USA > Ohio > Ashland County > History of Ashland County, Ohio > Part 49
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they have known some dark hours and experienced some bitter sorrows, they have ever held to their faith that in time all things work out for good to the believer in Christianity, and they have long been faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Galloway. In his political views Mr. Nyhart has been a life long democrat and was treasurer of Brown township for two terms. He has preferred, however, to concentrate his attention and energies upon his business affairs and his capable management has brought to him a substantial measure of success, enabling him in the evening of life to enjoy all of its com- forts. Both he and his wife are held in the highest esteem throughout Loudon- ville and this part of the county and well deserve mention in this volume as representative citizens here.
JOSEPH. N. BROWN.
Joseph N. Brown, a capitalist of Ashland, who was formerly actively and successfully connected with the agricultural and live-stock interests of this county, was born in Richland county, Ohio, on the 3d of December, 1842. His parents, Hugh and Margaret Brown, who were natives of Wayne county, Ohio, and Holmes county, Ohio, respectively, are both deceased. Their family numbered ten children, six of whom still survive.
Joseph N. Brown acquired a good practical education in the common schools and when but eighteen years of age enlisted for service in the Union army as a member of Company H, Forty-second Ohio Infantry, with which he remained for eight months. He participated in the battle of Chickamauga and, becoming ill, was afterward taken to the hospital at St. Louis, where he con- tinued for three months. He then returned to Richland county, Ohio, there residing on a farm until twenty-two years of age, when he was married. Subse- quent to that important event in his life he was engaged in the operation of a rented farm for one year and then bought a tract of land of ninety acres, which he cultivated for a similar period and then sold. The following six months were spent in Missouri and afterward he lived in Pennsylvania for another period of six months, at the end of which time he came to Ashland county, Ohio, purchas- ing a farm of eighty-four acres, which is still in his possession and which he continued to cultivate for nine years. He then took up his abode in the city of Ashland and became engaged in buying and shipping stock, with which line of activity he was successfuly identified for seventeen years. At the present time, however, he is living a retired life, enjoying in well earned rest the fruits of his former industry and well directed energy. He owns a fine residence at No. 30 Clarmont avenue and is a stockholder and director in the match factory of Ashland, a stockholder and director in the Star Telephone Company, a stock- holder in the Raymond wholesale grocery house at Mansfield, Ohio, and stock- holder and director of the Farmers Bank of Ashland. He likewise owns several houses in Ashland and is widely recognized as one of the county's most prosper- ous, progressive and respected citizens.
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Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Sarah King, a native of Pennsyl- vania and a daughter of Nicholas and Mahala King, both of whom are deceased. Mrs. Brown was one of a family of three children and by her marriage has become the mother of four, namely: Mary A., who was born December 19, 1867, and is now the wife of Charley Fritzinger, who is in the insurance business at Mansfield, Ohio; Mertilla M., born March 28, 1870, who is the wife of George Freer, of Ashland; Emory M., a resident of this city and a member of the dry- goods firm of Beach & Brown; and Edgar, who has passed away.
In his political views Mr. Brown is a stalwart democrat and has taken an active and helpful interest in the local work of the organization, having served as assessor for two terms and also as alderman of Ashland. Fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 85, and also with G. A. R. Post, No. 132, having filled all of the chairs in the last named. Both he and his wife attend the Methodist Episcopal church of Ashland and have displayed traits of character, of heart and mind which have endeared them to all with whom they have been associated and which have gained for them the confidence and good will of the entire community.
SETH GONGWER.
