History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 134

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744

USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 134

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and John, the subject of this sketch. John Bogart's mother died when he- was but four years old and his father was married, a second time, to Mary Newell, and by this union one child was born, Lilla; E. Abraham Bogart served as sheriff of Allen county for two terms and he now lives in Pleasant township, Putnam county.

John Bogart spent his boyhood days on the farm in Allen county, which was the homestead farm of his parents and here he performed the usual labors that fall to the lot of the country boy. He received his education in the old Turner township school in Pleasant township, across the line from Allen county. With the exception of four years spent at Lima, where he was deputy sheriff under his father who was sheriff of this county, Mr. Bogart has lived on the homestead farm all his life. After leaving Lima, he returned to the farm, where he lived for six years, and then moved to his- present farm of eighty-seven acres, about one and one-half miles north of Columbus Grove. He came to this farm in March 1908. Mr. Bogart has a fine farm which is well located on the Ottawa road on which he built a splen- did new barn in 1910. The house was already erected when he moved to the farm, but it has been remodeled by Mr. Bogart since he moved to the place.

On May 4, 1901, John Bogart was married to Linda Ritzler, the daugh- ter of George A. and Mary Elizabeth (Daniel) Ritzler. George A. who now lives at Kenton, Ohio, was born at Edesheim, Bavaria, Germany, on August 17, 1843, and came to America in May 1847. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth (Dan- iels) Ritzler was born at Kenton, Ohio, on September 27, 1846, the daughter of Philip and Margaret Daniel, the former of whom was born on December II, 1818, and who died, March 19, 1827, and the latter of whom was born in 1818, and who died in March, 1850. George Anthony and Mrs. Mary Elizabeth (Daniel) Ritzler were married at Kenton, Ohio, November 22, 1866. They have been the parents of the following children : Margaret S., born on October 30, 1867, was married in 1891, and has one son and resides. at Indianapolis, Indiana; Josephine, January 29, 1869, is unmarried and re- sides at Indianapolis; Mary E., January 2, 1871, was married in 1894, and lives at Cleveland; George A., March 2, 1873, was married in 1895, and has one son and resides at Indianapolis : Clara B., April 25, 1875, married in 1905, and resides at Tahoka, Texas; Malinda M., March 9, 1878, is the wife of Mr. Bogart, and they reside at Columbus Grove; Florence A. F., June 17, 1881, was married in 1907, and resides at Kenton; Walter F., August 16, 1883, married in 1905, and has two sons; Edwin D., October 21, 1886, is.

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unmarried and lives at Kenton; Calvin F., September 19, 1889, is unmar- ried and lives at Toledo.

John and Linda (Ritzler) Bogart have two children, Arlene Elizabeth and Florence Mildred. A Democrat in party affiliations, he is a member of the school board of the township and is active in the educational affairs of the township. He is not a member of any lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Bogart and family are members of the Presbyterian church at Columbus Grove. John Bogart is a congenial man, a good "mixer" and an excellent farmer. He bears a high reputation for honesty and sincerity of purpose.

GEORGE HALKER.

There are, according to the United States census report, nearly ten thousand occupations, but there is only one of all this number that is abso- lutely necessary to man's existence. The three things without which man can- not live are food, clothing and shelter. It is the farmer, who not only controls the food supply, but also holds the clothing products of the world in his hand. His is the only occupation which can exist independently of all others. An increasing number of our best farming men are taking agricultural courses in college and thereby fitting themselves the better to apply advanced thought and modern ideas to the farm. The profession has taken on increased dignity within the past few years and more and more of our young men are applying themselves to scientific farming. The farmer of today has the immense ad- vantage of working with machinery which renders his work free from many of its former disadvantages. Putnam county has many splendid farmers, men who made a success of their vocation before training in the agricultural college became common. Among these splendid farmers of Putnam county, George Halker holds a worthy place.

George Halker was born two miles south of Glandorf, in Ottawa town- ship, Putnam county, on October 28, 1851. He is the son of William and Louisa (Vogeding) Halker. William Halker was born in Glandorf, Han- over, Germany, and left that country for the United States on a pass issued by the German consul, July 25, 1842. He was twenty-five years of age at that time. He came to Dayton, Ohio, and worked about the country for a time and then went to Cincinnati, where he met his wife, whom he later married at Glandorf, this state. After his marriage, William Halker returned to Cin- cinnati and worked as a cab driver for Nicholas Longworth, the father of

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE HALKER.

