History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 81

Author: Thaddeus S. Gilliland
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 870

USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 81

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His popularity among his acquaintances and associates was duly attested by his nomi- nation and election as mayor of Convoy. In the fall of 1905 he was nominated by the Re- publican party while he and his wife were away on a visit, and although he made no especial effort he was elected by a good majority in a Democratic stronghold. In the official dis- charge of his duties, he has not looked to mak- ing his office a paying one, but more to caring for the interests of the town, and settling dis- putes out of court, at the expense of losing his own fee.

In the fall of 1865, Mr. Plumley married Elizabeth West, of Morrow County, Ohio, who at her death left five children : James, born in Muskingum County, now living in Tully town- ship, who married Effie Krick and has five children; Ora, wife of John Sponseller of Tully township and the mother of four chil- dren ; Nellie, who married James A. Krick and has three children; Charles, who married Ber- tha Shultz, has four children and lives in Tully township: and Elizabeth, who married H. B. Leslie, lives in the outskirts of Convoy and has three children.

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Our subject's second marriage was with Mary Whitcraft, a native of Hocking county. Mr. Plumley and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of Caper Porst. No. 136. G. A. R., of Convoy and also of the Odd Fellow's lodge.

J ACOB MOHR, one of the prominent residents of Van Wert, a member of a family of pioneer settlers in the State, was born February 25. 1838, at Baden, Germany, and is a son of Frederick and Cath- erine (Kuhn) Mohr.

The Mohr family came to America in 1849 and settled first in Richland County, Ohio; but in the following year they came to Van Wert County and settled in Hoaglin township. At that time the country was but sparsely settled and pioneer conditions prevailed. The parents were thrifty, industrious people, who accumu- lated property and reared their children com- fortably. There are but two survivors of the latter. viz. : Jacob, our subject, and his brother Gottlieb. The father died in 1871 and the mother in 1869.

Jacob Mohr was reared on his father's farm and taught habits of honesty and industry. As occasion offered, he attended school; but there were few school advantages provided for chil- dren during his boyhood. Experience and read- ing. as well as contact with the world, have made Mr. Mohr, however, a well-informed man. He continued to live in Hoaglin town- ship, until April, 1902, when he removed to Van Wert, where he has lived ever since in his comfortable home at No. 708 North Wash- ington street.

Mr. Mohr was married (first) February. 1864. to Martha Hattery, who was a daughter of Josiah Hattery, late of Pleasant township.

and an early settler of Van Wert County. The widow of Josiah Hattery still survives, now over 83 years of age. and resides in Van Wert County. She is one of the few surviving pioneer women of this locality. coming here when the whole country was wooded. with scarcely a road made or clearing cut. By this marriage Mr. Mohr had three children, viz. : John A., of Paulding. Ohio: Joseph E .. of Union township; and Elizabeth E., wife of Louis Holtrey, of Hoaglin township. Mrs. Mohr died October 2. 1898. Mr. Mohr was married (second) in April, 1902. to Mrs. Mary A. Yager, widow of William Yager. formerly of Chicago, Illinois. Mrs. Mohr was born in Allen County, Indiana. August 2. 1853. and is a daughter of Jacob and Magdalena Laymen. early settlers in Indiana. By her first mar- riage Mrs. Mohr had three children. viz. : Emma, wife of Lester Brook. of Chicago: Magdalena, of Chicago: and Inez. also of Chi- cago.

Mr. Mohr still retains his fine farm of 240 acres of well-improved land in Hoaglin town- ship, which, under rental, brings him in a nice income. He has always been an enterprising. public-spirited man, and during a long and busy life has laid up an ample fortune for old age. Politically he is a Republican, and while living in the country he served as trustee of Hoaglin township. He is a member of the Evangelical Association.

J OSEPH P. KUNTZ, one of the leading business men of Ohio City, who is sec- retary and manager of the Ohio City Lumber Company, was born at Green- ville, Darke County, Ohio, in 1873. and is a son of Nicholas Kuntz, formerly a large lum- ber dealer, who now lives retired at Greenville.

