USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part Two > Part 13
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On October 26, 1816, the mother of our subject was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, not far from Salem; she died in Monroe town- ship, December 28, 1903. She was married on her 19th birthday and accompanied her hus- band to Allen County in the following spring, living a happy, contented, peaceful and useful life for 63 years thereafter. Her parents were John and Elizabeth ( Miller ) Bucher, residents of Ohio, the former a native of Switzerland and the latter, of Virginia. They became residents of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Altstaetter had 13
children, 12 of whom reached maturity and . seven of these still survive.
Our subject, George L. Altstaetter, has re- sided in his present school district all his life, and has carried on agricultural work ever since he became old enough to hold a plow, the only kind of farm labor his late father never did. He remained at home assisting until his mar- riage, when he was 26 years old. His father was always just and generous with his children : and at this time he gave him an equity of $1,500 in a farm of 80 acres which he chose from other tracts. Our subject subsequently paid the remainder due to the estate, and set- tled on the farm in section 17, which he has; occupied ever since. Along with other agri- cultural operations, including extensive farm- ing and the raising of considerable stock. Mr. Altstaetter has paid a great deal of attention. to the growing of fruit. In addition to small fruits, he has an apple orchard of four acres .. The fruit-growing is such a feature that the name, "Pleasant Fruit Farm," is very appro- priate.
In addition to improving his land and add- ing yearly to its value. Mr. Altstatter has erected good buildings and a handsome resi- dence, so that the appearance of the place is very attractive. He has one of the finest homes in the township.
On November 9, 1871, he was married to. Margaret Olt, who was born in Hessen-Darm- stadt, Germany, on February 24. 1849. Her parents, Adam and Eva (Orth) Olt, are both deceased, the father dying at the age of 36 years and the mother when 30 years of age. This is remarkable as all four of Mrs. Altstaet- ter's grandparents lived to old age, three dying at the age of 80 years and one at the age of 92. An orphan at the age of 18 years, she came" alone from Germany, found plenty of friends in Dayton, Ohio, and, as noted above, four years later was married to our subject. To this union six sons and six daughters have been . born, namely: John, who died in his sixth . year ; Barbara, who is the wife of Fred Haas, of Dayton; Louise, who is the wife of Samuel' Bower, of Napoleon, Ohio: Otto, who died aged four years; Adam, who died aged one. year; Anna, who resides at home ; and Michael,
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who is a student in the senior class in Lima College, and is a very bright young man, who can show a 90 per cent average in all his stud- ies; Emma, who died aged four and a half years; Albert, who died aged five years; and Elsie, Oscar and Freda, living at home.
Mr. Altstaetter has been identified with the Democratic party all his life, and has been his party's choice for many of the important local off.ces. He has served several terms as road superintendent, has been a school director many terms and is now serving his third term as township trustee, having served two terms some 30 years ago. Like his father he has been a consistent member and liberal supporter of the German Evangelical Church of Monroe town- ship for years and is one of the present trus- tees, a position he has held many times.
J. EWING, who is prominent in the business circles of Lima, where he con- ducts a large hardware business, was born in Trumbull County, Ohio. May II, 1850, and is a son of the late Ralph Ewing, of Lima.
In early life Ralph Ewing was a farmer, but later he moved to Columbus Grove and there became a well-known business man and repre- sertative citizen. He was engaged in the hard- ware business here for a number of years with his son, our subject, under the firm name of R. Ewing & Son. He died in 1897.
Our subject was an infant when his par- ents moved to Hancock County, Ohio, where they resided until he was 11 years old, and then they removed to Huron County, Michigan, where they remained for three years. The next removal was to Bluffton, Allen County, and later to Columbus Grove, where the father was in the hardware business with our subject for 14 years. Then the son bought the father's interest. continuing the busines for three years alone.
Mr. Ewing then sold his stock at Columbus Grove and came to Lima, where he entered into partnership with W. K. Boone, and for three years a very successful hardware business was conducted under the firm name of The W.
K. Boone Company. Mr. Ewing then sold his interest, and in partnership with a Mr. Emer- ick bought the stock of J. M. Dungan, who was located at Nos. 225-227 North Main street. The firm of Ewing & Emerick continued four years, when the senior partner bought the jun- ior's interest and since then he has conducted his business under his own name. With his years of practical experience in this line, Mr. Ewing is well fitted to be the leading hardware merchant of the city, and in his extensive es- tablishment can be found everything pertaining to his line.