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Nicholas Longworth, Jr., the son-in-law of Theodore Roosevelt. He drove a cab for Mr. Longworth for three years and then returned to Glandorf and purchased a fifty-two-acre farm, buying out the heirs of his father-in-law. Later, he added twenty-five acres, making seventy-seven acres in all. He added another eighty-acre tract in Pleasant township, where George Halker now lives, and forty acres on the Union and Ottawa township line. This forty acres was sold after his death. He died on April 2, 1889, at the age of seventy-two years, two months and twenty-five days. William Halker was a general farmer and made a success of this business. He is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Glandorf Catholic church. His wife, who, before her marriage, was Louisa Vogeding, was born on August 28, 1828, in Hetsinbrok, Germany, and died on the homestead farm in Ottawa township, near Glandorf, April 6, 1898, at the age of sixty-nine years, seven months and eleven days.

William Halker and wife were the parents of twelve children, two of whom died in infancy : Mrs. Louisa Kemper, who died in 1912; Mary, who married Andrew Schuhmacher, of Pleasant township; George, the subject of this sketch ; Catherine, who died in 1873; Mrs. Henry Mersman, of Glandorf, who died in 1883; Veronica, who married William Hoffman, of Glandorf; Theresia, who married John Hoffman, of Pleasant township; Elizabeth, who married Frank Geisken, of Greensburg township; Philomena, who married Gottleib Buitler, of Ottawa, and Henry, who lives on the homestead farm in Ottawa township.

George Halker spent his boyhood days on the farm where he lived until he was twenty-four years of age. He was educated in the township schools of Ottawa township, close to Glandorf.

On April 21, 1875, Mr. Halker was married to Bernadina Stechschulte, the daughter of Joseph and Bernadina (Kahle) Stechschulte. Joseph Stech- schulte was born in Koenigreich, Hanover, Germany, on April 15, 1828, and was the son of Henry and Christina (Poos) Stechschulte. He came to America with his father and mother when five years of age. They spent eight months in New York and came on to Cincinnati, where they lived for a time, when they came to Glandorf. Joseph grew to manhood here and was educated in the township schools. When eighteen years of age, he learned the cabinet-maker trade, which became his life business. He married Berna- dina Kahle, June 21, 1854. She was the daughter of John Francis Kahle, who came from Glandorf, Hanover, Germany, with Professor Horstman, and with him walked from Detroit to the present site of Glandorf. Here they

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found a location for the new Germany colony. Mr. Kahle settled in Greens- burg township, four miles west of Glandorf, and was the first settler in that neighborhood. Joseph Stechschulte died at Glandorf, February 2, 1862.

To George and Bernadina (Stechschulte) Halker eleven children have been born: Mary, William, Amelia, Anna, Benjamin, Harry, Emma, Leo, Albert, Louisa and Philomena. Mary married John Morman, a farmer of Union township and has six children, Cornelius, Adeline, Philomena, Harry (who died in infancy), Florence and Gilbert; William died at the age of twenty-three years; Amelia married Joseph Westbeld, a farmer of Blanchard, who lives near the infirmary, and they have six children, Louis, Mary, Fran- cis, Lucille, Alvera and Lillian, who died in infancy; Anna married Ferdinand Kuhlman, of Owosso, Michigan, and has four children, Rudolph, Alphonse, Irene and Walter; Benjamin married Lanie Kuhlman, of Union township, and has five children, Margaret, Wilford, Elmer, Alfred and Paul; Harry married Agnes Henken, and lives near his father in Pleasant township, and they have three children, Esther, Raymond and Helen; Emma married Ben- jamin Kuhlman, of Ottawa township, and has four children, Hilda, Leona, Bernita and Louisa; Leo married Rosie Recker and lives on Mr. Halker's farm south of Columbus Grove, in Pleasant township; Albert married Ger- trude Mack and lives with Mr. Halker, his father; Louisa is still at home, and Philomena died in fancy.

After his marriage, George Halker removed to his present farm of eighty acres, which he purchased from his father. He added one hundred acres in Union township and ninety acres in Pleasant township, as well as ninety- seven acres in Pleasant township, or a total of three hundred and sixty-seven acres. Mr. Halker has turned over some of this land to his sons. Fifty acres of the ninety-acre farm he has given to his son, Harry, and fifty acres of the one-hundred-acre farm to his son, Benjamin. Later, he sold twenty-five acres of the one hundred acres to Benjamin, leaving a net total of two hundred and forty-two acres which he now controls.

