USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume II > Part 24
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The many friends of George Julius Schwartz will be interested in know- ing more of his life history, which has been replete with success, good deeds and little kindnesses to his fellow men, often laboring with disregard for his own good if thereby he might make someone better or happier. He has been especially interested in whatever tended to the general advancement of the citi- zens of Wooster and Wayne county, morally, socially or politically, and such a life, so filled with valuable lessons, should be emulated by the youth standing at the parting of the ways, whose destinies are yet matters for the future to determine.
Mr. Schwartz was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, September 18, 1848, the son of George and Mary Schwartz, the father born in Germany, the mother in Sunbury, Pennsyvania. They were people of much sterling worth and highly esteemed by all who knew them.
George J. Schwartz was educated in the Cincinnati public schools, receiv- ing a good education, which has since been greatly augmented by miscel- laneous reading and home study. He began his business life as a brush manu- facturer, which he followed successfully for a period of thirty years, having been long associated with the famous Wooster Brush Works, which his father- in-law started in 1856 at Wooster, Ohio. Mr. Schwartz was associated with W. D. Foss in this plant for a period of twenty-eight years, having sold out
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to a stock company in 1906, and the extensive patronage of this large con- cern was due in no small measure to Mr. Schwartz' judicious management and close application to its affairs.
Mr. Schwartz was married, on October 17, 1871, to Jennie Foss, the tal- ented and cultured daughter of Adam and Mary Foss, of Wooster, one of the leading families of this city. This union has been graced by the birth of three sons, namely : George Foss Schwartz, the efficient professor of music at the University of Illinois; Arthur F. Schwartz, who died in infancy ; and Julius Foss Schwartz, who is prominently connected with the Bell Telephone Company.
Mr. Schwartz is an Episcopalian and has held all the offices of honor within the gift of the local congregation. He is prominent in the Masonic fraternity, having attained the thirty-second degree, holding membership with Ebenezer Lodge, No. 33, Free and Accepted Masons; Wooster Chapter, No. 27, Royal Arch Masons; Wooster Council, No. 13, Royal and Select Masters; Wooster Commandery, No. 48, Knights Templar; Wooster Chap- ter, No. 270, Order of the Eastern Star; Lake Erie Consistory. Politically he is a Republican. He has held office by appointment during the several years and he has always been faithful to every trust reposed in him. During the past six years he was president of the sinking fund commission, and for the past three years he has held the office of secretary of the Wayne county blind commission. He was instrumental in securing. the first paved streets for Wooster. He also brought the first individual here for the purpose of taking up the matter of electric lights for the city, which were later installed, due very largely to his efforts. He collected the money to erect the splendid band-stand that now graces the public square. For many years he has been aiding the University of Wooster, being an ardent advocate of higher educa- tion, and he is at this writing a trustee of that institution.
REV. SAMUEL B. LONGENECKER.
No man in Greene township, Wayne county, is held in higher esteem than Samuel B. Longenecker, owing to his life of sterling honesty and upright- ness and his close attention to his individual business affairs. Starting in life under fair circumstances, he is making a comfortable living, at the same time doing much good to his neighbors and fellow citizens in many ways, so that he is a valuable man to the community where he has long resided. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1846, the son of Samuel
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L. and Magdalena (Brubaker) Longenecker. Samuel L. came to Wayne county, Ohio, from his Pennsylvania home in 1865 and settled in Greene township, and after living here for a period of twelve years as a retired farmer, returned to Pennsylvania where he lived until his death. He was a good man, being a minister of the Gospel for the Zion Children church for many years and providing well for his family.
Samuel B. Longenecker, of this review, was reared on his father's farm in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He worked there during the summer months and in the wintertime attended the district schools, later went to the high school at Maytown. He received a good education and taught two win- ter terms of common school. In the fall of 1868 lie came to Wayne county, Ohio. He soon afterwards married Elizabeth S. Brener, who was the daugh- ter of a fine old family of this county where she was educated.
