History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 157

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 157

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John F. Sawyer was reared on the home farm in Auburn township and in boyhood at- tended the public schools, afterward the New Washington High School and completed his education in the Normal School at Ada, O., where he profitably spent two terms. Mr. Sawyer returned to Auburn township and has carried on his agricultural activities here ever since, general farming and raising hogs and sheep. He remodeled the old residence . which had been built by his father and also built a house on the adjoining 80 acres and has everything in good shape around him. He cultivates all his land with the exception of about 30 acres yet in timber.

On. Jan. 1, 1900, Mr. Sawyer was married to Jennie Wilson Hanna, who was born March 6, 1876, a daughter of J. M. and Har- riet Adora (Chambers) Hanna, and they have three children : Waldo Verne, Dwight Frank- lin and Mildred Winona. Mr. Sawyer and family are members of the Lutheran church at Tiro. Politically he is a Republican and fraternally a Knight of Pythias, attending the lodge at Tiro, O.

AUSTIN F. LOWE, cashier of the Citi- zens National Bank of Galion, O., with which institution he has been identified in his pres- ent relation, since 1880, is a native of Ohio and was born at Galion, in 1858. His parents were Lloyd and Elizabeth ( Mason) Lowe.

Lloyd Lowe and wife were both born in Pennsylvania and in 1834 they were married near York, Pa., and at once started by team, for Galion, O., where he went into the con- tracting business. Here his death occurred in 1883, at the age of 76 years, his wife sur- viving him for two years. They were well known and highly respected people. Of their family of six children, Austin F. was the youngest born, the others being as follows : John W., deceased, who served four years in the Confederate Army during the Civil war; Isabel, who is the wife of Clinton Payne, re- siding at Decatur, Ill .; Isaac, who died at De- catur and who was a veteran of the Union army in the Civil war; Lewis S., who enlisted for service in the Civil War in 1862, and was killed at the battle of Stone River, in 1863,

being the first enlisted soldier of Galion to give up his life for his country; and Mary, who is the wife of Alvin P. Paul, residing at Santa Anna, Calif.

Austin F. Lowe was educated in the public schools of Galion and from the school room entered the Citizens National Bank in a cleri- cal capacity and has been connected continu- ously with this institution up to the present. The Citizens National Bank of Galion was established in 1866 and was chartered as a National bank in 1872, with ample capital. John Beatty, now a resident of Columbus, O., was its first president and J. H. Green. its first cashier, the latter succeeding Mr. Beatty as president, and dying in 1894. The present condition of the bank is prosperous and its officers and board of directors are all men of capital and known responsibility.

Mr. Lowe was married at Galion, O., to Miss Emma E. Cave, who was born at Crest- line, O., a lady of culture and education, who had been a teacher for several years prior to her marriage. "She is a daughter of Francis and Margaret Cave, former residents of Crestline and later of Galion. The father of Mrs. Lowe served in a Pennsylvania regiment in the Civil War. His death occurred at Galion in January, 1911, where his widow resides, being now in her 80th year. She has been a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal church, having been reared in the faith. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe have one daughter, Edna E., who was educated at Roanoke, Va., and at Washington, Pa., and is a college graduate. Politically Mr. Lowe is zealous in his support of the principles of the Republican party but has never been willing to consider any political office for himself. In his fraternal- connec; tions. Mr. Lowe has long been identified with the Masons and Knights of Pythias at Galion; having been senior warden in the former or- ganization and a charter member since the founding of the latter order here, in 1884.

R. E. SAWYER. Among the old and substantial families of Auburn .township, Crawford county, O., may be counted that of Sawyer, a worthy member of which is .R. E. Sawyer, who resides on his well improved farm of 105 acres, which is situated in sec- tion 21, and who -is known throughout the

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county additionally as an insurance agent, representing a number .of . mutual insurance companies. He was born on a farm that ad- joins his own on the west, June 4, 1860, and is a son of Albanus and Anna Maria (Winn) Sawyer.

