History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 105

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

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Mr. Barth married Miss Amanda E. Orthwein, a daughter of Jeremiah Orth- wein, of Crawford county, and they have two daughters: Stella V. and Helen R. They reside at No. 325 S. Spring Street, Bucyrus, and they attend the German Lutheran church.

JOHN WEIRICK, a retired farmer and highly respected citizen of Whetstone township, where he owns 218 acres of valu- able land, was born at Perrysville, Rich- land county, O., June 6, 1840, and is a son of Levi and Elizabeth (Broner) Weirick.

Levi Weirick and wife were both born in Union county, Pa., both came to Ohio when young and both died in Crawford county, where their burial took place. By trade he was a chair maker and he followed the same all his life. In early days he was a Whig but later identified himself with the

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Republican party. Both he and wife be- longed to the United Brethren church. To them the following children were born: Charles H., who is deceased; Mary, who is the widow of John Smith; John; Margaret; Clarine, who is the wife of Henry Stein- helfer; William and Sabina.

John Weirick attended school through boyhood and then worked on farms by the month until he was 21 years of age. The Civil War was then in progress and with many other patriotic young men of the neighborhood, he entered the Union Army, enlisting in Co. C, 23rd O. Vol. Inf., in which he served for three years, receiving his honorable discharge at Cumberland, Md., in January, 1865. He saw hard serv- ice and in addition to participating in the wearying marches and many skirmishes, he took part in such important battles as South Mountain, Antietam and Cedar Creek. After the close of the war, Mr. Weirick came to Crawford county, O., with the intention of securing farm land and es- tablishing a permanent home. For the first seven years he rented land and then pur- chased his first 100 acres of his present farm and later added 118 acres more and for many years carried on his agricultural in- dustries by himself but now these responsi- bilities are carried by his son. General farming, including the raising of a good grade of stock, occupies the attention of Mr. Weirick.

In 1867, John Weirick was married to his cousin, Miss Matilda Weirick, who is a daughter of Aaron and Margaret (Clark) Weirick, substantial farming people of Whetstone township who had the follow- ing children: Harriet, who is the wife of Hiram Anton; Matilda; Lucinda, who is the wife of William Miller; Clark M .; Charles; Mary Ann, who is the wife of Hiram Trautman; Nancy Jane, who is the wife of Henry Tate; and Catherine, who is the wife of John Brubaker.

Mr. and Mrs. Weirick have had the fol- lowing children: Catherine Irene, who is the wife of Charles D. Wise, and has one son, Clyde DeWitt; Charles, who died at 39

the age of two years; Edna Viola, who is the wife of James Heinlen and has three children-Hilda, Mildred and Iva; Horace, who married Ella Hilliss, and has one son, Neal; Levi, who married Emma Bonner, and has two children-Ivan and Harold; Alberta, who is the wife of Simon Roberts ; Margaret, who lives at home; and Ida, who is the wife of Charles I. Wise, and has two children-Eugene and Geraldine. The pa- ternal grandparents of both Mr. and Mrs. Weirick were Henry and Mary Weirick. During his active years, Mr. Weirick served usefully in a number of local offices and was school director and road super- visor and for two terms was constable. He is a man of pronounced temperance principles and votes with the Prohibition party. Both he and family have long been active members of the United Brethren church and they are all people who stand very high in the esteem of their neighbors and fellow citizens.

GEORGE W. NEUMANN, carpenter contractor, is a well known business man of Bucyrus, O., of which city he has been a resident for 27 years. He was born in Polk township, Crawford county, O., June 14, 1855, and is a son of George and Mary (House) Neumann.

George Neumann was born at Berlin, Germany, in 1824, and his wife at the same place in 1822 and both died on their farm in Tully township, Marion county, O., he in 1892 and she in 1881. They came to America in 1850, with their first two chil- dren, Peter and Elizabeth, landed at New York and from there moved to Polk tow11- ship, Crawford county, O. There four more children were born-George W., Mary, Henry J. and Jacob R., four of the family still surviving.

George W. Neumann was young when his parents moved to Marion county and there he was reared and attended a local school in boyhood, afterward learning the carpenter trade. In 1885 he came to Bucyrus and here has continued to be act- ively engaged in business ever since. He.

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is a skilled workman and has been con- cerned in the erection of many of the sub- stantial structures of this city and vicinity.

