History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 160

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 160

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HORACE J. SMITH, a leading citizen of Lykens township, Crawford county, O., who owns 160 acres of well situated land, which he devotes to general agriculture, was born in Holmes township, Crawford county, July 3, 1869, and is a son of John F. and Malinda (Shupp) Smith.

John F. Smith and wife were born in Crawford county, members of old families of this section, and spent their lives here into advanced years. Mr. Smith still resides in Holmes township but his wife died in 1887. They had the following children born to them : Lulu, who is the wife of W. E. Pfetcher; Laura, who is the wife of Wesley Lust; Hor- ace J .; Edith and Sylvanus, both of whom are deceased; Leary, who is the wife of George Lecrone; Lottie, who is the wife of Edward Pfeifer; Celesta, who is the wife of Harry Chester; and Lena, who is deceased.

Horace J. Smith attended the public schools and remained at home giving his father assist- ance on the farm until he was 22 years of age, after which, for 14 years, he rented land from his father. In 1908 he purchased his present farm from his father and here suc- cessfully engages in farming and raising some excellent stock, not much more, however, that he needs for himself. His surroundings show thrift and good management, an interest in public affairs, schools and good roads and the presence of reading matter, go far to prove the opening statement, that Mr. Smith is a leading citizen in his community. He is a member of the Grange at Brokensword, is serving as school director, and for three con- tinuous terms was a trustee of the township.

In 1891, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Ida C. Fralick, a daughter of David and Eliza- beth (Hass) Fralick, one of the old families of the county. Mrs. Smith died Feb. 29, 1912. The other members of her parents' family were: Emma, wife of William Lah- man; Benjamin; Elizabeth, wife of J. Shawk; and Edward and Harrison. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith four children were born, namely: Al- fred, Lula, Mabel and Alton. In politics Mr. Smith is a Democrat. He and family attend the Methodist Episcopal church at Broken- sword.

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DAVID H. CASSEL, a retired merchant school, but had but meagre advantages. When of Crestline, O., occupying a beautiful resi- dence which is situated at No. 211 Pearl Street, has made this place his continuous home for the past 17 years and has been active in both business and political circles. He was born on his father's pioneer farm, in Sandusky township, Crawford couity, O., Aug. 6, 1844, and is a son of John and a grandson of Fred- erick Cassel.

Frederick Cassel was of German parentage but was born in the United States, not far from Pittsburg, Pa. He grew to manhood there and married Sarah A. Steel, and late in the thirties the family came to Richland county, O., settling in Springfield township and both Frederick Cassel and wife died there, in advanced years. They were members of the Lutheran church.

John Cassel, son of Frederick and father of David H. Cassel, was the eldest born of his parents' large family, his birth taking place in Pennsylvania, in 1821 and he was in early manhood when he accompanied his parents to Ohio. He learned the carpenter trade under John Stough, completing his apprenticeship before he was 21 years old. The Stough fam- ily came to Richland county at the same time as the Cassel family and they became ac- quainted while crossing the mountains and settled on adjacent farms in Springfield town- ship. The families prospered together and both were well thought of in Springfield town- ship, where the Stoughs also lived to be old people. John Cassel married Sarah Stough and continued to work at his trade in Rich- land county until 1843 when he bought a farm in Sandusky township, all of which was un- cleared but seven acres and on which the only improvement was a log cabin. Here the Cassel family increased and thrived and the parents lived into honored old age, passing away with the neighborly esteem that their kind and useful activities during life had won for them. Eleven children were born to them and all but one grew to maturity, nine of these married and four sons and two daughters are vet living.

David H. Cassel was the fourth child and carly became inured to hard work, his father needing his almost constant assistance. As opportunity afforded. he went to the district

lie secured work from neighboring farmers, his wages were 25 cents a day and they were well earned. In May, 1862, he left the farm and came to Crestline and became an appren- tice to the tinner's trade, with G. W. Pierce, receiving for his first year's work the sum of $35, $50 for the second year, and $75 for the third year, this including his board. For five years afterward he worked as a journey- man and in 1871 embarked in business on his own account and at that time established a hardware store, which he continued until 1908, when he retired after a long and pros- perous business career. A strong Democrat all his life, he has been active in party move- ments in the county and city and has served as a member of the city council.

