History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 90

Author: Miller, Charles Christian, 1856- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co
Number of Pages: 874

USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 90

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Daniel B. Tidd was the only one of the boys who remained in Fairfield County and he carefully looked after his parents in their de- clining years. He served as assistant post- master at Colfax under his brother, Jacob L., for a number of years and in 1891 was ap- pointed deputy probate judge under Probate Judge E. C. Rutter, and served with rare efficiency for six years.

He was a Democratic candidate for probate judge in 1896 and again in 1902 but because of his youth, more than anything else, he was defeated. He received a good vote yet his friends have never been able to induce him to run again for the office. After leaving the

probate judge's office in the spring of 1897 he at once became city editor of the Lancaster Daily Eagle and the weekly Ohio Eagle, which position he has ably filled ever since. It has been said of him that no better newspaper man has ever lived in the county and that no man in the county has a wider acquaintance. He has served as correspondent for many of the big city papers and has won an enviable reputation for accuracy and devotion to the work.

He was elected vice mayor of Lancaster and president of the city council in 1909, when opposed by one of the strongest Repub- licans in the city, having a majority of 300 votes. He served two years and in January, 1912 was elected clerk of the city council, which office he is now filling, besides carrying on his newspaper work. The writer knows of several other good positions that have been offered him but which he declined, preferring to remain with The Eagle.

On September 19, 1894 he was married to Miss Clara Ellen Junkerman, a cultured and refined teacher in the Lancaster public schools and the very happy union has been blessed with two bright little daughters, Eloise and Dorice, now aged thirteen and nine years re- spectively. They own and reside in a very comfortable home at No. 327 East Fifth avenue, one of the best resident streets in the city.

[Mr. Tidd has greatly aided in the collec- tion of accurate data for this volume, his wide acquaintance, and extended knowledge being of great service. Editor. ]

WILLIAM MEREDITH WIKOFF was born in Richland township, Fairfield county, Ohio, March 20, 1855, a son of William and Margaret A. (Stockard) Wikoff. His youth and early manhood were spent on a farm ad-

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joining the village of New Salem, Walnut township.

The father of William M. Wikoff was born in Adams county in 1812; he was a Dutch descent. The Wikoffs came to Ohio from Kentucky; the oldest generations came to Kentucky from New Jersey, where they had settled on their arrival from Hol- land in 1775.

Mr. Wikoff's mother, Margaret Ann Stockard, was born in Virginia, near Staun- ton, in' 1816. When five years old she emi- grated with her parents and a brother to Ohio, and settled in Richland township, Fairfield county. Three weeks after their arrival the husband, Charles Stockard, fell dead in the yard of a relative, leaving the widow with two small children. A few years afterward she married Rev. James B. Gur- ley, a pioneer Methodist preacher, whose circuit extended from the Ohio river to Baltimore, Fairfield county.

The Wikoffs were Methodists in church relationship and their homes were preach- ing places for that denomination in the earl- iest times ; they were firm believers in, and strong advocates of the earliest doctrines of the Methodist church. In politics they drifted from the Democratic party to the Whig party, and when the Republican party was organized they cast their lots with that party and have so affiliated, in general, to the present day.

William M. Wikoff attended the common schools at New Salem, Walnut township, and the Fairfield Union Academy at Pleas- antville, Ohio, in its most successful days, Rev. William Hastings, Prof. Abraham Freed, Prof. Brown, Prof. Wilkerson, Prof. John F. Alford, being his teachers. He was a tutor in the institute for a time under the management of John F. Alford. After con ?-

pleting the prescribed course at the Acad- emy, he attended a normal term at the Ohio Wesleyan University, of Delaware, Ohio. Ile completed a classical course in Adrian College at Adrian, Mich., in June, 1882. For five years before going to college he taught in the common schools, saving enough money to pay his expenses while at college. After completing his college course he lo- cated in Homer, Champaign county, Ill., where he had the superintendency of their schools for three years.

In 1884 he was married to Catharine Al- wilda Geiger, daughter of Herbert and Sarah (Lamb) Geiger, of New Salem. After three years' residence in Homer, Ill., he came back to Ohio and located in Thorn- ville, Perry coutny, Ohio, where he was su- perintendent of the schools for seven years. In 1889 he was elected to the superintend- ency of the McConnelsville schools in Mor- gan county, Ohio, in which place he resided for four years, until the death of his sister, when he removed to Fairfield county, look- ing after his property. Here he resided for ten years, during which time he organized the schools and very largely was responsible for establishing the Walnut Township High School at Thurston, in which he taught for several years. During these years he was business manager of the "Lancaster Camp Meeting and Assembly."

