USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 49
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Levi Fawcett was reared on his father's farm in Greene County, was educated in the
schools of that vicinity, and married on No- vember 6, 1856, to Ellen Burr, a daughter of David and Louisa (Oxley) Burr. Mr. Burr was born and raised in Green County, and was a son of Peter Burr. Mrs. Fawcett's mother was a Virginian, and came to Ohio when six years of age. For two years after his marriage Mr. Fawcett lived with his father-in-law. then made his home for 14 years with his father on the home place. In 1873, after the death of his father, he leased the farm and moved to Van Wert County, where he bought a farm of 80 acres in Washington township-this being still his home, although he leases the land.
Mr. and Mrs. Fawcett have had 13 chil- dren : Emma Jane, who married Samuel Baer and died, leaving two children; Albert, who married Mary Summersett and has three chil- dren; Mary Louisa, who married Reuben Sum- mersett, resides in Ridge township and has four children; John, who married Mattie Con- roy and has four children; David, who married Lillie Hamilton, and has four children ; Robert who married Maggie Rarick, and has four chil- dren; William, who married Anna Ferguson and has two children; Alma, the deceased wife of John Parlett, who left two children; Lulu, who married Sherman Davis and has one child; Elva, married to George Clark, who is the mother of three children; Frank, a resident of Van Wert; Nellie, who married Thomas Lynch, lives in Pennsylvania and has one child; and Charles Oscar, who died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Fawcett has been a Prohi- bitionist for several years. He was some years ago elected supervisor of Washington town- ship, on the Republican ticket, and served one term. In his religious relations he is an over- seer of the Friends' Church of Middlepoint, both he and his wife being members of that denomination.
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HISTORY OF VAN . WERT COUNTY
A DAM FAUBLE, the owner of a finely improved farm of 100 acres in sec- tions 27 and 28, Liberty township, is one of the well-known and progres- sive farmers of the township. He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, September 20, 1854, and is a son of Christopher and Catherine (Martin) Fauble.
Christopher Fauble was born in Germany, and there was reared and educated. He was married to Catherine Martin and when 35 years of age emigrated to America. He settled in Fairfield County, Ohio, and later moved to Hocking County, where he purchased a farm of 200 acres. Here he lived until the time of his death, after which his wife moved back to Fairfield County and lived with her daughter during the remainder of her life.
Adam Fauble was reared on his father's farm and attended the district schools in Hock- ing County. He lived for a number of years in that county where he owned a farm of 160 acres. He disposed of this land in 1888, moved to Van Wert County and bought his present farm of 100 acres, of which 80 acres are situated in section 28 and the remaining 20 in section 27. In 1903 he added to the many other improvements already made by erecting a fine large barn on the farm.
Adam Fauble was married first to Lizzie Walborn, who died in Van Wert County ir 1899. They had six children : Edward, Clar- ence, Daniel, Charles, Florence and Edna. Edward, the eldest, died of typhoid fever Au- gust 20, 1905, aged 22 years.
In December, 1899, Adam Fauble was mar- ried to Mrs. Lizzie Stahl, a daughter of Charles Chilcote. She was the widow of Werley Stahl, by whom she had three children : Lula, Wal- ter and Lloyd. She had been previously mar- ried to David Saum and had by that marriage five children, as follows: Emma, who married
Charles Feasel, has four children, John, Noah. Heber and Dorl, and lives near Monroe, In- diana; Eva, who married Daniel Baumgartner, has three children Alma. Hoyt and Carl, and lives in Willshire; Bertha, who married John Demler, of Ohio City, has one child, Fay- she was the widow of Amos Avery by whom she had one child, Arabella ; Charles, who lives at Willshire; and Leah, who married Frank Garwood and has one child, Eva. Mr. Fauble is a member of the Lutheran Church.
S AMUEL B. HARVEY, residing in section 11, Hoaglin township, is a na- tive of Richland County, where he was born February 8, 1838. His parents were Zepheniah and Sarah (Stoner) Harvey. His father, who was a native of Maryland, died about 1843.
Samuel B. Harvey remained in Richland County with his mother until he had reached his majority, when he started out to do for himself. He came to Van Wert County in the spring of 1859, and located in Hoaglin town- ship, which has been his home ever since. In 1866 he purchased his present 80-acre farm, which he has put under excellent cultivation.
