USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2 > Part 45
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EDWARD WALZ, merchant, Hyattsville. Edward Walz is among the young business men of this county who is well worthy of com- mendation and patronage of the people in the surrounding country ; he was born in Germany, Oct. 13, 1850, son of Joseph Walz ; mother's maiden name was Mary Bailer; Edward is the eldest of a family of nine children; in 1867, when he was at the age of 17, he bade good-bye to the land of his fathers, and emigrated to America, and came to Ross Co., where he hired out to work in a nursery two years ; then ran a fruit store about the same time. On Feb. 19, 1873, he ivas united in marriage to Matilda England, born Feb. 29, 1857; she is a daughter of William England ; in October, 1876, he came to this county and set up in the mercantile business at Hyattsville, where he has since remained in busi- ness ; keeps dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, notions, etc. Mr. Walz came to this country a poor boy, without money or friends, and began for himself, and has pursued a course that has won for him a good reputation and friends, and since his advent to this place, has, by his good nature and kind and obliging manner and attention to his business, secured a large number of friends, and is doing a good business and is bound to succeed.
They had three children-Mary, born April 24, 1875; George W., June 3, 1876 ; Edward, died June 19, 1879.
R. K. WILLIS, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. O. Lewis Center. Prominent among the leading stock- raisers and agriculturists in this township and county is the party whose name heads this sketch, who was born in Concord Township Sept. 26, 1843, and is the seventh child of a family of ten children (eight boys and two girls), born of Buek- ley H. Willis, a native of Massachusetts, and came to this State about the year 1840: he came to Delaware Co. and located in Concord Township, where he still remains ; he has been successful in his business relations, and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor, in peace and quietness; is now 72 years of age; Rollin remained at home until he attained his majority, and soon after volunteered his services in defense of his country, and en- listed in Co. K, and was out in the 100-day service, and upon his return re-enlisted in the 48th O. V. I., Co. B, and remained until the close of the war, doing duty in the Gulf Department. His brother, P. A. Willis, went out as Assistant Surgeon in the same regiment, and served as Medical Director. Upon his return home, he went to school that winter, and, in the spring, made a trip to Kansas, and subsequently was united in marriage to Alice E. Tone, born Oct. 15, 1849, daughter of Miner P. Tone, a native of New Hampshire, who came to this State and located in Franklin Co., and afterward bought the farm now owned by Rollin.
JACOB ZIMMERMAN, farmer ; P. O. Hy- attsville. The Zimmermans are of German des- cent, and the younger portion of the family are natives of Pennsylvania, where Jacob's father, Henry, was born. Jacob was born in Ross Co., Dec. 16, 1809, and moved to this county with his father in the year 1823, and settled in this town- ship, north of Hyattsville, where the senior Zim- merman died in the fall of 1865 ; he was a par- ticipant in the war of 1812; Jacob had limited school advantages ; he remained with his parents until he was of age, and, in his 22d year, was married to Mary Clark, born in the township ; after their marriage, they settled in this township, where he bought fifty acres and engaged in farm- ing ; she died fifteen years afterward, leaving two children-Israel and Amanda. He was married a second time, to Eliza Lewis, April 22, 1848 ; she was born in Berlin Township ; they have seven children-William C., Lavina (died in February,
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1880), Hattie S., Jay, Ida May, Harry and Lee. In 1862, he sold out his place, and moved where he now lives, where he bought sixty acres; Mr. Zimmerman, at the age of 20, went to learn the
shoemaker's trade, in Pickaway Co., and worked at the same about twelve years, during which he attended to his farming. He and wife are mem- bers of the M. E. Church.
BERKSHIRE TOWNSHIP.
