USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part Two > Part 9
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1895 he removed from Indiana to Spencerville. Here he has been interested in the oil business and in conducting a livery ever since. His livery establishment is conducted along modern, up-to-date lines, and his assortment of all kinds of vehicles is complete. His oil operations have been successful and from being a contractor lie has gone into the producing business and has a string of tools.
While a man with many important business interests, Mr. Park has found time to be also
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a worthy, public-spirited citizen and a worker along lines looking to the best civic government. Since locating at Spencerville he has served two years as city treasurer and for two years was a member of the Board of Education, being a member of the board when the last addition to the public school building was authorized. Po- litically he is a Democrat. At present he is serving as a valued member of the City Council, in which body he is chairman of the finance committee. He has been elected three times to the Council and is now serving in his sixth year, the expiration of his last term being in January, 1907. He is credited with many lo- cal reforms by his fellow-citizens; but he as- sumes no honor on this account, it being his belief that it is the duty of the business man to assist in maintaining good government.
As an intelligent, wide-awake man, Mr. Park is interested in public affairs and is more or less of a politician. He has been chosen for a number of positions of honor and responsibil- ity by his party, and has represented it at many notable gatherings, serving as a delegate on many occasions. He was a delegate to the State convention that nominated James Kilbourne for Governor; was a delegate to the congres- sional convention, at Sidney, that nominated Robert Gordon for both his first and second term in Congress, and was also a delegate to the district senatorial convention that nominated Senator T. M. Berry, the present incumbent. He has filled the important position of chair- man of the Allen County Democratic Execu- tive Committee for the past two years. He is well known all over the county, and is in accord with its good citizens in matters of public mo- ment, irrespective of party.
On December 25, 1887, Mr. Park was mar- ried to Mary E. Eller, who was born March 19, 1870. in Van Wert County. Ohio, and is a daughter of Frederick and Nancy ( Kilmer) Eller, natives of Richland County, Ohio, but of Pennsylvania descent. Mr. and Mrs. Park have one daughter, Hazel Marie, who was born February 24, 1895. She is a bright, attractive maiden of II years, a student in the Spencer- ville schools. The family residence is one of the most attractive in the city of Spencerville, and is located on Pearl street, a half block north
of the Christian Church. In his religious views Mr. Park is liberal-minded. Mrs. Park is an active and interested worker in the Christian Church, with which she united in 1893. She is a lady of many accomplishments and the biographer may be forgiven for mentioning her artistic needlework. She has taken many premiums when she has consented to exhibit her specimens of lace-work.
Aside from his business, Mr. Park has al- ways taken an interest in horses, even in boy- hood having more control over them than his companions. He has owned many fine animals and can scarcely remember when he was not able to drive or to enjoy the exercise of a fine mount.
D C. DUNN, president of The Eagle Stave Company, Atlas Cooperage Company, Colonial Column Company and Dunn Cooperage Company, has been a resident of Lima but a few years, yet even in this short period he has iden- tified himself with the business and social in- terests of the city in a way to make his influence felt throughout the entire municipality. He was born September 27, 1874, in the village of Lee, Massachusetts, and is a son of George Dunn, a retired manufacturer, living at Miamis- burg, Ohio. George Dunn is a native of Scot- land, and there learned the trade of paper man- ufacture, becoming an expert in the business. Coming to this country he continued to work at the business for many years in different States.
This accounts for the fact that our subject has been a resident of almost every State east of the Mississippi River, and secured his edu- cation in various localities. Arriving at man's estate he engaged in the real estate business in Miamisburg for two years, and then embarked in the cooperage business. He engaged in the latter occupation at Minister, Auglaize County. Ohio, where he remained three years and then moved to Cridersville, where he continued in the same work for another two years. In 1902 he came to Lima and organized The Eagle Stave Company, which was incorporated in 1905 with a capital stock of $25.000. The
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officers of this company are: D. C. Dunn, president, and A. J. Dunn, secretary and treas- urer. They manufacture staves and hoops. Mr. Dunn is president of the Atlas Cooperage Company, of Lindsey, Ohio; president of the Dunn Cooperage Company of Gilberts, Ohio; secretary and treasurer of the Rough River Cooperage Company, of Livermore, Kentucky ; vice-president of the Lima Progressive Associa- tion and president of the Colonial Column Com- pany, of Lima, of which A. J. Dunn is vice- president and secretary and Henry Groby is general manager. He is also secretary of the Humane Horse Shoe Company, of Lima, and vice-president of the O. C. Robinson Company, of Creston, Ohio, and of the Mercer Cooperage & Lumber Company, of Fort Recovery, Ohio. Mr. Dunn has a business record worthy of emulation. Beginning life with a capital of $50 in cash, he has shown remarkable sagacity in his investments and has achieved his present success by honest industry and application, backed by sound common-sense.