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Joseph P. Kuntz was reared and educated in Darke County. and has been identified with lumber interests ever since the beginning of his business career. After leaving school he kept books for his father for two years, and then took the position of head sawyer in the mill at Greenville, holding the same for four years. In 1894 he came to Ohio City, and in association with his brother established the N. J. Kuntz Lumber Company. Six months later our subject was called to Van Wert to take charge of the machinery in the wood department of the Cincinnati Northern Rail- road car shops. He remained in charge here for six years and then returned to Ohio City and was engaged with his brother Nicholas J. for four months. He and his brother then bought out the Charles Gay Lumber Company at Lewisburg. Ohio, and our subject was in charge of that plant one year and four months.

When the Ohio City Lumber Company was incorporated, with a capital stock of $5.000, Mr. Kuntz became a member of the board of directors and its secretary and manager. He has been a resident of Ohio City since Janu- ary, 1904.

In May, 1903. Mr. Kuntz was married to Florence A. Gilliland. who is a daughter of Ed- ward B. Gilliland, a large implement dealer at Van Wert. Mr. Kuntz is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church.

D WVID DAVIS. M. D., the oldest phy- sician and surgeon in continuous prac- tice in the village of Venedocia, was born in 1858 in Jackson County. Ohio, and is a son of Morgan and Mary (Davis) Davis.

The father of Dr. Davis died in 1870; but his venerable mother still survives and still

resides in her pioneer home in Madison town- ship, Jackson County, Ohio. She was born in 1816, in Delaware County, Ohio, a daughter of John Davis, and is probably the oldest lady of Welsh extraction, born in the State of Ohio. She is the oldest member of the old Moriah Welsh Calvinistic Church, where she still reg- ularly attends service, enjoying the half-mile walk to and from church, up and down hill, with the same vigor as she did 40 years ago. Mrs. Davis has lived through a remarkable period of the world's history, and, although her life has been spent within somewhat nar- row territorial limits, it has been none the less interesting.

Mrs. - Davis was one of a family of three daughters and two sons born to her parents. All reached maturity, formed domestic ties of their own, and all except herself have passe:1 on to the other shore, leaving representatives behind them. Her birth took place on Christ- mas Day. in her father's pioneer cabin, which stood near the present site of Radnor station. surrounded by dense woods. There she grew to young womanhood, witnessing many changes. For many years wolves were still so numerous that they surrounded the cabin at night and carried off all provisions not carefully hidden away. Indians also were frequent vis- itors. Their language she could never under- stand; but as they usually wanted to be fed, she wisely. permitted them to help themselves from her larder and, never suffered in any way. They roamed up and down the surrounding forests and almost trackless swamps, lands which she has seen redeemed and transformed into fruitful fields.

In the days of her girlhood Mrs. Davis was taught all the frugal ways of housekeeping of her day, and expended time and patience in learning the mysteries of spinning and weav- ing. She can easily recall how important was

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the growing of flax, the careful sowing of the seed, its cultivation like oats, its beautiful blue flower, its careful cutting and drying. Every stage of its preparation is still recalled by this venerable lady whose busy, useful hands have fashioned numberless garments from the prod- uct of the seed she planted herself. On many occasions she has dropped corn down the long rows, and later cultivated it with a hoe. Mrs. Davis remembers when it was a serious matter to allow the kitchen fire to go out. Punk and tow would start it again; but there were occa- sions when a trip had to be made to the neigh- bors in order to procure a fresh supply, when accident had quenched the flame.

Mrs. Davis accompanied her parents in girl- hood, from Delaware County to Van Wert County, the trip being made in a covered wagon, drawn by oxen. She was married in 1836, in Jackson County, Ohio, where she has lived ever since. She became the mother of 11 children, six of whom sur- vive, namely: Sarah, who is the widow of David D. Evans, of Jackson County, and the mother of seven children; Ruth, who is the widow of William Redfern, of Shawnee, Ohio; Ellen, who is the wife of John W. Evans, of Jackson County, and has six children; Jonathan, who married Vrina Jones and has four children; David, the sub- ject of this sketch; and Margaret, who lives with her venerable mother near Clay, in Jack- son County. Mrs. Davis has 46 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren,

Mrs. Davis had but few educational ad- vantages in her youthful days, attendance in a log school house covering but a few winter months. She was early taught to look upon religion with reverence, and was 14 years old when she made a profession, since which time she has faithfully and sincerely lived a Chris- tian life. She was reared with the Chidlon

family, noted Sunday-school workers. In the early years of her married life, before the church was built, which can be seen from her door, she was accustomed to ride on horseback to attend services, four miles distant, having one child strapped behind and another in front. In every way possible the life of this venerable lady is made comfortable. In the full possession of her faculties she is passing the evening of life, surrounded with comforts and tended with loving care, and when this long and worthy life has closed. there will remain memories of a noble, Christian woman whose influence has always been beneficent.

