USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of Erie County Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 74
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Ward, Edmond, Kelley's Island, one of the early settlers of Kelley's Isl- and, was born at Pleasant Valley, Essex county, N. Y., June 16, 1812, and was a son of Reuben and Mary (Laven) Ward. Reuben, who was born in Vergennes, Vt., served during the War of 1812, and was married in Lower Canada, after which he settled in Wolcott, Wayne county, N. Y., where he died. Ed- mond became engaged in the manufacture of iron. He was married in Sep- tember, 1835, to Nancy C. Titus, who was born in Cayuga county, N. Y., in 1817. They had a family of eight children : Melissa, John, Emily, Uriel L., Hattie, Mary, Adda and Bert. John enlisted in Company B, 8th Ohio Regi- ment, was wounded in action, and died in the hospital at Nashville, aged 23 years. Melissa married F. Wait; Emily, K. H. Holbrook, and Mary is now the wife of Henry Worden. The daughters all received liberal educations at . Oberlin College, and have taught in the graded schools. Mr. Ward visited Wisconsin in 1842, and in 1844 left New York State with the intention of set- tling in Wisconsin, but while on his way there concluded to visit Mrs. Ward's parents on Kelley's Island, and, being pleased with the place, decided to settle there. In 1848 he purchased a farm of 83 acres, for which he paid $25 per acre. Twenty-eight acres he has converted into a vineyard, and has, in addi- tion to this, 1,200 peach trees planted on the farm. Mrs. Ward was a daugh- ter of John and Mehitable (Chappy) Titus, who settled on Kelley's Island in 1838, and was one of the most prominent families on the island. They had a family of nine children, eight of whom are now living : Harriet, Mrs. Woodford; Zipporah, Mrs. Lincoln; J. R., Nancy C., Mrs. Ward ; Lydia T., Mrs. Dwelle; Julia, Mrs. Wadkins; Sabra, Mrs. Hamilton ; Jared, and James W.
Warden, William H., Huron p. o., proprietor of the Huron Elevator Com- pany, dealing in grain, coal, plaster, cement, and engaged in the shipping of produce, was born in Lorain county, in 1850, and was a son of John and Ann
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
(Bailey) Warden, who were natives of England. They were married in Lorain county, O., where they died. Mrs. Warden died, leaving a family of five children. John left three children by a previous marriage, making a family of eight in all. William H. was married in 1873, to Julia Root, of Lorain county. They have one son, Harry. William H. Warden was reared to farm life, and became engaged in early life in dealing in grain, and came to Huron, Erie county, where he became engaged in business. He extended his grain and other produce business, and leased the Huron Elevator. He was a mem- ber of the council for four years. He is now one of the prominent business men of the township.
Weber, John Paul, Margaretta, Venice p. o., a merchant, carpenter and con- tract builder, was born in Venice in 1854, and was a son of George and Eliz- abeth (Leidorff) Weber, who were born in Germany. George was born in Ba- varia, in 1828, and emigrated to America in 1850, and settled in Buffalo, N. Y., where he remained until 1851, when he came to Venice. He was married in 1853, and his wife, Eliza, died in 1861, leaving two sons : John P. and Henry. George enlisted in Company G, 123d O. V. I., in 1862, under Colo- nel Wilcox, and served to the close of the war. He was discharged with his- regiment at Camp Chase, in June, 1865. He was a prisoner at Libby, and John Paul Weber was married in also at Belle Isle, but was exchanged.
1874 to Amelia Matt, a daughter of John Matt, of Margaretta. They have four children : Edward G., Russell L., Pearl Amelia, and John L. Mr. Weber worked at the cooper business with his father, as journeyman, until 1875, when he became engaged in business as a contract builder. In 1884 he went into the general mercantile business at Venice. His father married for his second wife, Isabella Roukre, a Hessian by birth.
Westerhold, Fred., Sandusky, was born in Sandusky, and was married in 1884 to Caroline Lange, who was born at Kelley's Island. They have one son, Eugene. Fred. was the son of Paul and Mary (Hoegi) Westerhold. Mary was born in Baden, and married at Sandusky in 1856. Paul was born at Cologne, Germany, in 1830, and emigrated to America in 1850, settling in Sandusky in April of that year, as a journeyman carriage and wagon manu- facturer, and in 1855 he embarked in the carriage manufacturing business. In 1863 he became engaged in the jewelry and fancy goods trade, and now has the most prominent establishment of that kind in the city. His son Fred. is. now succeeding him in the business. Paul and Mary had a family of four children : Fred., Mary, Charles and Elizabeth.
Wetterer, Charles F., Sandusky, dealer in tobacco and cigars, was born in Sandusky, O., in 1865, and was a son of Isidore and Theresia Wetterer, who were born in Germany and married in Sandusky. Isidore died in March, 1886, leaving a widow and seven children-five sons and two daughters: Mary Isabella, Isidore F., Anthony F., Charles F., Emil J. and John A.
