation, who, in June, 1871, died in the village of Hemsen, where he had spent his entire life. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Anna Bartols, died there in 1868. The eldest of their children was a farmer, and died at the age of thirty-eight; Christian is a farmer of Henry county, Ohio: Frederick died in Findlay, Ohio, in 1891; William is a farmer of Paulding county, Ohio; and Henry P. is our subject.
Our subject attended school in his native land until fourteen years of age, and out of school hours engaged in work to provide for his own sup- port. His first occupation was tending geese, aft- erward working as a cowboy, and, later, as a shepherd. After leaving school he was employed as a shepherd for $14 per year, his board and a suit of homespun clothes. He learned the trade of knitting when a mere boy, and has always led an industrious life. He determined to save enough money to reach America, but as he was old enough to enter the German army, he did not dare let his plans be known. For eight months prior to sailing he worked on a railroad: then sold the thirteen sheep which he had man- aged to acquire, and with his earnings had alto- gether some $84. His brother drew the money for him from the bank, at which time his trunk was packed and all preparations male for the journey. On foot he traveled to Soltau June S. 1873, and took a train for Bremen. After some
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1853
WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
delay, he finally sailed on the steamer "City of Bremen," which carried 1, 700 passengers, and on the 3rd of July, reached New York. Arriving at Findlay, Ohio, he had remaining a cash cap- ital of $11. From there he went to Van Buren, Hancock county, where for eight years and four months he was employed as a hand on the Hunt- ington farm in Allen township. He worked al- most day and night, and within three months saved $100. On January 13, 1875, he made his first purchase of land, comprising forty acres, to which he added another forty acres in 1876. In the winter of 1877 he left his work in Hancock county, and came to his farm, where he sawed logs, living in a dilapidated shanty. The winter was one of untold hardships, but he made con- siderable progress toward clearing his land, on which he made a permanent location in the spring of 18SI.
In October, 1882, in North Baltimore, Mr. Meyer married Clara L. Carr, who was born in Hancock county, in 1857. Their children are Jennie A., Frank Elmer, Orma Mary, Ivan Em- met and Edwin. At the time of their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Meyer located on the farm where they have since resided. He now owns 160 acres, and his wife eighty acres, and they have consid- erable property in Findlay. He has developed a. stone quarry on his farm, has built a limekiln there, and has become interested in the lumber business. In the fall of 1890 he erected a sub- stantial and commodious residence upon his place. He certainly deserves great credit for his success in life, and his prosperity is justly merited. In politics he is a Democrat, and has served as school director.
G. W. HILL, deceased, late assessor of the First ward, of Bowling Green, and general agent in this county for the Globe Building & Loan Association, of Columbus, Ohio, was born in Stark county, Ohio, May 11, 1834.
His grandfather, William Hill, came from England over a hundred years ago, and was killed during the war of 1812. His father, Will- iam Hill, was born in Virginia in 1790, and came to Milton Center, Wood county, in 1835, where he located on government land. He was twice married, and by the first marriage was born one child, David, now deceased. For his second wife he married Miss Mary Fox, who was born January 2, 1794. He died in 1852, and she sur- vived him twenty-four years. Eleven children were born of this union: Michael, William and John died in childhood; Susannah (deceased) was formerly the wife of Stewart Wilcox;
James W., and Matthew are also deceased; Eliza is the wife of Robert Stewart, of Bowling Green; Thomas is deceased; G. W. is our subject; Joseph B. is deceased; and D. H. is a resident of Milton Center.
Our subject was educated in the public schools of Wood county, and, after spending some years of his early manhood in teaching, engaged in a mercantile enterprise at Milton Center. Later he was station agent there, until his ap- pointment as county commissioner. He served three years in that office, then was elected a justice of the peace, and he held that office for fifteen years. He had desired to enter the min- istry ever since his conversion, at eighteen years of age, when he united with the Christian Church. While making his livelihood in various business enterprises, he had devoted his spare time to his preparatory studies, and, in 1855, he was or- dained, and began his pastoral labors. His chief work during his years of service was done in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, although he preached at times in other States. After several years of faithful and devoted service, he returned to Wood county, and for seven years was clerk in the of- fice of the probate judge, doing some local preach- ing in the meantime. After this he again en- gaged in preaching until January, 1895, when he was appointed general agent for the Globe Build- ing & Loan Association, and was also elected as- sessor. He was married, in 1852, to Miss Deli- lah E. Booker, who was born in Richland county, December 15, 1833, and to them were born three children: Almeda, the wife of George H. Mc- Carty; Panola E., who lives at home; and Lillie May, the wife of Charles R. Stewart, of Bowling Green. Politically, Mr. Hill was a Republican; socially, he was a member of the K. of P., and the F. & A. M.
JOHN F. MYERS, at this writing ( 1895) serving as one of the trustees of Troy township, resides in Section 16, on the farm where his birth occurred in 1858. His parents. Christopher and Anna Barbara (Kuss) Myers, were both natives of Ger- many, the former born in Baiern, and the latter in the Kingdom of Saxony. In his native land the father was reared and educated, and on com- ing to this country first located in Medina coun- ty, Ohio, where he was married. About 1854 he came to Wood county, entering forty acres of wild land from the government. When he lo- cated upon his place there were no improve- ments upon it; and he began its cultivation with a borrowed team, having first cut away the tin- ber which thickly covered the farm. There his
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