History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 93

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 93

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Charles R. Rowe was reared and educated at Medina and after his school days were over entered a mercantile establishment as a clerk. Five years later he came to Bucyrus, entered into business here and in 1897 became a part- ner in the Rowe Bros. Co., as above men- tioned. The business was started under the firm name of Lauck & Rowe, the junior part- ner being Thomas G. Rowe, who, in 1897 pur- chased the entire interest and in the same year took his brother, Charles R., as a partner. The business was conducted at No. 130 South Sandusky avenue but accommodations soon proved too limited and additional space was secured and the present frontage of their es- tablishment, which includes Nos. 130-132 South Sandusky avenue, is 160 feet. In 1907 the firm became a close corporation and in I9II a branch store was established at Cleve- land. The business at Bucyrus is conducted under the corporation style of The Rowe Bros. Co., while the firm name at Cleveland is Rowe Bros. They give employment to a large force and cater to the best trade, carrying a complete stock of fine merchandise, carpets and ladies' wearing apparel. They are enterprising and reputable business men and enjoy a large de- gree of well merited prosperity. Both mem- bers of the firm are identified with the Masonic fraternity.

In 1899 Mr. Rowe was married to Miss Pauline Erichman, who was born at Bucyrus

and they have two children, Richard Grant and Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Rowe are members of the Presbyterian church.

ARTHUR J. BEALL, whose excellent farm of 112 acres is favorably situated half a mile west of Bucyrus, Ohio, in Bucyrus town- ship, Crawford county, was born in the south- ern part of this county, March 7, 1883, and is one of the modern, progressive and successful young agriculturists of this section. His par- ents were John W. and Annetta (Wentz) Beall.

John W. Beall was a lifelong resident of Crawford county and was a well-known farmer and stock-raiser. His death occurred in his 37th year. He married Annetta Wentz, a daughter of John Wentz and they became the parents of four children, as follows: Arthur J .; Mabel E., who is the wife of Alfred C. George, who owns and successfully operates 148 acres of land in Dallas township, Craw- ford county; they have one daughter, Eliza- beth Annetta. Walter R., who owns a splendid farm of 100 acres in Dallas township, Craw- ford county; and Edgar B., who is assistant cashier in the Commercial Savings bank at Ga- lion, Ohio.

A. J. Beall obtained a public school educa- tion, afterward spending one year at the Ohio Northern university. He then taught school for five years in Holmes and Bucyrus town- ships and then came to his present home which he purchased in 1910. He carries on general farming and stock-raising in a scientific way, having a complete equipment of the most im- proved farm machinery and keeping in touch with the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion and modern methods, and is one of the model farmers of the county.

He belongs to the local grange and formerly was president of the Farmers' Institute.

On March 27, 1910, Mr. Beall was married to Miss Rebecca A. Conkle, only daughter of Peter and Mary E. (Foulke) Conkle, the for- mer of whom is a partner and manager of the Colter & Co. lumber mills of Bucyrus, Ohio. Mrs. Beall was born October 7, 1886, and re- ceived her education in the public schools of Bucyrus, being graduated in the class of 1907. She later studied in elocution and is a very ac- complished reader. Mrs. Beall has one broth-

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er, Dr. G. C. Conkle, who is a physician at Boyne Falls, Mich. Mr. and Mrs. Beall at- tend the Methodist Episcopal church at Bucy- rus. In politics he is a Republican.

JULIUS J. BLISS, whose long and able as- sociation with the public schools of Crawford county and the city of Bucyrus, made his name a prominent one among the educators of his native state, is recognized as one of the con- structive and valuable citizens of this city. He was born May 16, 1854, in Bainbridge town- ship, Geauga county, O., and is a son of Ol- ney R. and Mahala J. (McFarland) Bliss.

The Bliss family traces its ancestry to Eng- land, Thomas Bliss, of Devonshire being re- corded as a member of the Plymouth Colony in 1635. In the War of the Revolution the unusual spectacle was presented of three gen- erations participating together in that strug- gle, Ephraim Bliss, his son Ephraim, and his grandson, Benjamin Bliss, the last named be- ing but a boy in years. Col. Otis B. Bliss, son of the above Benjamin Bliss, was born at North Adams, Berkshire county, Mass., and in 1833 moved from there to Geauga county, O., establishing the family home in Bainbridge township, where many of his descendants may yet be found among the people of substantial character. In 1831 he had married Julia Elma Maria Potter, who was born at Gloucester, R. I., a daughter of Olney Potter, and a grand- daughter of James Potter, and a great-grand- daughter of Samuel Potter, both grandfather and great-grandfather being soldiers in the Revolutionary war and descendants of Roger Williams.