Seth Gongwer, county recorder of Ashland county, the duties of which responsible office he has been performing since his election to that post in 1904, is one of the most popular men of this part of the state, and thoroughly qualified in every regard to transact the business devolving upon him as a public official. Born in Milton township, this county, on July 17, 1866, he is a son of Lewis and Frances (Imhoff) Gongwer, both natives of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where his father was born in 1820, coming to this county when a boy with his parents, who located on a farm in what is now known as Mifflin township. The grandfather of the subject of this review, however, did not give much of his attention to tilling the soil as he gave up agricultural pursuits shortly after settling upon the land and built and operated a distillery for many years, the plant being later operated by his son, Michael Gongwer. His wife, Frances Imhoff, was born in 1829, and when about two years of age came to this county with her parents, who located on a farm in Milton township, where she was reared and united in marriage, after which event she and her husband located in Richland county where they remained for a brief period and upon returning to this county purchased a farm in Milton township where they spent their remaining days, the father entering into rest in 1897, while the mother passed away December 26, 1908, the remains of both being interred in the Imhoff cemetery. They were known throughout the township for their industry and enterprise and as well for their excellent qualities of character, both having been faithful members of the United Brethren church, their daily lives being in every respect harmonious with the high ideals of their religion.
The district schools of the township gave Seth Gongwer his preliminary educational advantages, and later he completed a course of study in Hayesville
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Academy, and also at Ashland College. Upon leaving the last named institution being then in his twentieth year, he adopted teaching as a vocation and for a period of twelve terms spent the winters in the school room, during the summer months turning his attention to farming, and for about four years following the demise of his father he had the management of the home farm. at the expiration of which period he went to Toledo, Ohio, and secured a position as brakeman on the Lake Shore Railroad, being identified with railroad work until December, 1903, when meeting with the misfortune of losing his left arm, he returned home and in the fall of 1904 was elected to the office of county recorder and is now serving his first term, but his position is assured inasmuch as he was reelected at the fall election of 1908 for a second term.
Mr. Gongwer is widely known among fraternal organizations and belongs to Montgomery Lodge, K. of P., and is also a member of Excelsior Camp, No. 3287, M. W. A. He is a man whose excellent judgment and genial disposition have made him popular throughout the county, and being also possessed of super- for administrative and executive ability he is ably fitted to perform the duties of the office in which he serves, and his record as a public official is amply manifested in the fact of his reelection.
JACOB H. STRAUSBAUGH.
Jacob H. Strausbaugh carries on general farming on section 14, Hanover township, and is one of the enterprising farmers of the community. He was born a mile north of Tiffin in Seneca county, Ohio, September 4, 1848, and there made his home, spending his boyhood days under the parental roof. He is a son of Jacob and Margaret (Flannigan) Strausbaugh, who were natives of Pennsylvania where they were reared and married. The father was a distiller by trade. He walked to Ohio three times before he was married, being em- ployed in a Dayton distillery. Following his marriage he came with his wife in a one-horse wagon and made a settlement in Crawford county, camping there first among the Wyandotte Indians. After losing the use of his left arm he engaged in making brooms for a living. Unto him and his wife were born nine children, six of whom reached adult age, namely : Susan, Joseph, Jacob, John, Michael and Margaret.
Spending his boyhood days upon the home farm Jacob H. Strausbaugh afterward learned the plasterer's trade and followed that pursuit until he en- listed for service in the Civil war in January, 1865, when but sixteen years of age. He was enrolled as a soldier at Lima, Allen county, Ohio, becoming a member of Company E, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was assigned to duty with the Army of the Cumberland and he participated in the battles of Franklin and Nashville besides many minor engagements, remaining always a brave and loyal soldier, unfaltering in the performance of any duty. He was mustered out at Camp Parker, Texas, in January, 1866.
