History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 183

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 183

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spring of 1712 they emigrated to the Pequea valley, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania and located upon a land grant of 2,000 acres, granted to the family by William Penn, the warrant bears the date of September 10th, 1712. There it was that the Madam with her children established their home in the new world and became the progenitors of all of the name in the United States. Shortly after her arrival in the Pequea Valley, Madam Ferree vested in the care of trustees a plot of ground for burial purposes for the use of the settlers. In early times it was known as the "Ferree Graveyard," but the farm upon which it was located eventually became the property of the Carpenter family and at the present it is known as the "Carpenter Graveyard." It is located near the village of Paradise, Lancaster county, and in it the Madam and many of her descend- ants are buried. Her posterity is numbered by the thousands and are to be found in nearly every state in the Union. Many of them have attained distinction in the various walks of life. The archives in the War Department at Washington contains the records of more than thirty of the name that were in the Revo- lutionary war, among the more prominent were Col. John Ferree, who cammanded the Tenth Pennsylvania Rifles; Col. Joel Ferree, who commanded the First Battalion of Lancaster Associators; Major Michael Ferree and twenty-nine others who served as non-com- missioned officers and privates. The Madam's descendants were also prominent in the war of 1812, among them was Col. Joel Ferree, who commanded the Pennsylvania troops that built the fort at Upper Sandusky and named it Fort Ferree in his honor. In the Rebellion large numbers were conspicuous, but we will. pass them all by but one, whose great military talents and glorious achievements have not only shed a lustre on his Huguenot ancestry but covered his memory with undying glory- Major General John F. Reynolds, commander of the First Army Corps at the battle of Get- tysburg.

Again in the Spanish-American War her de- scendants were conspicuous. Admiral Win- field S. Schley, the hero of Sanitago, was a great grandson of Rebecca Ferree, who was a great-granddaughter of Madam Ferree.

Our subject traces his lineage from Madam

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Ferree through Philip, her youngest son, who Jersey. Their last born, a son, was named for died in the Pequea Valley and is buried in the his uncle, Mahlon, who at that time was gov- old Ferree graveyard. Jacob, Sr., born in ernor of New Jersey and later Secretary of War.

Lancaster county, died in York county. Jacob, Jr., born in York county and died in Adams county and was a Revolutionary war soldier. William, born in Adams county, July 14th, 1779, died in Richland county, Ohio, October 14th, 1846. He married at Carlisle, Pa., Feb- ruary IIth, 1808, Mary L. Le Boob, who was born in Adams county, Pa., March 2d, 1779, died in Richland county, Ohio, January 27th, 1849. She was of French and Swiss descent, her grandfather, Michael Le Boob, having been a Huguenot refugee and married a Swiss wo- man and came to America prior to 1760 It might be mentioned that the Le Boobs were the last of our subject's ancestors, on both paternal and maternal side to come from a foreign coun- try. In 1826 William and Mary M. Ferree emi- grated with their family of eight children from Cumberland county, Pa., to Franklin, now Weller, township, Richland county, Ohio. Their eldest son, James B. Ferree, born No- vember 14th, 1808, in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, died August 2d, 1862, in Rich- land county, Ohio. Married March 22d, 1842, at Mansfield, Ohio, Miss Elizabeth Davidson, born January Ist, 1803, at Carlisle, Pa., died March 8th, 1864, at Shelby, Ohio. They were the parents of twins, one died in infancy the other being the father of our subject. Wil- liam Henry was born in Richland county July 26th, 1843, received his education in the coun- try schools and the "Shelby Institute." Was married November 17th, 1863, at Shelby, Ohio, to Miss Eliza Dickerson, who was born Janu- ary 29th, 1844, at Martinsburg, Knox county, Ohio, and died June 9th, 1911 at Bucyrus. Her ancestry is traced back to William the Con- queror's invasion of England, when Walter de Coen was given the manor of Kenson in York- shire, by the Conqueror as a reward for valor on the field of battle. Philemon Dickerson came over from England in 1630 with Win- throp's colonists. In 1643 he moved to the north shore of Long Island. His grandson, Peter, located in Morris county, New Jersey, in 1741; his son Silas lived and died in that state and among his children was Peter, who resided many years at Doylestown, Pa., and married Addie Kahl, of Egg Harbor, New

