USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 86
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The grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Blasius Schmelzer, who was born in Ba- varia, Germany, and who came to the United States in 1840, accompanied by his wife and six sons, namely : John, Gerdon, Anthony, An- selin, Leopold and Otto. After remaining in New York a year, they moved west to Perry County, Ohio, and from there came to Fair- field County, settling in Bremen. They were mainly engaged in farming. Blasius Schmel- zer lived to the age of 76 years, and his wife to that of ninety. Their five eldest sons are all deceased. The youngest. Otto, is yet living -in Van Wert County, Ohio.
Philip Schmelzer obtained his education in the schools of Rush Creek Township and ever since has been more or less engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. He located on his present farm two years after his marriage and erected the commodious farm buildings that he utilizes. He has devoted much of his attention to breed- ing high grade cattle and hogs and at present owns a fine herd of thirty-five head of Short- horn cattle. Mr. Schmelzer has numerous in- vestments outside of his farm and stock and among these may be mentioned the following successful enterprises with which he is con- cerned. He is one of the charter members of the Bremen Banking Company, of Bremen, O., in which he is a stockholder; and is also a stockholder in the Flagdale Oil and Gas Com- pany, the Middletown Oil and Gas Company,
On November 22, 1887, Mr. Schmelzer was married to Miss Catherine Noll, who was born in Hocking County, O., a daughter of Oliver and Elizabeth Noll, who now resides at Lan- caster. O. Mr. and Mrs. Selunelzer had four children-Edward, Elizabeth, Henry and Clement E. Mrs. Schmelzer died March 18, 1902, aged 34 years, and was buried at Sacred Heart Chapel, Geneva, O. Her husband and four children survive. They are members of the Roman Catholic church.
W. B. SAGER,* general farmer and stock raiser and one of the reliable and respected citizens of Liberty Township, Fairfield County, O., resides on his well improved farm of sixty- five acres which is situated three miles north- west of Basil, O. He was born in 1867, on his father's farm two miles north of this place, and is a son of AAbraham and Naomi ( Gaselle) Sager.
The parents of Mr. Sager were natives also of Fairfield County. The father was aged sixty-one years at time of death and had been a farmer all his active life. There were six children in the family, namely: Mrs. Jennie Coff. W. B., Dallas, David, Charles and Min- nie. Dallas is deceased. All the survivors reside in Liberty Township with the exception of Minnie, who makes her home in Chicago, Il1.
With his brothers and sisters, W. B. Sager attended the public schools in Liberty Town- ship and has spent almost his entire life on his present farm, having been absent for four years during which period he followed farm-
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ing in Huntington County, Ind. The Sager farm is one of the best improved and most carefully cultivated properties in this section, and, while not so large as many others, in volume of crop production and output of fine stock, is far above the average.
Mr. Sager married Miss Emma Realhom, who was born in Liberty Township, and they have four children: Ethel, who married Rus- sell Miller; and Dottie, Maude and Paul. Mr. Sager and family are members of the Evan- gelical church. He has never been unduly ac- tive in politics but has always voted with the Democratic party.
ALLEN J. FREISNER,* one of the well known and much respected citizens of Fair- field County, O., resides on his farm of eighty-five acres, which is situated in Rush Creek Township, one and a half miles south of West Rushville and two and a half miles north of Bremen, an excellent location for both business purposes and for social life. He was born March 28, 1850, in Fairfield County, a son of Benjamin and Lydia (Stemen) Freisner.
Benjamin Freisner was born in Pennsyl- vania and in early manhood came to Fair- field County and engaged in farming in Rush Creek Township, where his death oc- curred at the age of forty-four years. He married Lydia Stemen, a daughter of Isaac Stemen, of Rush Creek Township, and they had the following children : Benton, who lives at West Rush Creek; Ellen, who mar- ried George Wolfinger, of Lancaster, and has three children-Margaret, Oscar and Earl; Frank P., who resides with his fam- ily at Columbus, O., and has two children- Fay and Grace ; Mary, who married Charles Hodgson, of Columbus; Emma, who is the wife of George Hillon, of Bremen, and has
one son, Lester; Sarah, who is the wife of Freeman Sedwell, residing near Colfax, O., and has six children-Blanche, Zena, Goldie, Mabel, Murray and Russell; and Allen J.