Mr. Cassel was married (first) at Upper Sandusky, O., to Miss Maggie Cramer, who was born in Seneca county, O. Her death occurred in 1869, from the effects of a fire which attacked the home. She was the mother of two children, one of whom died in infancy, the other being the wife of H. C. Cotner, of Crestline, and they have one son, Robert, who is a promising student in the public schools. Mr. Cassel was married (second) in Richland county, to Miss Maggie McGuire, who was a teacher. They have two children: Daisy M., who is a graduate of the Crestline High School; and Dotty D., who is the wife of E. E. Meister, who is connected with a large mercantile firm at Columbus. Mrs. Cassel and daughters are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church.

GEORGE SNYDER, a retired business man of Galion, O., and one of the city's most respected citizens. was born at Washington, Pa., Feb. 7, 1835. and is a son of John M. and Anna ( Heist) Snyder.

John M. Synder was born at Winkle, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, and his father had served under the great Napoleon for six years. In early manhood John M. Snyder de- cided to emigrate to America and after com- pleting his trade of custom boot and shoe maker, he joined his brother-in-law, George Bower, who had established himself in Wash- ington, Pa., in the blacksmith business. It was while living at Washington that John M.

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Snyder was married to Anna Heist, who was from his own German province, and they re- mained at Washington until their son, George Snyder, was one year old, when a family re- moval was determined on, to what was then the far West. Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bower provided the heavy wagons and strong teams that hauled the household goods over the hills and mountains between Washington and Ga- lion, O. They were disappointed in the ap- pearance of the latter place, at that time only a few scattered dwellings making up the ham- let, and as an encouraging business point they found it totally deficient. In considering whether to choose Columbus or Mansfield for a permanent home, they tossed up a penny and as Mansfield was indicated they started on foot to have a view of the place before moving their families. Apparently they were satisfied with the appearance of that village for they concluded to make it their home and shortly afterward found employment and in the course of time were well established in their trades. George Bower lived to be 92 years old, grew wealthy and locally important. Both Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bower were musical and both were fine singers and their musical gifts served to introduce them to the hos- pitable people and for a long time no enter- tainment at Mansfield or in the vicinity was considered complete without their attendance and songs.

After some years John M. Snyder and wife moved on a farm in Congress township, Mor- row county, O., and there they passed the rest of their lives. The land was unimproved when Mr. Snyder purchased it but persever- ance and industry soon changed the wild land into cultivated fields. They were devoted members of the Reformed church and while living at Mansfield, through Mr. Snyder's efforts a church was built. He lived to the age of 76 years and three months but his wife passed away at the age of 64 years. They were people who were well beloved, their sympathy and kindness to every one arousing affection and respect. They had four sons and four daughters born to them and four sons and one daughter still survive.

George Snyder was the second child of his parents and was a babe when the family came to Ohio and was 17 years old when removal

was made to Morrow county. Under his fa- ther, who was a man of great skill in the trade, he had learned to manufacture custom boots and shoes, his father having made the first pair of stitched boots ever used at Mans- field. For some years George Snyder worked at the trade and then was married, after which he became a farmer, continuing until Sept. I, 1865, when he came to Galion and embarked in the grocery business near the Public Square, on West Main Street, and carried it on until his sons had grown old enough to succeed him and they still conduct it. Mr. Snyder was one of the organizers of the old Hayes National Bank and was its first president and later its vice president.

In Morrow county, O., Mr. Snyder was married to Miss Harriet Mitchell, who was born near Iberia, O., Jan. 12, 1840. More than 52 years have passed with their joys and sorrows but the tie has never been severed and on April 12, 1910 these good people cele- brated their 50th anniversary, an occasion long to be remembered with pleasure by all who were permitted to attend. The follow- ing children have been born to them: Frank J., who conducts the grocery business which was established by his father, and who mar- ried Nina Wineland and has two daughters, Naomi and Maud; Alonzo M., who gradu- ated from Kenyon College and took first honors in the class to which he belonged in the Cincinnati Law College, and who is en- gaged in practice at Cleveland, and is married, having one son, Gaylord; Charles A., who is superintendent of the iron works of Platt & Crady, at Hartford, Conn., and has two sons, Russell G., who lives with his grand- parents, and George Barry, who lives with his father.