Mr. Ewing was married in 1872 to Jennie Bayley, who is a daughter of the late Nathaniel H. Bayley, of Putnam County, Ohio. They have two children, viz: Madge and Porter J. The former is a graduate of Mrs. Richard's private seminary in Philadelphia, and the lat- ter is a student at the University of Michigan, and a former student at Colonel Brown's mili- tary institute at Germantown, Ohio.
Mr. Ewing, during his long residence in Lima, has championed all movements designed to promote the general welfare and has always lent his influence in the direction of the ad- vancement of social, moral and educational in- terests. He has not aspired to political honors, his preference being for a quiet life devoted to his private affairs.
R OBERT WATT, one of Jackson town- ship's prominent farmers. has resided for the past 53 years on his present farm in section 20, which now consists of 225 acres. He belongs to one of the old pioneer families of Allen County. He was born in Champaign County. Ohio, No- vember 16, 1827. and is a son of Samuel L. and Olive ( Walton) Watt.
Samuel L. Watt was born near Marysville. Kentucky, and accompanied his parents to Champaign County, the family consisting of four sons and three daughters. His father. Thomas Watt, who was born in Ireland, emi- grated to America, settled first in Pennsylvania, went from there to Kentucky and later to Champaign County, Ohio, where he died aged
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So years. He was a farmer and wood-worker, an expert manufacturer of wagons and ploughs. His children were: Robert, John, James, Wil- liam, Samuel, Joseph, Margaret, Polly and Betsey. William was the first judge in Allen County. Joseph died in the War of 1812. All the Watt Brothers entered land in Allen Coun- ty and all settled along Hog Creek. Samuel L. Watt owned several different tracts of land, and at one time a farm of 120 acres.
Samuel L. Watt married Olive Walton who was born in Quebec, Canada. She came to Union County, Ohio, with her parents who were Joseph and Deborah (Gilbert) Walton, natives of Canada. For his second wife Mr. Watt married Mary Greer. The children of the first marriage who reached maturity were : Deborah (Jamison), who died in Iowa; Rob- ert. of this sketch; Joseph, deceased in young manhood; James, deceased; Thomas, of Mich- igan; Harriet, widow of John Guthrie, of Ne- vada ; Christina (Leech), who died at Walla Walla, Washington; and Nancy ( Enos), of Oakland, California. The children of the sec- ond marriage were: John J., of Louisiana ; Samuel L., of Sac County, Iowa; Olive (Con- ley), of Iowa ; Lydia (Stouker), of Iowa ; Sid- ney. of Iowa ; and Sarah Frances, of Missouri.
In 1852 Mr. Watt moved to Sac County, Iowa, driving through with an ox team. Two months were spent on the journey and when he reached there he located near Sac City, the county seat. He laid out Jackson township there and named it after his old home township in Allen County. He became the first county judge of Sac County, where he died.
Robert Watt, our immediate subject, re- mained at home until he was 20 years old and then went on a rented farm for a year before buying 40 acres of timber land in section 20, Jackson township. Little bv little he kept on buying land and clearing it until he owned some 500 acres. Of this he retains 225. having di- vided the rest among his children. For 40 vears he lived in the first little frame dwelling which he built with timber taken from his place, but it finally gave way to the handsome. modern brick residence in which he has lived ever since. Mr. Watt can look back over years
of honest industry. He cleared 100 acres of land by himself and he has assisted his chil- dren to build comfortable homes on land which he has helped them to acquire. He has done a great deal of teaming and has had contracts for public work. He and his sons have done the greater part of the pipe laying in their sec- tion of the county. As a farmer, he has de- voted the most of his attention to the raising of grain and the breeding of draft horses.
In his 20th year Mr. Watt was married to Eva Staley, who was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, May 13, 1825, and came here with her parents when seven years of age. She is a daughter of Jacob and Eunice ( Fisher ) Staley, natives of Virginia. They have five children living, as follows : Samuel J., of Jackson town- ship; James R., of Jackson township; Marion ; and William Henry and Jacob Allen, of Jack- son township. Two sons and one daughter died young.
