History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 168

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 168

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Mr. Neff and family have always been more or less prominent in the Lutheran church and he has been a church official for many years. In politics 'he has always been a Democrat; for six years he was a township trustee, for seven years was a member of the town coun- cil for five years has been on the board of Public Affairs, and at the present time is serving as president of this civic body. Fra- ternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows, and belongs also to several insurance or- ganizations.

GEORGE L. JENNER, whose 160-acre farm, lying eleven miles northeast of Bucyrus, O., is a very valuable property and one of the best cultivated and productive farm in San- dusky township, Crawford county, belongs to a highly respected old German-American family of this section. He was born in 1852. in Liberty township, Crawford county, and is a son of John G. and Mary A. ( Ackerman) Jenner.

John G. Jenner was born in Wittenberg. Germany, probably about 1832, and was 16 years of age when he came to the United States. After living for one year in Pennsyl- vania, he came to Ohio and lived in Liberty township, Crawford county, until after the birth of his children, when he bought the farm in Sandusky township which is owned by his son, George L. His other children were: Benjamin F., Mary, Elizabeth, Eme-

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line, Emanuel and Amelia. Mary married Peter Weller and they live at Bucyrus.

George L. Jenner married Miss Louise Marie Soldan, who was born in Germany, where she was reared and went to school. Her parents are Michael and Bertha (Bohl) Soldan, and she has four brothers, only one of whom left Germany. He is Julius J. Sol- dan and is a resident of Brooklyn, N. Y. He married Elizabeth Grimm and they have five children : Louise, born May 14, 1900; Peter, born Dec. 26, 1901; Lillian, born Aug. 20, 1904; Alice, born Nov. 10, 1906; and Dor- othy, born Sept. 14, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Jen- ner are members of the Lutheran church. Al- though never active in politics, Mr. Jenner is a good citizen and aims at all times to do his full duty.

CARL L. OTTO, manager of the Farmers' Milling Company, a business of considerable importance in Crawford county, the headquar- ters being at Crestline, is a man well qualified for a position of this kind, being a practical miller and since the age of 13 years, interested in this industry. He was born at Mansfield, O., Feb. 7, 1880, and is a son of Franz and Caroline (Kames) Otto.

Franz Otto was born in Germany and when he was old enough to enter business, became a miller as was his father and grandfather, this having been the family trade for genera- tions. He married in Germany and after the birth of two children, he and wife came to the United States just after the close of the Civil War and settled first at Mansfield, O. and afterward lived in Richland county until his death in the fall of 1909, at the age of 65 years. His widow still resides at Mans- field, being now in her 68th year. To Franz Otto and wife four children were born: Ed- ward, who died at the age of 36 years; Eliza- beth, who resides with her mother at Mans- field; Helen, who is bookkeeper for the Farm- ers' Milling Company; and Carl L.

Carl L. Otto was reared at Mansfield and in Richland county, working under his father in the milling business and receiving a thor- ough German training in the same. The Farmers' Milling Company at Crestline was established in 1903 and under Mr. Otto's able management has developed into one of the

most prosperous enterprises of this section. The officials of the company are all farmers belonging to the capitalist class, including Messrs. Musselman, Brandt, Charles Coons and R. M. Taylor, all of Richland county. This , company manufactures all mill prod- ucts and makes a specialy of the Sweet Home brand of flour, and they have a market all over the State of Ohio, the capacity of their mills being 90 barrels a day.

Mr. Otto was married at Oberlin, O., to Miss Eleanor B. Bell who was born at Youngstown and educated at Cleveland, O. They have had three children, two of whom died in infancy, Carl Louis surviving. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias but otherwise belongs only to business organiza- tions.

WILLIAM M. BECK, who is one of the substantial and representative citizens of Crawford county, O., owning 97 acres in Polk township and 90 acres in Jefferson township, was born in the latter township, March 16, 1858, and is a son of Isaac W. and Catherine (Henry) Beck.

The parents of Mr. Beck were born in Penn- sylvania. For many years the father was a farmer in Jefferson township, Crawford coun- ty. Both he and wife were members of the English Lutheran church, and when they passed away their burial was in Fairview Cemetery, at Galion. They were parents of the following children: Mary E., who mar- ried George B. Morrison, Simon H .; Mahala J., who married William Moderwell; Mar- garet, who married John K. Shearer; Eliza E., who married J. A. Schreck; Sina Bell, who married I. K. Umbarger; William M. and John.

