History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882, Part 81

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In May, 1857, Mr. Birchard became a member of the Presbyterian church of Fremont, and remained in its communion all his life. He contributed constantly to its incidental and benevolent funds. He also contributed seven thousand dollars to the erection of the new edifice occupied by the congregation. In this he took especial satisfaction. Though a member of this church, he frequently aided other congregations without distinction of denomination. He gave most satisfactory evidence of sincerity in his religious experience, and died in perfect composure of mind. He had talked much with his friends concerning death, and seemed to be altogether ready.

Mr. Birchard was characteristically hos- pitable, warm-hearted, and friendly. He was one of the marked characters in the history of the county. His life was fortunately spared to ripe old age. He died at 12 o'clock m., January 21, 1874, aged seventy-three years and six days.

GENERAL JOHN BELL.

General John Bell was a native of Penns- borough, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and was born on the 19th of June, 1796. When he was but fourteen years old his father emigrated to Ohio, and located, in 1810, in Greene county, near Xenia. While here he laid out a village, which, in honor of him as a proprietor, was called Bellbrook.

On the 28th of March, 1816, the subject of this sketch was married to Miss Margaret Masten, of Greene county.

In 1823 he visited Lower Sandusky, and after having made arrangements for a resi- dence, moved his family here in the year following. He was a millwright by trade, and upon his arrival he immediately engaged in the milling business, which he followed for some seven years. The first wool-carding machine in this vicinity was brought here and put into operation by Mr. Bell, in the year 1827. Referring to this fact, the Hon. Homer Everett, in a historical lecture delivered at Birchard's Hall, in February, 1860, facetiously remarks:

The judge (at that time probate judge) used to pull wool over the cards, and learned the science so well that he has since somehow succeeded in pulling wool over the eyes of the people, till they sent him to Congress and to many other good places; and lie still seems to hold on. He sticks the wool on by an adhesive plaster, called doing about right, in a very kind manner.

Leaving the mill, he entered into extensive speculations in wheat and flour, shipping large quantities to Venice and Buffalo. After a number of years spent in this, business, he turned his attention to merchandising, which he followed for some eight years. He had quite extensive dealings with the Indians, with whom he was a special favorite. Time and again his house was literally filled and surrounded by the red men, in each of whom he and his family recognized a friendly guard, not an enemy. These and similar scenes are, today, yet vivid in the memory of his descendants.

By a course of fair and honorable dealing from the time he first visited the place until he ceased to move among us, he acquired a high degree of regard and consideration on the part of all the citizens. This feeling of respect and esteem went on increasing in volume and intensity while he lived, and only culminated when the portals of the tomb shut him out forever from mortal sight. For a considerable length of time he

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was the Government land agent at Lower Sandusky, and also superintendent of the Western Reserve and Maumee road, between Lower Sandusky and Perrysburg; and it was through him, as agent, that the. Government lands along this road were disposed of to settlers for the construction of the same.

Mr. Bell was deeply interested in devel- oping the resources of the country, and on all occasions manifested a strong desire to build up the town and to advance its material prosperity; and, disregardful of his own interests, this cardinal purpose was kept steadily in view during his whole life. In the meetings of the people for the advancement of public improvements and the promotion of the public welfare, he was always a conspicuous and leading actor.

He was the first mayor of Lower Sandusky, and also the first in the same office of the city of Fremont, to which position he was repeatedly reelected. For three or four terms he served the people as probate judge; also for a number of years he was a justice of the peace. In 1838 he was appointed postmaster, which position he held till 1844. Subsequently he was a member of the House of Representatives in the Ohio Legislature, to which he was several times re-elected; and afterwards, in 1851, elected to Congress. During the Toledo war of 1835, Mr. Bell was the commander of the Ohio forces, being at that time a major-general of the State militia, having received his commission March 1, 1834.

He was one of the most popular men in the county, as evinced by the fact that, whenever a candidate for an office, he ran ahead of his ticket in almost every instance.

