USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 55
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hood and his farm plant is one of the best in that part of the county. Mr. Putnam has found time amid the multiplying duties of the farm to give his thoughful attention to local civic affairs and has held several township offices at one time and another. He is a Democrat and is looked upon as one of the leaders of that party in his home township.
In 1878 James B. Putnam was united in marriage to Alice Prince, who also was born in this county, a daughter of Solomon Prince, further and fitting mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, and to this union eleven children have been born, five of whom are still living, namely : Lloyd, of St. Paris; Naomi, wife of Leonard Hull, and Mable, Clara and Clarence, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are members of the Baptist church and take a proper interest in church work, as well as in the general good works of the community, and the family has ever given its interested atten- tion to the general social activities of that community.
WILLIAM F. LICKLIDER.
William F. Licklider, farmer, of Adams township, Champaign county, was born on a farm in Johnson township, this county, February 10, 1859. . He is a son of William H. and Margaret A. (Struble) Licklider, he a native of Virginia and she of Shelby county, Ohio. He had been previously mar- ried and had one child by his first wife, Mary E. Licklider, who is now the wife of John Dorey, of Shelby county, this state. Mary E. Licklider first married John Pepper and several children were born to them, all being now deceased. William H. Licklider was a member of the Christian church at Carysville, Ohio; in fact, was a charter member of that congregation, and was a liberal supporter of the church. He was a Democrat in early life, but later voted the Prohibition ticket. When starting out in life for him- self he lived for some time in Johnson township, later moved to Adams township and bought a farm of one hundred and forty acres. He owned one hundred and fifteen acres in Johnson township. His family consisted of eight children, one of whom died in infancy, and four are living in 1917, namely : William F., of this sketch; Edith, the wife of Charles Johnson, of Shelby county, Ohio; Elmer, living at Rosewood, this county, and Charles H., farming in Adams township.
William F. Licklider grew up on the home farm in Johnson township, (35a)
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being eighteen years old when the family removed to Adams township. He attended the district schools and later the Carysville schools. He remained at home until he was twenty-three years old, the last two years working by the year for his father, also renting land from him. He has continued general agricultural pursuits and now owns a well-kept farm of one hundred and fifteen acres in Adams township.
Mr. Licklider was married on February 22, 1885, to Alice M. Buroker. She was born in St. Paris, Champaign county, April 19, 1858, and there she grew up and attended school. She is a daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Snapp) Buroker. The father was born in Virginia and the mother in Jackson township, Champaign county.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Licklider, namely : Gladys, born in April, 1887, is single and lives at home; Joseph W., who was graduated from Rosewood high school, taught school several years; he was married on April 17, 1917, to Melvie Darrow; they are living with his parents on the farm. Walter Licklider is single and lives at home.
Politically, Mr. Licklider is a Democrat. He served as supervisor of his township one year. He is a member of the Golden Eagles. He is keeper of the exchequer and has been since it was first organized. He and his family are members of the Christian church at Carysville. He was trustee of the church there for ten or twelve years and has always been active in church affairs.
ASA B. BUROKER.
As a successful educator Asa B. Buroker, superintendent of the Adams township consolidated schools at Rosewood, has long stood in the front rank of his profession in Champaign county. He was born in Jackson township, this county, April 26, 1864. He is a son of William and Leann (Wolgamuth) Buroker. The father was born in Mad River township, March 29, 1840, and the mother was born in Jackson township, in Sep- tember, 1840. They grew to maturity in Champaign county, attended the common schools and here they were married, after which they established their home on a farm in Jackson township, but later moved to Johnson, Mad River and Adams townships, finally locating in the town of St. Paris, where he still resides, the mother's death occurring there some years ago. William Buroker devoted his active life to general agricultural pursuits. He was long one of the active members of Myrtle Tree Baptist church, being
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a leader of the choir for many years. He is an excellent reader of music. He served one year as superintendent of the Sunday school.