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Charles F., October 28, 1882, became engaged in the cigar business with a cash capital of twenty dollars. He now has a large store with an inviting stock, and is doing a successful business. He removed to his present store in 1884, at No. 224 Columbus avenue.
White, Elijah D., Margaretta, Castalia p. o., was born in Hatfield, Hamp- shire county, Mass., in' 1824, and was a son of John and Sophia White, who were married in Massachusetts, and with a family of five children settled in Groton township in 1834. The children were Ebenezer, Elijah, Mary S., George and John J. Elijah is now the only surviving one. The father, John White, was born in 1792, and died in 1863. He was captain in the old mil- itary State organization, and held several of the town offices. John, jr. served three years in the late war in the IOIst Regiment. Elijah D. White was mar- ried on December 15, 1852, to Harriet Smith, who was born in Barrytown, Duchess county, in 1831. They have had one son, Frederick E., born in 1853, and married in 1878 to Mary Zabest. They have had a family of three children : Elmer O., Charles and Flossey.
Harriet was a daughter of William and Sultana (Hemingway) Smith, who came to this township from New York in 1833. Mr. and Mrs. White have an adopted daughter, Hattie A. B. White.
White, Stephen, Margaretta, Castalia p. o., was born in Margaretta in 1862, and was a son of John and Mary (Rogers) White. Mary was born in Mar- garetta in 1836, and was a daughter of Stephen and Eliza (Hartwell) Rogers. John and Mary were married March 2, 1858, and had a family of two children : Sophia E. and Stephen H. Mr. White died March 28, 1883. Sophia was married in 1879. John White enlisted in Company G, 10Ist Ohio Regiment, in August, 1862, and served to the close of the war. He was discharged at Nashville. He was a son of John and Sophia White. Stephen H. received a liberal education, and afterwards became engaged in farming. He now owns and occupies a portion of the old homestead. He was married in December, 1885, to Nettie P. Jones. They have had one daughter, Leonora E., born January 1, 1888.
Wickham, John W., Huron, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1806, and was a son of William and Catharine Wickham, of Rhode Island. John W. settled in Norwalk, Huron county, in 1833, and became engaged in the mer- cantile business as a member of the firm of Wickham, Allen & Christian. Mr. Wickham erected his warehouse at Huron in 1834, and became engaged in a general produce shipping business and boat building. He, in company with Captain Augustus Walker, built the steamboats, Columbus, Great Western, and several others. He was one of the first to engage in the fish business in the county. In 1855 he commenced this line of business, freezing, packing and dealing in salt fish. He was also engaged in the lumber business as a member of the firm of Wickham & Ryan. He was married three times. His first wife, Sarah M. Van Rensselaer, to whom he was married in 1836, died in 1833. He
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
was married the second time to Sarah F. Van Rensselaer, who died in 1847, leaving two children : Sarah M. and John W. He then married his third wife, Elizabeth Van Rensselaer. They have one child : John W., jr. Mr. Wickham retired from active business life in 1884. His son, John, is his successor in the business.
Widmer, Jacob, Sandusky, was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1842, and was a son of Casper and Frena Widmer, who emigrated to Sandusky in 1852, having a family of seven children, three sons and two daughters are now liv- ing : John, Jacob and Fred, and Verena and Katie. Mrs. Frena Widmer died in Ottawa county, in 1877. Jacob was married in 1868 to Mary Christina Hall, who was born in Holstein, Germany. They have had a family of five chil- dren : Dora Ella, Minnie Catharine, Elizabeth Viola, and Gertie Mary and Jacob Jay. Mr. Widmer was janitor of the county court house from 1881 to 1885, when he resigned, and became engaged in the general grocery provision and saloon business.
Wiedel, Albert, jr., Perkins, Sandusky p. o., was born in Sandusky in 1855, and was married in 1883 to Margaret Lucal. They have had two children : Edith and Walter. Margaret is a daughter of William and Catharine Lucal. Albert was a son of Albert and Margaret (Beall) Wiedel, who were born in Germany, and married in Sandusky. Albert died in 1875. He came from Germany to Sandusky in 1848. He was educated for a clergyman, but after settling in Sandusky found employment as an engineer and machinist, and in 1867 purchased a farm, and was engaged in farming up to the time of his death.
