History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 102

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 102

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ALFRED LEUTHOLD, attorney at law at Bucyrus, O., was born in Canton Bern, Switzerland, November 11, 1874, one of a family of nine children born to his parents, Christian Leuthold, Jr. and wife, and a grand- son of Christian and Sarah (Von Bergen) Leuthold. The paternal great-grandfather was a prominent physician in Switzerland.

Christian Leuthold, Jr., was born in Canton Bern, Switzerland, in 1841 and died at Bucy- rus February 15, 1906. In his native land he was a grower of stock. He married Kath-

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erine Knoti, of Canton Bern, and they, with their nine children, came to the United States in 1884, landing at the harbor of New York. From there they made their way to Upper Sandusky, O., and four years afterward moved to Bucyrus township, Crawford county. The father and sons rented a large farm, all of his sons helping industriously in order to acquire homes of their own. After the father died the mother retired to Bucyrus, where she still lives at the age of seventy-four years. At present this family owns valuable land and stock and is numbered with the substantial ones of the county. Their children were as follows: Katherine, who is the wife of Jacob Bohn, a farmer in Holmes township, and they have three children : Christian, who is a farmer in Crawford county, married Clara Geisman and they have eight children; Rosa L., who is the wife of Godfrey Welty, a farmer in Holmes township, and they have eight chil- dren; David, who is a farmer in Holmes town- ship, married Louisa Geist, and they have one child; John, who is a farmer in Bucyrus town- ship, married Anna Spring, and they have two sons ; Godfrey, who is an attorney at Bucyrus, is unmarried; Alfred, the subject of this sketch; Samuel, who is associated in the prac- tire of law with his brother Alfred, married Tena Miller, and they have one son; and Louisa, who resides with her mother and is an exemplary daughter.

Through many hardships and discourage- ments, Alfred Leuthold secured an education and was graduated in the class of 1897 from the Ohio Northern University at Ada, O., with the degree of A. B., having been admitted to the bar before he was graduated. Later he taught school in Crawford county, O. When the Spanish-American war broke out in 1898, he enlisted as a private in the 4th Ohio and served for one year, during this time being stationed for three months on the island of Porto Rico. He was honorably discharged January 20, 1899, and then came to Bucyrus, where he established himself in the practice of law. He is a member of Camp Thoman, No. 33, Spanish-American War Veterans, at Bu- cyrus. Mr. Leuthold was married in Craw- ford county to Miss Hattie Keplinger, who was born in Liberty township in 1874 and was educated in the public schools. They have

three children: Emerson, who was born in 1903; Warren Keplinger, in 1905; and Ruth Katherine, whose birth took place May 12, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Leuthold are members of the United Brethren church.

DAVID H. WHITE, who has been identi- fied with the mills operated by Zigler & Co., at Bucyrus, O., for the past twenty-seven years and for eighteen of these has been a member of the firm, has been connected with the indus- try since he was thirteen years of age. He was born at Beaver Falls, Pa., in 1859, and is a son of Hugh and Sarah J. ( Boyles) White. They also were natives of Pennsylvania and the father died in that state some years ago. For a considerable period he had been superintendent of a steel company and was widely known. His widow resides at Cleve- land, Ohio.

David H. White is the eldest of a family of seven children born to his parents, all of these surviving. He entered one of the first flour mills built at Beaver Falls, as an apprentice, when he was merely a boy, learned the busi- ness and has devoted himself to it all his life. Since he has been a resident of Bucyrus he has made his influence felt as a worthy and de- pendable citizen, and served through three terms as a member of the city council, elected on the Democratic ticket. Mr. White was married at Bucyrus to Miss Anna M. Zigler, a daughter of G. K. Zigler. She is a member of the Lutheran church. Mr. White is a mem- ber of several fraternal organizations and is prominent in Masonry, belonging to the Con- sistory at Toledo and the Shrine at Cleveland. He is also a director in the Second National Bank.

HON. THOMAS BEER-distinguished along many lines, the late Judge Thomas Beer will long be recalled as one of Crawford county's eminent citizens. He came of an an- cestry notable for its achievements, but his fame rests sufficiently upon what he accom- plished himself, his indebtedness to his fore- bears, however, always having been a matter of pride to him. They were soldiers and patriots, missionaries and scholars-men of courage and women of beauty and refinement

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-- and heredity was clearly shown in the char- acter of their descendant.

