USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 98
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Orville McDowell has been in business, continuously, in Continental, longer than any other person who lives there. He is well and favorably known throughout this section of Putnam county and enjoys the confidence, not only in a business way, but in a social way, of all the people in this sec- tion of the county.
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HENRY BURILL.
Henry Burill is a well-known farmer, of Palmer township, Putnam county, who, for many years, was one of the best known and most skillful and most successful carpenters in this section of Putnam county. Mr. Burill is known far and wide for the excellence of his work, for his honorable, upright dealings with the public generally, and today he is one of the success- ful farmers of Palmer township. He has been honored many times by the people of Palmer township with positions of responsibility and Mr. Burill has well discharged the duties of all of these offices.
Henry Burill was born in the Dominion of Canada, January 23, 1859. He is the son of Silas and Louise (Hoffman) Burill. Mr. Burill's maternal grandparents were Philip Hoffman and wife, natives of Germany, who came to Henry county, Ohio, settling near Pleasant Bend on a farm which they cleared and improved. They lived there until their deaths. Their children were as follow: Jacob, Caroline, Louise, Peter, Philip, deceased, and Jacob, deceased. Henry Burill's father was a resident of Palmer township, in this county. He served as a soldier in the Mexican War and, after the close of the war, settled on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of government land. Later, he acquired eighty acres more and here he made many im- provements, erecting buildings and clearing the land. Mr. Burill's mother was born in Henry county, Ohio. After the marriage of Mr. Burill's par- ents, they moved to their farm, in section 4, where they lived for many years. Their children are Philip, who married Eve Dirr and lives near Pleasant Bend, Henry county ; Louise, who married Jonas Rigg and lives near Butler, Indiana ; and Henry, the subject of this sketch. Silas Burill died about 1858 and his wife in 1862. They were members of the Reformed church.
Henry Burill was educated in Henry county and in early boyhood made his home with his maternal grandmother, in Pleasant township. He, later, went to Wisconsin and Minnesota, where he remained for about two years. After that he returned to Henry county and at the demise of his grandmother Hoffman, made his home with his uncle, Peter Hoffman. He was married in 1883, to Kate Morris, the daughter of John Morris and wife.
John Morris and wife were born in Germany and came to Henry county where they located on a farm. Later, they settled in Defiance county, Ohio, also on a farm, and here they remained until their deaths. Their children were George; John and Henry, twins; Peter; Conrad; Mary; Catherine and Margaret, deceased. John Morris died about 1878, and his wife about 1881.
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They were members of the German Reformed church and their remains were interred in Defiance cemetery.
After his marriage, Mr. Burill moved to Pleasant Bend, Ohio, and engaged in carpenter work, which trade he had learned in his youth. He was in Pleasant Bend for three or four years and, during that time, his services were in great demand. His workmanship was generally admired for its excellence. He purchased forty acres of land in Palmer township, Putnam county, Ohio, and on this, he erected buildings. He cleared and drained the land. Later, he acquired eighty acres in the same section.
To Henry and Kate (Morris) Burill were born five children, William; Alvin, who died in infancy; Ernest, Laura and Clarence. William, who is a farmer in Palmer township, married Elsie Wolf and has two children; Ernest, also a farmer of Palmer township, married Ruth Baker; Laura, who married George Dickson, lives near Lansing, Michigan, and has two children; Clarence lives at home. The mother of these children died in December, 1899, and was buried in the cemetery at New Batavia.
Henry Burill was again married, in 1900, to Kate Young, the daughter of John and Margaret Young, who lived at North Creek. John Young died in 1900, while Margaret Young died in 1907.
John Young was a machinist by trade and at one time owned the stave factory at North Creek and also owned saw-mills in various parts of Ohio. John Young died at North Creek, Ohio, and Margaret Young, his wife, died in Wood county at the home her son, Andrew. The children of John and Margaret Young were: Kate, Margaret, Delia, Anna, Henry, Jacob, Fred, Andrew, living, and Christine, Jennie, George, Susan, Louis, Chris- topher and Elizabeth, dead.
John Young and wife were born in Germany and came to this country, separately, before marriage. He was an architect in Germany, but did not follow this in this country. Henry Burill and wife were married in Amherst, Ohio, and lived there for a number of years. Later, they moved to a farm near Genoa, Ottawa county, Ohio, after which they moved to Wood county, where he operated a saw-mill. He then engaged in a general store business in Wood county, later moved to North Creek, where he lived the rest of his life.