In 1903 he removed to Columbus, Ohio for the education of his six children, two of whom are in the Ohio State University, one in the Columbus High School, and .the others in the grades. For three years he taught in the Shepard High School and at present he is teaching in Gahanna High School, in Franklin county. He has traveled over the northern, eastern, western and middle parts of the United States, as well

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY

as into Canada. He, with his wife, has been a delegate to two International Sunday school conventions, one of which was held in Louisville, Ky., and the other in San Francisco, Calif., and one World Sunday school convention, which met in Washing- ton, D. C., He was candidate twice for rep- resentative on the Republican ticket, in Fairfield county, but owing to the over- whelming Democratic majority of Fairfield county, he was an unsuccessful candidate.

The names of William M. Wikoff's chil- dren are respectively, Garnett Merrill, Ber- enice Floy, William Herbert, Charles Henry, Paul Geiger and Walter Meredith Wikoff. The eldest son, Garnett Merrill, a student in the Ohio State University, has taken great interest in athletics; he holds the record of being the fastest two-mile run- ner in the state, making the two miles in 9 minutes and 45 seconds. He has also won honors in athletic meets in Cleveland, Pitts- burg and Chicago. On April 6th, of the pres- ent year (1912), Garnett Wikoff won the two mile race at the Central A. A. U., Chicago, in- door track championship, establishing the new Central A. A. U. record of 9 :41 2-5 and prov- ing that he is one of the best long distance men in the country. His performance was most remarkable in the fact that, having no strong competition, he was not even forced to extend himself. He is to be sent to the International Marathon at Stockholm, Sweden. Berenice Floy will graduate from the Ohio State Uni- versity in June, 1912.

FERDINAND W. GETZ, undertaker and funeral director, who has been engaged in business at Lancaster, O., for the past twelve years, was born here August 6, 1870,

a son of William and Phoebe (Plout) Getz. He is a grandson of Ferdinand Getz, a na- tive of Germany who came to Fairfield county, Ohio, in the thirties from Lancaster county, Pa., and who died in Lancaster, O., in 1890. He was twice married and two chil- dren of his first union grew to maturity- Henry and Anna. His second marriage was to Louise Schneider, who died in 1888, aged sixty-eight years. Her father, Frederick Schneider, was born in Germany and later resided in Lancaster County, Pa., removing from there to Lancaster, Ohio. The chil- dren born to the second marriage of Ferd- inand Getz were William, Charles, John, Frank and George-all of Lancaster, O .- and Cleora, who died young.

William F. Getz, son of Ferdinand and father of Ferdinand W., was born in Lan- caster, Fairfield County, Ohio, Sept. 2, 1843. He was an architect by profession and later a contractor and builder. He was married to Phoebe Plout, who was born in Lancas- ter, Ohio, and died in 1899, she being the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Slisher) Plout, both natives of Germany. To this union two children were born: Ferdinand WV., whose name appears at the head of this sketch ; and Edith C., also a resident of Lan- caster. After his marriage, William F .. Getz went to Illinois, remaining there some years. He then came back and was in the employ of Orman Brothers for a while, after which he became a funeral director and undertaker with his brother, Charles F. Getz, they suc- ceeding to the business in 1877 which had been established by his father, Ferdinand Getz. The latter owned several acres of land, in the northern part of the city, the tract extending from Broad to Columbus streets being included in the same. In 1891

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William F. Getz purchased the interest of his brother, Charles F., later retiring from the business, in 1903.

Ferdinand W. Getz was reared in Lan- caster and attended both the common and high schools here. For a year after leaving school he was a clerk in the furniture store of George L. Eckert. After his father and uncle had dissolved partnership he took charge of the business for his father, becom- ing the sole proprietor thereof after the lat- ter's retirement in 1903. This business was first carried on by our subject's grandfather on what was known as Columbus Road and Lundy's Lane, now Fair Avenue. The pres- ent quarters, corner Columbus and Wheel- ing streets, were purchased by William F. Getz in 1879, although prior to that date removal had been made by Ferdinand Getz, the founder, to the Smith property between Wheeling and Main streets. Mr. Getz, the present proprietor, is well known in Lancas- ter and throughout the surrounding terri- tory and is held in high regard as a business man of ability and integrity. He has made undertaking and embalming a life study and is the only one in town in that line exclu- sively. He has an excellent professional equipment, including the first auto-ambu- lance in Fairfield County.