Olney R. Bliss, father of Julius J. Bliss and son of Otis B. Bliss, was born in Geauga county O .; in the first year the family settled there. He was reared in Bainbridge township and married the daughter of a neighbor, Ma- hala J. McFarland, whose father, John Wes- ley McFarland, had moved from Berkshire, Mass., in 1816, to that township. In 1883 the parents of Mr. Bliss removed to Brookville, Kans., where they survived into old age.

Julius J. Bliss attended the public schools in Geauga county and then entered Hiram col- lege, and during the period passed there he came under the influence of Prof. James A. Garfield. who later became president of the United States. From Hiram college Mr. Bliss

went to Oberlin college, where he was gradu- ated in 1881, receiving his B. A. degree, and five years later his degree of MI. A., was con- ferred. At the age of sixteen Mr. Bliss went into educational work and by this means sent himself through college. The exceptional suc- cess which he achieved in the succeeding years gave abundant proof of his qualifications as a teacher. In January, 1883, he became one of the instructors at the Bucyrus High school, where he continued for two and one-half years, and then accepted the superintendency of the public schools of Crestline. For ten years Mr. Bliss remained in that city, where his professional and executive ability were thoroughly tested and recognized. In 1895 he came to Bucyrus, accepting the superintend- ency of the public schools of this city, and- continued in charge until 1907. During this long period many changes were brought about in almost every department of the school sys- tem, Mr. Bliss giving his entire attention to the advancement and upbuilding of the city's educational institutions. Largely increased at- tendance, a higher curriculum, and a more pro- nounced enthusiasm for more advanced op- portunities, were some of the results of his long superintendency. In 1907 Mr. Bliss turned his attention to banking and is at pres- ent identified with the Bucyrus City bank. He has ever been an interested citizen, is secre- tary of the Bucyrus City Library board and a leader in all movements looking toward the educational and moral advancement of the community. He was the leading factor in se- curing the establishment of the Y. M. C. A., in this city, and has always taken a deep in- terest in its work.

Mr. Bliss was married in 1886, at Bucyrus, to Miss Ella May Fuhrman, a daughter of Thomas and Adeline (Kirby) Fuhrman, and they have two children: Marion George and Mary Mahala. The family are all members of the Presbyterian church. He has been af- filiated with many educational bodies, but the only fraternal organization with which he is connected is the order of Knights of Pythias. The hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Bliss is at No. 512 E. Rensselaer street, Bucyrus.

HENRY WITTER, a highly respected citi- zen of Bucyrus. O., who now lives retired after many years of successful agricultural effort,

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enjoys the comforts of a beautiful home at No. 412 South Sandusky street. He was born August 14, 1844, in Chatfield township, Craw- ford county, O., and is a son of William Witter.

William Witter was born in North Carolina and for some years after reaching manhood was overseer on plantations where many slaves were owned. He was married in Rock- ingham county, N. C., to C. Barbara Fitz, who was born in Germany and came to America when young. Mr. and Mrs. Witter remained in North Caroline until after the birth of four children and then decided to come north, mak- ing a choice of Crawford county, O. With wagon and one horse and bringing along all their household effects, the family started for the new home. It took quite a long time in those days to cover such a distance, as the roads were poor and many of the streams were unbridged, but they had expected to en- counter hardships as pioneers and kept perse- veringly on. They reached Chatfield town- ship, Crawford county, in 1836, and their first purchase of land was forty-five acres, none of which had yet been cleared or improved. La- ter Mr. Witter bought additional land and about this time the father of Mrs. Witter, Christian Fritz, joined the other pioneers and together they acquired still more land and cleared and improved it. Mr. Fritz died on that place in his eighty-fifth year. William Witter died there in 1891, aged ninety-one years, having survived his wife since Febru- ary, 1883. He was a Whig in early life and later became a Republican. His wife belonged to the German Lutheran church but he was identified with the Campbellite church. The following children were born to them: Wil- liam, who was accidentally killed by a run- away team of horses when aged eighteen years; Thomas, who died at Vicksburg, Miss., while serving in the Federal army during the Civil war; John, who is a farmer in Western Ohio; Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of Christian Baldosser; Caroline, deceased, who was twice married; Alexander, who died in 1895; Charles, who died at the age of four- teen years ; and Henry, now of Bucyrus.

