History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 99

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 99

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EUGENE VAN VOORHIS, deceased, was born at Bucyrus, O., March 4, 1854, a son of Daniel and Eliza ( Hoffman) Van Voorhis, who came from Mansfield, O., to this section

at an early date. Daniel Van Voorhis was well known in business circles at Bucyrus, where he was in the restaurant line for many years and died here when aged sixty-five years. His widow survived him, passing away in Oc- tober, 1911, at the home of a daughter, Mrs. James Hamilton, at Pittsburg, Pa. Of their eight children, four survive.

Eugene Van Voorhis was the eldest of his parents' family and he grew to manhood at Bucyrus and spent about all his life here after learning his trade of tinner and working for a time at Sulphur Springs and Bellefontaine. He was a skilled workman and completed many important contracts. Politically he was a Democrat but never was an active party worker, and the only fraternal organization with which he allied himself was the Royal Arcanum.

In 1887 Mr. Van Voorhis was married to Miss Emma Squier, who was born at Sulphur Springs, O., December 6, 1857, where she was educated. She is a daughter of Dr. John B. and Dorothy (Hottel) Squier. Dr. Squier was born at Salem, N. Y., in 1818, coming to this state three years later. He first learned the millwright trade but afterward became a physician and practiced many years at Sulphur Springs and was known all over this section. His death occurred December 16, 1890. Prior to the campaign of Hon. Horace Greeley he was a Republican but afterward identified him- self with the Democracy. He was a power in local politics and during the Civil war was a loyal supporter of President Lincoln. A pa- triotic poem entitled Old Abe Lincoln, written about this time, became very popular. He was an acquaintance of that strange character known as Johnny Appleseed. He was thrice married. Thomas Corwin, a son of his first union became a soldier in the Civil war, where he was captured by the Confederates and died a prisoner at Andersonville, Ga. One daugh- ter of his second marriage survives, in the per- son of Mrs. Ella Humiston of Sandusky, O. His third happy union was with Dorothy Hot- tel, who was born at Bristol, Trumbull county, O., November 14, 1830. While on a visit in Crawford county she became acquainted with Dr. Squier and subsequently married him and six children were born to them: Edgar Allen, who is a resident of Springfield, O .; Emma,

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who was born December 6, 1857; Anna, who ing. Hence he found that by attending to his is the wife of Dr. Charles F. Sexauer, a physi- cian of Franklin, O .; Flora, deceased, who was the wife of John A. Torrence, of Grand Rapids, Mich .; Oscar W., who is employed in the offices of the Big Four Railroad, at Ken- ton, O .; and Effie S., deceased, who was the wife of Thomas Black, of Pittsburg and is survived by two sons. Mrs. Black was the author of that tender little book of poems en- titled Heart Whispers.

To Mr. and Mrs. Van Voorhis the follow- ing children were born: Charles Fred, who is in the jewelry business at Prospect, O., and who married Nina Kibler and have one daugh- ter, Dorothea; Walter S., a graduate of the Bucyrus High school,-with his brothers Harry V. and Donald E.,-who is chief en- gineer and draughtsman for the American Dredge Company at Seattle, Wash .; Harry Victor, who formerly was agent for the Adams Express Company, but now connected with the American Clay Machine Company, and lives at home; Paul V .; and Donald E., who is agent for the Adams Express Company at Co- lumbia City, Ind., and who married Esther L. Alleman, of Warsaw, Ind., to whom one son was born, David Alleman. Mrs. Van Voorhis and sons are Presbyterians.

HERMAN F. MILLER, who has been en- gaged in the fire insurance business at Bucy- rus, O., for some ten years, having a conveni- ent office in the Miller block, which was erected by his father, was born in 1853 in Crawford county, O., and is a son of John G. and Mary (Krebe) Miller.

John G. Miller was born in Wertemberg, Germany, in 1826, where his parents lived and died. His father was a baker and the youth learned the business and worked as a baker in his own land until 1852, when he decided to emigrate to the United States, in the hope of bettering his fortunes. He took passage on a sailing vessel at Bremenhaven, Germany, and after a long voyage was safely landed at the port of New York. In the following year he reached the village of Bucyrus and was so pleased with the people that he decided to re- main here although, at that time, he found but a moderate demand for bakery goods, the housewives still doing much of their own bak-