In 1889. Mr. Neumann was married to Miss Laura Lowmiller, who was born at Bucyrus and is a daughter of Daniel and Louisa (Kiefer) Lowmiller, and a grand- daughter of Adam Lowmiller. The latter was of German parentage but was born in Pennsylvania in 1808 and died at Bucyrus in 1889. Daniel Lowmiller, father of Mrs. Neumann, was born in Pennsylvania in 1838 and came to Ohio in early manhood. In 1861 he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering the First Ill. Bat. I. Light Artillery, and served until the close of the Rebellion. He participated in many battles and in every situation displayed true cour- age and patriotic spirit. After the war he came to Crawford county and married here and resided at Bucyrus until his death in 1896. The mother of Mrs. Neumann is a well known resident of Bucyrus. She was born in one of the Rhine provinces, Ger- many, in 1842, and was nine years old when her people came to Crawford county. Mr. and Mrs. Neumann have four children: Bessie Irene, born October 18, 1889; Mar- tha Mildred, born July 7, 1896; Louise Elizabeth, born March 26, 1901; and George William, born July 30, 1908. Mr. Neumann and family are members of the German Lutheran church. In his political views, Mr. Neumann denominates himself an independent Democrat.

FRANKLIN ADAMS. Among the force- ful and sterling citizens of Crawford county who in recent years have passed to the Great Beyond was he whose name begins this brief notice. He was born at Alstead, N. H., Nov. 16, 1813, a son of John and Susanna (Morse) Adams. His paternal grandfather, Nathan Adams, was a native of Massachusetts and a colonial soldier in the American Revolution. The name of Adams stands prominently out in American history and the family of which our subject was a member is the some which furnished two presidents to the United States, while the eloquence of another representative of the family inspired the Declaration of In-

dependence. The Morse family to which Mr. Adams' mother belonged has also been con- spicuous in Bay State annals. The parents of our subject were both born in Massachusetts. They resided for some time in New Hamp- shire, but in 1820 removed to Canadice, New York, and thence to Michigan in 1836, in which last named state both died. They had four sons and five daughters.

Franklin Adams, after attending the com- mon schools in early boyhood, entered an academy at Middleburg, Wyoming county, N. Y., and later continued his academic course in Henrietta, Monroe county, N. Y. On attain- ing his majority in 1834 he joined the general trend of emigration westward, believing that in a newer country he would find better op- portunities of advancement. Settling in Ash- land, Ohio, he made that place his home for 18 months, and it was while here that he began the study of the law, under the direction of Silas Robbins. He continued it subsequently at Mansfield, Ohio, under James Purdy of that city. At the July term of the Supreme Court of Ohio, held in Bucyrus in 1836, Mr. Adams was admitted to the bar and also li- censed to practice by the District Court of the United States, held in Columbus in 1839. He began the practice of his profession at Mansfield, in association with Mr. Purdy, his preceptor, but on the Ioth of August, 1837, he came to Bucyrus, of which place he subse- quently remained a citizen until his death, which took place on August 1, 1909. From 1838 to 1845 he held the office of prosecuting attorney, which was the only political office ever held by him. From 1852 to 1854 he was secretary and treasurer of the Ohio and In- diana Railroad Company when it was first built between Crestline, Ohio and Fort Wayne, Ind., which road is now a part of the Penn- sylvania Railway system. In politics he was a stanch Democrat, but his undivided time and attention were given to the practice of the law and he never sought political preferment. His character as a lawyer has been well summed up in the following words:

"As a lawyer his has been a general prac- tice, covering the usual variety of litigated in- terests that make up the docket of nisiprius courts in a country town. To chancery he has given special attention, especially to the

FRANKLIN ADAMS

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administration of estates. He accomplished much toward settlement of cases outside of the courtroom. He has always advised com- promises rather than settlement of difficulties in the courts. In early days it was not un- usual for disputants to bring before him their respective grievances for arbitration, and thus he became in the best sense counsel for both parties, and in fact took the part of counsel and judge. An amiable disposition, unques- tioned integrity, unfailing tact, insight into human nature and regard for equity as well as law, enabled him to solve hundreds of dif- ficulties and restore the relations of friendship and confidence between men who had become antagonistical over some point and were in- clined to ruinous litigation. Always a stu- dent, always thorough, and ever exact, Mr. Adams has long held the reputation of being a learned and able lawyer, accurate and exact in his pleadings, alert in trial, logical and con- vincing in argument."