Mahlon Dickerson came to Ohio in 1838 and worked at the carpenter trade at Newark, where he married on September 23d, 1839, Miss Mary Cochran, who was born January 12th, 1823, at Winchester, Frederick county, Virginia, and died at Shelby, Ohio, February 4th, 1884. Her ancestry were the Cochrans, Langleys, Stuarts, all noted pioneer families of old Virginia. They were the parents of eleven children, seven of whom grew to woman and manhood. After the marriage of William H. Ferree and Eliza Dickerson they resided for some years in Shelby, where he was engaged in the lumber and planing mill business, then moved to a farm in Richland county, where they lived a few years, then moved to Galion in 1873, and in 1881 to Bucyrus, where the family has since made their home. Five children were born to them: James D. (the subject of this sketch) ; Edna J., died at the age of nine years; Agnes L., married John C. Doll, and resides at In- dianapolis, Ind .; Lois D., married Frederick J. Heine, resides at Klein, Montana; William F., died at the age of eight years.

James D. attended the public schools at Gal- ion and was a member of the graduating class of 1882, but was compelled to leave before graduating by the removal of the family to Bucyrus in the spring of 1881. He learned the painter's trade under Samuel D. Welsh, which he followed until 1888, when he became a brakeman on the Toledo and Ohio Central Railway; he was promoted to freight con- ductor, July 7th, 1890. Was promoted to yardmaster at Columbus, September Ist, 1901, and resigned that position in 1902. Was en- gaged as superintendent of construction for the Crescent Lumber Company on a lumber rail- road in West Virginia in 1907, and held a sim- ilar position with the Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railroad Company in Ontario, Canada, for several months in 1909. He was a member of the Order of Railway Conductors for several years while actively engaged in rail- road work and filled the responsible position of general chairman of the first federated general committee for the Ohio Central lines during the years 1899, 1900 and part of 1901, and it

FREDERICK L. KOPP

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was through his exertions and endeavors that the agreement and schedule of 1900 was granted the employes by the railroad company. He was the recipient of complimentary letters from Grand Chief Conductor E. E. Clark, of the O. R. C., and other leaders of railroad orders interested; also was highly compli- mented by the officials of the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad for the businesslike manner in which the grievances were handled and pre- sented. He was presented with a fine arm- chair by the Bucyrus Division, No. 193, O. R. C., as a token of appreciation for the serv- ices he rendered in their behalf.

He has served ten years in Company A, Eighth Regiment, O. N. G., under three enlist- ments and has a first-class record as a militia- man. He served nearly four years on the Bu- cyrus police force, and was considered by his superiors a first-class man. He some time ago took up newspaper work and is making a suc- cess of it. He was married April 3d, 1912, to Mrs. Helen M. Bressler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Reichard, pioneer settlers in Chat- field township, Crawford county. William H. Ferree, our subject's father, resides with them at 837 North Sandusky avenue.

FREDERICK L. KOPP, one of Galion's best known and highly respected retired citi- zens, occupying his comfortable residence at No. 125 East Main street, for many years was active in business in this city, and is an hon- ored veteran of the Civil War and a valued comrade in Dick Morris Post, No. 130, G. A. R., at Galion, O. Mr. Kopp was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, Feb. 27, 1846, and is a son of Frederick and Catherine (Menner) Kopp.

The parents of Mr. Kopp grew to mature years in Wurtemberg and were married in the city of Stuttgart, Germany. Their one son and three daughters were born before they decided to make the great change in their lives of leav- ing their native land for one across the At- lantic Ocean, and they were led to this measure because they believed their children would have better opportunities than appeared possi- ble, at that time, in Germany. After a voyage of 60 days the travelers reached New York and from there proceeded to Sandusky City, O., and from there, two years later, moved to

Marion county. It was there, in 1856, that the mother died and afterward the father went to Jay county, Ind., and his death occurred there, in the home of a daughter, in 1868, when he was aged 60 years. He had followed the shoe- making trade all his active life. Both he and wife were members of the Evangelical Luth- eran church.

Frederick L. Kopp was six years old when his parents, in 1852, came to America. He attended school as opportunity was afforded, in his boyhood, and grew up into sturdy and self respecting youth, so well developed phy- sically that in the early days of the Civil War he had no difficulty in being accepted as a sol- dier, although he was aged but fifteen years and three months. He enlister on June 21, 1861, in Co. K, 4th O. Vol. Inf., in which he served for three entire years, reenlisting in September, 1864, in Co. H, 7th N. J. Vol. Inf., in which he served until the war terminated, and was honorably discharged, with the rank of first sergeant, in June, 1865. He partici- pated in many of the important battles of that great war. He was at Rich Mountain; was all through the Shenandoah Valley campaign ; was at Petersburg, Gettysburg and Mine Run, and in innumerable skirmishes in which a brave comrade often lost his life. He was once seriously wounded, on Nov. 28, 1863, receiving a gun shot in his right foot.

