History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 173

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 173

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Mr. Freese was married at Galion, in 1882, to Miss Rosina Berger, who was born in Can- ton Bern, Switzerland, in November, 1853, and who accompanied her parents, Joseph and Barbara (Burgener) Berger, to America in 1869. They located on a farm near Galion, where both parents died when aged about 70 years. They reared their family of eleven children in the faith of the Reformed church, to which Mrs. Freese belongs. Mr. and Mrs. Freese have three children-Herbert H., Ar- thur J. and Horace E.

Herbert H. Freese, who was born in 1884, attended school in Galion and then entered Case School of Applied Science, of Cleveland, O., and was graduated in the class of 1905. He is associated with his father in business. Arthur J., born in 1887, is a graduate of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, of the class of 1909, and is active in his father's plant. Horace E., who was born in 1888, was educated in the city schools and in Case School of Applied Science and is also associated with his father in business. . The three young men are fine types of educated and interesting young American business men.

HON. JAMES C. TOBIAS, a lawyer of eminence in Crawford county, formerly judge of the Common Pleas Court, was born in Franklin county, Pa., Nov. 11, 1856, a son of William B. and Catherine (Mills ) Tobias. The father was born near Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pa., Oct. 1, 1815, and was a son of Benjamin and Sarah (Clouse) Tobias.

When James C. Tobias was a mere lad, re- siding on his parents' farm about four miles from the Maryland State line, General Lee's army marched through that country, destroy- ing much of their property and helped themselves without scruple to the stock, taking all but six of the horses. James C. was an in- terested spectator of these stirring scenes, visit- ing both camps and conversing with the sol- diers. The military operations around Cham- bersburg in 1863 created so much uproar and confusion together with destruction of property that a removal to Crawford county was decided on and James accordingly accompanied his par- ents, at the age of seven years, to this vicinity. His preliminary education was acquired in the common schools, and he subsequently attended

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Cold Run Academy and in the spring of 1872 entered Oberlin College, where he studied until the following September. He then en- tered Mt. Union College, remaining there three years. He thus acquired a broad literary edu- cation to serve as a foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of professional knowl- edge. During the period of his college days he taught school during the winters and all his vacations he labored upon the farm, earning money to assist in paying his collegiate ex- penses.

He had by this time decided to adopt the law as his vocation, and accordingly, in the fall of 1876, he became a student in the office of D. W. Swigert, a highly esteemed attorney of Bucyrus. On July 2, 1878, at the age of 21 years, he was admitted to the bar at Delaware, O., and immediately afterward began the prac- tice of his profession in Bucyrus, soon winning a fair share of public patronage. Important litigated interests were entrusted to him and he soon demonstrated his ability to success- fully handle the intricate problems of juris- prudence. In 1881, F. S. Monnett, later ex- attorney general of Ohio, entered into partner- ship with him, under the firm name of Tobias & Monnett, their relationship being maintained until 1888, when Mr. Tobias was elected pro- bate judge of Crawford county, a position he continually filled until 1894. In 1896 he was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the district comprising Crawford, Marion and Wyandot counties, and held that position until February, 1907, being re-elected in 1901, without opposition, for a second term. He made an able, fair and impartial judge, his decisions, being generally sustained by the higher courts. From 1885 to 1900 he was a member of the City Board of Education, ten years of which he was its president, and in that capacity rendered good service. He is a promi- nent member of the Democratic party and is active in its councils. He was a delegate to the National convention of 1884 that nominated Grover Cleveland for the presidency, has been frequently a delegate to the State convention and was secretary of the State Committee in 1883 and 1884. He was also chairman of the county committee for many years.

In 1879 Judge Tobias was united in mar- riage with Miss Amina J. Monnett, a daugh- ter of Abraham and Catherine (Braucher)

Monnett. They have had two children- Dean A., who was educated in the Bucyrus public schools and the Ohio State University at Columbus, and Helen M., a graduate of the Bucyrus High School and Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, O. Judge Tobias is fraternally connected with the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks and with the Knights of Pythias, being Past Chancellor in the latter organization. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is one of the trustees. It has been said of him that, "endowed by nature with high intellectual qualities, to which have been added the discipline and embellishments of culture, his is a most attractive personality. Well versed in the learning of his profession and with a deep knowledge of human nature and of the springs of human conduct, he is in the courts an advocate of great power and in- fluence and on the bench a judge who ever commands the respect of the lawyers and of the public by reason of his dignity in office and extreme fairness in decision."

