USA > Ohio > Auglaize County > History of western Ohio and Auglaize County, with illustrations and biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent public men > Part 67
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Colonel Kennedy continued to reside on his farm until the date of his death, which occurred February 23, 1895."
GERMAN TOWNSHIP.
This township presents a variety of soil, from light sand and gravel to heavy clay. Its surface is marked by the number of streams which course through it,- all little tributaries of the St. Mary's and Great Miami rivers. The township has an area of eighteen square miles, and is located on the ridge forming the Ohio water-shed. The soil is fertile, and under the careful culti- vation that it receives it has become one of the most productive townships in the county. The township was named after the country from which its first inhabitants came. The first village was also called Bremen after the distinguished city of that name in the Fatherland. The township was, originally, a part of Mercer county, and included all of ranges one, two, three and four, south of Van Wert county to the counties established on the south. The act of the legislature, establishing Mercer county, provided that Van Wert and Mercer counties should be attached to Darke county until otherwise ordered. Mercer was subse- quently detached in 1824, and Van Wert in 1837. German town- ship, therefore, remained a part of Mercer county until the erec- tion of Auglaize county in 1848, when it was included in the new county. At that time it included all of Town seven south.
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HISTORY OF WESTERN OHIO
Range four east. Three years later (in 1851) for the conven- ience of the sparsely settled portions of the township at Minster and New Bremen, it was divided into two election precincts. In 1858 the township was divided by the erection of Jackson town- ship, whereby German township was reduced in area to eighteen square miles.
"Immediately after the departure of the Shawnee Indians in 1832, a company of Germans was organized in Cincinnati for the purpose of locating a town to be colonized by Germans. This company consisted of thirty-three members, prominent among whom were Philip Reis, Christian Carmann, F. Steiner, F. Neiter, and J. B. Mesloh. F. H. Schroeder and A. F. Windeler were appointed a prospecting committee to visit different parts of Ohio and Indiana and select a site for the colony. They examined the country north of Cincinnati and proceeded into Indiana, but finally returned to this state and selected the present site of New Bremen. They here purchased ten acres of land from the gov- ernment at one dollar per acre, and secured the services of Rob- ert Grant, the surveyor of Mercer county, to divide and plot the town. This site consisted of one hundred and two lots, each sixty-six by three hundred feet. Each member was entitled to one lot, and the remaining ones were offered at twenty-five dol- lars each.
"The selection was determined by lot in order to obviate any difficulty on account of supposed differences of value. The town was named Bremen, and the plat was recorded in Mercer county, June 11th, 1833. Windeler then returned to Cincinnati to report, while Schroeder remained with the colony, as agent for the com- pany. Immediately after the return of Windeler, six members of the association came on to Bremen. In the mean time Schroeder had made preparation for the accommodation of new arrivals by erecting a hut twelve by fourteen feet in dimensions. The time occupied by these six in coming from Cincinnati was fourteen days. They all spent the remainder of their lives with the colony, the last survivors being Dickman and Mohrman, who died a few years since. Land was then purchased at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and the erection of a log house required the assistance of all the settlers within a radius of six miles.
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AND AUGLAIZE COUNTY
"The houses were covered with clapboards, and left so open on the sides that the deer were said to have approached them, and attempted to eat straw from the improvised beds, through the openings between the logs. It is also related that on one occasion while Mohrman was hewing one end of a log, a fox ap- proached and stole a chicken which had hopped on the other end of the same log. Here, as in other new settlements, much diffi- culty was experienced in obtaining supplies, as they were only to be secured at a distance of twenty-three miles. Even in the matter of flour, the settlers were sometimes compelled to resort to the use of the home-made grater. In 1833 new immigrants arrived and a building was erected at a cost of forty dollars to supply the place of both church and school. These settlers were all Protestants, whose first minister was Rev. L. H. Meyer. Dur- ing the summer of 1833 several families arrived from Bavaria, among whom were Maurer, Paul, and Braun. Thus the set- tlement had grown until the arrival of Charles Boesel, who found thirty-five families within a radius of five miles. There were at that time but six houses within the limits of the village. So in- significant was the place that Mr. Boesel stopped to inquire of a wood chopper the distance to Bremen, and was told that he was then in the town. The surroundings were so unpromising that he decided to go to Fort Wayne. After a periol of nineteen months he returned and found very material progress had been made, among which were separate buildings for school and church. Even at this time some of the farmers became discour- aged by having their crops eaten by deer and other animals. The community was still almost isolated, as it had little facility for communication. In support of this it may be related that a man named George Garver walked to Piqua, a distance of twenty- three miles, and returned the same day, carrying a number seven plow the whole distance from Piqua."
