USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 63
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ments of his postoffice service was the es- tablishment of the fine rural free delivery system of Fairfield County, consisting of more than forty carriers.
Mr. Pickering was married in 1895, to Miss Jessie D. Chaney, a daughter of Wil- liam and Eleanor (Harsha) Chaney, of Cir- cleville, O., and they have two daughters and one son: Eleanor C., Dorothy and William C. Mr. and Mrs. Pickering are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Pickering is a prominent Mason, having served as master of Lancas- ter Lodge, No. 57, in 1898-99; is a member of Lancaster Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and a Knight Templar of Lancas- ter Commandery, No. 2, of which he is now serving as Excellent Prelate.
FRED G. BOSCH, proprietor of a gen- eral store at Basil, Fairfield County, O., making a specialty of harness, was born in 1861, at Lancaster, O., and is a son of Dr. Gottfried and Margaret Bosch.
The parents of Mr. Bosch were born in Germany; the mother on July 17, 1820, came to America in 1852, and died at Basil, O., July 30, 1900. The father of Mr. Bosch was reared and educated in Germany and received his medical degree from Witten- berg College. He was thirty-five years old when he came to America, was married in Fairfield County, O., in 1859, and for many years was a successful medical practitioner at Basil, where his death occurred in 1887, when he was aged sixty-three years. His two children were a babe that died in its in- fancy, and Fred G., now of Basil.
Fred G. Bosch was five years old when his parents located at Basil and he obtained his schooling here, after which he learned the harness-making trade and dealt in har-
ness at Lancaster for five years. In 1882 he returned to Basil and has been in busi- ness here ever since, owning his own build- ing and other real estate. He carries a com- plete line of harness, horse-furnishing goods and horse remedies, this being his leading line.
Mr. Bosch married Miss Clara H. Auer, of Fairfield County, and they have had five children: Lula, who married Clarence Bright and has two children-Ellis and Floris; Margaret, who married John Gear- hart ; John, who died when aged two years ; and Warren and Howard. Mr. and Mrs. Bosch are members of the Reformed church. He is a good citizen, ever ready to con- tribute to worthy charities and public move- ments but has no political aspirations. He is a Democrat.
JOHN W. WHITE, stock buyer and owner of seventy-five acres of fine land located near Carroll, in Fairfield County, O., was born in Hocking County, O., in IS62, and is a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Ridenour) White.
Robert White now lives retired on his farm in Hocking County, of which he is a native. He married Elizabeth Ridenour, who was also born there and they have had ten children, namely: William; Levi, who is deceased ; John W .; Lydia, deceased, who was the wife of Albert Murphy ; Ellen, who is deceased; Allen; Emma, who married Captain Berry : Effie, who married William Nixon : and Elmer and Clinton.
John W. White obtained an excellent public school education and for ten years afterward taught school in Hocking County, after which he settled at Carroll and en- gaged in farming in Greenfield Township, Fairfield County, for fourteen years. In
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1905 he established his home at Baltimore, investing in property in the town and has been largely interested ever since in buying and shipping stock. Politically he is a Democrat and in 1901 he was elected land appraiser in Greenfield Township.
Mr. White married Miss Addie Later, of Hocking County, and they have had four children: Bertha, who is the wife of O. O. Osbourne, a merchant at Baltimore, and they have two children-Raymond and Lowell; Grace, who is the wife of Ray Sny- der, and they have one child, Alta ; Blanche, who died aged two months and twenty-four days; and Nora, who resides at home. Mr. White and family are members of the U. B. church.
JOHN HARMAN, a retired farmer who has lived on his present valuable farm of more than ninety-one acres, situated in Pleasant Township, since 1876, is a surviv- ing veteran also of the great Civil War. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, September 5, 1838, and is a son of John and Rosina Harman.
In his native land John Harman attended school but was only fourteen years old when he came to America, afterward living for several years in Allegheny County, Md. After coming to Fairfield County, O., he learned the wagon-making and carriage- building trade, with Richard Dean, a well known mechanic at that day. On August 31, 1861, Mr. Harman enlisted for service in the Civil War, then in progress, entering Co. B, 17th O. Vol. Inf., and his regiment was with General Sherman in the great march to the sea. Mr. Harman was a faith- ful soldier in his adopted country for three years and took part in many great battles, including Pittsburg Landing, Resaca, Mill
Springs, Murfreesboro, and siege of At- lanta, after which he was honorably dis- charged. He then returned to Fairfield County, where, for a number of years he followed his trade, together with carrying on large agricultural operations.
