History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 181

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 181

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

He is a prominent factor in Democratic poli- tics and for ten years has served as a delegate to Congressional conventions, and at present holds position in county, city and ward.

In 1901, at Crestline, Mr. Babst was mar- ried to Miss Effie A. Harworth, a daughter of Albert Harworth, of Crestline. Mr. and Mrs. Babst are members of the Episcopal church. He is a member of the Blue Lodge, F. & A. M. and Chapter at Lima, O., and the Commandery at Mansfield, the Elks at Bucyrus and the Eagles at Crestline. He has retained mem- bership also with his Greek letter fraternity at Kenyon College.

LAFAYETTE YEAGLEY, secretary of the Crawford County Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, has devoted himself more or less exclusively to this important business enterprise since 1904, prior to which date, for some 20 years, being a teacher and a farmer. He is a native of Crawford county, born near Bucyrus in 1856.

Mr. Yeagley enjoyed only such educational advantages as the public schools afforded but reading an active intelligence early qualified him for work as a teacher and for two dec- ades he devoted his winters to educational work, while his summers were spent in agri- cultural pursuits. In 1904 he left the farm and school room and accepted his present position which he has filled with efficiency ever since.

The Crawford County Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company was organized and incorporated in 1877, under an act passed in March of that year. It is one of the substan- tial, sound and reliable companies of the state, giving insurance at a lower rate than any other company but having the financial backing and stringent laws together with admirable management, that makes this a great feature. Its officers are all dependable men, farmers with substantial properties. The president is Wesley Beal and vice president, Joseph H. Beard, while Mr. Yeagley is secretary and man- ages the affairs of the company from Bucyrus. The board of directors is made up of five farmers, there is one insurance adjuster and ten agents represent the company. The com- pany has 6300 members, has issued 22.400 policies and has risks amounting to $15,000,- 000.

Mr. Yeagley was married to Miss Jennie

Ross, who was born and reared in Bucyrus township. They have three children: Bertha M., who is the wife of D. C. Holtsberry, of Bucyrus, and has one daughter, Dorothy J .; Mabel A., who is the wife of C. H. Newmann, and has one son, Emerson; and Etha A., who is the wife of Charles Schmidt, a druggist of Marion, O. Politically Mr. Yeagley is a Re- publican and was candidate for mayor on the Reform ticket, but Bucyrus is largely Democratic and he was defeated by a small majority. As an able business man and public spirited citizen he is well qualified for any office. Mr. Yeagley is a Knight Templar Ma- son, belonging to the Commandery at Marion, O., and is past master of the Blue Lodge at Bucyrus. Both he and wife are active in the Methodist Episcopal church and he is financial secretary and a steward in the same. The fam- ily takes part in the pleasant social life that a large contingent of intellectual, earnest and cultured people make possible in this city.

ERWIN S. BAGLEY, freight and station agent for the Big Four Railway at Crestline, O., locally known as the Cleveland Division, has been connected with this road at this point since August, 1866, occupying the same quarters. From 1866 until 1875. he was a clerk and was then advanced to his present position. He was born in Clinton county, N. Y., Oct. 19, 1852, and is a son of William W. and Agnes (Richmond) Bagley.

William W. Bagley was born in Vermont, a direct descendant of a Revolutionary soldier. He was married in his native state to Agnes Richmond, who was of Scotch descent. In the early fifties he was connected with the Central Ohio Railway Company at Zanesville and Columbus, and in 1861 he came to Crest- line to assume the duties of agent for the C. C. & C. Railroad, now the Big Four, and all through that period during which Crest- line was one of the leading railroad centers of the country, he served as freight and passen- ger agent here. He died in 1866, when aged forty-two years. During the Civil War he was an outspoken Union man and more than once his life and liberty were threatened by Northern sympathizers with the secessionists of the South, but he possessed moral as well as physical courage and never retracted or disguised his opinions. He attended the Pres-

LAFAYETTE YEAGLEY

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byterian church with his wife. She survived him many years, her death occurring at Crest- line in February, 1909, when her age was 81 years, she at that time being one of the oldest residents. Of their family of four sons, Er- win S. was the eldest, the others being : James E., who makes his home at Washington, D. C., and who is prominent in musical circles ; Frank J., traveling auditor for the Big Four Rail- road, who resides at Indianapolis, Ind., mar- ried Emma, daughter of George Stull, of Crestline; and William H., who has charge of Standard Oil interests at Tulsa, Okla., and has two children.