Mr. Longenecker first rented land, later bought his father's farm, and, being a hard worker and a good manager, he succeeded, carrying on general farming and stock raising in a way that proved him to be a modern farmer of the best type. On March 4, 1902, he moved from his farm to Smithville Station where he now resides, owns and farms twenty-five acres, having sold his farm to John and Annic Hostetler, the former being his son-in-law. He has a modern and nicely kept residence.
To Mr. and Mrs. Longenecker nine children have been born, six of whom grew to maturity, three sons and three daughters, namely: Frank, Mollie, John, Anna, Lizzie and Allen B.
While agriculture has been Mr. Longenecker's chief life work, he has also devoted considerable attention during the past few years to the Gospel, being at present the minister of the River Brethren church,-in fact, he has preached more or less for the past twenty-five years, being earnest in all he says and does. The local church where he preaches is always well attended. He is known throughout this locality as one of the leading citizens of a com- munity noted for the high order of its citizenship. He is truly a good and useful man, but he is plain and unassuming, and strives to do his duty at all times, regardless of inconvenience to himself.
ANDREW JACKSON LANCE.
It was early in the nineteenth century that Peter Lance landed in Con- necticut as a recently-arrived immigrant from Germany. Later he caught the western fever and, determining to better his fortunes beyond the Alle- ghanies, he joined the rush to Ohio and finally pulled up in the county of Jeff-
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erson, when that section was still wild and but sparsely settled. He engaged in farming and met with fair success, being able to leave a small estate at his death. He married Mary, daughter of John Johnson, by whom he had a number of children, most of whom grew up and did well in after life. James, one of his sons, came to Wayne county in company with four brothers, three of whom settled in Milton and one in Chippewa township. James engaged in farming and prospered, being an extensive land owner at the time of his death in 1866. He was married twice and became the father of seventeen children. He married Mary Johnson, who died in 1875, after- becoming the mother of thirteen children.
Andrew Jackson Lance, who was one of the "baker's dozen," was born in Wayne county, Ohio, October 29, 1846, and grew up as a member of that historic band known as the "pioneer children." The only schools of the famous early days in Milton township were of the log cabin variety, with puncheon seats, greased paper windows and immense gaping fire places. Mr. Lance as a boy took special interest in spelling and still proudly recalls his victories at the many spelling bees held under the roof of the old school house. He became known as the crack speller of the whole neighborhood, as a result of his "spelling down" both teachers and pupils,-in fact all comers,-when the lineup took place to test the skill in the old Webster speller, with its long lists of words. In 1888 Mr. Lance came to Canaan township and bought sixty-five acres of land, which at present lies within the corporate limits of Creston. He always followed farming and is regarded as a careful and pains- taking agriculturist. Of late years he has given especial attention to onion raising and found it profitable. He has greatly improved his farm by erect- ing a commodious residence and up-to-date barn and other outbuildings, suit- able for a progressive farmer in this age of advanced agriculture. Though a Democrat, Mr. Lance has tried to avoid office-holding and to keep out of the struggles of practical politics, notwithstanding which he was drafted to serve two terms as trustee of Milton township. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Royal Arcanum.
On May 20, 1875, Mr. Lance married Katie Kostenbader, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio with her parents at the age of six years. By this union there are two children : Burr, the only son, assisted his father on the farm, and Bonnie, the daughter, is the wife of Lee H. Grunder and they have four children, namely : Anna, born in 1898; Reba, born March 3, 1901 : Dale, born September 22, 1903; Fay, born June 21, 1906. Mr. Lance is a very pleasant and jovial man to meet.
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KAISER W. TAYLOR.
The gentleman whose name heads this review is one of the honored citizens of Wayne county, having the prestige both of honored ancestry and of a personal record that commends him to all who know him. In the private affairs of life his course has been characterized by the strictest integrity and his service in the Spanish-American war was of such a character as to win for him the highest regard of his superior officers and his citizen friends at home.
