USA > Ohio > Williams County > County of Williams, Ohio, Historical and Biographical > Part 82
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made teaching his profession. The family are above the average in intel- ligence, and are held in general respect.
JOHN W. STURGEON is a native of York County, Penn., and was born April 26, 1814. His parents were Matthew and Sarah (Wantz) Sturgeon, and he was their only child. The father died when John W. was quite young. At the age of twenty-one, our subject left his native county, came West, and took up his residence in Richland County, Ohio, where he followed various pursuits for twelve years, among others that of weaving. In February, 1845, he married Catherine Lippy, of York County, Penn., and by her became the father of four children, viz., Mrs. Barbara E. Brown, of Hillsdale County, Mich .; John L., Sarah A. and David (deceased). In 1847, he came to this township, and settled on the eighty-acre farm he still occupies, which he has brought to a high stage of productiveness. He is in every respect a self-made man, having acquired everything he possesses by his own industry and management. In politics, he is a Democrat, and has several times been elected to offices of trust and profit, among them those of Township Clerk, which he held for many years, Township Trustee and Justice of the Peace, which last office he has filled for twelve years and still retains. His wife and him- self are members of the German Reformed Church.
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C. M. BARSTOW, M. D., was born in Washington County, Ohio, February 7, 1855, and is one of a family of six born to Henry E. and Caroline (Woodward) Barstow. His father is by trade a cooper, and is now living at Bryan, this county, where he has charge of a shop. Our subject also learned the cooper trade, and worked at it until 1877, when he began to study medicine with Drs. Long and Riggs, of Bryan. In 1879, he began his medical course at the Wooster University, Cleveland, and there graduated in March, 1881, and immediately after came to Columbia, this township, to engage in practice. He is receiving a good share of the patronage of the town and vicinity, and his field also extends into Indiana ; his practice is increasing rapidly, and promises to become quite lucrative.
DR. CHARLES BATES (deceased) was born in Morrow County, Ohio, January 4, 1842. He was a son of Calvin and Mercy (Eldridge) Bates, and came to Williams County, with his parents, in 1852. At the alarm of the late civil war, he was studying medicine with his brother, Dr. Orson Bates, at Columbia, and enlisted at the first call in Company B, First Michigan Infantry, but was soon discharged for the reason of
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illness. In November, 1861, he again enlisted as a private in Company K, Sixty-Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and on organization of the regiment was appointed Sergeant Major, which position he held until his promotion to be Second Lieutenant, April 6, 1862. In May, 1863, he was promoted First Lieutenant, and in 1864 to be Captain, which com- mission he declined; he served until his discharge, April 9, 1865. Al- though unpretentious and without ostentation, Mr. Bates was regarded one of the best officers in the regiment, being uniformly kind and courte- ous, and ever ready and anxious for duty. After the war had closed, Mr. Bates re-engaged in the study of medicine, graduating at Ann Arbor (Mich.) University, March 27, 1867. He immediately began practice at his home in Columbia, so continuing until his death, March 23, 1881. His standing as a professional man was very high. Shortly after his graduation he was married, May 12, 1867, to Sarah M. Reeves, wtrose parents were among the early settlers of Northwest Township. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bates, five of whom are now living -Harrie, Jacob, Carrie, Carl and Charlie (twins). Mr. Bates had been Postmaster of Nettle Lake more than twelve years, and the same post- office is now managed by his widow, who also keeps a full line of station- ery, etc.
SAMUEL CAIN, one of the pioneers of Williams County, was born in Beaver County, Penn., July 4, 1810, one of six children of William and Rachel (Twiford) Cain, and was married in the same State to Esther Maughermar, of Washington County. He moved to Harrison County, Ohio, in 1829, and there resided for two years; thence he moved to Stark County, where he remained for six years; thence to Richland, where he passed one year. He then started for DeKalb County, Ind., but an accident detained him at Napoleon, Henry Co., Ohio, where he remained till 1838, when he came to Florence Township, this county, and entered ninety-three acres of land on Section No. 1. He was about the second settler in the township, and all around him was a wilderness. He disposed of this property in 1844, and bought eighty acres near by, on which he resided till 1866, when he moved to the farm he still occu- pies in this township. His wife died June 11, 1852, leaving a family of twelve children, of whom nine are still living-Sarah, Julia A., Rachel, Delilah, Margaret, Catherine, Lucinda, Mary E. and Samuel L. He was married to his present wife, Rachel Meek, March 3, 1853, and by her became the father of eleven children, eight of whom are still living-Isaac, Minerva J., David O., Amanda, Almina, Charles M., Clara and Benjamin F. His eldest son, John, in 1861, enlisted in Company E, Fourteenth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, under Gen. Steedman. He was in several skirmishes, and was killed in the battle of Chickamauga September 20, 1863.