After his second marriage, Henry Burill continued to live on his farm. He and his wife are popular in Palmer township and stand well in the social life of the community. No children have been born to this second marriage.
Henry Burill's two sons, William and Ernest, live on the eighty acres 63
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which Mr. Burill acquired, just west of his farm in Palmer township. Each son farms forty acres. Mr. Burill has served as constable of Pleasant township, Henry county, for three years and is now serving as school direc- tor in Palmer township, Putnam county. He was township trustee for two terms and is identified with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias at Pleasant Bend. He and his wife are members of the German Reformed church. Henry Burill is an affable, agreeable man, a substantial farmer, well liked by his neighbors and intelligent in all of the relations of life.
ERNEST L. HARTMAN.
Putnam county, Ohio, has been especially favored in the personnel of its newspaper men and among the representatives of this profession in this county is Ernest L. Hartman, the publisher and editor of the Continental Union News. During late years, he has not only gained distinct success in this business, but he has, through his personal influence, by voice and pen, stood for the highest and best things in the community's life. He has not only gained prestige as an active, progressive and successful business man, but, in a professional way, deserves to be considered one of the best citizens of the community, in the largest sense of the word. The Continental Union News, under the management of Mr. Hartman, has always been a booster for local enterprises and has always represented the best spirit of the com- munity wherein it circulates.
Ernest L. Hartman was born on July 14, 1858, in Napoleon, Henry county, Ohio. He is the son of Charles C. and Sarah (Funk) Hartman. Charles C. Hartman was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, and came with his parents, Samuel and Lucy (Holcomb) Hartman, to Wayne county, where Charles C. was educated and where he spent seven years. After this, they moved to Henry county, Ohio, where he taught school. He also taught in New York state. Charles C. Hartman died at Napoleon, Ohio, in 1859. Samuel Hartman, the father of Charles C., was born in Center county, Penn- sylvania, and his wife, Lucy Holcomb, was born at Elmira, New York. Lucy Hartman died in Henry county, Ohio. Samuel Hartman died in Salona, Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Sarah Hartman, the mother of Ernest L., was born in Pennsyl- vania and died in Napoleon, Ohio, the same year as her husband. Ernest L. Hartman was the only child born to his parents.
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Ernest L. Hartman grew up in Henry county and especially at Napoleon, Ohio. He received his early education in the country schools of Henry county and graduated from the Napoleon high school with the class of 1877. Subse- quently, he read law under Hon. W. A. Stephenson at Napoleon, and was admitted to the bar, May 20, 1882, at Columbus, Ohio. He also spent one year as a student of the scientific course at Valparaiso College, at Valparaiso, Indiana, but did not graduate. From Henry county, Ohio, Mr. Hartman moved to Willshire, Van Wert county, Ohio, in 1892, and here he operated a stave and hoop mill. He also engaged in the practice of law. Mr. Hart- man moved to Ohio City in Van Wert county, in 1899, and here engaged in the practice of law. He was also identified with the timber business during the oil boom. From Ohio City, Mr. Hartman moved to Continental, where he had purchased the Union News plant, August 24, 1907. Several months later he moved his family to Continental where he is actively engaged in the newspaper work and printing business. He has a large circulation in the township and county and a large and lucrative business in job printing. Mr. Hartman is also active in the practice of law in addition to his newspaper work. He taught school in Henry county, Ohio, many terms and also one year in Elkhart county. Mr. Hartman's father and his grandfather and uncle taught at the old Cole school in Henry county, where Charles L., himself, also taught for many years.