Wiedel, Christian J., Sandusky, a merchant tailor, and dealer in gents' fur- nishing goods, was born in the Grand Duchy of Braunschweig, Germany, now the kingdom of Prussia, and emigrated to America in 1857, and settled in Sandusky as a journeyman tailor. He enlisted in Company E, 8th Ohio Regiment; served one year and four months; was transferred to Company C, 6th United States Cavalry, served twenty months, and was discharged June 25, 1864, hav- ing been promoted sergeant. On his return to Sandusky he became engaged in the manufacture of grape wine, the saloon, concert hall and theater business. He was married in 1865 to Amena Beck, who was born in Baden, Germany. They have a family of three children living : Othilde, Hedwig and Emma, one son, Alfred, died in 1883. He sold his saloon business in 1886, and the same year became engaged in his present business. He was elected sheriff of Erie county in 1888.
Wiegel, Bernard H., Sandusky, was born in Huron, Erie county, O., in 1839, and was a son of Bernard and Anna Martha (Mantz) Wiegel, who were born in Germany, and emigrated to America in July, 1833, and settled in Buffalo, where they were married in 1834. They came to Erie county, O., in IS37, and settled in Margaretta township in 1845, where Mr. Wiegel died in 1872, aged sixty- five years. He left a widow and a family of seven children : Bern-
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ard H., Anna Martha, Sarah W., Caroline, John P., August Frederick and Mil- ton. Bernard H. enlisted in Company H, 55th Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, in 1861, under Colonel Lee; was discharged January 8, 1863. He was wounded at the battle of Bull Run, and now receives a pension. He re-enlisted in 1864, in the 176th O. V. I., and served to the close of the war, being discharged at Columbus, in June, 1865. He was married in 1865 to Louisa Jane Mears, of Venice, O. They have had a family of five children : Lewis Stewart, William Henry, James Burdett, Emma Louisa, and Katie Cedelia, who died in 1881, aged three years and five months. Mr. Wiegel commenced the general mer- cantile business in 1876, and in 1883 settled in Sandusky, where he became engaged in the hotel business, and in 1887 retired from this and became en- gaged in the grocery and provision business. In early life he was engaged in farming. He was a member of the board of education of Margaretta township. for many years ; also for several years in Townsend township, of Sandusky county.
Winchell, Addison H., Huron, one of representative citizens of the county, was born in Detroit, Mich., in 1842, and was a son of Gardner and Emma Win- chell. Emma was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and Gardner in Chautauqua county, N. Y. Addison H. commenced his business life in 1856, when he be- came engaged in the grocery business, after which he went into the book busi- ness in Detroit, and later went to New York city, where he remained until 1865, when he returned to Detroit and became engaged in the wholesale grocery business. In 1870 he settled in Huron, Erie county, and in 1873 organized the present firm of Wickham & Winchell, now engaged in the fish business, and dealing largely in lumber, cement, lime, coal and grain. They are also engaged in a general shipping business, owning their own boats. Mr. Winchell was elected mayor of the corporation eight terms. He was married in 1867 to Mary E. Gardner, a daughter of George F. Gardner, of Detroit. They have one daughter : Belle Christian, born in 1869.
Witter, James B., Margaretta, Castalia p. o., one of the most enterprising farmers of this township, was born in Ontario county, N. Y., in 1818, and was a son of Elijah and Eunice (Bardon) Witter, who died in New York. They had a family of eleven children, six of whom are now living : Mrs. Zilphia Field, Mrs. M. Lewis, R. Livermore, James B., Mrs. Susan Prentice and Mrs. Louis Abbott. Amos enlisted from Michigan, and died at Cincinnati of fever. James B. Witter received a common school education and chose farming as his life occupation. He came to Margaretta in 1846, and purchasad his home- stead of II0 acres, for which he paid $1,650. He now owns a farm of 309 acres. He, in company with nine other gentlemen, organized the Castalia Milling Company, but failed, after having sunk over $90,000 in the enterprise. He was married in 1847 to Miss Arena Campbell. They have had a family of ten children, three died at an early age. Those now living are Mrs. Rebecca
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
Guinall, Mrs. Sarah Dining, Mrs. Mary Vale, Douglas, Mrs. Flora Ransom, Eli- jah and Ruel. Arena was a daughter of John and Sarah (Morris) Campbell, who were born in Pennsylvania, and married in Groton in 1819, where Sarah died in 1831.
Witty & Parker, Messrs., Huron, general merchants of Huron, Erie county. Mr. C. L. Witty was born in Vermillion, Erie county, in 1859, and was a son of Conrad and Catharine (Galmarhote) Witty, who were born in Germany, and married in Erie county, where Mr. Witty died in 1867, leaving a widow and four children : Mary, Emma, C. L. and August. Mr. E. E. Parker was born in Newburn, Geauga county, O., March 4, 1861, and was a son of L. A. and Almira P. (Brinsmade) Parker, of Ohio, and had a family of five children, four of whom are now living: E. E., F. F., A. L. and E. Frankie. The grandfather, Alanson, an early settler from New England, coming here with his parents in 1804, and settling in Cuyahoga county. The firm of Witty & Parker was or- ganized in March, 1886, and become engaged in a general grocery business in 1887, and in the same year purchased a large stock of dry goods, crockery, and a complete line of gents' furnishing goods. They were formerly clerks in the store of Messrs. Hull & Rand.