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C. G. CLEVELAND, son of Benjamin B. and Lucy (Judd) Cleve- land, was born in Madison County, N. Y., on April 20, 1826. He is one of a family of eleven children. His parents were natives of New York, and came to Ohio at an early day, settling in Seneca County, and afterward in Wood County. His father died in Eaton County, Mich. Our subject came to Williams County in 1855, settling in Northwest Township, where he has since resided. He has a farm embracing 175 acres, 100 of which are improved, with excellent buildings. Most of the clearing on this land was done by himself. On February 2, 1855, he was married to Rebecca A. Mouser, a native of Jefferson County, Va., but at this time a resident of Wood County, Ohio. November 16, 1861, Mr. Cleveland enlisted as a soldier in the Sixty-eighth Ohio Regiment, most of the time being stationed in Tennessee. He was discharged, July 12, 1862, on account of disability. Though our subject has had the usual reverses of human life, he may be considered a successful business man.
ALEXANDER COLLIE was born in Banffshire, Scotland, Septem- ber 5, 1828, and is the oldest of a family of eight born to William and Margaret (Morrison) Collie. While in Scotland, Mr. Collie learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner, at which he served three years. He came to America in 1850, and stopped in Canada one year, then resided in different parts of Ohio until 1858, working at his trade, when he came to Williams County, settling in Northwest Township, on a farm of 180 acres, seventy-five of which are improved ; since that time he has farmed only. On July 15, 1854, he was married to Elizabeth Lindsay, a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who settled in Ashland County, Ohio, in 1838. Three children have been born to them-Lindsay J., Jeanette A. and William A. Mr. and Mrs. Collie are members of Eagle Creek Presbyte- rian Church. He has been Township Trustee a number of terms, also Town Treasurer and Land Appraiser, being at present one of the Direct- ors of the Williams County Infirmary. Mr. Collie enlisted during the latter, part of the war, in the One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio Regi- ment, and remained until the close.
R. F. CONKEY, son of Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Haughey) Conkey, was born in Medina County, Ohio, August 19, 1845, and is one of five children ; his father was a farmer. Our subject remained at home with his parents until he reached manhood, and was then married, October 25, 1866, to Flora M. Kindig, of Wayne County, Ohio. He lived and worked at farming in Medina County until 1869, when he came to Will- iams County and settled in Northwest Township. In 1854, his father came to this county and purchased 320 acres of land ; he died November 14, 1868, and it was on this land our subject settled. He now has 140
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acres, about ninety of which are well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Conkey have had five children, four of whom are now living-William A., born September 25, 1870; Cynthia E., born June 20, 1873 ; Elizabeth L., born July 20, 1876, and Charles F., born February 8, 1881. Mr. Conkey is a member of Camden Lodge, No. 312, I. O. O. F. He is a man of good education and business qualities, and his success in life is well assured.
GEORGE DILLINGHAM was born in Ontario County, N. Y., May 10, 1826. He is one of a family of nine children born to Jeremiah and Nancy (Thayer) Dillingham. His mother is still living, and was ninety years old on the last day of last December. When our subject was ten years old, his parents moved from New York to Lenawee County, Mich., where they remained two years, thence moving to Steuben County, Ind. ; here our subject remained until 1855, when he came to Northwest Township and settled on the farm he now owns, of 140 acres of excellent land, farming being his lifelong occupation. On June 6, 1847, while in Steuben County, Ind., he was married to Hannah Powers, of said county, to which union three children were born-two of whom survive-Laura J., born March 17, 1853, and Lorenzo, born July 11, 1858; the elder of these is married and lives in Marion County, Kan. Mr. Dillingham has been diligent in life and reasonably successful. He is a member of Edon Lodge, 474, A., F. & A. M.
