USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio, from 1808 to 1908, Vol. II > Part 47
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In 1870 Mr. Fackler was married to Miss Elizabeth Lacer, who was born in Cass township, a daughter of John and Mary (Blocker) Lacer, both of whom passed away in Richland county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fackler were born fourteen children : Boyd, a resident of Shiloh ; Mollie, the wife of Willard Bly, of Williams county, Ohio; Frank and Samuel, both of Cass township ; Hermie,
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the wife of John Riland, of Cass township; Zella, the wife of Randson Noss, of Cass township; Oscar, who is living in Franklin township; Porter, Bertha, Alfred, Morris, Henry and Osra, all of whom are at home; and Richard, who died at the age of sixteen months. The death of Mrs. Fackler occurred July 16, 1906, when she was fifty-four years of age. Mr. Fackler has been very generous with his children, aiding all of them in gaining a start in life as they had left the parental roof and gone out to establish homes of their own. The older sons are all prosperous and leading farmers of Richland county.
Mr. Fackler votes with the democratic party, but has no ambition for office as his time is fully occupied with his extensive and growing business interests. In early manhood he had very little capital, but he possessed cour- age and resolution, and these often constitute the key which unlocks the portals of success. His holdings are now extensive and his business interests very valuable, while his life record is considered one of the assets in the history of Richland county.
LUDWICK FRANK.
Ludwick Frank is one of the worthy citizens that Germany has furnished to Richland county, he having emigrated to the new world almost four decades ago, at which time he made his way to this state, where he has since made his home. Mr. Frank was born in Shilingberg, Germany, May 7, 1837, and was there reared and educated, receiving such advantages as were afforded by the common schools. Upon hearing favorable reports concerning the oppor- tunities to be enjoyed in the new world, he determined to try his fortune in America, and accordingly, in 1871, crossed the Atlantic to New York, whence he made his way at once to Richland county, locating near Mansfield. Dur- ing the first year of his residence here he was employed at farm labor, and at the end of that time he made purchase of a tract of land comprising eighty-one and a third acres, situated on sections 7 and 18, Monroe township. Here he is engaged in raising the cereals best adapted to soil and climate, and in addition to this he also raises and feeds stock, making a specialty of the latter branch of business, in which he is meeting with good success.
Mr. Frank chose as a companion for the journey of life Miss Siegler, and to this union have been born ten children, three sons and seven daugh- ters, as follows: Louis, who is assisting his father in the operation of the home farm; Alvina, the wife of Fred Snitzner, a resident of Mansfield; Bertha, the wife of Julius Henry; Freda, the wife of William Peterson, who makes his home in Ashland county, Ohio; Caroline, the wife of Allen Thompson, of Monroe township; Herman C., who is in Cleveland, this state; Clara P., the widow of Ira Balliet; and Louise, William and Mary, all of whom have passed away.
Mr. Frank's study of the political questions and issues has led him to give stalwart support to the democratic party, while both he and his wife
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are communicants of the Catholic church. The hope that led him to leave his native land and seek a home in America has been more than realized, for here he has found the opportunities he sought, and making the most of these has steadily worked his way upward to success. He possesses the resolution and perseverance so characteristic of his nation, and his name is now enrolled among the best citizens of Richland county.
JAMES A. HEDGES.
James A. Hedges devotes his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits on section 7, Springfield township, where he is also engaged in the raising of Berkshire hogs. His entire life work has been characterized by systematic and methodical management and his capable control of his affairs is noticed in the fine appearance of his place. He was born February 18, 1862, in Mansfield, Ohio.
His father, James A. Hedges, Sr., is also a native of Richland county, where the grandfather, Elza Hedges, located at an early day. He came to this state from Pennsylvania, but was born in England and later generations of the family were all agriculturists there. James A. Hedges engaged in mer- chandising in Mansfield, being one of the pioneer business men of the city, and the spirit of enterprise and energy actuated him in all his undertakings, bringing him a fair measure of success. His business career, however, was interrupted when he went to the front as a sutler with the Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Two years were thus passed and while he was thus engaged he was captured and his stores were confiscated by the Confed- erates. He was held at Harpers Ferry for three months as a prisoner of war, and after his exchange was effected he resolved that he would strike a blow at the Confederacy and in defense of the Union, and enlisted in the Second Ohio Heavy Artillery, with which he served until the close of the conflict.