There was one striking trait in his char- acter that deserves special mention in this connection. In all of his public service,

as well as in his private life, he was pre- eminently a peace-maker. He was always in for a compromise if it could possibly be effected, rather than to press a matter to litigation. His great aim seemed to be to aid people to keep out of the clutches of the law, and his advice in legal matters was always given to promote this end. So implicit was the confidence of the people in his judgment and honesty, that his counsel was almost invariably followed, and many a wrangling lawsuit was lost to unprincipled pettifoggers through the sensible, manly advice, "Settle your difficulty between yourselves by yielding each a little, and be brethren."

General Bell was among the earliest settlers in Fremont, and, along with others, could tell of those deprivations, hardships, and dangers which constitute the life of the pioneer. The actual history of any of these worthy veterans would far surpass in interest and grandeur even the recitals of a modern romance.

And has the West no story Of deathless deeds sublime? Go ask yon shining river!

Up to the day of his fatal illness the General was remarkably healthy, and, although he had outlived the number of years allotted to the human race, he had the appearance of being much younger. He passed away from the scenes of earth on the 4th day of May, 1869, at the advanced age of seventy-four years. He was a Mason and an Odd Fellow.

The companion of his life had preceded him by about ten years. She died on the 29th of May, 1859.

The family comprised four children, three sons and one daughter. The daughter is now Mr. John M. Smith, of Fremont. The only surviving son is Charles H. Bell, also of Fremont.

Both Mr. Bell and his wife united with the Protestant Methodist church at an early

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age, and both were members of the same at the time of their death.

Mrs. Bell possessed an affable, noble nature; and he, a man of generous, genial heart, was a universal favorite with the people, and at the time of his decease probably had not a real enemy living. He was always the same unassuming, cheerful, obliging neighbor and gentleman, and in his death the city of Fremont and county of Sandusky lost a valuable and much-esteemed citizen.

EBENEZER BUSHNELL, D. D.

Rev. E. Bushnell has been pastor of the Presbyterian church of Fremont since 1857. He was born near Granville, Ohio, November 18, 1822. His parents, Thomas H. and Charlotte Bailey Bushnell, came from Norwich, Connecticut, in 1816, and settled on a farm in Licking county. His father was a surveyor and civil engineer. Mathematical ability is a characteristic of the family. When our subject was eleven years old his parents removed to Newark. There the son was placed under the instruction of tutors preparatory to attending college, but the death of his father necessitated a change in the plans made for him, and he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner as an expedient for earning money to pursue his course in college. Not only the desired end was attained, but a business and mechanical experience was acquired, which has been valuable to him since entering professional life.

Mr. Bushnell became a student at Western Reserve College, in 1842. He graduated in 1846, with the third honors of his class, although weak eyes had seriously interfered with his study. After graduating he entered the theological seminary then connected with the college. During

the first two years of the course in theology he acted as instructor in the preparatory school, and the third year was principal of the preparatory department. After graduating in theology, Mr. Bushnell, on account of an affection of the throat, was unable to enter the ministry. He accepted the tutorship of mathematics for a period of one year, and then entered upon his first charge, at Burton, Geauga county. He was pastor of the Burton Presbyterian church seven years. Ex- Governor Sebra Ford was a member of his church; as was also Chief Justice Hitchcock and Peter Hitchcock, since well known as a member of the Ohio Legislature.

Mr. Bushnell became pastor of the Presbyterian congregation of this city in 1857, since which time his clerical work is set forth in the history of the church elsewhere in this volume.

Mr. Bushnell married, in 1850, Julia E. Baldwin, daughter of Sylvester. Baldwin, of Hudson. She died in 1856, leaving four children, all of whom are living, viz .: Mrs. Dr. Byal, of Beardtown, Wood county; George W. Cleveland;

Albert B. Washington; and Thomas H.

Mr. Bushnell married for his second wife, in - 1858, Cornelia K. Woodruff; daughter of Rev. Simeon Woodruff, a pioneer preacher of the Reserve. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke seminary, and at the time of her marriage was engaged in educational work. Three children are the fruit of this marriage-Annie, Charlotte, and Edward.

Mr. Bushnell, in addition to his pastoral work, superintended the city public schools from 1860 to 1863. He has been active in the ecclesiastical affairs of his denomination. He has been secretary of the Synod of Toledo for more than a decade, and a member of the board of trustees of Western Reserve College for more than twice that length of time.

