USA > Ohio > Defiance County > History of Defiance County, Ohio. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, etc.; military record; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; farm views, personal reminiscences, etc > Part 61
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John Ryan was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., in September, 1799, and received his education in that county. He married Miss Gertrude McCaffree, daughter of Cornelius and Elsie (Legg) McCaffree,
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in St Lawrence County, N. Y., October 5, 1824. Their children were Eugene, William Augustus, Charles M., Francis D., Eliza P., Washington C., (who was in the war of 1861-65, enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, August, 1862, and was dis- charged in July, 1865), Amelia J., Silvia Adelle and Cornelia Theodocia. Eugene, the oldest, died when a babe; William Augustus died in February, 1875; Silvia Adelle died September, 1874. Mr. Ryan came from St. Lawrence County, N. Y., to Hicksville Town- ship in 1844; purchased eighty acres of land in the woods; put up his cabin with puncheon floor, chim- ney of sticks and mud, and moved in and commenced to clear his land, and passed through the usual ex- perience of all the pioneers. He cleared about thirty acres, and then sold to John Hilbert. He then pur- chased an adjoining eighty acres of woodland, and made one more start in the woods, put up a cabin and barn, and cleared the farm upon which he died. It is under a fine state of cultivation, and has a fine frame house and good buildings, barn, etc.
The first school in this neighborhood was on the southeast corner of this farm, near what is now the six corners, and built in 1846. The teacher was Elias Cammel. Before this, they had to go to the northern district, two miles distant, which was taught by one Mr. Bercaw. Meetings were held in private residences in the neighborhood. Milling at Bruners- burg, nearly twenty miles distant.
Mr. Ryan died May 1, 1880, in his eighty-first year. Gertrude Ryan, his wife, was born April 3, 1799, in Dutchess County, N. Y .; died October 7, 1872, aged seventy-three years. A fine double monu- ment, erected by their children, marks their resting- place in the beautiful cemetery at the six corners; cost $450.
Benjamin Forlow was born April 1, 1810, in Berks County, Penn. His father, John, and his inother, Catharine (Wallsmith) Forlow, were both born in Pennsylvania. His great-grandfather on his father's side was of Irish descent, and great-grand- mother on his mother's side of German descent. His grandfather and grandmother both died in Berks County, Penn. His father moved, in 1831, to But- ler County, Ohio, when the subject of this sketch was twenty-one years old, where the father and mother both died. Mr. Forlow was a cabinet-maker by trade, which he learned in Pennsylvania, at which he worked in Butler County till he was twenty-two years old, when he married Catharine, daughter of John and Margaret (Wyland) Emerick, by whom he had eleven children, viz., Amos, John B., Susan, George, William, Mary E .. Uriah, Lewis, Benjamin N., Ananias, Elizabeth. Two boys and a girl are de-
ceased-John, George and Elizabeth. His wife, Catharine, was born in Butler County, her parents being among the first settlers of that county. After his marriage, he worked at his trade in Butler County some ten years, then came with his family to Defiance County, in 1843, and settled in Milford Town- ship, where he bought eighty acres and forty in Farmer, the township line dividing. He lived in Milford in Section 36, in Farmer on Section 31. The farm had a small clearing and cabin when he bought of Robert M. Kells. He bought forty acres of Anthony Huber, who came from Butler County about the same time. His wife died on the farm Novem- ber 4, 1876. In the spring of 1877, Mr. Forlow rented out his farm, and is now living a retired life at Hicksville, in his seventy-third year. He is still active, and enjoys good health. He has always be- longed to the German Reform Church, as did his parents and grandparents before him. When Mr. Forlow came to his farm on Lost Creek, there was no road cut out to Hicksville from his place except the brush.
He has prospered, and has plenty of this world's goods as the result of industry, economy and hon- esty. He has a good farm of 120 acres; could sell, if he would, at $75 per acre.
His oldest son, Amos, whose sketch and portrait are in this work, was a soldier in the late war, having enlisted as a private in Company F, One-Hundred and Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In all, four of his sons were in the service of their country in the late war.
Robert Filmore Kerr was born February 19, 1851, in the village of Middletown. Salt Creek Township, Holmes Co., Ohio. His father, Joseph Kerr, and his mother, Jane (Dowell) Kerr were born, the former in Honey Brook Township, Chester Co., Penn., Septem- ber 10, 1820, the latter born in Holmes County, Ohio, September 18, 1827. Their children are Joseph 1)., Thomas W., Robert F., Alice May, Laura E. (de- ceased). Mr. Kerr (Joseph) came from Pennsylvania to Holmes County, Ohio, where he remained about fifteen years, then came to Detiance County, in Octo. ber, 1857, and settled at Hicksville, where he now resides. Was a tailor by trade, but on his arrival at Hicksville he engaged in the lumbering business and cleared up a farm.