David Davis, the immediate subject of this sketch, was about 12 years old when his father died. The latter was born in Wales and had emigrated to America in 1828. His death occurred on his farm in 1870. his whole life having been an agricultural one. After the death of his father, our subject and his old- er brother, Jonathan, took charge of the home- stead. The former continued to operate the farm for his mother until he was 21 years of age, when he began to teach school. Before this his educational opportunities had neces- sarily been restricted; but he subsequently at- tended the Rio Grande College and Morgan Brothers' Academy, at Oak Hill. In 1881 he entered the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cin- cinnati, where he was graduated three years later. He began to practice at Kieferville, Put- nam County, Ohio, where he remained four years, and then came to Venedocia. At that time the thriving village was but barely re- deemed from the forest and swamp, and for the first years his professional visits through York and Jennings townships were necessarily made mainly on horseback, especially in the winter seasons. His practice at present is a large and lucrative one and is not confined to the vil- lage or the townships named.

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Dr. Davis was united in marriage with Elizabeth Evans, who is the daughter of John W. Evans, a well-known pioneer. They have had four sons, all dying in infancy, except Morgan, named for his grandfather. Both Dr. Davis and wife are devout members of the Calvinistic Methodist Church, in which both were reared.

In political sentiment Dr. Davis is a Re- publican, but takes little more than a good cit- izen's interest in politics. He is a member of the board of pension examining surgeons for Van Wert County, and he belongs to the Ohio State Medical Eclectic Association. Fraternally he has been interested in the Knights of Pyth- ias for many years, of which he is now chan- cellor commander and has been sent on occa- sion as a representative to the Grand Lodge.

LINTON ALEXANDER HOGHE, one of the most extensive farmers of Liberty township, who owns 180 acres of land situated in sections 2 · and 3, was born in Liberty township, April 2, 1851, and is a son of Abraham and Eliza (Caldwell) Hoghe.

Abraham Hoghe was born near Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, where he was reared and edu- cated. He subsequently moved to Franklin County, Ohio, and from there he moved to Van Wert County, when it was all a wilderness. He was one of the very earliest settlers of this county, and took a very active and prominent part in the development of this section. He traded for 80 acres of land, later bought 40 acres of canal land, and finally purchased from a relative another tract of 80 acres making in all 200 acres. Abraham Hoghe and his wife both died in Liberty township; the former at

the age of 80 years and the latter at the age of 77 years. They reared a family of eight chil- dren, as follows: Clement R., deceased at the age of 51; Elizabeth A. (Copeland), of Lima; Sarah (Custer) ; Clinton Alexander; Andrew, who died at the age of 19; Alice (Cooper) ; Irene (Vance) ; and Charles M., who died at the age of 35.

Clinton A. Hoghe was reared on his fath- er's farm, and his education was such as could be obtained in a new and undeveloped country. On April 5, 1882, he married Alice B. Watt, a daughter of William and Margaret T. (Wil- son) Watt. William Watt was born in Guern- sey County, Ohio, and was a son of Joseph Watt, who was a native of Ireland. In the spring of 1865 he moved from Guernsey County to Van Wert County, and settled on a farm of 80 acres in Liberty township. He had a family of five children, of whom Mrs. Clinton A. Hoghe is the eldest. The others are as follows: Minnie F. (Hitchcock) ; Henry Grant, who died in September, 1902; Isabel (Bailey), of St. Louis; and William H., of Kansas.

Mr. and Mrs. Hoghe became the parents of four children : Hallie Alice; Earl Clinton; Ray who died in infancy; and William Guy. Mr. Hoghe has always been engaged in farming, and has one of the finest and most productive farms in the county. It is situated in sections 2 and 3, the tract of 100 acres in section 2 be- ing the homestead. Mrs. Hoghe is a member of the Evangelical Church, and Mr. Hoghe, his two sons and daughter are all members of the Home Guards of America.

Clement R. Hoghe, Mr. Hoghe's oldest brother, was a soldier in the Civil war, being almost three years in the cavalry arm of the service. He was in many battles and skirm- ishes, had several horses shot from under him and was wounded several times.