Mr. Adams might well have been called the Nestor of the Crawford county bar. At a banquet tendered him by the bench and bar of Crawford county at the time he had completed his 70th anniversary as a lawyer he received from his professional associates and towns- men- most complimentary and eulogistic ex- pressions of their appreciation of his ability, of his devotion to duty and of his character as a man, among the principal speakers being Col. Wilson C. Lemert. The proceedings were published in pamphlet form making some forty or more pages.

Mr. Adams was not only a lawyer of marked ability, he was also an able business man. He acquired a large amount of agricultural prop- erty and had a beautiful home, with spacious and well cared for grounds near the public square in the heart of the city. He was never married but left his large estate to Miss Elizabeth Ostermier. It was about 1870 that Miss Ostermeir became acquainted with Mr. Adams. She was then employed at the Sims Hotel (now the Deal House), where Mr. Adams was living at that time. He was at- tracted by her agreeable manners, her kind- ness, and the efficient way in which she per- formed her duties and soon made her an offer to become his managing housekeeper, which she accepted in 1878. She held this position

to the close of Mr. Adam's life and was as faithful and efficient in it as she had been in her duties at the hotel, and caring for him tenderly in his last illness. As a reward for this faithful service, he willed to her all his valuable property in fee simple, and she has since kept up and conducted the household in the same neat and systematic manner that he desired when living. Miss Ostermier is a woman of natural refinement as well as busi- ness and administrative ability and those who know her best feel that she has met with a well deserved reward.

Mr. Adams was a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, being in fact a charter member of La Salle Lodge, of Bu- cyrus. As a man his life was irreproachable and at his demise there were many to mourn his loss.

F. C. McGAUGHY, D. D. S., one of the leading professional men of Galion, who for 14 years has been engaged in the practice of dentistry in this city, was born April 4, 1875, in Chesterville, Morrow county, Ohio. He is a son of Hugh P. and Hannah L. (Boner) McGaughy.

Hugh P. McGaughy was born in Penn- sylvania and came to Morrow county, Ohio, in early manhood, where he married, and he and wife settled in Chester township, where he engaged in farming and also worked as a house carpenter. His death occurred in 1910, at the age of 72 years, his wife having passed away in 1904. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and was reared in the Presbyterian faith. She was of Baptist rearing, and her people were of Dutch and Welsh extraction.

F. C. McGauhgy attended the public schools in Chesterville, and then entered The Ohio Medical University, at Colum- bus, Ohio. The Ohio Medical University has since been consolidated with The Star- ling Medical College, to form The Starling Ohio Medical University. He was gradu- ated from the dental department of said university in the class of 1897. In the fol- lowing year he came to Galion, and has built up a large and substantial practice. He has a well equipped office, and keeps

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thoroughly abreast with the times in all advancements in dental science. His resi- dence is situated at No. 658 West Main Street, Galion !.

Dr. McGaughy was married at Bucyrus, Ohio, to Miss Eva A. Matthew, the only daughter of Charles F. Matthews. She was born at Bucyrus, in 1878, and was reared and educated in her native city. Dr. and Mrs. McGaughy are members of the Pres- byterian Church. Professionally, Dr. Mc- Gaughy is a member of The Central Ohio Dental Society, component society of The Ohio State Dental Society, and fraternally is a Mason and Knight of Pythias.

DAVID C. GAIBLER, whose valuable farm of 134 acres is well cared for and is a profitable property, situated in Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., was born in Germany, January 19, 1869, and is a son of Gottlieb and Frederica (Schaaf) Gaibler.

The parents of Mr. Gaibler lived in Ger- many until 1887, when they followed David C. Gaibler to Ohio, and for six months lived at Bucyrus. Gottlieb Gaibler and wife then moved to Frontier county, Nebr., and there the latter died in 1909, after which Mr. Gaibler went to Oregon for several years and then returned to his Nebraska farm. His children were: Christian; David C .; Mary, wife of Christian Schurr, Gottlieb, Pauline, Frederica and Nina.

David C. Gaibler attended the public schools in Germany and afterward learned and worked at the carpenter trade. He was the first one of the family to come to America, which was in 1884, and since then he has engaged in farm work to the exclu- sion of everything else. He purchased his present farm from the heirs of his mother- in-law, Mrs. Elizabeth (Kerr) Sennet, who was born and spent her life on this place. Mr. Gaibler carries on all kinds of farm activities and is prosperous.