Allen J. Freisner has devoted his atten- tion to farming and stock raising since he reached man's estate. He married Miss Lydia J. Yost, a daughter of David Yost, and they have had two children, one of whom died in infancy. The survivor, Stan- ley W. Freisner, is a farmer in Rush Creek Township. He married Fay Besse who was born at Bremen, O., and they have one son, Allen B. Mr. Freisner and family are mem- bers of the United Presbyterian church, in which he is a member of the board of trus- tees. He is prominent in Democratic poli- tics and is a member of the Fairfield County Democratic Central Committee. For thir- teen years he was a director of the county fair association and was president of the township school board.
GEORGE W. MACKLIN,* who resides on his well cultivated farm of over seventy- nine acres, situated in Pleasant Township. Fairfield County, O., is a well known and highly respected citizen of this section and belongs to an old settled family of the county. He was born in Pleasant Town- ship, October 8, 1850, and is a son of Sam- uel and Elizabeth (Arnold) Macklin.
The founder of the Macklin family in Fairfield County was Rev. Tewalt Mack- lin, who was born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio as one of the pioneer ministers of the United Brethren church, taking up his residence in Pleasant Township, Fairfield County. He reared a family here and one of his sons, Samuel Macklin, became the father of George W. Macklin, of Pleasant Township. George Macklin spent his
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eighty-one years of life in this township. County, where he passed eighteen more He was a farmer and stock raiser. His years in the schoolroom and for some time political support was given to the Republi- can party and he was one of the pillars of the U. B. church in this section. was superintendent of the schools of lib- erty Township. For six years he was prin- cipal of the schools of Brownsville; for seven years of those of Thurston; for five years at Pleasantville and for one year at Millersport. On July 28, 1908, he em- barked in the mercantile business at Balti- more and carries a general stock of goods including dry goods, groceries and shoes. He is a Republican in politics.
George W. Macklin attended school in Pleasant Township and has devoted his at- tention almost exclusively to farming and stock raising. He is a Republican in poli- tics and has served as school director in his district. On October 15, 1888, he was mar- ried to Miss Laura A. Hand, who was born January 25. 1861, at Logan, Hocking County, O., a daughter of David S. T. and Margaret E. (Bragg) Hand, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in West Virginia. They moved to Hocking County after marriage and lived at Logan, where they died. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
W. R. OSBOURNE, proprietor of a gen- eral store at Baltimore, O., is widely known all over Fairfield County, having been en- gaged in educational work here for cigh- teen consecutive years. He was born in Licking County, O., not far from Newark, in 1861, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Brake) Osbourne.
John Osbourne was born in Virginia but came to Licking County in boyhood and spent the remainder of his life here, dying at the age of thirty-five years. He married Elizabeth Brake and their children were: W. R .; M. E., E. M., J. L., Amelia E., the wife of Charles Shoaf, and Brice O.
W. R. Osbourne attended school at Han- over, O., and was young when he became a teacher, for fourteen years teaching school in Licking County. He resumed educa- tional work after coming to Fairfield
On December 26, 1882, Mr. Osbourne was married to Miss Tacey Holmes, of Brownsville, Licking County, and they have three children: O. O., who resides in Columbus, O., married Bertha White and has two children-Raymond W. and Lowell E. ; Incz, a highly educated young lady, who is teacher of Latin in the Urbana schools ; and Helen, who is the wife of V. R. Gcp- hart of Pleasantville. Mr. Osbourne and family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, where for fifteen years he has been superintendent of the Sunday-school. He is identified fraternally with the Knights of Pythias, the Red Men and the A. I. U.
PROF. CLYTUS E. VALENTINE,* one of the well known educators of Fair- field County, O., and a teacher engaged at present in the High School of Stoutsville, was born in Clear Creek Township, Fair- field County, two miles south of this place. He is a son of John and Mary (Levan) Valentine.
The father of Professor Valentine was a farmer in Clear Creek Township during a large part of his life. His death occurred in 1888 and his burial was at Circleville, O. He was a man of sterling character, honest and upright in life and a worthy member of
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the Lutheran church. He was a Democrat in his political affiliation but was never a seeker for public office. He married Mary Levan, who survives and she resides at Stoutsville with her son Clytus E. A sec- ond son, Austin, married Della Baker and they have two sons, Arnold and John. Mrs. Valentine is a member of the Reformed church.
Clytus E. Valentine attended school in Clear Creek Township and at Stoutsville. He began educational work in 1900 and taught for two years in his native township and is teaching in his ninth term in the Stoutsville High School. He attends county institutes and keeps fully abreast with the times in educational matters and is considered an able and efficient instruc- three acres of valuable farming land in Clear Creek Township. Professor Valen- tor. He owns a one-third interest in eighty- tine has never married. He is somewhat independent in his political views but nom- inally is a Democrat. He belongs to Scipio Lodge No. 255 Knights of Pythias.