In 1896 Mr. Dunn was married to Bessie Groby, daughter of Henry Groby, who is a lumber dealer of Miamisburg. They have one child, Marian. Mr. Dunn is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a man who stands high in the opinion of all who have the honor of his acquaintance. His portrait accompanies this sketch, being shown on a pre- ceding page.
ALENTINE HEIL, one of the leading contractors of Lima, where he has re- sided for some 15 years, was born in Germany, December 27, 1863. He was educated in his native land and there completed an apprenticeship to the stone- cutter's trade.
In 1882 Mr. Heil came to America in search of more favorable labor conditions. He located at Cincinnati where he continued to work at his trade until 1890, and then came to Lima. Here he worked at his trade by the day for a short time until he saw a good opening, and then entered into a contracting business for himself and has continued in the same line until the
present. He has built up an extensive and prof- itable business, and no man in the contracting line bears a better reputation for reliability and skill. For the past few years almost all the im- portant building contracts have been proffered him, and he has erected many of the most sub- stantial business blocks as well as handsome residences in the city. Among these may be mentioned the stone work on the Y. M. C. A. Building ; the Lima House; the Holland Block; the Hotel Norval; St. Paul's Lutheran Church ; the Black Block; the Adgate Building; the Lima electric light plant; and the beautiful and well-proportioned residences of these citizens : Lufkins, Agerter, Selfridge, Curtin, Charles C. Miller, Henry Deisel and many others.
Mr. Heil was married in 1886 to Rosa Beyer, who is a native of Kentucky, and they have a family of six children. The family be- longs to the German Reformed Church, of which Mr. Heil has been a trustee for some years. Fraternally he is associated with the Eagles, the Red Men and the I. O. O. F., of Lima.
BRAHAM ZURFLÜH,one of the ven- erable and valued citizens of Rich- land township, was born in Canton Bern, Switzerland, near the village of Souboz, September 3, 1833, and is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Ne Wahly) Zur- flüh.
The parents were natives of Switzerland, where the mother died when our subject was but 12 days old. The family consisted of four children, viz : Mary Ann, born in 1825 ; Kath- .erine, born in 1827; John, born in 1830, who still lives in Switzerland; and Abraham. The sisters accompained our subject and family to Ohio and both died here.
Abraham Zurfluh remained on the home farm until about 18 years of age. in the mean- time devoted himself as closely as possible to his books, with the result that he later became a successful teacher, and at present has three languages at command-French. English and German, the latter being the medium of com-
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1 munication at home. This is somewhat re- markable as the only training Mr. Zurflüh ever enjoyed was what he obtained in three winters in a French school. In the month following his marriage, he and his wife joined a party of some 80 members of the Mennonite Church, who had decided to seek homes and religious freedom in America. They left their home in Switzerland on March 8, 1852, for Havre, where they took passage on a sailing ship, one of the old-class vessels, 122 feet long, with few accommodations provided for the comfort of the voyagers. They arrived safely in New York on April 28th and reached Wayne County, Ohio, May 7, 1852. Mr. Zurfliih and wife re- mained there until the first of the following July, when they removed to Putnam County and, in want of other accommodations, lived in a church building until October 28, 1852.
In the meantime Mr. Zurflüh had been looking about for a suitable place to locate permanently and had secured his present farm of 80 acres at a public sale of school lands, at Lima. The country all about the new home was a dense wilderness, when on October 28, 1852, the little family moved into a little log- cabin before either windows or door had made it a very adequate shelter from the elements or from the wild animals, which were still plenti- ful. The little cabin of 18 by 22 feet, was, however, a home and we can well believe that happiness dwelt upon its broad hearthstone. He was obliged to borrow in order to make his first payment, on his first purchase, which com- prised 40 acres; but he had faith in what his industry and frugality could accomplish, and later results demonstrated that this self-confi- dence was justifiable. Not one foot of his land had yet been cleared and his nearest neighbor was beyond sight and hearing. Through his persevering industry he cleared the first body of land and subsequently added another tract of 40 acres. He has now one of the best culti- tivated farms in Richland township and one which is valued at a high price in comparison with adjacent properties.