J. ARNOLD, merchant, Galena ; the only son of Ira and Sarah M. (Ingham) Arnold; is a native of Galena, this county, and born Aug. 17, 1845 ; he received the advantages of the common school of his day, and entered upon the duties of a clerk in Galena, at the age of 20; his attention was next directed to building and farming ; in 1873, he engaged to G. B. Carpenter in the lumber business. Aug. 8, 1874, he married Emma, the daughter of Mr. Carpenter, and to them, May 25, 1877, was born their child-Mamie. Mr. Arnold subsequently became the owner of the lumber business, which he continues; under his administration it has been prosperous, and has grown in volume ; in addition to a stock of lumber and house-building material, he keeps salt, lime, coal and drain tile ; also buys grain and wool ; he will soon have completed a new business building, two stories high, dimensions, 40x25 feet ; he owns a fine residence in Galena, with twenty-five acres adjoining, also forty-five acres well improved in Berkshire Township; he is a member of Galena Lodge, No. 404, I. O. O. F. Himself and wife are members of the M. E. Church, in which he has been an active member, also served as Super- intendent of Sunday school of the same denomin- ation. . Mr. Arnold's father was born in Vermont in 1794, and came to Ohio about 1810-11, experi- encing the hardships incident to pioneer life ; he died about 1839. He was married twice, his second wife-the mother of the subject of this sketch-was born Dec. 31, 1799, the daughter of Abraham Ingham, and came to Ohio by team in 1810; previous to her marriage with Mr. Arnold, she had been married to Mr. David Berge; she is still living with her son in Galena, and is lively and interesting. Has been a church member the most of her life.
GEORGE ARMSTRONG, farmer; P. O. Sunbury ; is a son of Charles and Elizabeth ( Slo- cum) Armstrong; his father was born in Berk- shire Township, Delaware Co., Ohio, in 1809,
where he always lived, except a short residence in California ; in 1850, he made a trip to that State, and spent eight and one-half months in gold min- ing, in which he cleared about $4,000; he died in 1869; has served as County Treasurer, Internal Revenue Assessor, and has held his share of the minor offices ; his mother was a daughter of Lem- uel Slocum, of Pennsylvania, born in 1813 ; they have had six children, two of whom now survive. Edson lives in Colorado. The subject of this sketch was born May 26, 1843, in Sunbury. In 1861, he enlisted in Co. C, 4th O. V. I., under the first call, and was Sergeant Major ; he was in many battles, among which were Rich Mountain. Win- chester, Port Royal, Port Republic, Bristow Station, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Williams- port, Culpeper, Rappahannock, Martinsford, Malvern Hill, Spottsylvania, and many others ; he was in the war three years and three mouths ; on his return, he again engaged in farming. In 1867, he married Emily Kimball, a daughter of Elias Kimball, of New Hampshire, who came to Ohio in 1835; Mr. Armstrong's first wife died April 27, 1875; May 24, 1876, he again mar- ried, his spouse being Mrs. Irene Sedgwick, a sister of his first wife; by his first wife he had four children, two living, Burt and Mabel, and two deceased-Arthur F., died Nov. 28, 1868, and Edson M., July 27, 1871 ; by his second wife he had one child-Charles Otis. The following ex- tract is from one of the county papers on the death of Mrs. Armstrong: " Her death was occa- sioned by her clothes taking fire the day previous, from which she suffered intensely for twenty-five hours, during which she remained as calm and composed as her sufferings would possibly admit ; she expressed no fear of death, having professed a hope in Christ while in youth, and has been a valid member of the Sunbury Baptist Church for most of her life." Mr. Armstrong was engaged in merchandising for four years, in partnership with Kimball ; he now lives on the old homestead
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of his father, and has 195 acres of land, among the finest in the county ; a part of this farm is the present site of Sunbury. Mr. Armstrong's grand- father was born in Luzerne Co., Penn., and mar- ried Sallie Draper; moved to Ohio by team in 1807, settling on the farm now owned by George Peck, entering it at $1.25 per acre; he had $9 when he arrived, which he invested in a cow, and which soon died; he moved to Morrow County, where he remained until the death of his wife in 1860; he then removed to Sunbury, where he died.
