History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 55

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 55

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Ebenezer Casteel left Licking county, Ohio, at the age of nineteen, and came to Putnam county with his parents in 1858. He remained with them on the old farm in Liberty township, helping them with the farm work until the first call for volunteers in the Civil War, in 1861. He enlisted in Company D, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, April 21, 1861, and served three months. He then returned to the farm and lived here until the western fever took hold of him, when he went West for about one year. He, subsequently, returned to the old home place and. worked out by the month. He then married and moved to Belmore, Ohio, to live. Here he engaged in the operation of a general store, with Harrison Ensminger. After one year, he traded his interest in the store for a strip of land in Van Buren township, Putnam county. He afterward traded this land for a farm near Belmore, and rented the same. In the meantime, Mr. Casteel was in partnership with the Speaker brothers, at Belmore, Ohio, in conducting a general store, for two years. He afterward started a grocery store, adding dry goods and notions. He was in this store at Bel- more for sixteen years, when he moved to Continental, Ohio, in 1890, and was in business in that town for twenty years. Mr. Casteel traded his stock of goods for a farm and retired in 1909. He has owned several farms which he has sold and traded off until he now has one hundred and ten acres of good farming land near Continental, Ohio. His wife was a mil- liner before her marriage, and conducted a millinery store in Continental for about two years. After moving to town, a daughter, Flora, took charge of the store and is now operating it. Mrs. Casteel also had a store at Belmore, Ohio, for some time. Mr. Casteel built his present store, where his daughter has her shop in operation.

Mr. Casteel was married to Caroline Engle, a native of Logan county, Ohio. To this union six children were born, two of whom are deceased. Those living are, Flora, who is at home; Arthur, who is a railway mail clerk ; Mrs. Lola Wymer, of Continental, and Lulu, who is at home. Lola and Lula are twins.

Mr. Casteel is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been for the past forty-eight years. He was a charter member of the lodge at Ottawa. He also belonged at Belmore and Continental. Through- out his life, Mr. Casteel has been an active Democrat. He was treasurer of Belmore for a time and also assessor. He was treasurer of Continental

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for one year. However, Mr. Casteel is not active in politics at the present time. Mrs. Casteel and her daughters are members of the Lutheran church at Continental, Ohio.

Ebenezer Casteel is a man of excellent habits and a careful, conserva- tive and frugal man, who believes in laying up for a rainy day. He is a good father and a loving husband, careful in his business dealings and has accumulated a snug fortune. He is well known as a free thinker.

DR. ETHELBERT WATTERSON.

No other profession has accomplished during the last half-century the progress and development that has been made by the medical profession. The man of original thought and action, whose text books form but the basis of future work, has ever moved forward, taking the advantage of, and utilizing new discoveries in the sciences, and looking always for better methods, surer means to the desired end. Such a man is Dr. Ethelbert Wat- terson. In considering the character and career of this eminent member of the medical fraternity, the impartial observer will not only be disposed to rank him among the leading members of his profession in Putnam county, but also as one of those men of broad culture and mental ken, who have honored mankind in general. Throughout a long and busy life, replete with honor and success, he has been actuated by the highest motives, and to the practice of his profession he has brought rare skill and resource. His quick perception and almost intuitive judgment enable him to make a correct diagnosis, all that is necessary for proper treatment. He has always been a close student of the medical science, keeping in touch with the latest advances of investigators and discoverers, and has been uniformly successful in practice. Because of his high attainments and his exalted personal character, he is eminently entitled to inclusion in a work of this character.

Dr. Ethelbert Watterson, the well-known physician of Continental, Ohio, was born on September 16, 1869, in Jackson township, Putnam county, Ohio. He is the son of John and Margaret ( Harper) Watterson, the former of whom was born near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The Watterson family is traceable from four brothers, of Scottish-Irish descent, who came from the Isle of Man, about 1750, and who settled at or near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From them are descended Henry Wat-

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terson, the journalist, of Louisville, and Bishop Watterson, of the Catholic church, of Columbus, Ohio. John Watterson was married in Pennsylvania to Margaret Harper, who was also born near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They came to Columbus, Ohio, about 1851, and were there when the state house was built. In 1853, they came to Putnam county and entered gov- ernment land west of the Auglaize and near the line of Jackson township, in Jennings township. The government land at that time cost one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. They settled in the woods in a log shanty and lived on deer meat and corn bread. Before they came here, John Wat- terson was a carpenter and cabinet maker, and the change was a hard life for him, but he cleared a little of the land, and then sold it, and bought land in Jackson township. About 1876, he purchased the farm in the forks of Hog Creek and the Auglaize river, and there he established his home, reared his family and lived until old age. He spent the rest of his days with his children.