E. M. HEISTER, whose excellent farm of 108 acres lies four and one-half miles southeast of Lithopolis, O., in Bloom Town- ship, was born in this township, March I, 1858, and is a son of Daniel and Josephine (Hood) Heister.
Daniel Heister was born on his father's old farm in Bloom Township, one mile east of the above mentioned property, and there followed agricultural pursuits during his entire active life, his death occurring in his seventy-second year. He married Jose- phine Hood, who was a daughter of Allen Hood, of Fairfield County, and seven chil- dren were born to them: George, Ella, E.
M., Albert, Ida, John and Elmer, all sur- viving except Albert.
E. M. Heister attended the district schools until he was considered old enough to take farm responsibilities on himself, and since then he has been engaged in farming and stock raising. In 1901 he came to his present farm, on which he has made many substantial improvements and devotes his time to still further improving and develop- ing the possibilities of his land. Having spent his entire life in Bloom Township, he is well known and is universally re- spected.
Mr. Heister married Miss Minnie Belote, who is a daughter of George Belote, and they have three children: Bertha, who is the wife of Charles Hummell and has one child, Waneta Bernadine; and Forest and Viola. Mr. Heister has never been very ac- tive in politics but he casts his vote regu- larly for the candidates of the Democratic party.
STEPHEN J. MCAULIFFE,* who is a well known citizen of Hocking Township, where he has resided for twenty years, for the past twelve years has lived on his pres- ent valuable farm of 101 acres, and in addi- tion to general agriculture, carries on a large business in the buying and shipping of horses. He was born April 17, 1865, in Madison Township, Fairfield County, O., and is a son of Daniel and Eliza (Pearce) McAuliffe.
Daniel McAuliffe was born at Cleveland, O., and his wife at Lancaster. He came to Fairfield County in early manhood, and for some time was employed on the State farm south of Lancaster and afterward followed farming for a number of years, in Madison
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Township. He was a self made man and was one who commanded the respect of his fellow citizens. His death occurred about 1891, but his widow still resides in Ilock- ing Township, having passed her sixtieth birthday.
Stephen J. McAuliffe remained in Madi- son Township until he was about twenty years of age and then, with his mother, after the father's death, came to Hocking Township. In politics Mr. Mcauliffe, like his late father, is a Democrat. He takes a good citizen's interest in public matters and is serving as a member of the school board. He was married in 1899 to Miss Florence Charles, who was born in Hocking Town- ship and they have had three children : Mary, who is deceased : and James and John R., both of whom attend school and are also helpful to their father on the home farm.
W. STANLEY SAMSON, M. D.,* phy- sician and surgeon at Lancaster, O., mak- ing a specialty of diseases of the eye, nose and throat, has been established profession- ally in this city since 1899. He was born August 23, 1866, at California. O., and is a son of E. V. and S. J. (Brown) Samson.
W. Stanley Samson received his early education at Waverly, O., later entering the University of Cincinnati, where he was graduated in the medical department in 1888. subsequently taking a course in the Baltimore Medical College, at Baltimore, Md., where he was graduated in 1893. Dr. Samson pursued his medical studies still farther, taking one post-graduate course at Johns Hopkins University, at Baltimore, and later another at the Chicago Medical School, at Chicago, Ill. After a short initial practice at Wakefield. O., he located at Cali- fornia, his birthplace, where he remained
until 1899, when he came to Lancaster and established his office at No. 355 E. Main Street. Dr. Samson has been a close and careful student of his science and has had abundant experience both in the clinics of the great schools in which he received his training as well as in a private practice which is now one of large volume. He is a member of the State Blind Commission and belongs to the National, State and county medical societies.
Dr. Samson married Miss Flora H. Mc- Clure, who was born at Jackson, () .. and they have one daughter, Eva, who was born at California, O. Dr. Samson is a Free- mason and belongs to the Blue Lodge at Lancaster. He is a Republican in politics but takes only the interest in public affairs that every good citizen considers his right and duty.
H. C. ASHTON, M. D., who is in the en- joyment of a large medical practice at Basil. Fairfield County, Ohio, where he is also an earnest and representative citizen, was born on his father's farm in Violet Township, Fair- field County, in 1881, and is a son of Thomas and Emma (Beals) Ashton. The parents were also born in Fairfield County and now live retired at Reynoldsburg. Their family consisted of seven children.