Mr. Snyder and his brother were both sol- diers in the Civil War, Mr. Snyder serving for 100 days. He has always been a patriotic and useful citizen and in local affairs has been continuously active, serving as a member of the city council and as a member of the school board for two terms, and when made the can- didate of the Republican party for county treasurer, ran far ahead of his ticket. He is a member of the board of Review for the county. Both he and wife attend the Presby- terian church. He is a Mason of high de-

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gree, a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter, plumbing establishment being located at No. Council and Commandery at Mansfield and the Shrine at Cleveland.

JOSEPH E. SUTTER, who is in the meat and grocery trade at Crestline, O., located on the corner of Bucyrus and Seltzer Streets, a member of the firm of Sutter Bros., is one of the enterprising young business men of this city. Both he and brother, Otto Sutter, who is his partner, are natives of Vernon town- ship, Crawford county, and there he was born June 29, 1885. The parents are Joseph F. and Theresa (Becker) Sutter.

Joseph F. Sutter was born at Crestline, O., in 1856 and has been a farmer all his life. His people came from Switzerland and died in old age in Crawford county. Joseph F. Sutter was married in Shelby county, O., to Theresa Becker, who was born in Bohemia, Germany, in 1858, and was five years old when her parents came to Ohio and spent the rest of their lives in Shelby county. Nine children were born to Jacob F. Sutter and wife, Joseph E. being the fourth in order of birth, all surviving with one exception: Al- bert, Susanna, Joseph E., Dorothy, Otto, Herman, Olivia and Henrietta, and Alfonso, who died at the age of 18 months.

The firm of Sutter Bros. has been operating at Crestline since 1910, the partners purchas- ing their present store and market from W. D. Cover. Through a careful study of the demands of their patrons, through honest and courteous dealings and the handling of su- perior stock only, this firm has been success- ful from the beginning and occupies a recog- nized position in commercial circles here.

At Crestline, O., Mr. Sutter was married to Miss Agnes Link, who was born at Galion, April 13, 1886 and was educated at Dayton and Crestline. Her father, John Link was born in Montgomery county, O., and for many years has been in the meat business at Crestline. He married Anna M. Rock, who was born in Germany and came alone to the United States, when 19 years of age. Both families are members of the German Roman Catholic Church.

JOHN H. ZIMMERMAN,* a well known business man at Galion, O., his hardware and

218 East Main Street, was born at Williams- burg, New York, in December, 1855, and is a son of John A. and Anna M. (Miller) Zim- merman.

The parents of Mr. Zimmerman were born in Baden, Germany, and both came to Amer- ica in 1850, and were married in the State of New York. After they came from there to Galion, O., the father followed his trade of cabinetmaker with the Big Four Railroad and for other firms. He was a careful, re- liable and skilled workman. Both he and wife lived to be 81 years of age, and they both were members of the Lutheran church. Of their four children, three survive and all live at Galion.

John H. Zimmerman was one year old when his parents came to Galion and here he was reared and attended school. He served his apprenticeship to his trade of tinner and plumber and for several years worked as a journeyman but otherwise has always resided in this city. In 1891 he established himself as a plumber and tinner and three years later. admitted F. H. Eise as a partner and at the same time added a hardware department, and for II years a prosperous business was car- ried on under the firm style of Zimmerman & Eise, since when Mr. Zimmerman has been sole proprietor and former conditions con- tinue.

Mr. Zimmerman is a well known Mason, belonging to the Blue Lodge and Council at Galion and the Chapter and Commandery at Mansfield. He is identified also with the Knights of Pythias and the Elks and is a member of the Country Club. Politically he is a Democrat. He has never married.

JACOB R. BISHOP, an enterprising and successful farmer and stock raiser, owns a large body of valuable land, resides in section 15, Cranberry township, his property border- ing the southeast side of the corporation limits of New Washington, O. He was born in Peru township, Huron county, O., Feb. II, 1860, and is a son of Arsaineus and Theresa Bishop, natives of Huron county and both now deceased.