Mr. Halker follows general farming, raises much live stock and grain. He has a well-improved farm and comfortable buildings. At one time he handled considerable live stock, mostly cattle and hogs, and now has more than forty head of cattle. He feeds a large number of hogs. The land which he owns was mostly heavily timbered when he first came to Putnam county. Mr. Halker has cleared the land, drained it and erected substantial buildings. The house in which he lives is a splendid piece of architecture and the large and commodious barn was built in 1886.

Mr. Halker is one of the leading citizens of Pleasant township and has

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been honored with many positions of trust and responsibility. He served as trustee of Pleasant township for two terms, likcwise he was a trustee of Putnam county's German Mutual Farmers Insurance Company for six years. He is a Democrat. He and his family arc members of the Catholic church at Columbus Grove and Mr. Halker has been a trustee of this church since it was built. He was one of the founders of the church; in fact, he has taken an active interest, not only in the services of the church, but in the financial support of it. Mr. Halker was a trustee of the Glandorf Catholic church for four years and helped to haul the stone for the foundation when it was built. He was active in the affairs of the Glandorf church until the new church at Columbus Grove was erected. Mr. Halker superintended the lay- ing out of the new Catholic cemetery at Glandorf, called Grandview ceme- tery, in 1900. He was a member of the cemetery committee, and the com- mittee appointed him to superintend the work of laying it out. His boy was the second person buried in this cemetery.

George Halker has been a hard worker and is a man well liked for his kindness and sterling character. He is a lover of his home and children and has always been interested in their welfare. The splendid appearance of his farm shows how far George Halker has been a success in his chosen business. He is a booster for all township improvements, open and frank in his busi- ness relations and genial socially.

JACOB M. KUHN.

To write the personal record of men who have raised themselves from humble circumstances to a position of responsibility and trust in a community, is no ordinary pleasure. Self-made men, who have achieved success by rea- son of their indefatigable labor and who have left the mark of their indi- viduality upon the agricultural and business growth of their township, affect for good a far larger community than they suspect. Unwittingly, perhaps, they build monuments that will endurc longer than any shaft which might be erected to their memory. Jacob M. Kuhn is a man who has always excrted an influence for good and is well known and widely respected in Putnam county.

Jacob M. Kuhn was born on March 6, 1857, in Richland county, Ohio. He is the son of Jacob and Mary (Shaffer) Kuhn. Jacob Kuhn was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, on November 26, 1824. He lived with

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his brother, George, until he was twenty-one years old, his father having died when he was two years old. Near the school house where Jacob Kuhn went to school, on the 26th day of July, 1764, a party of three Indians murdered a schoolmaster, named Brown, and at the same time killed and scalped ten scholars. One of the scholars, a boy, left for dead, recovered and told the story and lived many years afterward. Jacob Kuhn came to Plymouth town- ship, Richland county, in the year 1845, walking the whole way and averaging thirty-five miles a day. He lived with his brother, Samuel, for three years, farming on shares. In the year 1848, he returned to Franklin county, Penn- sylvania, on horseback, sold the horse and received about eighteen hundred dollars as his share of his father's estate, walking back to Richland county, carrying his money in a belt and his boots, averaging thirty miles a day. The year 1849, he bought forty acres near his brother, Samuel, and lived with his nephew, H. W. Patterson, until the year 1851. He also held minor township offices, but throughout his life was a stanch Republican, and always took a deep and active interest in politics, notwithstanding the fact that he never cared for office. He was a sterling member of the German Reformed church in Richland county and an active worker in this church at all times. He was one of the founders of this church in the community where he lived and held all of the offices in the church. He gave liberally to the church both in money and services. He died on August 25, 1876, at the age of fifty- two years, after an illness of eighteen months. Jacob Kuhn was married, November 20, 1851, to Mary Shaffer, of Jackson township, Richland county. She was a native of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and came to Richland county with her parents when a small child, where she grew to womanhood and married. She was the daughter of George and Mary (Detrick) Shaffer, who came to Ohio in 1839 in wagons. She was born on March 13, 1827, and died, May 18, 1892, on the old homestead farm in. Richland county, at the age of sixty-five. Jacob and Mary ( Shaffer) Kuhn were the parents of seven children, Mary, who died in infancy; Mrs. Martha Jane Coulter, who died at Olympia, Washington, in 1910; George U., who lives in Richland county ; Jacob M., the subject of this sketch; Frank, of Richland county ; William, who lives in Richland county ; and Mrs. Clara Strock, of Olympia, Washington.