John Watterson was a farmer, but his main business was the carpen- ter's trade. He was a builder, and built a number of the school houses in Jackson township, and also in Jennings township. He was an apprentice to a cabinet maker at the age of nine years, and was an expert in all lines of work. He died before his eighty-fifth birthday.

John Watterson was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1819, and was the son of Samuel and Lydia (Weeks) Watterson. Samuel Watterson was one of the four brothers heretofore referred to. He came to America at the age of sixteen, and grew to manhood in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He married Lydia Weeks in 1798, and they had five children, James, Mrs. Margaret Bromer, Eliza, Samuel and John. Samuel Watterson lived on his farm in Chester county, until in 1832, when he moved to Philadelphia and spent his declining years with a daughter. John Watterson, the father of Ethelbert Watterson, removed from Chester county to Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1847, and there worked five years in a machine shop. He was married to Margaret Harper, April 30, 1847. She was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1823. Her parents were Alexander and Margaret (Rigg) Harper, the former of whom was a native of Ireland, and a tanner by trade. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania. During the war of 1812, Samuel Watterson and Alexander Harper refused to forswear their allegiance to the King of England, and to become naturalized citizens of the United States. They were sent to the interior of the state by the military authorities.

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John and Margaret ( Harper) Watterson had nine children as follow : Rachel Ann, deceased; James Alexander, born on October 30, 1850, deceased; Samuel, born on October 2, 1853, deceased; William Harper, born on April 9, 1855, deceased; Clara J., born on December 30, 1856, married Wallace Vail, of Kalida, Ohio; George Owens, born on March 30, 1859, lives in Kalida; Dr. John Davis, who lives at Kalida; Charles Sherman, born on May 6, 1865, deceased, and Dr. Ethelbert, born on September 16, 1869, is the subject of this sketch.

Mrs. Margaret (Harper) Watterson died on November 27, 1894. She was a devout member of the Presbyterian church. Politically, John Wat- terson was a Democrat. He held several local offices, among which were those of justice of the peace, six years; township treasurer, several terms, and township trustee for several years. Fraternally, he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, No. 80, at Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Ethelbert Watterson, the subject of this sketch, grew up on the farm. He was educated in the public schools in Putnam county, and sub- sequently attended the Tri-State Normal College, at Angola, Indiana. On September 16, before his sixteenth birthday, he began teaching at the Antioch school, three miles north of Ottoville. For twelve years he was a teacher, three years at Antioch; three years at the Gott school, near Kalida; three years at Vaughnsville, and three years in West Leipsic.

In the spring of 1898, Doctor Watterson made a canvass for county auditor, and in the fall of 1898, entered the Ohio State Medical University, at Columbus, graduating in April, 1902. He then located in Continental, and began practicing his profession, which he has continued ever since.

Doctor Watterson was married in 1893, to Rose Gander, who was born in Sugar Creek township, and who is the daughter of John and Susan (Garner ) Gander. John Gander is descended from one of the early pioneer families in the southern part of Putnam county. His family settled south of Vaughnsville, not far from Gomer, in Allen county, but removed across the line into Putnam county, before John Gander was married. The Gander family came from Virginia in an early day, and settled between Vaughns- ville and Columbus Grove. John Gander lived in Columbus Grove a part of his life, and a part on the farm near Vaughnsville. It was at the latter place where Mrs. Watterson grew up. She attended the public schools at Vaughnsville and the Tri-State Normal College at Angola, Indiana. She attended the public schools a part of the time, while Doctor Watterson was there, and it was there they became acquainted. She, too, engaged in teach- ing and taught three years near Vaughnsville.

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Doctor Watterson and wife had three children, Lelah Margaret, Flor- ence Mary and John Gaylen. Margaret is now a junior in Ohio State University. Florence graduated from the Continental high school and is now a student in the normal school. Mrs. Watterson died in 1913. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the Eastern Star Lodge, the Twentieth Century Club, and also the Pythian Sisters. She was espe- cially active in the Methodist church, living close to its teachings, a good wife who loved her children and reared them with a mother's devotion.