After the war was over Mr. Strausbaugh returned to his home in the north and soon afterward went to Canton, Ohio. He worked at the plasterer's trade
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in the north during the summer seasons, and in the south during the winter months. In this way he visited many parts of the United States, spending about twelve years in that fashion. In 1870 he came to Loudonville where he worked at his trade for three years, after which he was connected with A. A. Taylor as a packer in the flouring mill for eleven years. On the expiration of that period he again resumed work at his trade which he once more followed for three or four years and then with the capital which he had saved from his labor he purchased his present farm on the 8th of October, 1888. It has since
been his home covering a period of more than two decades. He has here one hundred and sixty acres of rich and arable land which he has brought under a high state of cultivation, annually gathering rich harvests. His home place is two and a half miles southwest of Loudonville and in addition to this prop- erty he has one hundred and sixteen acres two miles south of the village, both farms being in Hanover township. His home place borders the Mohican river and his dwelling is in a most picturesque district among the hills. His build- ings are all substantial and in good repair, and the farm is in every way well improved. He raises sheep and hogs and also makes dairy cows a special feature of his place. His principal cereal is wheat and the fields are richly tilled.
In January, 1874, Mr. Strausbaugh was united in marriage to Miss Mary Beary, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio. October 4, 1854, and is a daughter of Chris and Magdalena (Gardner) Beary, natives of Switzerland who, however, were married in this country and died in Holmes county, Ohio. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Strausbaugh have been born eleven children: Clara, the wife of Michael Casey, of Mansfield; James Urben, also living in Mansfield; Edward, a resident of Galion, Ohio; Charles, a farmer of Hanover township; Lewis, of Mansfield; Helen, the wife of Harry Sharp, of Mansfield; Myrtle, living in Mansfield; Mary, Leo and Paul, all at home; and Jacob Hugh, who completes the family. The family record is remarkable in that the circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death nor has there been much sickness among them.
In his political views Mr. Strausbaugh has always been an earnest repub- lican in national elections because of his firm belief in the principles of the party yet he has never sought nor desired office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs in which he is meeting with signal success. He belongs to St. Peter's Catholic church of Loudonville and is well known as a representative farmer of the community, whose energies have been effective in promoting the agricultural development of this part of the state.
WILLIAM G. HELTMAN.
William G. Heltman is one of Ashland's most prominent citizens, whose influence has been widely and deeply felt in the betterment of city conditions, and whose services as mayor of the municipality, in which honorable position he served for four terms, were of the highest character from point of view of justice and equity, and the excellent benefits accruing therefrom to the citizens
W. G. HELTMAN
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of the community and the city in general. He officiated in that capacity between the years 1894 and 1902. Among the many ways in which he proved a benefactor of the municipality was that of securing for the city its present modern waterworks, built in 1895, and of which he is justly termed the father. It had long been the opinion of Mr. Heltman that the city should have a water plant of its own and he was unremitting in his agitation of the scheme and for many years carried on an aggressive warfare in behalf of the establishing of the plant, until he secured its erection. During that period he spent much of his own means and time visiting various cities throughout the state for the pur- pose of investigating their waterworks plants that he might through close scrutiny arrive at an idea of what would be the best for his own municipality, and when he had formulated his plans he submitted his estimates for the con- struction of the plant he met with the rebuff of being ridiculed, but being a man not easily dissuaded from an honest purpose he persisted in bringing his appeal before the public and through his honest and ardent efforts when the bill came up before the people to whom it was left to decide whether the municipality should or should not have a modern water plant it was passed, and the plant built within the estimates made by Mr. Heltman, the entire cost being forty-five thousand dollars. This included twelve miles of water mains and, considering the many items necessary to its construction, the cost was considered very low and the success of the undertaking at such a limited figure was commented upon by the papers throughout the state, greatly to the commendation and praise of Mr. Heltman.
Mr. Heltman is a native of Clinton county, Pennsylvania, born June 1, 1835, a son of Joseph and Catherine (Goldman) Heltman, and a grandson of John Heltman, a native of Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, who came to America and afterward was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and settled in Center county, Pennsylvania, after the termination of that conflict. There he was united in marriage to Miss Kleckner and spent his remaining days in the pur- suit of agriculture. He reared a family of nine children.