Thomas Beer was born September 7, 1832, the third of a family of thirteen children, two of whom died in infancy. His parents were Rev. Thomas Beer, D. D., and his wife, Mar- garet (Cameron) Beer.

The earliest paternal ancestor on record was William Beer, and the line of descent was through Thomas and Adeline (Aten) Beer, and through Thomas and Margaret (Cam- eron) Beer.

William Beer was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1717 and emigrated to America in 1764, accompanied by his son, Thomas, and they settled in Northampton county, Pa.

Thomas Beer, son of William, was young when his father came with him from Ireland and probably was still a youth when he first enlisted, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, in Col. Stroud's regiment, serving further under five enlistments. When wounded at the battle of Trenton, he was taken to the home of Lieut. Richard Aten (Auten), and was nursed back to health by the young daughter, Adeline Aten, whom he subse- quently married. Lieut. Aten was a member of Capt. Riddle's company, 2nd regiment of the Sussex militia, N. J. He was a son of Adrian and Jacobje, or Jemima (Middagh) Aten, the former of whom died at Reading- ton, N. J., in 1758. The Atens and Middaghs emigrated to America from near Amsterdam and Leyden, Holland, settling first, between 1660 and 1680, near Flatbush, L. I., but later both families moved to Somerset county, N. J. Lieut. Aten finally settled in Northampton county, Pa., six miles north of Belvidere, N. J., where he established a ferry which was known as Aten's Ferry for more than 120 years.

Thomas Beer, son of Thomas and Adeline (Aten) Beer, was born in Northampton county, Pa., March 22, 1801, and in 1827 was graduated from the Western University of Pennsylvania. In the same year he entered the Western Theological seminary, which had just been established at Allegheny, Pa., and in 1829 was licensed to preach, being grad- uated from the seminary in the following year. He was sent first as a missionary to Virginia and later to Ohio and after some time passed

in Wayne township, Wayne county, he re- turned to Mt. Hope. His parishoners came for miles to the Mt. Hope church, which held about 1,000 persons. This church was erected under his pastorate. During this period he also served as pastor to the Presbyterian churches at Congress and West Salem. He held these charges over a quarter of a century. His latter years were passed at Ashland, O., his death occurring October 7, 1886. He had been honored with the degree of D. D.

On October 9, 1828, he was married to Margaret Cameron, a daughter of John and Mary (Symmes) Cameron. John Cameron, a member of Clan Cameron, was born in In- verness, Scotland, and served as a soldier in the British army. In 1804 he emigrated to America and settled at Pittsburgh, Pa., where he married the daughter of a Revolutionary patriot, who lost his life at the storming of Quebec. Margaret (Cameron) Beer was born March 7, 1809, and lived until March 27, 1880. She was a remarkable woman in many ways, an example of wifely devotion and ma- ternal solicitude.

Thomas Beer, bearing the favorite family name, when very young, displayed an interest in learning, insisting on accompanying his older brothers and sisters to the near-by school. His opportunities were meager but he evidently made the most of them, as he was accepted as a teacher when he was only six- teen years of age, the salary of $12 per month being carefully saved to assist in paying his way when he entered Vermillion Institute, at Hayesville, O., of which his father was one of the trustees. He early felt a predilection for the law, and during 1851-2 he devoted himself to the study of his profession, in the office of John C. Tidball, at Coshocton, O., and also taught special pupils. His means not being adequate, however, to cover his expenses while devoting his entire time to the study of law, he looked about for some method of self support and in 1853 became a railway telegraph opera- tor at Alliance, so continuing until 1858. In the latter part of 1853 he was appointed post- master at Alliance and attended to his official duties until 1858, in connection with the rather. trying ones of his profession, and then be- came editor and publisher of the Stark County Democrat. After two years of newspaper

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work, he had made the property so desirable that he was able to dispose of it at a very good figure, after which he came to Bucyrus and resumed journalistic work, becoming editor of the Crawford County Forum and thus continued until 1862.

