History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 71

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
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Number of Pages: 559

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In 1860, the congregation having received a donation of a lot of ground from N. Benjamin, esq., near the church, it was decided to erect a parsonage on the same, and in the autumn of 1861 a neat, comfortable brick house, two stories, with wing attached, was completed under the pastorate of Rev. S. C. Kendig. This congre- gation is now large and influential- - paying the pastor a salary of one thousand dollars per year, with the use of the parsonage. During the last eighteen years it has contributed to benevolent purposes besides paying the pastor's salary and the other incidental expenses, about twelve thousand dollars. The number of members in good standing is two hundred and sixteen. A large and flourishing Sabbath-school, under the superintendency of Edgar L. Derby, is conducted every Sabbath during the year.

The first consistory, or session of the church, was composed of two elders and two deacons, the elders being Jacob Sorber and Henry Keisling. The names of the deacons are not remembered. The present consist- ory numbers eight, as follows: Elders, John Zitzer, John Rider, John Myers, and Joseph Copp; deacons, Har- vey Waymire, Jacob Minich, John J. Rape, and Elijah Foutz.

The following is a list of pastors, with the terms of service: Rev. Des Combes, missionary, 1815; Rev. Thomas Winters, 1817 until 1840, died in West Alexan- dria, September 13, 1863; Rev. Adam Leis, about one year, died in Pennsylvania; Rev. John Kercher, 1841- 1843; Rev. Thomas H. Winters, 1844-1849; Rev. John Rike, 1850 to April, 1854, died in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1854 ; Rev. Levi Rike, 1854-1856; Rev. A. C. Ken- dig, 1857-1861, died in Basil, Ohio, January 16, 1864;

Rev. H. M. Herman began his pastorate in 1861, and is still in charge.

SALEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.

We are indebted to the pastor for the facts contained in the following sketch :

About the year 1816 the Rev. Lewis Morgan com- menced preaching where the village of West Alexandria now stands. This is the first account we have of a Lu- theran service in Preble county. It is, however, claimed by some that Rev. Mau, of the same denomination, had preached a few sermons prior to this time. We are des- titute of church records to decide this matter. A con- gregation, however, seems to have been organized about the time referred to by Rev. Morgan. At that early day the country, of course, was mostly a wilderness, and di- vine service was conducted in the open air, or in some cabin or barn. In 1817 a two story log church was erected by this society, and the German Reformed con- gregation and the Lutherans jointly continued to occupy it until about 1860, when they erected their present brick edifice, forty by sixty feet in size. The Reformed con -. gregation had erected their building several years before. Rev. Morgan was followed in his pastoral labors by Rev. Espich, but for what length of time cannot be stated, as the church records are silent upon this matter. Rev. Andrew Henkel was next called as pastor, and seems to have served it until about the year 1830. During his ministration the church assumed such stability that it has been supplied with the preached word and the adminis- tration of the holy sacrament regularly ever since.

Mr. Henkel was followed by Rev. Jacob Gruber, now living in Illinois, who served it until the year 1848 or 1849, when it was again served one year by Rev. Mr. Henkel.

On the twenty-fifth of June, 1850, the present incumbent, Rev. George Baughman, took charge of the congregation. At that time it numbered fifty-six communicants, about equally composed of American born and German Eu- ropeans. Divine service has been conducted in both German and English in this congregation for more than fifty years, no preference, so far, having been given to either language. The congregation now numbers some- thing over two hundred communicants, and has under its care a fine Sunday-school.

