USA > Ohio > Mercer County > History of Mercer County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 30
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Mr. Snyder, however, had been a newspaper man too long to take any absorbing interest in anything else and within 18 months he purchased the Mercer County Standard, with which his name and personality were identified for a half century. He belonged heart and soul to the Democratic party and in supporting its principles his voice and pen left no uncertainty. Although not a seeker for office, when he felt it his duty to accept political responsibilities he did so, and with fidelity and honor represented his constituents. In 1859 he was elected by the Democratic party to the Legislature and was returned for a second term. He also served as a member of the Celina Village Council.
Mr. Snyder was married on February 22, 1859, to Susan E. Slicer, of Bellefontaine, Ohio. Seven children were born to this marriage, the sur- vivors being: Elizabeth, wife of Charles A. McKim, postmaster of Celina ; Mrs. A. W. Fishbaugh, Cora, and Frank A., who is the business manager of the Standard. To his family the death of the beloved father who had also
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been friend, counselor and guide, was an almost insupportable blow and his memory will always be tenderly cherished by those who knew him best.
Mr. Snyder, while devoted to his journalistic work, took a deep interest in all that promised to develop and help Celina and this section. He invested money in a number of its enterprises and, through faithful representation in his columns of the advantages of this section, brought thousands of dollars of capital to this part of Ohio.
Mr. Snyder was a charter member of the Masonic lodge and chapter at Celina and in 1887 he was made a Knight Templar in Shawnee Commandery at Lima. It was according to his expressed wish, made at this time, that his funeral obsequies were in charge of his beloved fraternity of which he was so honored a member. A portrait of Mr. Snyder accompanies this sketch.
JAMES C. SNYDER
JAMES C. SNYDER, a very well-known citizen and leading stockman of Mercer County, in association with his son, LeRoy Snyder, owns 230 acres of the best farming land in Washington township, consisting of 150 acres in the home farm in section 13, and 80 acres in section 23. He was born at Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio, March 9, 1846, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Homan) Snyder.
The father of our subject was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and was a son of Peter Snyder, who came to West Baltimore, Montgomery County, Ohio, when his son Joseph was 10 years of age and settled on land, which is now the site of the thriving town of West Baltimore. When he was 12 years old, Joseph Snyder was apprenticed to a blacksmith who had a shop and forge at Lewisburg, and married in that place and continued to work there at his trade until his son James was four years old and then moved to West Baltimore, Ohio, where he opened a shop and worked four years. He then sold his shop and worked as a journeyman blacksmith for several years. About 1858, he bought a farm of 220 acres in Wells County, Indiana, which was still in its virgin state and heavily timbered. This farm was mainly cleared through his own exertions as in a few years he was deprived of the assistance of James, who was the eldest son, the military spirit having carried the boy away from the farm and into the army.
During the absence of James C. Snyder in the army, his father sold the farm in Indiana, and returned to Montgomery County, Ohio, where he sub- sequently bought two pieces of land near West Baltimore. He was the owner of this land, however, but a short time, selling it and moving to Palestine, Darke County, Ohio, where he bought a saw mill and engaged in sawing lum-
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ber for many years. Finally he purchased a farm adjoining the corporate limits of Palestine, where he spent some years farming and dealing in horses. His death occurred while he was living near Lynn, Indiana.
Joseph Snyder was married (first) to Elizabeth Homan, a daughter of Peter Homan, who was a shoemaker by trade. Mrs. Snyder died in 1874, the mother of seven children. Mr. Snyder was married (second) to Rebecca Howard, of Greenville, Ohio, and they had two children. His death took place on March 14, 1899, at the age of 74 years, 3 months and 8 days.