When the war was over James A. Hedges, Sr., returned to Mansfield and took his place with the prominent business men of the city as one of the organizers and promoters of the wholesale grocery house of Raney, Hedges & Walters. The new enterprise proved a very profitable venture, and as the years passed he gained a very gratifying measure of success. His political allegiance was given to the republican party. All who knew him esteemed him for what he accomplished in the business world and for the honorable methods which he followed. He died at the age of forty-four years, and is still survived by his widow, who bore the maiden name of Henrietta Good and was born in Miami county, Ohio. She is now living with a daughter in Cleveland, Ohio, and of her family of thirteen children five yet survive. namely: Addie T., the wife of Frank Brady; James A .; Henry C., who is collector for a large installment house at Indianapolis, Indiana; Fanny N., the wife of James Byers, of Denver, Colorado; and Joseph S., of Cleveland, Ohio.
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James A. Hedges of this review was educated in the schools of Mans- field, completing the work of the junior year in the high school, after which he attended the Spencerian College at Cleveland, Ohio. He was thus well qualified for the practical and responsible duties of a business career, and started in life as a clerk for George C. Wise, a grocer of Mansfield. Ambitious, however, to engage in business on his own account, he later entered into a partnership with Robert McFarland, in the grocery business. He was not satisfied in this line, however, and after two years he sold his interest to his partner, for whom he worked on a salary for a number of years. On severing his connection with Mr. McFarland he established a grocery business on the east side of the square at Mansfield in association with Elza Houston. About a year later Mr. Hedges purchased his partner's interest, but subsequently sold the business and went to northern Wisconsin, where he engaged in general merchandising. He afterward turned his attention to the lumber business, carrying on both lines and meeting with good success during his nine years' residence in the Badger state. Returning to Mansfield he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 27, Springfield township, and still owns the property, which he has converted into a fine farm, bringing the fields under a high state of cultivation and annually gathering rich crops. He also raises Berkshire hogs. His success is largely attributable to the fact that his business has been carefully systematized. Upon his desk are to be seen journals and ledgers, etc., that all indicate the careful account which he keeps of all business transactions, so that he can determine wherein lies his profit and continue his efforts along that line. He is thoroughly reliable in all his dealings, his commercial integrity standing as an unquestioned fact in his career.
In 1883 Mr. Hedges was married to Miss Rose Lemon, a resident of Richland county, and unto them have been born two children, Glen L. and James Harold, both at home. Mr. Hedges has always been an ardent repub- lican, but has never sought the honors nor emoluments of public office. He became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Wisconsin, and both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church, shaping their lives by its teachings and using its principles as their rule of conduct.
FRANK B. BLACK.
Frank B. Black, who has been prominently identified with Mansfield's business interests, is a native of this city, born June 10, 1865. His father, Moses Black, was born in Remelton, in the north of Ireland, and came to America in 1855, settling at Zanesville, Ohio, whence he removed to Mansfield in 1859. He became a prominent factor in commercial circles of the latter city, conducting a dry-goods establishment until 1892, when he retired from active business. He married Elizabeth Blymyer, a native of Schellsburg, Pennsylvania and a daughter of Benjamin Blymyer, who came to Mansfield in 1844.
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Frank B. Black acquired his education in the public schools of Mansfield and was graduated from the high school in 1885. He then pursued a com- mercial course in Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York, and upon finishing there he entered the employ of the Barnett Brass Company, of Mansfield, as bookkeeper, where he remained for two years. In 1888 he organized the Ohio Brass Company with a paid in capital of five thousand dollars. This company, of which he is president, has grown to be one of the principal industries of Mansfield, with a paid up capital and surplus of over one million dollars, employing between five and six hundred workmen and doing a business of nearly two million dollars annually.