William M. Beck attended the public schools in Polk township, and later the Mansfield Normal School and also studied one term in a school at Fostoria, O. After that he as- sisted his father on the home place until he reached his majority and then worked for his father until the latter's death. He has spent his entire business life, with the excep- tion of nine years, on his present farm. For some 20 years he conducted a dairy in con- nection with his other farm industries but does little in that direction at present. Mr.

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Beck has one of the best improved properties in this section, a handsome residence with a modern system of heating and acetylene light- ing. His buildings are situated on the Galion and Bucyrus highway, a very desirable loca- tion.

On Sept. 27, 1887, Mr. Beck was married to Miss Lydia M. Grimes, who was born in Perry county, O., a daughter of Josiah and Lydia Sparr (Wheatcraft) Grimes. Mrs. Beck is one of the following family: Eliza, wife of Charles Schofield; Nancy, wife of Richard Adcock; Sarah, wife of Robert Ad- cock; Mary, wife of Evi Brown; Media, wife of F. L. Beck; Lucy, wife of Frederick Wolfe. Cordelia, wife of Thomas Sherod; Hannah, wife of John Guthrie; Joseph and Lydia M. To Mr. and Mrs. Beck six children have been born, namely: Ethel S., who is the wife of Roy Kishler; and Irving G., Whitney S., Ruth C., Clara E. and Oliver Thoburn. Mr. Beck and family attended the United Brethren church. He casts his political vote with the Prohibition party. Mr. Beck is a progressive farmer and is a member of Polk Grange, at Galion. His ballot will be cast for "Equal Suffrage" Sept. 3, 1912.

THOMAS SNODGRASS, deceased, was one of the pioneer business men of Crestline, where he was engaged in the meat business for 43 years and was a representative, reput- able and substantial man of this city. He was born in Washington county, Pa., April 29, 1832, and is a son of William and Mar- garet (Chambers) Snodgrass.

The parents of Mr. Snodgrass were also born in Washington county and were of Scotch and Irish ancestry, the Chambers fam- ily in Ireland belonging to the gentry class. The families were established in Pennsylvania prior to the Revolutionary War. In 1840, William Snodgrass with his wife and three children, Thomas, Sarah J. and Mary, started with teams attached to big wagons to make the overland journey to a new home in Jack- son township, Crawford conuty. To Thomas. who was then eight years old, and his sisters. who were younger, the journey was a great adventure, but it was a grave matter to the father and mother. In part they realized the hardships they would probably have to face

and the dangers they would encounter, but it was a long and tiresome trip. At night they camped by the road side and in the morning plodded on, their courage keeping up until they reached the forest within which their selected home lay, when Mr. Snodgrass had to chop a road before the spot could be reached. Afterward he cut down trees and thus secured a site for the first log cabin, which served until a better one could be built, which later was supplanted by a handsome, comfortable frame one which, with barns and other farm buildings, are yet standing. Al- though far removed from all the pleasures and comforts of civilization, to which they had been accustomed, the family led a happy, busy, contented life and through industry and fru- gality increased their possessions and at the time of death, Williaw Snodgrass was able to leave an estate of 200 acres of improved land. They were members of the Presbyterian church. The first wife of William Snodgrass died in 1849, in the prime of life, her young- est child being only one year old at that time. His second marriage was to Rachel Warden, who, at death, left five children.

Thomas Snodgrass grew to manhood in Jackson township and gave his father assist- ance on the home farm. He preferred an active business life rather than an agricultural one and left the farm and came to Crestline, which, at that time, was but a hamlet. Here he established his meat market and continued in the same line until the close of his life on Feb. 10, 1901, having been continuously in business since 1858. Mr. Snodgrass at times had invested in real estate and had become one of the men of ample fortune here. A Re- publican in his political sentiments, he voted according to his conscience and judgment and rarely was willing to consider public office for himself, although, at one time, he served as city assessor.