Mr. Harman was married September 7, 1871, to Miss Catherine Nichols, who was born in Pleasant Township, Fairfield County. Her parents were John and Mary (Lantz) Nichols, the former of whom was born in Maryland, and the latter in Fairfield County, where her father, Martin Lantz, was an early settler. Mrs. Harman has one sister, Mary, who lives in Pleasant Town- ship. Mr. Harman is a Democrat in poli- tics. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
FRANCIS MARION PAUL, proprietor of the only drug store at Basil, Fairfield County, O., where he has been in business for a period of thirty years, was born Sep- tember 30, 1846, in Walnut Township, Fair- field County, O., and is a son of John and Emily (Watson) Paul.
John Paul was born in the old Paul home- stead in Walnut Township, where he passed almost his entire life, following farming as an occupation, and dying in the old home when over eighty-two years of age. He married Emily Watson, whose life has been prolonged beyond the usual period, she be- ing now aged ninety years. She is a ten- derly cared for member of the home of her son, F. M., at Basil. Eight children were born to John and Emily Paul, five sons and three daughters, namely: Francis Marion; Morgan, who lives in Morgan County, Mo .; James Monroe, who is a resident of Michi- gan; George, who lives at Newark; John, who is a resident of Union County ;
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Amanda, who is the wife of Frank Wise- man, of Baltimore; Emma, who resides in Oklahoma, is the widow of M. Mellick, for- merly of Rushville; and Ella, who is the wife of James E. Kern, of Zanesville, O.
Francis M. Paul obtained his education in the public schools of Walnut Township. He afterward went to work on the home farm and subsequently, with Judge Hol- land, learned the drug business. He came to Basil about 1881 and has had much to do with the developing of this place, being an active and useful citizen in many ways. He served as postmaster under the adminis- tration of President Harrison and has al- ways been identified with the Republican party. Mr. Paul married Miss Ida Mason, a daughter of A. T. Mason, of Basil, the Masons being an old county family. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
HENRY C. DETWILER, whose valu- able and productive farm of 320 acres is situated in Liberty Township, three miles northwest of Basil, O., is one of the wide awake and progressive agriculturists of this section and one of the substantial men of the township. He was born in 1872, on a farm in Liberty Township, to the north of his present one, and is a son of Henry and Rebecca (Lefever) Detwiler.
The Detwilers are of German extraction and the grandfather of Henry C. Detwiler came to Fairfield County from Switzerland at an early day. Here Henry Detwiler was born, in 1844, and here has spent his life as a farmer, now living retired. He married Rebecca Lefever, also of an old Pennsyl- vania family, and five children were born to them, the four survivors being: Mary, who is the wife of Edward Steiger, of Liberty
Township; Henry C .; Viola, who is the wife. of George W. Shreyer, of Liberty Town- ship; and Clarence, who lives on the old home place. The eldest child, John, died in infancy.
Henry C. Detwiler obtained a good com- mon school education and has been engaged in agricultural pursuits ever since. After taking charge of his present farm he erected substantial buildings and introduced mod- ern conveniences, so that he and family have every comfort in the way of living and proper provision has been made for the care and sanitary housing of his stock. Mr. Det- wiler is a well informed man, a member of the Grange and one of the state officials of the same. His agricultural operations re- lating to both crops and stock, are carried on with improved machinery and according to accepted modern methods, he not only taking advantage of the bounty of Nature but following out the laws tending to con- serve it. Mr. Detwiler sets an example that may well be emulated by those who desire agricultural success.
In 1893 Mr. Detwiler was married to Miss Lettie Snyder, a daughter of David Snyder, of Liberty Township, and they have one daughter, Flossie Marie, who is attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Detwiler are mem- bers of the Reformed church. He has been a deacon therein for the last 15 years and is secretary of the joint consistory. Politi- cally he is a stanch Democrat and once was his party's chosen candidate for county commissioner. He is identified fraternally with the Red Men and the Masons.
HERMAN C. ROLLER, deputy county auditor of Fairfield County, has held this office since October 21, 1907. He was born in Bloom Township, this county, Nov. 1I,
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
1875, a son of Nelson and Sarah (Custer) Roller, and is a descendant on the paternal side of a hardy pioneer, Henry Roller, who settled in Fairfield County in 1811. The son of Henry, in the present line of descent, was Benjamin, born in the year 1800, in Pennsylvania, from which state he accom- panied his parents to Ohio. They settled near the head waters of the Hockhocking river. Benjamin married Mary Lane, and they had at least three children, namely : Jesse, who died a few years since in Toledo, where he was a well known druggist; Lydia, now the wife of Nathan McPherson, of Bloom Township; and Nelson, father of the subject of this sketch.
