History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 111

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio > Part 111

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S. STERNS & SON, dealers in clothing and gents' furnishing goods, Delaware. As in most other branches of business, Delaware takes a lead- ing position in the county in clothing and fur- nishing goods, having several of the leading houses of this kind in Central Ohio. The largest clothing house is that of S. Sterns & Son, whose business has been established since 1865. Their large and commodious store is located on the southwest corner of Sandusky and Winter streets, Here they occupy two large rooms, 100x22 feet. The first floor is used for ready-made clothing, hats, caps and gents' furnishing goods, from the cheapest to the finest. The second floor is used for trunks and valises, of which they carry a full and complete stock. Besides their extensive store in Delaware, they have a similar store in Marys- ville, Ohio. They also conduct the leading busi- ness of that place. The senior member of the firm is S. Sterns, of Philadelphia .. He is a lead- ing manufacturer of clothing, having been en- gaged in the business for a number of years. Mr.

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Raphael Sterns, a member of S. Sterns & Son, has had a number of years' experience in the clothing business, and is the gentlemanly manager of the Delaware store.

NICHOLAS S. SAMPSELL, physician and surgeon, Delaware; was born in New Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Ohio, April 1, 1818, son of Paul Sampsell ; he was educated at a select school at New Lisbon, and learned the trade of a carpenter, at which he worked for several years ; he also taught school in the winter months, spending the summer in hard study, preparing himself for his chosen profession ; at 18, he commenced the study of medicine under Dr. D. S. Silver, one of the leading physicians of Columbiana Co., and, after remaining in his office for three years, he was taken in as a partner, and continned the practice of medicine in Columbiana until 1843, when he went to Ft. Wayne, Ind., then West, and, on account of his health, returned to Ohio, and practiced medicine in Ashland and Richland Cos. until 1858; in 1844, the firm of Sampsell Bros. was formed ; J. B. F. 8ampsell was born in Ohio, and began the practice of med- icine about 1842 ; in 1858, Dr. Sampsell moved to Delaware, and since living here has built up a leading practice. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was married in Columbiana to Miss Mary A. Rotzel ; they have had three children, two of whom are living, a son and daughter.

JOHN LEWIS SMITH, SR., Delaware; was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, Oct. 3, 1822; his father died when John was an infant, leaving the family in poor circumstances; in 1829 or 1830, Mr. Smith's mother, with her family, emigrated to America and landed in Baltimore ; from there they came to Ohio, and located in Zanesville ; here Mr. Smith remained a few years, when he went to Columbus, where he worked at odd jobs at $4 a month; in about two years, he went to Dayton, and remained there until 1840, when he came to Delaware, where he remained a short time, and returned to Columbus to learn his trade as a blacksmith, which business he followed until he enlisted in a company of mounted riflemen, to do duty in Oregon. They were sent to Jefferson Barracks, where they received orders to go to Mexico, and embarked at St. Louis, Mo., on a steamer for New Orleans ; from there the soldiers were put on steamers, and their horses on schoon- ers; the soldiers arrived safely, and landed at the month of the Rio Grande River; the schooners containing the horses were lost in a storm on the

Gulf of Mexico ; the command was under Gen. Scott, who in March, 1846, laid siege to the strong castle of San Juan d'Ullo, which defended the city of Vera Cruz ; after four days' bombardment, both castle and city were surrendered ; Gen. Scott now began his march to the Mexican capital ; his progress was marked by a series of victories, de- feating the Mexicans at Cerro Gordo, at Puebla, and advanced against their strong defenses in the valley of Mexico, immediately surrounding that city ; here he gained the battles of Churubusco, Contreras and Chapultepec ; on the 13th of Sep- tember, the American army entered the capital of Mexico, and remained there until peace was de- clared. Our subject, Mr. Smith, participated in these marches and battles, doing his duty as a brave soldier, filling the position at one time as Orderly under Gen. P. F. Smith ; at the close of the war, Mr. Smith, with the mounted riflemen, returned, and was mustered out at Jefferson Bar- racks, he as Corporal ; he remained at Columbus, working at his trade until 1849, when he re- turned to Delaware and followed his trade a few years ; he then commenced driving team, most of the time for himself. Mr. Smith was married, in Delaware, to Miss S. Yeager, of Germany ; they have four children.