Fourteen children were born to William Buroker and wife, all but two surviving at this writing, namely: Rosa is the wife of D. J. Pence, of Converse, Indiana; Asa B., of this sketch; Charles is farming near Sims, Grant county, Indiana; Mary is the wife of Cory Slusser, a farmer of near Lena, Ohio; Elizabeth is the widow of Perry Beatty, of St. Paris, this county ; Simon and Miles are partners in the butter-making business at Troy, Ohio; Monroe is farming near Pemberton, Ohio; David is farming in Shelby county, Ohio; John is farming in Logan county, this state; Guy is a motorman at Peru, Indiana, and Edna is the wife of J. W. Beck of Marion, Ohio.
Asa B. Buroker was reared on the farm in his native county. He received his early education in the district schools, and when but a boy he began teaching. He later took the course of the old Urban Normal School and also a course in the Interstate Correspondence School of Chicago, Illi- nois. He has always been a student and has become a highly educated man, very largely through his own efforts. He has kept abreast of the times in all that pertains to his work and has long been regarded as one of the able and progressive teachers in the public schools of Champaign county. He began teaching in 1886 in the Vance school in Mad River township, and continued teaching in district schools for a period of twenty years. He was superintendent of the schools of Johnson township seven years. He came to Rosewood in 1907 as a teacher in the schools there and he was superin- tendent of the Adams township consolidated schools for four years. He centralized the schools there and he has been superintendent of them ever since. As a teacher his services have always been in good demand, for he is not only well equipped from an educational standpoint for his chosen life work, but he is also well qualified by nature and training and has given emi- nent satisfaction everywhere to both pupils and patrons. He is painstaking. thorough and reliable.
Mr. Buroker was married in 1889 to Ida Rhoades, a daughter of Thomas Rhoades and wife. To this union ten children have been born, namely: Zelia, the wife of Glenn Buck, a graduate of the Rosewood schools; Vista. the wife of Cleo Davis, of Napoleon, Ohio; Carroll is also a graduate of the Rosewood schools; Howard, a high school graduate, is a merchant at Rosewood; Willard was graduated from the local high school in 1917; Faye will graduate from the local high school with the class of 1918; Nettie
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is attending the public schools; Lloyd and Lois are twins, and Florence is the youngest.
Mr. Buroker is a Prohibitionist and has always voted and worked for temperance. He is a member of the United Brethren church at Rosewood and is active in church and Sunday school work.
HARRISON A. WILSON.
Harrison A. Wilson, former trustee of Harrison township, vice-presi- dent of the Farmers Banking Company of West Liberty and the proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and fifty-eight acres where he is now living in Harrison township, was born on that farm and has lived there all his life, one of the best-known and most substantial citizens of the northern part of Champaign county. He was born on December 1, 1862, son of Andrew and Elizabeth Jane (Wright) Wilson, the former of whom also was born in that neighborhood and the latter in the state of Virginia, whose last days were spent on the farm on which their son, Harrison, is now living.
Andrew Wilson was born on December 3, 1813, son of pioneer parents, whose home was on the farm adjoining the present Harrison Wilson farm on the east, and there he grew to manhood and married a neighbor girl, Elizabeth Jane Wright, who was born in Virginia on April 4, 1829, and who was but a girl when her parents, Benjamin and Peggy (Ruddell) Wright, who were married in Virginia in June, 1828, came to Ohio and settled in Clark county, presently moving from there up into Champaign county and settling on the farm just east of the present Ben Wilson farm in Harrison township. In later years Benjamin Wright and his wife moved to Illinois, where their last days were spent, the latter dying there on July 3, 1866, and the former surviving for many years, his death occurring on September 29, 1894. After his marriage Andrew Wilson settled on the quarter section of the old home place now owned and occupied by his son, Harrison, and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, influential and useful residents of that community. He was a Republican and in his younger days took an active part in local politics, serving for several years as trustee of his home township. He was one of the leaders in the local Grange in the early days of that organization and did much to promote the cause of the same. His wife was a member of the Spring Hill Presbyterian church and their children were reared in that faith. Andrew Wilson and wife were the
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parents of ten children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the eighth in order of birth, the others being as follow: Sarah Jane, born on January 22, 1847, who is the wife of A. S. Nelson, of Noblesville, Indiana ; Rebecca V., October 3, 1848, who died in March, 1913; William H., February 27, 1851, now deceased; Margaret, April 11, 1853, who married E. D. Robinson and is now deceased; Martha J., April 7, 1855, wife of Henry Lee, of Thackery, this county ; Mary Ann, February 11, 1857, now a resident of West Liberty; Benjamin W., January 27, 1860, also a resident of West Liberty; Ellen E., January 19, 1867, who married T. C. Hines and is now deceased, and Charles F., April II, 1869, who died on June 19 of that same year.