Kaiser W. Taylor was born on a farm near West Salem, Congress town- ship, Wayne county, Ohio, on the 12th of March, 1875, and is the son of William B. and Jane (Kaiser) Taylor. The father was born August 19, 1849, in Canaan township, Wayne county, and the mother on November 18, 1849, in Congress township, this county. They were married December 7, 1871, and started their wedded life on a farm of sixty acres in Canaan town- ship. They were prospered and eventually moved to Congress township, where Mr. Taylor now owns a splendid farm of two hundred and seventy- two acres. In 1899 he retired from active agricultural pursuits and retired to the town of West Salem, where he erected one of the finest residences in that town, together with a large and well-arranged barn. He is a Republican in politics and has served seven years as township trustee. He and his wife are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give a liberal support. They are the parents of four children, namely : Kaiser W., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Nellie M. Curtice, deceased; Mrs. Norah A. Schreffler, deceased, and Clyde E., who is a clerk with Freidlander & Com- pany, of Wooster.
The subject's paternal great-grandfather, John Taylor, was a native of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and was one of the early settlers of Wayne county, Ohio. He lived to the remarkable age of ninety-four years. The paternal grandparents were Joseph and Lucinda (Hartman) Taylor. Joseph Taylor was born in Canaan township, Wayne county, in 1814 and died May 18, 1870, at the age of fifty-six years. His wife Lucinda was born at Troy, Ashland county, and was the daughter of Jacob Hartman, an early settler of that section. The subject's maternal grandfather was William Kaiser, who was born in 1804, and was an early settler of Congress township, to which he came in 1822.
Kaiser W. Taylor secured his elementary education in the district schools of Congress township, in which he made such progress that at the early age of twelve years he was able to enter the West Salem high school, where he
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graduated in 1893. He then entered the Ohio Normal University at Ada. where he graduated in 1896, with special honors. He there took a com- mercial course and and specialized in civil engineering, with the intention of making that his life work. His plans were rudely interrupted, however, by the outbreak of the war with Spain. Mr. Taylor had joined the Ohio Na- tional Guard on January 15, 1897, becoming a member of Company C, Eighth Regiment. On the 8th of the following February he was made a sergeant. On April 26, 1898, the Eighth Regiment entered the United States service, and on May 9th the subject was commissioned as first lieutenant of his com- pany. He went to Cuba with his command and participated in the Santiago campaign, including the siege and surrender of that stronghold. Company C was armed with black powder rifles and consequently he was detailed on the outpost guard. He was later detailed for detached duty in connection with the transfer of commissary stores at Siboney. Because of the lack of proper food and continued exposure, Lieutenant Taylor was taken ill and on August 26, 1898, he was taken to the army hospital at Montauk Point. From there he was transferred on September 8th to the Long Island College Hos- pital and was discharged from that institution on December 1, 1898. The Eighth Regiment was discharged from the service on November 21st, but be- cause of his illness Lieutenant Taylor was not mustered out until January 6, 1899, at which time he was placed on the pension list. He served his country honorably and faithfully and is still feeling the ill effects of his ex- posure and hard service.
After his return from military service, the subject was incapacitated for work for three or four years, but finally decided that relief might be obtained through out-door life, and to this end he obtained a position in the rural mail service, in which he is still engaged. His health is making rapid im- provement and Mr. Taylor expects to eventually resign this service and again take up his chosen profession, that of civil engineering. Prior to the Span- ish war Mr. Taylor had done some successful work in the engineering line involving a two years tour of the North American continent, at that time visiting every territory and many provinces in the Dominion of Canada, over one-half of the states, many places of interest and importance in the republic of Mexico, and a considerable number of the islands of the Pacific.
Politically Mr. Taylor is a stanch Republican and in 1908 was the candi- date of his party for the position of auditor of Wayne county, but the Democratic majority in this county precluded his election. His religious sympathies are with the Methodist Episcopal church at West Salem. Social- ly he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and because of
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his military service he is affiliated with the Military Order of Foreign Wars, the Naval and Military Orders of the Spanish-American War, the United Spanish War Veterans, the Society of the Army of Santiago, and the Military Order of the Serpent.