GEORGE SCHREYER, furniture dealer, Del- aware, is a prominent furniture dealer and mann- facturer of this city, who was born in Delaware in 1857; the son of George M. Schreyer, who was born in Germany, and came to Delaware, some twenty-five years ago, a poor man, but by industry and energy has accumulated a good property, now owning the present building in which his son is doing business, and a fine farm in Delaware Co .; George Schreyer's place of business is located at No. 30 Sandusky street ; the salesroom, which is well stocked with a complete line of furniture, is 20x60 foet, and is a model of elegance and neat- ness; the room in which the work is done is 15x20 feet, and is supplied with all modern con- veniences that are necescary in the manufacture of furniture; Mr. Schreyer commenced to learn his trade as a cabinet-maker when about 162 years of age; in 1877, he established his present business, where he has succeeded in building up a large and flourishing trade, brought about by his gentle- manly bearing toward his customers, and the quality and finish of his work.

ALWOOD SMITH, retired, Delaware, is one of the early settlers of Delaware Co., and was born in Washington, Berkshire Co., Mass., March 19,

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1796, the son of William and Lucinda (Witter) Smith ; his mother was a sister to Col. Moses Byxbe, the founder of Delaware City ; his father was a native of Hartford, Conn., where he was born in 1766; and, in 1816, came West with his family, locating in Delaware Co., Berlin Town- ship. Alwood remained a resident of Massachu- setts until the winter of 1817-18, when he came to Delaware Co., and located in Berlin Township ; Mr. Smith, before he came West, was engaged in Massachusetts as a shepherd ; after coming here he commenced farming, which he continued up to 1861, when he moved to this city, where he has since made his home. Mr. Smith, during his residence in Berlin Township, was one of its Trustees for eighteen years. In 1820, he mar- ried Miss Martha Joy, daughter of Amos Joy, who was one of the highly respected old settlers of Delaware Co .; Mr. Smith has been married three times, his first and second wives being sisters. He married his present wife in 1868; her son, John L. Daniels, was a soldier in the late civil war, a member of a New York regi- ment; he became a veteran, and served until the close of the war, having participated in a number of hard-fought battles, and suffered as a prisoner in Libby Prison ; he was faithful to his duty and a brave soldier. Mr. Smith is the father of three children - Augusta, Harriet and Martha-one living, Augusta, the wife of Geo. H. Crookshank.

JOHN SHEA, proprietor Delaware Marble Works, was born in Carlow, Ireland, June 17, 1824, and in 1849 emigrated to America, land- ing in New York City a poor boy : he set out to look for work, which he obtained on a farm near Syracuse, N. Y., where he remained some four months ; then came to Ohio in a stage, and located near Chillicothe, where he worked on a farm; Mr. Shea came to Columbus, where, on the 18th of February, 1851, he began to learn his trade as a marble-cutter ; getting this well learned, he worked for wages until 1859, when he came to Delaware, and embarked in business in the firm of Will- iams & Shea, afterward changed to Covell & Shea, from that to Shea & Tibbals, and again to Shea & Doyle ; Mr. Shea continued in business for a num- ber of years for himself, when, in 1879, the firm of John & W. Shea was formed. Mr. William Shea, the junior member, was born in the same house as John Shea; he has had some eleven years' experience in the marble business, and is a master in the marble-cutting business; the Delaware Marble Works are located at No. 28 .

South Main street ; from these shops some of the finest works that now grace the Oak wood Cemetery have been turned out by this firm. They carry a large stock of finished and unfinished marble ; some specimens of the former on exhibition in their shop are marvels of beauty, and indicate that those who can turn out such work are artists of no inferior ability.

A. THRALL, livery and feed stable, Delaware; was born in Chenango Co., N. Y., March 18, 1818; son of Daniel and Amanda (Gordon) Thrall; his mother was born in New York, and his father in Connecticut; they were married in New York, and in 1820 started for Ohio in wagons via Buffalo, thence to Ohio by the lake, and lost most of their household goods in the lake; after being out some six weeks, the family arrived in Berlin Township, Delaware Co., Oct. 20, 1820, in very poor circumstances, and began farming ; his mother died when Mr. Thrall was about 8 years old; his father died when he was 10, leaving him a poor boy. At 15, he went to Columbus, and commenced to learn the trade of a harness and saddle maker, where he remained about four years ; he then came to Delaware, and worked at his trade a short time, when he went to Chillicothe, where he remained one summer, and then returned to Berlin Township, Delaware Co., and commenced farming and working at his trade; he gradually improved and accumulated good land, until he became one of the leading farmers of that town- · ship ; he was Constable of Berlin Township for thirteen years, and Coroner of the county one term ; in 1862, he enlisted in Co. D, 20th O. V. I., and was detailed to do duty in the hospital, where he served faithfully until the close of the war; while serving here, he fell among some boxes, from which accident he is a cripple for life ; he was wardmaster of East Hospital, and La Grange Hospital ; at the close of the war, he returned to Delaware Co.) and engaged in farming until 1878, when he entered the livery business at Delaware; he is prepared to furnish livery at reasonable prices. He married Mary A. Chandler, of New Jersey, in 1840, who came to Ohio in 1823; they have ten children. Mr. Thrall is a Republican, and has been a member of the Baptist Church for forty years.