Mr. Black, aside from the presidency of the Ohio Brass Company, is vice president of the Baxter Stove Company and a director of the Citizens National Bank, the Seneca Chain Company and the Humphryes Manufacturing Company.
On the 5th of October, 1892, Mr. Black was united in marriage to Miss Jessie M. Baxter, and they have four children: John, Robert, Donald and Roger.
ISAAC McCOLLOUGH.
Isaac McCollough, now deceased, was numbered among the honored vet- erans of the Civil war, and at his death, which occurred August 7, 1908, was living in honorable retirement in Butler, making his home with his sons. He received the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded one of advanced years, whose life had been worthily passed. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, December 4, 1828, and was the son of Joseph and Margaret (Matheson) McCollough. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1801, and the mother's birth occurred in 1803. They were married in Holmes county, Ohio, and cast in their lot among the early settlers of Rich- land county, where they remained for a time, and then removed to Indiana, where their last days were passed. Both died in that state when seventy- eight years of age. Their family numbered seven children, but only two are now living: Mrs. Elizabeth Jolly, who is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Mrs. Jane Finley, of Huntington, Indiana.
In retrospect one can see Isaac McCollough as a young boy in the early half of the nineteenth century, working the fields with the primitive farm machinery then in vogue, or conning his lessons in the little district school- house, where few branches were taught, beyond reading, writing and arith- metic. However, he kept in touch with the progressive thought of the world, and made substantial progress in business lines. He continued to engage in farming until 1862, when he put aside all business and personal considera- tions and joined the Union army, becoming a member of Company B, Six- teenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for exactly three years. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Hickory Post and Arkansas River, and in many other engagements and skirmishes, but
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although he was frequently in hazardous positions the only injury which he sustained was to have two ribs broken. He was always faithful to his duty, whether it called him to the lonely picket line or stationed him on the firing line.
After the war Mr. McCollough removed to Richland county and pur- chased forty acres of land in Worthington township. This he cultivated and improved, and in connection with agricultural pursuits he worked at the carpenter's trade, which he learned when a boy and which he had followed prior to the war. Some years ago he sold his land and removed to Butler, where he spent his remaining days, making his home with his sons.
Mr. McCollough was married in 1850 to Miss Eleanor Roberts, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio. They traveled life's journey together for many years and were then separated by the death of the wife, who passed away in 1907, at the age of seventy-seven years. Their family numbered seven children: Joseph, Isaac and Logan, who are residents of Butler; Allurah, Emeline and Mary, all now deceased; and Louisa J., the wife of Daniel Bemiller, whose home is in Worthington township. Mrs. McCollough was a member of the Disciples church, and was an earnest, consistent Christian woman, whose death was deeply deplored by all who knew her.
Mr. McCollough voted with the democracy after age conferred upon him the right of franchise, and although he never sought nor desired office, he was always loyal to the best interests of the community, and did everything in his power to further public progress. Although he reached the eightieth milestone on life's journey, in spirit and interests he seemed in his prime. He was well known in the county where he had so long resided and here received the respect of rich and poor, old and young.
JOHN C. HULL.
John C. Hull, owning and operating a well improved farm of two hundred and twenty acres on section 2, Washington township, was born on this farm on the 25th of October, 1844, his parents being John and Rachel (Snyder) Hull, the former born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, March 8, 1814, and the latter in Richland county, Ohio. In his boyhood the father accom- panied his parents on their removal westward, locating on the farm which is now the home of our subject. The land had to be cleared of the timber and the grandfather erected a log cabin, eighteen by eighteen feet, which remained the family home for many years and in which John Hull reared his family of ten children. He was successful in his undertakings and at the time of his death was an extensive landowner. He passed away in 1891, when eighty- seven years of age, while the death of his wife occurred in 1894, when she had attained the age of eighty-three years. They were both members of the Church of Christ, and were worthy and respected residents of the community. Of their family of ten children, five still survive, namely: Mrs. Isabelle Baker, of Washington township; Mrs. Catherine Heselden, who makes her home in
MR. AND MRS. J. C. HULL
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Madison township; Mrs. Elizabeth Muscroft, of Mansfield, Ohio; John C., of this review; and Daniel, residing in Madison township.