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During the war Dr. Bushnell was active in encouraging enlistments and otherwise laboring in the cause of the Union. He was a member of the Christian Commission and was during the year 1865 stationed at Petersburg.

Mr. Bushnell is the most scholarly clergyman in the city. In addition to general and professional studies, he has been constantly adding to his early attainments in mathematics, for which he has a special aptitude, and the languages, particularly Latin, Greek, and German. In 1871 Marietta College conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He has not entirely laid aside his Mechanical training. Several buildings in Fremont have been erected under his supervision.

FAULKNER I. NORTON.

The subject of this sketch was prominently identified with the business interests of Fremont. He was born in Cam-bridge, Washington county, New York, March 2, 1811. He left home at the age of thirteen years and began clerking in Keysville, New York, and afterwards learned the saddle and harness making trade in Saratoga county. He came to Ohio and settled in Lower Sandusky in 1833. Here he worked at his trade until 1835, and then returned to Claremont, New Hampshire, where he married Harrietta M. Willard. After returning to Lower Sandusky Mr. Norton engaged in mercantile business. His next enterprise was to build a foundry, which after operating a few years he sold to Mr. June. He next engaged in the manufacture of spokes and hubs. The large brick building on Arch street was erected by him for that purpose. Mr. Norton died November 4, 1878. Mrs. Norton is still living in this city. Mr. Norton pushed his enterprises with commendable zeal and enthusiasm, and con-

tributed largely to the growth of the town.

JOHN S. TYLER,

the subject of this sketch, was a native of the State of New York, born in Cayuga county, on the 25th day of December, 1806. In 1816 he came to. Lower Sandusky with his father's family, from Detroit, Michigan. His advantages for education were limited by the meager facilities of the day. He was, therefore, a self made man. For a number of years he was clerk in the store of George G. Olmsted, from whom he gathered much valuable information in business matters, and whom he made his model for deportment and social habits, which were those of the true gentleman. He became a man of remarkably quick discernment, and was acknowledged one of the best business managers in the community. He was probably one of the best judges of investments that the city of Fremont ever had.

From his arrival here till his retirement from active life he was intimately connected with the business interests of this place. He contributed to the growth, of the city in the erection of a substantial brick block on the corner of Front and Croghan streets, and subsequently a two-story brick on Croghan street. The mercantile business was his chief employment. His first trade was largely with the Indians, with whom he was a special favorite:

About the year 1832 he married Miss Phebe Ann VanDoren, of Lower San-dusky. By this marriage he had three sons and three daughters. Charleston, his eldest son, served in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was wounded at Chickamauga, and died September 28, 1863. Mrs. Tyler having deceased, Mr. Tyler married Eliza Kridler in 1850. Death again removed his companion in 1861.

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He married for his third wife Helen S. Norton, of Wood county. Mr. Tyler died after a brief illness, January 12, 1873, at the age of sixty-seven years.

ISAAC MARVIN KEELER.

The man whose name is most intimately connected with the history of the Fremont Journal is the subject of this sketch. He is of Puritan parentage, on both sides, both his father and mother having been born in Fairfield county, Connecticut, in 1799. His grandfather, Luke Keeler, and his grandmother, and Isaac Marvin, with their families, emigrated to Ohio in wagons in the year 1817. The former settled in Huron county, and, in partnership with Platt Benedict, built the first house in Norwalk. The latter settled in Richmond county. Isaac M. Keeler was born in Sharon township, Richland county, September 8, 1823. He lived at Norwalk until September, 1840, when he came to Lower Sandusky and entered the office of the Lower Sandusky Whig, as an apprentice. Between 1843 and 1849 Mr. Keeler was temporarily located in Milan, Norwalk, Sharon, and New York. He was commissioned postmaster at Fremont in October, 1850, and served in that capacity two years. In 1854 he purchased the Fremont Journal, which he edited and published until 1865, when he sold the office on account of poor health, and entered the insurance and real estate business, in which he continued until 1877. In December of that year he repurchased the Journal, and, in association with his son, continues to edit the paper.

Mr. Keeler was married to Anna F. Hulburd, of Lower Sandusky, June 23, 1847. She died October 26, 1850, leaving one child. He married for his second wife, May 12, 1859, Jeannette Elliott,

by whom he has two children, a son, S. M., and a daughter. Mrs. Keeler is a highly educated and literary woman.

