History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 107

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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French is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. Mr. French has been a Re- publican since he cast his first presidential vote, that being for Abraham Lincoln. He is a valued member of Dick Morris Post No. 130, G. A. R. In 1867 Mr. French was painfully injured in a railroad accident and in the following year went to Missouri and spent five years there before he was able to resume his former active life.

SHERMAN R. HARMAN, a well known resident of Dallas township, was born May II, 1876, on the farm where he now lives and which he and his father own. He is a son of John and Lois (Burke) Harman.

John Harman and his wife were both born in Ohio, where he has been a farmer but is now living retired at Nevada. He is in sympathy with the principles of the Re- publican party and attends the U. B. Church. Mr. and Mrs. John Harman were blessed with four children: Ida, the wife of Charles L. Slagle; Sherman, the subject of this article; and Mary and Jay, both de- ceased.

After attending the common schools of his district, Sherman R. Harman turned his attention to farming and went to work on the farm before referred to. He has been associated with his father until last year and since then he has successfully managed the farm himself. He does general farming and raises a good grade of stock.

In 1901 Mr. Harman was married to Miss Bertha Mollenkopf, who is a daughter of Philip and Emma (Cook) Mollenkopf. Mr. and Mrs. Harman have a son and a daugh- ter-John Milton and Mildred Gertrude.

Sherman R. Harman is, as his father, a Republican politically and affiliated with the U. B. Church.

JACOB COLTER, senior member of the lumber firm of Colter & Co., saw mill operators and manufacturers of all kinds of house and building material in the way of lumber, has been identified with the lumber business all his life since early manhood. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1842 and is a son of Jacob and Caroline (Leppla) Colter, who emigrated to America in 1851,

crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a sailing ves- sel that required 42 days to make the pass- age. They landed at the port of New York and from there came to Ohio and located near Strasburg. There the father died six weeks later, leaving his widow and two chil- dren, Jacob and Henry. The latter is in the saw mill business in Adams county, Ind., is married and has four sons. The mother of Mr. Colter is now in her ninetieth year. She contracted a second marriage and six chil- dren were born to it, her second husband being now deceased.

Jacob Colter was reared in Tuscarawas county, O., and obtained an excellent edu- cation at Millersburg, one that fitted him for teaching and he taught school sucess- fully prior to entering into the lumber in- dustry. In 1873, in partnership with a kins- man, P. W. Smith, he bought a saw mill at Arcola, Ind., in which he continued to be interested for twenty years. When he and partner left that section of Indiana it was with an earned capital of $50,000. In 1902 Mr. Colter came to Bucyrus and conducted a saw mill until 1906, when a planing mill was added to the other facilities and a large business has been built up. Since 1905 Mr. Colter has had a silent but active partner in Peter Conkle. The plant of Colter & Co., covers nine acres of land, a part of which is covered with mills and their complete equip- ments and a part is given to the storage of lumber, they keeping an average of 400,000 feet on hand all the time. Mr. Colter is also interested at Jonesboro, Ark., where his lumber plant is worth $110,000, and addi- tionally he is concerned in banks at Decatur and Fort Wayne, Ind., and at Willshire, Van Wert county, O. Mr. Colter is one of the capitalists of Crawford county.

Mr. Colter was married in Indiana to Miss Sarah Crawford, who was born in 1855, in Allen county, Ind. She died at Arcola, Ind., in 1902, survived by six chil- dren: Blanche, who is the wife of Lee Ellsworth, who is well known on the dra- matic stage; William H., who is engaged in the saw mill business at Upper Sandusky ; John, who lives at Jonesboro, Ark .; Maude, who is the wife of Robert Picking, of Bucy- rus; Ethel, who resides with her father; and

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Helen, who is a High School student. Mr. president of the Ohio Federation of Women's Colter resides at No. 222 South Poplar Clubs in 1899 and in 1900 was elected presi- dent of the State Federation. In 1903 she was the only woman speaker on the program of the Ohio Centennial celebration at Chil- licothe, O. Street, Bucyrus. He has never taken any very active part in politics but nevertheless has always arrayed himself with the sup- porters of law and order. He is a member of the M. E. church.