Erwin S. Bagley, since he was fourteen years of age has been identified with railroad affairs and with his present company and has practically grown up with it, and with almost a proprietary interest has watched the wonder- ful growth and extension of this system. Changes has come about, new roads have been constructed, other transportation lines have to some degree relieved Crestline traffic but the road itself has made wonderful progress. No one is better informed concerning all this than Mr. Bagley. After his father's death George H. Lee succeeded as agent, he being a son of the late Judge Lee. Mr. Lee contin- ued in the office until 1875, when he was pro- moted and sent to Indianapolis and subse- quently to Columbus, where his death occurred after his retirement, a man well known in railroad circles. Mr. Bagley succeeded Mr. Lee. He has been a resident of Crestline since he was ten years old, completing his edu- cation here and subsequently identifying him- self with the best interests of this city, marry- ing her and investing in property. He stands as one of the stable, reliable and representa- tive citizens, for ten years serving on the board of equalization and cheerfully bearing all the responsibilities which provide for the enjoyment of the privileges of high class citi- zenship.

At Crestline Mr. Bagley was married, in 1880, to Miss Ione Reynolds, a daughter of F. B. and Margaret (Gauweiler) Reynolds. The parents of Mrs. Bagley were married in Morrow county, O., and came to. Crestline in 1873, where the father died, the mother still surviving. Mr. and Mrs. Bagley have one son, Erwin E., who is a graduate of the Crest-

line High School and is his father's chief clerk. He married Miss Jennie Lolcus of Crestline and they have two children; Edwin M. and Marion L. The family belongs to the Presbyterian church.

JACOB BABST, sole proprietor and cash- ier of the Babst Banking House, at Crestline, O., is one of the prominent and progressive men of this city, his intimate connection with the banking interests of this part of the state, making him influential in financial affairs, while, additionally he is identified with all those movements which contribute to the sub- stantial advancement of this section along other lines. He was born at Canal Fulton, in Stark county, O., Feb. II, 1846, and is a son of Daniel Babst, who founded the Babst Banking House, in May, 1871.

Jacob Babst came to Crestline with his par- ents, in 1853 and has resided here ever since. After his school days were over he learned the trade of a tinner, and as a journeyman trav- eled all over several states. In 1862 he was with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and at the end of 12 months was offered an engine but declined the promotion, by the advice of his parents and continued work at his trade un- til January, 1867. In January, 1868, he went into the stove and tinning business and was thus occupied for three years. He then in May, 1871, became connected with his father's bank- ing house. The father conducted the business for seven years, with Jacob Babst as cashier and in 1878, Jacob and Daniel Babst, Jr., took charge of the bank, Jacob continuing as cash- ier, and they operated it together until 1886, when he became sole proprietor, retaining the old name and signing, Jacob Babst, Banker. Mr. Babst has many additional business in- terests. He is president of the Burch Plow Works, started in 1887 and incorporated in 1897; president of the Crestline Telephone Company, since its incorporation in 1902; treasurer of the Crestline Building & Loan As- sociation since its incorporation in 1891, treas- urer of the Crestline Manufacturing Company, an enterprise eight years old; a director of the Crestline Publishing Company for many years; and a director and member of the ex- ecutive committee of the Ohio State Life In- surance Company, of Columbus, O., which has

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resources amounting to half a million dol- own education was obtained in the Bucyrus lars. In politics, Mr. Babst is a Republican union schools, where she became a teacher, as well as later teaching in the district schools of the county. Upon the death of her father in 1867 she became a teacher in the Crestline union schools, resigning her place to marry Jacob Babst of Crestline, on April 22, 1869. and is a member of the Crawford County Ex- ecutive Committee and many times has been a dielegate to important conventions. He has taken an active part in shaping public sentiment when the welfare of the city has been at stake, and is a representative of the best type of cit- izen.

Mr. Babst has been identified with the Ma- sonic order since 1868 and also belongs to the Order of Elks. He has long been a member and trustee of the Presbyterian church. He is a thorough master of every detail of his many business interests and yet finds time to keep in touch with the life of the outside world, doing his part and bearing his share of responsibility in making life better and of fuller meaning than the ordinary individual who works only for selfish ends ever understands.

Mrs. Jacob Babst was a daughter of George Frederick and Caroline Stoll the seventh of a family of twelve children, being born at Upper Sandusky, March 20, 1848 and christened Ma- thilde Caroline Stoll. He father and mother were natives of Germany and came to America in 1832, after three months' sailing voyages. From New York they drove over the moun- tains to Pittsburgh, Pa., where they remained a short time before again taking up their mi- gration to Ohio, which they did in 1838, fi- nally settling with other members of the Stoll family at Upper Sandusky.