B. W. BELL, farmer ; P. O. Sunbury ; is a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (McClellan) Bell; his father was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in 1812, settling in Knox Co., where he died in 1853. Mr. Bell's father was one of eight children ; John married Miss Knox, now in Penn- sylvania ; James married Miss Hayes ; Isaac mar- ried E. Herod ; Hannah married B. Woodruff, of Pennsylvania ; Polly married N. Woodruff, of Pennsylvania ; Sarah married J. Hayes, connec- tion of President Hayes ; David married Katie Canady, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Bell's mother was a daughter of Cary MeClellan, who, together with a brother John, were Revolutionary soldiers ; the latter was the father of Gen. McClellan, prominent in the civil war ; now Governor of New Jersey ; she died in Kansas in about 1869. B. W. Bell was born Oct. 4, 1829, in Knox Co., Ohio, where he remained until 21, attending school at Martinsburg, and farming and stock- raising. He was married, May 1], 1850, to Louisa Warren, daughter of David Warren ; she was born April 8, 1830; this marriage was cele- brated by Rev. Sanders, of the Disciples' denomi- nation ; they were blessed with eight children, five of whom are living-Emma L., Willie J., Ida M., Frank B. and Henrietta ; three deceased- Elizabeth, Aug. 23, 1852; an infant, Oct. 4, 1852 ; and Nancy, Oct. 23, 1864. After marriage, they settled in Licking Co. until 1857, when they moved to the present farm of 375 acres, which is well improved with living springs, and well adapted to stock-raising, which he gives consider- able attention to, making a specialty of fine Span- ish merino sheep. Mr. Bell hired a substitute in the war, and was out opposing the Morgan raiders in Ohio ; was Township Clerk in Knox Co., and has been connected with school offices. He and wife are members of the Christian Church in Trenton Township, of which denomination he has been Superintendent of Sunday school. Mr. Bell
remembers hearing his father tell of his settle- ment in Knox Co., at which time there were but two log houses where Newark now stands, one of which was used for a whisky cellar; his father would offer 64 cents more on the day for hands who would not drink whisky, in order to encour- age temperance ; his father was instrumental in organizing a church on his farm, and in connec- tion with his brothers built a fort, in an early day, in Pennsylvania, called after them ; his grand- father enlisted in the war of 1812, but hired a substitute for a pair of socks. Mr. Bell was one of eleven children-Cary, born Aug. 19, 1805, died March 11, 1826 ; Jacob L., born Aug. 11, 1807, deceased Oct. 15, 1874; Cephas, born March 15, 1810, deceased July 17, 1812; Hen- rietta, born May 2, 1812, deceased Oct. 30, 1879 ; Mary, born June 15, 1814, deceased Aug. 15, 1875 ; James, born April 18, 1819, deceased March, 1879 ; Malinda, born July 26, 1819 ; de- ceased July 19, 1875 ; Amy, born Aug. 18, 1821, deceased ; Nancy, born 1823, married D. H. Elliott ; Eunice, born Nov. 11, 1826, deceased March 12, 1876.
G. J. BURRER, miller, Sunbury; is the the son of J. G. and Catharine ( Bullinger) Bur- rer. His father was born in Wittenburg, Ger- many, and was a stonecutter and saloon-keeper ; he came to Ohio in 1855, and died in 1874; his wife is still living in Sunbury; they had eight children, all of whom survive and are in Ohio. Mr. Burrer, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1848, in Germany ; when 7 years old, he came with the family on a sail vessel to America; he worked for his father until 21 years of age, when he began business for himself; he laid stone for one year ; he then engaged in milling in Trenton Township, in partnership with Judge F. B. Sprague, where they continued for five years ; they established the present mill at Sunbury in 1875, and are doing a successful business. He was married in 1875, to Anna A. Gammili, daughter of S. S. Gammill, of Delaware Co .; she was born Aug. 15, 1858 ; have two children -- Sprague and an infant; he has a house and three lots in Sunbury and an interest in a stone-quarry at Sunbury.