Joseph Heltman was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, in 1791, and he also reared a family of nine children, two of whom survive, namely, Joseph, of Prairie Depot, Wood county, Ohio, and William G. Joseph Heltman was forty- five years of age when he came to Ashland county, his arrival being in 1836, and together with his own family he brought that of William Goodman, a brother-in- law, each family including nine members, the company having made the journey in two wagons, and when they had reached Canton, Ohio, which at that time was a small village, Mr. Heltman was robbed in the late night hours by three high- waymen who relieved him of thirty-two hundred dollars in silver, the money being packed with household clothing in a strong box, supposed to be perfectly secure, and this left both families practically stranded. However, not being contented to acquiesce in their loss they followed the robbers, tracking them to a barn in which the money had been hid and they searched the building and sur- rounding premises diligently in the hope of finding their silver, but to no avail. Upon inquiring throughout the neighborhood it was discovered that the thieves had spent a portion of the money on a horse race and also some of it in saloons, and Mr. Heltman, having marked several pieces of the silver, was assured that
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he would be able to recognize it and later, the thieves having been run down and taken into custody, one of them, who was but sixteen years of age, made confession and fortunately about two thousand dollars of the sum was recovered, after Mr. Heltman proved the money to be his in court. Upon arriving in this county he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Milton township from Mr. Wykoff, and here he followed general farming in connection with carpentering and cabinet making, finally giving up the latter and devoting his entire time to husbandry until his death, which occurred in 1873, when he was in his eighty-third year. Politically he was an ardent democrat, although preferring a quiet home life, he was never ambitious to hold office. However, taking an interest in local affairs he served for several terms efficiently as town- ship trustee. His wife was a native of Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, from which place she later removed to Center county, that state, with her parents, when but three years of age, her birth having occurred in 1792. She lived to the advanced age of ninety-six years. She and her husband were members of the Evangelical church and were highly respected for their earnest Christian zeal and upright and useful lives.
William G. Heltman when but a little over a year old removed with his parents to this state, settling upon a farm located one and one-half miles west of the city of Ashland. There he spent his boyhood days, engaging in the summer months in the pursuit of agriculture, while in the winter season he took ad- vantage of the district schools to obtain an education. Upon completing his studies he pursued farming for awhile and in 1854 left the farm to teach in the district school, being the teacher in his immediate neighborhood during the years 1856 and 1857, at which time he instructed many of his former playmates. In 1857, upon leaving the schoolroom, he accepted a clerkship in the Mansfield postoffice under Jacob Rusinge, acting as chief clerk for about two years, when illness caused him to retire. In 1859 he began to work in a grocery store, the proprietor of which was E. W. Wallack, with whom he later formed a partner- ship, the firm engaging in buying and shipping country produce. In this connection he remained during the years 1861 to 1863, at the same time acting as clerk of Montgomery township. During that period he was also united in marriage to Miss Mary A. T. Rebman, whom he had known from childhood as she had been born and reared on the adjoining farm. This union has been blessed by nine children; seven of whom still survive.