Naturally, Doctor Watterson is a Democrat. He is active in the coun- cils of his party. For ten years he has been on the school board of Conti- nental, and is now president of the board. He was twice elected to the city council, but resigned during his second term. Doctor Watterson owns a home in Continental, and is thoroughly identified with all the civic, political and religious activities of the town. He belongs to the Methodist church, and is chairman of the board of stewards. He is a member of the Knights Templar, blue lodge, at Continental, chapter and council at Ottawa, and the Knights Templar at Defiance. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. He has been a Mason since he was twenty-one years old, having handed in his application before he was of age.

JOSEPH A. UNVERFERTH.

Putnam county has long been noted for its splendid type of farmers. In the early settlement of this part of Ohio, many Germans came and, with their native thrift and industry, soon prospered and today their descendants form the bulwark of Putnam county's citizenship. Among the many well-known Germans descended from the early German pioneers, is Joseph Unverferth.

Joseph Unverferth was born in Glandorf, Putnam county, Ohio, March 11, 1869. He is the son of Anthony and Theresa (Tenwealde) Unver- ferth, who were well-known residents of Glandorf.

Anthony Unverferth, the father of Joseph Unverferth, when two and one-half years of age, was brought to this country by his parents from Hanover, Germany. They settled in Glandorf, Putnam county, which had been settled some years before by the renowned Father Horstman and a band of German colonists. The Unverferth family here settled on a farm and, amid the splendid surroundings of this little community. Anthony

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Unverferth grew up. His early life was spent on his father's farm and his education was secured in the primitive school of that day. He married Theresa Tenwealde, the daughter of Henry Tenwealde and wife, of Glan- dorf, and to this union were born the following children: Henry, deceased; Henry, Joseph, Mary, Theresa, Anna and Frank. Of these, Henry mar- ried Anna Klemen and lives in Greensburg township; Mary married George Klemen and lives in Pleasant township; Theresa married Barney Klemen; Anna married Frank Hohenbrink; Frank married Mary Vogel; the last three families now reside in Greensburg township.

Joseph Unverferth, the subject of this speech, was educated in Greens- burg township and during the early years of his life worked on his father's farm. On May 31, 1892, he was married to Elizabeth Meyer, a daughter of Gerhard and Elizabeth (Dickman) Meyer, both of whom were natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer were married in Glandorf, Putnam county, and to them were born the following children: Mary, Catherine, John, Theresa, Henry, Caroline, Joseph and Elizabeth. Of these, Mary married Frank Deters and resides in Henry county; Catherine married W. Jerwers and lives in New Cleveland; John married Catherine Smith, who died, and later he married Catherine Hark and now lives in Ottawa; The- resa married William Annesser and lives in Canada; Caroline married Jodokus Schmitz and lives in Pleasant township; Joseph married Mary Brinkman and lives in Union township.

After his marriage, Mr. Unverferth first rented a farm and lived in Pleasant township for three years before coming to his present farm. He moved to the farm he now occupies in Union township in 1902, which he and his father owned in low bottoms. It consists of one hundred and sixty acres which Mr. Unverferth, with the appliance of modern agricultural science, has developed into a splendid farm. He later purchased two other tracts of land of about one hundred acres. Mr. Unverferth now owns and farms two hundred and fifty acres.

To Mr. and Mrs. Unverferth, have been born the following children: Lawrence, born on May 7, 1893; Leona, born on July 4, 1895; Leo, born on October 17, 1898; Arthur, born on March 15, 1901; Sarah, born on August 11, 1903 ; Oscar, born on December 28, 1905 ; Francis, born on April 12, 1908, and Alfred, born on May 2, 1911. Of these children, Lawrence married Loretta Quinn and lives in Union township; Leona married Rus- sell Hamilton and they make their home with Mr. and Mrs. Unverferth.

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Mr. Unverferth is known and admired for his untiring industry and is an exponent of advanced ideas in farming. He has one of the best equipped farms in the county in modern farm machinery. His tractor and. other outfits, including a gang plow, are in great demand among the other farmers and he has at various times devoted some attention to public contract work. Mr. Unverferth is engaged in general farming and also raises full-blooded Shorthorn cattle.