In January, 1896, Mr. Gaibler was mar- ried to Miss Jennie Sennet, a daughter of Elias and Elizabeth (Kerr) Sennet, the for- mer of whom was born in Pennsylvania and now resides with his children. The mother

of Mrs. Gaibler died Dec. 29, 1896. Mrs. Gaibler has four sisters and one brother: Sadie, wife of Dennis Miller; William; Rosa; Della, wife of David Culp; and Daisy. The grandparents were Oliver and Elizabeth (Wooster) Sennet. Mr. and Mrs. Gaibler attend the Methodist Episco- pal church. He is a Democrat in his po- litical opinions, but takes no very active part in politics, being a practical, hard- working farmer and no seeker for office.

JOHN W. BIRK, M. D., was born in Crawford county, Ohio, March 3, 1874, a son of Christian F. and Martha S. (Volk) Birk. He is a grandson of John G. Birk, a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, who came to the United States in 1845. After residing for a time in Albany, N. Y., John G. Birk removed to Tuscarawas county, Ohio; but he did not remain there long, as in 1847 he came to Bucyrus, where he es- tablished a harness making business, which he carried on for many years and which is still flourishing. He became a prominent citizen and served as treasurer of Crawford county from 1874 to 1876. His death took place Nov. 10, 1888.

In 1851 he married Miss Joanna Kuhn, who was also a native of Germany and a representative of one of the pioneer fam- ilies of Crawford county, her people having come to this section of Ohio in 1836. She died in October, 1893, having attained the age of 65 years. In their family were the following children: Christian F., father of Dr. John W. Birk; George M., who is en- gaged in the drug business with his brother, Christian; Emanuel R., who is now propri- etor of the harness shop established by his father and is doing a very extensive busi- ness; Lewis C., who is foreman in the har- ness store; and Elizabeth, wife of F. P. Donnenwirth, a retired citizen of Bucy- rus, O.

Christian F. Birk was educated in the common schools of Bucyrus, which he at- tended until he was 14 years of age. He then began assisting his father in the har- ness shop, where he mastered the business,

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which he mastered in all its details. For tical, progressive and beneficial. His pub- several years he was a partner with his father in the enterprise, which was carried on under the firm name of J. G. Birk & Son. For 53 years the business has been contin- ued as the Birk's Harness Store, and is one of the most successful commercial institu- tions of the city, being now conducted by two of the sons of J. G. Birk, as above in- timated.

In 1892 Christian F. Birk, in connection with his younger brother, G. M. Birk, es- tablished a drug store, which they are still conducting. They carry a large and well assorted stock of goods and conduct their business so as to retain their patrons and build up their trade. Their sales are con- stantly increasing and the proprietors en- joy a good income. Christian F. Birk is also connected with the Board of Trade. In Bucyrus, in 1873, he was married to Miss Bertha S. Volk, a daughter of William F. Volk, who came to Crawford county about 60 years ago. They had three children- John W., Carrie Elizabeth and Edna, of whom Carrie E. is the wife of G. W. Kerr, of Wrightsville, Pa., and Edna, at one time a teacher in the public schools, is now the wife of Otho Kennedy. Mrs. Christian F. Birk died Aug. 10, 1898, a month after her son, John W., had sailed for Cuba on mili- tary service and while he was on the island.

Mr. Christian F. Birk is connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity and with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He belongs to .the German Lutheran church and in politics is a stalwart Demo- crat. When only 23 years of age he was elected to the city council and after an in- terval he was chosen, in 1896, for a second term of two years. He served as city mar- shal from 1884 until 1890 and in the latter year entered upon a four years term as county sheriff. His fellow townsmen con- ferred upon him the highest honor within their power when in 1898 he was elected mayor of Bucyrus, and two years later they again called him to the same position, a fact which indicates how faithfully he had served them, his administration being prac-

lic career has been epitomized as follows : "Public spirited, he has withheld his sup- port from no measure that he believes will promote the welfare and substantial ad- vancement of Bucyrus, and his discrimi- nating mind enables him to judge correctly of the value to the city of any measure in- troduced. Over the record of his public life and private career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, and he is rich in those qualities which win and retain per- sonal friendships."

John W. Birk, the direct subject of this article, was educated in the common schools. He graduated from College of Physicians and Surgeons, University of Illi- nois, in 1901. Previous to this, however, he had seen military service, being first lieutenant in Company A, Eighth O. Vol. Inf., during the Spanish-American War, and was present at the surrender of San- tiago. He began the practice of medicine in 1903, locating in Bucyrus in that year. He was united in marriage to Miss Mar- garet Curtis, who is a daughter of Dr. Geo. Curtis of Hawley, Pa., and the family con- sists of one child, Margaret H. Dr. Birk and his family are now residents of Chi- cago, Ill. He belongs to the Masons and the Elks.