Ernest L. Hartman was married on June 7, 1887, at Napoleon, Ohio, to Mary A. Sheffield, who was born at Napoleon, Ohio, on October 13, 1857. She is the daughter of Edward and Phebe (Brownell) Sheffield. Edward Sheffield was born in Paynesville, Ohio, and educated in the practice of law. He was a prominent lawyer, at Napoleon, at the time of his death and had held several high offices, having been a member of the Ohio General Assembly, county auditor and prosecuting attorney. He died in Napoleon, Henry county, Ohio, in 1865, at the age of thirty-nine years. His wife, who was Phebe Brownell before her marriage, was born in New York state and was the daughter of William and Lydia (Chase) Brownell, both of whom were devout members of the Quaker church, both natives of New York, having been born near Palmyra, where they grew up. After their marriage, they moved to Henry county, Ohio, where William Brownell assisted in the sur- vey of the county. They were among its pioneers and witnessed its develop- ment from the beginning. William Brownell was a millwright and a sur- veyor, both trades having been learned in New York state. Both he and his wife died in Henry county. Mrs. Phebe Sheffield, the mother of Mrs. Hart- man, died at Napoleon, Henry county, Ohio, March 12, 1911, at the age of
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eighty-five. She and her husband had four children, Mrs. Ella E. Cowdrick, of Topeka, Kansas; William C., deceased; Mary A., the wife of Mr. Hart- man; and Phebe D., of Napoleon, Ohio, who is the librarian of the Carnegie library there. Mrs. Hartman grew up at Napoleon, Ohio, and was educated there, being a graduate in the first class of the Napoleon high school in 1875. She was a school teacher and taught school for fourteen years, ten years in the public schools at Napoleon, two years as superintendent of the Penacook schools at Penacook, New Hampshire, and also at Willshire, Van Wert county, Ohio. At Willshire she was the first lady member of the board of education and was selected as clerk. To Ernest L. and Mary A. (Sheffield) Hartman, two children have been born, Eugene B., on February 17, 1888; and Edward S., April 29, 1890. Eugene B. lives at Toledo, Ohio, where he is engaged in the printing business; Edward S. lives at Napoleon, where he is a city mail carrier.
Ernest L. Hartman is not a member of any lodge. He is a Republican in politics and served as mayor of Willshire, Ohio, one term while he was living there. He is a justice of the peace at Continental and completes a term of four years on January 1, 1916. He is not a member of any church. Mrs. Hartman is a member of the Presbyterian church at Napoleon, Ohio. She is clerk of the board of public affairs at Continental and secretary of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, since 1911, and trustee since its re- organization in 1915.
JOHN WILLIAM HIXON.
One of the conspicuous men from the list of Putnam county's farmers is John William Hixon, a substantial farmer of Blanchard township, and a gentleman of high standing to whom has not been denied a full measure of success. Long recognized as a factor of importance in connection with farming and stock raising, he has been prominently identified with the ma- terial growth and prosperity of this part of the state of Ohio. His life is closely interwoven with the history of Putnam county, where he has been content to live and follow his chosen vocation for many years. John Will- iam Hixon is an excellent farmer and has kept abreast of twentieth century methods in farming.
John William Hixon was born on August 6, 1858, on the wagon route from Indiana to Ohio, and is the son of George and Mary Ellen (Vaughn)
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Hixon. George Hixon was born on August 10, 1830, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Cotner) Hixon, natives of Pennsylvania. Samuel Hixon's father served in the Revo- lutionary War under General Washington. Samuel Hixon died when his son, George was a small boy. The family then moved to Carroll county, about 1842. Samuel and Elizabeth (Cotner) Hixon had ten children, eight sons and two daughters, Jacob, John, Samuel, Jr., James, Thomas, George, Josiah, William, Mary and Susanne. George Hixon was reared by Joseph Sellers, of Carroll county, after he was twelve or thirteen years of age, and remained with Mr. Sellers until he was a young man. George Hixon's mother and the family then moved to Blanchard township, Putnam county, and settled about a mile northwest of Gilboa. Here they remained a few years, and it was here that George was married, when twenty-three or twenty-four years of age, to Mary Ellen Vaughn. All the family then moved to Owen county, Indiana. Here George and his wife remained for two years and returned to Blanchard township, Putnam county, settling three miles north of Gilboa, near the Pleasant Grove church. They lived at this place at the time of their death. The land was covered with timber in those days and they were compelled to cut a road through the wilderness to reach their farm. Here George Hixon cleared a place for their cabin. They suffered all the hardships incident to pioneer life. For a few years the wheat crop was a failure, due to the ravages of the weevil, and the family was com- pelled to live on corn bread that time. Wild game, however, was plentiful, and included fox, wild turkey, coon, mink and squirrel.
Mary Ellen (Vaughn) Hixon was the daughter of John W. Vaughn and wife, the latter of whom died when Mary Ellen was two or three years old. Mary Ellen Hixon was born on March 12, 1835, in Marion county, Ohio, and came with her parents to Putnam county when one year old. John W. Vaughn was born in 1812, in Culpepper county, Virginia, and came to Marion county in the early days.