The Unverferth family are members of St. Michael's Catholic church at Kalida, and have always been conspicuously identified with all its good work and are highly regarded in the social sphere of this community.

DAVID HENRY RENSHAW.

A successful farmer of Van Buren township, Putnam county, Ohio, where he has made his home since 1865, is David Henry Renshaw, who has devoted his whole life to agricultural pursuits. He has led a quiet and. uneventful life on the farm and has never cared to take an active part in the life of his community.

David H. Renshaw, the son of Thomas and Maria (Young) Renshaw, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 4, 1861. His father was born in the same county, May 10, 1833, a son of Reverend David and Eliza (Armstrong) Renshaw. David Renshaw was born in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio in the early history of the state and was married, in Ohio, to Eliza. Armstrong. David Renshaw was a farmer and a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. He and his wife, Eliza, reared a family of eight chil- dren, Thomas, John, Samuel, Mary, Serepta, Sarah, Frank and Ransome.

Thomas Renshaw attended the common schools of Fairfield county, and helped his father on the home place, until he was married at the age. of twenty-five. He married Maria Young on March 28, 1858. She was a daughter of Henry and Nancy Young, natives of Pennsylvania and Mary- land, respectively. Henry Young and wife were the parents of a large family of children, James, Hester, Rachel, Rebecca, William, Nicholas, Charles, Maria, Serenia, Sarah, Rhoda, Lorain and Keziah. Of these chil- dren, Charles died in infancy.

Thomas Renshaw remained in Fairfield county, Ohio, until 1865, when he moved to Putnam county and bought a farm of eighty acres from his

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father. This place he cleared and lived on until his death, December 17, 1913. Four children were born to Thomas and Maria (Young) Renshaw, David and Byron, who are living on the old home farm; Kate, who married John Welch, of Wood county, and has eight children, Sylvia, Harley, Leslie, Lewis, Emmett, Lawrence, Myrtle and Glee; William T., of Clyde, Ohio, who married Louise Barrack, and has two children, Grace and Bergan.

David H. Renshaw has never married, and he and his brother, Byron, who was born on September 20, 1870, are now managing the old home farm, where they were reared. The brothers are Republicans, but neither of them has ever been active in its councils. They are good citizens and progressive farmers and have a large circle of friends and acquaintances throughout the township.

HARRY C. PARRETT.

The gentleman to a brief review of whose life the reader's attention is herewith directed, is among the foremost business men of Continental, Putnam county, Ohio. By his enterprise, industry, management and pro- gressive methods, he has assisted materially in the industrial and commercial advancement of this community. Mr. Parrett is possessed of rather ex- ceptional executive and business ability. He is numbered among the fore- most citizens, of Continental, and is honored and respected by all of his neighbors for his many good qualities.

Harry C. Parrett was born on September 8, 1878, in Columbus Grove, Putnam county, Ohio. He is the son of Samuel R. and Linda (Mckibben) Parrett, the former of whom was born on July 4, 1854, in Fayette county, Ohio, and was the son of John S. and Angelina (Fifer) Parrett. John S. Parrett was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, where his wife was native born. He grew to manhood in Virginia and came to Fayette county, Ohio, in 1852, locating on a farm in Fayette county. Outside of two years ·spent in Illinois, he lived in Fayette county until 1865, when he moved to Powell creek, in Monroe township. Here he farmed until his death, in 1908. His wife died four years previously, in 1904.

Samuel R. Parrett was eleven years old when he came to Monroe township with his parents. He remained on the home farm until his mar- riage, in 1877, to Linda Mckibben, a native of Athens county, Ohio, born in 1855, and the daughter of Samuel and Anna (Farrabee) Mckibben.

HARRY C. PARRETT.

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Samuel Mckibben was a native of Ohio, whose father, Joseph Mckibben, was a native of North Ireland, who came to Ohio in pioneer times. After his marriage, Samuel Parrett located in Monroe township, and farmed here on sixty-four acres of land. With the exception of one year spent in Columbus Grove, he has always lived in Monroe township. He is still an active farmer. Samuel and Linda Parrett had one son, Harry C., the sub- ject of this sketch. Samuel Parrett is a member of the Masonic fraternity at Continental, and at one time was trustee of the township. He served many years as a member of the school board and held other minor offices. He is a Democrat; is a member of the Zion Christian church, where his wife is also a worshiper. Mr. Parrett has held minor offices in this church and was treasurer for many years.