After the war was over and his military duties well performed for his adopted country, Mr. Kopp returned to Galion and engaged in the bakery business here on East Main street, for many years and through his honest business methods prospered greatly. In 1892 he built the Phoenix Hotel which he operated for ten years and then retired. He erected a three- story brick building on East Main street which lie rents for business purposes. He is promi- nently identified with the Democratic party at Galion and for six years has been a member of the city council.

In January, 1867, Mr. Kopp was married at Galion, to Miss Margaret Schneider, who was born in Crawford county in 1847 and has spent her life here. Her grandfather, John Schneider, was born in Germany and was mar- ried there to his first wife who died and left five children-William, Peter, Charlotte, Eliza- beth and Catherine. The grandfather mar-

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ried (second) Margaret Simond and they had three children born to them-John, Henry and Catherine. They came to the United States when William Schneider, Jr., was 18 years old and landed at Baltimore, Md. From there they came to Crawford county and lo- cated in Whetstone township. William Schneider became a well known minister in the Reformed church but late in life they united with the Methodists.

William Schneider, Jr., father of Mrs. Kopp, grew to manhood in Whetstone town- ship. He was first married to a Miss Behler, who died one year later, with her infant. Later he married, in Morrow county, O., Miss, Sophia Eichhorn, who was born in Baden, Ger- many, and was four years old when her par- ents brought her to America. Her father, John Eichhorn, followed his trade as a harness- maker in Morrow county, later became a farmer and still later moved to Mansfield, O., where he died aged about 70 years. The fam- ily is of the German Lutheran faith. The mother of Mrs. Kopp died at the latter's home, in March, 1905, when within a few months of her 85th birthday. Of her II children, eight grew to mature years, all married and the fol- lowing survive: Catherine, who is the widow of John Betts and resides with Mrs. Kopp; Margaret, who is the wife of Frederick L. Kopp; Mary, who is the wife of Frederick Starr, residing at Bellefontaine, O., and has two children, Paul and Clara B .; and Calvin H., who is pastor of a Reformed church at De- catur, Ind., his family including three sons and three daughters.

Mr. and Mrs. Kopp have had the following children : Clara Belle, who was born Aug. 31, 1869, died April 22, 1899, aged 22 years, a beautiful and talented girl, who had graduated from the Galion High School in the class of 1887; and Willard F., who was born May 12, 1872 and is now a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Hattie Shaw, who, at death, left one daughter, Margaret Helen, who was born Feb. 3, 1901, and is now in school. Mr. and Mrs. Kopp are members of the First Reformed Church at Galion, O.

corner of Lane and Railroad streets, Bucyrus, O., is one of the enterprising and representative business men of this city. He was born July 26, 1835, in Saxony, Germany, and is a son of Henry and Caroline (Gresky) Roehr.

Charles Roehr attended school in his native land until he was 14 years of age and then became a clerk in a store where he remained for six years and gained his first ideas of busi- ness. He decided then to come to America and sailed from Hamburg in the summer of 1855, the sailing vessel on which he embarked taking six weeks to cross the Atlantic ocean, but landed him safely at the port of New York. His intended destination was Bucyrus, O., and when he reached here he became an apprentice under a German carpenter by the name of George Stoll, with whom he learned his trade. He remained two years with Mr. Stoll and then went into business for himself and had al- ready become known as a reliable and capable contractor before he became a member of the firm of Stoll Brothers & Company, which as- sociation continued from 1868 until 1873. At that time John Stoll, one of the brothers, re- tired from the firm, after which Charles Roehr, Jacob Stoll and John Shealy became equal part- ners in a lumber and planing mill business. This concern was small at its beginning, but within ten years had more than doubled its force and had added to its plant. The members of the firm as above mentioned continued until 1880, when reorganization took place and since then Charles Roehr has been proprietor. He has acquired a large amount of realty in every part of the city and has shown commendable public spirit and local pride by improving it.

In November, 1858, Mr. Roehr was married to Miss Lizzie Eberth, of Bucyrus, and they have the following children: Kate, Edward, Emma, William, Helen, Henry, Carl and Alma. Mr. Roehr and family are members of the German Lutheran church. The family residence is located at No. 434 S. Sandusky street, Bucyrus.