Albanus Sawyer was born in Auburn town- ship, where he spent his long and useful life, his death occurring Feb. 7, 1903, when aged 79 years, four months and twenty-one days. His parents were Erastus and Sally Sawyer, the former of whom was born in Schuyler county, N. Y., Oct. 10, 1800, and died July 12, 1870. His wife was born in Cayuga county, N. Y., April 27, 1802, and died Aug. 22, 1873, and their burial was in the Auburn Cemetery ... At one time Albanus Sawyer was a very large landowner, having 100 acres in Henry county and a very large body in Craw- ford county, and a great deal of this land is still held by his heirs. He was a man of ster- ling character and was held in the highest regard by his fellow citizens. In earlier days he was a Whig but later became a Republican and at different times served in township of- fices with credit to himself and with advan- tage to the community. He was interested in the public schools and donated the land which is known as Maple Grove Special School land. He was one of the leading members and lib- eral supporters of the Methodist Episcopal church -in Auburn township. He married Anna Maria Winn, who was born in Cran- berry township, Crawford county, a daughter of John and Rebecca Winn, natives of Penn- sylvania. She died July 7, 1890, when aged 70. years, 7 months and 18 days. The fol- lowing children were born to them: Cornelia, who married William Bender; R. W., who lives at Richmond, Ind .; Asa, who died Dec. 5; 1884, aged 27 years, II months and 15 days; R. E .; Clara, who died Jan. 4, 1885, aged 20 years, 8 months and 12 days; Anna, who married I. W. Loudon, of Liberty Cen- ter, O .; Lottie E., who is the wife of James Morrow; Erastus, who died when two years old; and John F., who resides on the home farm.

R. E. Sawyer attended the local schools through boyhood and then spent two years in the Ohio Northern University at Ada, O., and after his return to Auburn township

taught the winter school for nine successive terms in the home district and taught also in the Tiro High School, 13 terms in all. Dur- ing all this time he had resided on his present farm, on which he has made the improvements including about five miles of tiling. With the exception of 12 acres, which he devotes to pasturage, his farm is all under fine cultiva- tion. He is a stockholder in the Shelby Tele- phone Company. To his insurance business he devotes usually the first three days of the week and writes risks for the Crawford County Mutual Fire and Lightning Company, and the Ohio Mutual Wind, Storm and Tor- nado Insurance Company, his territory cover- ing four townships in Richland county, two in Crawford and four in Huron county.

Mr. Sawyer was married to Miss Eunice L. Trago, who was born in Auburn township, a daughter of S. W. and Amelia Trago, and four children have been born to them, namely : Huron E., who resides with his family at Dayton; Porter, who operates the home farm, and married Carrie Mae Bender, of Sandusky township; Kenneth E., who formerly was a teacher in Crawford county and is now in the employ of the First National Bank at Port- land, Ore .; and Milo B., who is a student in the Tiro High School. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer belong to the Lutheran church at Tiro. In politics he is a Democrat, of the progressive type. For many years Mr. Sawyer has been prominent in the work of the Crawford County Grange and has been county deputy for twelve years and served as first chan- cellor of Tiro Lodge No. 593, Knights of Pythias. He has filled numerous responsible positions, for six years being a member and director of the Crawford County Mutual In- surance Co., and for ten years was president of the Northeastern Ohio Farm Institute As- sociation. For several. years he served as a member of the township board of education and was clerk of that body.

WILLIS PRENTICE KIMBLE, a well- known resident of. Galion, O., is the oldest division. engineer in term of service on the Erie Railroad. He was born at Paris, Edgar county, Ill., April 6, 1858, a son of George W. and Sarah J. Kimble ..

Mr. Kimble attended public and private

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

schools in Paris. and in 1879 graduated from the College of Engineering, University of Illi- nois. In August of that year he entered the engineering department of the Atchison, To- peka and Santa Fe Railroad at Las Vegas, New Mexico, and continued in various posi- tions with that railroad until January, 1881, when he became connected with the Mexican Central Railroad, remaining with that line until August, 1884, during this time being principally employed as locating and division engineer in charge of construction. It was while he was with the Mexican Central that they ran the first line of railroad from the United States across the line into Mexico. From August, 1884, to Jan. 1, 1886, Mr. Kimble was engaged in municipal and county engineering at Paris, Ill., but on the latter date he reentered the service of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad on the Kan- sas City to Chicago extension, filling the posi- tion of locating engineer and division engineer in charge of construction. He afterwards was division roadmaster, Kansas City east, and later general roadmaster from Chicago to Kansas City and St. Joseph, Mo. In March, 1894, he entered the service of the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad (now the Erie) as division roadmaster and in 1897 he was made division engineer of the Cincinnati Division of the Erie and has continued in that capacity until the present time.

Mr. Kimble was married on Nov. 8, 1888. to Miss Sara S. Gates, of La Platta, Mo.

G. M. KLEIN, who carries on general farming in section I, Cranberry township, Crawford county, O., where he owns 107 acres of valuable and well improved land, is one of the representative citizens of this part of the county. He was born on this farm, Jan. 23, 1849, and is a son of Conrad and Margaret (High) Klein.