In December, 1881, he assisted in the organ- ization of the Monnett Banking Company, subsequently the Bucyrus City Bank and served as a director in both institutions continuously. Only two of the original stockholders of the Monnett Banking Company continue to hold stock in the Bucyrus City Bank and he is one of that number. The Bucyrus City Bank is known as a state-wide, strong, financial insti- tution and has grown from the smallest to the largest banking institution in Crawford county.

CHARLES E. KLOPP,* deceased, for many years was an important factor in the busi- ness life of Galion, O., a successful merchant and a valued and useful citizen. He was born Feb. 15, 1829, in a Rhine province of Prussia- Germany, and was a son of Carl and Mary Anna (Berkenthal) Klopp.

Carl Klopp was born and died in Prussia and was thirty-six years old when his only child, Charles E., was born, and died six months later. He was a dealer in cutlery. After a few years of widowhood, Mrs. Klopp married Daniel Busch, and in 1860 the fam- ily came to America, landing in the harbor of New York and from there made their way later

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to Galion, where they resided during the rest of their lives. Mr. Busch lived to the age of seventy-two years, while Mrs. Busch died in her sixty-eighth year. They were people of the highest respectability and were members of the Reformed church.

Charles E. Klopp was a young man, still unmarried, when he accompanied his parents to Galion, where, shortly afterward he went into business in association with Daniel Greverath, who was a fellow countryman, in the dry goods business. Several years later this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Klopp continued alone for awhile and then admitted Jacob Weiler to a partnership and this con- nection continued for fifteen years, when Mr. Weiler retired. Mr. Klopp continued the business under the firm name of L. Klopp (his wife and silent partner), until his last illness, his death occurring May 19, 1901, Mrs. Klopp's interests since then having been under the man- agement of her son, Ernest F. Klopp. It is one of the old and stable business houses of the city.

In 1864, at Galion, Mr. Klopp was married to Miss Lisetta Martin, who was born at Nas- sau, Germany, Oct. 20, 1844, a daughter of Ludwig and Henrietta (Busch) Martin, na- tives of Germany and Prussia, respectively. They were married at Warsaw and there the father of Mrs. Klopp followed the stonema- son's trade until 1856, when he decided to em- igrate to America in search of better indus- trial conditions than the average man could then find in Germany. The family took pas- sage on the sailing vessel, "John Langley," a three-masted ship, and after a voyage of thirty- two days were safely landed in the port of New York and at once came on to Galion. Mr. Martin was a reliable man at his trade and soon found constant work and had much to do in the construction of many of the present sub- stantial edifices of this city. He was born in 1808 and died in 1874, his widow surviving him two years. They were worthy members of the German Reformed church.

To Mr. and Mrs. Klopp the following chil- dren were born: Hulda, who died at the age of seven years; Carl William, who died when four years old; Ernest F., a well educated young man, who capably manages his mother's store; Charles William, who is professor of

music in the public school of Newark, O., is married and has one daughter, Virginia; Hulda Bertha, who resides with her mother; Fred William, who is a machinist, lives at Galion, married here and has one son, Kenneth; Alma H., who married Capt. R. G. Sayers, of the O. N. G. and a mail carrier at Galion, and they have two children, Howard Martin and Ma- rian; and Herbert J., who died when aged eighteen months. Mrs. Klopp and family are members of the German Reformed church and she is active in church organizations.

JOHN M. MCCLELLAN,* part proprietor of the Emmerson Hotel, at Crestline, O., is an experienced hotel man and both he and his partner, Walter F. Noggle, are widely known and are very popular hosts. He was born at St. Louis, Mo., March 19, 1864, a son of Frank and Jane (Haines ) McClellan.

Frank McClellan, Sr., the grandfather was born in the Highlands of Scotland, where he married Mary Haines, a native of Ireland. They came to the United States and settled first in Maryland and then moved to New Brighton, Pa., where he became a man of financial independence and lived to the age of 94 years. His wife died in her 80th year. They were of the United Presbyterian faith. Of their children two survive: Frank Jr., and William, the latter being a retired resident of New Brighton, Pa.