Before our subject's years had extended over boyhood, he had won per- mission to become a soldier and was wearing the army blue. In appearance he was a well-developed youth, but his age was between 15 and 16 years and his weight was but 94 pounds, when he succeeded, on August 6, 1863, in se- curing the enrollment of his name as a soldier in the Union ranks. To the credit of the colonel of the Seventh Regiment, Indiana Vol. Cav., be it stated that he opposed the admission of the youthful recruit, but the latter's fine horsemanship finally won his consent. A difficulty arose about a uniform as none could be found small enough, but young Snyder devised expedients such as filling his hat partly with paper and turning up his sleeves and making a few rolls in his pants, so that he was presentable at roll-call. In looking over the records of the Seventh Indiana of that period, there seems to be no men- tion of the failure of this determined young soldier in any part of his hard duty; on the other hand there is proof that he gallantly bore a part in the battles of Okolona, Guntown, Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, Verona, Egypt, Natchez River, Hurricane Creek and Oxford, Mississippi; Independence, Big Blue and Little Osage, Missouri; Raleigh and Bolivar, Tennessee; Mine Creek, Kansas; and Bastrop, Louisiana. He came through this particularly hard campaign without injury, and, with the exception of about 30 days of illness when he was kept in a hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, he was never absent from his regiment. His work was also of a dangerous character, as he was frequently employed in the carrying of special messages. On several occasions, when he had to pass right through the enemy's lines, only his ex- cellent horsemanship and his tact and ingenuity saved him from capture and the army disaster, which would have resulted had his dispatches fallen into the wrong hands. On one occasion, with two comrades, he carried dispatches 100 miles. That his services were not unappreciated may be proved by the presentation of a document which speaks for itself. It is as follows :
HEADQUARTERS 7TH IND. CAV., LA GRANGE, TENN., May 23, 1865.
Issued to Corporal James C. Snyder, as a tribute of respect to his qualities as a soldier, whose bravery, courage and dash won for him the respect of the officers and his comrades at arms in the engagements at Okolona, Tishomingo and Hurricane Creek. (Signed) LEROY WOODS, Ist lieutenant, Company E.
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Corporal Snyder was honorably discharged, by special order No. 4, on September 19, 1865, at Hempstead, Texas.
Upon his return from army service, Mr. Snyder went to his father's home in Darke County, where he lived until his marriage in 1866, when he settled for several years near Palestine and then moved to Washington town- ship, Mercer County. Here Mr. Snyder bought a mill property and operated a sawmill for several years, doing a large amount of business. He then de- cided to resume farming and returned to Darke County, where he lived some five years, after which he went back to Washington township, repurchased the sawmill and continued to operate it for some five years. During this in- terval he had purchased 160 acres of farm land, this being his present home property. A hamlet was forming in the neighborhood at this time, and Mr. Snyder sold 10 acres of his farm, on which tract the town of Erastus now stands. The purchase of this land was consummated by Mr. Snyder on Au- gust 21, 1880. On account of a noble grove of walnut trees, he gave his property the name of "Walnut Grove Farm"; since he has entered so largely into the stock business, it is known as the "Walnut Grove Stock Farm." It is situated just north and adjoining the village of Erastus. In partnership with his son, who is also a very capable business man, Mr. Snyder is largely. interested in raising fine trotting horses. At present the firm owns 40 head of magnificent animals. They have'a half-mile race track on the farm on which the horses are tried from colts. Mr. Snyder has one of the best equipped modern barns in this part of the State, having erected it especially with the training and care of his horses in view. In dimensions it is 100 feet east and west and 80 feet north and south, built with an ell. There are 20 box stalls and accommodations for 50 head of horses. Other necessary buildings and sheds are kept in fine sanitary condition, it being Mr. Snyder's policy to treat his horses in a way most beneficial in order to reap the best results. An office with clerk in attendance is also on the place.
The comfortable farm home, also erected by Mr. Snyder, stands some 100 yards back from the highway in the beautiful walnut grove mentioned.
On August 7, 1866, Mr. Snyder was married to Signorette Wilcox, a daughter of James Wilcox, and they have three children, namely: Flora, who is the wife of Orville S. Ashcraft, a trustee of Washington township, who operates our subject's 80-acre farm; Vernie, who is the wife of LeRoy Kester, and resides on the home farm of Mr. Snyder; and LeRoy, who is associated with his father in the stock business.
Formerly Mr. Snyder was interested in some of the business enterprises, outside of his own, in his vicinity, and for some five years was part owner of the tile mill at Erastus. With his family, Mr. Snyder belongs to the Method- ist Episcopal Church.
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JOSEPH HINDERS
JOSEPH HINDERS, retiring sheriff of Mercer County, who has served two terms in this important office, during which he has enjoyed the confidence of reputable citizens and inspired the lawless with healthy fear, was born in; Marion township, Mercer County, Ohio, January 26, 1855. His parents were Gerhardt and Maria (Hagemann) Hinders.
The Hinders family is of German extraction. The father was an old settler in Mercer County, where he became a large farmer and comfortably reared his family of 13 children. He died January 18, 1898.