JOHN TRAUTMANN, Delaware ; was born in Berks Co., Penn., Oct. 5, 1805, and is the son of John and Mary M. Trautmann, both natives of Pennsylvania ; his father was a stonemason, and died in Pennsylvania. Mr. John Trautmann

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learned his trade as stonemason with his father, which he followed while in Pennsylvania; in 1833, he came with a family to Delaware Co., driving a team of horses all the way from his na- tive State; in Delaware he worked at his trade for a number of years, helping to build the Ameri- can House, the Mansion House, and other build- ings of prominence. In 1837, he married, in Delaware, Esther Biel, of Pennsylvania ; she died Aug. 11, 1853 ; he then married Mary Ann Seigfred, of the same State, and by this mar- riage has six children living. Mr. Trautmann came to Delaware with about $60 in money, and to-day owns a pleasant home and fifty acres of land adjoining Delaware; he had two sons in the late war, Daniel and John, both enlisting in the 96th O. V. I .; Daniel died in the hospital at St. Louis, in 1863, from disease contracted while in the army. Mr. ' Trautmann is one of the oldest members of the Lutheran Church of Delaware ; he has eleven grandchildren living; his mother died in Delaware some three years since, at the ripe old age of 94 years.

B. F. THOMAS, wheelwright, Delaware. Among the respected colored citizens of Delaware is the above-named gentleman who was born in Pickaway Co., Ohio, Oct. 14, 1847 ; his grand- father, Isaac Fisher, was one of the first settlers of Muskingum Co., Ohio, which he helped to lay out ; Mr. Thomas' mother, Rebecca (Fisher) Thomas, was born in 1812 and was a native of that county. Our subject came to Delaware in 1864; here he began to learn his trade as a wheel- wright in McElroy's Wagon Works; this business he has carried on for a number of years. He is a member of the Masonic Order, of which will be found a mention in the history of the Masonic Lodges of Delaware; his brother, Walter S., holds the position of Clerk in the State Senate at Columbus, which he has filled for two sessions with much credit. Mr. Thomas was married, in 1872, to Miss Rose Lewis; they have three chil- dren.

W. A. ULREY, photographer, Delaware; was born in Clermont Co., Ohio, in 1852, and com- menced to learn his trade as a photograph artist in Coles Co., Ill., where he remained a short time ; in 1877, he came to Delaware and worked in the photograph gallery of Mr. Bodurtha, where he re- mained until 1878, when he purchased his present business, the oldest photograph establishment in the county, located in the Evans Block, on the third floor. Mr. Ulrey, by close attention to bus-

iness and keeping pace with the improvements made in the art of photography, is meeting with good success; any kind of work that can be done by a photographer Mr. Ulrey can do; he finishes pictures in both oil and water colors, aud warrants them to give good satisfaction.

REV. JOHN UFFORD, Rector of the Epis- copal Church, Delaware, is the oldest resident pastor of Delaware; he was born in Old Stratford, Conn., Nov. 14, 1810, and is the son of Elijah and Percy (Peabody) Ufford, both natives of Con- necticut ; the father was a merchant. Mr. Ufford was a resident of Stratford until he was about 14 years of age, and then lived in Bridgeport, Conn., some five or six years ; in 1832, he came West to Ohio, and located at Gambier; here he entered Knox College and graduated in 1837; in 1839, he was ordained, taking charge of his first parish at Maumee City, Ohio, where he remained one year ; was then in Newark, Ohio, one year ; he then went to Virginia and remained some two years, engaging in teaching school; Mr. Ufford then took a parish in Northampton Co., Va., where he remained about eight or nine years ; then to Maysville, Ky., from there to Muscatine, Iowa, where he remained until 1861, when he entered the army and was made Chaplain of the 6th Iowa V. I .; after the capture of Vicksburg, on account of his health, he left the army; in 1863, he came to Delaware, since which time he has been the Rector of the Episcopal Church.