In Jefferson township, Crawford county, Mr. Snodgrass was married to Miss Eleanor Walker, who was born in Crawford county, Sept. 8, 1830, and died at Crestline, Jan. 22, 1887. She was a daughter of Joseph and Esther (Garven) Walker, natives of Ohio, and very early settlers of the county, where they died in 1854 and 1855 respectively. A sister of Mrs. Snodgrass, now over 80 years

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of age, still survives and lives at Blairsville, Pa. Five children were born to Thomas Snodgrass and wife, namely: Margaret A., who was born, reared and has always lived at Crestline; Josephine, who is the wife of Frank P. Drake, of Massillon, O., and has three children; Mary F. and William F., twins, the former of whom is the wife of F. D. Steffey, of Blairsville, Indiana county, Pa., and the latter of whom died at Crestline, unmarried, in 1908, when aged 49 years; and one babe that died unnamed.

Miss Margaret A. Snodgrass devoted her- self to the care of her parents in their old age, unselfishly putting aside personal ambi- tions that might have interfered with the tender care she desired to give them, and finds compensation in the realization of duty faith- fully performed. She is well known through Crestline and Jackson township and is much esteemed. She attends the Methodist Epis- copal church at Crestline.

MARCUS H. McCLAIN, one of the ven- erable and honored citizens of Galion, O., was born in Highland county, O., Dec. 5, 1826. His grandfather, David McClain, was born in Scotland, and before coming to the United States was united in marriage with an Irish lady. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the days when such a voyage was a test of courage, and after reaching the United States, located in Beaver county, Pa., where at least a part of their family of children were born.

Daniel McClain, son of David McClain and wife, was born in Beaver county, Pa., in 1798, and in the early twenties came to Ohio. He was a hatter by trade and worked as a hat manufacturer at various places. He married Mary A. Robinson, who was born in North Carolina and from there was taken in child- hood to Culpepper county, Va., by her par- ents, Joshua Robinson and wife. In the early twenties the Robinsons came to Ohio, settling first in Highland county and moving later to Logan county. Joshua Robinson was married twice, his second wife having been an Antrum. They were Quakers in religious belief. Both lived into old age, Joshua Robinson surviving to the age of 94 years.

Daniel McClain carried on business at dif- ferent places and proved and enterprising and

resourceful man. For some years he was en- gaged in locating on and improving farms which he would sell to later settlers, but sub- sequently established his permanent home in Logan county. He was able to see and take advantage of business opportunities and for some years made the butter contracting busi- ness profitable. Some of the older residents often contend that former days were more satisfactory to live in, in the light of the pres- ent high cost of both necessities and luxuries, „and in this connection it is interesting to note the cost of butter in the days when Mr. Mc- Clain considered it a lucrative business to handle it. He purchased his butter for six cents a pound in Delaware, Union and Knox coun- ties, and sold it at Bellefontaine for twelve cents a pound, the advance rate being suffi- cient to pay handsomely for its handling. He was also in the wool buying business, and prior to 1850 was engaged as a merchant at East Liberty, Logan county. His activities were curtailed some two years before his death, in 1856, through loss of eyesight. He was a pronounced anti-slavery man and his home was an underground station for escaping slaves during that period of great unrest in the country concerning human slavery. Daniel McClain was one of the first men in Ohio to be made a Freemason and he took pride and pleasure in the fraternity.

To Daniel McClain and wife five children were born, all of whom grew to maturity and all, save one who died when aged 20 years, married and had families. The only survivor is Dr. Marcus H. McClain, the first born, for many years a resident of Galion. The mother survived the father for some years and died in Galion. Both were members of the Method- ist Episcopal church.

Marcus H. McClain was variously employed, mainly in assisting his father, until he was 30 years of age, when he entered a drug store at Wilmington, O. At that time, as he humor- ously asserts, he did not know the difference between salt and salts, but he had a natural taste in the line of this profession and an am- bition that caused him to apply himself strenuously to the studies which finally made complete his knowledge of pharmacy. In the fall of 1859 he came to Galion and here, for 40 years, he continued in the drug business,

MARCUS H. McCLAIN

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not only acquiring an ample fortune in the the Lake Shore Railway, His burial was in same but also building up a reputation for re- Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland. liability in this line that led to his earning his title of Doctor. Some ten years ago Dr. Mc- Clain retired from active business participa- tion as far as his drug store is concerned, but he still continues president of the Galion Building, Loan and Savings Corporation, which was established in 1881. He was one of the organizers and still is president of the Galion Cemetery board, and for several years was a member of the city council.

