USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 79
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Doctor Morlan was born in Salem, Ohio, July 29. 1833. the seventh child of Mordica and Eliza Ann (Dean) Morlan, a fine old family of that city, plain, honest, unassuming Quakers, the father a woolen goods manu- facturer, who was fairly successful in that line and reared his family in com- fort and respectability. He was summoned "to the immortal dead who live again" in the year 1879, and in the same year his faithful helpmeet, who had long traversed "life's royal path" with him, joined him in the silent land.
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Doctor Morlan received his education in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Having, early in youth, decided to become an oculist, he took a thorough course leading thereto in the Indiana Ophthalmic College, in Indianapolis, where he made an excellent record, and from which institution he was graduated in 1890, thus being able in his mature manhood to gratify an am- bition of long standing. After he left school in Greenville he exercised his rare natural talents in painting, and he soon attracted considerable atten- tion in this line, and after taking up the work of oculist he has continued to paint when he could find the time, thus being a very busy man, being re- garded by all familiar with his work as easily one of the foremost artists of Wayne and adjoining counties, showing a delicate touch and a rare skill, even now at his advanced age, that would discount the work of most young men. As an optician his unbroken success of twenty years has gained for him a prestige second to none in this section of the state, eighteen years of that time having been spent in the practice at Canton, and his office in Wooster has been a busy place since it was opened.
Doctor Morlan married Anna Mary Watson, September 27, 1859, a woman whose esthetic taste harmonized with that of the Doctor, and was always of much assistance to him. She was the daughter of Theodore and Rachael Watson, an influential family of Hartsville, Pennsylvania. This union resulted in the birth of the following children : Caroline H., born May 5, 1862; Watson D., born February 17, 1864; Elwood D., born August 14, 1867; Irene R., born February 8, 1874, and Ida E., born November 23, 1875.
Doctor Morlan was reared a Quaker, and he still adheres to the sturdy principles inculcated by that denomination. Personally he is a pleasant man to know, an excellent and learned conversationalist, hospitable in his home and a genteel gentleman in every respect.
JOHN W. CUTTER.
After a residence of many years in the same locality, his daily life char- acterized by qualities of sterling integrity, indefatigable industry and sound business judgment, John W. Cutter has risen to an enviable position among his fellow men and is today numbered among the representative men of his com- munity and is eminently worthy of representation in a work of this character.
John W. Cutter, of Franklin township, Wayne county, Ohio, is a son of
John Of butter
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John Cutter, who was born in the state of New Jersey. Subsequently, he lived for a number of years in Pennsylvania, and then in 1818 came to Holmes county, Ohio. In 1831 he moved to Wayne county, where he lived the remain- ing years of his life, his death occurring about the year 1886. The first re- corded member of the Cutter family to come to America was a widow of Samuel Cutter, Elizabeth by name, who emigrated from England to the New England states of America about 1640.
Among the descendants of this couple was Samuel, who at the age of twelve years desired to enlist for service in behalf of the colonists during the war of the Revolution, and was not permitted to do so because of his youth. He was ardently patriotic in his attitude and during a long life he took a deep interest in the trend of public events and he retained even in his old age a remarkably retentive memory of the scenes and events of the early days. He married a Miss Cole and they became the parents of several children, namely : Mrs. Susan Robbins, Mrs. Lena McHenry, Ephraim, Sallie McHenry, Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, Mrs. Agnes Cole, Mrs. Charity Schamp, Samuel, Richard, Ezekiel, Mary, wife of Henry Munson, Mercy, the wife of Samuel Charlton. The father of these children was a stanch Democrat in politics. He was a car- penter by trade, which vocation he followed in Pennsylvania, but after remov- ing to Ohio he lived a retired life.
Ephraim Cutter came to Ohio in 1814, and here followed his trade, that of a shoemaker; subsequently he took up the occupation of farming, locating at North Moorland a number of years and later for some time living north of Wooster. Later he located in Huntington county, Indiana.