In the meanwhile he had never lost sight of his original ambition and in the above year was admitted to the bar and immediately en- tered into practice. From 1864 until 1868 he served in the state legislature, where he dis- played qualities of a patriotic statesman and eloquent orator, and in 1873-4 was a member of the constitutional convention, secretary of its judicial committee and otherwise promi- nent in its deliberations. In August, 1874, Governor Allen appointed him judge of the court of common pleas, a position he filled un- til 1885, with signal distinction, after which, until 1893, he served on the circuit bench, re- tiring then from public life and devoting his attention exclusively to his private practice. He was engaged as counsel in a number of important cases, in which the emoluments were large and the outcome for his clients eminently successful. All his life he was a democrat, one of the old school, whose principles could never be changed or his views on public ques- tions swayed by money or influence. On many occasions he was tendered offices of the greatest honor and responsibility, being twice nominated for supreme judge, while he twice declined the nomination by his party for gov- ernor of Ohio. He had the eloquent tongue of an orator and his political, professional and judicial addresses were gems of learning illu- minated by flashes of wit and humor. He was an honored member of the Ohio State Bar As- sociation and his last public address, "Coke Literature," was delivered before this body, on July 7, 1909.

Judge Beer was a man of versatile gifts and many accomplishments. Had opportunities been afforded him he would have been able to make a name for himself in music, and, with- out any particular instruction, was a fine per- former on the flute, violin and piano, and the writing and composing of a music score seemed as easy to him as the settling of a legal point. He was an artist, also, and had a natural talent for friendly caricature, one often exercised for the amusement of his friends.

His memory was remarkable, and was also a natural gift, for no training could ever have brought it to the perfect state which enabled him to recall, at an instant's notice, pages of law books, technical points needed in prose- cuting or expounding some obscure law prob- lems and precedents on every subject. Having once read certain data in relation to his pro- fession, even after the lapse of years, he could remember facts, book and page. It was some- times said of him that he absorbed libraries, so learned was he and so entirely accurate in all his knowledge. Poetry always appealed to him and often, in his quiet moments, he re- laxed his mind by repeating choice selections that had taken his fancy as he read them, and were never forgotten. As may be imagined, these various gifts made him an invaluable member of the different organizations in which he took an interest. He was a member .of the Society of Natural History, was a ma- son, and belonged for many years to the State Historical Society. Perhaps, outside of a pub- lic institution, there is no finer collection of engravings, prints and books than belonged to Judge Beer. For many years he was inter- ested in collecting autographs and many im- portant ones are the names of his friends and contemporaries, while there are many others, including one of King George III, most of Lord Chancellors of England and many Eng- lish and American authors. He was a great lover of nature and his avocation was farming to which he turned for relaxation and rest from his legal duties.

In Ashland county, O., April 23, 1856, Thomas Beer was married to Tabitha Mary Dinsmore. She was a friend of his childhood and one of his classmates at Vermillion Insti- tute. She also attended the seminary at Hud- son, O., and taught school several years. Her father, James Alexander Dinsmore, was a veteran of the war of 1812, and was a retired civil engineer, who came to Ohio in 1833 and lived afterward on his farm in Ashland county, O. To Judge and Mrs. Beer nine chil- dren were born, seven of whom are living, namely : James Dinsmore, who is a practicing physician of Wooster, O., married Jean Lyle Thoburn, and they reside in Ashland county, O.

James Alexander Dinsmore's earliest pa- ternal progenitor was Laird Dinsmoor, born

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about 1600, who lived on his estate at Achen- mead, Scotland, on the Tweed. His son, John (1650), rebelling at being compelled to hold the stirrup of his eldest brother's saddle when the latter mounted his horse, ran away from home in 1667 and settled in Ballywattick, county Antrim, Ireland. His grandson, An- drew (born at Ballywattick, Ireland, 1753), emigrated to America, 1771-72, was a soldier in the Revolution, settled at Peach Bottom, York county, Pa., where he married Cath- erine, daughter of James Alexander, a Revo- lutionary patriot. Their eldest son, James Alexander Dinsmore, was born at Peach Bot- tom, Pa., March 20, 1788. He was one of the defenders of Ft. McHenry at Baltimore. In 1814 he came to Ohio and entered a half sec- tion of land in Jackson township, Ashland county, O. He then returned to Pennsyl- vania, where he resided on a farm near his father's until 1833, when he and his family, consisting of his wife and four children, of which Mrs. Beer was one, journeyed by wagon over the mountains and through the wilder- ness to Mr. Dinsmore's farm in Ashland county. He died here January 7, 1863.