Her father was a man of prominence among the pioneers of Wyandot and Crawford coun- ties, not only as the builder of the earliest pub- lic buildings, but as a leader in public and re- ligious affairs. He was an accomplished musician and possessed one of the few collec- tions of books among the pioneers of the thir- ties. During the earlier years of Mrs. Babst's childhood at Upper Sandusky, some of the Wyandot Indians were still a part of the com- munity life. Her father's home, with its own large family, was the center of a still larger family circle long prominent in both counties.

Such was the childhood and girlhood sur- roundings of Mrs. Babst, much of which she passed in the companionship of her father, who inspired her with a desire for reading and edu- cation, which may be said to be the dominant purpose which influenced her entire life. Her

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Babst resided in Crest- line continuously, with the exception of the year 1872, when they were residents of Berea, Ohio, where Mr. Babst went to found the first bank of that town. Mrs. Babst died at Crest- line on April 30, 1912, survived by her husband and their three children-Earl D., Jessie B. and Bertha S. Earl D. Babst, born July 6, 1870, graduated in law at Ann Arbor, Mich., in the class of 1894, and is now general counsel for the National Biscuit Company, of New York. He married Edwina Uhl, daughter of Edward F. Uhl, a prominent citizen of Grand Rapids, Mich., who was ambassador to Germany under President Cleveland's administration. Mr. and Mrs. Earl D. Babst have two children- Catherine De Gormo and Alice Edwina.

Jesse B. Babst, born March 2, 1871, is the wife of Harry H. Cockley, formerly Secretary of the Shelby Tube Company, of Shelby, Ohio, but who is now engaged in the orange growing industry at Nordhoff, California. They have three children-Harriet B., Edith P. and Clay- ton B.

Bertha S. Babst, born December 6, 1878, was educated at Detroit, Mich. She married Henry E. Freeman, who is secretary and treas- urer of the American Trust and Banking Com- pany of Springfield, Ohio, and now resides in that city.

Mrs. Babst never tired of her kindly interest in young people and, in addition to maintain- ing a generous hospitality for the wide circle of personal and family friends, always found opportunity for stimulating others, especially young people, with an interest in literary and historical subjects. Her own children, under her immediate supervision, received their edu- cation in the Crestline public schools, and after- wards in the University of Michigan, for her son, and in the best girls' boarding schools of the larger cities for her daughters, supple- mented by European travel.

As a member of the Presbyterian church of Crestline, she took an active interest in the

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work of foreign missions and for many years took a leading part as an officer of the Woman's Missionary Society of the Bellefontaine Pres- bytery, reading many original papers, based on wide reading and requiring technical, histori- cal and literary research.

As the constant companion and advisor of her husband through forty-three years of mar- ried life, in which he was the recognized leader in Crestline financial and commercial enterprises, she won wide respect and admira- tion, worthy of her inheritance. In the re- membrance of her high ideals, her work for church and missions, her devotion to family and friends, there is an inspiration and exam- ple, which will long stimulate all who knew her forceful and commanding character. So high was the affection and esteem in which she was held that on the day of her funeral, for the only time in the history of Crestline, every business house was closed out of respect to her memory.

CHARLES M. HERSHNER,* stock dealer and livery man, conducting sales stables in the old Sam Hedrick barns, on Liberty Street, Galion, O., has been established here since 1897 and does a large business along each line. He was born in Morrow county, O., June 4, 1886, a son of Jacob and a grandson of Andrew Hershner.

Andrew Hershner was born in Pennsylvania and when he came to Morrow county, O., se- cured virgin land in Troy township, which he developed into a valuable farm, on which he died in his 86th year. In early life he was a school teacher. He married Mary Edinger, who died in Morrow county when aged 70 years. They were members of the United Brethren church. Of their nine children seven still survive.

Jacob Hershner was born in Troy township, Morrow county and spent his whole life on the old homestead there, where he died in 1905, when aged 56 years. He was a successful farmer and dealt in stock. He married Emma McCune, who was born in Morrow county, a daughter of Joseph McCune, the family being of Scotch ancestry. She died on the old home- stead in 1899. They had three children: Charles M .; Bert, a street car conductor liv- ing at Columbus, who married there and has

one son, Avery; and Verda, now deceased, who was the wife of Irvin Colver.

