History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 37

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 37

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Anderson James Young was born on December 1, 1841, near Tiffin, Ohio. He is the son of Samuel and Isabella (Sutton) Young. Samuel Young was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Seneca county, Ohio, when a young man, settling on a farm. He was a life-long farmer, near Seneca, and was married there to Isabella Sutton, who emigrated with her parents to Seneca county in pioneer days, who were farmers and natives of Pennsyl- vania. Samuel died on the farm of one hundred and sixty acres where he spent almost his entire life. When he first acquired possession of the farm, it was a wilderness. Under his directing care and by the consequence of his labors, he saw this farm transformed, by the spade and the plow, into a vast

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garden. He amassed quite a fortune and, throughout his life, was a careful, frugal farmer.

Anderson James Young left Seneca county, Ohio, for Putnam county, in 1862, and settled in Van Buren township. He lived in that township for a time, when he left for Hancock county. His education was obtained mostly in the common schools of Seneca county and in the high school at Tiffin. After leaving the high school, he entered the Cincinnati School of Pharmacy, from which institution he was graduated. He also attended the Springfield (Ohio) School of Pharmacy, for some time.

Mr. Young enlisted in Company E, Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, as a private, for three years and three months, February 26, 1862, at the age of twenty-three. He was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, April 10, 1864, by order of the war department, and went to Washington, D. C. He was discharged, after serving three years and three months. He enlisted at Tiffin, Ohio, under Col. William H. Gibson and fought in the bat- tles of the western campaign. He was wounded in the hand at Corinth, Mississippi, and again in the knee at Stone's River. He also fought in the- battle of Shiloh.

Mr. Young was married on February 10, 1866, to Mary Foulk, a native of Putnam county, born on May 18, 1842, and the daughter of Peter and Sarah (Heck) Foulk. Peter Foulk was a native of Pennsylvania, born in: Starke county and after his marriage to Sarah Heck, came to Hancock county,. Ohio, when this county was a vast wilderness. He farmed a short time in. Hancock county when he removed to Van Buren township, Putnam county, near Leipsic, where he died on November 21, 1878. He was born on Febru -- ary 27, 18II, and was sixty-seven years old at the time of his death. He was married, in 1834. Sarah Heck was a native of Tuscarawas county, Ohio,. and, shortly after her birth, was taken by her parents to Hancock county. Peter Foulk was a man of stalwart frame, of powerful muscular develop- ment. He was a man of indomitable courage, which qualities enabled him to brave the perils of pioneer life. Peter Foulk's wife died, about 1871. They had ten children, five of whom are now living, Mrs. Julia Young, of Leipsic; Mary, the wife of Mr. Young; Mrs. Lucinda Fike and Mrs. Emma. Baughman, both of Leipsic; and Peter, of Chicago, Illinois.

To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson J. Young, three children have been born, Emma B., born on January 5, 1867, now deceased; Everett J., born on April 20, 1869, and Orville E., born on September 7, 1875, who married Della Scott, and has three children, Harry E., who attends the Ohio State Univer-

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sity, Katherine and Helen. He is a rural mail carrier and lives in Leipsic, Ohio.

Mr. Young has two sisters and one brother living, Mrs. Rachel Haynes, of Carey, Ohio; Mrs. Mary Jane Noel, of Terre Haute, Indiana, and Wash- ington, of North Baltimore, Ohio.

After his marriage, Mr. Young returned to Leipsic, Ohio, and entered the drug business. He has continued in this business practically all the time, and is still more or less active. He is a skilled pharmacist, and is widely known. Mr. Young holds the only diploma in the city of Leipsic. He is also a jeweler and learned this trade when a young man. At the present time, Mr. Young holds county and state certificates as a druggist.

Mr. Young is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, but is not active now. He is a member of Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, at Leipsic, Ohio, and belongs to the State Jewelers' Association. He has always been a stanch Republican. Mrs. Young is a member of the Presbyterian church, at Leipsic. Anderson J. Young is a man who is liberal in his views and who believes in free speech. He is a loyal neighbor, has been an excellent business man, and is honored by the people of his community in which he has so long been a factor for gen- eral advancement and improvement.

WILLIAM H. BEGG, M. D.