John C. Hull was reared on the place of his nativity but acquired only a limited education, for his assistance was needed in the work of the home farm. On the 1st of May, 1864, he enlisted as a member of Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving until the close of the war, when he returned home and operated a part of his father's farm on shares. The first year he farmed, he paid a man six dollars to plow a piece of ground and seed it in wheat and also paid another man to cut it, and only harvested a crop of eighteen bushels. In 1871 he purchased eighty acres on section 2, Washington township, which he improved, erecting thereon good buildings and cultivating the land until the time of his father's death. He then pur- chased the old homestead and now owns two hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land, which he has brought under a high state of develop- ment. He has likewise erected a good barn and a commodious and attractive residence, equipped with every modern comfort and convenience. He bought the first machine with which to cut grain that was ever used in this part of the county. It was a combination of reaper and mower and cost two hundred dollars. He was censured by his father for what the latter regarded as foolish extravagance, as the time and labor-saving qualities of modern farm machinery had not yet been demonstrated here. John C. Hull, however, paid for this implement in two years with the money which he received for cutting his neighbors' grain. He has ever kept abreast with the progress made along agricultural lines and is well known and highly esteemed as one of the representative and successful farmers of the community.
On the 24th of January, 1867, Mr. Hull was united in marriage to Miss Sarah F. Leppo, whose birth occurred in Washington township, February 5, 1845. Her parents were David and Eliza Jane (Pollock) Leppo, the former born in Washington county, Maryland, November 27, 1813, and the latter in Harrison county, Ohio, December 6, 1818. In his boyhood days David Leppo accompanied his parents on their removal to Richland county. Ohio, the family home being established in Washington township, where he grew to manhood and spent the remainder of his life. His marriage was celebrated March 7, 1843, and he was called to his final rest on the 30th of November, 1860. His wife survived him until June 10, 1891, when she, too, passed away. Of the ten children born unto them, six are still living, namely: Mrs. Hull, Mrs. Margaret E. Schlosser, of Washington township; Mrs. Lydia J. Pierce, residing in Monroe township; Franklin P., who makes his home in Indiana ; James B., of Mansfield, Ohio; and David M., also living in Mansfield. Both Mr. and Mrs. Leppo were devoted and faithful members of the Church of Christ.
Unto Mr. Hull and his wife have been born seven children. Ferry F., who is the wife of Robert Grant Byerly, resides in Madison township and has two children, Ethel A. and Helen E. Eva A., the widow of Lawrence M. Hendricks, makes her home in Washington township. John D., who married Miss Etta. M. Addis, is a minister of the Church of Christ, residing in Indiana. Owen Leroy is a resident of Washington township. Ervenna is the wife of
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Arthur Leiter, of Lucas, Ohio. Asa M. is an evangelistic singer. Ora L. is a minister of the Church of Christ at Garrett, Indiana.
In his political views Mr. Hull is a stalwart republican, and has served as school director and also on the school board of trustees, the cause of education ever finding in him a strong champion. He is an elder in the Church of Christ, with which his wife is also identified. Having resided in this county throughout his entire life or for almost two-thirds of a century, he is largely familiar with its history from a pioneer period down to the present time, and that his career has ever been an upright and honorable one is indicated by the fact that those who have known him from boyhood and youth are still num- bered among his stanchest friends.
JOHN TAYLOR.