On March 19, 1864. Mr. Harvey was mar- ried to Martha C. Karr, who was born in Union County, Indiana, August 29, 1840. Her parents were Frederick and Elizabeth (Wash- burn) Karr, who moved to Preble County, Ohio, when she was a child. When she was about 18 they moved to Paulding County where they died. To Mr. and Mrs. Harvey were born five children, namely: Mary E., wife of Albert Eller ; Lydia C., wife of N. F. Hattery; Minerva J., wife of Willis Black, of Union township: Henry A. ; and Samuel E., all of whom live in Hoaglin township except
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DAVID W. HEVANS
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Minerva J. Mr. Harvey has a brother, John W .. who lives in Van Wert. Samuel B. Har- vey is known as a public spirited, upright and honorable man. For many years he was trus- tee of his township and served as president of the board.
D AVID W. EVANS, justice of the peace at Venedocia, has long been one of the leading citizens of York township and for years has been closely identi- fied with all its important interests. He was born in Wales, in 1838, and is a son of Will- iam and Jane Evans.
The parents of David W. Evans came to the United States in 1839 and settled on a farm near Oak Hill, Jackson County, Ohio, William Evans, the father, being a man of thrift and ability. He accumulated 600 acres of land, only a small part of which he cultivated, as he was also interested in the industrial enterprises of his locality, and, in the course of time, be- came manager of the Cambria furnace. It was while he was superintending some building op- erations at this plant that he accidentally met his death, August 16, 1854. William Evans was survived by his widow and these children : David W .; Thomas, who died aged 27 years; Jane, who is the widow of David E. Evans; John W., a merchant in Van Wert County; William W., a farmer in Jennings township, Van Wert County; and Annie, who died in childhood. At a later date Mrs. Evans married Isnas T. Jones.
The large property left by William Evans, at the time of his death, remained intact until 1859. when, at the instance of David W., the eldest son, a division was made. The land was all situated in York township and David W. Evans' portion was 106 acres. To this acreage he has continued to add by purchase until he
now owns 335 acres, partly located in section 18, Jennings township, and partly in section 13, York township, the latter being the home farm. Mr. Evans settled here in 1861, the year of his marriage. In 1873 he built the handsome and comfortable brick residence, which is situated just west of the Welsh Presbyterian Church. Nothing has been omitted to make these farms productive and valuable, their owner having spent a large amount of capital in tiling and in the erection of good, substantial buildings. Although oil was discovered on his land as early as 1896, no special attempts were made to develop it until 1900, when experiments showed that wells could be profitably sunk and that in their output Mr. Evans possessed a source of large income. At present there are 19 wells flowing freely, the average depth be- ing from 1,230 to 1,260 feet.
In 1861 Mr. Evans was married to Jane Bebb, who was a daughter of the late William and Margaret Bebb, and eight children were born to them, as follows : William B., a livery- man and farmer, residing at Venedocia ; Mar- garet, who resides at Columbus, the widow of Elmer R. Owen, formerly of Newark, Ohio; Thomas Charles and John Elias (twins), the former deceased and the latter, a practicing den- tal surgeon at Lima, Ohio; Laura Ann; Mar- tha, who died in infancy; David, who is the manager of his father's farms; and Mary, de- ceased. Thomas Charles, who was drowned June 17, 1890, while boating on the Blanchard River, near Findlay. Ohio, was, like his twin brother, highly gifted as a musician. The mother of the above named family died Feb- ruary 10, 1887, leaving a sorrowing family and a large circle of friends. She was a lady of many virtues, an active worker in the Calvin- istic Methodist Church at Venerlocia, and be- loved for her unvarying kindness to all who came within the circle of her influence.
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Mr. Evans can remember when Venedocia was represented by a single house, and when his present valuable farms were covered with woods. Some of the woodland he cleared off himself, but a large part he hired cleared, as he has had many other interests, a number of them being of a public character. For several years he taught school, and from this source accumu- lated considerable capital which he invested in land. It is almost impossible to mention any reputable public movement in York township in which he has not been concerned, his interests having been bound up with the development of this section for the past 45 years. In many in- stances his public spirit has brought him much vexation and loss of time and money, before the majority of his fellow-citizens could be brought to see what was for the common good. He was mainly instrumental in bringing the "Clover Leaf" Railroad to Venedocia, and in this enterprise was associated with the late Morgan H. Morgan. By the time the right of way was secured from Delphos through Vene- docia he had expended large sums, while the substantial benefits of the new transportation line were enjoyed by all.