REV. SERAPHINE BAUER.

Rev. Seraphine Bauer was born in France on the 17th day of October, 1835. His father came from Baden, Germany, but he lived in France for a period of twenty-three years. His mother came from Southern France. In the year 1848, after the death of the mother, which occurred in 1846, the father went back to Germany with his son (the only child), whose life up to that time had been quite an agitated. one. Within the earliest period of his life this son began to show remarkable talent, and his father was bound to use all his available means to give his son - a thorough education. He soon became familiar with the German language and literature. Like most of the students he took an active part in the revolutionary period at that time. From youth up he began to show a great desire to become a priest, and in order to reach this aim he subjected himself to many a sacrifice. The first disharmonious conflict, which took place in 1851, between the Government and the Archbishop of Freiburg, suddenly put an obstacle in the way of this young man's most ardent wish. After several attempts, first to study medicine, then to enter the army, then to be-come a merchant, he finally came back to the profession of his first desire, and, after first consulting with Bishop Rappe, of Cleveland, Ohio, he came to America in the year 1854, having lived six years in Germany.

In Cleveland he finished his studies, and on the 13th day of June, 1858, he was ordained a priest. Soon after he took charge of the church in Maumee City,

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the present South Toledo, where he found a large field for his priestly work. Aside from his own church he had offered and given his services to eight different mission places. At that time a Catholic priest had to battle with the difficulties of pioneer life, especially so in the entire district from Toledo to Fort Wayne, hence in all Northwestern Ohio only two priests were to be found. In this place Rev. Seraphine Bauer remained for four years and three months. The old pioneers of Perrysburg today will tell you of their everlasting love for the Rev. Seraphine Bauer, remembering the time when this young priest frequently rode his twenty and thirty miles to come up to their place in cases of sickness or death among their own. members. Finally the bishop was pleased to give this meritorious priest a position less burdensome, and put him in charge of the St. Joseph's congregation, of Fremont, on the 21st day of September, 1862, which position he has since held, now nineteen years.

In order to regain his strength and general health he went back to the Old World in February, 1872. His longing to see the Holy Land was gratified. He spent Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter in Jerusalem, at the grave of our Savior. On Easter Monday he was favored with a rather unexpected honor. For centuries past there has existed in the Catholic church different orders of knights, especially instituted for benevolent purposes. Among these the most principal ones are the order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, and Knight Templar. The first- named still exists in the church, but the Knights Templar was dissolved and cancelled at the Concilium of Vienna in 1311, by Pope Clement V. The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, who, with few exceptions, are only of nobility and rank, are designated to be the custodians

of the Holy Sepulchre. But since it is impossible for the members to be constantly in attendance, the church has created the order of the Franciscaner to represent the same. On Easter Monday, 1872, as before stated, three new members of the order were created by the Patriarch Valerga from Jerusalem, and these three were Rev. Father Bauer, of Fremont; General Vicar, from the Island Burboun, and a gentleman from Lima, Peru.

In two years Father Bauer will celebrate his twenty-fifth anniversary, and one year later he expects to see the new church completed.

Father Bauer is a man of extraordinary talent. He is gifted with a wonderful memory, and with a sharp and penetrating mind. His character and his sociability in general has made him friends, not only among his own church members, but also all other denominations.

WILLIAM CALDWELL

was born near Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, December 23, 1808. His parents were William and Mary Park Caldwell, with whom he came to Port Clinton, Ottawa county, in 1828, and four years later, came to Fremont. Mr. Caldwell married in Fremont in 1836, Jane A., daughter of Thomas and Eliza Davis. She was a native of New York city, and was born December 17, 1808.

William Caldwell, sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, and was one of a family of six sons and one daughter, who emigrated to Kentucky in 1787. He removed to Ross county in 1806, and in 1812 enlisted in the army, being in the Northwestern division under Hull at Detroit. Through that commander's cowardice the whole army became British captives. After

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peace Mr. Caldwell located at Columbus, then just made the State capital. He did the blacksmith work on the Ohio penitentiary. He came to Lower Sandusky in 1832, and subsequently removed to Elmore, where he died in 1861.