THE ENTERPRISE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Methodist services were inaugurated in this vicinity by William and Henry Eidson, the latter a local preacher, and a class of which the present church is the outgrowth, was organized in about the year 1835, at the house of said Henry Eidson. Meetings were held there for sev- eral years, and then a log meeting-house was built on Eidson's farm, and occupied until the present church was built. This building is a brick, and was completed and dedicated December 27 and 28, 1856. The society seems to have subsequently almost entirely disbanded, as there had been no regular preaching for some thirteen or fourteen years prior to 1878, when the class was re-or- ganized with only eight members, viz .: Isaac Ulrich, John A. Cox, wife and two children, G. W. Spesard,

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HISTORY OF PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

Laura Wachtel, and Jane M. Nett. Mr. Spesard was class leader, and still continues in that relation. The membership is now forty-six. The Sunday-school is in a flourishing condition, numbering about seventy scholars, having grown from only twelve in 1878. Albert Hahn is superintendent, having succeeded John A. Cox, who was chosen in 1878.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF WEST ALEXANDRIA.

In the absence of church records the writer has had .to depend for the facts here given upon the recollections of some of the older residents, principally Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gregg.

A class was organized at the house of Dr. Gray, by Rev. Wester Davis, about the year 1841. It was com- posed of about a dozen members, among them Dr. Gray and wife, Charles Hervey and wife, Mrs. Samuel Gregg and daughter, James Martin, Mrs. Dorsey, Abraham Reels and wife and the mother of Mrs. Reels. The membership the following year was largely increased as a result of a revival which was commenced June 4, 1842. Previous to the organization of the class there had been meetings held in the town and vicinity for many years. In the town the services were held at different places, but principally in a frame school-house which stood just west of the graveyard. After the class was formed serv- ices were held for some time regularly in a brick school- house which occupied the site of Mr. Klinger's cigar factory, and later in the Protestant Methodist house, which has since disappeared. The society erected a church building-a one-story brick-in 1849 or 1850, on the lot where the present house stands. The former was taken down in the summer of 1877, and the present church erected and completed the following year, at a cost of about three thousand dollars. The building committee was composed of J. A. Coffman, D. Mause, and J. S. Davis. The present board of trustees consists of Daniel Coffman, John Dininger, Daniel Mause, J. S. Davis, and J. H. Rohrer. Superintendent of Sabbath- school, John Dininger.

BETHLEHEM CHAPEL.

This society first had an organization about two miles west of Lexington, and a small frame meeting house was put up where the old graveyard is, as early as 1834. Preaching at a later date was held in a school-house in the Banta neighborhood in this township, services hav- ing been discontinued and the society practically broken up at the former place. Among the early members were the Hewits, Samples, Quinns, Prebles, and others. One of the earliest regular preachers was Elder Elmer Clark. The church on the pike was erected in 1850. Jesse O. Harris, Peter Banta, Thomas Wells, T. A. Brandon, Elder Carr, Caleb Wehrley, James C. Neal, James T. Lynn, Elder Humphreys, Elder Lauer, and Carles W. Garoute have preached for the society, the last named being now in charge. Elder Neal served the society for a continuous term of over twenty years. The member- ship is at this writing about one hundred and twenty. The trustees are Harrison Stover, Martin V. Ware, and Daniel Young; H. C. Klinger, treasurer; S. A. Potterf,

clerk ; A. H. Klinger, superintendent of Sabbath-school. THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

at Enterprise was organized, as a society, by Rev. Amos Poorman, on New Years day, 1872. There were fourteen members who joined at this time, as follows : Harry Glander, Dietrich S. Glander, Frederick Hummel and wife, Michael M. Cupp and his mother, Barbara Cupp, Christian Eck and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Naeff, Elizabeth Gingrey, John Hanver and wife, Lewis Ulsh and wife. Rev. Poorman remained in charge of the society until late in the following fall, when he resigned on account of poor health. There was then no preach- ing until the next April, when Rev. G. W. Busby, of Lewisburgh, began his labors as pastor, and continued until June, 1880. Rev. Mr. Poorman was again called to the pastorate, and continues in charge at the present time. The church building was erected in the spring of 1878, and was dedicated on the second Sunday of June following. Previous to the erection of the church, ser- vices were held in the Methodist Episcopal church. The present officers are Squire Gebhart and Lewis Ulsh, dea- cons, and Oscar Moses, trustee. The membership is now about fifty. A Sunday-school was organized at the time of the dedication of the church, with John Hanver superin- tendent. His successors have been Christian Eck and D. S. Glander.