Dr. McClain was married (first) in Union county, O., to Miss Lucy A. Reed, who died in 1868, when aged 45 years. Two daughters and three sons were born to them : Mrs. L. H. Green, who is a resident of Galion; Mrs. Joseph an infant son that died unnamed; William W., who died at the age of seventeen years; and Howard B., who died when aged six years. Dr. McClain was married (second) to Mrs. Malinda (Sanford) Bassett, who was the widow of Dr. Bassett, of Ravenna, O. She died at Galion, July 7, 1889, and was survived by a daughter born to her first marriage, Helen Bassett, who is now married and resides at Bellefontaine, O. Dr. McClain later married Mrs. Mary A. (Walsh) Boure, who was born at Bellville, O., a daughter of James and Sarah (Bell) Walsh, former residents of Crawford county. Dr. and Mrs. McClain are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. For 64 years he has been a member of both the Ma- sons and Odd Fellows and has served officially in both local lodges.

WILLIAM COOK,* deceased, who was widely known in railroad circles in Ohio, hav- ing been connected with the leading systems for many years, was held in the highest es- teem by the traveling public, with whom he came into association as a passenger conduc- tor, and also by the different officials who rec- ognized his efficiency and fidelity. He was born in the city of New York, in 1852, and died at Cleveland, O., in 1890. Mr. Cook came to Galion in early manhood and for some time afterward was with the Erie Railroad, for some subsequent years was a passenger conductor on the Wabash Railway, still later was with the Big Four Railway Company, and at the time of his accidental death. was with

Mr. Cook was married to Miss Della At- wood, who was born at Galion and educated in this city and has made it her home since the death of her husband, her residence being located at No. 442 South Main street. She is a daughter of Alpheus and Cynthia (Tracy) Atwood. The father of Mrs. Cook was born at Dunkirk, N. Y., a son of Alpheus Atwood, who died there. After his father's death, Alpheus Atwood, Jr., accompanied his mother to Ohio, and following her death, at Mans- field, came to Galion, in the early fifties, where he became a prominent banker and merchant. He owned a large amount of property here and Atwood street was named in his honor. He was very public-spirited and favored new business enterprises as a means of develop- ing the city, and at one time donated 13 acres of land on which the Big Four Railroad erected its railroad station. He was an ardent Republican but was too busy a man to enter very actively into politics. His death occurred at Galion in 1881, at the age of 68 years. He married Cynthia Tracy, who was born near Galion and for the past 16 years has been a resident of Cleveland. Her parents were early settlers in Crawford county, John and Julia (Green) Tracy, who were natives of Penn- sylvania. Mr. Tracy at one time was pro- prietor of the old Galion Hotel and later built the commodious Capital House, on the corner of East Main and Washington streets, near the Big Four Railway station. This hotel was destroyed by fire in 1893. His widow survived him and at the time of death was in her 93rd year.

To Mr. and Mrs. Cook two children were born: Grace, who is a graduate of the Galion High School; and George Edward, who is in the automobile business at Detroit, Mich. Mrs. Cook and daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and she is active in the Ladies' Aid Society and is one of the interested and valued members of the W. C. T. U., at Galion.

GEORGE F. ALTAFFER, who conducts a large meat market at Crestline, O., with quarters at No. 367 Seltzer street, is one of the prosperous and fully occupied business

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men of this city. He was born at Mt. Ver- his family, has never married. He and non, O., July 24, 1878, and is a son of John and Sigourney' (Cassel) Altaffer.

John Altaffer was born in Columbian coun- ty, O., and died at Toledo, O., Oct. 8, 1910, after an honorable service of 40 years in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad as freight and passenger conductor. He was widely known and stood high with railroad men, belonging to the leading organizations and possessing the courage and fidelity to duty that arouses esteem and admiration. In poli- tics he was a Republican and belonged to the order of Knights of Pythias at Mt. Vernon and to the Odd Fellows at Crestline. He mar- ried Sigourney Cassel, who survives and who was born on the old Cassel homestead within two miles of Crestline, Oct. 19, 1848. She is a member of the English Lutheran church. Eleven children were born, as follows: John and James, both of whom died in childhood; Anna M., who is the wife of H. M. Brown, of Crestline, and has two children-Helen and Ruth; Margaret V., who resides at home; William C., who lives at Crestline, and who married Gertrude Jenkins; Rufus B., who is a conductor with the Pennsylvania Railroad; George F., subject of this sketch; Catherine T., who is the wife of William A. Smith, a merchant, and has one son, Wilbur; Bessie V., who is the wife of Earl Spelman, a rail- way mail clerk at Crestline; David Henry, a polisher, who resides at Crestline; and Frank Cassel, who is a flagman with the Pennsyl- vania Railroad.