Mr. Watt has been a life-long Democrat. He has been offered many of the local offices, but has accepted only that of township trustee. He is one of the reliable, substantial and repre- sentative men of his township.
H. M. MORRISON, who has been en- gaged in the drug business at Lima for the past 14 years, was born August II, 1859, in Darke County, Ohio. and is a son of James M. Morrison, a retired citizen of Dayton. He was educated and grew to manhood in Darke County and then went to Dayton, where he secured work in a boiler- shop. One year later he went to Omaha, Ne- braska, and there engaged in the transfer and storage business for a period of four years. Since his return to Ohio in 1891, he has been a partner of D. Cramer in conducting a pharmacy at Lima, being pleasantly located at the corner of Kibby and Main streets, where they enjoy a large patronage.
Mr. Morrison was married December 15. 1887. to Emma Ridenour, daughter of Jacob Ridenour, a lady of many estimable qualities. They have two daughters-Hazel and Helen.
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Mr. Morrison is a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is trustee, and also holds the same office in the Second Street Methodist Episcopal Church. He is an active worker in the church and has frequently been a delegate at conference meetings. He is a Re- publican and is at present a member of the Board of Public Service of Lima, and has been a member of the City Council and Board of Health.
L UCIUS JOHN RUSSELL SIDDALL, long the leading man in the leading industry of Bluffton, Ohio, the pion- eer quarryman not only of Bluffton but of all Northwestern Ohio, was born in Mahoning County, Ohio, eight miles south of Salem, on the old mill property of the family, not far from the village of Ellsworth, July 29, 1838. His parents were Isaac and Rebecca ( Altaffer) Siddall.
The father of Mr. Siddall was born in Vir- ginia and the mother belonged to a well-known Pennsylvania-Dutch family. She died when our subject was nine years old. The ancestors on the paternal side were from Ireland, and Isaac Siddall possessed many of the qualities which have made natives of that land success- ful men the world over. He was the father of 16 children by his first marriage and of two by his second; 14 of these grew to maturity. For years he was engaged in the milling business, and never ceased his industry until stricken with paralysis. He died in 1872.
Lucius J. R. Siddall was 10 years old when his parents moved to Rockport, Ohio. A few years later he accompanied his father when the latter went to Mount Blanchard to run the Fahls' mills, and two years later to the National mills, four miles up the river. Our subject worked there some four years, all the time with his father, and in 1852 came to Bluffton, where his father bought a log grist-mill, run by water power, together with 17 acres of adjoining land. He worked hard under his practical, in- dustrious father, and when the latter was dis- abled by paralysis, in 1867, he ran the mill by himself for two and a half years. When his father died, he bought the mill at the apprais-
er's valuation, $2,250. Subsequently he sold the mill and turned his attention to the stone and lime business.
In 1872 Mr. Siddall, in partnership with Elijah Reese, under the firm name of Siddall & Reese, bought and developed a quarry and later took in another partner and formed the firm of Siddall & Company. Some years later Mr. Siddall bought out the other partners and oper- ated the business alone, and still later opened up another quarry which covered seven acres. He took I. M. Townsend into partnership and the business was conducted as Siddall & Town- send for 18 years, when John Amstutz bought Mr. Townsend's interest and continued with Mr. Siddall for one season. Our subject then continued the operation of the quarry alone, adding a larger body of quarrying land, until the spring of 1905, when he sold out to the Buckeye Stone Company.
Since disposing of his quarry business, Mr. Siddall has been interested in a concrete busi- ness, having a large plant, with excellent facil- ities, producing a concrete which is used for cellars and other purposes, and making a fine macadam for roads. During his active opera- tions he gave employment to some 50 men. Another line in which he has been interested is the manufacture of the "Eureka" fence post, one of the most durable posts ever placed be- fore the market. For 50 years he has been a leader in business circles at Bluffton, and has been identified very prominently with the growth and prosperity of the town. He still owns 17 acres of land that is now within the town limits.
In 1865 Mr. Siddall was married to Mary Elizabeth Katherine Bridgeman, who was born in Hancock County, Ohio, about four miles from Bluffton, January 26, 1841, and is a daughter of George and Eliza (Grimm) Bridgeman, natives of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Siddall occupy a fine brick residence at Bluffton, which Mr. Siddall built seven years after his marriage.