John Cutter followed farming all the days of his active life and on com- ing to Ohio he entered a large tract of land, the patent for which bore the signature of President Jackson. He proceeded to clear this land of the dense timber which covered it and developed a fine farm, on which he lived until his death, which occurred there in 1886. His wife had preceded him to the un- seen land, dying in 1868. Their remains lie buried in the graveyard which lies near the Methodist Episcopal church at Moorland. John Cutter was noted because of his many acts of charity, his benevolence being much appreciated during those early pioneer days. He was a stanch Democrat in his political views, but never accepted public office of any nature. He and his wife were the parents of children as follows: Elizabeth, unmarried; Ephrain, James. Brown, Mrs. Peter Wicker, Mrs. William Scott.
The subject of this sketch, John W. Cutter, was born on January 19. 18.43, and spent his early days with his parents. He secured a limited educa- tion in the district schools, his vacation periods being devoted to work on the farm. He has always followed agricultural pursuits and has been fairly suc.
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cessful, being accounted one of the successful farmers of his section. His farm is characterized by splendid buildings, well kept fences, modern machinery and other accessories of an up-to-date farm. Mr. Cutter shows sound judg- ment in his operations, keeping in touch with the most advanced methods relat- ing to the service of agriculture and has consequently been enabled to realize handsome returns for the labor he has bestowed.
On June 6, 1872, Mr. Cutter was married to Margaret A. Cellar, who was born March 1, 1846, in Holmes county, this state, a daughter of Joseph and Phoebe (Corn) Cellar. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married, and they came to Holmes county in 1824, making their home there during the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Cutter's paternal grand- father, Ephraim Cellar, was a veteran of the war of 1812, after the conclusion of which he went to Jefferson county, Ohio, and thence to Indiana, where he died. Mrs. Cutter's maternal grandfather was William Corn, who was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but later came to Holmes county, Ohio, where he spent his remaining years and died. To Mr. and Mrs. Cutter have been born the following children: Morris E., who died young; Joseph C., of Franklin township, married Della Scott, and they have seven children: Blanche, Maud, Mildred, Norma, Susan, William and Mabel. William L., of Lorain, Ohio, married Bertha Scott, and they have had five children : Marcella, Helen, Ruth, Catherine and one that died in infancy unnamed. Ira C. is the wife of John Wirt, of Franklin township, and they have one child, Kenneth; Mabel and Myrtle, twins. Myrtle married LeRoy Sparr, of Franklin town- ship ; two children, Francis and Robert. Martha V. is still under the parental roof.
Mr. Cutter is a Democrat in politics and has ever taken an intelligent interest in local public affairs, though he has been in no sense an office seeker. His many splendid qualities of character have won for him the unbounded confidence and regard of all with whom he has associated. He was elected county commissioner in 1898, took the office in 1899 and held it until 1902. He was also for thirty years a member of the school board, and served effi- ciently as township trustee. Fraternally he is a member of the National Con- gress and the Masons. The family all belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.
BENJAMIN S. BEVINGTON.
A worthy descendant of prominent and influential pioneers is Benjamin S. Bevington, a progressive man of affairs whose residence is at Orrville, Wayne county, Ohio. His birth occurred in Richland township, Holmes
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county, this state, on August 26, 1841. His father, Benjamin Bevington, was a native of Pennsylvania, but moved to Ohio when a boy, accompanying his parents, who settled in Holmes county, where, amid primitive conditions, they developed a farm and became one of the leading families of the com- munity, where the name Bevington has ever since been well known. The father of Benjamin S. was the youngest of a large family. He received a meager education in the rude log school houses of those early times, and, after having been taught farming by his father. quite naturally took up that line of work for a livelihood. In 1855 he moved to Mount Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, but after securing a good foothold there he returned to Holmes county in 1861, and in 1868 moved to Maysville, Wayne county, Ohio, buying a farm near the edge of that town, which in time became very valuable. Here he lived and prospered, and here his death occurred in 1882, at the age of seventy-three years. He married Sarah Wolgamott, who was born and reared in Salt Creek township, Holmes county. She survived her liusband one year, dying in 1883, at the age of sixty-eight years. They were the parents of ten children, six boys and four girls. Those living are: Levi J., a farmer in Knox county, this state: Jacob, a carpenter of Akron, this state; Benjamin S., of this review, and Clara, wife of William Beeler, of Orrville. The paternal grandparents of these children came from England and settled in Pennsylvania in an early day.