JOHN FREDERICK KERN, deceased, for many years was a reputable and successful business man of Bucyrus, O., and had lived re- tired for some time prior to his death. He was and was a son of John and Regina (Bender)

CHARLES ROEHR,* proprietor of the lumber and planing mill business of The C. born in Wurtemberg, Germany, June 27, 1835, Roehr Company, with plant and offices on the

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Kern. He came to America in 1854 and died at Bucyrus, Jan. 31, 1897. His parents died in Germany.

John Frederick Kern was the youngest of his parents' children and he remained in his native land until he was 19 years of age, when he came to the United States landing at New York City and from there coming to Bucyrus, where he joined a brother and two older sisters, who had preceded him to America. In Ger- many he had learned the tailor's trade and this he followed for some years and then went into the clothing business and continued a clothing merchant until he retired. He was an honor- able business man and worthy citizen. In poli- tics he was a Democrat but was never active in public affairs but was ever ready to contribute time and money in the cause of charity or in times of public calamity. Mr. Kern was a member of the Blue Lodge in the Masonic order.

At Upper Sandusky, O., Mr. Kern was mar- ried to Miss Caroline Rieser, who was born in Baden, Germany, April 17, 1841, a daughter of John George and Regina (Denzer) Rieser. After the birth of five children, John George Rieser and family came to America in 1846, leaving the port of Hamburg on the sailing ves- sel Victoria, and landing at New York twenty- six days later. Mr. and Mrs. Rieser and chil- dren-J. F., George, Mary, Sophia and Caro- line-crossed the state of New York to Buffalo and from there went to Upper Sandusky, near which place the father bought a farm. There both parents of Mrs. Kern died, her father at the age of 73 years and the mother in her 84th year. They were members of the German Lutheran church. In every relation of life they were good people, possessing the admir- able traits for which the German nation is noted. Mrs. Kern has one surviving sister, Mrs. Sophia Myers, widow of Samuel Myers. She has nine living children and her home is at Cambria, Ia.

The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kern: John Edward, who is proprietor of a drug store on the Public Square, Bucyrus, and lives with his mother ; George F., who died in infancy; Clara C., who died in infancy ; Joanna Laura, who was the wife of Otto Woll- weber, and who died in 1910 without issue ; Jacob Frederick, who died in infancy ; Sophia,

who is the wife of Adna E. Foulke, of Bucy- rus, and has five sons; Anna Elizabeth, who died when five years old; Charles William, who is associated with his brother in the drug busi- ness and who married Alberta Geiger; and Mildred Anida, who is the wife of Charles F. Keiss and has a son, Jonathan Edward; Louisa Caroline married Charles Rorick and resides at New Winchester. She has one daughter, Aileen Juanita. Mrs. Kern and family are members of the German Reformed church at Bucyrus.

GEORGE H. BECK, who conducts a bil- liard parlor and cirgar stand in the Opera House Block at Crestline, where he has been established since November, 1911, is one of the representative business men here and has excellent standing as a citizen. He was born at Mansfield, Ohio, April 28, 1875, but has lived in Crestline during most of his life.

He obtained his first employment when about 12 years old as call boy for the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company, was afterward made a brakeman and served as such until he reached the age of twenty-five. Through an accident, which caused him to lose a leg, he then retired from railroading and went into the cigar trade, for nine years conducting a cigar store on Selt- zer street, just opposite his present location. He takes an enthusiastic interest in all sports, believing in the necessity of wholesome amuse- ments, and in his well regulated establishment he has installed a billiard table and four pool tables, which are well patronized. Here he also sells cigars, tobacco and soft drinks. His pres- ent building is a commodious one, with dimen- sions of 120 x 23 feet, and here his patrons have opportunities for healthful relaxation. In 1908 Mr. Beck completed one of the finest residences in the city. It is of brick and stone construction and located at No. 31I West Bu- cyrus street.

Mr. Beck was married at Crestline to Miss Alice B. Carrens, who was born, reared and educated here, being a daughter of R. M. Car- rens, a well known railroad engineer. Mr. and Mrs. Beck have one son, Frank, a bright youth of 14 years, who is now in his second year in the high school. Mr. Beck is a member of the Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Masons. For ten years he has been secretary of the

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Crestline Local No. 327, A. F. of M. For 22 years he has been a member of the city band. He is also a member of the executive board of the Central Ohio Base Ball League, and for two years has been manager of the local Basket Ball Club, which has won every season game in the state contests.