He was married March 14, 1826, to Griz- zell, daughter of David and Dorcas (Neel) Collins of Chanceford, York county, Pa. Da- vid Collins' father, Cornelius, with his wife and several children, emigrated from Ireland and took up land in Colerain and Drumore townships, Lancaster county, Pa., where he lived as a farmer until his death. He was a member of the Associate Reformed church. His son, David (born 1768, died March 28, 1828), farmed his property of 160 acres at Chanceford, York county, Pa. His wife, Dor- cas Neel, was a daughter of Lieut. Thomas Neel (born March 25, 1744, died April 5, 1824), a gallant Revolutionary officer, who owned a large estate with fishery and mill on the Susquehanna, near Christiana, Lancaster county, Pa. The mother of Dorcas Neel was Grizzell Penny, born Dec. 1, 1753, who died Sept. 1, 1833. They were married Dec. I, 1770.

To Judge and Mrs. Beer nine children were born, seven of whom are living, namely: James Dinsmore, who is a practicing physician of Wooster, Ohio, and who married Jean Lyle Thoburn and has four surviving children-

Mary Margaret, Thomas, Jean Lyle and Dor- cas Katherine; Thomas Cameron, who is a resident of Bucyrus; William Collins, who is engaged in the practice of law in New York city, married Martha Ann Baldwin, and has three children-Alice Baldwin, Thomas and Richard Cameron; Dorcas Grizzell, who has been engaged in educational work for a num- ber of years; Katherine Jeannett, who resides with her mother; Robert Lea, who is assistant postmaster at Yonkers, N. Y., married Mary Goodrich Fitch and has one daughter, Mary; and Mary Elizabeth, who is widely known as a grand opera singer, and made her debut and appeared several seasons in grand opera at Rome, Italy, as a member of the National Opera company.

FRANK J, SNYDER, proprietor of a first class grocery store, located at No. 108 West Main Street, Galion, O., is one of the represen- tative business men of this city and is serving in the office of clerk of the Board of County Elections. Mr. Snyder was born in Morrow county, O., June 26, 1861, and is a son of George Snyder, who came to Galion with his family about 1865.

Frank Snyder has been a resident of Galion since childhood. He was educated here and graduated from the Galion high school in the class of 1878, immediately afterward becoming associated with his father in the grocery busi- ness. This store was established by George Snyder in September, 1865, and has ever since been continued by the Snyders. The location is excellent and the building, 25x57 feet in dimensions, affords sufficient space. First quality goods are carried, honest methods of business prevail and this is known to be a re- liable and dependable business house. For the past twenty years it has been under the direct management of Frank Snyder. He has other city realty, including a handsome residence on the corner of West Main and Orange streets.

Mr. Snyder was married at Galion, O., to Miss Nina Wineland, who was born at Upper Sandusky, O., but was reared and educated at Galion, being a graduate of the Galion high school in the class of 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have two children-Norma and Maude. These young ladies are high school graduates and are numbered with the younger

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social set in the neighborhood in which they have grown up. The family belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Snyder is a republican and is an active and up- right citizen. He served two years as a mem- ber of the city council, seven years on the county board of elections. For twenty years Mr. Snyder has been one of the directors of the Galion Building & Loan Association and was one of its organizers. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity.

J. FOSTER HUBLEY, proprietor of the Hubley confectionery store and ice cream par- lors, at No. 110 East Main street, Galion, O., is one of the prosperous business men of this city, which is his native place. Mr. Hubley was born April 29, 1873, and is a son of George and Hannalı C. (Pague) Hubley.

The parents of Mr. Hubley were born at Shippensburg, Pa .- the father, August 27, 1830-their parents being of German extrac- tion. In 1854 George Hubley and wife came to Galion, O., where Mr. Hubley went to work for the Big Four Railway company. His work caused his home to be in other parts of the country at times and he was in Pennsylvania when the Civil war broke out and for several years was connected with the quartermaster's department, with headquarters at Chambers- burg, Pa. In 1870 he returned to Galion, where he still resides and where his wife died in the fall of 1906, having lived to celebrate her golden wedding anniversary. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which Mr. Hubley also belongs. He is a democrat in his political opinions. Of his family of eight sons and two daughters, six sons and one daughter survive, all being married and having families of their own.

J. Foster Hubley obtained his education in the Galion schools and then learned the candy making trade, beginning in an establishment that occupied the site of his present fine store. He is a practical confectioner and has been in the business for twenty-nine years, serving un- der different proprietors. The stand at No. IIO East Main street is the oldest confection- ery stand in the city and Mr. Hubley has been proprietor of the business for the past five years. His building has dimensions of 18x160 feet and built to accommodate 100 guests at

one time in his ice cream parlor. His equip- ments are modern in every particular and in the manufacture of his dainties and sweet- meats every sanitary precaution is used. He enjoys a large patronage and is regarded as one of the honorable business men of his city.