In March, 1904, Mr. Getz was married to Miss Cora Pearl Kistler, of Bloom Town- ship, Fairfield County, a daughter of Elijah and Jane Kistler. The Getz family belong to St. Peter's German Lutheran Church. In politics Mr. Getz is a Democrat. Frater- nally he is identified with the Red Men, the Knights of Pythias and the Elks.

JOHN TRAFFORD BRASEE, JR., was born in Lancaster, O., September 1, 1860, son of John Scofield Brasee and Mary Anna

(Dickinson) Brasee. He began his educa- tion in the public schools, took Latin and Creek under Rev. Mr. Colton and Rev. E. B. Cartmell, rectors of the Episcopal church. He also spent four years at Kenyon College, where he was graduated in 1882 with the degree of A. B. He then read law in the office of his father, Judge John S. Brasee and was admitted to the bar in 1885, enter- ing into practice in partnership with his father, which professional association was continued until 1900 when he entered the State Department of Insurance of Ohio, and a short time afterwards became Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Ohio, for which position he was peculiarly fitted by reason of his superior legal attainments. Under his direction the insurance laws, in all their manifold workings, have been skill- fully and justly applied without undue fric- tion or delay, and his record in this office is one of the highest. He served the state in this capacity for an uninterrupted period of eleven years during the consecutive admin- istrations of Governors Nash, Herrick, Pat- tison, Harris and Harmon.

On the subject of insurance and insurance law he is considered to be one of the best authorities in the state of Ohio. He is an able attorney and is forcible and eloquent as an orator. Governor Nash paid him a high compliment in saying that he was the "most brilliant man in the State House, the Supreme Court Judges not excepted." He has recently become president of the Cleve- land National Fire Insurance Company. He is a man of broad knowledge on various lit- erary, historical and other subjects and is a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He is a Republican in politics and an Epis- copalian in religious affiliation. Mr. Brasee is unmarried.

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY

CHARLES DICKINSON BRASEE was born Sept. 24, 1863. He was educated in the comfon schools and at Pleasantsville Academy and Zanesville Business College. After leaving school he devoted himself for several years to the management of his father's extensive farming lands. He then entered the office of his father, Judge John S. Brasee, where he read law, being ad- mitted to the bar in 1893. He is now a very able and popular attorney and counsellor at law. His friends are legion. He is a Repub- lican in politics and in religion an Episco- palian. He is as yet unmarried.

CHARLES JULIAN, one of the repre- sentative citizens of Madison Township, Fairfield County, O., a member of the town- ship board of trustees and the owner of a valuable farm of 150 acres, was born on this farm February 26, 1872, and is a son of Isaac and Ellen (Baughman) Julian.

The parents of Mr. Julian were respected residents of Madison Township for many years, farming people and members of the Reformed church. They died on this farm and their burial was at Clearport, O. They had eight children: Charles, Edward, Sarah, Frank, Della, Arletta, Hattie and Leaffie, the last named being the wife of Martin Valen- tine. All are deceased except Charles and Leaffie.

Charles Julian attended the public schools of Madison Township until he was fifteen years of age at which time he remained at home in order to assist his father and re- mained with the latter until his death, when by inheritance he received his present farm, which has substantial buildings and was well stocked. Mr. Julian has continued his farm activities and is numbered with the success- ful agriculturists of the township.

On September 14, 1891, Mr. Julian was married to Miss Elizabeth Tobin, of Amanda, O., who was left an orphan in in- fancy. She has three brothers and two sis- ters : Joseph, Lee, Leota, Ida and John To- bin. Mr. and Mrs. Julian have four chil- dren : Ray, Leland, Fred and Paul. In polit- ics he is a Republican and in the November elections of 1911 he was elected township trustee for a period of two years. He has always taken an interest in educational mat- ters and has served as a school director. With his family he attends the Methodist Episcopal church, while fraternally he is a member of Center Star Lodge No. 489, Knights of Pythias, at Amanda.

JOHN D. AMSPAUGH,* a substantial and respected citizen of Greenfield Town- ship, Fairfield County, O., residing on his valuable farm of 100 acres, which he de- votes partly to stock raising, was born at Lancaster, O., April 13, 1857, and is a son of Jonas and Barbara (Daubmier) Ams- paugh.