Charles M. Hershner was reared on the home farm and before he reached his majority had proved a shrewd stock dealer and carried on a large business in handling stock while he still made his headquarters on the farm. Since coming to Galion he had added other business features and conducts one of the best livery stables in this section, having fifteen horses with complete outfits, together with all kinds of modern conveyances for hire. He has be- come one of the representative business men of the city.

Mr. Hershner was married in Troy town- ship, Morrow county, to Miss Emma Meck- ley, who was born there and was a daughter of Andrew Meckley, who is one of the substan- tial farmers of Troy township, now in his 70th year. Mrs. Hershner died at Galion, Dec. IO, 1908, and is survived by two clildren: M. Adelaide, who is nine years old, and Laura M., who is in her seventh year, both little maid- ens being pupils in the public schools. Politi- cally Mr. Hershner is a Democrat and frater- nally is identified with the Elks and the Eagles.

EDWARD LIBINS,* bank clerk for the Babst Banking House at Crestline, O., was born in this city, Jan. 24, 1874, and is a son of John and Margaret (Kile) Libins.

John Libins was born in Germany and came to the United States in early manhood, locating at first in Maryland, where he married Mar- garet Kile. Some years later they came to Crestline, O., where John Libins died when aged about 45 years. His widow survives. They were members of the English Lutheran church. Six of their children survive, four of whom are married and all but one reside at Crestline.

Edward Libins obtained his education in the public schools and then became an employe of the Babst Banking House where he has con- tinued for 23 years and is bookkeeper for the bank. He is held in high esteem by Mr. Babst who has watched his upward rise with interest and is not slow in showing appreciation of the honesty and fidelity of those in whom he feels he can repose the utmost confidence, Mr. Lib- ins being one of these.

Mr. Libins married Miss Margaret E. Pow-

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ell, who was born and educated in Morrow county, O., and they have one daughter, Mar- ian K., who was born March 23, 1907, at Crest- line. Mr. and Mrs. Libins are members of the Presbyterian church. He holds an independent attitude as to politics.

WILBUR GRIFFETH, a successful busi- ness man of Crestline, O., has been a dealer in livestock for the past 20 years and for the. past eight years has also conducted a meat market in this city. He was born at Plymouth, O., was reared and educated there and some 13 years since came to near Crestline.

Levi Griffeth, father of Wilbur, was of Welsh ancestry, and lived on the farm in Ohio on which he was born and died there in 1899, when aged 73 years. He married Nancy Kel- ley, who was born at Plymouth, O., of Irish parents, and died when aged 63 years. They had four children : Ida, who died at Tiffin, O., who was the wife of Harold B. Adams; Wil- bur, our subject; Benjamin F., a Baptist min- ister located at Granville, O., who has two daughters and one son; and Charles, who owns and operates the old home farm, and who has one son.

Mr. Griffeth owns a farm near Crestline and on that is located his slaughter house. He has been interested in the livestock business almost his entire active life and at times has shipped as much as a car load a week. He maintains his home on his farm which he carefully cul- tivates in addition to attending to his other business.

At Plymouth, O., Mr. Griffeth was married to Miss Phebe Smith, who was born at Crest- line but was reared and educated at Plymouth, a daughter of Charles J. and Mary (Taylor) Smith. Mr. Smith was an engineer on the Pennsylvania Railroad for some years and then engaged in farming and died at Plymouth, O., at the age of 73 years, being still survived by his widow, who is now in her 72nd year. Mr. and Mrs. Griffeth have one daughter, Ruth M., who was educated at Crestline and resides with her parents. In politics Mr. Griffeth is a Democrat but is no seeker for office. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias at Crest- line.

JOHN L. HAZLETT,* one of Crestline's best known citizens, for many years a rail-

road engineer and a veteran officer of the great Civil War, was born in County Derry, Ireland, in May, 1844. Mr. Hazlett can 1ecall nothing of his very early life, his father dying when he was very young and his mother coming to the United States shortly afterward. He was reared by an uncle, with whom he re- mained until he was sixteen years of age, when he came to America and joined his mother, that being his earliest recollection of her. Landing at Philadelphia, Pa., he went to his mother at Wilmington, Dela. Later in life she came to Ohio and died in advanced age, in Perry County.