Harry C. Parrett grew to manhood on the home place and was reared as a farmer. He was educated in the township schools and taught school for a period of five years in Monroe township.

Mr. Parrett was married on October 5, 1902, to Myrtle Wisterman, a daughter of David and Leander (Brower) Wisterman, both of whom are natives of Putnam county. Mrs. Parrett was born in Monroe township, July 10, 1884. David and Leander Wisterman had nine children, of whom Mrs. Parrett was the youngest of the family.

Harry C. Parrett farmed in Monroe township after his marriage, living on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He removed to Continental in 1906, and entered the implement and hardware business alone. He fol- lowed this business for three years, when he sold out and entered his present business of real estate, insurance and loans. He is still active in business.

Mr. Parrett is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, Lodge No. 570, at Continental. He served as town councilman and was treasurer for two years, 1912 and 1913. During the latter year, he was elected mayor of Continental, and is now filling this position with credit to himself and his community. He is a stanch Democrat and has always been active in the councils of this party. Although Mr. Parrett is not a member of any church, he was reared as an adherent of the Christian church. It is not necessary for the biographer to say that Harry C. Parrett is highly respected in Continental, Ohio. The many positions of trust and responsibility which he has held show, better than any words of testimony, the character of the confidence reposed in him by the people of this township. Mr. Parrett has proved himself worthy of these trusts and is admired today as one of the leading citizens of Putnam county.

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ADAM TRIETCH.

Among the farmers of German birth who have brought to the operation of their farms the intensive methods adopted from stern necessity in the old country, and have made those methods apply so successfully here, as to attract general attention and emulation, the gentleman, whose name is noted above, is clearly entitled to mention and it is a pleasure to present here a brief narrative of the distinctive points in his career.

Adam Trietch was born in Hesse, Germany, May 29, 1863, the son of Andrew and Catherine (Linner) Trietch, both of whom were natives of the same province of the Fatherland.

Andrew Trietch was born in July, 1826, and was a tailor all his life, a man highly respected in his home place. He was twice married, by his- first wife having four children, Nicholas, deceased; Mrs. Elizabeth Gerish, of Crestline, Ohio; George, who remained in Germany, and Andrew, deceased. By his marriage with Catherine Linner, Andrew Trietch had three children, Adam, with whom this sketch directly treats; Mrs. Lizzie Knapp, who lives in Germany, and Mrs. Barbara Eding, who lives at Cleveland, Ohio. Andrew Trietch died at the age of seventy-nine and his wife, the mother of Adam, died at the age of sixty-eight.

Adam Trietch left his home in Germany when he reached the age of fourteen and went to Switzerland, where he worked for about three years, at the end of which time he made up his mind to try his fortunes across the sea. To this end he came to America and found his way to Holgate, Ohio, where his uncle, Nicholas Trietch, had been living for some years. In that vicinity he worked on farms until he was twenty-seven years of age, engaging his services by the month to the farmers of the neighbor- hood and there he met and married, on April 29, 1890, Mary Elizabeth Brinkman, who was born in Henry county, Ohio, June 23, 1866, the daugh- ter of Henry and Elizabeth (Reiter) Brinkman, the former of whom was born in Crawford county, Ohio, July 15, 1832, and the latter being born in Pennsylvania, March 1, 1838, and both of whom are enjoying good health in their hale old age at Holgate, Ohio, Mr. Brinkman being eighty- three years of age and Mrs. Brinkman being seventy-seven.

Henry Brinkman spent his boyhood days in Crawford county, Ohio, his parents having been pioneer farmers of that county, and received such education as the meager schools of that day afforded, being trained in the ways of farming, which vocation he followed all his active days. He was.

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married in Crawford county, and later moved to Henry county, where he farmed for a time, then moving into the town of Holgate where he is now living in comfortable retirement. He and his wife are the parents of six children, the others being Mrs. Cinderella Wolf, Frank and John, all of whom live in Henry county, Ohio, and Anna, who died in infancy, and Mrs. Hattie Rennecker, of Indiana.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 55

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