oven at night, after working at different things during the day, he could supply sufficient bak- ery goods for his customers, and for a long time thus did business. In the meanwhile the excellence of his bread, pies and cakes gained him custom and slowly but surely he prospered and finally opened a bakery shop on South Sandusky street and made baking his main business and continued to be in active trade until his death, July 3, 1895. In 1876 he erected the handsome three-story brick block on the southwest corner of the Public Square and acquired and improved much other prop- erty. He was a Republican in politics but de- clined office, attending closely to his business. For many years he was a consistent member of the German Methodist church, and was one of the most respected citizens of Bucyrus. In Germany he married Mary Krebe, who was born in Wertemberg in 1824. She accom- panied him to America and to her frugal hab- its and careful management he attributed much of his business success. She has reached her eighty-seventh birthday and her many friends hope that she will live to see many more. But one child was born to the above marriage, Her- man F.

Herman F. Miller was educated at Bucyrus and then learned his father's trade and sub- sequently became a partner in the business and operated it until 1900, when he disposed of it and embarked in the insurance line and repre- sents a number of standard companies. He has never been greatly interested in politics but votes with the Republican party. He is iden- tified fraternally with the Masons and Elks.

Mr. Miller was married at Bucyrus to Miss Mary Beal, who was born in Bucyrus town- ship, Crawford county, June 4, 1876, and is a daughter of Rev. Isaac and Christiana ( Hurr) Beal, natives of Germany who came to America when young and were reared to mar- riagable age in Pennsylvania. In 1843 they came to Crawford county and settled on wild land in Bucyrus township, which they cleared, developed and improved and remained on their farm until 1896, when they retired to Bucyrus and now reside in great comfort in their home on South Sandusky avenue. Rev. Beal, now eighty-five years of age, for thirty-five years has ministered to the German Methodist

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church without compensation. His wife has passed her eighty-third birthday. They are well known and much beloved people. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had two children : Rufus E., who died at the age of seven years; and Lillian, who was born in 1877 and is the wife of E. W. Petrie, of Galion, O., and has one son, Kenneth Miller Petrie.

CHARLES F. HOOVER, who carries on general farming and stock-raising in Bucyrus township, Crawford county, O., where he and wife own eighty-five acres of valuable land, additionally operates 150 acres belonging to another party. Mr. Hoover is a native of Crawford county and was born in Dallas township, December 18, 1873, and is a son of Christian and Lorena (Kirby) Hoover, the former of whom is a retired farmer of Dallas township. The latter died December 8, 1910. Of their children, Charles F. is the third in order of birth, the others being: Ernest B., Bardette K., Maud, and Madge, who is the wife of Arlington L. Blair.

Charles F. Hoover completed the common school course in Dallas township and then became' a student in the Ohio Northern Uni- versity, at Ada, O., remaining for three years, after which he taught school in Crawford county for about twelve years. Since retiring from the educational field he has devoted him- self entirely to agricultural pursuits and is numbered with the progressive and successful farmers of this section.

In October, 1897, Mr. Hoover was married to Miss Elnora Kerr, who was born in Bucy- rus township, on the present farm of herself and husband, and is a daughter of George T. and Lydia (Eckelberry) Kerr, early settlers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr had the following children : Bertie, who is the wife of Irvin Dickey; Elnora, who is the wife of Mr. Hoover ; Beva, who is the wife of Fred J. Al- bright; Clementine, who is the wife of J. W. Hudson: Ava, who is the wife of Floyd Hull, and Walter J. Mr. and Mrs. Hoover have the following children: Helen, Wayne, Clifford, Marjorie and Doris Lillian. Mr. Hoover and family attend the United Brethren church. He is a Republican in his political sentiments and while living in Dallas township, served three terms as township clerk. He is identified

with but one fraternal organization, the Knights of Pythias, attending at Bucyrus and taking much interest in the order.

FRANK PIGMAN, an able member of the bar at Galion, O., of which city he has been a resident since 1907, was born at Coshocton, O., March 24, 1874.

From the public schools of his native place, Mr. Pigman entered the Northern Ohio Uni- versity at Ada, where he was graduated in the class of 1899, thereafter entering the Univer- sity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he a teacher in the schools of Coshocton, where he served for five years, also as a member of the board of school examiners, and later was an instructor in a military school at Chicago. In 1905 he was graduated from the Chicago Law college and was admitted to the bar in the same year and became associated in the practice of law with David K. Tone. In 1907 he came to Galion and entered into partner- ship with J. W. Coulter, whose death occurred in 1910 and who had been a member of the Galion bar since 1865. Since that time Mr. Pigman has practiced alone and in addition to private clients he is the local attorney for the Erie railroad.