This farm is situated in section 16, Rich- land township and is on the rural mail route, No. 2, from Bluffton, the carrier coming to his door over well-graded highways, where Mr.
Zurflüh can remember first wandered a blazed trail, which he helped to widen into a good road. There are a number of substantial buildings on this farm, including five dwellings and a huge barn, 38 by 86 feet in dimensions. The main products of Mr. Zurflüh's farm have been grain and stock.
On February 7, 1852, in his native land, Mr. Zurflüh was married to Mary Ann Ran- seiar, who was born in Canton Bern, Switzer- land, January 18, 1832, and was a daughter of Isaac and Mary ( Bartschy) Ranseiar. Mrs. Zurflüh died on August 15, 1887. The child- ren of this union were nine in number, viz : Mary, Jacob, Anna, David, Elizabeth, Chris- tian, Katherine, Fannie and Sarah. Mary mar- ried Benjamin Basinger and they live near Pandora and have 12 children. Jacob, unmar- ried, remains at home and operates the farm. Anna, who is the wife of Herman Kindle, keeps house for her father. David lives at. Lima. Elizabeth died aged 29 years and Christian died aged 25 years. Katherine is the wife of Ferdinand Loney, of Bluffton. Fannie mar- ried Alfred Hochstettler. She died of consum- tion. Her husband was accidently killed while out hunting quail. They are survived by a daughter -Ella. Sarah is the wife of Amos Luginbihl; and they reside with their five child- ren on the homestead.
The biographer has been favored with a view of a most interesting group picture which was photographed at the home of our esteemed subject on the 72nd anniversary of his birth- September 3, 1905. It shows four generations of the family, the most prominent being Mr. Zurflüh himself. By his side is seated his eld- est daughter, Mary (Mrs. Benjamin Bas- inger ), who was born June 28, 1853. By her side is her daughter, Josephine, (Mrs. John Moser), who was born April 7, 1882, while in the grand-grandfather's arms rests little Mary Elizabeth Moser, infant daughter of Mrs. John Moser, who was born April 4. 1905.
As we have noted above, Mr. Zurflüh is an educated man. He taught school in his own country in 1851 and up to the time of his com- ing to America, in 1852. He taught five win- ters in the public schools of Allen County and has taught in parochial and German schools.
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For many years he has served as a school officer and his clerical ability has been frequently rec- ognized.
In religious life Mr. Zurfluh has always been identified with the Mennonite Church, and he has always taken a very active part in its affairs here. For 12 years he was church secre- tary and for 28 years he served as a teacher in the Sunday-school. It is said that he is more conversant with the dates and history of the Mennonite bodies than any other instructor in his locality, and can trace its interesting history back to its beginning in 1492. As he is able to read and converse in French, English and German his services are frequently in demand as an interpreter.
In his political convictions, Mr. Zurflüh is a Democrat. His first presidential vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas. From choice as well as from religious motives, he has never con- sented to accept any public office, except in the line of education. He is one of the best-known and most highly esteemed representatives of the German-Swiss element in Allen County, from which class has come so many of the State's most reliable citizens.
ENRY H. HEMAN. Among the good citizens of Lima, now living retired from business activity, is the subject of this sketch, who for many years was connected with one of the largest lumber firms of this city. Mr. Heman is also one of the heroic survivors of the great Civil War, in which he participated with honor and in the vicissitudes of which he almost lost his life. He was born at New Bremen, Auglaize County, Ohio, December 8, 1843, and is a son of Gerard Heman, who, with his wife, two daughters and one son died in the cholera epi- demic of 1848.