Mary Detrick, the maternal grandmother of Jacob M. Kuhn, was born on March 28, 1792, the daughter of Lewis and Julian Detrick. She was the tenth child of a family of thirteen children, seven boys and six girls, and died in June, 1866.

Great-grandfather and great-grandmother Kuhn came from Germany

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to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in the year of 1754. To them were born seven children, five boys and two girls. They moved to Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1772, and entered a farm that has been in the Kuhn name ever since, Mr. Bruce Kuhn living on the farm at the present time, 1915.

Grandfather Samuel Kuhn was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on February 18, 1771, and moved with his parents to Franklin county, that state, in 1772. He was married about the year 1798, to Catherine Smith. To them were born twelve children, six boys and six girls. They both died in Franklin county, grandfather Kuhn in the year 1826, and his wife in the year 1842.

Jacob M. Kuhn grew up in Richland county, and was there married. He came to Putnam county in 1887, and settled on a farm which his father had purchased, in 1857, for nine dollars an acre. It was in the wilds at that time and nothing had been cleared. Jacob M. Kuhn's father never farmed this land, but leased it. It originally comprised one hundred and sixty acres, but now consists of one hundred and five acres. Jacob M. Kuhn farmed here until the fall of 1911 and then moved to his present place, just outside of the corporation limits of Columbus Grove, consisting of twenty-five acres. His son is now farming the land from which Mr. Kuhn moved in 1911. Jacob M. Kuhn made all of the improvements on the one-hundred-and-five acre farm and erected all the buildings. He has also made many improvements upon his present place and has one of the finest farms in Pleasant township, and the twenty-five acres where he now lives is a beautiful country home and is well kept. Mr. Kuhn occupies a large and spacious residence. He built a new barn in 1913 and has made extensive improvements on the residence which was standing on the place when he moved to it.

On October 3, 1882, Jacob M. Kuhn was married to Ida Enlow, a native of Richland county, and a daughter of Andrew J. and Mary (Schlosser) Enlow. Andrew J. Enlow was born on August 13, 1826, in Richland county, and died on July 17, 1904. His wife, who before her marriage was Mary Schlosser, was born on August 17, 1831, and died on July 6, 1903. Jacob M. and Ida (Enlow) Kuhn have been the parents of five children, Clara, who married Floyd Bowers, of Lima, and has two children, Mary and Earle; Earle, who is a cigar maker at Ottawa; George Howard, who lives on his father's farm in Pleasant township, married Forrest Stoner and has two children, Kholetta and Kenneth; Mary Lilace, who married Brice Darby- shire, a farmer of Sugar Creek township, near Rimer, and June, who is at home. Mr. Kuhn was one of the incorporators and chairman of the board of directors of the Home Industry Store Company, of Columbus Grove.

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Mr. Kuhn is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 376, of Columbus Grove. He served as township trustee of Pleasant township for one term. He is identified with the Republican party, but is more or less independent in his voting. Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn are members of the Presby- terian church at Columbus Grove. Formerly, he was a trustee of the church but is no longer active. The Kuhn family are also members of the same church. Jacob M. Kuhn is a congenial, sociable man of splendid intellect and is a substantial citizen. He is a man who never violates a spoken or written promise and his word is a good as his bond. He is well liked and favorable known throughout this section of Putnam county.

PETER A. SCHARF.

A list of the representative citizens of Putnam county, Ohio, would be incomplete were there failure to make specific mention of Peter A. Scharf, a leading merchant, and the present postmaster of Cloverdale, Ohio. Mr. Scharf is descended from old pioneer stock, and is of Germanic ancestry, his people having been distinguished for their moral and intellectual strength, for their high ideals, patriotism and deep religious principles.

Peter A. Schraf was born on November 5, 1866, in Peru township, Hu- ron county, Ohio. He was born near Norwalk on a farm, and is the son of John and Anna (Young) Scharf.