Wolverton, Charles, Huron, was born in New Jersey in 1811, and came to Huron with his parents in 1824. His father, Bailey Wolverton, was born in New Jersey, and his mother, Elizabeth Pery, was born on the ocean, of Ger- man parentage. Both died the year following their arrival at Huron, leaving a family of seven children, two of whom, a son and daughter, died within the same year. Charles is now the only surviving one. He was married in 1835 to Betsy D. Aikins, of Perkins, who died in 1841, leaving a family of five children : Lavina, Job, Ezekiel, Elizabeth and Betsey. Ezekiel enlisted in the Twelfth Ohio Calvary, and served to the close of the war. being discharged with his regiment in 1865. Mr. Wolverton married his second wife, Catharine Hamilton, March 4, 1846. She was born at Chenango Forks, Broome county, N. Y., in 1808. They have had two children, Eliza and Winthrop. Mrs. Wolverton settled in Huron with her parents, William and Hannah Hamilton, in 1822. They died in Sandusky county. Mr. Wolverton purchased his pres- ent homestead of 118 acres in 1839, for which he paid $35 per acre.
Wright, Alfred, Perkins, Sandusky p. o., one of the representative men of Perkins township, was born in Groton, Erie county, O., in 1846, and was a son of John and Betsey (Ford) Wright, who were born in England, and married in Erie county in 1844. Mrs. Wright died in 1886. They had a family of ten children, seven of whom are now living. John Wright has retired from active business life, and now is away on a visit to his native land and other foreign countries. He has distributed 3,000 acres among his children. Alfred Wright was married in 1869 to Mary Megginson, of Huron county. They have a family of three children: John Alfred, Edward Richard and Emma
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Louise. Mr. Wright is engaged in general farming and the manufacture of tile and brick. His farm consists of 400 acres of fine land.
Wright, Winthrop H., Huron, was born in Huron, Erie county, in 1813, and was a son of Hon. Judge Jabez and Tamer (Ruggles) Wright, who were natives of Connecticut, and married in Huron. Mr. Wright settled in Huron in 1808, and became engaged in surveying, and early became agent for several large tracts of land. He was elected judge, and also served as a member of the Legislature, also held many of the town and county offices. He was also postmaster for a number of terms. He died December 16, 1840, and his widow in 1849, leaving a family of five children, three of whom are now liv- ing : Winthrop H., Lucy, Douglass, Abigail and Ruggles. Winthrop H. was married in 1861 to Eliza Jane Brown, of Erie county. They have one daugh- ter, Gertrude. Mr. Wright became engaged in farming in 1837, and in 1866 became engaged in the fish business, which he has carried on ever since. He owns his own fishing fleet, and superintends his extensive farm interest of over 1,000 acres.
Zipfel, Constantine, Sandusky, one of the leading farmers and marketmen of Sandusky, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1839, and was a son of Joseph . and Mary (Mann) Zipfel. Joseph emigrated to America in 1852, and his wife and son came to Sandusky in 1855, where she died in 1857, and Joseph in 1878, leaving one son, Constantine, who was married in 1860 to Mary Daniel, who died June 28, 1886, leaving a family of seven children : Charles, Joseph, Lizzie, Mary, Ida, Laura and Alfred. Mrs. Zipfel was a daughter of Christo- pher Daniel. Mr. Zipfel was councilman for two years.
Zimmerman, Gottlieb, Sandusky, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1846, and was a son of John Martin and Rosa (Boos) Zimmerman, who came to America and settled in Sandusky in 1859. They had a family of ten children, eight of whom are now living : William, Rosa, Caroline, Christina, Gottlieb, Barbara, Christian and George. Gottlieb was married in 1873 to Elizabeth Bickel, who was born in 1852. They have had a family of five children : Clara, Lena, Minnie, Jacob M. and Robert. Mr. Zimmerman is bookkeeper at the establishment of Jacob Kuebeler.
Zimmerman, Henry, Sandusky, a farmer, stock dealer and feeder and re- tired butcher, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1834, and was a son of Michael Zimmerman. Henry emigrated to America and settled in Sandusky in 1854, and in 1855 became engaged in the butcher and market business. He retired from that business in 1883 and became engaged in farming and dealing in stock. He was elected member of the city council. He was married in 1860 to Rosa Zimmerman, who was born in Baden, Germany. They have had five children : Rosa, Carrie, Christina, Charles H. and George Martin. Rosa was a daughter of John M. and Rosa Zimmerman. ‹ €
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