Politically Mr. Pigman is a Democrat and as a citizen having the best interests of the com- munity at heart, is active in promoting move- ments which promise better conditions along every line. He is a Royal Arch Mason and be- longs also to the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Pigman is unmarried. He owns what is probably the most complete law library in Crawford county, which includes all the Ohio reports together with hundreds of books that are authorities on law.

DAVIS W. HILLIS, a veteran of the great Civil war and an honored and widely known citizen of this section of Ohio, has been a resi- dent of Galion since 1900, when he retired and purchased his comfortable residence at No. 879 East Walnut street. He was born in Fair- field county, O., July 20, 1850, and is a son of James Franklin and Eleanor (Turner) Hillis.

James F. Hillis was born in Maryland and died in Wyandot county, O., in February, 1897, when aged seventy-seven years. He was married in Fairfield county, O., to Eleanor

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Turner, who was born at Circleville, O., where she attended school and in childhood was a playmate of Philip Sheridan, later the dis- tinguished military hero. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Hillis moved to Upper Sandusky and from 1851 until death, they lived in Wyandot county, Mrs. Hillis surviving her husband for but six weeks. He was a farmer and stock raiser and a solid, representative man and pa- triotic citizen. Early in the Civil war he be- came a member of the 83rd O. Vol. Inf., as a private but later was made hospital sergeant as he had medical knowledge from having given some attention to medical study in his earlier years. While with General Sherman's command on the great march to the sea, he contracted yellow fever at Newberne, N. C. He was in an unconscious condition when he was sent north and was discharged from the service on account of disability, but finally was nursed back to health and lived many years afterward. Three children made up his fam- ily : Elizabeth, Sarah A. and Davis W. Eliza- beth died in girlhood. Sarah A., who is one of the most highly esteemed residents of Akron, O., where she owns a beautiful home, for twenty-five years as a valued teacher in that city. She is a graduate of several well known institutions, afterward making educational work her leading interest, and in recognition of her scholarship and of her faithfulness as a teacher, she has been presented with many medals and other testimonials.

Perhaps Davis W. Hillis was one of the youngest soldiers of the Civil war, for he had not yet passed his fifteenth birthday when he succeeded in enlisting at Upper Sandusky, in Co. I, 192nd O. Vol. Inf., and took part in all the hardships of this command until he was honorably discharged, September 7, 1865, at Winchester, Va. He took part in many minor engagements and skirmishes and saw many of his comrades fall and once was wounded in the knee, at Halltown, Va. His worst experience, however, was when he was captured, when coming down the Shenandoah river, by a band of General Mosby's guerrillas, and for eleven days was forced to march with them in his bare feet and when they released him it was not until they had taken all his clothes. All this hardship and indignity was visited on him after peace was declared, but he was in the

enemy's country, and at that time defenseless. After he returned to Ohio he engaged in farm- ing and stock raising and was interested in de- veloping race horses for a time. In 1872 he located at Bucyrus and continued to live there until 1900, when he came to Galion, where he has lived as stated above. He is a valued member of Keller Post, G. A. R. at Bucyrus.

Mr. Hillis was married in Holmes township, Crawford county, by Rev. J. Crouse, to Miss Susan M. Sell, a member of an old family, who was born there January 7, 1849, a daugh- ter of Jacob and Rebecca (McBride) Sell. The father of Mrs. Hillis was born in Stark county, O., where his people were early set- tlers. . He married Rebecca McBride, whose ancestry was of Virginia, old Revolutionary stock, and at the time of marriage she was a teacher in Crawford county. The Sells later moved on a farm which they developed and improved and there Mrs. Sell died May I, 1895, aged eighty-one years, having survived her husband since 1874. She had been reared in the Society of Friends but later united with the Lutherans, while he was a life-long Meth- odist. One of their sons, Isaac D. Sell, who now is a resident of Troy, Kans., was a valiant soldier in the Civil war. Jeremiah Sell is a resident of a western state; Newton, another son, lives in Oklahoma, while another son, Ja- cob A., is a Baptist minister located at Cleve- land, O. Mrs. Hillis has three sisters : Anna, who married John Hill, resides at Galion and they have three children; Mary Ellen, who lives in Holmes township, unmarried; and Jennie, who lives on the old Sell homestead, married but has no children.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hillis the following chil- dren were born: Jay J., who died in infancy; Franklin T., who lives with his family on a farm in Jefferson township; William D. W., a railroad man residing at Cleveland, who is an ex-soldier of the Spanish-American war, and has a wife and five children; Emmor G., who served with his brother in the same company in the Spanish-American war, and is also a railroad man and lives at Cleveland with wife and one child; Ella J., who is the wife of Hor- ace Warrick, of Whetstone township, and has one son; James A. G., who is a contractor at Galion, and has one son; Pearl B., who is the wife of Edward Couts of Bucyrus, and has

