USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 8
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After his marriage, George W. Goble set- tled on a farm of 160 acres, which was a gift from his father, and to this he subsequently added two tracts of 80 acres each. He cleared and developed the greater portion of the prop- erty, of which he has retained 75 acres, his children enjoying the remainder. He has many old papers and records, not only of this neighborhood, but some that have descended from his grandfather, Ebenezer Goble; the lat- ter was born in New Jersey, of French parents, who spelled the family name Goblee. George W. Goble has lived on his farm in Richland township for the past 64 years, and is one of its most venerable citizens.
Ebenezer B. Goble has spent the years of a useful and busy life almost entirely in Richland township. He remained on the paternal home- stead until his 30th year, and then settled on his present farm, which was given him by his father. He has cleared 32 acres and has made many valuable and substantial improvements thereon. In 1881 he erected his comfortable and convenient family home, and in 1886 com- pleted the large barn and other buildings. He conducts general farming, but within the past. ḷ three years his property has greatly advanced in value, on account of the discovery of oil, eight wells having been developed within this period.
Mr. Goble was married August 21, 1879, to Christianna Rummell, who was born in Tuscar- awas County, Ohio, August 1, 1849, and is a ; daughter of Francis and Mary (Hall) Rum- mell, the former a native of Ohio, and the lat- ter of New Jersey. Two children were born to our subject and wife, viz : Earl, who died in infancy; and Mary Blanche, who is the wife of J. A. Badertscher, of Athens, Ohio.
The father of Mr. Goble has been a stanch Democrat since 1840, but our subject affiliates with no party, voting independently and con- senting to fill only school offices in his town- ship. He belongs to the lodge of Odd Fellows at Beaver Dam. For many years he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His portrait is shown on a preceding page.
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0 RRIE HERRINGTON, residing on the old family homestead in section 5, Shawnee township, is extensively en- gaged in dairying, conducting the 'Model Dairy" in partnership with his brother Reuben, under the firm name of Her- rington Brothers. He embarked in this busi- ness some five years ago and has two milk routes in Lima. He keeps from 12 to 20 milch cows on the farm, and in addition buys milk to supply his trade.
The Herrington farm, pleasantly located on the Spencerville road. about five miles from Lima, is one of the best in its section of the county. A handsome two-story residence has been erected in recent years, which in arrange- ment, construction and finish compares favor- ably with modern city homes. It is finished in hard wood throughout, the parlor and lower hall being in quarter-sawed oak.
Mr. Herrington was born in Allen County. and is a son of James Horace and Catherine (Andrews) Herrington, and a grandson of Reuben Herrington, who was a native of Penn- sylvania.
James H. Herrington was born in Lewis- town, Pennsylvania. October 22. 1851, and was three years old when his mother died, being thereafter reared by his maternal grandfather, Abel Davis. He was seven years old when brought to Allen County, his grandparents lo- cating in South Lima. They subsequently lo- cated in Bath township, where he lived until he reached the age of 19. He then went to Altoona. Pennsylvania, and served an appren- ticeship at the painter's trade. Returning to Lima. he followed his trade four or five years. He then engaged in farming at Allentown for some time and from there moved to the Kes- sler farm. In 1888. he located upon his present property.
In 1876 James H. Herrington was married to Catherine Andrews who was born in Allen County. Ohio, and is a daughter of Isaac and Mary ( Ireland ) Andrews. Her father was born in Ross county, Ohio, April 6. 1830, and was 10 years old when he accompanied his fath- er. Thomas Andrews, to Allen County. the lat- ter dying on the old Andrews farm in Shawnee
township. Isaac Andrews also farmed on this place until his death July 5, 1886, which re- sulted from injuries sustained in a run-away. He married Mary Ireland, who was born in Ohio and came to Allen County with her father Charles Ireland, when about four years old. They had two children : Charles T. who now lives on the old Andrews homestead; and Cath- erine, mother of our subject.
To Mr. and Mrs. Herrington were born the following children : Orrie; Clara, who died in December. 1903; Reuben, in partnership with our subject and living in Lima, who married Pansy Owen, of Urbana, Ohio; Laura, living at home, who was graduated from the Lima High School in 1903; Hugh, who lives in Lima: Homer, who lives on the home place: and Irma. who lives at home and attends school. Religiously, the family are Methodists.
m ILTON C. CRAIG, deceased, was a resident of Ohio from 1856 until his death, which took place April 2, 1902. He was closely identified with railroad construction in the early days and later was a well-known and suc- cessful business man of Lima. Mr. Craig was born at Beaver, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, February 20. 1821, and was a son of Samuel and Elizabeth Craig.