MILLS.

The first mill in this part of the county was erected in Twin township, in the first settlement, by Judge Nisbet, of Lexington. It occupied the site of what was known for many years as the old Mumma mill, a short distance northeast of West Alexandria. This mill was a great convenience to the settlers, who, before its erection, had to go to Gunkle's mill at Germantown, Montgomery county, to get their grinding done.

The first flouring mill in Lanier was built on Twin creek, on the site of the Halderman mill, by John Eg- bert, in 1812 or '13. Egbert came from New England and purchased the saw-mill, which had been erected a short time before by Dockerty and Dickey, and soon after built the grist-mill. Egbert run it for a number of years and then sold to John Fisher. It was burned down in the winter of 1846, and in 1847 was rebullt by Adam Miller. It is now owned by Abraham Halderman.

The next mill erected was the Gregg mill, further down the creek. It was built in 1818 or 1819 by James Denni- son.

The mill on Twin, southeast of west Alexandria, was erected by Jacob Sorber in 1833. He erected a saw-mill there in 1816, and did most of the sawing for the neigh- borhood.

John Halderman, sr., built a saw-mill on Aukerman's creek, in the northwest quarter of section thirty-two in 1815.

There are at the present time several saw-mills in the township, but two or three of them do most of the saw- ing that is done.

The steam mill of E. S. Stotler, situated on Twin creek, east of West Alexandria, was built by Messrs.

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F. N. FUDGE

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E, LANIERTP. PREBLE CO.O.

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HISTORY OF PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

Stotler and Glander about nine years ago. Besides the ordinary sawing done, this mill does a considerable busi- ness in the manufacture of tobacco boxes.

Abraham Brower erected a saw-mill on Banta's fork in 1816 or 1817, and soon afterward a carding- and fulling- mill, which he subsequently sold to Peter and Martin Foutz. Peter Parker and Samuel Moore built a carding- mill a few years afterwards on Twin.

INCORPORATION.

The village was incorporated, by act of legislature, March 14, 1836, and on the third Monday of the fol- lowing April, a village government was inaugurated by the election of a mayor and five trustees. Of the of- ficers elected, at this time, the records contain only the name of the mayor, who was Charles Smith. The fol- lowing is a list of the mayors of the town, since Mr. Smith's incumbency, with the years of their service, to wit: Elias Herdman, 1838, 1839; Mahlon Karn, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843; Josiah Davis, 1844; Mahlon Karn, 1845, 1846, 1847; J. B. Watts, 1848, 1849; L. W. Tem- pleton, 1850; Mahlon Karn, 1851 ; Nathaniel Benjamin, 1852, 1853; Mahlon Karn, 1854; Nathaniel Benjamin, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860; J. McLean, 1861, 1862; Nathaniel Benjamin, 1863, 1864; J. McLean, 1865; Nathaniel Benjamin, 1866, 1867; M. Aker, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871; J. McLean, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875 ; John Wolf, 1876, 1877; M. Aker, 1878, 1879; James Campbell, 1880. The present officers, and members of the council, are as follows: Mayor, James Campbell; clerk, George Karch; treasurer, Samuel Black; marshal, Wm. Rodecker; deputy marshal, H. M. Gregg; street commissioner, J. H. Karn; fire wardens, Philip Sayler, John Bare, John S. Campbell; council, E. S. Stotler, J. E. Davis, J. M. Davis, E. L. Derby, Joseph Eberly, John Reel. Of the charter members, three only are now living, viz : N. Benjamin, Jacob W. Sweeney and Henry O. Garber. .

MASONIC.