Joseph Hinders was reared in his native neighborhood and was educated in the common schools. When he reached young manhood he engaged in farming with his father for a time and then learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed many years.
Mr. Hinders was married to Addie Bechtel, a daughter of Nicholas Bechtel. They have had seven children, three of whom still survive, as fol- lows: Urban G., Elvira E. and Homer J. Those deceased are: Helen Ursula, Arthur William, Mary Elizabeth and Florence Mary.
Mr. Hinders has been a life-long Democrat and for many years has taken an active interest in public matters. In 1902 he was first elected to the office of sheriff, and in 1904 he was reelected, by a majority of 500 votes. With his family he belongs to the Catholic Church.
ROY JENKINS
ROY JENKINS, a prominent agriculturist of Liberty township, owning an 80-acre productive farm, is the junior member of the firm of Vore & Jenkins, which owns and operates a successful industry known as the Sweet Corn Evaporating Company. Mr. Jenkins was born on his father's farm in Liberty township, Mercer County, Ohio, April 24, 1879, and is a son of William and Zaney (Wilson) Jenkins.
William Jenkins was born in Franklin County, Ohio, October 4, 1851, and is a son of Newman and Maria (Weekly) Jenkins, who were natives of Virginia. When three years of age, his parents came to Ohio and were among the early settlers of Liberty township, Mercer County, where he was reared. On April 12, 1874, he married Zaney Wilson, who was born in West Virginia, June 29, 1853, and is a daughter of Dr. Stephen Wilson, who was one of the pioneer physicians of Liberty township, to which he came during Mrs. Jenkin's girlhood. William Jenkins and family resided on his farm in section
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27, Liberty township until the spring of 1894, when they removed to Celina, since which time they have lived at No. 113 Logan street.
Roy Jenkins was reared through boyhood in Liberty township, and after completing the public school course there, spent one year in the Celina High School and one and one-half years in the Tri-State Normal School, at Angola, Indiana. He then engaged for a time in teaching and had charge of both the grammar and high schools of Wabash, Ohio, for some three years.
In 1902, Mr. Jenkins became associated with his present partner, Mr. Vore, purchasing a half-interest, in the successful industry known as the Sweet Corn Evaporating Company, which plant is located in section 35, Liberty township. The business is the evaporation of sweet corn and up to the present time enough choice corn has been obtained in Liberty township, some of it from Mr. Jenkins's own farm, to keep the factory running, with a force of from 15 to 18 employees. The finished product is marketed in 70- pound sacks and is shipped to all neighboring towns and to Chicago, where there is a steady and increasing demand. The business is a prosperous one and the methods by which this grain is prepared for consumption are so far superior to any other accepted way of preserving it, that its use is sure to extend. Mr. Vore, the senior partner, resides at Ludlow Falls, Miami County, Ohio, but Mr. Jenkins lives near the manufacturing plant in Liberty township. He is a young man of business capacity and in addition to manag- ing the industry indicated, operates a farm on which he produced 1,000 bushels of wheat, in 1906.
On June 24, 1901, Mr. Jenkins was married to Mabel Vore, who was born in Miami County, Ohio, and died May 14, 1906, leaving a little daughter, Lulu. Mr. Jenkins is a member of the Christian Church.
In politics he is identified with the Democratic party. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow. His standing among his fellow-citizens is that of an enter- prising, able and upright man.
LEWIS M. KRANER
LEWIS M. KRANER, a well-known agriculturist and prominent citizen of Hopewell township, president of the Mercer County Mutual Telephone Com- pany, resides on a well-cultivated farm of 80 acres, located in section 23, on which he has placed excellent improvements. Mr. Kraner was born in Fair- field County, Ohio, May 10, 1860, and is a son of William H. and Sophia (Crider) Kraner.
Michael Kraner, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Maryland and located in Fairfield County, Ohio, as one of the early settlers. His
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parents came to America from Germany. Both parents of Lewis M. Kraner were natives of Ohio and the father was born in 1832 in Fairfield County, where he still resides.