In the early '60s Mr. Heltman made himself influentially known in political circles, and in 1863 was elected clerk of the court of common pleas by a majority of two hundred and seventy votes and performed the duties of this office for three months, when the return of the soldier vote from the field of battle gave the office to Captain S. M. Barber by a slight majority. To the responsible position of town treasurer he was elected in 1865, during which year he was nominated on the democratic ticket for county treasurer, to which office he was elected by a large majority, being reelected also in 1867, and his performance of his duties as custodian of the money of the commonwealth was in every way satisfactory and strong evidence of his administrative and financial ability. Upon the expiration of his term of office he engaged in the dry-goods business, this being between the years 1871 and 1873, but in 1874 he disposed of his
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interests and engaged in the grocery and queensware business. In 1879, in company with W. T. Alberson, he became one of the owners and publisher of the Ashland Press, and during the four years to which he gave his financial support and influence to this enterprise the Press attained phenomenal success and was given a wider range of usefulness. In 1882 he was elected a member of the board of education of Ashland, continuing as a constituent of this body until 1889, in the meantime serving as clerk of the board for one term and for two terms as president. While in this position it is said that more than any other man in this vicinity he was influential in establishing a non-partisan school board, and under the new system the schools were made more efficient, so that they attained a rank equal to those of any part of the state. His political power soon became widely known owing to his excellent judgment and adminis- trative ability, together with his honesty, and desiring the highest good of the people, and he was soon chosen as a candidate for mayor of the city and for four terms served in this capacity with exceptional credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the people. He is of German descent and possesses all the sturdy and stalwart characteristics of his race, and both in his political and business careers has evidenced that conservative judgment common to his people together with that practical economy which has made his such a useful service to the people, his highest purpose as a political factor being first to do what he could for their betterment and for that of the city of which he is a citizen and was chief executive. He belongs to the order of Free Masons and for a number of years has been worshipful master of Ashland Lodge. Mr. Heltman is widely known through his integrity and capacity as a business man, being upright and honest in all his dealings, and as a man whose influence is based almost exclu- sively upon his outward acts which are evidences of the high ideals he follows, and enjoying the reputation of being one of the foremost who has the interests of his city and its people at heart, he is in every sense of the word an influential representative of Ashland, for whose advancement he has contributed many years of time, labor and ability.
NEWTON J. SPRINKLE.
Newton J. Sprinkle, who for many years has been influentially associated with the farming and stock-raising interests of Sullivan township, was born in Troy township, August 11, 1862, a son of John and Catherine (Sponsler) Sprinkle, his parents having come from Columbiana county, to that township at an early day, where they resided on a farm. Mr. Sprinkle spent his life in producing general crops and raising stock and although he did not have many acres of land his knowledge of soils and adaptation of crops enabled him to de- rive from his small acreage more bountiful harvests than many reaped from many times the extent of land which he tilled. He was highly respected throughout the community for his honesty and upright life. He passed away in February, 1903, and is survived by his widow.
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In the district schools of Troy township Newton J. Sprinkle acquired his education, in the meantime assisting his father in the general duties of the farm until he was eighteen years of age when, ambitious to become independent in life, he sought employment elsewhere and worked for himself until he was united in marriage, at which period of his life he began farming in Orange town- ship, where he remained for five years. At the termination of that time he removed to Huntington, Lorain county, where he engaged in farming for ten years and in 1901, settled on his present farm. It contains ninety-three acres, which he devotes to the production of general crops and stock-raising and al- though his farm is small it is one of the most highly improved and tillable in the county. His residence and all his buildings are modern and substantial and the premises are equipped with every convenience with which to make agriculture a paying proposition.
On January 11, 1887, Mr. Sprinkle wedded Miss Etta F. Sheets, daughter of John and Mary (Tranger) Sheets, her father, a farmer of Orange township. To this union have been born: Mary, Osro Perry, Grace Beth, Ada B., John C., deceased, and Carl. Mr. Sprinkle affiliates with the democratic party for whose candidates he has always cast his vote with one exception and that in the case of the late James A. Garfield for whom he had a profound admiration. For several years he has officiated as a member of the school board in the localities in which he has lived and, being a public-spirited man, he takes a deep interest in every movement which purposes the public good. He is in particular a strong advocate of a progressive educational system. While he did not have the advantages of training in a higher educational institution, yet being a man . susceptible to learning and desirous for information, his extensive reading has covered almost every topie and he is conversant upon a wide range of subjects. Along the lines of his own business, his reading and study have been especially profound and he has kept abreast of the times as to the best methods of farming and has given particular attention to the adaptation, rotation and nature of the various crops. Although he lives a busy life he never loses sight of his religious obligations and, with the members of his family, attends services at the Congregational church. Mr. Sprinkle is known throughout the township for his enterprise and aggressiveness and also for his exemplary life, and is numbered among its representative citizens.
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