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one daughter; and Earl R., who is employed in the match factory at Barberton, O. The children of William D. W. and Emmor G. Hillis have the honor of having a great- grandfather and a grandfather who served in the Civil war and fathers who were in the Spanish-American war. Mr. and Mrs. Davis W. Hillis are members of the Christian church.

JACOB HIEBER, whose model farm of IOI acres lies seven miles northeast of Bucy- rus, O., in Liberty township, was born on this farm in 1875, and is a son of Frederick and Lydia (Lust) Hieber. The Hieber family is of German extraction on both sides and the father of Jacob Hieber was born in Germany, while the mother was born in Lykens town- ship, Crawford county, of German parents. Ten children were born to them, namely: Frederick W., Elizabeth, Samuel, Benjamin, Joseph, Jacob, Sarah, Isaac, Sophia and Reu- ben.

Jacob Hieber was educated in the district schools. He remained at home and operated the home farm until he purchased the same in 1908, since which time he has made many excellent improvements and it may now be numbered with the model farms of the town- ship.

Mr. Hieber has a pleasant family circle. He married Miss Louisa Kafer, who is a daughter of Jacob and Magdalina (Shealy) Kafer, old residents of Crawford county, and they have had two children : Winfield Jacob, who died at the age of two and one-half years; and John Frederick, who resides at home. Mr. Hieber and wife are members of the German Lutheran church. He is an intelligent, wide awake citi- zen and as such is interested in public affairs in his neighborhood. He is a Democrat in poli- tics.

CHARLES P. BRYANT. The Bryant family according to the earliest records that have been discovered, originated in Holland and possibly went to that country from Eng- land. Simeon Bryant was born in Holland at the close of the 16th century. At an early age he came to the American colonies and settled at Hackensack, N. J., and about 1617 he lo- cated at Springfield, N. J. His family con-

tained four sons: Simeon, Jr., Hannes, Sam- uel and John.

Simeon Bryant, Jr., the progenitor of Charles P. Bryant, of Bucyrus, O., was born in 1710. He married Hannah Searing and they had eleven children, the ninth being Da- vid, the grandfather of Charles P. Bryant.

David Bryant was born in 1756, in New Jersey and he participated in the Revolution- ary war. The official record shows that for one month in 1776 he served as a private min- ute man, Captain Joseph Horton's Company, First Regiment, Essex County Militia, and la- ter served eight days more in the same com- pany and between 1776 and 1779, served an additional three months in the same company and regiment. Afterward he served seven monthly tours under Capt. Joseph Horton dur- ing the continuance of the war, and he par- ticipated in the battles of Springfield, Farm- ers and Elizabeth. This brave man and pa- triot married Catherine Wooley, a daughter of Major Abram Wooley, who was a mem- ber of the U. S. garrison holding Fort Du- buque, now Pittsburgh, Pa., and he was al- lowed a pension. In 1791 he moved to Wash- ington county, Pa., and in 1816 came to Knox county, O., locating near Mt. Vernon. Fif- teen children were born to him. At the age of eighty years he was still a man of such robustness and vigor that he did not hesitate to undertake new enterprises, one of these be- ing the establishment of a new home at Crown Point, near Hebron, Ind. This proposed un- dertaking Mr. Bryant, however, did not live to complete, his death occurring on the way, at Fort Wayne, Ind. His widow survived him only four days. They were people widely known and of the highest merit.

Isaac Bryant, the third born in the family of fifteen children, was born June 18, 1786. He married Maria Fisher, a daughter of Freder- ick and Catherine (Quigley) Fisher, the for- mer a native of France and the latter of Ire- land. The Fishers lived at Utica, N. Y., where Mr. Fisher was interested in the manufacture of rope but he lost his rope-walk by fire and this deprived him of his resources. After his death Mrs. Fisher moved to Kentucky where her death occurred. At the time of marriage, Isaac Bryant was fifty-seven years of age and

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was over seventy years of age when his ninth child was born, his death occurring two years later in 1859. At the time of marriage he was at Circleville, O., but later moved to Little Wyandot, where he remained. In politics he was a Democrat and was well known in his day. His widow, born November 7, 1819, died May 4, 1890. She was a member of the Presbyterian church, a woman of admirable character. To Isaac Bryant and wife the fol- lowing children were born: Isaac and Freder- ick, both of whom died in infancy; Catherine; John, who died in 1884, aged thirty-five years, who married and had two children; Maria M., who died at the age of seventeen years; Ann, who died in infancy; Jennie W., who is the wife of Frank Sheckler; Charles P., and Benjamin F., who married and lives in Idaho.