JAMES RICHARD HOPLEY was born at Bucyrus, O., Aug. 1, 1863, the son of the late John and Georgianna (Rochester) Hop- ley. He is strictly a Bucyrus boy having been brought up here and was graduated from the Bucyrus public schools in the class of 1882. In 1884 in company with five other boy friends he organized the Bucyrus Evening Times and was editor and manager of that paper. In 1887 and 1888 he was located at Fort Worth, Texas, engaged in railroad work. On Nov. 15, 1893, he was married at Gran- ville, O., to Miss Elizabeth Sheppard, daugh- ter of Rev. Thomas J. and Margaret (Col- lins ) Sheppard. At that time Mr. Hopley was city editor of the Bucyrus Evening Telegraph. In 1896 he became editor and manager of the Sandusky Evening Telegraph at Sandusky, Ohio, where he remained about a year. In 1897 he went to Columbus where he was asso- ciated with Charles W. Harper for a number of years as editor of The Advertising World and Ad-Art, where his natural aptitude for advertising was given full swing. During the latter part of his work at Columbus he was manager of the Harper Illustrating Syndi- cate, continuing his work as editor of the Har- per advertising publications. In 1902 he re- turned to Bucyrus as manager of the Hopley Printing Company and upon the death of the late John Hopley he became editor as well as manager of the newspapers belonging to the family estate. Mr. Hopley has been a Re- publican all his life and has taken a consider- able part in the local politics. In December of 1910, he was appointed postmaster at Bu- cyrus, O., by President Taft, taking up the duties of the office Feb. 15, 1911. Mr. Hopley has been a member of the Presbyterian church since he was 16 years of age and in March, 1912, was elected a ruling elder of the church at Bucyrus.

Mrs. James R. Hopley has taken much prominence in club work, was chosen vice

ROBERT LAIRD, deceased, for many years was identified with the great Erie Railway system at Kent and Galion, O., and was quite influential in local politics in Crawford county. He was born at Glas- gow, Scotland, May 6, 1841, and was a son of Robert and Mary (Laird) Laird.

The parents of Mr. Laird were of Scot- tish birth and ancestry and of the Presby- terian faith. In 1849 they took passage with their children on a sailing vessel bound for the United States, and after six long weeks on the water, were safely landed on the coast of Virginia. Later the father be- came manager of mines at Mt. Savage, now in West Virginia, and to him is attributed the honor of discovering the beds of fire clay in that section which he subsequently assisted in developing. His widow sur- vived him, dying at Parkersburg, W. Va., in her 79th year. They had twelve children born to them, a number of whom reached maturity.

Robert Laird had but meager educational opportunities. He learned the boilerma- ker's trade at Peidmont, W. Va., and after- ward worked at Zanesville and then entered the shops of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road, and while there enlisted for service in the Civil War. He became a member of Company D, 159th O. Vol. Inf., in which he served for three months, when he was pros- trated with rheumatism, from which he was never afterward entirely free: When he re- sumed work at his trade he remained with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for about four years, having come first to Galion, in 1868, and here became foreman of the boiler shops and for twenty years was connected with the Erie Railway. He then went to Mansfield, O., where he was at the head of the J. Sullivan Boiler Works and three years later returned to Galion and here conducted a boiler shop of his own for five

JAMES R. HOPLEY

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years. . His death occurred in this city November 5, 1905. He was a man of ster- ling traits of character, honest and upright, industrious and faithful and was the type of citizen that a community cannot afford to lose. He was firm in his adherence to the principles of the Democratic party and was frequently brought forward as a party candidate for responsible positions. Mr.

Laird was a Knight Templar Mason and was master of the local lodge. He had hosts of friends in Dick Morris Post No. 130, G. A. R., and it was while presiding as commander that his death summons came to him and he peacefully expired supported by his old comardes in arms.

Mr. Laird was married at Zanesville, O., to Miss Jennie McIntosh, who was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, a daughter of John and Agnes (Russell) McIntosh, and in her infancy brought by her mother to America. The mother died in 1868, she being then aged 79 years. Mrs. Laird is the youngest of five children and she has one brother liv- ing in Ohio, John McIntosh, who is a re- tired carriage blacksmith, residing at Mt. Vernon, with wife, three sons and one daughter. One son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lard, John R. He was carefully reared and graduated with credit from the Galion High School, afterward learned the ma- chinist trade and became a skilled boiler- maker. His death occurred November 27, 19II, when aged 46 years. Mrs. Laird is a woman of marked ability, a leader in sev- eral distinctive lines. For some time she was president of the Woman's Relief Corps at Galion and for ten years its treasurer, and she was the organizer of the Eastern Star lodge here and its first matron.