R. C. BRINKERHOFF, stoves and tinware, Sunbury, Ohio ; is a son of P. J. and P. S. Brinkerhoff; his father was born in 1815, in New York, and came to Richland Co. in 1832; his mother was a daughter of Barney Coe; she was born in 1821; they had five children; three are !
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living, two-Alice and Henry-in California, and Mr. Brinkerhoff, who was born on his father's farm, in Richland Co., Ohio. Nov. 20, 1846, and was reared in a log cabin; he had all the advantages that were afforded by the district schools for an education ; in 1859-62. he attended Willoughby College, at Willoughby, Lake Co., and, in 1863, he went with his parents to Califor- nia ; in 1868, he returned and began learning the tinner's trade with H. C. Breckenridge. at Plym- outh, Lake Co., afterward working with O. C. Will- iams; in January, 1875, he engaged in the present business, at Galena, which he has since continued. He contracted a happy marriage, October, 1876, with Alice M. Gregory, a daughter of E. G. Gregory, of Huron Co., Ohio; she was born in 1856, and taught school when 14. He takes an active interest in the temperance cause and Sunday schools; he is at present Superin- tendent of the Presbyterian Sunday School at Sunbury, of which church he and his wife are members.
A. JENKS BOCKOVER, farmer; P. O. Constantia ; was born in Berkshire Township Aug. 23, 1829; son of Jacob and Eliza Bock- over ; lived a bachelor until he was about 40 years of age, when he wooed and won the hand of Miss Lovisa Henion, a native of Putnam Co, N. Y. She came out West with her parents in 1868, and settled in Berkshire: the house Mr. Bock- over now owns was the one that her parents lived in, and here he met and courted his wife, and since their marriage have been constant residents; they have had four children-Jacob, John, Jennie (deceased), and Bettie; his farm, consisting of eighty acres, is located on the west side of the township. He is Democratic, yet is very liberal in his views, and prefers to vote for good men rather than party.
nah Moore, a daughter of Burton Moore; they have one child, Bertha, born May 17, 1875 ; after marriage, they settled on Mr. Moore's farm of 287 acres, which he manages and controls ; he deals extensively in stock and grain ; has served in the capacity of school teacher.
CHARLES CASE, retired farmer ; P. O. Berkshire; is.a son of Lewis Case, of New York, and was born in 1805 in Luzerne Co., N. Y., where he remained until 17 years old, and then came to Pennsylvania, where he engaged in coal mining and teaming, working by the month at $13 to $15; he married Catharine, a daughter of Frederick and Kate (Rider) Carney ; they have eight children, five of whom are now living-Car- oline (married to Andrew Garvin, now deceased ); she lives at, Olive Green ; Mary A. (married Henry Fisher, living in Berkshire Township; Sophronia (married Edwin Buel, living in Licking Co) .; Eliza (married John Brees, living in Wyandot Co., Ohio); Delia (married Erastus Loop, who is dead. and she is now living with her parents); Adda (deceased when young) ; two boys, George and Henry, died in the war by disease.
THOMAS F. CARPENTER, farmer, P. O. Berkshire ; is a son of Robert and Nellie Lewis ; his father, born in Luzerne Co., Penn., in 1784, came to - Ohio in 1807. and died in 1852; his mother was a daughter of Robert Lewis ; she was born in 1807, and died May 18, 1839; his father married for his second wife Philena Walker; she was born Feb. 14, 1814, and died May 10, 1877; Mr. Carpenter's grandfather was once Judge of the Circuit Court, and was at the Wyoming Massacre : Thomas F. was born Sept. 19, 1836, on a farm in Berkshire Township where he remained until 1878, when he moved to his present place. He was married in 1866 to Louisa Grist, daughter of' George Grist. They had one child, which died when S months old ; his wife died Oct. 17, 1872: Mr. Carpenter served in Co. D, 20th O. V. I., under Capt. McElroy, as Sergeant ; he lost his health while in the army, and has since lived mostly a retired life ; he now lives with his sister. Mary A., wife of J. C. Farrier, who died in 1875 : she was born in 1834; he is now canvassing for the " History of Andersonville Prison "; his father was in the war of 1812, and marched to the relief' of Ft. Stephenson.