Benjamin S. Bevington was reared on the home farm, where he re- mained until he was twenty years of age, assisting with the work about the place during the summer months and attending the district schools in the winter time. When he reached the age just indicated he manifested his patriotism by enlisting in the Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry early in the great war between the states, and he served one year with a very creditable record, having fought at Chickasaw Bluffs, Arkansas Post : Thompson's Hill and Champion's Hill, both in Mississippi: Black River Bridge, siege of Vicksburg and in the battles of Jackson, Mississippi. Dur- ing his career in the army he was never off duty.
After returning home from the army Mr. Bevington managed a farm for Henry Pomeream, of Salt Creek township, Holmes county, for a period of six years, after which he rented the farm for four years. During these ten years he prospered by reason of his close attention to farming, which lie understood thoroughly. Desiring to manage a place of his own, he pur- chased eighty acres of Mr. Pomeream and lived on the same for four years. greatly improving the place. He sold it and went to Fredericksburg, Wayne
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county, and there engaged in the livery business for two years and was build- ing up a good patronage when he was induced to enter the employ of Charles and Edgar Snow & Company, of Boston, as a buyer of horses, at a salary. This was in 1883, and he was in their employ ever since until recently, a period of twenty-six years, during which time he purchased thousands of horses in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio, having become a well-known figure to the horsemen of those states and being regarded as an excellent judge of livestock of all classes and grades, an expert, in fact, in the matter of purchasing horses. A criterion of his unexcelled judgment and excellent business ability is found in the fact that the Snow Brothers, a large and im- portant firm, retained him in their employ so long. His easy manner, con- geniality and general pleasing demeanor were of great assistance,-in fact, invaluable assets to him in this line of work. Having resigned this position, he is now practically retired from active business.
Mr. Bevington was married on February 24, 1881, to Valeria Wehrly, a native of Holmes county, Ohio, and the daughter of John and Eugenia (Chatelain) Wehrly, a well-known and highly respected family of that locality. To Mr. and Mrs. Bevington three children have been born, namely, Bertha, who died at the age of seven months; Stella and Zella are twins.
Mr. Bevington is the owner of a fine farm in Greene township, which is highly improved and managed in such a manner as to yield rich results. He moved to Orrville in 1896 and he has a beautiful home on North Main street. Mrs. Bevington and her two daughters belong to the Presbyterian church. This family is held in high esteem in the vicinity of Orrville or wherever its members are known.
Mr. Bevington is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. 296, of Orrville, Ohio.
ADAM FOGEL.
The little republic of Switzerland has sent a large number of her best citizens to the Buckeye state, many of whom have located in Wayne county, where they have become identified with the leading agricultural and business interests. Of this class of highly honored citizens, Adam Fogel is a worthy representative. He was born in Switzerland, October 18, 1844, the son of George Fogel, also a native of Switzerland, who came to America in 1852, locating at Massillon, Stark county, Ohio, where he worked at his trade of wagonmaker and carriage builder until his death, in 1862. He married Susan
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Hanna, of Switzerland. She is also deceased. Five children were born to them, namely: Frederick, who was in the Thirteenth Regiment Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, and who is now at the Soldiers' Home at Sandusky; Henry lives at Mansfield, Ohio; Adam was the third in order of birth; Elizabeth married Mr. Andregg, of Mansfield; Mary married Mr. Eshie and they live at Mansfield.
Adam Fogel came to America with his parents in 1852. He received a meager education in the public schools and at the tender age of eight years began working on the home farm, and when ten years of age he went among strangers, working for two seasons on a farm at Sonneberg, Sugar Creek township, this county. During the years 1857 and 1858 he drove mules on the old Ohio canal from Cleveland to Portsmouth, Ohio, being thus employed at the time James A. Garfield was working in a like capacity. Mr. Fogel worked two seasons for the meager wages of six dollars per month. He then began work for Russell & Company, a large manufacturing firm of Massillon, Ohio, first taking care of their horses, and later, at the age of seventeen, he began learning the machinist's trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years and seven years as a journeyman, ten years in all.