King Hiram Lodge, No. 88, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, was chartered March 19, 1842, with the following as charter members: Nathaniel Benjamin, Henry M. Eid- son, Dr. Nelson Donnellan, Josiah Davis, Jacob Stotler, Jacob W. Sweeney, Henry A. Garber, James B. Dicks, William McChesney, Dennis Kelley and Thomas Hill. The officers elected upon the organization of the lodge, were as follows: N. Benjamin, W. M .; H. M. Eidson, S. W .; Dr. N. Donnellan, J. W .; J. W. Sweeney, sec- retary; Josiah Davis, treasurer; Jacob Stotler, S. D .; Henry A. Garber, J. D .; Thomas Hill, tyler; James B. Dicks, steward. The present officers are : J. E. Motter, W. M .; Joseph Mills, S. W .; O. M. Orr, J. W .; Peter Smith, treasurer; A. C. Wolf, secretary; J. M. Reel, S. D .; W. H. Smith, J. D. ; James Campbell, tyler ; Charles F. Beuhner, steward. The lodge room is in the second story of the Stotler building.

LANIER LODGE NO. 521, INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.

This lodge was instituted July 11, 1872, the charter members being, Oliver E. Tillson, Peter Smith, David

Wood, Joseph M. Kinsel, David Yohe, Samuel Mower, L. V. Motter, Josiah Rape, Luther C. Black, M. Kahrn, David Wolf, George T. Souer, H. M. Herman, John Swisher, H. C. Burns. The officers elected, at the or- ganization of the society, were Peter Smith, N. G .; O. E. Tillson, V. G. ; Elijah Foutz, R. S .; David Wolf, treas- urer; L. C. Black, secretary; D. Naeff, conductor; D. Yohe, warden; M. Kahrn, R. S. N. G .; L. V. Motter, L. S. N. G .; John E. Motter, L. S. S. ; Joseph M. Kinsel, R. S. S .; David Wood, I. G .; Samuel Mower, O. G .; Josiah Rape, R. S. V .; George Sour, L. S. V .; Rev. H. M. Herman, chaplain. The present officers are, John W. Sayler, N. G. ; Harvey Waymire, V. G .; Edgar L. Derby, R. S .; Jacob S. Klinger, P. S .; Reuben Wolfrey, C. S .; John Pope, warden; Lewis Eltzroth, J. G .; David Wood, O. G. ; Rev. H. M. Herman, chaplain.

THE WEST ALEXANDRIA GRANGE, NO. 363, PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY

was organized January 12, 1874. This is said to have been the first grange organized in Preble county. James Campbell was elected master. We are unable to give the names of the other officers, the records being silent upon this matter. The officers elected January 1, 1878, were as follows: J. Eby, master; D. Eby, overseer; J. M. Van Ausdal, lecturer; J. W. Wampler, steward; J. Black, chaplain; J. Copp, treasurer; N. S. Hart, secre- tary; J. E. Van Ausdal, gate-keeper; Mrs. Julie A. Low- man, ceres; Emma Copp, pomona; Emma Van Ausdal, flora; Mrs. I .. A. Crouse, L. A. S.

The present officers are Joseph Copp, master; David Lowman, overseer; James M. Van Ausdal, lecturer ; Sam- uel Crouse, steward; Ezra Zigler, assistant steward; Car- oline Campbell, chaplain; Julia Lowman, treasurer; James Campbell, secretary; Isaac Emerick, gate.keeper ; Mrs. Joseph Copp, ceres; Catharine Gale, pomona; Mary Foutz, flora; L. A. Crouse, L. A. S.

PRESENT BUSINESS HOUSES.

The following is a list of the business firms of West Alexandria, with the dates of their establishment:

Unger & Derby, dry goods, etc., originally established by Nathaniel L. Derby, who was succeeded by John H. Gale in 1847, who continued until July, 1859, when he was followed by Baker, Smith & Co. The firm was changed to Swank & Smith a few years after, and in the summer of 1866 to Smith & Unger, and in May, 1878, to Unger & Derby.

J. E. Davis, drugs, groceries, etc. His father, Josiah Davis, began in 1838. He died in September, 1878, and J. E., his son, who who was then a partner, succeeded him.

Samuel Black, dry goods, etc., September, 1867.