Mr. Heman was reared and educated by relatives in Auglaize County until the age of 17 years, when he enlisted in Company C, 37th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was mustered into the service at Cleveland, Ohio. A lad in years, he was of a man's statue. His regiment was sent first to Charlestown. West Virginia, and
took part in its initial engagement at Loop Creek. It was concerned in numerous light engagements and passed back and forth be- tween Ohio and West Virginia until January 1, 1863, when it was ordered to Vicksburg. This regiment was the first detail of troops to reach the city, and it remained all through the siege until May 22, 1863, when our present interest in its movements pauses. It was upon this date that Mr. Heman was struck by a can- non-ball during the second charge on Fort Graveyard. During the charge the Confeder- ates began firing on the Union troops from Fort Hill, fully two and a half miles distant. Mr. Heman was struck in the third volley, the first having come between him and the fort, the second fell some 20 feet distant, but the mur- derous third took, with its swift passage, Mr. Heman's good right arm and killed his com- rade beside him. In the days of the Civil War, surgery had not yet attained its present perfec- tion and as anaesthetics were scarcely in use, the unhappy wounded were obliged to submit to the seemingly cruel treatment at the hospi- tal tents on the field, suffering tortures which would be nowhere permitted at the present day. From the field hospital he was transported to Webster Hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, and after two months of treatment was honorably discharged on September 17, 1863.
Mr. Heman was then but entering man- hood. He returned to Auglaize County and as soon as sufficiently convalescent began to look about for suitable employment. In October he came to Lima and went to work in a grocery store conducted by G. Steiner, with whom he remained one year. In order to fit himself for a more remunerative position he then entered a commercial school at Fort Wayne; after graduation, he returned to Lima and entered into a grocery business on North Main street under the firm name of Smith & Heman. Two years later Mr. Heman sold out his interest to Mr. Smith and in 1868 he was elected city clerk of Lima. Mr. Heman served with entire satisfaction for six years and in 1875 he was elected county recorder of Allen County, serv- ing also in this office for six years.
After retiring from public office Mr. He- man engaged for a time in an insurance busi-
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ness and then became bookkeeper for the firm of Dobbins & Ashton, lumber merchants, re- maining with them in that capacity until he re- tired, in 1903. Mr. Heman in public and in business life displayed the same qualities of de- votion to duty and fidelity to the trusts imposed in him that made him a fearless and efficient soldier.
In October, 1874, Mr. Heman was married to Malinda Opt, who is a daughter of the late Henry Opt, of Seneca County, Ohio. They have one child, Homer Dow, who is employed by the Ferrel Brick Manufacturing Company, of Zanesville, Ohio.
Mr. Heman is connected as appraiser with the South Side Building & Loan Association of Lima. He belongs to the Knights of Py- thias and also to Mart Armstrong Post, No. 202, G. A. R.
E R. CURTIN, vice-president of the Lima Trust Company and general manager of The Manhattan Oil Com- pany, of Lima, is one of the younger business men of this city who have achieved success through genuine ability and great personal enterprise. Mr. Curtin was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, in 1868, and is a son of William W. Curtin, a well-known oil producer of this section who has been in the business since 1865.
After completing his education, which in- cluded the common and high school courses, Mr. Curtin entered into business as an employee of the Wells Supply Company, with whom he remained for six years. His next work was with his father and with oil companies in the Pennsylvania oil field, and for seven years he was interested with the Neely Brothers, the large operators of St. Marys. For the past 15 years he has been with The Manhattan Oil Company, of which for five years he has been manager. This company does a pipe-line busi- ness and owns a large refinery at Welker, Ohio. Mr. Curtin is identified with the city's interests in many ways, being vice-president of The Lima Trust Company and a member of many of the city's public organizations.
Mr. Curtin was married in 1892 to Effie
Allen, who was born in New York, and they have one son, Emmet L. For a number of years he has been prominent in Masonry, be- longing to Blue Lodge, Council and Com- mandery at Lima, and the Consistory, at To- ledo. He also belongs to the Elks.
For the past eight years Mr. Curtin has filled a large place in the business life of the city and has won the warm friendship and hearty esteem of the many who have had busi- ness and social relations with him.
ON. JOHN W. MANGES, Representa- tive in the Ohio State Legislature from Allen County, was born near Somerset, Perry County, Ohio, March 1, 1857, and is a son of Peter and Mary (Staats) Manges.