Lewis M. Kraner was reared in Fairfield County and obtained his educa- tion in the local schools and subsequently at Reynoldsburg and Carroll, Ohio. He then taught school for a short time and also learned telegraphing. It was while he was an operator for the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad, that he first became interested in electricity. His studies led him finally into the tele- phone business and it was mainly through his instrumentality that the excel- lent telephone system of the Mercer County Mutual Telephone Company was introduced, bringing into this agricultural community so many conveniences, which have almost become necessities. Ever since the company was organized in 1893, Mr. Kraner has been its president and practically. its manager. He has invented a number of electrical devices in connection with telephones and gives much attention to the study of electricity. Formerly he engaged rather extensively in the raising of registered stock, but latterly his time has been mainly taken up with the work of the telephone system, although he carries on general farming as before. He is also in great demand among his neigh- bors as an auctioneer and cries many sales each year.
In February, 1889, Mr. Kraner was married to Effie D. Klinger, of Mercer County, who is a daughter of the late George W. and Melinda (Pat- ten) Klinger. Her parents, who were natives of Hocking County, Ohio, were among the earliest settlers of Hopewell township, Mercer County.
Mr. Kraner is an active member of the Democratic party. He served six years as a justice of the peace in Hopewell township, and served for two terms as clerk of Violet township, in Fairfield County. Few citizens have a wider acquaintance in the two counties. In every essential respect, he is a self-made man and the success which has come to him has been the direct result of his own efforts. He enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellow- citizens and has a wide circle of warm, personal friends.
HON. STEPHEN A. ARMSTRONG
HON. STEPHEN A. ARMSTRONG, now serving his second term as judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Mercer County, was formerly the senior member of the prominent law firm of Armstrong & Johnson, at Celina. He was born December 18, 1848, at Montezuma, Mercer County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Martha (Livingston) Armstrong.
The father of Judge Armstrong was born in Ireland and came of Scotch- Irish ancestry. His mother, born in 1812, a native of Dublin, Ireland, was of
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English extraction. In 1832 William Armstrong and wife came to America and joined relatives already well established at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The father of Judge Armstrong was a skilled machinist. After working as such in Philadelphia, he removed to the vicinity of Montreal, Canada, where he lived until 1847, when he came to the rapidly growing village of Monte- zuma, in Mercer County, Ohio. The family was visited here by heavy calamity, four sons dying in one month in 1849, from an epidemic of scarlet fever, and in March, 1850, the father died and the bereaved widow was left with the care of three surviving children, our subject being then an infant. To her wisdom and good management, Stephen A. Armstrong attributes much of his success in life. She was a woman of intellectual capacity and when she found herself left with but little capital and the care of three small children, she became a teacher and not only succeeded in rearing her little ones to honorable maturity but educated them as well. This devoted mother passed out of life on December 13, 1857.
Stephen A. Armstrong attended the schools of Montezuma and Celina, his mother having removed to the latter place in 1852. Prior to completing his education he served three years in a printing office at Celina, after which he successfully passed through the Celina High School. Naturally taking up teaching as a profession, he taught four terms in Mercer County and was then appointed superintendent of the schools of Celina, in which position he served with efficiency for one year, resigning in order to enter the University of Michigan, for which he had prepared himself. For five years prior to this he had been reading law as his duties permitted, and in 1873 he was graduated from the law department, at Ann Arbor, with his degree of LL. B. In April of the same year he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan, then sitting at Detroit, and shortly afterward was admitted to practice in the State and Federal courts of Ohio. On July 7, 1873, he lo- cated at Celina and here he has been one of the leading members of the bart for years. Ih the fall of 1875 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Mercer County, and was reelected two years later.
In 1898 Stephen A. Armstrong was elected to the common pleas bench, an honor justified by the eminent position he had held as attorney. Five years. later he was reelected. He possesses all the qualifications demanded in his judicial position and occupies a high place among the jurists of Ohio.
On December 28, 1870, Judge Armstrong was married to Alice Jane Shipley, a native of Ohio, daughter of Samuel B. Shipley. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have had seven children, five of whom survive: Russell L., an attorney of Lima, who is a graduate of the Celina schools and the law depart- ment of the Ohio State University; Samuel Floyd, who conducts a restaurant at Mendon; Stephen A., Jr., court stenographer of Mercer County; Alice-
MR. AND MRS. WASHINGTON SNYDER AND FAMILY
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May, living at home, who graduated from the Celina schools, also attended school for a time at Oxford and is a fine musician; and John Richard, who graduated from the Celina schools and is now a student of the law department of the Ohio State University. Russell and Samuel Floyd Armstrong served in the Spanish-American War. Of the two children, deceased, William B. died at the age of 32 years, leaving a widow, Bertha (Keller) Armstrong ; and Edward died in infancy.