John Scharf was the son of Jacob and Catherine ( Miller) Scharf, na- tives of Alsace, Germany. They came to America when John was eight years old. He was born in 1829, and settled near New Washington, Craw- ford county, Ohio. He farmed in Crawford county for some time, or, rather, until his death in 1848. John Scharf grew up on the homestead near New Washington, Crawford county, and was educated there. He later moved to Peru, in Huron county, Ohio, where he farmed, and where Peter A. Scharf was born. When Peter was eighteen months old his father re- turned to New Washington and entered the saloon business for a short time, but he later sold out, and went into the hardware business at the same place. Part of the time he was in partnership with Samuel Myers, and then he bought out the interest of Mr. Myers and carried on his business for about six or seven years, when he built a large brick business block. He had about seven thousand dollars invested in this building, which was destroyed by fire, and he had no insurance. He then sold his hardware store to William Donnenwirth, and then rebuilt the brick business block, and worked for Mr.

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Donnenwirth as clerk for some time, to hold the hardware trade. He was here about two years, and had just regained his financial footing, when he died suddenly from the effects of a sun-stroke. He passed away in 1876, at the age of thirty-seven years. John Scharf was married to Anna Young, in New Washington, who was a native of Crawford county, and a daughter of Peter and Mary (Stein) Young. She was born in 1841, and died at the age of thirty years, about 1871. John Scharf was not a member of any lodge, and never held office. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Catholic church, at New Washington, and took an active interest in the church work. He was a man of good business abilities and believed in sound principles of business management. He was very popular and well liked in the community for his sterling character. He and his wife had five children, Peter A., Jacob, Liberatus, and two others, twins. All, with the exception of Peter A:, died in infancy. Anna (Young) Scharf was the daughter of foreign- born parents. Her father was a native of Forbaugh, France, and her mother was a native of Metz. They came to Crawford county, Ohio, and were farmers near New Washington. It was here that Mrs. Anna (Young) Scharf was born.

Peter A. Scharf grew up in New Washington, and was educated there. He lived there until eighteen years of age, when he went to St. Francis, Mil- waukee, and took a four-year normal course. Subsequently, he returned to Dyer, Indiana, and taught the public and Catholic schools for thirteen years. In 1901 he came to Cloverdale, Perry township, and bought out William Kirkendall's dry-goods and general-merchandise store. In the beginning, William Stretker was a partner, but later Mr. Scharf bought out his part- ner, since which time he has increased the stock, and aims to have on hand what his patrons need. He has a substantial trade, and is very popular in the community.

Peter A. Scharf was married on July 26, 1892, to Rosina H. Fortiner, who was born on April 13, 1875, near Delphos, Ohio. She is the daughter of Peter and Margaret (Kipp) Fortener. Peter Fortener is a carpenter and farmer, born on May 30, 1830, in Alsace-Lorraine, Canton Forbaugh, France. Peter Fortener is a son of John George Fortener, who was born in Alsace- Lorraine in 1800 and who died in 1866. John George Fortener married Margaret Yochem, who died in 1856. J. Peter Fortener came to America in 1836. He was married to Margaret Kipp, who was born on May 6, 1840, in Tippecanoe county, and the daughter of Rudolph and Mary (Feierbach) Kipp. Peter Fortener was educated in the common schools. He is a Demo- crat in politics and a member of the Catholic church.

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To Peter A. and Rosina H. (Fortner) Scharf ten childden have been born: Henrietta Josephine, on June 8, 1893; Aloysius Joseph, January 31, 1895; Eulalia Barbara, December 27, 1896; Hildegard Anna, February 26, 1899; Otto Henry, July 12, 1901 ; Leo Anthony, December 9, 1903 ; Lutgar- dis Magdelina, October 4, 1905; Leonard Carl, September 1I, 1968; Eugene Peter, August 12, 191I, and Pauletta Marie, July 22, 1913.

Fraternally, Mr. Scharf is a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, Catholic Benevolent League, the Catholic Knights of Ohio, and the Knights of Columbus. He is a member of the St. Barbara's Catholic church of Clo- verdale. A stanch Democrat, he has served as justice of the peace, council- man and as mayor of Cloverdale, as well as township treasurer of Perry township. He was appointed postmaster of Cloverdale by the civil service commission, having taken charge of the office on November 1, 1914. He is a willing worker in the councils of the Democratic party. When Mr. Scharf was elected postmaster he was mayor and township treasurer, but resigned the latter offices for this new work. He is a man of good, sound judgment and a man whose advice has been much sought on legal and other matters. He is liberal in all things and is always willing to assist those in actual need. He bears a high reputation in his community for fair dealing and genial man- ners. Mr. Scharf has a splendid store and a neat stock of goods, makes friends fast and holds them. He has a fine home and is very much attached to his wife and to his children.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 134

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1744

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744