Coffman & Block, drugs, groceries, etc., established by John H. Unger and J. A. Coffman, under firm name of J. H. Unger & Co., in 1871. Coffman succeeded Un- ger & Co. in 1877, Block buying an interest in March, 1880.

J. M. Davis, dry goods, May, 1878.

Kircher & Rosillius, groceries, May, 1880. W. H. Miller & Co., groceries, March, 1880.

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HISTORY OF PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

M. F. Miller & Co., tinware, stoves, etc. Marion F. Miller commenced in 1876, succeeding Samuel Din- inger. His partner is John Bope, who joined the firm in March, 1880.

Lewis Eltzroth, tinware, 1879.

B. F. Hoar, boots and shoes, 1874.

J. T. Anderson, boots and shoes, March, 1880.

S. J. Ashworth, notions, April, 1877.

Ehlers & Galt, merchant tailors, 1869, succeeding Smith & Unger.

J. McLean, harness and saddlery, spring of 1850, suc- ceeding Jerome Waters.

Bruce Manosmith, harness, April, 1880.

Miller & Copp, millinery, March, 1880.

Wolf & Johnson, hotel; present firm succeeding David Wolf.

H. Lange, hotel, commenced in March, 1879, suc- ceeding H. Weber.

G. L. Zitzer, furniture, established by Frederick Zitzer in 1824, was finally succeeded by his son, John Zitzer, who carried on the business until a few years since, when the firm assumed the name of J. Zitzer & Son. J. Zitzer retiring, the business has since been carried on by the present proprietor.

MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.

Adolph Schlingman, patentee of the "Climax washer," commenced the manufacture of the washer in 1869. He began in a small way, but his business has gradually in- creased until he now does a considerable business, his washer going to various parts of the country. He erected his present factory building in 1872.

The cigar manufactory of A. H. Klinger was estab- lished in March, 1875, under the name of J. J. Burtner. In March, 1877, A. H. Klinger succeeded him, and has continued the business with success to the present. About twenty-five hands are employed, and about one million cigars are manufactured per year, which find a market mostly in the south and west.

ENTERPRISE

is a little hamlet situated in the eastern part of the town- ship. In 1836 John H. Coffman settled here and short- ly afterward laid out a few building lots on the west side of the road. About the same time Daniel Stover laid out some lots on the east side of the road. Coffman built two or three small dwelling houses that same year and established a wagon and blacksmith shop. This formed the nucleus around which grew up a little village which assumed the name of Enterprise. We believe no plat of the village was ever recorded. Coffman started the first store here and was the first postmaster. The office was established in 1846. It was discontinued many years ago.

CEMETERIES.

There are several public burying grounds in the town- ship, the largest being the cemetery at West Alexandria. In this graveyard was buried many of the earliest pio- neers of Twin valley. The cemetery was laid out in 1817, one acre of ground being donated by Jacob Hell, and one-half acre by Jacob Parker. The ground was

deeded to the Reformed and Lutheran churches, to be held by them as a public cemetery.

The first burial was that of Isaac Loy, a lad of ten years, which took place in the fall of 1817. The second interment was that of Moses Parker, a little son of Jacob Parker, and the third that of Jennie Meloin.

Several additions have been made to the original grounds in recent years. Nathaniel Benjamin, in 1861, deeded an addition to the Reformed church, which was laid out and sold. In 1869 Mrs. Susan Motter deeded an addition to the same church, and later made another addition, which was sold to individual purchasers. Two other additions have been made by John Zitzer and John Ruple, which were sold in lots to individuals. The pub- lic ground comprises about one and a half acres, and the remainder about five acres.

The history of the town of West Alexandria, the half of which village is located in this township, will be found in connection with the history of Twin township.