MARGARET VELEY, farmer ; P. O. Del- aware; is a daughter of John Main ; he was born in 1791 in Virginia, and married Mary Wright ; she was born in 1793 in Virginia ; they came to Ohio in 1815, settling in Delaware Co .; he died in 1837, having been a member of the Baptist Church ; she is still living in Troy Town- ship. Mrs. Veley was born Feb. 23, 1812, in Virginia ; came West with her parents, at which time there were many Indians in this section who were very friendly to her father; in December, 1830, she was married to Peter Veley, son of James Veley, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y .; they im- mediately settled on the present farm of 206 acres ; he died Oct. 1, 1839 ; she assumed control of the farm, and improvements have marked her man- agement ; they had four children ; Milo died Sept. 29, 1876 (his wife died Oct. 29, 1877, leaving two children, Nora and Milo, whom Mrs Veley is raising); John married Charlotte Seart, Grace married Mr. 'Gross, and Harriet married Mr. Ashwill. Mrs. Veley has long been identified

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with the Baptist Church as an active member and a devout Christian.

J. D. VAN DEMAN, attorney. at law, Dela- ware ; was born in Delaware, Ohio, Feb. 12, 1832, and is the son of Rev. Henry and Sarah (Darlin- ton) Van Deman ; his mother is a native of Ken- tucky, and his father of Pennsylvania ; he gradu- ated from the Ohio Wesleyan University, in 1851, then entered the law office of Powell & Buck, at that time one of the leading law firms of Dela- ware; in 1854, he was admitted to practice at the Delaware Co. bar, and associated himself with Judge T. W. Powell, forming the law firm of Powell & Van Deman ; this partnership continued until 1862, when the firm of Carper & Van Deman was formed, and is to-day the oldest as well as one of the strongest law firms in this part of Ohio. Mr. Van Deman was Prosecuting Attorney two terms, and Mayor of Delaware four years ; was the first Mayor of Delaware after it became a city ; in 1876, he was a candidate for the office of District Judge of the district embracing the counties of Delaware, Licking and . Knox; he made a gallant run, reducing the usual majority nearly 1,000 votes. Mr. Van Deman is director of the C. & T. R. R., and has been since its or- ganization ; he is also one of the directors of the First National Bank of Delaware. He is a Repub- lican. He was married, in 1861, to Miss Lydia Runkle, of Ohio, daughter of Judge R. E. Runkle ; they have three children-two daugh- ters and one son. Mr. Van Deman, when a lad, entered a school taught by Mrs. Murray,. near where the court house stands, and in the basement learned his A B C's; on the second floor of the same building he prepared himself for college. F. P. VERGON, proprietor of Greenwood Lake, Delaware, was born in the eastern part of France Dec. 16, 1829, and is the son of John G. and Elizabeth (Burlett) Vergon, who are natives of France; John G. Vergon was a poor farmer in France, who accumulated a little property and managed to eke out a living for his family ; he was a soldier under Napoleon Bonaparte for four years, and participated in the prominent battles under this great leader ; he was with Napoleon in his march over the Alps. He married in France, and in 1834, with his wife and five children, sailed for America, and, in June of that year, landed in New York City; he came direct to Ohio, and located in Delaware Co., on the farm where F. P. Vergon now lives ; here they purchased 113 acres of land ; a double log cabin and a small barn were

all the improvements on the place ; they were the first French family to settle in this part of the country ; he knew no language but the French, and had a hard time in purchasing and trading with the settlers around him; but, with a deter- mination to succeed, went to work with a will, clearing the farm of timber and brush; with good management and industry, and the help of his wife and children, he succeeded in life, and when he became old he had enough property to make him happy and his family comfortable ; in his old age, he was a favorite with all, happy and trying to make others happy ; a few years before his death, he suffered from a severe attack of whooping cough which, perhaps, hastened his death; he died in 1870 at the age of 772 years. F. P. Vergon was raised on the farm ; he owns three finely-im- proved farms in Delaware Co .; his home farm is improved with a residence for himself and family, then a comfortable home for his mother, a fine barn and outbuilding, an icehouse from which he supplies Delaware and its vicinity with pure ice, from the well-known Greenwood Lake, a body of water covering about thirty acres; in 1874, Mr. Vergon stocked the lake with fish, principally bass ; this enterprise has proven a success, and the lake swarms with fish. During President Hayes' visit to Delaware in 1879, Mr. Vergon's son, Lemorteen, caught a bass weighing 4} pounds, and presented it to the President for his breakfast. No' lover of nature, of beautiful scenery, and all that is calculated to please the eye, should fail to visit Greenwood Lake. Mr. Vergon was mar- ried in 1856 to Miss Martha L. Smith, daughter of A. Smith, Esq .; she died in 1857. He after- ward married his present wife, Miss Kate L. Jones, daughter of John L. Jones ; she was born in Prince William Co., Va., and moved thence to Lewis Co., the home of Stonewall Jackson, who was one of her playmates and a. distant connection ; by this marriage they have seven children ; Mrs. Elizabeth Vergon died Feb. 23, 1880, aged 86 years.