Jonas Amspaugh was born and reared in Hocking County, O., and was married there but moved to Fairfield County some fifty years ago and resided here for many years, finally removing to Darke County and lived there for thirty-five years. At the time of death, January 6, 1911, he was in his eigh- tieth year. He was a man of upright life and a worthy member of the Lutheran church. In his political views he was a Dem- ocrat. He was the father of nine children and the following survive: Mary, who is the wife of John Wilson, of Darke County ; John D .; Eliza, who is the wife of Joseph Ritchie, of Darke County; Susan, who is the wife of Charles Livingston, of Darke County; Sarah, who is the wife of George

GEORGE W. BOERSTLER, M. D.

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Wise, of Darke County; Jonas F. and Boerstler was born in 1792, of German par- George E., both of whom live in Darke County; and Elizabeth, who is the wife of C. Morgan, of Darke County.

John D. Amspaugh attended the district schools in Greenfield Township and with the exception of twelve years spent in Darke County, he has been a continuous resident of Fairfield County. In 1880 he settled on his present farm, on which he has made many improvements. He is a practical, well informed man and excellent farmer and his crops and stock are usually far above the average in the township.

Mr. Amspaugh was married to Miss Mary J. Vought, a native of Greenfield Township and a daughter of John S. Vought, a former resident of this section. Mr. and Mrs. Am- spaugh have had nine children : Ida M., who is the wife of Charles Huber and lives in Marion County, O .; Effie G., who is the wife of Oscar Eswein, and lives in Ohio; Edward C., who lives in Lieking County ; and Harry H., Ada M., Emmett, James, Howard and Carl. Mr. Amspaugh and family attend the Lutheran church at Lancaster. In politics he is a Democrat.

GEORGE W. BOERSTLER, M. D., who occupies a very prominent position in med- ical circles at Lancaster and throughout Fair- field Co., O., has been in active practice here for over forty years and his name is identified with medical progress and scien- tific achievement. He was born at Lancas- ter, O., November 24, 1846, and is a son of Dr. George W. and Elizabeth (Schur) Boerstler.

ents, was reared in Maryland and graduated in medicine at Baltimore; came to Lancas- ter, O., in 1833, where, after a life of useful- ness in his profession, he died in 1871. He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Sinks of Ohio, who died in 1838, and secondly to Elizabeth Schur, who survived until 1900.

George W. Boerstler attended the Lan- caster schools and also had private instruc- tion and very early developed tastes which led to his entering upon the study of medi- cine, his preceptor being his father, and from under this teaching he entered the medical department of Wooster University, Cleve- land, where he was graduated in the class of 1869, supplementing this by a post-grad- uate course in New York. He then estab- lished himself at Lancaster and for two dec- ades has been in the enjoyment of a sub- stantial practice brought about by his pro- fessional skill. Unlike many other medical men, he has never permitted outside inter- ests to distract his attention from his profes- sion, but has made it supreme. He is iden- tified with the American Medical Associa- tion and with the state and county organiza- tions and at various times has served on medical boards and in positions in which only a man of medical skill and experience could officiate. He served for some years as a member of the board of U. S. pension examiners and for four years was a member of the board of trustees of the Athens Asylum. On many subjects pertaining to both medicine and surgery he is considered an authority.

Dr. Boerstler was married in 1872 to Miss Sally Reber Camp, who was born at San- dusky, O., and died in 1886. She was a daughter of John G. Camp, of Sandusky, and

The father of Dr. Boerstler was also the son of a physician and for three generations the profession has been ably represented in this family. The late Dr. George W. a granddaughter of a Revolutionary hero.

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY

To Dr. and Mrs. Boerstler one daughter was By a previous marriage with Elmira Beery, born to whom the name of her grandmother, of Berne Township, Mr. Beatty had a Elizabeth, was given. She is the wife of an English gentleman, B. J. Swinnerton, and their home is in Staffordshire, Eng. Dr. Boerstler is a Democrat in his political views. Fraternally he is a Mason and is connected with the higher branches of the order.

JOHN E. BEATTY, a well known resi- dent of Pleasant Township, Fairfield County, O., settled on his present place near Colfax, in 1883 and is engaged here in gen- eral farming. He was born at East Rush- ville, O., July 6, 1851, and is a son of John A. and Orell K. (Davis) Beatty, and a grand- son of Patton Beatty, a pioneer of this sec- tion, who for many years lived at East Rush- ville, Fairfield County.