Henry Witter assisted in clearing and im- proving the home farm and lived there until

one year after his marriage. He then moved five miles south of Bucyrus, remaining in that locality one year, after which he bought 80 acres in Holmes township, where he resided three years. At the end of that time he sold his place and bought in Bucyrus township a farm of 85 acres and shortly afterwards 24 acres more, and lived there until 1905, when he returned to Bucyrus. He has never been greatly interested in politics and for some years has maintained an independent attitude. He is a member of the German Lutheran church.

Mr. Witter was married in Seneca county, to Fredericka Louise Bauer, who was born in Saxony, Germany, November 7, 1844, and died at her home in Bucyrus, May 5, 1910. She was six years old when her parents, Fred- erick and Henriette O. Bauer, brought her to the United States. For some years they lived in Massachusetts and then came to Craw- ford county and Mr. Bauer purchased a large farm in Lykens township, on which his wife died at the age of seventy-six years. After- ward he came to Bucyrus and here his death occurred in his eighty-sixth year. To Mr. and Mrs. Witter the following children were born: Frederick, who is a resident of Bucyrus, mar- ried. Nora Ruch and they have three children- Henry, Ruth and May; William, who is a prominent physician at Detroit, Mich., was graduated from the Bucyrus High school in the class of 1892, the medical department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in the class of 1898, was married at West Branch, Mich., to Caroline B. Cline, and they have two children-Caroline I. and Lelia M .; Charles A., who died at the age of nine years; Louis, who is in the transportation business at Bucyrus, married Emanda Pfleider, and they have three children-J. Edwin, Henry H. and Caroline Anna; Thomas, who died in infancy ; Mary Ann Isabel, who is her father's compe- tent housekeeper; James, who resides on a farm in Sandusky township, has four children -James, Ardis, William and Robert; Alberta, who died when aged ten years ; Elsie, who died at the age of eight years; and Roy, who lived but five years. The surviving members of Mr. Witter's family are all well established in life and all are respected members of society.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

COL. CYRUS W. FISHER, who has been a man of influence and more or less prominence in different sections of the country for very many years, and who is now one of the most distinguished citizens of Bucyrus, O., was born Sept. 22, 1835, at Waynesville, Warren county, O. After several family changes of residence in his boyhood, Cyrus W. Fisher was sent in 1846, by his father, Dr. Fisher, from the pioneer home in Rock county, Wis., to at- tend school at his birthplace in Ohio. In 1849 Dr. Fisher with the rest of his family also re- turned to Ohio and the son joined his father at Lebanon in Warren county, and continued his studies while living at home until about 1851. In the above mentioned year he accom- panied a corps of railroad engineers and as- sisted in making surveys through Ohio, being thus occupied until 1854, in which year he en- tered the employ of the Ohio & Indiana Rail- road Company, remaining with that corpora- tion for two years. His next railroad connec- tion was with the Bee Line road, with which he was identified until 1857, being a passenger conductor on the line between Crestline and In- dianapolis. He then accepted a position in the office of the superintendent of that road, at Bellefontaine, Ohio, and remained there until President Lincoln's first call for troops in 1861.

He then entered the service of the Federal Government as first lieutenant of Co. F, 23rd O. V. I. His brother officers were men of high character and ability and several of them later achieved national distinction. His col- onel was W. S. Rosecrans, his lieutenant colonel, Stanley Matthews, and his major, Rutherford B. Hayes. In July, 1861, the reg- iment was sent to western Virginia, and in the succeeding November Lieut. Fisher be- came major of the 54th Ohio Infantry, which regiment, in February, 1862 became a part of the army division that first came under the command of General Sherman, who was then a brigadier. In November, 1862 Major Fisher was again promoted, becoming lieu- tenant-colonel of the 54th regiment, and as such he was a participant in all the operations of the 15th Army Corps, his valor, coolness and military ability serving well his command on many a battle-field. His faithful service to his cause and country ended only with the

close of the war, when he returned to Belle- fontaine, where his family then resided.