The parents of William H. Begg, M. D., located in Putnam county, Ohio, in 1857 and lived there the remainder of their days. Doctor Begg was about four years old when his parents came to this county, and has since spent all of his career here with the exception of the time he spent in college. In his younger manhood he taught school for a time, but since graduating from the medical college in 1881, he has been engaged in the active practice of his profession in Columbus Grove. He has always taken a very prominent part in the life of his community and has served many years on the school board of Columbus Grove, and on the state board for the Toledo hospital for the insane. He and his wife have reared an in- teresting family of three children.

William H. Begg, M. D., the son of William and Jean (Dobbie) Begg, was born in 1853, in Franklin county, Ohio. His parents were both born and reared in Cumberlandshire, Scotland, and were married at Stirling in

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their native country. They came to America in 1834, and located at Canal Winchester, Ohio. They had started across the state to reach Cincinnati, but when they reached Canal Winchester, Mrs. Begg took sick with the malarial fever, and they had to stop on that account. They continued to reside in Canal Winchester until 1857, and then moved to Putnam county, where they lived the remainder of their days.

Doctor Begg was four years old on the day his parents finally settled in Putnam county. His father bought property in Columbus Grove and also a farm on the edge of Allen county adjoining Putnam. The family lived about three years in Columbus Grove and then moved to the farm, where Doctor Begg grew to manhood. Early in life he began to teach school and before reaching manhood became a student in the National Nor- mal University at Lebanon, Ohio, where he had for classmates several men who later achieved national fame. He taught school in the country, both before and after attending the university at Lebanon, and was teaching in the high school at Columbus Grove when he decided to pursue a medical course. He resigned his position as high school teacher and entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he began his medical studies. Later he became a student in the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati and graduated there in the class of 1881.

Immediately after graduating from college; Doctor Begg located in Columbus Grove for the practice of his profession, and here he has been living since that time. He has built up a very large practice and is not only one of the leading practitioners of his county, but also one of the leaders in his profession in the state. He was a member of the school board for eighteen years and refused to serve longer because of his wide range of medical practice. He served for twelve years as a member of the state board which has charge of the hospital for the insane at Toledo, Ohio. He has always taken an active interest in the life of his community and his support' could always be relied upon for all public-spirited enterprises.

Doctor Begg was married on September 8, 1881, to Martha M. Kohli, a daughter of Peter and Louisa (Featheringill) Kohli. Her parents were both born in this county where they have lived all of their lives. Mr. Kohli lived in Pandora, where his father kept a hotel.

Doctor Begg and his wife have three children living, Ethel Jean, Rus- sell Stuart and Harold Kohli. Ethel is a graduate of the Western College at Oxford, Ohio, and is now the wife of W. M. Crawford, of Columbus Grove, whose history appears elsewhere in this volume. Russell graduated in 1908 from the engineering department of the University of Michigan, is a

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member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and is now experimental engineer for the Jeffries Automobile Company, at Kenosha, Wisconsin. He married Lenora Sterling, of Columbus Grove, and has one daughter, Edith Martha. Harold, the youngest child of Doctor and Mrs. Begg, is now in the medical department of Northwestern University at Chicago, and is in his third year. He is taking the course leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine, and intends to make the practice of medicine his life work. He belongs to Phi Delta Theta and the Phi Rho Sigma fraternities.

Doctor Begg is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and has at- tained to the chapter degree. He is a man of genial personality and has those charming characteristics which always mark the genuine Scotchman. Personally, he is tall and commanding in appearance and it is safe to say that no man in his community is held in higher esteem.

MATHIAS J. FUERST.

The Fuerst family was one of the first to locate in Putnam county, Ohio, the father of Mathias Joseph Fuerst locating in this county several years before the Civil War. Mathias J. Fuerst started out to make his own way in the world when he was fifteen years of age, working for a time for fifty cents a day and paying three dollars and a half for board. He worked at the carriagemaker's trade, and for three years worked in the Brown dry goods store in Ottawa. For the past four years he has been engaged in the agricultural implement business, in partnership with Charles J. Kerner. The firm sells all kinds of agricultural implements, cream sepa- rators, gas engines, harness, buggies and various implements and tools used on the farm.