Mr. Hubley was married at Galion, O., to Miss Luella May Kunkler, who was born at Wadsworth, O., but has been a resident of Galion since childhood. They have two chil- dren: Lorimer, who is his father's assistant, and Lois, who still attends school. Mr. and Mrs. Hubley are members of the Baptist church. Politically he is a democrat and fra- ternally a Mason, and both he and wife belong to the Eastern Star.

CLARENCE E. GREENICK, general farmer and dairyman, residing one and one- half miles from the public square, Bucyrus, O., owns a farm of eighty acres situated in Whetstone township and another of twenty acres, in Bucyrus township, and is one of the substantial and prosperous citizens of Craw- ford county. He was born in Holmes town- ship, Crawford county, O., Sept. 15, 1862, and is a son of Jacob L. and Louisa ( Lichtenwal- ter) Greenick.

Jacob L. Greenick was born in Germany, a son of Jacob Greenick. In his early manhood he worked as a machinist and operated a sta- tionary engine but later became a farmer and at the time of death owned the home farm of his son, Clarence E., who later purchased it. Both he and wife died at Bucyrus. She was of German parentage, a daughter of John Lichtenwalter, but was born in Ohio. Three children were born to them, one of whom died in infancy and another when aged five years, Clarence E. being the only survivor. The par- ents were members of the Lutheran church.

Clarence E. Greenick attended the public schools and was about sixteen years old when his parents moved on his present farm on which he has lived ever since. While he car- ries on general farming with much success, his main interest is dairying and he owns a valua- ble herd of twenty-five Holstein cows. Bucy- rus draws from his dairy sixty gallons of milk daily.

On Oct. 29. 1885, Mr. Greenick was mar- ried to Miss Emma Padgett, a daughter of

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Stewart and Mary Jane (Lones) Padgett. The father of Mrs. Greenick was born in In- diana and the mother in Ohio and both are now deceased, the burial of the father being in his native state and that of the mother in Seneca county, O. After the death of her first husband, Mrs. Padgett married George Schaf- ner. All her children were born to her first union : Josephine, who married Dennis Mulli- gan; Margaret, who married Joshua Lichten- walter ; Emma ; and George L. and Robert C.

To Mr. and Mrs. Greenick the following children were born: Nina L., who married Harry Ryland and has two children-Edith and Virginia; Jessie Marie, who died in in- fancy; and Arthur Raymond, Harold Preston, Josephine June, Grace Hildred and Clarence Edwin. Mr. Greenick and family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a democrat as was his father.

GEORGE W. HOOVER, a representative citizen of Bucyrus, O., a retired farmer who has resided in this city for some seven years and is well known in many circles, is a mem- ber of one of the old families of Ohio, the name being connected with pioneer settlement. He was born in Dallas township, Crawford county, O., and is a son of William and Phebe (Swisher) Hoover, a grandson of Christopher and a great-grandson of George Hoover.

George Hoover was probably of German ancestry but he was born in Virginia and from there came to the Western Reserve and se- cured government land in what is now Pick- away county, prior to 1803, when the terri- tory became a state. Christopher Hoover was born about 1785 and grew to manhood on his father's farm in Pickaway county. His first wife died there and he married a second and with his family moved to Crawford county and, like his father, secured government land. He became a successful farmer and accumu- lated property and felt justified in retiring from active life, moving then to Sandusky in the early fifties. They succumbed to cholera in the prevailing epidemic and both died on the same day. By his first marriage, Christo- pher Hoover had two children, William and Hannah. The latter married Wesley White and they lived and died in Dallas township and three of their children survive.

William Hoover was reared in Dallas town- ship and naturally became a farmer. He con- tinued to farm and raise stock until 1866, when he came to Bucyrus, where subsequently he went into business as a member of the firm of Fry, Sheckley & Hoover, which was merged into the large enterprise now known as the American Clay Machinery Company, in which he was a large stockholder. His death oc- curred in June, 1897, when he was eighty-one years. He was married in Franklin county, O., to Phebe Swisher, who died at Bucyrus on May 9, 1911, having passed her ninety-fourth birthday. She and husband were members of the English Lutheran church. Of their ten children eight survive, three of whom live in Crawford county and two in the city of Bucy- rus-George W and Mrs. Thomas Jessem.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 102

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1302

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302