Charles P. Bryant was born in Wyandot county, O., November 27, 1855, where he was reared and was carefully educated, his par- ents providing a governess for their children, a highly educated lady. In 1880 he came to Bucyrus and began the study of surveying and mastered the useful branch of knowledge and accompanied surveyors on many trips in or- der that he might have plenty of practical ex- perience. Afterward he was appointed city engineer and still later was made deputy sur- veyor under Surveyor H. E. Valentine, serv- ing under that official until September, 1894, when he became deputy to Surveyor Flick- inger, under whom he served six years. In 1900 Mr. Bryant was elected surveyor of Crawford county, assuming the duties of the same in 1901 and served as surveyor until 1907, when he again became deputy, Charles A. Guiss being elected surveyor, and was with Surveyor Guiss until the expiration of the latter's term in September, 1910. Mr. Bryant is one of the leading Democrats of the county and has served as a delegate to both Senatorial and Congressional conventions many times and for two years was secretary of the Crawford County Democratic Central committee. For twenty-five years he has been a member of the Knights of Pythias and thereby has earned a Knight's medal. He belongs also to the Eagles of which organization he has been past worthy president and is a trustee and charter member. Mr. Bryant became interested in the Elks at the time of its organization in 1894 and has

been an active and interested member ever since. Mr. Bryant has never married.

GEORGE C. MAYER, whose well culti- vated farm of eighty acres lies four miles west of Bucyrus, O., this location giving him an easy market for his produce, was born at Wit- tenberg, Germany, June 23, 1876, and is a son of Jacob and Barbara (Swenck) Mayer, both of whom still reside in Germany, where the father is a farmer and a carpenter. The fam- ily is one of nine children and three of them live in America.

George C. Mayer obtained his education in Germany and remained in his native land un- til 1903, when he came to the United States and ever since locating in Ohio has been en- gaged in farming, first in Jefferson township, Crawford county, and since 1905 on his pres- ent place in Holmes township. Here he made all the improvements, even erecting his com- fortable residence. He is a hard-working, prudent, sensible man and is prospering.

In October, 1900, Mr. Mayer was married to Miss Emma Steinhilder, a daughter of Francis Steinhilder, who is a substantial farmer of Tod township. Mr. and Mrs. Mayer are members of the Martin Luther church in Tod township. Mr. and Mrs. Mayer have no children. Their one son, Francis Wesley, who was born July 10, 1902, lived not quite two years, dying May 15, 1904. Mr. Mayer has become a citizen of the United States and has identified himself politically with the Democratic party.

GEORGE M. BIRK, Ph. D., of the drug firm of Birk Bros., at Bucyrus, O., located at No. 4 Opera House block, was born at Bucy- rus, February 25, 1869, and is a son of John G. and Joanna (Kuhn) Birk, and a grandson of John G. Birk, who came from Germany to Ohio in 1849, one of that notable band of patriots which included such men as Mr. Birk and the late Gen. Carl Schurz, both of whom became honored citizens of their adopted country.

George M. Birk attended school at Bucyrus through his boyhood but, unlike several of his brothers, did not incline to learn the father's trade of harnessmaking. He seemed to have natural talent in the direction of chemistry

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and by himself followed a course of reading along that line although he never had any col- legiate training. In 1885 he went to Ne- braska and there passed the strict examina- tion demanded by the State Board of Phar- macy, and in 1889, two years before he had reached his majority, he was licensed to prac- tice. In 1892 he returned to Bucyrus and in the same year associated himself with his older brother, Hon. Christian F. Birk, in the drug business and for twenty years he has been at the head of his present store. This is the third oldest drug store in this city, having been started in 1878 by A. C. Lewis, who operated it until 1892, when the present firm took pos- session. They not only carry a complete line of pure drugs and honest proprietary rem- edies, but all the sundries to be found in a first class establishment of its kind and addition- ally have a side line in wall paper.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 99

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