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J OHN A. CONN, who was identified with the business interests of Van Wert for many years, was born in Mansfield, Ohio, July 3, 1838, and died in Van Wert, December 25, 1905, being interred in Woodland Cemetery. He was a son of Andrew and Margaret (Patterson) Conn.

Andrew Conn was for a long period a very prominent citizen of Richland County, where he served as county treasurer. He was en- gaged there in a banking business. In 1855 he removed from Mansfield to Van Wert, and in 1860 he was elected treasurer of Van Wert County. After completing this public service he retired and his death took place in 1877. He was the father of seven children.

John A. Conn was educated in the public schools, both at Mansfield and Van Wert. He entered into business as a clerk in 1858 for his brother, Robert Conn, but in 1863, in associa- tion with a Mr. Scott, he embarked in a grocery business which was continued until 1874, when Mr. Conn withdrew in order to engage in a banking enterprise. He continued prominent in the financial life of Van Wert until 1895 when he again entered the grocery line and re- mained so connected until 1905. In this year he organized the firm of Conn & Son, in the fire, accident and plate glass insurance business. His long period of activity in business circles was marked with eminent success, brought about by his own ability combined with the qualities which preserved to him the confidence and regard of his fellow-citizens.

Mr. Conn was united in marriage with Ann F. Slade, daughter of Edward Slade, and they had a family of six children, as follows : Eugene R., a member of the insurance firm of Conn & Son, of Van Wert, who married Jennie Webster and has two sons-Donald and Rob- ert; Luna M., deceased wife of William King,

also deceased, who left one child-John How- ard, who resides with his grandmother, Mrs. John A. Conn; Miles, a member of the firm of Conn & Balyeat, grocers of Van Wert, who married Louisa Coleman and has two children -Frank and Leila; Robert, who resides in Van Wert, is married and has a son-Leonard; Myrtle, who married Arthur Fagan, of Van Wert, and has one son-Gareld; and Bessie, who is single and lives with her mother. The family home is situated at No. 716 Washington street. Mrs. Conn is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Van Wert, as was her husband. Mr. Conn was an advocate of the free coinage of silver.

EORGE MILLER, owner and operator of a farm situated in section 35. Lib- erty township, was born in Dublin township, Mercer County, Ohio, on October 20, 1840, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Shetterly) Miller.

Henry Miller was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and was a son of Peter Miller, a native of Germany and a millwright by trade, who died in Fairfield County. Henry Miller, father of George Miller, was reared in Fairfield County, but was married in Clermont County, to Elizabeth Shetterly. She was a daughter of Philip Shetterly, a prominent German farmer of Clermont County, who at one time, with his two brothers, owned a great deal of land where Cincinnati now stands, and which they traded for two farms of 160 acres each in Clermont County and one farm in Indiana. After his marriage, Henry Miller moved to Mercer County and located in Rockford for a time, subsequently settling on a farm of 80 acres which he owned. He at one time owned a farm in Liberty township. Van Wert County,

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just west of where Ohio City now stands. This he traded for his farm in Mercer County, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was the father of eight children, of whom George was the third. He died May 14, 1892, and his wife died December 23, 1891.

George Miller was reared and educated in Mercer County and in 1860 was married to Margaret Keffer. a daughter of Adam and Bertha (Jarvis) Keffer. Mrs. Miller was born in Pennsylvania, where her parents were both born and raised. They later moved to Tuscar- awas County, Ohio, and passed the remainder of their days, Mrs. Keffer dying in 1843 and Mr. Keffer in 1874.

After his marriage. George Miller moved to his farm of 80 acres in Liberty township. where he has since lived. He first occupied a log house for many years, and in 1894 erected his present large frame house. To Mr. and Mis. Miller were born nine children : Emeline, who married William Rickard and died at the age of 42. leaving two children-Cora and Mabel: Mary, who married Amos Rickard, lives on her father's farm and has two chil- dren-Sherman and Homer; Thomas, living in Mercer County, who married Alverta Clouse and has four children-Clella, Norma, Clayton and Garret (deceased) ; Alba, who married William Edwards, of Van Wert, and died at the age of 31 years; Lewis, who married Sylvia Rousch, lives in Liberty township, and has three children-Ottis, Gladys and Margaret ; Elizabeth, who married Loren Loro, lives in Mercer County and has one child-Elva ; Nellie and Della (twins), the former deceased at the age of 21 years and the latter at the age of 18; Henry, the fourth child in order of birth, who died at the age of four years and seven months.