Mathias Joseph Fuerst, the son of Anthony and Otilia (Yerger) Fuerst, was born in Ottawa, Putnam county, Ohio, January 23, 1864. Anthony Fuerst was born in Monheim, Germany, February 4, 1829, coming to Amer- ica when a young man, about 1854. He lived for a short time in Potts- ville, Pennsylvania, and, after marrying in that state, moved to Columbus, Ohio, where, a few years later he located in Putnam county, on a farm, between Ottawa and Glandorf.

Anthony Fuerst, who is still living in this county, in his eighty-seventh year, has had a very interesting history. In Germany, he learned the mason's trade, and, after coming to America, he continued to follow it. He started

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in a very humble way, after coming to America, and for a time worked for fifty cents a day, and actually saved money. When he came to Putnam county, Ohio, with his wife, he bought a small farm, between Ottawa and Glandorf, where he erected a brick house, which is still standing in a good state of preservation. Afterward, he bought another farm, about three miles north of Ottawa, as well as a small tract, just west of the county seat. All of these farms were covered with timber, when he bought them. He continued to follow the trade of a mason, in connection with his farming and other work, and has built most of the large brick buildings in Ottawa, as well as in other towns throughout the county. He built the Catholic church, the old jail, and a large number of the buildings, in the business part of Ottawa. Anthony Fuerst married in Pennsylvania, shortly after coming to this county, Otilia Yerger, who died in 1876, at the age of forty-four, leaving nine children, all of whom are still living, John, born on April 20, 1856; Mary, born on December 28, 1858: Lizzie, born on January 9, 1860; Louise, born on April 4, 1862; Matthew J., born on Janu- ary 23, 1864; Henry, born on March 13, 1866; Anna, born on January 25, 1868; Regina, born on February 17, 1870, and Frank, born on March 8, 1872. After the death of his first wife, in 1876, Anthony Fuerst married Mrs. Mary Kapel, the widow of Joseph Kapel, and to this second union three children were born, Toney, Theodore and Emma. Toney was killed by a bursting emery wheel; at Lima, Ohio, in 1911. The mother of these three children died about 1909, and after the death of his second wife, Mr. Fuerst lived with his daughter, Elizabeth, until 1913. He is now making his home at Lima, Ohio, with another daughter Mrs. Louise Day.

Mathias J. Fuerst has spent his whole life in Putnam county. He lived at home until he was fifteen years of age, and then started out to work for himself. With four dollars and a half in his pocket, he went to Van Wert, Ohio, to secure work. He did not know a single person in the town of Van Wert, and, after much trouble, finally secured a job in a spoke factory, at fifty cents a day. In view of the fact that his board cost him three dol- lars and a half a week, he did not hold this position long, and found em- ployment in a hotel, where he worked as a porter for a short time. He was not satisfied with this, and one day started out to walk through the country in order to look for work on a farm. He finally secured a job as a helper to a brick mason, and shortly afterward found a job in the country on a farm, where he worked for two months. He then came to Ottawa, learned the carriagemaker's trade and followed this for eight and a half years. He entered the dry goods store of the Brown Dry Goods Com-

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pany in Ottawa, as a clerk, in 1891, and for twenty consecutive years was an efficient salesman in this store. He started in at one dollar a day and saved his money. After becoming an employee of the store, he resigned his position and spent one year in college. Mr. Fuerst and H. C. Hummins opened an implement store in Ottawa in 1911. A year later, Mr. Hummins disposed of his interests in the firm to Charles J. Kerner, and the firm is now known as Fuerst & Kerner. Although they have been in business but a comparatively short time, they are already building up a large trade through- out the county and bid fair to become well established.

Mr. Fuerst was married in 1896 to Ella McGrevy, the daughter of John and Lizzie McGrevy. Mrs. Fuerst was an employe at Brown's dry goods store until her marriage. Two years after their marriage and five days after the birth of a son, Charles Joseph, Mrs. Fuerst died. This son is now at- tending school in Ottawa. Fifteen years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Fuerst married Cora Ringenbach, a native of Starke county, Ohio, and a resident of Canton, at the time of her marriage. Mr. Fuerst and his wife and son are members of the Catholic church.

Mr. Fuerst has always been identified with the Democratic party, and has served as clerk of Ottawa for four years. Mr. Fuerst is essentially a self- made man and is well deserving of the success which has come to him. He is a quiet and unassuming man and has a host of friends and acquaintances in Ottawa and throughout the county.

LEVI BASINGER.