Robert F., the subject of this sketch, at twelve years of age commenced driving oxen to haul logs to the mill, and helped thereafter to clear up the farm, attending district school in winter, till about twenty years of age; then taught school three terms, in win- ters of 1872, 1873, 1874, in Hicksville Township. In 1874, he commenced his present business at Hicks- ville, on a small scale, in connection with his
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brothers, Joseph D. and Thomas W., and continued till 1877. Thomas W. then sold his interest to E. W. Crook, and the firm became and is now known as Kerr Bros. & Co. In 1879, they established a branch warehouse at Chicago, Robert F. taking charge. This establishment is, probably, now the largest of the kind in Northwest Ohio; shipping largely to New York, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha, Denver, Sacramento, Cal., Portland. Ore., also to Enrope. They have an agency at New York. On December 1, 1881, Mr. Kerr was married to Miss Amanda J. Otis, daughter of Morell and Margaret Otis, of Milford Township, who was born February 21, 1855. Mr. Kerr is of the firm of T. W. Kerr & Co., in the grist mill known as the Hicks- ville Mills, and also connected with the agricultural business of the firm of Otis & Co., of the same town. Mr. Kerr is now but little over thirty years of age; by industry and economy has worked his way up to a position of affluence and standing in the town seldom attained by many of double the amount of his years. He has put up a fine residence, second to none in the town.
The Kerr brothers all seem to be enterprising and go-ahead gentlemen. T. W is, perhaps, the leading spirit in business enterprise, leading in the building of the grist mill.
Edward W. Crook was born December 23, 1841, in the village of Elkston, Columbiana County, Ohio. He is the oldest son and the fourth child of a family of seven children, of Thomas and Jane (Bache- lor) Crook, who were born in England, were married there, came to America in 1839, and settled in Co- lumbiana County, engaging in the manufacture of woolen goods, continuing in same business till 1863, when he engaged in mercantile life for two years, and then retired from business. Their children .were Martha L., Mary, Sarah, Edward W., Emma C., John F. and Ida May. Edward W. Crook, the sub- ject of this sketch, remained at home assisting his father in his business and attending school until nine- teen years of age, when he went to learn the carriage- making business, at which he served an apprentice- ship of three years, when he commenced the business for himself at East Fairfield, Columbiana County, where ho continued in the business till December 1, 1877, when he sold out and came to Hicksville, and in the spring of 1878 bought the interest of T. W. Kerr in the handle factory of Korr Brothers, and the firm became J. D. and R. F. Kerr and E. W. Crook, and is known by the firm name of Kerr Brothers & Co. Mr. Crook married Miss Alice M. Kerr, daughter of Joseph and Jane (Dowell) Keir, July 14, 1875, who was born November 5, 1852. Mr. Crook built his fine residence in Hicksville in 1878, into which he
moved on the 1st day of Jannary, 1879, a litho- graph view of which appears in this history. Mr. Crook and his partners are wide-awake, enterprising gentlemen and do an excellent business.
E. D. Otis, banker, Hicksville, was born in Sugar Creek Township, Wayne Co., Ohio, September 20, 1832, and is a son of Jesse Otis, a native of Vermont who located at, Massilon, Ohio, in 1815; afterward located in the above township and county in 1817. He was born in 1793, and was a son of Elden Edward Otis, of Massachusetts, who was a son of Stephen Otis, a Major on the staff of Maj. Gen. Warren, who fell at Bunker Hill. He was wounded in the same engagement, but recovered, and did his country good service. Jesse made a permanent home in Wayne County, Ohio, for himself and family. He died there May 1, 1856, leaving seven sons and three daughters -John D., Merrill, Anna, William, Jane, Edward, Nathaniel, E. D., Mary, Henry W. Our subject re- mained on the farm with his parents until twenty-five years of age, when, in 1856, he went to Dalton, and became engaged as a clerk in a drug store. In 1857, he engaged in a mercantile business in Dalton, which he successfully conducted until 1879, at which time he sold out and came to Hicksville, Ohio, and in June of the same year began the general banking bnsi- ness, in which he is now so successfully engaged. He is a member of Lodge, No. 478, F. & A. M., to which body he has belonged for twenty years. He was married, in 1857, to Eliza, daughter of Jacob Bruch, of Wayne County, Ohio, by whom he has had four children, viz., A. F., Anna, Jennie and A. R. He is a gentleman of good education and ability, and during his residence in his native county was con- siderably interested in political matters, and repre- sented his people in some of the offices of trust and responsibility Mr. O. is one of the leading citizens of the town, and although he has but lately become identified with the interests of Hicksville and Defi- ance County, his public-spiritedness has already won for him a leading place in society, and he is promi- nent among the solid men of the county.