The construction of the Miami and Erie and Wabash canals afforded the pioneers an opportunity to earn a little ready money.
In 1835 many of the German township settlers went to Indiana and worked on the Wabash canal. Some of them accu- mulated a sufficient amount of money to purchase farms for them- selves. In the same year (1835) a postoffice was established, and the name of the town changed to New Bremen to distinguish it
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HISTORY OF WESTERN OHIO
from another Bremen within the State. The only place of busi- ness of any importance in the township at that time was the grist mill owned by J. H. Kuenning, and was located a mile and a half north of New Bremen. This horse mill was the only one within a radius of several miles. The old horse mill at St. Mary's and the Quaker mill at Wapakoneta were the next nearest points where grinding was done.
The prosperity of the township dates from the commence- ment of work upon the Miami canal in 1848. Two years later a warehouse and water mill were established at New Bremen, add- ing greatly to the improvement of business and enterprise.
In the summer of 1849, that terrible scourge, the Asiatic cholera, spread throughout Ohio, with more or less fatal results in different parts of the state. It seems to have been more fatal along the line of the Miami and Erie canal than elsewhere. Out of a population of seven hundred in the township, one hundred and fifty died of the dread disease.
From 1833 to 1848 the citizens of German township and adjacent townships were greatly agitated over the efforts made by the philanthropists, Augustus Wattles, of Connecticut, and others, to establish negro colonies in Marion, Granville and Franklin townships in Mercer county. Within three years, dat- ing from 1835, Wattles purchased thirty thousand acres for the negro settlers. With a bequest of twenty thousand dollars from Samuel Emlen, of New Jersey, a Friend, a school was estab- lished, called Emlen Institute, for the education of colored boys of African and Indian descent. The purchase of the land and the erection of the institute were followed by the immigration of a large number of negroes from Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
"In 1848 Judge Leigh, of Virginia, purchased three thousand two hundred acres of land in the negro settlements, for the freed slaves of John Randolph, of Roanoke." The free negroes arrived at Cincinnati in midsummer, and were transported by canal boats as far as New Bremen, where the citizens prevented their landing. Every adult male citizen in the village served on the picket line for two days, at the end of which time the boats re- turned to Cincinnati with their four hundred passengers. After their return to the city they separated into parties, and settled in Shelby, Miami and Warren counties.
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AND AUGLAIZE COUNTY
In 1903 the heirs of the Randolph negroes filed a petition in the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas for the recovery of lands purchased by Judge Leigh. The case has been delayed from term to term on account of technicalities that have arisen since the filing of the petition. The case has not yet come to trial at the present writing (1905).
INDUSTRIES.
Financial, Commercial and Manufacturing.
These are represented by the Boesel Bank, established in 1866, and having deposits to the amount of $500,000; the First City Bank, having deposits to the amount of $200,000; the Cit- izens' Building and Loan Association, holding mortgages on real estate to the amount of $200,000; the Concordia Building and Loan Association holding mortgages on real estate amounting to $70,000.