Nelson Roller was born in Bloom Town- ship about 1841 and is still a resident of that part of the county. For 20 years he was engaged in the real estate and money loaning business. He married Sarah Cus- ter, a daughter of Andrew and Jennie (Green) Custer, residents of this county. Besides Sarah, they had a daughter Louisa, who died unmarried some years since. Nel- son and Sarah Roller were the parents of four children-Herman, whose name be- gins this article: Elise, residing at home ; Jessie and Effie, twins, also at home.
Herman C. Roller, after attending the common and high schools, began teaching school in 1898 in Bloom Township and was thus occupied for seven years. As already stated, he assumed the duties of deputy auditor at Lancaster in 1907 and has since rendered the county excellent service in this capacity. He is a member of the Masonic Order, belonging to Blue Lodge, No. 57, F. & A. M., at Lancaster, and he also belongs to the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 125, at Canal Winchester. He
has been a life-long resident of this county and is a Democrat in politics.
Mr. Roller married in 1904 Miss Gertrude Boyer, a daughter of Marcus and Saralı Boyer, of Bloom Township, her parents be- ing engaged in farming there. Her mother -a native of this county-is still living. Mrs. Roller's paternal grandfather was Daniel Boyer, who married a Miss Showal- ter. Mrs. Roller was the youngest of ten children, her parents' family being as fol- lows: Louis E., a resident of the State of California; Mary, wife of C. W. Wiser; Daniel, a resident of Fairfield County ; Grace, wife of J. C. Fellers, of Coleman, Mich .; Maggie, wife of Arthur Cauffman, of Fairfield County ; Nancy, wife of Dr. J. H. Young, of Rock Springs, Wyoming; Gertrude, now Mrs. H. C. Roller; Jessie, who died at the age of sixteen years; and two others that died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Roller are well known and respected residents of Lancaster, where and through- out the county, they have many warm friends.
JOHN V. TUSSING, retired farmer, and a justice of the peace and otherwise a prominent citizen of Liberty Township, re- sides one mile north of Basil, O., on a forty- two-acre farm and owns other land aggre- gating 137 acres. He was born on his home place in 1862, and is a son of George W. and Julia Ann (Giesy) Tussing.
Perhaps no man in Fairfield County was better known or more highly respected than the late George W. Tussing. His career he made for himself, his early years having been darkened by orphanage and hardship. He was born in Fairfield County and spent his life here, his death occurring in honored
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old age, in 1902. From the age of ten years, when he was bound out, he lived in the home of Jacob Giesy until manhood and subsequently married Mr. Giesy's sister. Naturally he was a man of fine mind and of sterling character and his qualifications for public office were many times recognized by his fellow citizens. For thirty-six years he was an elder in the Reformed church, serving in that office longer than any mem- ber of the board, and for twenty years he looked after the interests of the Sunday- school as superintendent. He died on his farm of seventy-two acres, when aged seventy-eight years, leaving two children, William H. and John V. William H. Tuss- ing is a graduate of Heidelberg University and Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Since 1888 he has been a minister in the Reformed church and is now pastor of St. Mark's Reformed church at Pittsburg, Pa. He married Cora B. Semuth, of Tiffin, O., and they have two children: Paul B., who is connected with the Ohio Central Rail- road; and Corinne, who is well known in musical circles.
John V. Tussing was educated in the dis- trict schools of Liberty Township and spent two terms at Baltimore. O. He afterwards followed farming on the home place until 1909, when he retired from agricultural labor, renting out his land but retaining the old home as a residence. Mr. Tussing's many other interests fully occupy his time. A leading Democrat of Liberty Township. he has served in numerous public capacities. For six years prior to his election in 1900 as a justice of the peace, he had been a notary public, and for the same length of time was township clerk; for three years he was president of the Board of Education and in January, 1911. retired from a term
of six years as clerk of that board. He was master of the subordinate Grange at Basil for three consecutive terms and for three years served as master of Fairfield County Pomona Grange; for two years he was deputy county master and for six years was buyer for the local lodge, of which his wife is also a member. He belongs also to the American Insurance Union.