Mr. Evans has always believed that good roads, schools and churches were the best de- velopers of a district, and he has been consist- ent in advocating all of these agencies. For 24 years he was a school director, serving fre- quently as president of the School Board and also as school trustee. For about 22 years he has served as justice of the peace, and has had more to do with the peaceable adjustment of business and family difficulties than any other individual in this section. So satisfactory have been his successive years of administration in this capacity that in the fall of 1905 he was again reelected for a term of three years. Mr. Evans has been no less prominent in religious affairs, having for over 40 years been secretary
of the Welsh Presbyterian Church at Venedo- cia and one of the elders almost since the time of his settlement here. He has also been par- ticularly interested in the Sunday-school, hav- ing served as superintendent a great many years and always been a teacher of one of its classes. In marked degree, therefore, Mr. Evans enjoys the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citi- zens. He has always been ready to assist the worthy, has been a liberal supporter of many, benevolent enterprises, and is a remarkably strong factor in the material progress and the religious and moral elevation of the community. His portrait accompanies this sketch.
OSEPH M. KREIDER, a prominent citizen and representative farmer of Pleasant township, residing on his well-improved farm of 79 acres, situ- ated in section 28, was born in 1851 in Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania, coming first to Richland County, Ohio, and then to Van Wert County. He is a son of John R. and Sarah (Hersh) Kreider, both born in Pennsylvania and both members of old and prominent fam- ilies in Lancaster County. In 1864 John R. Kreider removed from Richland to Van Wert County, settling in section 27, Pleasant town- ship, where he died in 1880. His wife, highly esteemed for her womanly virtues and strong character, survives and continues to reside on the old farm. Her husband was a Republican, and at one time a member and liberal supporter of the Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church.
The surviving children of John R. Kreider and wife were: Joseph M., Naomi, wife of J. M. Baker, of Plesant township; Jeremiah R., of the same township: Mary, wife of John Gearhizer, residing near Marion, Ohio; John
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F., of Liberty township: Howard V., of Pleas- ant township: F. P., a doctor of Van Wert; and Clara, wife of Harry Hoghe, of Liberty township. Elias and Henry are deceased.
Joseph M. Kreider, the eldest of the family was 13 years of age when he accompanied his parents to Van Wert County, where he com- pleted his education in the public schools. His training and interests have all been in an agri- cultural direction and he has proven himself one of the township's most successful farmers. Politically a Republican, his party has elected him to township offices on numerous occasions. He has served two terms (six years) as town- ship trustee, during a portion of that period being president of the board; is a stanch friend of the public schools, and at 'present is a mem- ber of the School Board of Pleasant township.
In 1874 Mr. Kreider was married to Mary M. Henderson, who was born in Van Wert County, and is a daughter of the late John Henderson. They have three children, viz : Hattie A., wife of Charles Hermann, of Mer- cer County, Ohio: Bertha G., wife of Delmer Dietrich, of Mercer County, and Harry M. Mr. Kreider is a member of the Society of Friends, attending religious services at An- tioch. He is a man of standing in his neigh- borhood, respected in public life and esteemed in private.
EORGE W. McGAVREN, M. D., one of the leading professional men of Van Wert, who has distinguished himself in the field of medicine and surgery, belongs to one of the pioneer families of the State. Dr. McGavren was born in Wy- andot County. Ohio. January 20, 1851, and is a son of Dr. Hugh C. and Margaret J. (Lenderman) McGavren.
The father of Dr. McGavren, for many
years an honored man and beloved physician, was born in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. July 30, 1825, and died at Van Wert, Ohio, February 27 1891. He was a child of four years when his parents moved to Columbiana County, Ohio, and was 10 years old when they settled permanently in the wilderness of Har- din County. He himself located in Wyandot County, Ohio, in 1847, and in 1853 the parents moved to Iowa where they both died-the father, aged 87 years, and the mother, at 83 years of age. In 1853, at Van Wert. Ohio, Hugh C. McGavren commenced the study of medicine, a profession for which the members of this family are obviously well adapted, the name being represented in this line of profes- sional activity in greater numbers than any other in the State. In 1856 Dr. McGavren settled for practice at Rockford, Mercer Coun- ty, removing in 1867 to Van Wert, where the remainder of his life was spent. He was one of the pioneer physicians here, one whose self- sacrificing labors and remarkable skill form an important chapter in the medical annals of the county. In 1847 he married Margaret J. Lenderman, who was born at Chambersburg. Pennsylvania, and they had five children, the survivors being: Mary C., wife of Dr. Hol- brook, of Defiance, Ohio; George W., of Van WVert; and Olive, wife of W. G. Streit, of Van Wert.