WHITING FOSTER, a pioneer of Williams County, was born in Portage County, Ohio, March 30, 1822, and is the eldest of three chil- dren born to Cyrus and Ruth (Day) Foster. He is a blacksmith and gun- maker by trade, at which he has been working since he was twenty-two years of age. When quite young, he was brought by his parents to Huron County ; in 1844, he moved to Steuben County, Ind .; in 1849, he came to this township and settled in the northern part, where there were but few inhabitants, and most of his time was passed in hunting ; in 1860, he moved to Columbia and engaged in blacksmithing, at which he has been quite successful. He was married, December 30, 1846, to Sophia Johnson, of Orleans County, N. Y., and they have had a family of four children, of whom three are still living-Sarah, born August 22, 1849; Mary, born April 3, 1854; William, born June 9, 1855 ; they are all married and living in this county.
D. GORTON, of the firm of D. Gorton & Son, dealers in groceries and general merchandise and proprietors of the "Columbia " livery, sale and feed stables, was born in Madison County, N. Y., January 20, 1822, and was of New England descent. He learned to be a harness-maker when about eighteen years old, and had charge of a harness shop in Caneadea, N. Y., for about four years, but was obliged to relinquish
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charge on account of ill health. He moved to Jackson County, Mich., where he farmed for some time, then went on the road with a wholesale notion wagon, carrying the largest stock of novelties of any wagon then on the road. This business he followed seventeen years, and then opened a general store in Brooklyn, Mich., which he ran for five years, thence he moved to Springport, Mich., and thence to Columbia, this county, in 1875. March 4, 1842, he married Sarah F. Nettleton, of Waterbury, Conn., and by her has bad two children-Ophelia E., born June 6, 1855, and Frank W., born October 2, 1859. Mrs. Gorton is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Columbia, and both children reside in Michigan.
R. K. HAUGHEY was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, September 5, 1826. He is one of fourteen children born to Robert and Hannah (Wycoff) Haughey, of whom nine survive. His parents moved to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1833, where they resided until 1864, then moving to De Kalb County, Ind., where his father resided until his death, August 7, 1871; his mother died March 1, 1875. Our subject lived at home until eighteen years of age, at which time he began life for him- self, working by the year for a long time. On March 11, 1847, he was married, in Medina County, to Susanna Coolman; this union was followed by four children-George W., born January 30, 1851; Rebecca J., born September 20. 1853 ; Francis M. born March 19, 1857, and Sherman E., born June 1, 1864. Mr. Haughey came to Williams County in 1849, and settled on the farm on which he now re- resides. On this land five acres had been cleared and a log cabin built ; it now comprises 175 acres, of which 130 are improved. Mr. Haughey has been County Commissioner three years, Justice of the Peace six years, also Township Trustee, Treasurer and Land Appraiset ; he is a member of the Masonic fraternity.
JAMES HAYES, one of the early settlers of Williams County, was born in Beaver County, Penn., July 2, 1823. IIe is one of a family of eight children born to James and Mary (McKernan) Hayes. Six of this family are now living, and in the State of Ohio. The parents of our subject moved from Pennsylvania to Columbia County, Ohio, in 1826. Here he lived until 1854, when he came to Williams County and settled in Jefferson Township, in which he lived until 1861, when he removed to Northwest Township, and settled on the land on which he now resides, a farm embracing 320 acres. When Mr. Hayes moved to this county, he came "to stay." Ile was married, March 30, 1854. to Catherine McCrea, of Williams County, and to them have been born six children, viz. : Sam- uel, Robert, Mary, Joseph and William (twins) and Martha A. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes are members of the Presbyterian Church at Eagle Creek.
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On each of the farms on which Mr. Hayes settled in this county clearing was necessary and was done.
REV. DAVID HOLMES was born in Richmond, Va., March 17, 1824. He is one of seven children born to Alexander and Jane Holmes. When nine years old, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker, and while learning his trade lost all trace of his parents. He remained with his master until his twenty-third year, when he worked at various points and in Columbiana and Carroll Counties, Ohio, for a number of years. He came to Williams County in 1854, settling in Superior Township. Here he engaged in teaching for three years; afterward in preparation for the ministry of the United Brethren Church. Since then, excepting about two years, when he kept a hardware store in Edon, he has been a clergy- man, holding charges more generally in Ohio, but also in Michigan and Indiana. He has at present the Maumee Circuit of the North Ohio Con- ference. In 1878, he came to Northwest Township, where he has a farm of 160 acres, with good buildings and other improvements. He was for four years Presiding Elder, and has been very successful in the ministry. On October 29, 1844, he married Margaret Cox, who died in August, 1852, leaving a family of two children, one of whom is living-William, now a resident of Kansas. He was married a second time July 23, 1853, to Elizabeth M. Hart, of Columbiana County, Ohio, with an issue of six children-Catherine, Ellen, David A., Emma, Martha (deceased) and Etta. Of these the three eldest are married.