George and Mary Ellen (Vaughn) Hixon had four children, John W., the subject of this sketch; Thomas Emmett and Lillie May, twins, and Sam- uel Marion. George Hixon died in the summer of 1905, and his wife died in August, 1907.
John W. Vaughn, who was Mr. Hixon's maternal grandfather, entered his land from the government. When he built his first log cabin, there was no chimney, but a hole in the center of the roof from which the smoke might emerge. At that time the country was full of Indians. John W. Vaughn
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depended on his skill as a hunter to supply his family with meat and to get money with which to pay his taxes. Mr. Hixon's mother often related how the dogs would chase the wolves until outnumbered, when they were forced back to the house and compelled to seek the shelter of the log cabin. She was fond of telling stories about the early Indian visitors, who strapped their papooses on their backs, tied to a board.
John William Hixon, the subject of this sketch, grew up on the old homestead and attended the common schools. He also attended the normal school at Ottawa for one term.
John William Hixon was married on October 16, 1881, to Emma Caro- line Rager, who was born on June 6, 1859, in Franklin county, Ohio, and who was the daughter of Adam and Julia Rager, the former a native of Franklin and the latter of Licking county, Ohio. To this union was born one child, Charles Oscar, who married Mary Alice Schafer, the daughter of Ella Schafer. They have two children, Vera Caroline and John Harold. Charles Oscar is farming forty acres of his own and also his father's old home place.
After his marriage, Mr. Hixon farmed his grandfather Vaughan's place for four years, or until the latter's death, and then moved to the Dell Foulk farm, in Blanchard township. Here he lived for two years and then pur- chased eighty acres north and east of the old homestead. Some years later he also purchased his father's old home place. This he later sold and bought another farm just north of his original eighty. He has continued to live here from that time. Mr. Hixon has always raised a good grade of stock and has been very successful with it.
John William Hixon is a Democrat, but he has never been especially active in political affairs and has never been an aspirant for office. He and his wife and family are members of the Methodist Protestant church. Mr. Hixon joined this church at the age of thirteen and has been active in its work all his life. He was superintendent of the Sunday school for twenty years and chairman of the building committee, as well as the board of trustees, for several years. The Methodist Protestant church, of which Mr. Hixon is a member and in which he is prominent, is one of the most magnificent country churches to be found anywhere. It is a monument to the citizenship of the community.
John William Hixon is a man of genial disposition, affable and agree- able, although earnest and sincere in all his relations with his fellows. He is popular in the community where he lives.
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ELAH HARRY BUCKLAND.
There is no calling, however humble, in which enterprise and industry, coupled with a well-directed purpose, will not produce some measure of success. In the pursuit of agriculture, the qualities mentioned are quite essential. Among the well-known and highly-respected farmers of Putnam county, Ohio, who have attained a definite degree of success in their life work and who, at the same time, have greatly benefited the community in which they live, is Elah Harry Buckland, of Blanchard township.
Elah Harry Buckland was born on February 13, 1844, in Licking county, Ohio, the son of John L. and Caroline ( Beach) Buckland. John L. Buck- land was a farmer of Blanchard township, Putnam county, Ohio, and was born in Rutland county, Vermont, on June 17, 1817, and died on March 19, 1887. He came from Vermont direct to Ohio in 1852. John L. Buckland was the son of William and Anna (Lewis) Buckland. He was married in Licking county, Ohio, December 16, 1841, to Caroline Beach, the daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Hayes) Beach. Mrs. John L. Buckland was born in Essex county, New York, August 13, 1821, and died on November 17, 1910. Subsequently, her parents came to Putnam county and, in 1863, Joseph Beach's first wife, Rebecca Hayes, died in Licking county. After this. he removed to Putnam county and three years later was married.
To John L. and Caroline (Beach) Buckland eight children were born, Mary Ann, on November 4, 1842, who is the wife of James Maidlow, of Blanchard township; Elah Harry, the subject of this sketch; Alice Lucinda, October 25, 1845, who is the wife of Charles Gifford Conine, of Blanchard township; Reuben Sanford, September 3, 1848, died on April 21, 1867; Lewis Thare, November 21, 1850, died on March 19, 1912; Sarah Helen, September 10, 1851, who is the wife of George Agner, of Ottawa; John, October 1, 1861, died on April 14, 1863; and Jerusha Caroline, September 16, 1864, who is the widow of Basset Sherrard.