FRANKLIN N. FUDGE,

son of Jacob Fudge, sr., a sketch of whose life is given elsewhere, was born in Lanier township, Preble county, Ohio, December 15, 1826. His boyhood was spent on his father's farm in the hard work required at that early period. There being a large farm, and only three of the thirteen children being boys, it was necessary for them to work very hard, and even some of the girls had to take a hand at out door work. But this was not a rare thing with farmers' daughters in those days. A farmer's life in the early settlement of the country was one of stern con- ditions, requiring constant toil and struggle. The sub- ject of this sketch enjoyed but few educational advanta- ges, attending only the district school, and that but a few months in the year. He grew to manhood trained to habits of industry and economy, which have enabled him to secure a much larger share of this world's goods than falls to the lot of the average agriculturalist. He was married September 30, 1849, to Susannah Markey, who was born in Frederick county, Maryland, August 5, 1830, and who came to Preble county with her parents when seven years of age. After his marriage Mr. Fudge lo- cated where his son Ira now lives. In the fall of 1854 he had cleared one hundred and fifty acres where he now lives, and moved on to the place in the following spring. He also received a deed from his father for a like amount of land, making him the owner of three hundred acres of excellent farming land. Since he bought the home place he has remodelled the residence and erected all the other buildings. This property is one of the best im- proved in the county, as will be seen from the view of it given on another page. Mr. Fudge has added to his original purchase from time to time until he is at present the owner of seven hundred and fifty acres of land. He is not ambitious to own a large estate so far as he is per-

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A.M.MARKLE Y.

JACOB TROUT

was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, March 22, 1801. He was of German descent. His parents died in Rockingham county in his early youth. He had few opportunities to gain that education of which he desired to be possessed; but by application during the lim- ited time that he attended school, he managed to secure at least the rudiments of what is now known as a common school education.

Early left to care for himself, he learned the trade of the brick-ma- son, and for some time was engaged in building. Being steady and industrious, and having been enabled to lay by a portion of his savings, he found himself at the age of twenty-nine the possessor of a snug lit- tle sum of money, sufficient to give him the means to. settle down in life. March 18, 1830, he was married to Elizabeth, the eldest child of Samuel and Catharine Bowman, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, July 11, 1809. Her father and mother were natives of Vir- ginia, the former having been born in Rockingham county, June I, 1787, and the latter in Shenandoah county, October 28th of the same year. Mrs. Trout has two brothers living : John J. in Virginia, and Jacob C. in Texas. Being the eldest daughter, Mrs. Trout had to work very hard. Her mother taught her in the arts of spinning and weav- ing articles for domestic use.

After Mr. Trout's marriage, with commendable enterprise he made a prospecting trip to Ohio with a view to permanent settlement. Accord- ingly in the summer of 1830 he set out on horseback, and in due time arrived in Preble county. Being well pleased with this territory, he purchased a tract of two hundred and twenty acres of land in section twenty-eight of Lanier township, which farm is still occupied by Mrs. Trout. After securing his land, Mr. Trout returned to Virginia for his wife.

In the middle of October, 1830, Mr. and Mrs. Trout started for their Ohio home. They made the whole journey in a two-horse wagon, bringing with them only the necessary clothing and bedding. Mr. Trout also brought with him three head of Virginia cattle, with which to stock his new farm. They were three weeks on the way, and November 3, 1830, they arrived at their new farm. They found ready for them a weather-boarded log house, which is still a part of Mrs. Trout's residence. Since then, an addition of brick thirty years ago, and one of frame sixteen years ago, have increased the size and im- proved the looks of the house. At the time of their removal to the

place they found only a little cabin stable where the present barn is. The farm was nearly as clear of timber in 1830 as it is to-day.

During the first night of their residence in Preble county, Mr. and Mrs. Trout made themselves comfortable without furniture. On the next morning, which was Saturday, they drove to Eaton, a distance of seven miles, and purchased furniture and necessary household utensils. They were soon comfortably settled in their new home. Here they continued to live happily until death separated them, April 2, 1872, when Mr. Trout finished his work on earth and went to his reward above. For a number of years prior to his death, he was an exemplary member of the Lower Twin Creek German Baptist church. Mrs. Trout has for years been a faithful and consistent member.

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History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 71

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 559

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559