The parents of Mr. Craig were natives of Pennsylvania. They reared six children, and when the Civil War broke out gave three sons to the support of the Union cause. These have long since passed away, although they survived the dangers of the battle-field.
Prior to coming to Ohio, Mr. Craig had at- tended school in his native State, had carried on farming and milling and had married and become a man of family. When he came to this locality. the Pittsburg. Fort Wayne and Chi- cago Railway was in course of construc- tion and he helped to lay the rails on this great transportation line and then entered the employ of the Dayton & Michigan Railroad Company, with which he was connected for 18 years. In 1881 he came to Lima, established his
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permanent home here and later opened up a feed mill on East Market street, with which he continued to be connected during the re- mainder of his active life. He was a man of business stability and of personal integrity.
In 1898 Mr. Craig married Mrs. Elizabeth Chew, who was born in Ohio and who still survives, residing in a very pleasant and com- fortable home at No. 402 McPheron street, Lima. Mr. Craig by his first marriage had six children-Samuel, Sarah and Grace still sur- vive and Harvey, William and Ellen are deceas- ed. Mrs. Craig had two children by her union with Archibald Chew-of whom Irvin Chew, D. D. S., survives and resides in Toledo, Ohio. Laura married Edison Kuenzli and at her death left four children.
7 ILLIAM M. FLETCHER, M. D., prominent physician and business man of Lima, of two decades ago, whose promising career was cut short at the early age of 34 years, was born in 1854 in Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Ann Eliza (Moffitt) Fletcher.
The late Dr. Fletcher was of Irish ancestry, both of his parents having been born in Ireland. The family was founded in Ohio by his grand- father, who came from Ireland at an early day and settled in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1833, where he reared a large family. Dr. Fletcher was one in a family of eight children born to his parents, namely : Belle, Ella, Frances, Wesley, William M., Charles, John and Emma.
Dr. Fletcher obtained his literary education in the local schools and very early in life decid- ed to study medicine. Much of his earlier read- ing was done without special direction but it was no less thorough, and he prepared for and later took a course of lectures at the P. M. Med- ical Institute at Cincinnati. He began his prac- tice among his old friends at Dalton, but two years later removed to Auglaize County, Ohio, and there engaged in practice for almost five years. In the fall of 1884 Dr. Fletcher came to South Lima and opened a first-class drug-
store, giving it the name of the "South Lima Drug Store." This he continued to conduct in association with his practice until his death, which took place July 22, 1888. Few men were better known in his section of the city. He did much in the way of charity and at all times was a liberal supporter of move- ments for the general welfare.
Dr. Fletcher married Pauline A. Herring, a daughter of William M. Herring. She sur- vives him, together with two children : Carl J., of Lima, who married Borghild Zetlitz, No- vember 15, 1905, and Bernice A., who lives with her mother in the pleasant family home at No. 719 South Elizabeth street.
HRISTIAN U. AMSTUTZ, a well- known farmer of Allen County, and owner of 200 acres of land in section 3, Richland township, is a French- man by birth and an American by adoption. He was born August 28, 1829, and was five years of age when his parents, Ul- rich and Barbara (Clay) Amstutz, came to this country. The father was a native of France and was twice married in that country. By the first union there were three children, one of whom died and the other two came with him to America ; these were Mary and Anna Amstutz. His second wife was Barbara Clay, a native of Switzerland, by whom he had two children, Christian U. and John U., who resides in Rich- land township. The family landed in New York in 1834 and soon after settled in Ohio, lo- cating in Wayne County in 1837. Later they moved to Allen County where they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying at the age of 77 and the mother at the more ad- vanced age of 95 years.
In 1854 Christian U. Amstutz moved to his present homestead, which at that time consisted of 80 acres of woodland, and built a rude log cabin as a home for himself and bride. He lost no time in clearing and getting his land un- der cultivation, and has added to the original purchase until he now owns 200 acres, 80 of which are in section 16. In 1866 he built his present commodious residence and the other
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improvements he has effected make it in every way a desirable home. Grain is his principal crop.