John Taylor is the owner of an excellent farming property in Springfield township. He has been residing upon his present farm for forty years, or since 1868, and his life of activity and enterprise has brought him a gratifying measure of success. He has now passed the seventy-third milestone on life's journey, his birth having occurred in Lincolnshire, England, January 14, 1835. His father, Robert Taylor, a farmer by occupation, came to the United States in 1855 and settled at Little Washington in Richland county, Ohio. He died in Crawford county, Ohio, almost thirty years later, passing away in 1884. In England he married Miss Mary Carrott, a native of that country, and unto them were born the following children: Joseph, Robert William and Phoebe, all of whom have passed away; John, of this review ; George, a farmer residing at Little Washington, Ohio; Charles, who carries on agricultural pursuits at Plymouth, this state; Caroline, deceased; and Mary, a resident of Plymouth.
John Taylor, whose name introduces this review, learned the shoe- maker's trade in early life, but when quite young he took up the occupation of farming, and since 1864, has been continuously identified with agricultural pursuits in Richland county. As stated, he removed to his present farm in ยท 1868, and for forty years has superintended its further development and improvement, doing much of the farm work himself in earlier years. He now owns eighty acres where he resides and also has one hundred and eight acres adjoining, which property is now operated by his son.
Mr. Taylor was married in 1864 to Miss C. M. Scrofield, a resident of this county, and they have five children: M. R., who operates his father's land; Otis, a machinist, of Mansfield; Effie, the wife of Seth E. Cotter, a farmer of Jackson township; Ida, the wife of W. A. Culer, who follows farming near Lucas, this county ; and Mabel Ellen, at home.
Mr. Taylor gives his political support to the prohibition party, and is a stalwart advocate of its principles, for he believes firmly in the temperance question, and does all in his power to promote its adoption. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the Christian church, and their lives are
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actuated by high and honorable principles. In the evening of his days Mr. Taylor can look back over the past without regret, and forward to the future without fear. There is much in his life record that is worthy of emulation and, taken in its entirety, his history is one which commands respect and admiration. He has lived to witness many changes during the years of his residence here as the county has developed in harmony with ideas of modern progress and improvement. He has borne his full share in the work of agricultural development, and has long been known as a most respected and trustworthy farmer of his township.
WALTER S. WALKER.
The thriving little town of Lexington has a worthy representative of its business interests in Walter S. Walker, a hardware merchant who is alert, energetic and progressive. He was born April 15, 1862, in Troy township, this county, and is well known among its citizens. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John G. Walker, were both natives of Pennsylvania and in that state were reared and married. They began their domestic life there, but in 1857 removed westward to Richland county, Ohio, settling in Troy township, where the father purchased one hundred and forty-six acres of land. With characteristic energy he began the development and improvement of the farm and lived thereon until 1890, carefully conducting the work of the fields year after year and meeting with success in his undertakings. At length he removed to Lexington and entered the hardware business, which he conducted until 1896. He then sold out, and his remaining days were spent in honor- able retirement from labor. The journey westward from Pennsylvania was made in a wagon, after the primitive manner of travel at that day. His resources were limited when he arrived here, but he possessed a firm resolve to win success if it could be gained through honorable and persistent effort, and in course of time fortune crowned his labors, making him one of the men of affluence of the community. He was greatly interested in political ques- tions, and although not an aspirant for public office, save that he once was candidate on the republican ticket for the position of representative in the state legislature, he never failed to keep well informed on the questions and issues of the day and was thus always able to support his position by intelli- gent argument. His life, too, was characterized by an carnest, religious the Lexington Academy, and through the period of his boyhood, youth and faith that made him a devoted member of his church-the Presbyterian. He died in Troy township in 1898, at the age of sixty-six years, and is still survived by his widow, who is now living in Lexington at the age of seventy- five years. She, too, is a member of the Presbyterian church and is an earnest Christian woman, whose many good qualities of heart and mind have won her the love and esteem of those with whom she has been brought in contact.
Walter S. Walker is one in a family of eight children, seven of whom sur- vive: Narcissa, the wife of J. G. Davis, of Bellefontaine, Ohio; Lizzie, the wife of R. B. Boone, of Lexington ; J. C., a resident of South Dakota; J. S., also of
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