Abram Henry was born in Crawford County May 4, 1836, and is a son of Samuel and Susanna (Knise- ley) Henry. They were farmers, and the subject of this sketch remained at home, working on the farm, till seventeen years of age; tben learned the carpen- ter's trade, which he still follows. He was married to Miss Emeline, daughter of Edward and Phoebe (Young) Wagner, December 22, 1857. Mrs. Henry was born Angust 20, 1834. Her father, Edward, was boru in Columbiana County, Ohio; her mother was born in Virginia. Six children have been born to the subject of this sketch, three now living-Edward C., Willet F., Leila N. He enlisted in the late war
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in Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 22, 1863; passed through many battles, but came through all right, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. .
George W. Scott was born at Independence De- fiance County, on what is known as the Dr. John Evans farm, January 6, 1839. His parents were Vir- ginians by birth. His parents, John and Catharine (Davidson) Scott, settled in Pickaway County, Ohio, and remained there till 1836, when they came to this county. They made their first purchase by entering eighty acres in what is now Ridgeville Township, Henry County, which he partly cleared up, putting up a cabin. Mrs. Scott died on this farm about 1845. Mr. Scott bought next in Richland Township, and married, for second wife, Mrs. Stacy. He died on this farm about 1852.
By his first marriage, he had eight children, viz., Lydia, Jacob, Eliza, Wesley, Nancy, Mary .I., John H., George W Twoof these are living, Jacob and the subject of this sketch. Jacob lives at Florida, Henry County. George remained at home on the farm till his father's death, being then about thirteen years old. He left home for Pickaway county, where he worked on a farm about five years, then returned to Florida, Henry County, and learned the milling business. He enlisted as a private in Company F, Sixty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in November, 1861, and was honorably discharged as a Lientenant at the close of the war, July 20, 1865; then returned; farmed for about two years; then entered the mill at Evansport, and continued in the same till the spring of 1877. He then came to Hicksville, entering the Anchor Mills, and in 1880 bought an interest, and the firm became Hootman, Scott & Bruce, now Scott, Bruce & Fribley.
Mr. Scott married Clara, daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Barnhart) Bowen, September 6, 1860, and has seven children, viz., Mary J., Della, Myrtie, Nelly, George E., Darla. Mr. Scott was in thirty-four bat- tles, which was inscribed on their banner by order of their General. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, Atlanta, and in Sherman's march to the sea. He never lost a meal, missed an engagement or received a scratch.
B. S. Pettit, dealer in drugs, books and stationery, was born in Miami County, Ohio, November 17, 1850, and is a son of Benjamin Dye and Patsey (Morris) Pettit, who were born in the same county, he July 3, 1822, and she March 21, 1827. He was a son of John and Elizabeth (Dye) Pettit. He came from Pennsylvania to Miami County, in which he died. She was born in Miami County October 8, 1800, and the first white child born in Miami County.
Benjamin Dye Pettit removed from Miami County with his family to Marion County, Ohio, in 1852, in which he lived till 1866, when he removed to White County, Ind., where he died April 28, 1879. To them were born six children, viz., B. S., David (de- ceased), E. M., Clara E., B. B. and Mary E. Mrs. P. is living, and resides in White County, Ind. Mr. P. was a farmer by occupation.
The boyhood of our subject, was passed upon the farm, and in the district schools he obtained the rudiments of an education. He entered the Asbury University, at Greencastle, Ind., in 1873, and took a full philosophical course, completing the same in two years. Previous to entering the above institution, he taught district schools for two terms. After attain- ing his twenty-fourth year, he entered a drug store, for the purpose of making himself acquainted with the nature of drugs, and located in Hicksville, in business for himself, in February, 1879, where he has since been engaged, and does a thriving business. He is a member of F. & A. M. Lodge, No. 478, Hicksville; is also a member of the Baptist Church. He was married, January 28, 1880, to Miss Estella, danghter of S. H. and Dorcas H. Powell, of White County, Ind. She died August 2, 1881. Mr. P. does a good business in his line, and keeps everything usually found in a first-class drug retail house.