Within the past twenty years, Levi Basinger, the subject of this sketch, who during all of this time has been assistant cashier of the People's Bank at Columbus Grove, Putnam county, Ohio, has arisen to a position of great prominence and power in this section of Putnam county. During this period, Mr. Basinger has not only become well known as one of the im- portant figures in the Peoples Bank, but he has also achieved a remarkable success as a merchant. Likewise, Mr. Basinger, during this period, has acquired a splendid farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres east of Columbus Grove. In all of this time, however, he has never lost sight of his large duties because of the added power which his wealth and property have given to him. He has performed every civic and social duty and in

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the spirit of one who has had the experience, knows that the possession of great wealth is useless unless it is used to good purpose.

Levi Basinger was born on March 29, 1870, near Columbus Grove, Putnam county, Ohio. He is the son of Christian and Regina (Lugilbihll) Basinger, whose family history is to be found. in the sketch of William Basinger, also a son of Christian and Regina Basinger, and contained elsewhere in this volume.

Levi Basinger worked hard on the home farm of his father and mother until twenty-one years old, when he took a business course at the Ohio. Northern University at Ada. He has been connected with the Peoples Bank, of Columbus Grove, continuously since that time, a period of nearly twenty- five years. Mr. Basinger is a stockholder in the bank and has been assistant cashier from the time the bank was organized in 1891. The Peoples Bank is a flourishing institution and certainly not the least of the credit is due to the sagacity and good business judgment and management of Levi Basinger.

Mr. Basinger also owns a farm east of Columbus Grove, consisting of one hundred and twenty-five acres. It is a splendid farm and Mr. Basin- ger devotes considerable attention to the details of its operations. Since 1913, he has owned the controlling interest in the Home Industries store, at Columbus Grove. This store does a good business and Mr. Basinger ac- tively controls its management. He purchased the five and ten-cent store at Columbus Grove in August. 1914. This store carries a complete stock of goods usually found in such stores, and also carries other things at a slightly higher cost than five or ten cents.

Mr. Basinger built his present residence in 1904, which is a large modern home erected on Main street, about one block from the business part of town. It is generally considered as one of the very finest residences in Columbus Grove. Here Mr. Basinger and his wife and family live.

Levi Basinger was married shortly after the beginning of his business career, February 22, 1892, to Elizabeth Amstutz, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christian Amstutz. Mrs. Basinger comes from an old and highly re- spected family of Putnam county and her marriage to Mr. Basinger has been a most happy one. They have had two children, Catherine and Roswell.

Mr. and Mrs. Levi Basinger are active members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, of Columbus Grove. Levi Basinger is considered a live wire among the younger business men of Columbus Grove. Notwithstanding his busy career, he is extremely courteous in his business and social relations and is popular throughout this section of Putnam county.

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WILLIAM E. DIBBLE.

The venerable gentleman, whose career is here briefly given, is one of the older residents of Leipsic, Van Buren township, Putnam county, Ohio. His life has been such as to win the confidence and good will of the people of his community and to make him well and favorably known throughout Put- nam county, of which he has been an honored citizen, for many years. In the highest sense of the term, he is a self-made man and, as such, has met with success. William E. Dibble has a record in life which may be studied with profit by the young men of the rising generation.

William E. Dibble was born twenty-six miles from Rochester, New York, March 5, 1836, and is the son of Orville and Mary Ann (DuBois) Dibble. Orville Dibble was a native of the same county, born on December 17, 1810, the son of Horace Milton Dibble, who, it is said, came from France, and served in the War of 1812.

William E. Dibble was two years old when his father moved to Huron county, Ohio. The family drove through in a wagon and settled in Green- field township. The family consisted of the father and mother and two chil- dren, William E. and a sister, Susan Sayre, who was two years his senior. The family lived on this farm until William E. was thirteen years old and then moved to Norwalk, the county seat, where Mr. Dibble farmed, a mile east of Norwalk. When he first moved to Huron county, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, one and one-fourth miles, east of where Chicago Junction is now located. After three years, at Norwalk, the family moved between Milan and Monroeville, on the Huron river. Later, Mr. Dib- ble went to Weston, in Wood county. He farmed, about four years, in Wood county and then crossed into Lucas county; opposite Otsego, on the Indian reserve, where he farmed on the old Tobo farm, which was owned by old Chief Tobo, for about four years. At the end of this period, he moved to Michigan, where he lived about five miles from Adrian. He later moved to Lenawee county, where he and his wife died.