Politically he has been a life-long Demo- crat, and on many occasions his fellow-citizens have chosen to show him honor and confidence. For six years he served on the Town Council and served several terms as a member of the
HON. AZARIAH D. MILLER
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Board of Education. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow, belonging to Bluffton Lodge, No. 371, and to Bluffton Encampment, No. 238. He is one of the oldest members of the subordinate lodge here, having joined the order in 1864.
A half century is a long period in any man's life, and to have passed through it, meeting competition on every side and overcoming ob- stacles as every business man must, and still, near its close, be able still to command the re- spect and esteem of one's fellow-citizens, re- flects much credit and should bring pleasant re- flections.
ON. AZARIAH D. MILLER, one of Allen County's prominent public men, probate judge, educator and success- ful attorney-at-law, was born June 18, 1853, on the homestead farm in Am- anda township, and is a son of Joseph and Min- erva J. (Shock) Miller.
Azariah D. Miller was liberally educated, completing first the common-school course, and later taking advantage of the educational in- stitutions of Lima and the National Normal School at Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio. From the age of 16 until he was 34 years of age, he taught school more or less continu- ously, the greater portion of this period in his native township, and it is safe to say that few men have more personal friends in this locality.
During 1871 and 1872 he was employed as bookkeeper in the freight and express office of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way at Elida, Ohio, and as this did not require all of his time he served also as clerk in the mercantile establishments of Rice & Leist and G. W. Moore. During all this time he was quietly reading law, as opportunity afforded. In 1877 he was elected assessor of Amanda township, on the Democratic ticket, and in the following year was chosen justice of the peace -an office he satisfactorily held for the follow- ing five years. In 1885, having been admitted to the bar, he became a member of the law firm of Remington & Miller and began the practice of the profession in which he has met with deserved success. Fire destroying his law lib- rary in 1887, he relinquished his practice and
retired to his farm. After engaging in farm- ing pursuits and the contracting business un- til February 9, 1894, he was called from his se- clusion to accept the duties of clerk of the Probate Court. He was elected to his present position in 1899.
In 1876 Judge Miller was married to Dar- thula Place, who is a daughter of James and Susan Place, and they have these children : Lehr E., Fredia G., Susan A., James J. and Mabel. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Judge Miller has always been prominent in Democratic politics, has been a member of the Democratic County Central Committee, and was sent as a delegate to the St. Louis National convention from the Fourth Congressional Dis- trict. He is fraternally connected with the Elks, in which order he has held many posi- tions ; is a charter member of the Spencerville Lodge of Knights of Pythias and of the Mod- ern Woodmen of America and the Home Guards of America. His residence at Lima is at No. 937 West High street. A portrait of Judge Miller is presented on a foregoing page in connection with this sketch.
ALEM REED, one of Shawnee town- ship's leading citizens and substantial farmers, is also a survivor of the Civil War. He owns a well-improved farm of 80 acres, located in section 14, Shawnee township, which was formerly a part of the old Napier homestead. Mr. Reed was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, May 2, 1842, and is a son of Samuel and Mary M. (Aker) Reed.
Samuel Reed, the father of our subject, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and was a son of Noah Reed, a native of Licking County, Ohio. He died on his farm in Shawnee town- ship in August, 1894. aged 79 years. He mar- ried Mary M. Aker, who was born July 30, 1814. and died in March 1905, at the age of 91 years. Their children were: Clara, Silas, Salem, Isaac, John W., Freeman, Nelson, Al- meda. Emma and Laura.
Salem Reed accompanied his parents to
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.
Shawnee township in 1853. He attended school until he was about 18 years old, and re- mained practically on the home farm until he had attained his majority, working for neigh- boring farmers as well as his father. On Feb- ruary 1, 1864, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, joining Company H, 74th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., in which he served until the close of hostilities. He participated in many battles, the first one of importance being that at Resaca. His regiment was often employed in guarding railroads, accompanying Sherman to the sea and participating in all that wearying campaign which resulted in such great victories for the Union cause. It remained in North Carolina until after the surrender of Johnston.
After the war he returned home, where he lived until his marriage, when he bought a tract of land in Shawnee township, near the family homestead and partially cleared it; but in a few years settled on another farm he had purchased, on which he resided for nine years. For the past 22 years Mr. Reed has been living on his present place, where he has carried on general farming and stock-raising.