William J. Kleckner, son of Samuel and Mary A. (Hilbert) Kleckner, was born October 2, 1844, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio; came to this county with his parents when about eighteen months old; grew up, and spent his early days on the farm until nine- teen years old; then went to the boat-oar factory of J. D. Wilsey, of Defiance County, on the farm of Miller Arrowsmith; worked at this business thirteen years. After following up the oar business for a time, he commenced the manufacture and sale of pumps at Hicksville, and continued the same till Sep- tember, 1882. He then commenced the grocery busi- ness at Hicksville, in which he is now engaged in connection with the pump business. Mr. Kleckner married Harriet A., daughter of David and So- phia A. (Walden) Powell, January 14, 1866, by whom he has two children-Addie L., born April 30, 1867, and William E., born January 17, 1874. Mrs. Kleckner was born in Allen County, Ohio. February 25, 1846. Her parents, David and Sophia, were born, the former March 12, 1812, in Juniata County, Penn., the latter born January 24, 1823, in Portage County, Ohio. They had four children- Mary J., William C., Harriet A. and George F., all living in this county except ono daughter (Mrs. States), now living in Allen County, Ohio. . The parents of Mrs. W. J. Kleckner were married April 8, 1841. Mr. Powell died April 22, 1849, in Allen
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Le Canneren
John Columna
John Pwilley
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County, Ohio, having suffered for a number of years with necrosis of the bone in one of his legs, which was amputated above the knee, without taking any anodynes, but died about eight montlis after the oper- ation. William C. Powell, brother of Mrs. Kleck- ner, was in the late war; enlisted September, 1861, in Company E, Twenty-first Regiment ; was honorably discharged July 28, 1865; came through all right, after passing through many battles and hardships. Mrs. Powell, in 1850, married Alexander Tharp, brother of Colin and Elisha, early settlers in Defiance County. He died in 1864; died on his farm, and was buried in the cemetery on his farm, where the Lutheran Church now stands. Mrs. Kleckner lived on this place twenty-six years of her life. Mr. Tharp first settled at Williams Center; then bought the farm on which the Lutheran Church stands, near Arrowsmith's land.
Dr. W. H. Richards was born in Holmes County, Ohio, May 6, 1837. His father, John Richards, was born near Steubenville, Ohio His mother, Jane (Hutchinson) Richards, was born in Westmoreland County, Penn. The Doctor's younger days were spent on the farm, until a young man. He attended ยท high school at Fredericksburg, Wayne Co., Ohio, and taught school several terms. He commenced the study of medicine in the spring of 1861, and volunteered as a soldier on September 11, 1861, in the Fifth Ohio Independent Battery, commanded by Capt. Hickenlooper, now Gen. Hickenlooper, of Cin- cinnati. The battery was under Gen. Fremont, in Missouri, till the spring of 1862, then transferred to the Army of the Tennessee, under Grant, and at the battle of Pittsburg Landing was in Gen. Prentice's division, and fired the first shot in that memorable battle. They lost four guns out of six, with the greater part of the men and horses. He remained with the battery till the spring of 1863, when he was discharged in consequence of disability. He then removed to Paxton, Ill., where he remained until the close of the war, teaching school, with the excen- tion of six months spent in the army again, or in the one hundred days' service in 1864. He again re- sumed the study of medicine, in the office of Ran. dolph & Kelso, of Paxton, Ill ; attended lectures at Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1866 and in 1867; returned to Illinois and commenced the practice of medicine at Ludlow, Champaign Co., Ill., where he married Miss Mary A. Pinkerton, of Preble County, Ohio, in 1868. In 1869, he removed to Savannah, An- drew Co., Mo., where his wife died of consumption. He had one child born, and which also died at the same time. He then returned to Ohio, in 1871, and graduated at Miami Medical College, at Cincinnati, Ohio, in the spring of 1872; located at Hicksville that
spring, in partnership with Dr. T. C. Kinmont, for one year. He married his second wife, Lodema H., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adamson Tannehill, of Defiance County, in 1873. From this marriage they have one child, eight years old, named Fordyce B. Richards.
Dr. William D. Otis was born in Stark County, Ohio, December 14, 1841. About this time, his parents moved to Wayne County, Ohio, where they remained about five years, then removed to Defiance County, in 1846, and settled in Milford Township, where they now reside. W. D. remained at home until eighteen years of age, attending district school in the winter season. At this age, he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, enlisting August 13, 1862, and was in the battles of Loudon Creek, Strawberry Plains, siege of Knoxville, also through the Georgia cam- paign and Franklin fight, Nashville siege and vic- tory, winding up in North Carolina, and was dis- charged at Cleveland, Ohio, at the close of the war, in July. 1865. He then returned home and resumed his literary education, which had been contemplated before his enlistment. He attended normal school at Bryan, Ohio, for one year; then went to Denison University, at Greenville, Ohio, where he remained six years, completing his classical work, and gradua- ting from the institute three years thereafter with honors, receiving the degree of A. M. In 1872, he entered the office of Prof. A. C. Miller, at Orrville, Wayne Co., Ohio, completing his studies with him. After graduating at Wooster Medical College, at Cleveland, he started to practice at Independence, near Cleveland. He remained there one and a half years; then went to Pataskala, Licking County, where he remained five years; then located in Hicks- ville, Defiance County, Ohio, November 1, 1880. He married, May 8, 1873, Harriet M., daughter of Har- rington Howe (deceased), and Martha (Smedley) Howe. Her mother, Martha, resides with Mr. Otis.