H. C. Ashton attended school in Violet Township and the High School at Reynokls- burg, going from there to the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. He completed his medical education at Starling Medical College, where he was graduated in 1906, when he lo- cated at Jacksontown. Licking County, from which place he came to Basil in January, 1911. He is identified with various medical bodies and keeps thoroughly abreast with the scien- tific advancement of his profession.
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Dr. Ashton married Miss Rose Young, of Delaware, Ohio, and they have three children -Mildred, Eveline and Chester. Dr. Ashton and wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically the Doctor is a Republican, and fraternally he is identified with the Ma- sons, the Elks and the Modern Woodmen.
C. W. ANDREWS, superintendent of the schools of Baltimore, O., is a well known and thoroughly qualified educator and has brought the school standard very high in his present position. He was born March 12, 1878, at Pleasant Valley, Mus- kingum County, O., and is a son of G. W. and Frances (Raley) Andrews. The father, who has been a section foreman for the B. & O. Railroad for many years, re- sides at Plymouth, O. He married Frances Raley and they have six children: Mary, C. W., Jessie, Martin, Ruth and Robert.
C. W. Andrews attended school at Glen- ford, O., after which he became a teacher and finding this a congenial profession, he has further advanced himself along this line and has made it his life work. He has been a student in the Ohio University and in other institutions and thus is a teacher from both choice and training. He has been connected with the Baltimore schools since 1910, coming here from the Pleasantville schools.
Mr. Andrews married Miss Ora Cotter- man, of Somerset, O., and they have had four children: Donald, Paul, Fred and Mary, the eldest being now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is identi- fied with the Masons.
WILLIAM H. NYE,* an efficient and popular official of Lancaster, O., of which
he is city auditor, was born in Fairfield County, O., March 11, 1866, and is one of a family of four children born to his parents who were James and Anna (Sherrick) Nye. The father was a prosperous farmer in Fairfield County for many years and died on his own land in 1893, at the age of sixty- seven years. He was a highly respected and much valued citizen.
William H. Nye was educated in the pub- lic schools and for two years engaged in teaching in his native county and then es- tablished himself in the mercantile business in a western state. Subsequently he re- turned to Ohio and served in a clerical position at Lancaster until he was elected to his present office, in 1907. In 1909 lie was reelected and general satisfaction was shown. He is an active Republican in his views on public matters and has been an effective party worker.
Mr. Nye married Miss Jessie M. Wendel and they have one son, Charles W. The pleasant family residence is at No. 733 E. Wheeling Street. Mr. and Mrs. Nye are members of the Presbyterian church. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias.
JOHN N. SCHMELZER, president of the board of trustees of Rush Creek Town- ship, Fairfield County, O., and interested in a number of important business enterprises of this section and half owner of 536 acres of valuable land, resides in section 35, Rush Creek Township, three and one-half miles south of Bremen, O. He was born in this township. October 16, 1858, and is a son of John and Gertrude (Myser) Schmelzer.
John Schmelzer was born in Germany and remained inhis native land until he was twenty years of age, when he came to America and for a short time lived in the
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city of New York. From there he came to Perry County, O., where he lived until he came to Bremen, where he was in the to- bacco business for six years and then bought a farm of fifty-three acres. After his marriage he left that farm and bought the one of 100 acres in section 35, Rush Creek Township, on which his son John N. resides, and fifty-three years ago erected farm buildings. The residence is still stand- ing but the barn was destroyed by fire. He carried on farming and also, for several years, operated a butcher shop at Lancas- ter. He was a Democrat but never desired to hold office. He married Gertrude Myser, who was born in France, and they had the following children: Paul, who died in in- fancy ; Julia Ann, who died in Perry County, who was the wife of Jacob Shore and the mother of thirteen children, eleven of whom survive: Enoch, who died in childhood ; Lewis, residing in Rush Creek Township, who married Lisa Ritter; Caroline, who died in infancy; Mary, who is the wife of Joseph Shore, of Lancaster, and the mother of twelve children, eleven of whom survive ; Philip, the owner of the other one-half in- terest in the 536 acres of land mentioned above, who married Katherine Noll, who died leaving four children: John N .; and Caroline, who is the wife of David Schmel- zer. They reside at La Crosse, Wis., and have seven children. The father of the above family died at the age of seventy- four years and the mother when aged fifty- nine years. They were faithful members of the Catholic church and were buried in the cemetery belonging to the Sacred Heart parish.