John A. Beatty, our subject's father, was born at East Rushville, O., and for many years was a prosperous business man-a dealer in and shipper of livestock. · He died at Crook City, North Dakota, in 1890, after a short residence there. He was survived by his widow and children. The former, in maidenhood Orell K. Davis, was a native of Perry County, O .; she died in 1900. Their surviving children are John E., Win- field S., of Rogers, Kans., Elmer B., of Den- ver, Colo., and Alza E., of Lancaster O. A twin sister of John E. was Orell Gertrude, who died when quite young.

John E. Beatty was well educated, attend- ing the local schools and the Fairfield Union Academy at Pleasantville, in its days a noted educational institution. He married Miss Mary E. Huber, a daughter of David Huber, who, in his day, was one of the prominent citizens of Pleasant Township. They had one son, Scottie E., who is now deceased.

daughter, Elmira G., who is also deceased. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at West Rushville. In politics he is a Republican. All these old families have been identified with the development of Fairfield County, and among them may be found not only progressive and successful farmers, builders of schoolhouses, support- ers of churches, but enterprising citizens in various other walks of life.

I. B. BROWN, who resides on his well improved and very valuable farm of eighty- eight acres, which is situated in Section 22, Rush Creek Township, was born in Hock- ing County, August 29, 1854, and is a son of Thomas and Hannah (Beach) Brown.

Thomas Brown and wife were both born in Westmoreland County, Pa., where they were reared and married and when they re- moved to Hocking County brought with them four surviving sons-William, David, Joseph and Samuel, two infant sons being deceased. In Hocking County the follow- ing children were born: James, an infant son, Lewis, Noah, Mary Jane, I. B., Albert, LeRoy and Oliver Thomas. Of these, I. B. is the only one who lives in Fairfield county. Thomas Brown and wife lived on the farm of 120 acres in Hocking County for the remainder of their lives. They were people of excellent repute and faithful mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. His death. occurred at the age of eighty-four years and that of his widow when she was four years older. Four of their sons became ministers in the United Brethren church.

After his school days were over, I. B. Brown learned the carpenter's trade and be- came a skilled workman as the tasteful ap-

JOHN E. BEATTY

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pearance of his own residence proves, he caster, O., and is a son of John H. Zink and having erected it himself. He has made Margaret Theresa Powers Zink. His father, John H. Zink, was also born in Lancaster, his parents being among the prominent pioneer settlers. During the Civil War he served in Company I, 17th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, be- ing wounded at the battle of Chickamauga. many other improvements, having put up the substantial farm buildings and arranged his grounds. He purchased this place of Isaac Rowles, who was a son-in-law of Mr. Lehman, the original owner. This land which once was bought for $60 per acre could not now be purchased for $150. There are three producing oil and gas wells on the place.

Mr. Brown married Miss Salome Stemen, who was born in Hocking County, O., a daughter of Abraham Steman, and they have had eight children namely: Freeman, who married Anna Piefle, resides at Bremen and has two children-Ruby and Paul; Mil- ton, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, who lives in Belmont County, and married Bertha Witters; Walter, who died at the age of nineteen years; Etta, who is the wife of E. R. Smeck, and lives near Col- umbus, O .; Carl, Roland and Orlando, all of whom reside at home; and an infant daugh- ter, who died unnamed. With one excep- tion, all the above family have been teachers and very acceptable ones. General farming is carried on by the sons, all of whom take a hearty interest in agricultural pursuits. In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican. He is president of the Board of Education of the Special Bremen District and for six years has been an efficient and careful member of this body. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church.

GEORGE H. ZINK, a representative young business man of Lancaster, was born in Lan-

For twenty-five years after his return to Lancaster he was connected with a large gro- cery firm. Later purchasing the entire interest, he associated his son, George H., with him, in the same location in which his father, Sylvester Zink had founded the business in the early days. He was always identified with the Democratic party. A loyal citizen, he gave generously of his time and purse in all that per- tained to the welfare of his native town. He was a devoted Catholic, intensely interested in the growth and development of his church. He married Margaret Theresa Powers, who with two children, George H. and Mary Blanche, survive. His death occurred July I, 1910, at the age of sixty-seven years.

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History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 90

Author: Miller, Charles Christian, 1856- [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co Number of Pages: 874

Author: Miller, Charles Christian, 1856- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co
Number of Pages: 874