James Casebeer, farmer and dealer in stock, P. O. Hicksville, was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, June 4, 1818, and is a son of John and Sarah (Smiley) Casebeer, natives of Pennsylvania, who settled in the above county in an early day, where they made a permanent home, living therein until they died. He was a farmer and blacksmith by occupation. To them were born three children, viz., James, Sarah and Lavina. By his first wife he had eleven children, viz., Elizabeth, John, David, Mary, Plevy, Ann, Andrew, Adam, Catharine, Jacob and Han- nah. The early life of our subject was passed upon the farm, and when old enough and strong enough he began learning the smith trade, which he pursued for a number of years, saving up enough in the
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meantime to buy himself a small piece of land in fants were murdered, the rest taken into captivity. his native county. For thirteen years after his pur- : They were not captured until after a hard resistance was made, and then only after the cabin was burned. chase, he lived in Tuscarawas County, then disposed of his property, and removed to Holmes County, Ohio, Asher P. Phillips, son of John C. and Phebe A. (Mark) Phillips, was born in Berrien County, Mich., July 8, 1859. His father was born in Ohio in 1837, his mother, in this county in 1839. They had two chil- dern -Asher P. and Francis B. (dead). Asher P. married Susan J., daughter of John and Rachel (De- pew) Knisely. One child has been born to them, December 12, 1881 --- Phebe R. Phillips. His mother, Phebe, married for her second husband Peter M. Eldridge. John C. Phillips, the first husband, en listed in Company C, One Hundredth Indiana Volun- teer Infantry, in 1861, and served till the close of the war. The second husband, Peter Eldridge, enlisted in Company G, Thirtieth Indiana Volunteer Infan- try, August, 1862, discharged April, 1862, ou ac- count of disability. Re-enlisted in the Nineteenth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, January 12,1864, and discharged July 19, 1865; was in the siege of At- lanta and at Resaca and Peach Tree Creek, etc. where he bought land, on which he lived until 1861, at which time he located where he now lives, near Hicksville; now owns a farm of 270 acres of good land, 110 of which adjoins the village. He was elected to serve as a Justice of the Peace of the town- ship, and likewise as a Trustee. He was married, in 1838, to Miss Elizabeth, the daughter of Samuel and Martha (Stevens) Sewer, of Tuscarawas County, Ohio. To them have been born eleven children, seven of whom are living, viz., Martha J., John E., Catharine, George T., Elizabeth and Benjamin F., and Marietta: the deceased, Samuel J., William H., Anna and Alice. John was a member of Company D, Forty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry; en- listed October, 1861, as First Lieutenant of Company D; went through the war, and was honorably dis- charged September 28, 1865. William H. was a member of same company and regiment, and enlisted with his brother at the same time; was a Corporal; was killed at the battle of Shiloh April 6, 1862; shot through the head and instantly killed. Mr. C.'s family are members of the United Baptist Church. Mr. C. began life a poor boy, and by industry and economy he has accomplished the great object of life - made a good home-and is now living amid peace and plenty, the result of a successful life's work. Mr. C.'s parents died nearly at the same time, when he was only five years of age.
Mrs. Sarah Smiley's mother named Boyd, was captured by the Indians in childhood, in Somerset County, Penn., during the Revolutionary war, and held a captive by them for seven years. After the close of the war, she was turned over to her friends, a treaty having been effected that necessitated the return of all captives, and she, with others, was : brought into old Fort Duquesne, where Pittsburgh, Penn., now stands. At the time she was captured, seven others of the same family were taken, consist- ing of the child's mother and grandmother and four other children. The mother and grandmother were ruthlessly murdered by the Indians at the time they were captured, but all the children, except one, passed seven years in captivity. One of the children. a boy, and the youngest, became accustomed to his red captors and their ways, and refused to return to his white friends and relatives. The eldest son was kept a prisoner three years, when he was released and as- sisted back to his friends by his Indian captors. About twenty-five women and children were at the time congregated at the house where these peo- ple were captured. They all were infirm and the in-
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