Mr. Miller is a Republican, and was elected by that party to serve two terms as township trustee ; he was also supervisor of the township.

He is a member and a director of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is also a member. He was one of the building com- mittee at the time of the erection of the present church, subsequent to the burning of the old church.

P ETER WITTEN, who owns a fine farm of 80 acres in Liberty township, has lived retired in Ohio City for the past year, where he enjoys the ac- quaintance and respect of many of his fellow- citizens. Mr. Witten was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, April 3. 1842, and is a son of Philip and Rebecca (Jackson) Witten.

The father of our subject was born in Vir- ginia, but was brought in infancy to Guernsey County. Ohio, where his whole life was spent in agricultural pursuits. He married Re- becca Jackson, and they had eight children, the survivors being: Thomas T., Samuel, Peter and William, two of whom served in the Civil war.

Peter Witten came to Van Wert County in 1859. and completed his education here. He followed farming until 1864, when he enlisted for service in the Civil war and served 100 days in Company H, 139th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., at Point Lookout, Maryland, and then reenlisted in Company A, 4Ist Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., which was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. This regiment was used to guard the railroad from Nashville to Chattanooga and Atlanta, was then sent to Pulaski, and later took part in the battles of Franklin and Nashville. The regiment was kept in almost constant activity in and around Nashville until our subject re- ceived his honorable discharge there and re- turned home in 1865.

After the close of his army service. Mr. Witten resumed farming in Liberty township,

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Van Wert County, acquiring a valuable farm of So acres, on which he resided until he re- tired from active life. In addition to farming he ran a blacksmith shop for 30 years, and be- came not only one of the best-known residents. of Liberty township, but one of the most sub- stantial.

December 25, 1869, Mr. Witten was mar- ried to Thirza K. Welch, who is a daughter of Dennis and Aseneth (Roberts) Welch, who settled in Liberty township in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Welch had seven children, three of whom died young, and the survivors are: Asenath Elizabeth, wife of H. G. Stemen, of Delphos, Ohio, and Mrs. Witten.

Mr. and Mrs. Witten have two children, viz : Otto and James. The latter is a farmer in Van Wert County. The former is a civil engineer at Celina, Ohio. He was graduated in civil engineering from the Ohio Normal University at Ada, in the class of 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Witten are valued members of the Church of God at Ohio City.

W. JOHANTGEN, the leading hard- ware merchant and agricultural im- plement dealer at Ohio City, was born in Ridge township in 1877, and is a son of John Johantgen.

The father of our subject has been a retired resident of Van Wert for some four years. For many years he was a successful farmer, having settled in Ridge township, Van Wert Courty. in 1870.

H. W. Johantgen was reared and educated in Ridge township until young manhood, when he attended the Tri-State Normal College at Angola, Indiana. Mr. Johantgen then began teaching school, a profession he followed for some years, during which period he was princi-

pal of the Mill Shoals school in Illinois for two years. For one year he operated the Mc- Williams elevator at Van Wert, and for three years was with the Kauke & Alspach hardware firm in the same city.

In October, 1904. Mr. Johantgen came to Ohio City and erected here a fine two-story brick building, 28 by 104 feet in dimension, in which he has placed the finest stock of hard- ware to be found in Van Wert County. His stock is as complete as can be found anywhere, and his trade connections are such that he can procure special patterns of all kinds of hard- ware for any purpose. He also is a large dealer in farm implements.

In 1901 Mr. Johantgen was married to Laura Gilliland, who is a daughter of Shaffner M. Gilliland, of Ridge township. a member of one of the most prominent families of this sec- tion. They have one little daughter, whom they have named Mildred.

R EV. AMOS W. BUCHER. The death of the Rev. Amos W. Bucher, which took place September 3, 1898, when nearing his 75th year. removed from Hoaglin township one of its representa- tive men and pioneers. Mr. Bucher was born in Pennsylvania, in 1823. and was a son of Peter and Elizabeth Bucher.

Our subject was a child of six years when his parents removed from Pennsylvania to Richland County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. Like all farmer's sons. he was trained in agricultural pursuits: but unlike many. he also learned a trade. and for some years he worked at saddle and harnessmaking. Subsequently he settled down to farming in Richland County, removing during the period of the Civil war to Van Wert County, and lo-

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History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 81

Author: Thaddeus S. Gilliland Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Number of Pages: 870

Author: Thaddeus S. Gilliland
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 870