With so distinguished a father in the field of medicine, it is not surprising that early in life our subject turned his attention and di- rected his studies toward this profession. He was graduated, in 1873, at the Eclectic Medi- cal Institute, Cincinnati, and in 1877 took a post-graduate course at the Fort Wayne Medi- cal College, which was followed in 1884-85, by a special post-graduate course at the New York Polyclinic. After his return from Cin- cinnati, in association with his father. Dr. Mc-
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Gavren entered upon the practice of his pro- fession, in Van Wert, where he has continued until the present, each year of practice adding to his prestige and prosperity. His remarkable skill in combating disease and relieving suffer- ing has made his personality a comforting in- fluence throughout the county, while his name is professionally honored, by his brethren of all medical schools. He has always been prom- inent in civic life, in the way of advancing sanitary and hygenic measures and in promot- ing good government, but he has consented to fill no strictly political office, although he is a stanch Republican.
In 1875 Dr. McGavren was married, first, to Florence W. Baker, who died within that year. His second marriage, April 19, 1877, was to Emma G. McKim, and they have one daughter-Nellie W. The family have a beau- tiful home, on the corner of Jefferson and Sycamore streets, where a generous hospitality is dispensed. Dr. McGavren's office comprises four well-appointed rooms in the McKim Block, situated in the business part of the city. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Van Wert Lodge, No. 218, F. & A. M., Van Wert Chapter, No. 71, R. A. M .; Ivanhoe Commandery, No. 30, K. T., of Van Wert; Ohio Sovereign Consistory and Mystic Shrine, being a 32nd degree Ma- son. He is also a member of the Elks and the Knights of Pythias.
ILLIAM H. HIGH, justice of the peace of Liberty township, and owner of 280 acres of valuable farm land in sections 26 and 27, was born in Liberty township, February 25, 1867, and is a son of John and Mary Ann (Siniff) High, and grandson of John High, Sr .. who was a native of Germany.
John High, the father of our subject. was born in Cincinnati. In 1855, after the death of John High, Sr., his widow came to Delphos with her son, then about three years of age. He made his home with an uncle, Henry Sprain, until he was about 15 years of age. when he went to Liberty township and lived with his mother. He was married in Mercer County to Mary Ann Siniff, daughter of John and Nancy Ann Siniff, and became the father of four children : William H .; Oscar, of Up- land, Indiana; Dorothy E. (Profit). who died in 1901 ; and Christopher, who lives on the old homestead in Liberty township.
William H. High was reared and educated in his native township, and on June 29, 1890. was married to Viola May Ries, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Ries of York township. They have had seven children : Edith Wilma ; Grace Elma; Daniel Albert; Hattie Annetta, Elizabeth Pearl; Wilbur Glen and Doyt Blain. After his marriage, Mr. High moved with his bride to York township and located on his farm of 42 acres, where they lived for seven years. He then traded that farm for the 80-acre farm. where he now lives, paying the difference in value. He did not move upon the farm, how- ever, until three years later, which brings us down to 1900. In 1901 he added 40 acres to his original purchase, and in the fall of the same year bought another 40 acres; in the spring of 1902 he added 80 acres more and the next spring he purchased still another 40 acres, making a total of 280 acres, of which 200 are situated in section 27. He has 10 oil- wells on his farm, nine of which are operated by the Liberty Oil Company, of which Mr. High is a director and president. The other well is also leased. In 1903 and 1904 he erected the largest and most complete barn in the county. It has a cement floor. and is 34 by 120 and 34 by 60 feet.
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Mr. High leases the farm land, and is practically living in retirement. It is his inten- tion to devote his entire time from now on to buying, feeding and shipping stock. His sales are considered the events of the year in his community.