Conrad Klein and wife were both born in Wittenberg, Germany. They came to Amer- ica and were married in Cranberry township, Crawford county, on the day preceding Mr. Klein's 30th birthday. They then settled on the farm above mentioned, all of which Con- rad cleared, and here he engaged in farming for many years and then, with his wife retired to New Washington. There he died some

four years later, at the age of 73, she surviv- ing to the age of 74 years. They were mem- bers of the Lutheran church and their burial was in the Lutheran cemetery. They were parents of four daughters and two sons, namely : Elizabeth, who is the wife of John Lederer, residing near Toledo; Matilda, de- ceased, who was the wife of Benjamin Guiss; Mary, who is the wife of John Utz; Caroline, who is the wife of Jacob Michel- felder; Adam, who died at the age of five years; and G. M., who was the second in order of birth.

G. M. Klein attended the district school when his father could spare him and remained at home as the only son to grow to maturity. This property has undergone much improve- ment and in 1900 Mr. Klein erected his com- fortable residence, his other buildings being equally substantial.

Mr. Klein was married (first) to Miss Mary Herr, a daughter of George Herr. Mr. Klein was married (second) to Miss Mary Vollmer, a daughter of Jacob Vollmer. Mrs. Klein died Sept. 18, 1905, when aged 44 years, 5 months and 23 days. She was a member of the Lutheran church and her burial was at New Washington. No children were born to his first marriage, but Mr. Klein has five children of his second union: Theodore, who married Jennie John, and lives at Mansfield, O .; and Lydia, Emma, Alfred and Paul. The family belongs to the Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Klein is a stanch Democrat and on the Democratic ticket he has frequently been elected to important offices. For some years he served as school director, four successive years was road supervisor and two terms was township trustee.

ANDREW HETICH GIBSON, who owns and manages his own farm of 80 acres and also attends to his wife's farm of 356 acres, both situated in Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., is one of the representative citizens of this section and a member of one of its old and substantial families. He was born in Whetstone township, May 27, 1846, and is a son of John and Mary Ann (Kerr) Gibson.

John Gibson, who is now deceased, was born in Franklin county, Pa., and was a son of George and Mary (Buchannon) Gibson.

MRS. LETTA C. GIBSON

ANDREW H. GIBSON

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For many years John Gibson was a farmer in Crawford county and died on his farm in Whetstone township. He married Mary Ann Kerr, who was also born in Franklin county, a daughter of Andrew and Margaret (Camp- bell) Kerr, old Pennsylvania families of Scotch extraction. To John Gibson and wife the following children were born: Margaret Ann, who married John Campbell; Hannah E., who was married (first) to A. R. Walker, and (second) to Peter Helfrick; Andrew Hetich; George B .; J. M., who is a physician engaged in medical practice in West Virginia; Mary Belle, who is deceased; and John Edwin, Charles E., Della J. and Leaffe L.

Andrew H. Gibson attended the district schools in Whetstone township and the Bu- cyrus High School for one term, afterward as- sisting his father on the home place and lived on the homestead until he was about 30 years of age. During this time he had served in the Civil War in Co. E, 136th O. Vol. Inf., and was out for 100 days. Farming and moderate stock raising have ever since engaged his at- tention and along this line he is considered one of the successful men of Whetstone town- ship, his judgment in agricultural matters be- ing generally accepted as the result of mature experience.

On April 18, 1877, Mr. Gibson was mar- ried to Miss Letta J. Campbell, who is a daugh- ter of Edward and Amanda (Tupps) Camp- bell, and a granddaughter of John and Mary (Jones ) Campbell. The parents of Mrs. Gibson were among the leading people of Whetstone township and it was from her father that Mrs. Gibson inherited her large estate, being the youngest daughter. Other members of her family were: Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of Franklin Keifer; Samuel K., who is deceased; and John B. To Mr. and Mrs. Gibson the following children were born: Iva May, who is the wife of J. A. Low- miller and has three children-Roland A., Florence Helen and Earl Gibson; Mervin J., who married Austie Sife, and has one daugh- ter, Edith Carrie; Amanda Vianna, who is deceased; and Claud M., who resides at home. Mr. Gibson and family attend the Presbyterian church at Bucyrus. He is a Republican as was his father, and has served as a member of the township school board and as road supervisor.