As reflecting the standing of the subject in his home community, no bet- ter reference could be made than to the words of a local publication in refer- ence to him : "He is a business college graduate and expert accountant and has been very successful in administering his own as well as the business affairs of others to which he has so frequently been entrusted. Lieutenant. Taylor is possessed of a genial personality, kindly in manner and uniformly courteous. By reason of these attributes he has won his way into the hearts of the people to such an extent that his nomination came to him unsolicited and without his knowledge of this intention of his friends and supporters. As a soldier and citizen he has brought credit to the county from which he enlisted and will grace any position with honor to those who make that position possible."
ORLANDO GEORGE PINKLEY.
The Pinkley family has been a prominent one in Wayne county since the pioneer days and the present representatives of the name can look back with pride on the accomplishments of their ancestors whose reputations for right living and thinking have been kept untarnished by succeeding generations. Orlando George Pinkley was born in Marshallville, this county, October 29, 1859, the son of William and Barbara (Hawk) Pinkley. His grandparents on both sides of the house were natives of Pennsylvania ; they came to Wayne county, Ohio, and here spent the remainder of their lives. William Pinkley was born in 1826 in Pennsylvania and after moving to various places, finally located in Wayne county, Ohio, in early manhood, where he followed the blacksmith's trade, at which he was very skilled and his shop was patronized from quite a radius around it.
Orlando G. Pinkley was education in Marshallville, receiving a fairly good common school education, and while yet a young man, he took up farm- ing, first living near Paradise, later near Orrville; then, after farming in various places, he moved to near Congress where he lived for a period of four- teen years. In March, 1908, he purchased a farm of one hundred acres one and one-half miles south of Creston, and there he has remained, now living practically retired. He has carried on general farming in a way that has
Mrs Orlando G. Pinkley Creston. P.
Orlando & Pinkley milley Cuestión 6.
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stamped him as well abreast of the times and his present farm is a very at- tractive and well managed one. He has a good home and all the livestock necessary for his needs.
Mr. Pinkley was married September 8, 1880, to Christianna Deneke, a native of Orrville, Pennsylvania, and the daughter of Augustus and Christiana (Lautenschlager) Deneke, both natives of Germany, the former having come to the United States in 1844 and the latter in 1830. They met in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where they were married. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pinkley, namely : Bernice, wife of Corbin Lehman; Clanden died in infancy ; Homer, who married Maggie Clouse: Dale married Miss Sylvia Young, daughter of George Young; Glen and Welker, at home.
Mr. Pinkley is independent in his political affiliations, preferring to vote for the man rather than the party. In connection with his general farming he bought and shipped hay for about eleven years and is well known in that capacity throughout the county. He has been very successful both in farm- ing and dealing in hay. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and they have won the high regard of all who know them by reason of their generous, friendly manners, and their indorsement of all movements for the general good.
CHARLES W. BIDDLE.
In one of the most exacting of all callings the subject of this sketch has attained distinction, being recognized as one of the most successful teachers in the county of Wayne. He is a well educated, symmetrically developed man, his work as an educator having brought him prominently to the notice of the public, the result of which is a demand for his services where a high stand- ard of professional excellence is required. He is a gentleman of scholarly tastes and studious habits, keeps abreast the times in advanced educational methods and his general knowledge is broad and comprehensive.
Charles W. Biddle was born in Greene township, Wayne county, Ohio, on the 13th of August, 1871, and he is a son of Philip and Phoebe (Elwood) Biddle, both of whom were natives of Tuscarawas county, Ohio. Philip Biddle was reared and educated in his native county. He was there married and shortly after the close of the Civil war he moved to Greene township, Wayne county, buying a farm near Orrville. The farm was largely uncleared land when he bought it, but by dint of persistent and unremitting toil he made
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of it one of the best farms in that section. He has always followed the pur- suit of agriculture, in which he has been reasonably successful. He has never taken an active part in politics, but has served his fellow citizens several terms in the capacity of township assessor. To him and his wife were born six children, all boys, as follows : Daniel is a farmer in Stark county ; Martin is a railroad conductor and lives at Mansfield, Ohio; James is at home with his parents ; Joseph is deceased ; Jacob F. is a street railway motorman and lives at Massillon, Ohio; Charles W. is the immediate subject of this sketch.