EDWARD A. WHITEAMIRE,* one of the representative men of Whetstone township, Crawford county, O., member of the school board and township trustee, resides on his ex- cellent farm of 70 acres, and was born Feb- ruary 2, 1873, in Marion county, O. He is a son of John and Catherine (Guinther ) White- amire.

John Whiteamire was born in Germany, a son of Michael Whiteamire, and died in Craw- ford county, O., April 15, 1911. He was seven years old when his parents brought him to America and his subsequent life was mainly spent in Ohio as a farmer. He was identified with the Democratic party and was a man of Christian life, a member of the German Meth- odist church. He married Catherine Guinther, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of John Guinther, and she still survives and re- sides in Whetstone township, one mile south of her son, Edward A. They had the following children : Sarah, who married Isaac Meyers; Simeon, who is deceased; Ella, who is the wife of Samuel Tupps; Edward A. and William.

After his school attendance period was over, Edward A. Whiteamire remained on the home- stead with his father until he was 21 years of age, after which he rented farm land for one year in Whetstone township and for five years in Polk township, in the spring of 1899 pur- chasing his present farm from Henry Lupp. The old barn that stood on the place at the time, later was destroyed by fire, and in its place Mr. Whiteamire built the present sub- stantial one, made repairs on other buildings and has everything quite comfortable. He car- ries on general farming and raises stock for his own use.

On February 16, 1893, Mr. Whiteamire was married to Miss Sarah Christman, a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Beach) Christman. They were natives of Crawford county but later settled on a farm in Marion county and both are now deceased, the father's remains

resting in the Whetstone Cemetery and the mother's at Galion. Their fathers were Adam Christman and Henry Beach. Mrs. Whitea- mire had the following brothers and sisters : John; Mary, wife of Fred Seiters; Ella, de- ceased; George and Francis. To Mr. and Mrs. Whiteamire three children have been born, namely : Edith, born August 20, 1893 ; Esther, born July 20, 1896; and Layton, born January 21, 1906. Mr. Whiteamire and family attend the Reform church at Galion. In politics he is a Democrat and is serving in his second term as township trustee and in his third year as a member of the school board.

JOHN A. CHESNEY, M. D., physician and surgeon, whose death on August 31st, 1912, deprived Bucyrus of one of her foremost citizens, was a man who had attained promi- nence in his profession, although not devoting all his energies to it, having also been actively connected with various important business en- terprises. He was born November 10, 1857, at Marseilles, Wyandot county, O., a son of John M. and Jumelia (Thompson) Chesney. His paternal grandparents were John and Elizabeth (Mahon) Chesney.

Dr. John M. Chesney, father of Dr. John A., was born at Jamestown, Pa., of Scotch parents. He was educated in an academy at Jamestown, Pa., and later studied the science of medicine with an older brother, Dr. Robert Chesney. In 1853 he settled at Marseilles, O., and remained there until 1876, when he came to Bucyrus. Here he opened a drug store, which he conducted until his death in 1883. His wife was a daughter of James and Eliza- beth Thompson, of Marion, O., to which place they came from Lynchburg, Va. James Thompson, who had served as colonel in a Virginia regiment during the Mexican war, became one of the leading citizens of Marion and served as sheriff of the county.

John A. Chesney was mainly educated at Wooster University, in Ohio. In the year that his father moved to Bucyrus, he entered the office of Dr. Cuykendall, a well known med- ical practitioner, and after studying under him, entered the Columbus Medical College, where he was graduated with the class of 1879. In 1880 and 1881 he was associated in medical practice at Oceola with Dr. J. N. Richie, in

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the latter year entering the College of Physi- sians and Surgeons, New York, where he was graduated in 1882 .. Upon his return to Ohio he entered into partnership with Dr. Thrift, of Lima, who was then a professor in the Fort Wayne Medical College, which institution ten- dered Dr. Chesney the chair of physiology in the following year. The death of his father at this time recalled Dr. Chesney from Lima to Bucyrus, and this city was the special field of his professional and business activities from that time until his death. He enjoyed a large and lucrative practice, having patients from near and far, and his success in both medicine and surgery was very marked. He was sur- geon for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the West Virginia & Ohio, and the Cleveland & Southwestern Railroad companies. He was also widely known in business circles, being president of the Bucyrus Telephone Company, president of the Brokensword Stone Company, and a director in the First National Bank of Bucyrus ; also a director in the Bucyrus Steel Casting Company. He was identified officially or otherwise with other important business concerns.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 183

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