LEROY McMICHAEL,* one of Whet- stone township's well known and highly re- spected men, was born Sept. 19, 1874, on the farm on which he lives and of which he is half owner, 230 acres situated five miles east of Bucyrus, Crawford county, O. He is a son of John A. and Mary A. (Trimble) Mc- Michael.

John A. McMichael and wife were both born in Crawford county, O., he in Liberty township and she on the present farm, the old Trimble homestead, which has been in the family since it was entered from the Govern- ment. John A. McMichael was a veteran of the Civil War, having served in Co. E, IoIst O. Vol. Inf., afterward engaging in farming until his death, in April, 1901. He was quite prominent in local politics and was widely known. His widow survives and resides on East Mansfield Street, Bucyrus. They had the following children : Mary Jane, deceased, who was the wife of Frank E. Miller; Eugene T .; John Lawrence; Emma, deceased, who was the wife of Leonard F. Quaintance; Ernest Way- land; Leroy; Bessie, who lives with her mother ; and Garfield and Oren A.

Leroy McMichael had school advantages in Whetstone township until he was about 20 years of age, attending mainly during the win- ters and assisting his father in the summers. He continues his agricultural activities during the growing season and in the winter time is mainly interested in contract work on turn- pike roads and in street paving. He is a man of much energy and business enterprise and counts largely as a useful and dependable citi- zen. He is a Republican in politics but in local elections reserves the right to vote in- dependently.

On May 19, 1898, Mr. McMichael was married to Miss Daisy L. Beck, a daughter of William and Sarah (Kelley) Beck, the former of whom, in life, was a farmer in Jefferson township, Crawford county, and the latter of whom lives at Leona, Mich. Mrs. McMichael has brothers and sisters as follows: Shannon, who is deceased; Verna, who is the wife of Mack Gledhill; Clark; Harold; Carrie, who is the wife of Orlo Charlton ; and Elizabeth, who is the wife of Harry Middlebrook. Mr. and Mrs. McMichael have three sons: Ralph Em- mett, who was born March 17, 1900; Harold

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

Glenn, who was born August 7, 1903; and Maurice Eldon, who was born June 7, 1906 .-

C. F. FIKE,* one of the leading business men of New Washington, conducting a plumbing, heating and lighting establishment and dealing in plumbing supplies, was born in Seneca county, O., Jan. 31, 1879, and is a son of David and Mary Fike, who now reside at New Washington.

After his school days were over, C. F. Fike made himself generally useful up to 1900, when he came to New Washington and learned his trade with S. J. Kible and remained with that firm for ten years, when he started into the plumbing business for himself with Thomas Klein as partner, under the firm name of Fike & Klein, which continued from June until January in the following year. Mr. Fike then operated under the firm name of C. F. Fike & Company in a general contract- ing business with one helper, in the Bordner Block until Nov. 1, 1911, when he secured his present large quarters which are well situated and equipped for the volume of business that he commands. Mr. Fike has been a member of the town council since January, 1912, a good, reliable, dependable business man, but is identified with no particular political party.

Mr. Fike married Miss Lydia Schwab, a daughter of Christian and Sarah Schwab, residents of Sulphur Springs, and they have six children: Elsworth, Helen, Odeal, Charles, Alice, and Ruth, the fourth in order of birth, who died in infancy. Mr. Fike and family are members of the Lutheran church. The family residence is on East Main Street.

JOHN B. SHUMAKER, a retired farmer residing in Galion, was born in Polk town- ship Crawford county, O., Jan. II, 1841. His parents were John and Lydia (Beltz) Shu- maker, and he is a grandson of Jonas Shu- maker, who at an early day came to this sec- tion from Pennsylvania, making the journey overland by team and accompanied by his family .. This region was at that time entirely uncultivated and the Wyandot Indians were still residing here. For their meat supply the family depended largely, if not entirely, upon the wild game which fell before the pioneer's rifle. Jonas Shumaker died when 85 years

old, living long enough to see many changes and improvements in the county. His first wife had died in early life, and he was twice married subsequently.

John Shumaker, father of our subject, came to Ohio with his parents in the early thirties of the last century, and here, when arrived at years of maturity he married Lydia Beltz, beginning domestic life in Polk township. He was not, however, destined to long enjoy the fruits of his labors, as he died at the early age of 23 years, when his only son, John B., the subject of this sketch, was four months old.

John B. Shumaker was reared on a farm in Polk township. In addition to acquiring a competent knowledge of agriculture, he became a carpenter, but abandoned this latter trade after following it for a few years. He pur- chased his first land-a tract of 46 acres-in Polk township, where he resided for some years, or until the spring of 1911, when he retired from active labor and took up his residence in Galion. He owns land also in Whetstone township and has been successful in his business and agricultural operations. A Democrat in politics, he has held several local offices.