William E. Dibble was married, while the family lived in Lucas county, Ohio, in 1860. He married Martha Jane Taylor, who was born in Lucas county. To this union four children were born, Sidney C., of Leipsic, Ohio; William Wesley, of Leipsic; Grant, who died at the age of six weeks, and Cora, who died at the age of seventeen months.

William E. Dibble remained with his father until past the age of twenty- five years and worked out six months before his marriage. After he had

WILLIAM E. DIBBLE.

MRS. MARTHIA J. (TAYLOR) DIBBLE.

MRS. MARTHIA J. (DUNCAN) DIBBLE.

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been married two years, President Lincoln called for three hundred thou- sand volunteer soldiers and Mr. Dibble enlisted in Company F, One Hun- dredth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving under Burnside, Sher- man and Schofield. He was with Sherman in the memorable Georgia cam- paign and was engaged in the siege of Atlanta. After the siege at Knoxville and Atlanta, the army marched to Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee, and later to Louisville, Cincinnati, Washington and Alexandria, Virginia; thence, by ship to the North Carolina coast, up the Cape Fear river to the capture of Wilmington, thence to Greensboro, where Mr. Dibble saw the last fighting of the war. He was mustered out at the close of the war. He was never away from his regiment during the entire war, was never captured, and was not wounded, although he had many narrow escapes.

After the war, Mr. Dibble worked for three years in the grist-mill, in Lucas county, where he began farming in the Maumee river, district above Waterville. He farmed about eight years and then removed to Ottawa county where he worked in a stave factory for about four years. He re- moved to the south edge of Henry county, one-half mile north of the Put- nam county line, in Marion township, at the end of this period, and purchased a tract of timber land of sixty acres. Mr. Dibble cleared this land and made out of it a good farm. He remained there until August, 1912, when he moved to Leipsic, where he still resides. Here Mr. Dibble owns his own home.

Mr. Dibble's first wife died on February 6, 1897; he was married again on March 17, 1904, to Mrs. Martha Jane (Dunlap) Dove, who was born, near Warsaw, in Coshocton county, Ohio, and who is the daughter of David and Sovena (Meredith) Dunlap. Her parents were both natives of Coshoc- ton county, Ohio, and when she was nine years old, they moved to Utica, Licking county, and lived there the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Dibble married Sylvester Milton Dove, in 1868, and lived at Utica. He died on February 20, 1899. He was a stone mason all his life.

Mr. Dove was a soldier in the Sixteenth Indiana Cavalry and was Grant's orderly for some time, carrying dispatches for him. He was born near Frederick, Maryland, and was the son of William and Annie (Baker) Dove. Mr. Dove was a member of the Christian church. At his death, he left three children living, Levi Elmer, George Alva and Edward Guy. One child, born to this union, died in infancy. Levi Elmer, who is a blacksmith, married Medda Shoefeldt, and lives at Argyle, Michigan. They have had seven children, Nellie, Harry, Martha, Frank, Leone, Melville and Lyle, who was a twin brother of Leone, and is now deceased. George Alva, who is a 26

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mason, married Nora Davis and lives at Auburn, Indiana. They have eight children, Bernice, Eunice, Mabel, Paul, Rolland, Morton, George and Arthur. Edward G., who is a painter and decorator, married Ada Davis, and lives at Utica, Ohio. They have three children, Blanche, Earle and Stanley. Ed- ward G. is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Maccabees.

William E. Dibble is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, the American Flag House and the Betsy Ross Memorial Association. He has. always taken an active interest in public affairs and has held several minor offices. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical church. Not only is Mr. Dibble a highly-respected citizen, but he is a man who truly deserves the esteem bestowed upon him by his neighbors and fellow citizens.

WILLIAM P. S. YOUNG.

Specific mention is made of many of the worthy citizens of Putnam county within the pages of this book, citizens who have figured in the growth and development of this favored locality, and whose interests are identified with its every phase of progress, each contributing in his sphere of action to the well-being of the community in which he resides, and to the advancement of its moral and legitimate growth. Among this number is William P. S. Young, the well-known auto liveryman of Leipsic, Ohio.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 37

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