Mr. Amstutz was married in 1854 to Fan- nie Neuenschwander, a native of Wayne Coun- ty and a daughter of Ulrich and Elizabeth (Basinger) Neuenschwander, both of whom were natives of Germany. The following chil- dren were born to this union, viz .: Eli, who died in infancy; David, who resides in section 16, Richland township; Samuel, a widower, who with his daughter Paulina, lives with his father-his other child is dead; Christian D., who resides in Bluffton; Barbara, who lives at home; Adam, also living at home; Ulrich, who lives at home and is a teacher of vocal music ; and Ephraim, who lives on an adjoining farm. Mrs. Amstutz, who died December 16, 1895, at the age of 66 years, 8 months and II days, was a woman of noble qualities and had scores of friends. Mr. Amstutz is a Democrat and has served as trustee of the township one term and as a member of the School Board for 12 years. He is a member of the Mennonite Church and for 28 years has been janitor of Ebenezer Mennonite Church, which he assisted in building.
€ VAN L. THOMAS, cashier and general manager of Branch "A" of The Lima Trust Company, was born in Jay County, Indiana, in 1855, and is a son of Andrew J. Thomas, who was born in West Virginia in 1816. Andrew J. Thomas went to Indiana when 16 years old and engaged in farming until his death in 1892, at the age of 76 years. He was the youngest of a family of 13 children, whose average age at death was 77 years.
Evan L. Thomas received all the advantages of a superior education, attending Farmer's Academy in Jay County, then the Whitewater Academy, and finishing at the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute. In 1872 he en- gaged in teaching school, and, with an excep- tion of two years, was.thus employed for 25 consecutive years. He rapidly advanced in his profession, being superintendent of the schools at Sevastopol and West Richmond, and later
accepting a like position in the New Paris schools, Preble County, Ohio, where he remain- ed seven years. He was recognized as one of the foremost educators of the State and was for years a member of the Preble County Board of School Examiners, being president of that body when he removed from the county. Hav- ing accepted a lucrative position with the O'Connor insurance agency, Mr. Thomas came to Lima in 1897 and acted as its representative until December 31, 1904, when this relation was dissolved and the next day he assumed his du- ties as cashier and general manager of Branch "A" of The Lima Trust Company. This is one of the strongest and most substantial bank- ing institutions in Allen County, and the choice of the directors for the important office of man- ager of the branch was a most suitable one, as Mr. Thomas is abundantly qualified for the po- sition.
Mr. Thomas was married October 13, 1887, to Lillie D. McPherson, daughter, of George McPherson, a retired citizen of Preble County. They have two children-Earl W. and Minor M. Mr. Thomas is master of Lima Lodge, No. 205, F. & A. M .; high priest of Lima Chapter. No. 49, R. A. M .; and acting recorder of Shaw- nee Commandery, No. 14, K. T. of Lima ; also a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows.
ILLIAM J. WEMMER, vice-presi- dent of The Deisel-Wemmer Com- pany, one of the largest cigar man- ufacturing concerns in the country and one of the most important in- dustries of Lima, is a native of Germany, where he was born September 10, 1862.
Mr. Wemmer attended school in his native land and developed into early manhood at home, being one of a large family. When 19 years of age, he decided to emigrate to Ameri- ca in search of better industrial conditions than prevailed in his own section of Germany. After reaching the United States he lived for eight months in the city of New York, and then re- moved to Delaware, Ohio. There he was en- gaged in a cigar business for nearly five years, which he continued later at Toledo, coming to
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Lima, in 1890. He first entered the employ of Henry Deisel and later formed a business asso- ciation with the latter and, after the incorpora- tion of the business in 1902, became vice-presi- dent of The Deisel-Wemmer Company. This important office he has since filled. The un- usual expansion of the business made necessary the recently completed additions to their former large factory, which make it one of the promi- nent landmarks of this manufacturing city.
Mr. Wemmer, with Mr. Deisel and his brother, Henry G. Wemmer, deserve the high esteem in which they are held, for by their en- ergy and enterprise they have developed a business, within the short space of 14 years, which overshadows almost every one of its kind in the country. In addition to his extensive in- terests here, Mr. Wemmer is connected with other successful Lima enterprises, and is also one of the city's public-spirited, broad-minded and liberal citizens.