Frank McClellan, Jr., was born in Mary- land and was yet quite young when his father moved to Pennsylvania, where he secured his education and for some years he and his brother William were clay workers and brick makers. Later he became a farmer and now lives retired at Swissvale, Pa., and on Jan. 2, 1912, celebrated his 92nd birthday. He mar- ried Jane Haines, who was of Irish ancestry but was born in Ohio and died in Pennsylvania, the mother of four sons and four daughters, all of whom survive except Frank, who was ac- cidentally drowned in boyhood while on a barge on the Mississippi River.

John M. McClellan attended the old Seventh Ward school in St. Louis until he was 13 years of age, when he started to earn his own liv- ing, beginning in the cook house of his broth- er's steamboat, afterward securing a practical training in the candy making business. When

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he was young the name of Candy John was given him by his associates and this has clung to him and there are business houses which re- gard the sobriquet as his real name. As a candy maker he was in the employ of Charles Gunther of Chicago for years and also was with Edward McGinn of Philadelphia. Mr. McClellan has a natural faculty in the line of cooking and has served as chef in large restau- rants. His health failing in his in-door in- dustries he became a railroad man and for sev- eral years was on runs between Crestline and Pittsburg, after which he became connected with the Central Hotel at Crestline, where he remained for II years. In 1910 he became as- sociated with Mr. Noggle in the operation of the Emmerson House.

Mr. McClellan was married at Crestline to Miss Eva L. Burnison, a daughter of William and Lavina (Snyder) Burnison, both now de- ceased, for many years having been farming people in Jefferson township. Mr. McClellan belongs to the Elks, at Bucyrus and for 18 years has been a member of the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, at Crestline. There are few men in Crawford county better known than Candy John McClellan.

L. G. F. UHL, a member of the firm of Uhl Brothers, proprietors of the Uhl Hatch- ery, a very important and prosperous business enterprise of Crawford county, O., was born on the old homestead in Cranberry township, Nov. 14, 1859.

L. G. F. Uhl was reared in Cranberry town- ship and went to the parochial school and Hi- ram College at New Washington and after- ward followed farming in his native town- ship, living on the corporation line of New Washington, until 1907, when he moved to his present home on West Mansfield Street. Here the firm erected their plant of three build- ings with dimensions of 957x1,257 ft., all under one roof and maintain their offices here, L. G. F. Uhl being the general superintendent. The poultry and egg business of the Uhl Brothers firm has been developed from a modest begin- ning and has assumed very large proportions, their shipments covering a wide territory to the east, west, south and north. The seven brothers making up the firm are all recognized as men of business capacity and also of busi- ness integrity.

Mr. Uhl was married to Miss Mary Brown, a daughter of Martin and Catherine ( Pohl- man) Brown, of New Washington. They are members of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Uhl uses his political influence for the Bull Moose, irrespective of party. In addition to his firm interests, Mr. Uhl owns a farm of 1000 acres north and east of New Washington.

CARL C. MILLER,* who conducts a livery business at Crestline, O., having fine quarters with at 60-foot frontage on Thoman Street and an 150-foot extension and ell on West Bucyrus Street, was reared on a farm and has been associated with horses and in the stock business the greater part of his life. He was born in Richland county, O., Sept. 28, 1885, a son of Martin and Emma (Eichorn) Miller.

Christopher Miller, the grandfather, was born in Baden, Germany, and was six years old when his parents, in 1837, emigrated to America and came to Richland county, O., where Mr. Miller still lives on the old home- stead in Sandusky township, at the age of 81 years. Of his five children three are living.

Martin Miller, the eldest born of the fam- ily, his birth taking place in Richland county in 1855, continued to live on the homestead and went extensively into the breeding of fine horses, mainly Percherons and is still so oc- cupied. He married Emma Eichorn, who was born in 1862 on a farm in Jackson township, Crawford county but was reared in Richland county, a daughter of Frederick and Chris- tina Eichorn, who came also from Baden, Germany. They settled first in Crawford county but afterward moved to Sandusky township, Richland county. They were life- long members of the German Reformed church. Two sons and five daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Eichorn, three of the daughters yet surviving. To Martin Miller and wife seven children were born: Carl C., William, Albert, Christina, Laura, Howard and John, all of whom have been well educated.