The grandparents of Mr. Manges were Pennsylvania Dutch. They came to Ohio about 1832-33, locating at Circleville, Picka- way County. Peter Manges was born in Penn- sylvania, January 1, 1830, and he was 15 years old before he had mastered the English lan- guage. He died at Bluffton, Ohio, in October, 1898, aged 68 years. He was a farmer and a veterinarian, and during the last 15 years of his life he practiced his profession to the exclu- sion of other occupations. He had three broth- ers and two sisters. He married Mary Staats, who was born in Perry County, Ohio, and died in Allen County in 1863. They had these chil- dren : Harriet, who is the wife of T. L. Goble, of Paulding County; Amanda, who married Rufus Parker, of Charlottesville, Virginia; John W., of Allen County; Rachel, who died aged 16 years; and Charles J., of Bluffton.
In the spring of 1861, the parents of the subject of this biography came to Allen County and settled on a farm near West Cairo. He remained with his father on that and other farms in Northern Ohio until his marriage. when he located at Beaver Dam. His educa- tion had not been neglected in the meantime and after finishing school he taught for 15 terms in Allen County. In addition to his farm interests he has engaged in the fire insurance business: but for so long a period has he
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been a public official that much of his time has been consumed in attending to the various duties imposed upon him. For 20 years he has been clerk of the School Board of Beaver Dam, was village clerk for six years, mayor for four years, township clerk for two terms and for the same period was township trustee, and is now serving his fourth term as justice of the peace. In 1901 he was elected on the Demo- cratic ticket to represent Allen County in the State Legislature, and his course at Columbus met with public approval to such an extent that he was reelected in 1903. He has served on a number of important committees, at all times looking out for the interests of his community, and has done excellent work on the taxation committee, the dairy and food committee and on the committee which looks after the affairs of the sailors' and soldiers' orphans.
Mr. Manges was married in Wood County, Ohio, March 27, 1884, to Lizzie Plowright, who was born April 10, 1856, and died Jan- uary 18, 1905. She was a daughter of Henry and Mary (Cross) Plowright, natives of Eng- land, who came to Allen County, Ohio, moved to Monroeville, Huron County, and finally to Wood County. Mr. and Mrs. Manges have had five children, namely: Flora M .; Layton; Charles, who died aged four and a half years; Byron and George.
For 30 years Mr. Manges has been a mem- ber of the Church of Christ, in which he has been an elder for a quarter of a century. His fraternal relations are with the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America.
RANK L. MAIRE, a leading citizen of Lima, who, with his brother, Edward J. Maire, under the firm style of Maire Brothers, is extensively engaged in the production of oil, was reared and educated in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1871. When a young man he embarked in the mercantile business at Bolivar, New York, near the Allegany oil field in which he soon evinced great interest. Seeing the profits accruing from this industry, he dis- posed of his mercantile business and invested
the proceeds in the oil fields there, later extend- ing his operations to Pennsylvania and giving his entire time to the business. With his brother, Edward J. Maire, whose biography appears elsewhere in this work, he invested in the oil fields of Ohio, and became a stockholder in companies operating in New York, Penn- sylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas and Indian Territory. Maire Brothers have well-equipped offices in the Opera House Block, a handsome structure, which they purchased of John D. Rockefeller, in November, 1905.
Mr. Maire has been a resident of Lima about nine years and has taken an active part in promoting the welfare of the city. He is one of the stockholders of The Lima Trust Company, and stands high in both social and business circles. He is affiliated with the Ma- sonic order.
ILAS REED, one of the prominent farmers of Shawnee township, who resides on a well-improved farm of 60 acres in section 14, is also a veteran of the Civil War, having given over three years of his life to the services of his country. Mr. Reed was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, January 18, 1840, and is a son of Samuel and Mary M. (Aker) Reed.
Samuel Reed was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and was a son of Noah Reed, who was born in Licking County, this State. Samuel Reed was a cooper by trade, working at his vocation during the winter and farming in the summer. He owned a farm in Shawnee town- ship, where he died in August, 1894, aged 79 years. He married Mary Aker, who was born July 30, 1814, and died in March, 1905, at the age of 91 years. Their children were: Clara, who married Josiah Snyder, and was left a widow six weeks later, her husband dying in the army; Silas; Salem, a farmer of Shawnee township: Isaac, a farmer of Shawnee town- ship: John W., deceased; Freeman, a resident of Lima : Nelson, a resident of Cridersville : Al- meda, deceased, formerly the wife of Cyrus Nye; Emma, the wife of Charles Andrews; and Laura ( Redmond), a resident of Lima.
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