Mr. Tussing married Miss Minnie B. Rife, a daughter of David Rife, who came to Liberty Township, Fairfield County, from Pickaway County and became a man of political importance here. Mr. and Mrs. Tussing have two sons, Robert Rife and Wendell Wells, both bright school boys, aged respectively fourteen and eight years. Mr. Tussing has been a member of the Re- formed church since 1878 and for twenty years has been secretary of the Trinity Re- formed congregation at Basil, Ohio. Since 1889 he has been also secretary of the Lan- caster Class Sunday-school Association.
M. H. PALMER, D. V. S., who is the only member of his profession in Liberty Township, Fairfield County, O., has been a resident and practitioner at Baltimore ever since 1909, when he was graduated in his science. Dr. Palmer was born December 2, 1884. in Franklin County, O., and is a son of Marion and Elizabeth (McCray) Palmer.
The parents of Dr. Palmer are farming people and they reside in Licking County, O. Their family consists of three children. all sons-Clifton, M. H. and Frank. The father is a Democrat in politics but is a man of quiet life and has never desired political office.
M. II. Palmer attended the local schools in his youth and early showed an interest
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in caring for the stock on his father's farm and this he developed until it resulted in his becoming a student at the Ohio State Uni- versity at Columbus, where he completed his studies and was graduated in 1909 as a veterinary surgeon. He established him- self at Baltimore and has a large practice. In politics he is a Democrat and fraternally he is identified with the Red Men and the Modern Woodmen. Dr. Palmer was mar- ried at Baltimore to Miss Ruth Acker.
JOHN FRANKLIN HAVER, is part owner with his brother-in-law, Rex M. Gill, of a valuable farm of 153 acres, situated in Sections 20 and 22, Walnut Township, which was formerly owned by John Gill, grandfather of Rex M. Gill, the said land being known as the Sherkliff and O'Day farm. He was born on his father's farm, two miles east of Millersport, O., June 24, 1867, and is a son of Eli Daken and Caro- line (McMann) Haver.
George Haver, the grandfather, came to Fairfield County in the early days and se- cured a large body of land in Walnut Town- ship, selecting a tract on one of the highest elevations of the county, perhaps in order to escape the malarial troubles that so gen- erally prevailed at that time in the low-lying lands. He spent the remainder of his life on that place and left the farm to his three children, namely: Elizabeth, who married David Weingardner, then a banker at Newark, O. (both now deceased) ; William, who still resides at Thurston, O .; and Eli Daken.
Eli Daken Haver was born on the old farm and for many years was largely en- gaged in the stock business. He was well known also as an auctioneer and cried sales all over the county. He subsequently sold
his portion of the old homestead to his brother, William Haver, and then moved to Millersport, where he passed the last twenty-five years of his life. He died at the home of his son, John Franklin, September 18, 1903, at the age of sixty-two years. His widow survives and lives at Millersport. They had children as follows : Estelle Kate, who is the wife of Thomas Brison, of Wal- nut Township ; Stanley C., who lives at Mil- lersport; Mary Elizabeth, who is the wife of Joseph Parish, residing in Liberty Town- ship; Lulu May, who is the wife of Dr. O. M. Kramer, of Hebron, O .; Fannie Belle, who is the wife of Rex M. Gill, of Walnut Township; Fred T., who lives at Millers- port ; Eddie M., who lives with his brother, John F .; and Helen Grace, who is the wife of Harvey Bowers, residing at Millersport.
John F. Haver was young when the fam- ily moved to Millersport and thus he had an opportunity to attend school. His spare time was fully occupied in driving stock and otherwise assisting his father and later he rented and operated a farm near Millers- port. In 1899 he formed a partnership with Rex M. Gill, who had an interest in the 2,000-acre farm of his grandfather, John Gill, who had been born near Millersport after his parents had come to Fairfield County from Pennsylvania. In addition to the land owned by Rex M. Gill, the partners rented 240 acres and together they operated 366 acres. They still rent and operate 320 acres northeast of their 153 acres, in which Mr. Haver now has a one-half interest. They are enterprising and progressive agri- culturists, modern in their ideas and meth- ods, and produce thereby crops and raise stock that reflect credit on this section of Ohio. In 1904 some drilling for gas was done on the farm.
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On February 1, 1904, Mr. Haver was married to Miss Carrie Alice Ellinger, a daughter of Ernest and Catherine (Doven- meyer) Ellinger, and they have three chil- dren-Dean Daken, Caroline Belle and Lucile. Mr. Haver is an ardent Republican, a hearty party worker, and has served two terms in the office of township assessor very acceptably.