WESLEY SAMUEL COOK, who car- ries on general farming and stock raising to some extent in Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., has 114 acres of well cultivated land, this being the old home- stead on which he was born, June 8, 1879. He is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Mutch- ler) Cook.

The parents of Mr. Cook were both born in Lycoming county, Pa., and both married twice. The first wife of Jacob Cook was Mary Kiess and she was survived by the following children: Philip, Lena, wife of Amos Meck and Mary, wife of Joseph Wag- ner. His second marriage was to Mrs. Elizabeth (Mutchler) Walter and Wesley Samuel was the only child born to this union. To her first marriage Mrs. Cook

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had three children, namely : Elmer; Addie, who was twice married, first to a Mr. Ball and second to John Cook; and Emma, who is the wife of Joseph Steinhilfer. Jacob Cook died on this farm Feb. 17, 1907, on which he had lived for many years. Polit- ically he was a Democrat. Both he and wife attended the Evangelical church, to which his son also belongs.

Wesley Samuel Cook obtained his edu- cation in the township schools and has al- ways lived on the homestead, which he owns, subject to his mother's dower right. On June 8, 1904, he was married to Miss Bessie Kelley, a daughter of Walker and Hannah (Albright) Kelley, who live re- tired at Bucyrus. Mrs. Cook has one brother and one sister, Clarence and Hat- tie, the latter of whom is the wife of Ernest Steifel. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have three bright boys, Robert, Carson and Richard, who will be carefully reared and well edu- cated. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are Christian people, belonging to the Evangelical body. A Democrat, like his late father, Mr. Cook votes for his party's candidates in National affairs but in local elections uses his own good judgment.

FOREST R. McFARLAND, who, for the past eleven years has been a railway mail clerk for the U. S. Government, on the Pennsylvania Railroad between Pittsburg, Pa., and Chicago, Ill., in which connection he has proved himself a dependable and ef- ficient official, was born in Champaign county, O., April 11, 1876, and is a son of Robert I. and Agnes (Baker) McFarland.

The McFarlands were originally of Scot- land and in about 1650 the branch from which Forest R. McFarland came, moved into Ireland, and in 1740 the first represen- tative came to America. This ancestor lo- cated first in Virginia and from there went into Kentucky as a pioneer. Rev. Robert McFarland, the great-grandfather of our subject, was born in Rockbridge county, Va., March 7, 1782, and moved to Kentucky with his parents in 1796. He became wide- ly known as a Methodist missionary and he,

with several other families, came to Ohio under the guidance of Gen. Simon Kenton, the noted Indian fighter, in 1807, and began his ministry here among the Indian settle- ments on the Mad River and was closely as- sociated with those days of pioneer struggle and hardship in this now peaceful valley. He lived until 1864, having been born in 1782. For a long time his cabin was his church but later Concord Chapel, which still stands, was erected, and there he ex- pounded Methodist doctrine for many years and ministered up and down the val- ley to all who needed spiritual help or in- struction.

John McFarland, son of Rev. Robert, was born February 18, 1824, and spent his life within one mile of his birthplace and fol- lowed agricultural pursuits. His death oc- curred May 7, 1895. For years he was an official in the Methodist Episcopal church and for thirty of these was the leader of the church choir. In his native county he married Sarah Ann Gibbs, who was possi- bly born in Kentucky, in 1826, and died in 1883. Of their five children there are four survivors, namely : Robert I .; William, who is manager of a hotel, at Columbus, O., who formerly was a school teacher; Eliza- beth, who is the wife of Luther Myers, of Columbus, and has one daughter; and Harry L., who is engaged in the life insur- ance business at Chattanooga, Tenn.

Robert I. McFarland, son of John and father of Forest R. McFarland, was born August 23, 1850, on the old Mad River Valley farm, in Champaign County, O., where he continued to reside and followed agricultural pursuits until some five years since, when he retired to Bucyrus, where he still lives. For a number of years he filled township offices and gave his political sup- port to the Republican party. Mr. McFar- land has always been known as an upright man and good citizen. He married Agnes Baker, who was born near Natural Bridge, Rockbridge county, Va., Dec. 30, 1847. Her father, Isaac Baker, brought his family to Ohio when she was quite young and for ten years they lived in Allen county and

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 105

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