In 1863 Mr. Fogel, believing that it was his duty to prove his loyalty to the flag of his adopted country, enlisted in the Union army, a member of Company A, One Hundred and Sixty-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, in which he served very creditably until the close of the war. In 1868 he located in Orrville, since which time he has been one of the leading citizens of this city. For a number of years he was engaged in the grocery business, but, after building up an extensive patronage, he retired from active business eleven years ago, since which time he has devoted his atten- tion to looking after his extensive property interests. He has a fine farm of one hundred and ten acres in Sugar Creek township, besides much valu- able property in Orrville. Considering the fact that he started in life in such an humble way and so many obstacles had to be overcome, he is deserv- ing of praise for what he has accomplished and the manner in which he has achieved success, for he has been honorable in all his business dealings with his fellow men.
Mr. Fogel was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Bair, a native of Switzer- land, who proved to be a very faithful helpmeet, her encouragement and sound counsel often assisting Mr. Fogel in his business enterprises. This . union resulted in the birth of six children, namely: Mrs. Emma Baugh, of Orrville; Ella, who keeps house for her father; Frank is deceased: Mrs.
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Cora Huntsberger, of Chicago; Mrs. Ida Reamer, of Greensburg, Pennsyl- vania; Howard is living in Orrville and is telegraph operator for the Penn- sylvania railroad, also the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus railroad; he is an accomplished musician.
The mother of these children passed to her rest in 1901.
Mr. Fogel very ably served for a period of ten years in the city council, and in 1909 was again elected councilman. He was a member of the council when the city hall was built. He was chief of the fire department for eight years. He is a thirty-second-degree Mason, having been a Mason since 1875, belonging to the commandery at Wooster; also the Lodge of Perfection at Canton, and the Scottish rite at Cleveland; he has been a member of the Knights of Pythias since 1874, and is also a member of the Uniform Rank. He takes much interest in lodge work and is popular in the above-named orders throughout northern Ohio. He is a member of the Reformed church at Orrville. Although he is now a Democrat, he cast his first vote for Lin- coln.
Mr. Fogel has the original land grant issued by President Andrew Jack- son, September 15, 1835, and made to Joseph Arnold, from whom Mr. Fogel bought his farm in Sugar Creek township.
Mr. Fogel is one of those self-made men who has won success by hard work and persistent endeavor. When a small boy he sawed wood after school for his neighbors in order to earn a little money. Always of frugal and industrious habits, he has gained a substantial competency for his declin- ing years some time ago. He has the highest respect of all who know him.
JOHN BECHTEL.
The Bechtel family is one of the old and well-known ones of Wayne county, and is of German ancestry. Jacob Bechtel, grandfather of John of this review, was a native of Pennsylvania, in which state the early members of this family settled when they came to America. The father of John Bechtel also bore the name of Jacob, and he was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1802. He came to Wayne county, Ohio, about 1829, set- tling in Greene township. He was married in Pennsylvania to Sarah Rhoades, a native of that state, born in Somerset county ; her death occurred in 1845, when about forty-two years of age. She and her husband were the parents of seven children, the register of whose births follows: Mary, born in Penn-
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sylvania in 1827; Elizabeth, born in that state in 1828; Harriett, born in Penn- sylvania in 1830; Sarah, born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1831; John, of this review ; Jacob, born in Wayne county in 1836 and died in 1898; Samuel, born in 1837 and died in 1852.
In April, Jacob Bechtel, father of John of this review, suffered one of the greatest misfortunes that ever befell a citizen of Wayne county, his home having been burned and his four daughters perishing, Mr. Bechtel sustain- ing serious injuries in trying to rescue his children, and he died from the effects of the wounds he received the following December. John, of this review, then four years of age, and his brother Jacob were sleeping with their parents at the time of the fire.
John Bechtel was born October 12, 1833, on the home farm, where he remained until he reached the age of eight years, when he began life for himself, working out on a farm, doing such chores as he could at that tender age. In 1855 he married Harriet Mowner, who was born in East Union township, and they moved on the old farm, which he and his brother divided. and for forty-three years Mr. Bechtel remained on the place where he was born, carrying on general farming in a successful manner and becoming well situated. In the spring of 1898 he removed to Orrville, where he has a fine home, and he still looks after his farming interests, owning two good farms. One of his farms is probably the oldest in Greene township, but the soil has retained its original strength, owing to its skillful management. The first cabin built in the township was erected on this farm. The place was entered from the government by Michael Thomas, and Jacob Bechtel, father of the subject, purchased it from him, John Bechtel being the third man to own the place.