John N. Schmelzer obtained his early education in District No. 9 schoolhouse and afterward remained on the home farm, land
which responds generously to tillage but shows no evidences of either oil or gas de- posits. In addition to his large agricultural operations, Mr. Schmelzer has numerous other important interests. He is president and a director of the Flagdale Oil and Gas Company : president and a director of the Mid- dletown Oil and Gas Company; also interested in the Copensperger Oil and Gas Company ; the Geneva Oil and Gas Company; the Overland Oil Company : the MeCuny Oil and Gas Com- pany ; and is a director and stockholder in the Bremen Bank Company of Bremen, O., and stockholder in the New World Life Insur- ance Company.
Mr. Schmelzer married Miss Ellen Mc- Quaid, who was born in Berne Township, Fairfield County, O., a daughter of Michael and Ellen McQuaid, both of whom are now deceased. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schmelzer, namely: Mary, who is accomplished in music, and a teacher of this science: Jerome, who died in in- fancy ; John. who lives at home; Sylvester, who died in childhood: and Leo, Rose. Francis, Michael and Lucy, all of whom live at home. The family belongs to the Catho- lic church at Bremen. Mr. Schmelzer and his older sons are Democrats and hearty workers for the party. On the Democratic ticket Mr. Schmelzer was elected a mem- ber of the board of trustees of Rush Creek Township, January 1, 1908, of which he now is president. He is one of the township's representative men in public matters and one of its most substantial in business affairs.
FRANK S. BEERY .* who, for the past eight years has been a member of the Board of Education in Pleasant Township, Fair- field County, O., owns the valuable farm
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
of 133 acres on which he resides, devoting it to general farming and stock raising. He was born in Pleasant Township, February 12, 1856, and is a son of Lewis and Mary (Swartz) Beery.
The first of the Beery family to come to Fairfield County was Daniel Beery, who was a native of Rockingham County, Va. He established the old home in Berne Township, where the late Lewis Beery was born. He was a well known stock raiser and farmer. His death occurred in 1909, in Pleasant Township.
Frank S. Beery attended the district schools in boyhood and then had practical experience on the home farm that has since been of great benefit to him as farming and stockraising have been his main interests. In 1888 he settled on his present place and he has developed it into one of the most productive farms in the township.
Mr. Beery married Miss Emma Sites, a daughter of Emanuel Sites who was a lead- ing farmer in Pleasant Township for many years. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beery, namely: Fannie F., who is the wife of C. A. Teele, of Columbus, O .; Edna, who is the wife of E. H. Kuhn, an educator and graduate of the Ohio State University ; Maud, who is the wife of For- rest Ketner, of Walnut Township; and Ross, Fred and Harry, all three residing at home. In politics Mr. Beery is a Republi- can. He is one of the leading members of the U. B. church at Lancaster.
WILLIAM GUYTON, now deceased, who for many years was a successful farmer and highly respected resident of Rush Creek Town- ship, Fairfield County, O., was born in Perry County, Ohio, and was a son of Henry Guyton, who settled there at an early. date and followed
farmning and lumbering, operating a saw-mill.
William Guyton grew to manhood in Perry County, attending school in boyhood and later assisting his father in his farming and lumber- ing operations. Later coming to Fairfield County, he settled on the farm of 65 acres in Rush Creek Township, and here spent the rest of his life, busily engaged in farm pur- suits. An industrious and energetic man, he made all the excellent improvements of this place, erecting the substantial buildings now standing. He died here March 16, 1892.
On April 10, 1862, William Guyton was married to Miss Catherine Lehman and seven children were born to them, namely: Isaac, Alpha Retta, L. V .; Callie, Maud, Henry and Alice, of whom the two last mentioned died when young. Isaac married a Miss Wixon and moved to Michigan. Alpha Retta, who mar- ried a Mr. Huntwork, lives in Perry County, O. L. V. Guyton is a resident of Rush Creek Township. Callie is the wife of Charles Young. Maud was first united in marriage December 28, 1899, to Rev. J. O. Geiger, a native of Hocking County, O. He was edu- cated at Central College, Huntington, Ind., also spending one year at Westerville College, Ohio. He was a successful minister and dur- ing the first year of his pastorate added one hundred souls to the church. Mr. and Mrs. Geiger were the parents of one son. After her husband's death, Mrs. Maude Geiger be- came the wife of John Garrison. Mrs. Guy- ton not only owns the home farm, but also an additional 49 acres lying to the north of this tract. She oversees the property, having it under rental.
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