JACOB KELLER is one of the early settlers of Northwest Town- ship; was born in Stark County, this State, August 6, 1817, and is one of eleven children born to Philip and Catharine (Shook) Keller. By trade he is a carpenter and joiner, at which he worked about sixteen years. In Stark County, April 22, 1842, he married Susan Kindigh, of Wayne County, Ohio. In 1850, he moved to Lorain County, and thence, in 1853, to this township, where he owns a farm of 200 acres, 125 of which are under cultivation and improved with good buildings. He has had born to him six children, viz. : Ephraim (deceased), Daniel, William, Jane, John and Charlie. Mr. Keller has always been quite successful in his business affairs, and his family have been blessed with unusually good health. He is a member of Edon Lodge, No. 747, A., F. & A. M., and also of the German Reformed Church.
M. S. KELLOGG was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., December 7, 1823, and is one of a family of ten children born to George and Chloe (Tiffany) Kellogg. The father was a printer by trade, was for some time Sheriff of Jefferson County, and afterward became a farmer. M. S. Kellogg is a ship-builder, and has worked at this in Syracuse, Oswego and Buffalo, N. Y., and at Cleveland, Ohio. In 1844, he went to Steu-
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ben County, Ind., where he resided two years; thence he went to Cleve- land and worked at his trade two years, and then returned to Steuben County, where he taught school during winters until 1865, when he came to this township and settled on the farm of 182 acres which he now owns. Besides this, he owns property in the town of Bryan. July 2, 1844, he married Alfreda Warner, of Onondaga County, N. Y. This lady died February 11, 1862, leaving a family of eight children, of whom five are now living, viz., Emma, Edwin, Ella, Clara and Newton. May 11, 1862, he married Celestia Whaley, a native of Williams County, and to this union have been born seven children, viz. : Alfreda, William, Jay, Orr, Earle, John and Orion.
CYRUS KINTIGH, one of eight children of Jacob and Peggy Kintigh, was born in Pennsylvania August 31, 1833. The father was a native of the same State, and was born August 31, 1811. In 1836, Jacob moved to that part of Williams County now known as Defiance County, where he worked as a cooper till 1852, when he came to this township, bought a tract of land and farmed for a time; he then opened a store and ashery at Nettle Lake, but disposed of them in 1866, and opened another store at what is now called Billingstown, which he con- ducted till his death, April 9, 1881. Cyrus came here with his father in 1852. He had received a very fair common school education, and up to 1871 spent the greater. part of his life in farming and teaming; in De- cember, 1871, he purchased the stock of goods in the store at Nettle Lake, traded there till 1877, then took his stock to Billingstown and joined his father, first as clerk and then as partner. In 1880, he disposed of his interest for a farm of forty acres, which he has increased to sixty, and is now cultivating. November 29, 1853, he married Mary J. Kritzer, who died December 6, 1860, leaving one child-Sarah E. April 9, 1863, he married Margaret E. Dellinger, who died November 5, 1865. August 28, 1870, he married Sarah Shook, who also died November 19, 1871. He married his present wife, Louise Kimmell, July 3, 1873, and to this union has been born one child-Lorinda B. Mr. Kintigh is an active member of the Reformed Church.
LEWIS MOCHERMAN, son of Abram and Elizabeth (Ca: ich) Mocherman, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, February 9, 1822; his father died when Lewis was very young, and, consequently, he has no early educational advantages, having to work as soon as he was able, and work ever since. His mother moved to Stark County when our subject was two years old, and where she still resides. Mr. Mocherman came to Williams County in 1854, settling in Northwest Township, where he has a farm of ninety acres, fifty of which are under cultivation. This land he cleared with the assistance of his wife, who did the brush-burning and
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otherwise assisted in the work. He carried flour from Montpelier-seven and a half miles-one hundred pounds at a load. On October 20, 1843, he was married to Sarah Merling, of Huron County. They have had thirteen children, eight of whom are living-John F., Henry, Charles. Lydia A., Mary, Chauncey, Jacob E. and Joseph. Mr. Mocherman had two sons in the late war, one of whom (Amos) died in the service. When Mr. and Mrs. Mocherman came to this county, they, together with his brother's family, lived in a milk-house, 12x14, for six weeks. Mrs. Mocher- man is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
ISAAC PARSON, one of the eleven children of Isaac and Mary A. (Reimer) Parson, was born in Northampton County, Pent., July 26, 1820. He is a carpenter and joiner by trade and worked.at that busi- ness about twenty years, and worked also at gunsmithing about three years. He left his native State at the age of twenty, and took up his residence in Medina County, Ohio, where he married Mary A. Long December 10, 1843. In 1852, he removed to this township and settled in a twelve-acre clearing, buying, for use as a dwelling, the first school building ever erected in Northwest Township. His farm now comprises 209 acres, well-improved, with all necessary buildings and largely under cultivation. He has had the misfortune to lose his two children-John A. and William H., and he is the only member of his father's family living within the limits of this State.