To Mr. and Mrs. John Bechtel five children have been born, named as follows: Sarilla, wife of A. W. Brennerman, of Greene township; H. M., of Orrville, where he is engaged in the hardware business; Elizabeth, wife of S. P. Eshleman, of Orrville, also a hardware merchant; W. B., cashier of the bank at Massillon; J. O. is engaged in the drug business in Orrville.
Mrs. Jacob Bechtel married a second time, her last husband being Michael Hawk, of East Union township, and two children were born to this union, Lavina, wife of William Chapin, and David Hawk, both of Orrville.
John Bechtel was a member of the school board in Greene township for twelve or fifteen years, during which time he did much to promote the educa- tional interests of the same. Both he and Mrs. Bechtel are members of the English Lutheran church at Orrville. He is one of the highly respected
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citizens of this community, having led a life against which nothing ill can be said in any way. He is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished, owing to the fact that he had such hard struggles in his early life, but men endowed with the grit which he has always do things, no matter what their environment may be.
GEN. AQUILA WILEY.
The history of the loyal sons and representative citizens of Wayne county would not be complete should the name that heads this review be omitted. When the fierce fire of rebellion was raging throughout the Southland, he responded with patriotic fervor to the call for volunteers and in some of the bloodiest battles for which that great war was noted proved his loyalty to the national government. On the long and tiresome marches in all kinds of situations, exposed to summer's withering heat and winter's freezing cold, on the lonely picket line a target for the missile of the unseen foe, on the tented field and amid the flame and smoke of battle, where the rattle of the musketry, mingled with the terrible concussion of the bursting shell and the deep diapason of the cannon's roar, made up the sublime but awful chorus of death, at the head of his command, bearing aloft the standard of Old Glory-in all these situations, the subject faithfully performed his full part until disabled by wounds from further active service. During a useful life in the region where he lives he has labored diligently to promote the interests of the people, being devoted to the public welfare, and his record has been such as to win for him the high regard of all who know him.
Aquila Wiley was born near Mechanicsburg, Cumberland county, Penn- sylvania, on the 20th day of February, 1835, and is a son of William and Susan (Spahr) Wiley, the former also a native of Cumberland county. The subject's paternal grandfather, Robert Wiley, served in the Revolutionary war. William Wiley, the great-great-grandfather, in 1770 was given a homestead grant of two hundred acres of land in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, the deed to which was signed by William Penn, a grandson of the noted English Quaker and founder of the state of Pennsylvania. The family name was originally spelled "Wylie," as shown by the official records of Cumberland county. William Wiley, father of the subject of this sketch, died when the latter was but a boy. Aquila received such education as was afforded in the
aquila Valy
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schools of his boyhood days and in an academy at Mechanicsburg, Pennsyl- vania, and at the age of seventeen years he came to Wooster. Ohio, where he made his future home.
In April, 1861, on President Lincoln's first call for volunteers, Mr. Wiley enlisted for the three-months service, joining Company C, Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This command was at once sent to the front, but took part in no engagements beyond a skirmish with the enemy at Philippi. West Virginia. At the end of its period of enlistment the regiment returned home and was mustered out. The Governor then issued orders for the re- organization of the regiment and its re-enlistment for three years, nearly all of the men re-enlisting. The rank and file of the regiment were much dis- pleased with the appointments of field officers and Lieutenant Wiley recruited a company with the distinct understanding that they were not to serve in the Sixteenth Regiment. He then went to Cleveland and received from Col. William Hazen a commission as captain, he and his company being at the same time given transportation from Wooster to Cleveland. The officers of the regiment appealed to the governor to have this company transferred from the Forty-first back to the Sixteenth Regiment, and it was then that Captain Wiley showed his courage by utterly refusing to go back, and in this stand he was backed up by the entire company.
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