Harrison A. Wilson grew to manhood on the farm on which he was born and on which he is now living. He received his early schooling in the district schools in the neighborhood of his home and was later graduated from the Capital City Commercial College at Columbus. From the days of his boyhood he was a valued assistant in the labors of improving and develop- ing the home place and after his marriage in the spring of 1888 established his home there and has ever since made that his place of residence. Mr. Wilson has a fine farm of one hundred and fifty-eight acres and has done well in his farming operations. For several years he has been identified with the Farmers Banking Company of West Liberty, a member of the board of directors of the same, and is now one of the company's vice-presidents. An earnest Republican, he has ever given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs and for several years served as trustee of his home township and for several years as a member of the local board of education. In addi- tion to his general farming, Mr. Wilson has given considerable attention to the raising of high-grade stock and has some fine Shorthorn cattle, Poland China and Duroc hogs and one of the best flocks of sheep in the northern part of the county.
On March 13, 1888, Harrison A. Wilson was united in marriage to Julia A. Carr, who was born on a farm in the vicinity of Degraff, in the neighboring county of Logan, daughter of Frederick Carr and wife, and to this union seven children have been born, namely: Darcy A., born on January 7, 1889, who died on May 14 of that same year ; Herman W., August 16, 1890, who is now living six miles east of West Liberty ; Ivan C., February 7, 1892, who died on April 1, 1893; Bertha, February II, 1895, who is at home; Helen, December 27, 1896, also at home; Ruth, December 14, 1898, at home, and Warren A., January 26, 1901. All the members of this family are members of the Spring Hill Presbyterian church with the excep-
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tion of Herman, who is a member of the Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal church. The Wilsons have a very pleasant home and have ever given their interested attention to the community's general social activities.
THOMAS T. BRAND.
Major Thomas T. Brand, United States Army, retired, an honored veteran of the Civil War, vice-president of the Urbana National Bank and one of the best-known and most substantial capitalists and real-estate investors in this part of Ohio, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life, a resident of Urbana practically all the time since the com- pletion of his military service in 1868. Major Brand is a member of one of the oldest families in Champaign county. He was born at Mechanicsburg, January 28, 1835, son of Joseph C. and Lavinia (Talbott) Brand, early settlers there and further and fitting mention of whom is made in the historical section of this volume. He received his schooling at Urbana and in Spring- field, and was living there when the Civil War broke out. He was one of the first to respond to President Lincoln's call for volunteers, and on April 17, 1861, the day after the fall of Ft. Sumter, enlisted as a private in Com- pany K, Second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and on the day fol- lowing was elected first lieutenant of that company. On the 19th the . company started for Washington with instructions to rendezvous at Lan- caster, Pennsylvania, where it was mustered into service as a part of the Second Ohio, on the 29th of the same month. On May 2nd the company arrived in Washington, where it was assigned to Schenck's Brigade, Tyler's Division of McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia.