On April 1, 1909, Carl C. Miller purchased his present business and property at Crestline, from Edward Miller, and has prospered in his undertaking. He stables about 50 horses and keeps 20 conveyances of all kinds, his trap- pings and equipments being entirely up to date and in good taste.

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At Crestline Mr. Miller was married to Miss Laura Newkirk, who was born in 1883, in Wayne county, O., where she was reared and educated but lost her parents when young. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have one daughter, Ruth Lucile, who was born April 25, 1912. Mrs. Miller was reared in the Methodist church, but Mr. Miller belongs to the Reformed church. He is a Democrat in politics, as is his father, and fraternally is connected with the Knights of Pythias at Crestline and the Elks at Galion.

KELLY R. SMITH,* who is manager and buyer for the firm of Smith Bros. & Co., pro- prietors of a general store at North Robinson, O., was born two miles east of North Robin- son, in Jefferson township, Crawford county, July 23, 1879, and is a son of I. W. and Susan (Secrist) Smith.

The Smith family has been identified with the mercantile interests of this place since 1888, when I. W. Smith came here as a pioneer merchant. He was born in Perry County, Pa., and practically has been engaged in Mercan- tile business all his life, during the Civil War being established at Leesville, Crawford coun- ty. The other members of the firm of Smith Bros. & Co., are H. G. Smith and J. E. Mor- ton. Kelly R. Smith is a member of the fol- low family: Mary, wife of T. J. Morrow; William; Verta, wife of J. E. Morton; Della, wife of William Kibler; Edith, wife of H. A. Knell; Alice, wife of Dr. J. B. Kring, a prac- ticing physician of Caledonia, O .; Pearl, wife of L. C. Ness; Kelly R. ; L. M .; Bessie, wife of R. L. Bogan, cashier of the City National Bank of Galion, O .; and H. G., of the firm of Smith Bros. & Co.

After completing the common school course, Kelly R. Smith entered a business college at Mansfield, O., where he was graduated in 1910. For some two years he was employed at Crestline, O., and then embarked in the gro- cery business at Galion, where he continued for three years, selling out to go into the hard- ware line, in which he remained interested for eight years, in 191 1 coming to North Robinson. He is a shrewd and able business man and keeps his firm well to the front among the commercial houses in this section.

In October, 1902, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Daisy E. Shauck, a daughter of A.

M. and Ella (Hostler) Shauck, residents of Norwalk, O. Mrs. Smith has three sisters: Grace, who is the wife of Fred F. Fletcher; and Bertha and Alma. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith two children have been born, an attractive lit- tle son and daughter, respectively bearing the names of Arthur Lyndon and Donna Eileen. Mr. and Mrs. Smith attend the United Breth- ren church. He is a Republican in politics but has never been willing to consider election to public office, his entire life having been one of too much business responsibility to afford him leisure for political activity.

RT. REV. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY BROWN, D. D., bishop in the Protestant Episcopal church, with jurisdiction until re- cently in the diocese of Arkansas, is a resi- dent of Galion, O., where he is now engaged chiefly in literary work. He was born near Orrville, Wayne county, O., Sept. 4, 1855, a son of Joseph M. and Lucinda E. (Carey) Brown. He comes of a long established American fam- ily, whose immigrant ancestor, William Brown, a native of Scotland, came to the American col- onies in the early part of the eighteenth cen- tury. This early ancestor of our subject, six generations removed, settled in Pennsylvania, where he spent the rest of his life. His son George, also a direct ancestor of Bishop Brown, served in the Colonial army, during the Revolutionary war, with the rank of lieu- tenant, and rendered valiant service to the cause he had espoused.