After his marriage in 1891, Mr. Bishop bought 73 acres in Cranberry township, Craw-

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ford county, of the Springer heirs, paying fifty dollars an acre for the same. It was good land but was not improved to please Mr. Bishop who immediately began his own improve- ments, including a system of drainage, in 1903 erecting a new barn, with other structures, and the entire remodeling of the house which had been erected in 1858. Mr. Bishop, in 1905, bought 77 acres, from his father-in-law, George Miller, a well improved body of land adjoining his other farm on the west. All of it had been cleared by Mr. Miller with the ex- ception of eight acres of maple grove and every year a large quantity of maple sugar is made on the place. Mr. Bishop raises grain, especially wheat, having at the present date of writing 17 acres of as fine wheat as can be found in Cranberry township, and has a large acreage in hay. He also raises cattle, horses and hogs, disposing of $800 worth of the lat- ter every year. A large number of fowls are produced here yearly also, Mrs. Bishop taking just pride in her Barred Plymouth Rocks and White Orphingtons, thorough-bred stock. She sells eggs to the Uhl Hatchery Company, of New Washington, O., and has made this an important feature of the farm industries.

Mr. Bishop was married Jan. 27, 1891, to Miss Mary Miller, who was born in Cranberry township, north of New Washington, O., a daughter of George and Margaret (Heydinger) Miller. George Miller was born in Germany, Feb. 2, 1835, and came to Crawford county and settled one-half mile north of New Washing- ton, where he lived for four years and then bought a farm south of that place and there built a brick house for hotel purposes in 1871, naming it the Washington House, which he conducted for 20 years, then retired and now lives at Chicago, Ill. His wife, Margaret Hey- dinger, was born in France, a daughter of John Adam Heydinger, who probably came to New Washington in 1835. She was one of three children : John, Margaret and Mary, the brother marrying Mary Gulong, and the sister, Frank Wechter. Mrs. Miller died July 7, 1905, and her burial was in the Catholic cem- etery at New Washington. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller the following children were born : Mary, who married Jacob R. Bishop; John R., who is manager of the Miller Department Store at New Washington; Catherine, who is the wife

of Matthew Burger, residing east of New Washington; Ignatius, who lives in Cranberry township; Rosa, who lives at Chicago, Ill .; Adam, who is interested at New Washington in the Miller Merchandise Company, and who married Amelia Burger; Cecelia, who is mar- ried and lives in the city of Chicago; and Til- lie, who is the wife of George Schmidt, of New Washington.

Mr. and Mrs. Bishop have two children: Verona and Otto, the latter of whom is a stu- dent in the New Washington High School. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bishop is tal- ented in music and devotes a part of her leisure time to teaching music. She graduated fron the New Washington High School when only 16 years of age and afterward attended col- lege for one year at Tiffin, O. She then taught school for two years and at present is book- keeper for the Uhl Hatchery Company. Mr. Bishop and family are members of St. Ber- nard's Catholic church at New Washington. Mr. Bishop votes with the Democratic party but is not unduly active in politics and has never accepted any public office except that of road supervisor, in which he served two terms.

JOHN F. MORKEL, who justly claims the distinction of being the oldest grocer, in point of service, doing business at Crestline, O., es- tablished himself here in 1887 and has con- tinued uninterruptedly ever since. He was born in Crawford county, one mile west of Crestline, Dec. 7, 1853, and is a son of Chris- tian and a grandson of Peter Morkel.

About 1829 or 1830, grandfather Morkel and family came from Germany to the United States and located in Franklin county, Pa., and from there, in 1832, started for Crawford county, O. The means of transportation was a wagon, drawn by a blind horse, and naturally but slow progress was made over the moun- tains and through uncleared lands, dense tim- ber tracts and unbridged streams, and it took many weeks for the pioneers to reach their proposed home. They settled on virgin land, in what was called the wind fall, and there a log cabin was erected and life was begun anew. Many Indians were visitors to this section, attracted by the abundance of wild game and the pioneers soon learned wood craft from them and in the early days partly

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sustained life by hunting, trapping and fish- ing. A valuable farm was developed through persevering labor and Peter Morkel and wife lived long enough to enjoy peace and comfort in their last days.