Immediately after the termination of his military career, Col. Fisher removed to Oska- loosa, Iowa, with the idea of entering upon the practice of law, having been admitted to the Ohio bar in 1864. He first, however, went into journalism, purchasing the Oska- loosa Herald, which he conducted until 1868, when he disposed of it and opened a law of- fice. His prospects were encouraging, but by this time he had found the climate not favor- able to his health, and when it became a mat- ter of necessity for him to find a less trying one, his thoughts again turned to railroading, in which field he felt at home. Accordingly he shortly afterward accepted the position of superintendent and general freight and ticket agent in the more congenial climate of Col- orado, being the first incumbent of that office for the Denver Pacific line in that state.

Col. Fisher's identification with the Denver Pacific, the Kansas Pacific, and the Colorado Central railroads continued until the summer of 1878, when he was made superintendent of the Mountain Division of the Union Pacific Railroad. He held this latter position until 1879, when he resigned in order to become general superintendent of the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad, of which he was also a director and second vice president. In Sep- tember, 1882, he became general manager of the New Orleans & Denver Railroad Com- pany, of which in 1883 he was elected general manager and president. In 1884-5 he was general manager and lessee of this road, but resigned in March, 1886, in order to accept the position of general manager of the Rock Island Railroad lines west of the Missouri river.

From 1886 to 1888 his time was completely taken up in the construction and putting into operation of thirteen hundred miles of track- age. Family affliction in the death of his wife, which took place in this year, induced his resignation, his need of rest and recrea- tion being apparent to all his friends. These he found in a trip to Europe, where, during a stay of six months, he visited many points of interest. The year 1889 found him once more in his native state and subsequently he became a settled citizen of Bucyrus, where he

COL. CYRUS W. FISHER

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made investments and purchased a comfort- able and attractive residence at No. 125 Rens- salaer street. After locating in this city he became connected with the Frey-Sheckler Clay Working Company, later known as the American Clay Machinery Company. At the present writing he is president of the Bucyrus Public Library, also of the Bucyrus Hospital Association, and of the Fairbanks Steam Shovel Company, of Marion, Ohio. He has been very active in Grand Army cir- cles and has served for several years as com- mander of the post at Bucyrus.

For many years Col. Fisher has been a lead- ing factor in Republican politics, and was a hearty and effective worker for the late Presi- dent William McKinley, who was an old army comrade and a personal friend. In 1896 Col. Fisher visited Denver, Colo. in a political capacity, just at the time that the Denver, Cripple Creek & Southwestern Railroad was being organized, and the presidency of this company being tendered him, he accepted it and held the office for two years. Other in- terests, however, soon claimed his attention and he retired permanently from participation in railroad affairs.

Col. Fisher was first married at Bellefon- taine, O., in 1859, to Miss Sallie M. Dunham. She died Sept. 25, 1860, being survived for a few weeks by an infant son. The Colonel's . second marriage was contracted in 1864 with Miss Martha I. Hetich, who was born in Crawford county, O. Her death took place in 1888, at Hot Springs, Ark. In 1891 Col. Fisher married Mrs. Mary D. Beer, a lady well known in Bucyrus. To his second mar- riage ten children were born, two of whom survive-Cyrus H. and Sallie. Col. Fisher is a thirty-second degree Mason, having been identified with the fraternity for the past 54 years. He manifests a thorough interest in all that concerns the welfare of Bucyrus, which he has shown by action whenever a good example was needed or when called upon to aid in a worthy cause. Every practical movement for the moral and material better- ment of the community has had his cordial support. The extent of his private charities will never be fully known, for, like every true gentleman, he dislikes ostentation, satisfied with the approval of his own conscience in whatever he may do for his fellow man.

JOHN H. LIGHT, who has made a success his chosen line of business-agriculture-re- sides on his well improved farm of seventy- one acres, located five miles northeast of Bucy- rus, was born in Liberty township, Crawford county, O., in 1872, and has always lived here. He is a son of William and Sarah (Hay) Light.

William Light and wife were both born in Pennsylvania and they came to Ohio in 1857. Both died in Liberty township, aged respec- tively seventy-three and seventy-two years. They had seven children: Swingly, who re- sides in Liberty township, married Caroline Pfluderer; Scyanthia, who resides at Bucyrus, married G. W. Sprow; William; who is a busi- ness man of Bucyrus, married Rebecca Charl- ton; Ida, residing in Liberty township, is the widow of H. J. Sprow, who died July 27, I9II; Daniel died in 1895; Mary, the wife of G. B. Kelly-they live in Liberty township; and John H., the subject of this sketch.