CHRISTIAN SHONERT, dealer in pianos and other musical instruments at Bucyrus, O., who is known all through this section as a musician of a high order of abil- ity, was born in Saxony, Germany, April 13, 1832, and is a son of John H. and Frederica (John) Shonert.

John H. Shonert followed the blacksmith trade in Germany and was an excellent workman but many of his customers were

people of small means and unable to pay enough for Mr. Shonert's services to enable him to take care of and provide for a rapidly increasing family. In the hope that in America he would find better opportunities, Mr. Shonert decided to emigrate and in 1848, with his family left the port of Bremen for the United States. After a voy- age of six weeks the family was safely landed at Castle Garden, New York City, and from there made their way to Crawford county, O., and settled on a farm in Lykens township, where the father followed both farming and blacksmithing.

Christian Shonert attended school in his native land and was 16 years of age when he accompanied his parents to Ohio. After one year of toil on the farm in Lykens township he left home and came to Bucyrus, where he learned the tanning business, and afterward, for a number of years, continued in this line, during a part of the time alone and also with a partner. The German peo- ple are noted for their natural musical talent and Christian developed this very early although circumstances were such that he had little opportunity to develop it while young. Later he secured advantages and it has long been said of him that he is the finest musician in Crawford county. He was the first real musical man in Bucyrus. and has had much to do with the encourage- ment of music in this city. He has been in the musical instrument business at his pres- ent location, No. 415 N. Sandusky Street, since 1849.

Mr. Shonert was married October 30, 1856, to Miss Maria W. Miller, a resident of Bucyrus, and they have had seven children, all of whom have inherited their father's re- markable musical gifts and have had them cultivated and appreciated. The third son, Edwin M. Shonert, has become a celebrated pianist and at present is on the concert stage. Mr Shonert has been one of Bucy- rus' most useful citizens. He has served with satisfaction and efficiency in city and county offices and was four times elected county treasurer, first in 1875 and again in 1877 and also served the two terms from 1884 to 1888. He retired from this office of

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trust and responsibility bearing with him the respect, esteem and commendation of his fellow citizens. He has also served a number of years on the school board and city council.

W. J. JUMP, farmer and teacher, is a member of one of the old families of Craw- ford county which has many representatives in Tod township. He was born June 18, 1876, on the old homestead and is a son of W. H. Jump.

W. J. Jump attended the local schools at Lemert and later, Ada University, after which he began to teach school. Not every nominally qualified teacher finds himself fitted for this work after he begins, but in Mr. Jump's case, teaching seems to be a natural vocation and for thirteen years he has been engaged in educational work in Crawford county, at present teaching at Glen Eden, in School District No. 2, Tod township. His farm of forty acres also claims attention and he takes much interest in its management.

Mr. Jump married Miss Anna Lecrone, a daughter of Adam Lecrone, of Bremen, O., and they have had two children, Carlton and Harry, but both sons passed away in infancy, the former when aged nine months and the latter when but five months old. Mr. Jump is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Plankton, O., while Mrs. Jump is a member of the U. B. church at Laurel in Hocking county, O. In his political attitude he is a Democrat. He has a wide acquaintance and is held in very high esteem in Crawford county as an educator.

MISS JULIA AUMILLER, who is a very highly esteemed lady of Bucyrus, O., is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Holmes township, Crawford county, and here she has spent her active and useful life. She was born in Holmes township and is a daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Boyer) Aumiller.