WASHINGTON SNYDER
WASHINGTON SNYDER, a substantial farmer of Gibson township, resid- ing on his highly cultivated and well developed farm of 147 acres located in sections No. 15 and 22, was born January 31, 1853, in Gibson township, Mer- cer County, Ohio, and is a son of James Riley and Lydia (Gilbert) Snyder ..
James R. Snyder was born in Virginia, but when quite small was brought: to Darke County, Ohio, by his parents, and was reared on a farm near Green- ville. About one year after his marriage, he moved to Mercer County, and' bought a farm of 130 acres, on which he lived until his death, in March, 1855, being killed by the falling of a beam at a barn raising. His widow survived him until October 2, 1902, being 80 years of age at the time of her death. Mr. and Mrs. James R. Snyder were the parents of five children, as follows: John F .; James R .; William M .; Susannah (Bender) ; and Washington, our subject.
Washington Snyder was two years old at the time of his father's death .. He was reared and educated in Gibson township, and has always been engaged in farming. He lived on the home farm for six years after his marriage until 1882, when he bought and moved upon a 40-acre farm in Gibson township --- a part of his present estate. The large frame house which the family occu- pies was built in the fall of 1882.
Mr. Snyder was married June 20, 1876, to Lucretia A. Clark, a daughter of William Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have had 12 children: Ellen Isa- phene, who married Joseph E. Van Kirk and has had five children, three of whom are now living-Kittie May, Bessie Glenn and Fannie Elizabeth; Will- iam Riley, who married Sarah Runkle, lives in Gibson township and has one daughter-Sarah Elizabeth; Wellington Wiley, who is married and lives in Darke County, Ohio; and John Marshall, Charlie Glenn, Fannie E., Wash- ington Roscoe, Don Clark, Louden, Lucretia May, Arlie (deceased 'at the age of 10 months) and Verne. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are members of the Church of Christ at Fort Recovery. A group picture of the Snyder family accom- panies this sketch. 18
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ANDREW D. GEMMILL, V. S.
ANDREW D. GEMMILL, V. S., who is well known in his profession over three counties, standing at its head in Mercer County, is a popular citizen of Celina, where he resides. He was born in Huron County, Ontario, Dominion of Canada, March 7, 1865, and is a son of David and Anna (McNichol) Gemmill.
Andrew D. Gemmill was reared on his father's large estate in Canada, ·where, in the rearing of cattle and stock, he first became interested in his pres- ent profession. He was graduated at the University of Clinton, Ontario, in 1887, and for some six years taught school in Canada, following which he entered the veterinary college at Toronto, Canada, where he was graduated in 1892. In the following year he came to Mercer County and established his home at Celina.
On September 15, 1895, Mr. Gemmill was married to Etta Piper, a «daughter of George Piper. They have one son, Aleck G., born May 10, 1899. Mr. Gemmill is an ardent Democrat and, being well known and popular, exerts a wide influence in party affairs. The family belong to St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church.
EDWARD W. BERTKE
EDWARD W. BERTKE, a progressive farmer of Franklin township, who resides on his farm of 80 acres located in section 35, was born June 7, 1870i, on a farm in German township, Auglaize County, Ohio, and is a son of Ru- dolph and Caroline ( Bakemiller) Bertke.
Rudolph Bertke was born in Germany, where he was reared, educated and first married. When he came to this country, he settled on a farm in Auglaize County, Ohio, and now lives retired at New Bremen. He had two children by his first marriage: Henry, a resident of St. Marys, who married Mary Ahlers and owns a farm across the road from that of Edward W .; and Caroline, who married Gus Dickie and lives on a farm near St. Marys. His first wife died and he married Caroline Bakemiller, a native of Germany, who .came to America and joined a sister at New Bremen, Ohio. There were 12 children born to this marriage, namely: Louise, who married Henry Brock- man; George, who married Minnie Rump, and was accidentally killed while out hunting; Fred, who married Martha Heshfelt; John, who married Eliza- beth Neddermann; Edward W .; Emma, who married Julius Ahlers-both now deceased; Augustus, who married Ida Kenning; Ellen unmarried, who lives at New Bremen with her father; Rose, Martin and two infants, deceased.
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