William Caldwell, jr., has been justice of the peace at Elmore for eighteen consecutive years. He was in earlier years deputy sheriff of this county, and well known among the early men of this city.

Dr. William Caldwell, son of William Caldwell, jr., is a practicing physician at Fremont.

William and Jane Caldwell have had four children: William, born May 27, 1837; Charles, born February 5, 1839, died in 1852; Robert H., born June 14, 1841, died February 8, 1863, and Juliet, born January 8, 1844.

William Caldwell, jr., was elected probate judge of Ottawa county at the October election of 1881.

JOHN FABING.

John Fabing was born in Loraine, France (now Germany), in 1797. In 1824 he married Miss Mary Greiner, who still survives. They emigrated to this country in 1834, and located near Syracuse, New York, where they lived ten years. December 24, 1844, they came to Sandusky county from Buffalo, New York. Mr. Fabing died July 25, 1845. He was the father of six children, four of whom are living, viz: Catharine, John, Frederick, and Barbara. John and Frederick both reside in this county, Catharine and Barbara in California.

Frederick Fabing, the son of John Fabing, was born June 14, 1832, in France, and came with his parents to this country. In 1858 he married Miss Mary J. Webber, of Fremont. She was born in France, January 3, 1833. They have no children.

Mr. Fabing has been a member of the city council two terms. He is at present superintendent of the Fremont gas works.

JOHN NEWMAN.

John Newman, son of John and Eve Newman, was born in York county, Penn- sylvania, in 1809, and came by wagon to Ohio in company with his brother, Michael B., in the fall of 1835. He located at Tiffin, and with his brother engaged in the grocery business for a short time. In the spring of 1836 they came to Fremont and engaged in the same business and continued together until the death of Michael B., in the spring of 1839. John then sold out and returned to Pennsylvania. In 1841 he came back to Fremont, and in the spring of the same year was married to Miss Margaretta Livingston, who was born in Canton, Stark county, in 1821. They have had five children, three of whom are now living, viz: Charles, Catharine, wife of Charles Boyer, of Lind- say, and Mary S., wife of William E. For- sythe, of Fremont.

Mr. Newman made his first purchase of land in 1853, buying a farm of eighty acres of General Buckland.

ISAAC B. SHARP.

Isaac B. Sharp, an old resident, was born in Delaware in 1809. In 1834 he came to Ohio and settled in Fremont. He is the son of Abraham and Catharine (Gray) Sharp. They were the parents of five children, two of whom are living, Isaac B. and Abraham Sharp, both residents of Fremont.

In 1835 Mr. Sharp was married to Elizabeth L. Davis. She was born in Utica, New York, in 1812. Her father, Thomas Davis, carne to that place from Ireland in

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1805. Her mother was Mary Avery, of English descent, born in Tarrytown, Weschester county, New York, in 1776. Thomas Davis was born in 1771, died in 1861. They were the parents of eight children, four of whom survive, Jane Ann, Elizabeth L., Mary G., and Thomas Robert.

To Isaac and Elizabeth Sharp have been born five children: Isaac B., born January 3, 1836, resides in Wyandotte, Kansas; Angelica, born September 29, 1837, lives in Bellevue, Kansas; Athenia, born October 28, 1841, resides in Seneca county, Ohio; Emma, born August 21, 1845, lives at Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania; Estella, the youngest, and the only unmarried daughter, resides at home.

The first work Mr. Sharp engaged in, after coming to Fremont, was to assist in building the second bridge across the Sandusky river, where the iron bridge now stands. In 1834 he built the first Methodist church in Fremont. He also built the first Catholic church in the city. Mr. Sharp worked at carpentry eighteen years, and then took a trip to California. On his return he engaged in the lumber business for fourteen years, retiring from active business at the expiration of that time.

Mr. Sharp has not seen a sick day for more than forty years, nor has his family required the attendance of a physician during all that time.

Mrs. Sharp is a descendant from a worthy family, and bears an excellent reputation as a wife and mother.

FRANK CREAGER.

Frank Creager was born in Bellevue, Ohio, July 25, 1849, and is of German descent. He studied dentistry with Dr. B. S. Boswell, of Rochester, New York, and S. M. Cummings, of Elkhart, Indiana,

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History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882, Part 81

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