VOLNEY POWERS was born in Steuben County, Ind., March 17, 1838, and was the first white child born in York Township, in that county. He is the sixth of nine born to Stephen A. and Mary A. (Campbell) Powers, of which number five survive. His parents were natives of New York, and moved to Steuben County in 1837, where they lived mainly until his father's death, October 5, 1872. His mother still lives in Steuben County. Volney Powers lived with his parents until manhood, employed in farming and teaching school. In 1858, he came to Williams County, settling in this township on the farm he now owns, embracing 160 acres, of which 130 are improved, and adorned with good buildings. At the first call to arms in our late war he responded, but was not enlisted until August, 1861, being enrolled in Company C, Seventh Michigan Volunteers. The company was ordered to Washington, where Mr. Powers became sick. Shortly afterward he was appointed Second Lieutenant in Company H, First Michigan (colored) Regiment ; he was later promoted First Lieutenaat, serving until his discharge, November 1, 1865 ; in one of many engagements he was shot through the band. Mr. Powers was married April 18, 1866, to Mattie Kimmell, of Richland, but at this time of Williams County, Ohio. ; the result of this union was six children-Ellen, Viola, Oliver, Jennie, Stephen A. and Vadia. Mr.
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Powers has been Township Trustee three terms, Assessor six terms, and Justice of the Peace one term. Both himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. His father and two brothers were also soldiers in the late war.
JOSEPH RANNELS (deceased), son of William and Elizabeth (Kearns) Rannels, was born in Juniata County, Penn., March 19, 1823. He was a brother of Isaac Rannels, a sketch of whose life will be found in this work. He came to Williams County with his parents in 1854, and engaged in farming ; he had a farm also in Steuben County, Ind. While farming here, he boarded with his parents until his marriage, on July 8, 1861, to Miss. B. Cards, s native of Huron County, but at the time residing in Hillsdale County, Mich. He then worked at farming in In- diana until 1865, when he came to Williams County ; here, too, farming until 1872, when he purchased the hotel at Columbia, which he carried on until his death, November 23, 1879. He left two children-Alice M. and Austin M. Since the death of Mr. Rannels, his widow has continued the hotel business, which, although in a small town, receives a good share of public patronage, a result very largely due to the excellent manage- ment of Mrs Rannels. . She is a member of the M. E. Church.
ISAAC RANNELS, a son of William and Elizabeth (Kearns) Ran- nels, was bort in Juniata County, Penn., March 1, 1829. His father was a farmer by occupation, and came to. this State in 1833, settling in Portage County, where he remained till 1854, when he moved to this township. The same year, with the assistance of J. R. McConnell and Mr. Gamble, he laid out the town of Columbia. His death occurred June 18, 1871. Isaac Rannels has a fine farm in the township containing 105 acres, about seventy of which are under cultivation. He received a good common school education in his younger days, and assisted on the home farm until the date of his marriage, April 28, 1872. His wife was Miss Parmillia Porter, whose parents were among the first settlers in this township. She is a member of the M. E. Church at Columbia.
MORDECAI RICHARDS, one of the seven children of Jacob and Jane (Akins) Richards, was born in Holmes County, Ohio, August 24, 1824, and is the only member of his family residing in Williams. He remained with his parents till he attained his majority, when he started out in life on his own account, farming, clearing up land, etc., until he was about twenty-four, when he married Miss Mary A. Stuts, of Stark County, but a resident of Holmes County at the date of marriage, April 20, 1848. Mr. Richards came to this county in October, 1850, and settled in Florence Township on land that had been entered by Mrs. Richards' father during the Presidency of Martin Van Buren. The farm comprised 160 acres, of which Mr. Richards had hired six acres cleared
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