Daniel Aumiller and wife were both born in Union county, Pa. He was just 19 years of age when he accompanied his brother, George Aumiller, to Crawford county, in

October, 1828. At that time the busy city of Bucyrus was nothing but a hamlet on the frontier and it was no unusual sight to see bands of Indians in the neighborhood. George Aumiller was a brick maker and in this industry he was assisted by his brother, Daniel Aumiller, the latter of whom worked for three years and frugally saved almost every dollar in order to be able to invest in land. When he had sufficient capital to en- ter an 80 acre tract, he walked the entire distance to the land office at Tiffin, O., in order to secure the property in Holmes township that he had in mind. It was a dis- couraging looking place at that time, little resembling the improved farm that Miss Julia Aumiller and a sister, Mrs. Nichols, now own, but Daniel Aumiller not only cleared that place and put it under cultiva- tion, but later acquired 160 acres more, to- gether with tracts of Western land. His death occurred on the first 80 acres he had bought, when he was in his 72nd year. In addition to farming he also, for some years, followed the brick mason trade and was known all over Crawford county. His widow survived him for 16 years, her death occurring in 1900, in her 82nd year. In early life she belonged to the Albright church but later united with the English Lutheran body. All of their eleven children grew to maturity on the farm and three sons and four daughters are yet living.

Miss Julia Aumiller was educated in the local schools. She is a very capable busi- ness woman and for a number of years con- ducted a dressmaking business. In addi- tion to her interest in the old homestead, she owns two excellent houses at Bucyrus. She is one of the active and interested mem- bers of the English Lutheran church at Bu- cyrus, has many pleasant social connections and a very wide circle of friends.

OTTERBEIN P. BECK, who, as head sales agent for the Galion Iron Works Com- pany, at Galion, O., occupies a very import- ant position, and is also a member of the directing board of the company, has been identified with this concern since its organi- zation and a large measure of its success

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may justly be attributed to his energy and ment that enable him to recognize advan- business capacity. He was born in Jeffer- tages when presented. son township, Crawford county, O., and is a son of John Beck and a grandson of one of the pioneers of Jefferson township, Craw- ford county.

John Beck was born in 1807 in Westmore- land county, Pa., and in 1827 accompanied his parents to Jefferson township, and his father built the first grist mill in the county, constructing it on the Sandusky River. John Beck engaged in farming but pos- sessed natural mechanical skill and was a satisfactory carpenter and a capable mill- wright, manufactured pumps for some years and occupied his spare moments in constructing such delicate musical instru- ments as the dulcimer. He was well known all over the county and in his way he was a genius. Early in life he was a Democrat but the issues involved in the Civil War made him a Republican. For many years he was a justice of the peace in Jefferson township. He was twice married, first to Mary Swisher, who left six children, three of whom were soldiers in the Union Army during the Civil War. His second wife was Eliza Rhoads, who was born in Indiana but was reared in Seneca county, O., by an un- cle. She died in 1880 when aged 44 years, leaving nine children, six of whom survive.

Otterbein P. Beck was reared and edu- cated in Jefferson township and during al- most all of his active business life has been connected with manufacturing concerns and more or less of the time with his present particular department. For nine years he was connected with the Central Ohio Buggy Company and for six years afterward was sales agent for the Ohio Buggy Company. He came to Galion in 1880 and, as men- tioned above, has been interested with the Galion Iron Works since the plant was established here. He has jobbers all through the country who handle the products of this company and in addition the company has fifty active men on the road, while the office business is so voluminous that nine stenog- raphers are required. Mr. Beck is thor- oughly alive to business possibilities and has the natural foresight and good judg- 40

Mr. Beck was married in Crawford county to Miss Mary H. Shumaker, who is a daughter of John and Esther (Gledhill), Shumaker. The father of Mrs. Beck died in May, 1869, from the kick of an unruly horse and the mother died in December, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Beck have two children: Loren Eugene, who was educated at Galion and in the Ohio Business College, Mans- field, O., and is a commercial traveler ; and Lois May, who is a member of the class of 1914 in the Galion High School. This young lady has great musical talent and is a member of the choir of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Beck was reared in the Meth- odist Episcopal church. Mr. Beck is a Knight of Pythias and is a charter member of the United Commercial travelers and a charter member of the Commercial Club at Galion.

WILLIAM MASON, who is one of the leading business men of New Winchester, O., owner and proprietor of a general store and also owner of one of the finest resi- dences in the town, was born in Dallas township, Crawford county, O., May 16, 1860, and is a son of John and Mary (Line) Mason.