Mr. Wemmer was married January 2, 1884, to Helen Rickert, who was also born in Ger- many and came to America in girlhood. They have three children-Pauline, Helen and Will- iam Henry. The family is connected with the German Reformed Church, in which Mr. Wemmer. is a trustee.
Individually Mr. Wemmer has always been noted for his persistency, his energy and care- fulness. He has many personal, as well as busi- ness, friends, and he is fraternally associated with the Elks, the Red Men, the Odd Fellows and the Traveling Men's Protective Associa- tion.
€ DWARD J. MAIRE, who is prominent in the business life of Lima, is a mem- ber of the firm of Maire Brothers, ex- tensively engaged in the production of oil. He is a son of Louis Maire, de- ceased, a native of France, who came to this country and settled in Crawford County, Penn- sylvania, where Edward J. Maire was born and educated. His first business venture was as a merchant in Bolivar, New York, but so much money was being made in the oil industry all around him that he finally embarked in that line, putting his money in the Allegany (New
York) oil field from which he received hand- some returns. Encouraged by this success, he extended his operations to the oil fields of In- diana, Ohio, Kansas, Indian Territory, and in fact to these of almost every State in the Union in which oil was known to exist, devoting his entire time and capital to his enterprises, with the most satisfactory results. It has been some eight years since Maire Brothers came to Lima and established an office, which now transacts a large volume of business. Their well-ap- pointed headquarters are now in the Opera House Block, of which building they became the proprietors in November, 1905.
Mr. Maire has identified himself closely with the municipal interests, and is one of Lima's most public spirited citizens. He is a director of The Lima Trust Company and a solid, reliable business man. He is also a prom- inent Mason, being a member of the Knights Templar.
ENRY DEISEL, president of The Dei- sel-Wemmer Company, cigar manu- facturers, at Lima, and one of the city's leading business men, was born in Germany, in 1862, and is a son of Edward Deisel who spent his whole life in his native land.
Henry Deisel was 19 years of age when he came to America. He had received a good edu- cation and been instructed in the cigarmaking craft and soon after locating at Lima, in 1881, he found employment at his trade with Henry Sontag, a pioneer in that business here. He remained with Mr. Sontag for two years, and then was employed for a year by another firm, but by 1884 he was prepared to embark in busi- ness for himself. He continued an individual business until 1891 when, in association with his friends, Henry G. and William J. Wemmer, also practical cigarmakers, he formed a part- nership which continued as Deisel & Wemmer until 1902, when the expansion of a great busi- ness made incorporation advisable. Through the energy and enterprise of Mr. Deisel and the Wemmer brothers, the establishment has be- come one of the largest cigar manufacturing houses in all this section. The present officers
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of the corporation known as The Deisel-Wem- mer Company are: Henry Deisel, president; William J. Wemmer, vice-president; Henry G. Wemmer, general manager and Robert J. Plate, secretary and treasurer.
In 1884 Mr. Deisel was married to Emma Wolf, who was born in Germany and is a. daughter of J. B. Wolf. They have five chil- dren. Mr. Deisel and his wife are members of the German Reformed Church. He is a tal- ented musician and is the director of the church choir.
Mr. Deisel's fraternal connections are with the Old Fellows, the Elks, the United Commer- cial Travelers, and the Traveling Men's Pro- tective Association.
In addition to directing the policy of the im- mense business which he assisted in founding, Mr. Deisel is interested in a number of other successful enterprises. As a business man, Mr. Deisel stands deservedly high, and his career has been an almost unbroken line of successes. In the face of fierce competition, he has guided his great enterprise through every crisis, has outdistanced other firms and has established one of the important industries of this section, which is a credit to himself and a pride to the community.
B. CORE, who formerly conducted a `first-class livery establishment at Lima, is an old and valued citizen and is also a survivor of the Civil War in which he bore an honorable part for three years. He was born at Erie, Pennsyl- vania, in June, 1847.
Mr. Core was three years old when his par- ents moved to Trumbull County, Ohio, and but a few years older when they removed to Mor- row County. There he was reared to young manhood and was educated in the local schools. On the outbreak of the Civil War he was one of the first in his locality to indicate his will- ingness to take up arms for his country, enlist- ing in April, 1861, in Company A, 27th Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., being mustered into the ser- vice at Indianapolis. He accompanied his reg- iment to Washington and during the winter of
1861-62 it was quartered at Fredericksburg, Maryland. In the spring it took an active part in the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, and during his service there he was captured by the enemy at Antietam. Later he was paroled at Annapolis, Maryland, joined the Army of the West and at the close of his term of enlistment was mustered out at Annapolis.