George F. Altaffer was four years old when his people came to Crestline, where he attended school and then learned the machin- ist trade and followed the same for ten years, since when he has been in the meat business. He started his present market in July, 1907 and has met with much success in his under- taking. He caters to the very best trade and does his own slaughtering, having an abattoir near the city. His careful selection and hand- ling of meats and his sanitary quarters, com- bined with business methods of entire honesty, have and still continue to contribute to his prosperity. He attends to the details of his business himself and requires the assistance of three helpers.

Mr. Altaffer, like several other members of

brothers are Republicans in their political af- filiation and he is identified with the leading fraternal organizations, being a thirty-second degree Mason, a captain in the Uniform Rank of the Knights of Pythias, a member of the order of Eagles and of the Elks, the latter at Bucyrus. Additionally he is vice president of the Masonic Club and is serving in the city council.

EUGENE E. FRY, one of the enterprising and successful farmers of Cranberry town- ship, Crawford county, O., who lives on his valuable farm of 152 acres, situated in sec- tions 27 and 22, was born in this township, June 30, 1864, and is a son of John C. and Mary (Becker) Fry.

John C. Fry was born Sept. 27, 1836, near Sulphur Springs in Crawford county, and died on his old farm in Cranberry township, Feb. 3, 1911, when aged 74 years, four months and six days. He was one of ten children born to his parents, John H. and Catherine Fry. He grew up on the farm and during 1858-9 he was a student at Oberlin College, preparing for teaching and also cultivating his marked musical talents. Afterward he taught school for one year in Wyandot county and then went to Missouri, where he taught until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he re- turned to Ohio. On Nov. 12, 1862, he mar- ried Mary A. Becker, who died Jan. 4, 1898, the mother of three sons and one daughter: Eugene, Elmer, William and Minnie. After marriage they located on unimproved land in Cranberry township, which, through the in- dustry and perseverance of Mr. Fry was devel- oped into a fertile farm. He was one of the founders and one of the main financial sup- porters of the Tabor church near his home. In 1889 when Mr. and Mrs. Fry retired to Tiffin they identified themselves with the Methodist Protestant body there. Following the death of his wife, Mr. Fry spent his time with his children, ever being a welcome pres- ence. He was a man widely known and uni- versally respected. Both he and wife rest in the Union Cemetery near Sulphur Springs.

Eugene E. Fry has been engaged in agri- cultural pursuits ever since his school days, and is one of the progressive farmers of this sec-

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tion, a charter member of Cranberry Town- ship Grange. He married Miss Ida Elizabeth McKeehen, who was born in Liberty township, Crawford county, a daughter of Samuel A. McKeehen, and they have four children : Nina May, who is the wife of Milton A. Ulmer, of Tiro, O .; and John E., Carl Elsworth and Edith Marie, all living at home. Mr. Fry and family are members of the Christian church. He is a Democrat when he casts his political vote, but otherwise takes but little interest in political matters.

W. F. L. BLOCK, a retired merchant of Galion, O., where he was active in the business field for many years, was born at Galion, Nov. 6, 1854 and was reared and educated here. Mr. Block is a son of Julius F. Block, a na- tive of Greiswald, Prussia, who came to the United States in 1853 when a young man and located at Galion where he was a car- penter and contractor. He married Susanna Peusch, a native of Germany, who also came to the United States in 1853. To them were born one child, W. F. L. Block, the subject of this article. Julius F Block died at Galion, Feb. 16, 1903, aged 75 years, his wife surviv- ing until Dec. 8, 1911, when aged 85 years.

After his school days were over, Mr. Block worked at the carpenter trade for seven years and then became a clerk in a local dry goods establishment and continued until he embarked in the grocery and dry goods business for himself, in 1885. After some years of successful trading he enlarged the scope of his business, adding carpets and wall paper to his stock, and continued without in- termission until 1907, when he retired. Through good judgment and natural aptitude for business, Mr. Block prospered and became one of the representative men of Galion. With pride he has watched the development of his native city into one of the important business centers of the State and has born no insignifi- cant part in much of the material progress made.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 168

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