Rex M. Gill was born on the old Gill farm in Walnut Township, on which he still re- sides, March 25, 1877, a son of John Thomas and Kate (Murphy) Gill. The father died September 10, 1891. The mother was born in Fairfield County and is a daughter of William Murphy, an early settler and a well known man in his day. Mrs. Gill resides with her son, Rex M., on the old Gill home- stead. On July 29, 1898, Mr. Gill was mar- ried to Miss Fannie B. Haver, and they have one son, Frederick T. In politics Mr. Gill is a Republican.
G. W. BELT, who is one of the well known residents of Liberty Township and a lifelong one of Fairfield County, O., was born in Walnut Township, January 22, 1833, and is a son of Benjamin and Mary (Parish) Belt.
The Belt family is one of the oldest in this section, its first representative having come to Ohio and built his log cabin on the site now occupied by the courthouse at Newark, O. Benjamin Belt, father of G. W. Belt, was born in Baltimore County, Md., and came to Fairfield' County and set- tled in Walnut Township, in 1818. He often told his children of the difficulties that at- tended every kind of work in those early days. He cut the prairie grass on the farm of the great-grandfather of C. C. Miller, endangering his life in so doing, as he had
to wrap his limbs to the thighs in grass in order to prevent snakes from attacking them. He followed farming during his en- tire life in Walnut Township and died there at the age of sixty-seven years. He mar- ried Mary Parish, who was born in Mary- land and came to Ohio with her parents when aged eleven years. Six children were born to them, namely: G. W. and Rebecca, twins, the latter being now deceased; Mrs. James Good, who is deceased; Mrs. Michael Kettner, who lives in Walnut Township; Ellen, who resides with her brother; and Harriet, who died at the age of four years.
G. W. Belt had but meager educational opportunities, but for a time in early boy- hood he attended school in a primitive log cabin, setting on a slab bench without a back to it, as he studied his spelling-book. He inherited a farm of 100 acres and con- tinued to operate it until 1901, when he came to his present place, where he has seventeen acres, having sold his Walnut Township farm. He now looks after his little place, which lies five and one-half miles north of Baltimore, and conducts a small store, mainly to engage his time, be- ing more or less retired from all active work.
Mr. Belt married Miss Rebecca Randall, who died in 1907. She was born in Mary- land and was brought here in childhood, her father dying while she was yet young. Mr. and Mrs. Belt had two children : Valentine, who lives in California ; and Joseph, who re- sides with his father. He married Lizzie White and they have one daughter, Ethel. Politically, Mr. Belt is a Democrat and he has served as township trustee of Walnut Township. For over fifty years he has been a member of the U. B. Church, of which his mother was one of the pioneer organi-
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
zers and was superintendent of the first U. B. Sunday-school in Walnut Township, that being over eighty years ago. The Belt family has always been held in very high esteem, being quiet, self-respecting, useful people, not large as to numbers but of ster- ling character.
MAHLON MEYERS, a representative citizen of Clear Creek Township, Fairfield County, O., residing on a tract of 26 acres at Stoutsville, owns large bodies of rich farming land in addition to the home place above mentioned. One farm of 161 acres lies in Clear Creek Township, while an- other, containing 260 acres, is situated in Pickaway County. Mr. Meyers was born in Walnut Township, Pickaway County, O., August 6, 1841, and is a son of George M. and Maria (Speght) Meyers.
George M. Meyers was born in Pennsyl- vania, a son of George and Mary Meyers, whom he accompanied to Ohio when he was eleven years of age. He was a farmer all his active life and through thrift and in- dustry acquired a fine farm in Pickaway County. In politics he was a Democrat. He married Maria Speght, who was born in Ohio and like himself was of German ancestry. They were members of the Ger- man Reformed church. To them the fol- lowing children were born: Peter, who died at Stoutsville in 1895: Mahlon; Re- becca, deceased, who was the wife of Lionel Brooks; and Catherine; who is the wife of A. L. Valentine.
Mahlon Meyers attended school in his native township during boyhood and then engaged in farming. He followed an agri- cultural life in Pickaway County continu- ously until the fall of 1899 when he came to Stoutsville, retiring from active farm
labor. He has been one of the reliable and trusted citizens here for all these years, has been interested in the development of the town and section and was one of the or- ganizers of the Farmers and Citizens Bank of Stoutsville, serving as its first president. Politically he is a Democrat and while liv- ing in Pickaway County served in public office, for two terms being one of the di- recting board of the County Infirmary.
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