Mr. Core returned to Ohio and engaged in business at Columbus until he came to Lima, where he was the pioneer in the secondhand goods business, conducting a store for four years. From that he embarked in the livery business in which he continued until the fall of 1905.
In 1869 Mr. Core was married to Martha Simpson and they have three children, viz .: William E., who is employed by a wholesale grocery firm of Chicago; Martha, who is the wife of George Strang, an electrician with the Automatic Telephone Company; and Stella, who married Elmer Collier and resides at No. 522 West High Street. Mrs. Core is a mem- ber of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, of Lima.
D N. GENGLER, justice of the peace at Landeck, and the owner of a fine farm of 320 acres of well-improved land in sections 2, 10 and II, Marion town- ship, and 40 additional acres in the ad- joining township, and joint proprietor of the Landeck Tile Factory, was born in Germany, December 24, 1842, and is a son of Peter and Mary ( Bonifas) Gengler.
Peter Gengler, emigrated to America in 1845 with his wife and our subject, Dominick, the eldest of the family of six children, the oth- er survivors of which are: Louis, who is a notary public in Indiana; Felix, who resides near Coldwater; and Thomas, who is a farmer in Putnam County. Peter Gengler came to Ohio and located on a small tract of 50 acres, then in the woods of Sen- eca County, where he lived for 17 years, having with the help of his children, cleared and developed it into a fine farm. In 1863. after disposing of it to advantage, he came to
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Allen County and purchased 160 acres of land south of the village of Landeck, in Marion township, and this land he improved and lived upon until his death on January 31, 1894, aged 78 years. He was one of the liberal contribu- tors to the building of the beautiful edifice of St. John the Baptist Church, at Landeck, and for a number of years was a member of its board of trustees.
Dominic N. Gengler attended the public schools in Seneca County, and under his father's direction grew into a capable, practical farmer. After his marriage he settled on a part of his present farm, consisting then of 80 acres. He now owns 360 acres of fine land, 40 of which were willed to him and the remainder has come into his possession by purchase. When Mr. Gengler settled here, the surrounding timber was full of game. He built a log house for im- mediate occupancy, drained and cleared his farm and gradually brought it to its present state of rich cultivation. In 1890 he erected his beautiful brick residence, one which arouses general admiration from the passing stranger and which is a model of comfort and conveni- ence for its inmates. It is beautifully situated south of the main road, and is enclosed with a neat, ornamental iron fence. In the charming arrangement of flowers and shrubbery, the good taste of both Mr. and Mrs. Gengler is shown. It is one of the most beautifully at- tractive homes in this section of Allen County. Mr. Gengler has important interests in the Landeck Tile Factory which he opened on his farm in 1880. Here tiles are manufactured ranging in size from 3 to 12 inches.
On November 29, 1870, Mr. Gengler was married to Mary Ardner, who is a daughter of Nicholas and Susan ( Adantz) Ardner, the former of whom was born in Germany, May 5. 1822. Mr. Ardner came to America in 1846 and located at Tiffin, Ohio, where he was mar- ried in 1863. He came then to Allen County and settled on a farm of 80 acres, situated three miles southeast of Landeck, which he has in- creased to 200 acres. Here he remained until 1884 when he removed to a 10-acre farm near Landeck, in order to enjoy church privileges, being a devout member of the Church of St. John the Baptist. He owns other tracts of land
which have been developed out of the wilder- ness of Allen County. Mr. and Mrs. Gengler have five children: Nicholas, residing in sec- tion 10, where his father has built a nice home, who married Helena Roerig and has two chil- dren-Raymond and Rosala; John, residing in section 2, also owning a comfortable home, who married Clara Roerig, a cousin of Mrs. Nicho- las Gengler, and has two children-Loretta and Sylvester; Margaret, who married Louis Karst, resides in a nice home in section 10 and has one son-Albert; Thomas, who is unmar- ried and remains at home managing the farms and the tile works; and Susan, who married C. H. Falter, of Seneca County, Ohio, and has three children-Armilla, Alwisa and John.
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