E. T. CULVER, farmer; P. O. Sunbury ; son of Sydney and Jane ( Carpenter) Culver ; his father was born in Ohio, and was a half-brother of Judge Stark, and was born about 1822; his mother was a daughter of Samuel Carpenter, of Delaware Co .; she was born about 1827; had : ! three children, all of whom are living; Henry is Prosecuting Attorney for Delaware Co. The sub- ject of this sketch was born Feb. 22. 1848, on his father's farm in Kingston Township, and resided there until 10 years old, when he came to Berk- L. S. COOK, harness-maker, Sunbury ; is a son of Spencer and Lydia (Green) Cook, his father was born in Massachusetts in 1793; came to Ohio shire Township, where he has since remained; in 1872, he began dealing in live stock, continuing four years. Was married, Oct. 15, 1874, to Han- 1 about 1856, and settled in Delaware Co .; he was
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a harness-maker ; his wife was a daughter of Tur- pin Green, born in Rhode Island but lived mostly in New York; they had a family of seventeen children ; all survive. Mr. Cook, the subject of this sketch, was born in July, 1820, in Saratoga Co., N. Y .; at the age of 15, he began learning the harness business with his father ; in 1843, he left York State and came by railroad and canal to Delaware Co., Ohio, where he soon engaged as a journeyman, working with Samuel Peck at Sun- bury; he worked for him about three years ; in 1846, he bought one-half of the shop and con- tinued in partnership with Peck about two years ; he then bought Peck out, and continued the bus- iness some time; in 1850, he built the present shop, and has continued harness-making ever since. He has held the office of Town Clerk six years and Trustee four years. Was married in 1847, to Martha Myers, a daughter of Lawrence Myers, an early settler and one of the founders of Sunbury. He also kept the first hotel in the place ; he, per- haps, built the first brick house in Delaware Co. Mrs. Cook died in 1850; by her he had two chil dren-Edward L., died on the same day his mother died ; Mattie died at the age of 9 years. He was married again in 1856, to E. K. Wilcox, daughter of Crondle Wilcox, a merchant, tanner and hotel- keeper; by her he had five children-Mary, Henry (who is working with his father in the harness business), Carrie, Charles and William (deceased).
H. C. & W. P. FROST, farmers ; P. O. Berk- shire; are sons of Daniel and Mary (Fassett) Frost ; their father was born in 1795 in Connecti- cut, and came to Ohio in 1840, settling in Berk- shire Township; he died in 1842; their mother was born in 1785 in Connecticut ; they had four children, three of whom are living. W. P. Frost was born Jan. 12, 1825, and came to Ohio with „ his parents when 15 years old; at the death of their father, they were thrown upon their own resources ; at the age of 19, W. P. began teach- ing, continuing five years, and then engaged in driving cattle and hogs to New York from this county, making a trip through in from sixty- five to ninety days; in 1849, he engaged in merchandising with J. D. Carney, at Berkshire Corners, continuing three years ; he then withdrew and engaged in driving and shipping stock; he then engaged in farming with his brother; he now owns 200 acres. He was married, Oct. 23, 1851, to Delia M. Crawford, daughter of Maj. . J. C. Crawford, of the old Ohio militia, who was born in 1801 in Butler Co., Penn., and came to Ohio
in 1811, with his people ; settled in Berkshire Township in 1826; he is now living in Illinois. Her mother was a daughter of John Benedict ; she was born Jan. 29, 1800, and died in 1868. Her father was a cabinet-maker, carpenter and joiner, and assisted in building the Protestant Episcopal Church of Berkshire; he and brother turned the posts used in the building by hand. He was Post- master of Berkshire for twenty-five years. Her grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier. W. P. Frost has held the office of Township Clerk, four terms ; Trustee and Assessor each one term, and School