Elah Harry Buckland came to Putnam county, October 23, 1852, with his parents when he was eight years old. Here he attended the common schools. His father had borrowed money to buy his first farm of eighty acres, which cost three hundred and fifty dollars. After completing his purchase, he had just ten dollars left. Samuel Wells, a resident of Licking county, insisted that this was not enough upon which to start farming in a new country and support a family of five children through the winter, so he insisted that Mr. Buckland's father accept a further loan of fifty dollars. His generosity enabled the family to pull through the winter. They lived
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on S. P. Weaver's farm until they could build their first log house into which they moved, about the first of the year 1853. It was amid these primitive surroundings that Elah H. Buckland grew to manhood. He remained on the old homestead until he was twenty-three years of age.
Elah Harry Buckland was married on March 28, 1867, to Jane Rebecca Maidlow, the daughter of John and Lucinda (Dowds) Maidlow, who was born on July 10, 1846. Her father was a native of England, who came to Baltimore, Maryland, and finally to Knox county, Ohio, at the age of four- teen. Here he met Lucinda Dowds, who was born in Knox county. Shortly after their marriage, they came to Putnam county in 1835, where Mr. Buck- land has lived for sixty-two years. His wife died on January 15, 1901.
After his marriage, Elah H. Buckland started out for himself. He rented a farm of Henry Watts in Ottawa township, but the next year moved back to Blanchard township, on the John Maidlow farm, where he remained for fourteen years. In the spring of 1882, he moved to the John McDougle farm, which he purchased two years later. Mr. Buckland has always raised a high grade of stock and has been a very successful farmer.
Elah Harry and Jane Rebecca (Maidlow) Buckland have been the parents of seven children, Harry L., born on February 28, 1868, who married Dellar Burgett, and has seven children, Everett, Lewis, Lena, Herman, Minerva, DeLawrence and Clitus; Agnes M., March 30, 1870, who married Edgar Deck, whose sketch is given elsewhere in this volume; Mary E., March 29, 1872, who is the wife of John Payne and has five children, Eva, Ethel, Jerusha, Zella and Serge; Samuel, November 25, 1874, died on Febru- ary 9, 1877; Annetta, March 12, 1877, who is the wife of Harry Deck, and has five children. Garrett, Percy, Elah, Delbert and Raymond; Elah M., April 7, 1879; Martha, November 28, 1882, who is the wife of Thomas Radabaugh, of Blanchard township, and has five children, Alvin, Esther, Hazel Edna, Le Vaughn, deceased, and one who died in infancy.
Elah M. Buckland, the youngest son of Elah H., was married to Mar- garet Pitney, the daughter of Joseph and Ella Pitney. She was born in Blanchard township, Putnam county, but her parents were natives of Licking county, Ohio. They came to Putnam county in 1880 and settled in Blanch- ard township. They had eleven children, Louis, Levi, Alonzo, Effie, Mar- garet, Mary, Russell, Olive, Josephine, Bessie and Admiral, all of whom are living except Olive and Josephine. Elah M. and Margaret (Pitney) Buck- land have had three children, Lela, born on September 9, 1901, died on October 10, 1901 ; Frederick, September 27, 1902; and Reuben, December 12, 1903.
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Elah H. Buckland has reared a large family to lives of usefulness in their respective communities and he is a man who merits the honor and respect of his fellow citizens, for his splendid services as a father, and his upright life as a man. Mr. Buckland has been a life-long Republican. He. has served both as school director and supervisor. Throughout his life he has been a member of the Methodist Protestant church and from his young manhood to the present time has been active in the affairs of this church
FRANCIS MARION WARREN.
Among the citizens of Blanchard township, Putnam county, Ohio, who have built up comfortable homes and surrounded themselves with valuable landed estates and personal property, few have attained a higher degree of success than has Francis Marion Warren. With few opportunities, except what his own efforts were capable of providing, and with many discourage- ments to overcome, he has made a success, and has the gratification of know- ing that the community in which he resides has been benefited by his presence and his counsel.
Francis Marion Warren was born in Hancock county, Ohio, on Septem- ber 25, 1854, a son of William and Rachel (McConnell) Warren. William Warren was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1820. His father was a Scotchman and his mother was a native of Pannsylvania, having come to Ohio with her parents during her girlhood, where they settled in Jefferson county.
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