John Mason was born in England and came to the United States when a boy. He worked at first on farms in different sec- tions and later acquired land of his own and at the time of death owned 280 acres of fine land in Crawford county. He married Mary Line, who was born in Ohio, and they had the following children: Nancy, deceased, who was the wife of Charles Saylor ; Fannie, who is the wife of Z. W. Hipsher; James, who is deceased; Ellen, who is the wife of Otis Brooks; Rose Ann, who is the wife of John Hord; William; and Lottie, who is deceased. John Mason and wife are both deceased and their burial was in Marion county, O. They were well known and highly respected people.

William Mason was given public school advantages and afterward assisted his fa- ther until he was 18 years of age and then be-

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came a farmer on his own account and con- tinued until 1898, when he purchased a busi- ness at New Winchester, which he con- ducted for 18 months and then sold, after which he bought his general store and has conducted the same for the past twelve years. He carries a full and well selected stock and enjoys a liberal amount of patron- age.

In 1881 Mr. Mason was married to Miss Maggie Cress, who is a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Lint) Cress, the former of whom is well known all over Crawford county as an expert blacksmith. Mrs. Mason is the second in a large family, as follows: Nora, who is the wife of G. W. Schreck; Iley Bell, who is the wife of Sam- uel Sharrock; Frances, of Chicago; Minnie, who is the widow of Fred Daoust; Della, who is deceased; and Manford. Mr. and Mrs. Mason are members of the United Brethren church. Politically Mr. Mason is a Republican and has been a loyal party worker for many years. He has served at times in public office and for one term was assessor of Dallas township and at present is turnpike road commissioner for Whet- stone township. For several years he was postmaster of New Winchester. He is iden- tified with the Masonic fraternity and be- longs to Lodge No. 447, A. F. & A. M., at Caledonia, O.

WILLIAM C. KIESS, vice-president of the Second National Bank of Bucyrus, O., is also largely interested in real estate and conducts an extensive business along this line, dealing in both city realty and farm property. He has been a representative citizen of Crawford county for many years and has frequently been honored by elec- tion to offices of trust and responsibility by his fellow citizens. He was born on his father's farm in Whetstone township, Craw- ford county, O., in 1857, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine (Delker) Kiess.

Jacob Kiess was born in Lycoming county, Pa., a son of Christopher Kiess and wife, who were natives of Germany. Grand- father Kiess was an educated man and first taught school in his native land and after-

ward, for twenty years in Pennsylvania. He thus was useful in his day and generation although he never accumulated as much property as have a number of his descend- ants. In 1850, Jacob Kiess and wife settled on a farm in Crawford county, improved it and there he died in his seventieth year, in 1882. In early manhood he had married Catherine Delker, who was born in Germany, where she lived until fifteen years of age. She survived her husband, passing away in 1885, when aged 69 vears. They were members of the Evangelical Lutheran church and were worthy of their name and profession of faith. Of their children there are three sons and one daughter living, namely: William C., Simeon, Joseph F., and Mrs. M. A. Butts, of Hiawatha, Kans.

William C. Kiess was reared on the home farm and early took part in the necessary toil that successful cultivation of land de- mands. His education, however, was in no way neglected and he was ambitious as well as intelligent. After attending the public schools he enjoyed higher training in the university at Ada, O., where he was special- ly prepared in the Normal classes for edu- cational work. For seven years afterward Mr. Kiess taught school, confining his ef- forts to Whetstone township, and he met with a large measure of success. He looks back upon that period as a useful season of his life, in which he did his best and felt re- warded for his efforts. Among his warmest friends of the present are those who were once his pupils. From the school-room Mr. Kiess entered public office, serving as town- ship clerk for four years and as land ap- praiser in his township. On February 9, 1900, he entered upon the duties of probate judge of Crawford county, to which honor- able office he had been elected in the previ- ous autumn, and his services on the bench demonstrated his particular fitness for that position. Judge Kiess subsequently turned his attention to dealing in real estate and has numerous additional interests. He is a notary public and maintains his office in the Rowse Building.

Judge Kiess was married in 1879 to Miss Sarah E. Wagner, a daughter of John and

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Mary Wagner, old residents of Whetstone township, who have long since passed to their final rest. Two children living were born to Judge and Mrs. Kiess, a son and daughter, Thomas Clinton and Bessie Belle. Judge Kiess and family are members of the Evangelical church. Their pleasant and hospitable home is at No. 475 Galion Street, Bucyrus.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 107

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