In 1866 Mr. Reed was married to Elizabeth Adelia Napier, who was born in Mercer Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, June 28, 1841, and is a daughter of those honored old pioneer settlers of the township, the late William and Sarah (Huff) Napier. Her father was one of the leading men of the township during a long and exemplary life. He died in March, 1900, and is survived by his venerable wife who still re- sides on the old homestead in section 14, Shaw- nee township. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have had eight children, namely: Ida, who married William Hover and has two children, Palleene and Alleene; Samuel W., who married Florence Wilson and resides in Cleveland; Lulu, who married Frank H. Place and has seven child- ren-Frank, Belva, Lee Everett, Ralph, Eu- dora Lu, Olive, and an unnamed infant ; Smith Hamlin, who married Lulu Klippinger and has one daughter-Evelyn, the family residing at Toledo; Florence La Verne, who married Clyde Coleman and resides at Toledo; Walter Cled- ith, a resident of Cleveland; Maud Sylvania, who married Clarence McDaniel, the couple living at home ; and an infant, deceased.
Politically Mr. Reed is identified with the Republican party, but is not always bound by party ties, voting occasionally according to his personal judgment of candidates. Formerly he was active in Mart Armstrong Post, No. 202, G. A. R., at Lima; but, like his brother Silas, finds the distance too great to make at- tendance easy. He is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church and a liberal contribu- tor to its support.
D. HILDRETH, the enterprising gen- eral superintendent at Lima of the Prudential Insurance Company of America, is a prominent and highly esteemed citizen of this city, who may always be depended upon to lend his influence and substantial support to any enterprise which has for its object the welfare of the place. He is a son of David Hildreth, who has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits in Union County, Ohio, where he is still living in the 84th year of his age. Born and reared in Union County, our subject received there the rudiments of his education, supplementing it with four years in the college at Delaware.
In January, 1896, soon after leaving col- lege, Mr. Hildreth located in Columbus, Ohio, where he at once became an agent for the Pru- dential Insurance Company. In a short time his ability received recognition and reward by his promotion to the office of assistant superin- tendent of the company, with headquarters at Columbus. Three years later he was placed in charge of the general offices at Lima, with supervision over a territory consisting of II counties. These offices were established in Lima in 1893, and were in charge of E. New- man until September 25, 1899, when Mr. Hild- reth was made general superintendent. He has branch offices at St. Marys, Findlay. Van- Wert, Defiance and Bowling Green, requiring eight assistant superintendents and 40 agents to handle the large volume of business which passes through their hands. The Prudential dices an extensive business, both in industrial and ordinary insurance, and is one of the strongest companies in the field.
Mr. Hildreth was married, in 1890, to Min-
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nie Baker, a daughter of Lyman G. Baker, a ro- tired farmer of Marysville, Ohio. They have one child, Harold A. Mr. Hildreth is a stock- holder in the Columbus Savings & Trust Com- pany, and also has other interests in that city. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and an earnest Christian who takes a leading part in the work of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church and Sunday-school. He is also deeply interested in the progress of the Y. M. C. A., being vice-president of the Y. M. C. A. parlia- ment, a member of the board of directors of that institution and chairman of the member- ship committee.
ILLIAM A. BOWERS, a substan- tial resident of section 31, German township, was born in the neigh- boring township of Amanda, on January 14, 1862. His parents. William and Rebecca (Barnt) Bowers, were well-known in Allen County, both of them hav- ing come here with their parents when they were children of eight years. The father was from Fayette County and was a son of Solomon Bowers. The mother came from Fairfield County. The family consisted of two sons and nine daughters, namely: Charles Wesley, a farmer residing in Amanda township; William A .; Hannah Jane, who married Nathaniel Stoup and is the mother of two children ; Sarah Elizabeth, who married David Hillyard and died leaving seven children ; Deborah Ann, who married Levi Crites, of Kempton, and is the mother of two children; Mary Catherine, who married Franklin P. Shobe, of Amanda town- ship and has six children; Rebecca Angeline, wife of John Swartz, of Amanda township and the mother of two children; Martha, who died in infancy ; Curlila, who married Abia Carr, of Amanda township and has eight children ; Eliza who died at the age of five years; and Emma Sabina who married James Stalter of Muncie, Indiana, and has four children.
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