In 1860 Mr. Hazlett came to Crestline, O., and entered the service of the Pennsylvania Railway. On October 6, 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Co. K, 64th O. Vol. Inf., and was honorably discharged in January, 1866, having been made a veteran by re-enlistment in 1864, his rank being ser- geant and orderly sergeant. He may well be proud of his record which shows him to have been a courageous, cheerful, obedient and active soldier, ever at the post of duty and un- complainingly bearing the many hardships which fall to a soldier's lot. He was in the entire campaign from Shiloh to Nashville and. the names of the historic battlefields are very familiar to him, his memory recalling their dangers, terrors and triumphs as he fought on their sites. He was never captured and but once was wounded, that being by a minie ball in the hip at the battle of Chickamauga. On many occasions he won hearty commendation from his superior officers, one of these being Captain, now General E. B. Finley, of Bucy- rus. After the war closed Sergeant Hazlett returned to Crestline and resumed work with the railroads, becoming an engineer, and thus remaining until he was retired.

At Crestline, Mr. Hazlett was married to Miss Susan Fate, who was born in Crawford County, February 22, 1846, was reared in Jackson township, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Baker) Fate. Her father was of German extraction but was born in Pennsyl- vania, while her mother was born in Baden, Germany. At the age of sixteen years Eliza- beth Baker accompanied her parents to Rich- land county, O. She was married at Crest- line to John Fate and they secured and im- proved land in Jackson township, where both

GEORGE W. ALBRIGHT

DANIEL ALBRIGHT

JOSEPH ALBRIGHT

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died. They were among the charter members of the German Lutheran church in Jackson township but later in life united with the Meth- odists. Of their eight children three are yet living, one of these being Mrs. Hazlett. To Mr. and Mrs. Hazlett four children were born, namely: Charles, who is a railway conductor residing at Newark, O., married and has one daughter, Florence; Orlando J., who is a con- ductor with the Santa Fe line, lives in New Mexico, and has two children-Nellie M. and Beatrice; Huldah V., who is the wife of Bruce Frank, who is a railroad man in California, and has two sons-Carl W. and Charles H .; and August, who died when about five years old. Mr. Hazlett is a member of Snyder Post No. 129, G. A. R. Mrs. Hazlett tells in a very interesting manner of the building up of Crestline and relates many incidents connected with railroad building in this section, her mem- ory going back to the commencement of these great industrial developments.

GEORGE W. ALBRIGHT, a retired farmer and highly esteemed citizen of Bucyrus, O., was born in Whetstone township, Craw- ford county, O., May 15, 1842, and is a son of Joseph Albright and a grandson of Daniel Albright.

Daniel Albright was born in Berkes county, Pa., about 1776, and was a brother of Rev. Jacob Albright, who was the founder of the religious body known as the Albright Metho- dists, which, to all intents and purposes, is now the Evangelical church and numbers many thousand in its membership. The father of Daniel and Rev. Jacob Albright, was born in Germany and he was the first of the family to come to America. He settled in Pennsylvania and died there in old age. Daniel Albright learned the brickmaking trade and also engaged in farming. He married Esther Wagner, who belonged to another old German family of Pennsylvania, and afterward resided in Berks and Juniata counties, Pa. From Pennsylvania Daniel Albright and family, in 1813, moved to Ohio, bringing their household possessions with them in wagons, and made settlement on new land near New Lisbon, Columbiana county, O. There he followed the trade of brickmaking and there the wife died, his death taking place in Crawford county.

Joseph Albright, son of Daniel Albright, was born in Juniata county, Pa., May 15, 1801 and thus was 12 years old when the family reached Ohio. In 1829, after marriage, he left Columbiana county and came to Crawford county, bringing his wife and their one child, together with an eight-day clock and another cherished piece of furniture, in an ox-cart. He purchased 20 acres of land of James Scott, who had secured great tracts of Government land at an early. day,, paying the sum of $100 for the same. Here he started a brickyard and manufactured the first bricks ever made in Crawford county, and sold the first bricks used in the construction of the old Boyer res- idence, which is now within the city limits. It is now the property of the Crawford County Agricultural Society. Subsequently Joseph Albright purchased 20 additional acres of land and still later, 40 more acres, and this continued to be his home until the close of his life, his death occurring May 27, 1884. He had also, at times, bought timbered tracts which were very valuable. After 1840 he de- voted his attention to farming and stock rais- ing. In early life he was a. Whig but later be- came a Republican. All his life he was a man of sterling character and after he experienced religion, at a religious gathering held under an oak three on his own farm, was a consistent member of the Albright Methodist body and did much to advance its work in this section. At his hearthstone all the preachers were wel- come and when they went on their missionary way it was not only with his assurances of good will but with substantial assistance that often was sadly needed.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 181

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