Mr. High is a Republican, and was elected justice of the peace in 1900 on the Republican ticket. His reelection in 1904 is an evidence of the esteem in which he is held. He is a direc- tor of the Farmers' Bank of Ohio City. He is a trustee and member of the Walnut Grove Methodist Episcopal Church and is superin- tendent of the Sunday-school. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees.
R ICHARD E. SMITH, whose valuable farm is situated in section 32, Will- shire township, is not only a good farmer, but he can justifiably lay claim to being a successful inventor. Mr. Smith was born on a farm within a mile and a half of Elida, Allen County, Ohio, on No- vember 4, 1864, and is a son of William and Barbara (Conrod) (Bumgardner) Smith.
Martin Smith, the grandfather of our sub- ject, owned at the time of death about 300 acres of land, and William Smith, his father, owned 500 acres in Allen and Van Wert coun- ties. The latter was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and removed to Allen County in 1840, immediately after his marriage. He died just prior to the birth of our subject, from worry and excitement brought on, first by the death of his brother Jacob, who was accidentally killed, and the subsequent death of his father, all three dying within a period of two weeks. William Smith married Mrs. Barbara (Con- rod) Bumgardner, who now resides on the old homestead near Elida, in the Sist year of her
age. On both sides Mr. Smith comes of fam- ilies noted for their longevity, his maternal grandfather living to be 87 years old and his grandmother to be 94.
The children of William Smith and wife, II in number, all survive, as follows : Isabella (Reed), of Auglaize County ; Martin ; Taylor, who lives on the old homestead in Allen County ; Harrison, of Lima; Jacob, living near Lima; George, living near Bluffton; William, living near Lima; Ellen (Bumgardner), of Elida; Mary (Keller), of Muskegon, Michi- gan ; Sarah (Shook), of Muncie, Indiana ; and Richard E.
Richard E. Smith remained on the home farm until his majority, and was educated in the local schools. He then went to Lima and three years worked by the day, moving then to St. Marys, where he went to work in the oil field. For about six years Mr. Smith remained at St. Marys, and then sold his place there and purchased 20 acres in Amanda township, Al- len County, on which he lived until he came to his present farm four years ago. He has done all the developing here, the farm in 1902 being entirely unimproved. He has erected a comfortable dwelling and all necessary farm buildings, and carries on a general line of agri- culture.
Mr. Smith belongs to a family of natural mechanical genius and he has put his talent to practical account. While working in the oil field at St. Marys, he conceived the idea of a repair apparatus for surface-oil pump-rods which he had patented May 29, 1900. Its great utility was recognized and he sold the invention to the St. Marys Drilling Company, and it is now in use in all local fields. Mr. Smith is now working on other inventions.
In 1890 Mr. Smith was married to Eliza- beth Alexander, who was born at Allentown. and died May 30, 1905, aged 37 years and 10
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days. She was a daughter of James and Lydia Alexander. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had five children, namely: Terry P., Violet Chloe, Lelia, Belva and Berlin.
Politically Mr. Smith is a Republican. He is a member of the United Brethren Church.
JEORGE W. NEWTON who is prom- inent both in business and political life in Van Wert, mayor of the city and owner of the most extensive mu- sical instrument business in the county, is a on of Gusta A. and Polly Ann ( Baldwin) Newton, and was born March 30, 1851, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The grand- parents of Mayor Newton were old residents of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, his maternal great-grandfather, William Carns, having been the first sheriff of Lawrence and Beaver counties before they were divided. Thomas Lukens, his great-great-grandfather, was the first Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. Mr. Newton's father was a farmer in Lawrence County all his life and reared a family of 10 children.
George W. Newton was reared and edu- cated in his native locality. In 1886 he came to Van Wert County, and embarked in the musical instrument line, being for a time a member of The Anderson-Newton Piano Com- pany, manufacturers of pianos. Subsequently he withdrew from that connection, but has con- tinued in the sale of musical publications and instruments. He has connections with musical organizations throughout the county and sup- plies the demand for all kinds of instruments on the market, carrying an average stock valued at $5.000. In addition to his mercan- tile interests he is a large property owner, both in the city and county.
Mr. Newton's wife before marriage was Ida Webster, who is a daughter of A. W. Web- ster, a prominent resident of Van Wert. They have two children-Fred A. and Miles E. Their beautiful' home is located at No. 215 North Vine street, Van Wert, and the family is actively identified with the Methodist Epis- copal Church.
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