John H. Light had public school advantages and grew to manhood well trained in farm work and has made farming his sole business. As his property has needed improving he has attended to this matter and recently has com- pleted a very fine barn. He raises the usual crops of this section and enough stock for his own use.

Mr. Light was married to Miss Anna 'Bitte- kofer, who was born in 1881, a daughter of Jacob and Christiana (Auckerman) Bitte- kofer. Mrs. Light's brothers and sisters are Fred, Jesse, John, Harve, Earl, Albert, Mary, and Cora; one brother, Irvin, is deceased. Fred is a teacher in the Tiffin, O., High school; Jesse lives in Lykens township; John lives at New Washington, and the others re- main at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Light have five children, namely : Ruth I., Mabel M., Fairy M., Walter B. and Ethel O. Mr. Light and family belong to the Reformed church. In politics he is a Republican.

OTHO W. KENNEDY, who is serving in his third term as city solicitor of Bucyrus, O., is a well known member of the Crawford county bar and belongs to one of the old fam- ilies of the county. He was born May 25, 1878, one of a family of twelve children born

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to his parents, Thomas S. and Hester F. (Monnett) Kennedy.

Otho W. Kennedy began his education in the public schools and later continued it at the Ohio Normal university, at Ada, O., during this latter period also teaching school. He then entered the Western Reserve college at Cleveland, O., which he attended for a time, being afterward graduated from the Ohio Normal university at Ada. He was admitted to the bar in December, 1902. and began prac- tice in Marion county, O. Believing that Bucy- rus offered a wider field for professional ef- fort, in 1903 he came to this city, where he has had no reason to feel that his judgment was in any way deficient in making a choice of home. He has thoroughly identified him- self with the activities and interests which go to build up a city and is widely and favorably known both in his profession and otherwise. He was first elected to the office of city solici- tor in 1907 and was reelected in 1909 and 19II. He is a Democrat in his political views and heartily supports his party's candidates. During 1906 and 1907 he was a member of the board of deputy state supervisors of elections.

Mr. Kennedy married Miss Edna T. Birk, a daughter of C. F. Birk. Mr. and Mrs. Ken- nedy are members of the Lutheran church. Fraternally he is connected with the Elks and the Eagles.

DANIEL J. STRICKER, a government railway mail clerk, for the past eleven years has been detailed on the service between Pitts- burg, Pa., and Chicago, Ill., a route of great importance, the handling and safety of the mail between these points being a matter of extreme responsibility. He has been a resi- dent of the United States since he was five years old, but was born at Vienna, Austria, April 13, 1869. His parents were Anton and Cecelia (Waller ) Stricker.

The early history of the family has not been preserved to a great extent but a coat of arms is in the possession of its present repre- sentative which shows connection with the no- bility in 1162. Anton Stricker was born also in Austria and served in the army in 1848, re- ceiving wounds. He later carried on the busi- ness of manufacturing meerschaum pipes at

Vienna. In 1874 he came with his family to the United States and shortly afterward set- tled at Bucyrus, where his death occurred Feb- ruary 25, 1911, within four months of his be- ing ninety-two years of age. In Austria he married Cecelia Waller, who was born in Bo- hemia and died March 2, 1911, in her seventy- eighth year. In Austria they were Catholics but in Ohio affiliated themselves with the Ger- man Lutheran church. They had five children, one son having died in infancy in Vienna. The other four were: August, who is a tele- graph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, at Dunkirk, O., married Elizabeth Wakefield; Daniel J .; Charles, who is a ma- chinist at Bucyrus, married Anna Scheib; and John, who was accidentally killed on the T. & O. Railroad, of which he was an em- ploye.

Daniel J. Stricker obtained his education at Bucyrus and after a number of years as telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania rail- road company, specially prepared himself for his present work. October 14, 1896, he was married to Miss Katheryn L. Uhl, who was born at Galion, O., where she was reared and educated and for several years previous to the marriage was an acceptable teacher. She is a daughter of John F. and Anna Barbara (Tracht) Uhl, both of German parentage. Mr. Uhl was a cabinetmaker and interior fin- isher by trade, which he followed at Galion until his death in 1875. His widow survived him until 1894. They were German Luther- ans in their religious belief.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 93

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