Christian Morkel, son of Peter and father of John F. Morkel, was born in Hesse Darm- stadt, Germany, July 18, 1823, the eldest of seven children, and died in Richland county, O., in Febraury, 1906, when aged 83 years. He learned the trade of wagonmaker and was able to construct an entire wagon from the cutting down of the tree to its completion as a useful vehicle, and in addition owned and operated a saw mill and engaged in farming. He spent his closing years in Richland county, near Crestline, a man widely known and very highly respected. In Crawford county he mar- ried Mary Ann Purkey, who was born in Lan- caster county, Pa., Dec. 10, 1835, and was brought to Crawford county by her parents in the forties, they settling also in the wind fall, where her father followed farming. She died April 30, 1898, in Richland county. She was reared in the German Reformed faith but after marriage united with her husband's church, the German Lutheran. Thirteen chil- dren were born to this marriage, twelve of whom reached maturity, ten of whom mar- ried and all these survive.

John F. Morkel was the eldest born of his parents' children and was reared and educated in his native county about two miles east of Crestline. After some years on the farm he learned the blacksmith trade at Mansfield and for two years followed the same in Delaware county and then came to Crawford county on a farm for seven years, and then came to Crestline and embarked in the grocery busi- ness, for the first eleven years being located on Main Street and since then has occupied his commodious store, with dimensions of 22x67 feet, on the corner of Crestline and Bucyrus Streets. He carries a full line of staple goods and all fancy goods for which there is a demand, and does a safe and satis- factory business being able to meet all com- petition without recourse to any questionable methods. He is one of the reliable and rep- resentative business men of the city.

Mr. Morkel was married at Massilon, O., to Miss Helen Mathieu who was born in Wayne

county, July 8, 1853, and was there reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Morkel have three children: Edith Dora, who is the wife of Lewis Smith, a Pennsylvania Railroad en- gineer residing at Crestline, and has one son, Neil; Clarence Lee, who lives at Galion, and who married Daisy Snyder, who died when their daughter Ruth was eight days old; and Estelle May, who is the wife of Howard Ackerman, of Mansfield, and has one son, Franklin Kenneth. Mr. Morkel and family attend the Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Morkel is a Democrat and he has been active and useful as a citizen, serving for nine years as a member of the school board and serving also on the water works board. He is prom- inent in Ohio Masonry, belonging to the Blue Lodge and Chapter at Crestline and the Council at Mansfield and serving officially at different times.

RICHARD HOLCKER, senior member of the firm of Richard and Herman Holcker, suc- cessful hardware merchants and represent- ative business men of Crestline, O., was born in Germany, Oct. 26, 1866, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Huebsch) Holcker. His brother, Herman Holcker, the younger member of the firm, was born in 1868, also in Bavaria, and there the brothers grew to man- hood and both learned trades, the older becom- ing a machinist and the younger a carriage- smith.

The parents, George Holcker and wife, were born and reared in the same Rhine province and married there and for many years Mr. Holcker followed the machinist trade. In 1901 he and wife came to America and joined their children at Crestline, O., where the father of Richard and Herman Holcker died in Februarv, 1912, when aged 75 years, having lived retired after reaching this city. His widow, now in her 73rd year, resides with her children at Crestline. They had ten children and all came to the United States and all but one, to Crawford county, O. and all married but two.

The hardware business now conducted by the firm of Holcker Brothers, is one of the old established ones of Crestline, having been founded about 60 years ago, on the corner of Seltzer and Main Streets. The present firm, in

THOMAS S. KENNEDY

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1892, succeeded Jacob Sosenheimer, and a large business has been built up here, an im- mense stock of goods being carried, including all kinds of hardware, tin roofing and farm implements. Business honesty is the watch- word of this firm and it has proved good policy.

Both members of the above firm have mar- married and each household has children. Richard Holcker was married at Crestline to Miss Catherine (Gehrisch), who was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in 1874, and was 18 years of age when she came to Crestline. She is a member of the German Lutheran church. One child has been born to Richard Holcker and wife, Frederick, who is two years old.

Herman Holcker was married at Crestline to Miss Ida Eckstein who was born, reared and educated here. They have one son and one daughter : Albert G., born March 31, 1896, who is a student in the Crestline High School; and Martha, who was born June 19, 1900. Mr. Holcker and wife are members of the Ger- man Reformed church. In politics both broth- ers are nominally Democrats, but with inde- pendent tendencies. Both brothers are identi- fied with the order of Macabees and both are stockholders in many of the successful local industries of the city, while Richard is also a director of the First National Bank ..

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 160

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