Charles W. Biddle was reared under the parental roof and secured his elementary education in the common schools of Greene township. He at- tended school at Wadsworth two years, followed by two years at Mt. Union, following which he entered Wooster University with the intention of taking a full course there. However, during his first college year he was offered and accepted the position of superintendent of schools at Marshallville, Ohio. Subsequently he attended Wooster University during several summer terms. He held the position of superintendent of schools at Marshallville six years and then accepted a similar position at West Salem in the fall of 1905, and is still serving in this capacity. Mr. Biddle has achieved a dis- tinctive success as a supervisor of education and since taking charge of the West Salem schools he has practically raised the standard to a four-years high school course. Under his supervision the faculty has been increased and much new equipment has been placed in the school. This school has the largest playground and campus of any school in the county. In many ways Mr. Biddle has impressed his individuality on the work done under his direc- tion and he is generally recognized as one of the most successful instructors in the county. He possesses a genial and kindly disposition which wins friends and he takes a personal interest in every pupil under his charge, many of whom can testify to the wise counsel and friendly aid they have received from him. To him, the pupil's interests are paramount to every other consideration and no self-sacrifice is too great if by it a young person can be helped and started right in life.
On the 6th of September, 1899, Professor Biddle was married to Ohla Mae Ault, a native of Wayne county and the daughter of Valentine W. Ault, who has recently moved to Barberton, Ohio. Prof. and Mrs. Biddle have be- come the parents of one child, Evelyn Mae, born February 13, 1901. The subject and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give an earnest and generous support. Socially Professor Biddle is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of
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Odd Fellows. The subject is a Democrat in political belief and served three years as county school examiner and is now serving another term of three years. He is a man of sterling integrity and high qualities of character and is deserving of the universal regard in which he is held wherever known.
JOHN H. MILLER.
The two most strongly marked characteristics of both the East and the West are combined in the residents of the section of country of which this volume treats. The enthusiastic enterprise which overleaps all obstacles and makes possible almost any undertaking in the comparatively new and vig- orous western states is here tempered by the stable and more careful policy that we have borrowed from our eastern neighbors, and the combination is one of peculiar force and power It has been the means of placing this sec- tion of the country on a par with the older East, at the same time producing a reliability and certainty in business affairs which is frequently lacking in the West. This happy combination of characteristics is possessed by the subject of this brief sketch, John H. Miller, who was successfully engaged in the hardware business at West Salem, Wayne county, Ohio.
Mr. Miller is a native of Medina county, Ohio, where he was born Sep- tember II, 1874. He is the son of Alonzo and Rachel (Inman) Miller, the former of whom was born at Massillon, Ohio, in 1841, and the latter in Medina county. Alonzo Miller is a prominent man in his native county, owning four hundred acres of land, which he successfully cultivates. A Democrat in politics, he has been very active in party affairs and has several times been the nominee of his party for public office. He was the candidate for Congress in 1896 and for State Senate in 1898, but each time the large Republican majority in his district precluded any chance of his election. For a number of years he served as postmaster at Spencer, where he owns and operates a large flouring mill. Besides the subject, he has three other chil- dren, namely : Mrs. William Rullkoetter, of Springfield, Missouri; Mr. Rull- koetter is a professor in the Missouri State College: Frank 1. Miller, a farmer; Charles E. lives in New Jersey. Alonzo Miller is a man of marked ability and stands high in his community. During the dark days of the Civil war Alonzo Miller evinced his patriotism by enlisting in Company B. Forty- second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he became a corporal,
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