Skipping several generations, of which we have but meagre information, we come to Joseph Morrison Brown, the Bishop's father, who as a young man settled in Ohio, and who, after his marriage and while his childrden were still young, removed to Iona, Michigan. He was opposed to the coercion of the Southern States, but was drafted into the Federal army and served as a soldier for one year, after which he returned home with a fatal illness, from which he died a little later. His wife, who was still young, returned to Ohio with her three small children, and, being in very poor circumstances, was obliged to find homes for them among friends. Accordingly, Wil- liam M. was at the age of seven years bound out to a German family, residing near Smith- ville, with whom he remained for the next

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seven years of his life. But being unkindly treated, at the age of fourteen he was removed by the county authorities and placed with an- other family, where he recived better treat- ment. During most of this time and until he attained his mapority, he worked very hard and was at first deprived of and later took but little interest in educational opportunities. Not content to remain a mere drudge, however, he now determined to gain an education, and to this end went to Omaha, Neb., where he se- cured a place as a coachman, at the same time entering a school composed of children who did not average more than twelve years of age, and by whom he was doubtless regarded at first as a big dunce. In a short time, however, they had cause to change their opinion, for he made such rapid progress in his studies as to gain the admiration and sympathetic help of his teachers, who encouraged him to work hard and advanced him as rapidly as possible, in ac- cordance with his progress. With this help in four years he had reached the high school, completed a course in business college and been granted a teacher's certificate. After teaching tor a term, in order to acquire means to pay off some indebtedness to the proprietors of the business college, he went to Cleveland, O., for the purpose of taking a course in the excellent high schools of that city. By this time his energy and remarkable progress had won him friends, who assisted him financially and en- abled him to have the benefit of private tutors. He pursued his theological studies at Bexley Hall, a department of Kenyon College, at Gambier, O., which course he finished in 1883. In the same year he was ordained to the Dea- conate of the Protestant Episcopal church and a year later was advanced to the Priesthood. Until 1891 he served as circuit missionary, with head-quarters at Galion, O. He was then made the general missionary of his dio- cese, his headquarters being at Cleveland. He continued in active missionary work, and was appointed special lecturer at Bexley Hall. In 1898 he was consecrated to the episcopate, with jurisdiction as bishop coadjutor of Arkansas. A year later, on the death of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Henry Niles Pierce, he became bishop of the diocese. In this position he labored earnestly and conscientiously, and with visible results, until May, 1912, at which time on account of

broken health, he resigned. He is especially interested in the cause of Church Union and is now doing literary work on its behalf. He is the author of works which have attracted at- tention among churchmen and others by the clear and scholarly presentation of the subjects treated, among which may be mentioned, "The Church for Americans," published in 1895, which had an extensive sale; "The Crucial Race Question," published in 1907, and "The Level Plan for Church Union," published in 1910. As a writer, Bishop Brown is earnest, clear and forceful; his subjects are well thought out and presented in a manner to in- terest and command the attention of the most careless reader. That his books have a high educational value and will have a permanent influence for good will be doubted by none who are familiar with their contents. He has many friends and admirers in Galion, some of whom date the beginning of their friendship to the time he first came among them as a young missionary nearly thirty years ago.

Bishop Brown was married in Cleveland, O., April 9, 1885 to Miss Ella Bradford, a native of Ohio and a cultured and refined lady, who, with her mother, has been much assistance to him in his life's work. They have a beautiful home in Galion, where on suitable occasions they extend a generous but unostentatious hos- pitality to their more intimate friends and ac- quaintances.

HENRY E. BORMUTH,* a member of the board of county commissioners of Craw- ford county, O., is a prominent and substan- tial citizen of this county who was born July II, 1865, in Sharon township, Richland county, O., and has spent his life in his native state. He is one of a family of three children born to his parents, George and Barbara (Arnold) Bormuth, the former of whom was identified for many years with the Pennsylvania Rail- road.

Henry E. Bormuth obtained a good, common school education and since reaching manhood has been engaged in a general contracting busi- ness. In these modern days every intelligent man takes a more or less active interest in pub- lic affairs and Mr. Bormuth is no exception. He is a stanch Democrat and on the Democratic ticket has been elected to numerous important

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offices and has served on the school board and on the Water works commission at Bucyrus. He is widely known and has many friends and in 1908 when he was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, it was by a majority of more than 1,500 votes.

Mr. Bormuth married Miss Maggie L. Frick, a daughter of William Frick, and they have three children.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 173

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