The Second Ohio remained on duty at Washington in defense of the capital until June, and on the 22nd of that month Lieutenant Brand resigned his commission in the volunteer service to accept an appointment as first lieutenant in the regular army, being attached to the Eighteenth Regiment, United States Infantry; and from that time until the following December was engaged in recruiting service in behalf of that regiment. In December, 1861, Lieutenant Brand joined his regiment at Columbus, Ohio, and in the following January, that command was ordered to Kentucky, where it was assigned to the Third Brigade of the Army of the Ohio; and was thus a portion of the Third Army Corps until September of that same year. In November, 1861, the regiment became a part of the Fourth Brigade, First
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(Center) Division of the Fourth Army Corps in the Army of the Cumberland, and in the following January was assigned to the Third Brigade. In Feb- ruary, 1862, the command moved to Nashville, and from that city marched to Savannah, Tennessee, to re-enforce the Army of the Tennessee. From March 20, to April 6, while the movements leading up to the battle of Shiloh were taking place, his command was engaged in an advance on Corinth, Mississippi; later taking part in the siege of that city, which culmi- nated on May 30 in the fall of that city. He then took part in the pursuit of the enemy to Boonville and Iuka, Mississippi. Later, he marched to Tuscumbia, Alabama, arriving at this place on June 22. He remained on duty there until July 27, and was then stationed at Deckard, Tennessee, until August 21, when his regiment was transferred to Louisville, Kentucky. There he was in the command of General Buell. At this time General Bragg, in concert with General Lee, in the same year, made his dash into Tennessee and Kentucky, aided by Kirby Smith. General Buell moved out from Louis- ville to meet him. On October 8, 1862, the two met at Perrysville, Ken- tucky, where Lieutenant Brand's command took part in the battle. Later, he marched to Nashville, where he joined the Regular Brigade, First Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, December 25. On December 31, 1862, and January 1-2-3, 1863, the command took a very active part in the battle of Stone's River. This engagement continued until January 3, and afterward the regiment was on duty at Murfreesborough, Tennessee, until June. On the 23rd of that month it began its service in connection with the Tallahoma, or Middle Tennessee campaign, being in action at Hoover's Gap on June 25 and 26, and taking part in the occupation of Tallahoma on July 1; thereafter was in the Chattanooga campaign, participating in the battle of Chickamauga, September 19 and 20. A few days before that battle, on September II, 1863, Lieutenant Brand was promoted to the rank of captain. On the first day of the battle of Chickamauga, he received a severe wound in his left arm, which incapacitated him for further service in the field, and he thereafter served on special detail in the mustering and disbursing department of the army. On March 13, 1865, for conspicuous bravery displayed on the field during the battle of Stone's River and the bat- tle of Chickamauga, he was honored with the rank of brevet major. After being assigned to mustering and disbursing duty, Major Brand was stationed at Madison, Wisconsin, until in February, 1864, when he was transferred to Columbus, Ohio, and was there engaged in similar service until Decem- ber, 1865. He was then stationed at Indianapolis as chief mustering and dis- bursing officer of Indiana, where he remained until June 1, 1867, when he
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was appointed chief mustering officer of Ohio and West Virginia, and so continued until his retirement from service on December 1, 1868.
On April 23, 1904, by act of Congress, Brevet-Major Brand was raised to the rank of major in the United States army, for services rendered during the Civil War.
Upon the completion of his military service Major Brand returned to his home at Urbana, where he since has made his home, for many years one of the most active and influential business men in this part of the state. The Major's investments have proved quite profitable and he is accounted one of the well-to-do citizens of his home town. He is vice-president and a director of the Urbana National Bank and has other important holdings, his various connections along these lines making him one of the most important figures in the financial life of this section. He is also a director of the Urbana Telephone Company. The Major is an ardent Republican and has ever taken an active interest in local political affairs, one of the leaders of his party in this county.
On December 28, 1864, Major Thomas T. Brand was united in mar- riage to Eliza C. Warnock, daughter of the Rev. David Warnock, and to this union were born two sons, Dr. Frank W. Brand, a physician at Urbana, and Dr. Thomas T. Brand, Jr., a dentist at Urbana.
GEORGE W. HOUX.
Among the pioneers of the northern part of Champaign county, few have left a better memory than did George W. Houx and his wife, for many years proprietors of "Mt. Tabor Farm," now occupied by their son and daughter, in Salem township. Mr. Houx had been a resident of this county since 1845 and was eighty years of age at the time of his death in 1892. He was born at Cumberland, Maryland, October 29, 1812, son of John Houx and wife, whose last days were spent there and who were the parents of three sons, the subject of this sketch having had two brothers, John, who died in Maryland, and William, who located in Iowa.