REV. HENRY VAN DEMAN,(deceased) Dela- ware, was a native of Brownsville, Penn., where he was born April 1, 1798, the son of John Van Deman, a farmer ; Henry came to Ohio at an early day, and at first entered upon a rural life, but subse- quently entered school, graduating from Athens College, and soon afterward commenced the study of theology with Dr. Wilson, of Chillicothe, Ohio, and, in about the year 1823, was licensed to preach ; for a short time he was a missionary in Highland and Adams Cos., Ohio. In 1824, he

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married Sarah Darlington, of West Union, Ohio, and came to Delaware the same year; after a resi- dence of about six months here, he took charge of the Presbyterian Church, and remained its regular minister for some thirty years, when he retired from preaching ; May 19, 1872, the Rev. Mr. Van Deman was relieved of his earthly cares and passed into life immortal; having lived a life of usefulness, he died beloved and honored, leaving a wife and seven children. Mrs. Van Deman was born in Ohio Jan. 2, 1802, the daughter of Joseph Darlington, who was a member of the convention that framed the Ohio State Constitution at Cin- cinnati ; also filled the office of Clerk of Adams County for fifty years. Mrs. Van Deman's hus- band and a brother, Meredith Darlington, were volunteers in the army of the war of 1812.

REV. J. VOGT, Pastor of the German Re- formed Church, Delaware; was born in Fair- field Co., Ohio, Jan. 1, 1825, and is the son of John and Annie M. (Hiebel) Vogt; his father was a native of Union Co., Penn., and his mother of Berks Co., Penn .; his great-grandfather, Jonas Vogt, came from Bosewa, Switzerland, and located in Pennsylvania in 1752 ; Mr. Vogt was born on a farm, where he remained until he was 19 years of age; he then commenced studying for the min- istry at Lancaster, Ohio, and completed the course at Xenia. In 1846, at the meeting of the Miami Classis, at Miamisburg, he was licensed to preach, and in the same year was ordained and became Pastor of St. Paul's Church, in Butler Co., also Samuel's Church of same county. Here Rev. Mr. Vogt did good and effective work, having organ- ized three churches-the Zion's, Mount Zion's and Seven Mile; remaining here until 1853, when he went to Darke Co. as a missionary, where he established churches and Sunday schools under great difficulties and with the most primitive ac- commodations. Here he organized the New Mad- ison Church, and took charge of Zion, a church then with but little attendance. At the close of Mr. Vogt's work, the latter was one of the best charges of the Miami Classis. After remaining in Darke Co. until 1860, he went to Fairfield Co., where he took charge of two congregations until 1863, when he moved to Delaware, and became Pastor of the German Reform Church, preaching `in both languages-the English and German. Mr. Vogt was married, Jan. 2, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth Karn, of Seven Mile, Ohio ; by this union there have been born five children, four of whom are living.

IRA VOUGHT, wagon - maker, Delaware. Among the leading business men of the little hamlet of Stratford may be mentioned Mr. Ira Vought, who was born in Greenwich Co., N. J., in 1847 ; in 1853, he came West with his parents, and located in Delaware Co .; part of his school days were spent in the stone schoolhouse where his wagon works are now located; he came to Delaware, and learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed until he drifted into his present trade as wagon-maker, working in different parts of the country. He is a practical worker, as one may judge by entering his cozy shop, where he is pre- pared to do all kinds of wagon woodwork at rea- sonable prices. Mr. Vought was a soldier in the late civil war, enlisting in the 48th O. V. I., Co. B, and did good service; he participated in the battle of Blakely, the last fought during the war, and was honorably mustered out. In 1879, he commenced his present business in Stratford, where he is meeting with good success.

JOHN W. N. VOGT, physician and surgeon, Delaware, is one of the leading physicians and sur- geons of Delaware ; he was born in Seven Mile, Butler Co., Ohio, May 1, 1852, and is the son of Rev. John Vogt; in 1863, he came to Delaware and began the study of medicine, remaining in the offices of Dr. Hyatt, of Delaware, and Dr. Kinsman, of Columbus, some six years, when he entered the Columbus Medical College and gradu- ated from this institution in 1875; Dr. Vogt came to Delaware and began the practice of his profes- sion, entering a partnership with Dr. E. H. Hy- att, which continned for about two years ; since then the Doctor has been practicing alone and meet- ing with very good success. In 1878, his friends placed him on the Republican ticket for Coroner of Delaware County, to which office he was elected by a handsome majority.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 111

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818