Director twenty years. They are church members, he of the Presbyterian, and she of the Protestant Episcopal, Church. H. C. Frost was born May 21, 1823, in Luzerne Co., Penn., and came to Ohio Oct. 4, 1840 ; he attended school in his younger days as much as convenient ; he fol- lowed farming until April 28, 1846, when he started in the employ of J. S. Hutchins, with a drove of cattle for Boston, and was fifty-six days on the road; he then returned to Ohio by way of Buffalo, where he met Charles Robinson, to whom he hired, and drove 200 head of cattle to New York; he then took an interest, buying 108 head of cattle and 700 head of hogs, which they drove to Albany, N. Y., and then shipped to Boston ; he was thus principally engaged until 1863, when he began devoting his time to farming, which he has continued in connection with stock-raising. He was President of the Delaware. Berkshire & Sun- bury Pike for four years, and Justice of the Peace five years. He paid out over $400 for the war ; his brother, W. P., paid out $1,100. Mr. Frost was married, Dec. 28, 1870, to Mary J. Ramsey, daughter of Samuel A. and Mary A. Ramsey ; her parents were from New Jersey, and came to Ohio at an early day, and are living in Porter Township ; she was born in 1843 in this county, and has taught school ; they have two children-David R., born Jan. 13, 1877; Henrietta, born Dec. 23, 1878. Mr. Frost is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Berkshire.
ALONZO FISHER, farmer; P. O. Berkshire ; is a son of George and Phoebe ( Hopkins) Fisher ; his father was born May 4, 1788, near Washing- ton. Penn .. and came to Ohio in 1806, settling in Berkshire Township ; he came from Pennsylvania by teams and was compelled to cut roads through the forest, as he came. At various times, the red man would pile brush for him, and take bread and milk for compensation : he built the first frame house in this township, which is still standing.
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His wife was a daughter of Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, for which his wife received a pension ; she lost, at one time, $500, through a mail robbery ; it was afterward found buried ; she was born Dec. 22, 1794, and came to Ohio in 1808, with her mother; married Mr. Fisher Jan. 17, 1811; she died Aug. 15, 1865; he died March 21, 1869. Mr. Fisher, the subject of this sketch, was born Jan. 11, 1834, on the present farm, where he has always lived and assisted his father in making a home. He mar- ried, Sept. 7, 1864, Susan, a daughter of George Roberts; her father was born May 13, 1818, in Ohio, and is now living in Harlem Township; her mother was a daughter of J. Edwards, and was born Jan. 28, 1823 ; her parents had four chil- dren. Mr. Fisher is now owner of 280 acres of well-improved land, 114 acres of which was willed to him by his father and the remainder he purchased ; he makes a specialty of raising stock. They have a family of four children-David, Al- bert, Daisy and Phoebe. They are members of the M. E. Church at Berkshire, of which he is class-leader, and has also been connected with the Sabbath school of the same denomination.
HENRY FISHER, farmer; P. O. Berkshire ; is a son of George and Phoebe Fisher, and was born on his father's farm in 1819, in Berkshire Town- ship, where he has spent most of his life, engaged in farming. In 1841, he was married to Julia Spear, daughter of Elias Spear, of Vermont, by whom he had three children, two living-Emma and William; Dora (deceased) ; his wife died in 1864. He was again married, in 1869, to Mary A., daughter of Charles Case, whose sketch ap- pears in this work; by her he has three children -- Louie, Cora and Liverta. Mr. Fisher owns 117 acres of well-improved land, which is a part of ! the old homestead of his father ; his farm is finely adapted to stock-raising, which he makes a spe- cialty. He has held several township offices, but the most of his life has been devoted to his farm- ing interests.
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