George W. Houx was reared at Cumberland and there received his schooling. For five years he served in the United States standing army and in 1844 came to Ohio and in the spring of the next year located in this county, where he presently married Mrs. Susan P. (Turner) Houk, a widow, who was born in Jefferson county, Virginia, July 29, 1809, a daughter of
GEORGE W. HOUX
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Anthony and Fannie Turner, and who was the owner of "Mt. Tabor Farm" in Salem township, this county. Mrs. Houk was the mother of four chil- dren, namely: Eliza, born in 1831, wife of H. Hovey, of Urbana, this county ; George W. Houk, who died in his youth; Anna Frances, who died in 1852, and Alexander P. Houk, who moved to Greene county, Missouri. After his marriage Mr. Houx settled at "Mt. Tabor Farm" and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, active in all good works in that neighborhood and useful and influential members of the community. Mrs. Houx died on November 18, 1884, and Mr. Houx survived until December 28, 1892, he being past eighty years of age at the time of his death. To him and his wife three children were born, Mary Ellen, born on December 30, 1847, who died at the old home place on September 15, 1905; Martha A., August 1, 1849, who has always lived on the old home place, and John H., December 14, 1852, who also has always made his home there, actively engaged in farming since the days of his boyhood.
John H. Houx has continued the development and improvement of "Mt. Tabor Farm" and he and his sister Martha have a very fine piece of property there, one of the best-improved farm plants in that neighborhood. They are members of the Mt. Tabor church and have ever given proper attention to neighborhood good works, being favorably known throughout that community. Mr. Houx is a Democrat and has ever given a good citi- zen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office. He is a good farmer and he and his sister have done well with their inheritance.
CHARLES E. WERTZ.
Charles E. Wertz, a well-known farmer and civil engineer living on the Carysville pike on rural mail route No. I out of St. Paris, five miles north of St. Paris, where he has a very pleasant home and where he and his family are very comfortably situated, is a native of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life, a resident of Champaign county since the days of his childhood. He was born on a farm in Brown township, Miami county, April 17, 1866, a son of Daniel and Eliza A. (Pence) Wertz, who later became residents of this county, still later moving to Indiana, where their last days were spent.
Daniel Wertz was born on a sailing vessel on the Atlantic ocean while his parents were on their way to this country to make a new home. They
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settled in New Jersey, where the father died some years later and where Daniel Wertz lived until he was eleven years of age when he came to Ohio with two brothers and after a sometime residence in Champaign county moved over into Miami county, where he learned the cooper's trade and where he later established a cooper shop. He married Eliza A. Pence and some time later came back into Champaign county and started a cooper shop on Lynn street in St. Paris. When sixty years of age he returned to Miami county, but not long afterward moved to Wabash county, Indiana, where he spent his last days. His widow survived him for some years. They were the parents of five children, four of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having four sisters, Minerva, wife of Seymour Shanks, of North Dakota; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Al. Riley, a farmer living near Lena, this state, she died in April, 1917; Martha, wife of Daniel Young, of Lena; and Alice, wife of Charles Doss, who lives near Conover, this state.
Charles E. Wertz grew to manhood in this county and after his mar- riage in 1889 began farming on his own account and has ever since been thus engaged, at present farming a little more than one hundred and sev- enty-five acres in Johnson township, where he has his home. He owns the tract surrounding his home and farms additional land adjoining the same and is doing very well. In addition to his farming Mr. Wertz has long given considerable attention to problems involving civil engineering and is regarded as quite a "genius" in that line. He holds a government license as a civil engineer and is often called into consultation in engineering mat- ters. Mr. Wertz's son, Leo Wertz, is also a competent civil engineer and has become the patentee of several workable devices of a mechanical char- acter, including an aerial device, in behalf of the development of which he is now in the employ of the government, working the device out into a more practicable form. He enlisted on June 5, 1917, in Company D, Third Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Others of Leo Wertz's patents also have gained for him wide recognition as an inventor of more than usual ability and his friends are predicting for him a brilliant future in the field of applied science.
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