He was first married in Defiance county, to Catherine Dickerhoof, who was born in De- fiance, O., June II, 1840. She died in Galion in 1903. She was a member of the German Lutheran church. Of this marriage there were four children born, namely: Belle, wife of Allen Morrow, a farmer in Crawford county ; Clara, wife of Michael Bair, a farmer of Bucyrus township; Mary, wife of Frank Tracht, also a Crawford county farmer; and Andy, who died unmarried when 26 years of age.

July 21, 1904, Mr. Shumaker married for his second wife, Jemima Kieffer, nee Beltz, who was born in Polk township, this county, and was here reared and educated. By a previous marriage to Charles Kieffer, now deceased, she had a daughter, Cora, who mar- ried and had a daughter, who is now Mrs. Bessie Filsinger. They all reside in Toledo and the Filsingers have a son, Levern. Mr. and Mrs. Shumaker attend the Lutheran church. They have many friends in Galion and elsewhere throughout the county and are

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

1043 ..

people of substance and worth-good neigh- bors and faithful to their duties in life.

F. L. KEMP, a leading citizen of Auburn township, Crawford county, O., formerly a justice of the peace for a period covered by ten years, resides on his valuable farm of 108 acres, which is situated in section 3, Auburn township. He was born in Venice township, Seneca county, O., May 3, 1859, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth E. ( Moor) Kemp.

Thomas Kemp was reared in Seneca county and married there, the Moor family being among the earliest settlers. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kemp and two sons saw service in the Civil War. F. L. Kemp was the sixth born in the family and is the only one living in Crawford county.

F. L. Kemp attended the district schools in Seneca county and afterward the Normal School at Ada, O., turning his attention then to teaching school, a profession he followed more or less continuously for 25 years, in Huron and Crawford counties. In 1885 he came to settle permanently in the latter county and was married to Miss Clara West, who was born on the present home farm in Auburn township, a daughter of H. A. and Ellen West. H. A. West was born also on this farm, a. son of John and Elizabeth (McFarland) West, the former of whom was born in Eng- land and the latter in Scotland. Grandfather West secured this land and his deed, dated Aug. 6, 1834, was signed by Andrew Jack- son, President of the United States. He died here but his widow survived until 1884 and died in Richland county, O. Mrs. Kemp was the third born of her parents' five children and is the only one living in Crawford county at the present time. Mr. and Mrs. Kemp have one son, Harry, who was born in Plymouth township, Richland county, Oct. 13, 1888. He has been thoroughly educated and after graduating from the Tiffin High School, took a course in civil engineering at the Tri-State College and then located at Winchester, Ind., where he follows his profession as civil en- gineer.

Since locating on this farm, Mr. Kemp has engaged in general agriculture and has done a large amount of improving. He has been a lifelong Republican and has frequently been

called to public office by his fellow citizens. He has served as a member of the school board of Auburn township and in every way has demonstrated his interest in his commu- nity which is a part of good citizenship.

Vera De Vall, when nine years old, was taken into the home of F. L. Kemp and was reared as carefully as his own child. She was educated in this township and is still regarded as one of the Kemp family. She was born Feb. 1I, 1895. She was a daughter of Joseph and Jennie De Vall.

CURTIS J. BAKER, a prominent con- tractor and builder at Galion, O., is one of the successful self-made men of this city and one who commands the respect of the business world and enjoys the esteem of his fellow citizens in general. He was born in Morrow county, O., in May, 1866, and lost his par- ents when 13 years of age.

An orphan has fewer early opportunities than are afforded those in happier circum- stances and while Curtis J. Baker had some educational opportunities at Blooming Grove, the necessity of earning his own living when only a boy in years, greatly curtailed his school attendance. On being questioned as to the main element that contributed to his suc- cess, he replied that when he had work to do he did it well, from boyhood to manhood. The terse reply explains the situation. For eight years he worked to learn the building trade, under M. B. Henderson, at Mt. Gilead, and after coming to Galion, in 1890, worked as a journeyman for eight years more and then went into the building and contracting busi- ness for himself. His good work may be pointed out in many parts of the city, a re- cent handsome structure being the Enquirer building. He has erected many of the hand- some private residences, built the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal church near Galion and at Crestline erected the Newman block and the parochial school and parish house. He erected his own handsome modern residence which stands at No. 336 South Market Street.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 157

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