The following is an epitome of the industries of the town : Klanke Furniture Company, capital stock $65,000 ; Julius Boesel. President, George Klanke, Secretary. Backhaus, Kuenzel Con- pany's Woolen and Flouring Mills, capital stock $75,000. God- frey Kuenzel, President, E. C. Kuenzel, Secretary ; New Bremen Broom Company, capital stock, $20,000. Lanfersieck-Grothause Manufacturing Company, capital stock, $25,000. J. F. Lanfer- sieck, President, Edmund Grothaus, Secretary. The Rabe Man- ufacturing Company, capital stock, $25,000. Wm. Rabe, Presi- dent, F. W. Rabe, Secretary. The Burkey Handle and Lumber Company, capital stock, $10,000. F. W. Greber, President, A. C. Buss, Secretary. The New Bremen Brick Company, capital stock, $10,000. Louis Huenke, President, Arthur Frey, Secre- tary. Arcade Department Store, capital stock, $60,000. Henry Dierker Dry Goods Store, capital stock, $12,000. Mueller Broth- ers' Clothing Store, capital stock, $10,000. Other business con- cerns, capital stock unknown: Klanke Furniture Store; August Dierker, Stoves and Tinware; Henry Schwaberow, Groceries and Queensware ; Wm. Schulenberg and Son, Stationery, Wall Paper and Drugs ; John Koepner, Boot and Shoe Store; Martin Knost. Boot and Shoe Store; C. J. Boesel, Hardware and Groceries ; Wm. Uetrecht, Grocery Store; L. W. Kuenning, Dry Goods ; Frederick Ende, Jeweler; John Hosema, Jeweler ; Henry Dick-
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HISTORY OF WESTERN OHIO
man, Dry Goods and Groceries; George Grewie, Groceries ; The' Miss Stone Millinery Store; Mrs. - Bienz, Millinery Store ; Miss - Burns, Millinery Store; E. G. Conradi, Publisher of New Bremen Sun.
Physicians.
Dr. M. S. Ekermeyer.
· Dr. E. M. Phelps.
Dr. F. Fledderjohann.
Lawyers.
Theodore H. Tangeman.
CHURCHES.
In 1835 the Rev. L. H. Meyer organized the Lutheran Church at New Bremen. Soon afterward a log building was erected that served the purposes of church and school. A few years later a capacious frame building was erected that served as a place of worship until 1888, when St. Paul's Lutheran; Church was built at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars .. About 1895 it burned down, and was rebuilt the following year .. Rev. F. W. Bertram is the minister in charge. The church mem- bership at the present time is five hundred, and the Sabbath' School has an enrollment of three hundred. Rev. Bertram is the. superintendent.
ST. PETER'S CHURCH, located on Main street, is an elegant brick edifice, valued at eighteen thousand dollars. It has a mem- bership of two hundred and fifty, and a Sabbath school enrollment of one hundred and twenty-five. Rev. C. Fischer is the minister in charge.
ZION REFORMED CHURCH, located in the northern part of the village is valued at ten thousand dollars. The membership- of the church is two hundred. The Sabbath school enrollment is- one hundred. Rev. P .. G. Kluge is the minister in charge.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. -
The first public school in German township was taught in the log church erected in Bremen in 1835. Two years later (1837) the first school house was erected in New Bremen. About 1845 two more houses were erected in the township. The one located a mile north of the village was known as the Kuenning school. The other was located three miles west of the village and was called the West District school. In after years the log houses
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were replaced by neat brick buildings, which are at the present. time, furnished with all the modern school appliances.
In 1875 German township was organized into a union school district, and a building was erected in New Bremen in 1876, at a cost of $17,000. The organization resulted in a great and man- ifest improvement of the schools. We feel safe in saying that no township of its size in Ohio, not including large cities, has sent a greater number of students to college since 1886 than German township. Every year since that date the township has sent from twelve to twenty students to college each year.
The people of German township highly esteem their public- schools, and are generous in the support of their teachers.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Justices of the Peace.
H. F. Juneman 1845 to 1846.
Wm. Finke
1846 to 1851. -
H. H. Boesche 1851 to 1852.
C. Ellerman 1852 to 1861.
Wm. Finke 1861 to 1867.
F. H. L. Neiter. 1863 to 1903.
Edward Purpus 1877 to 1895.
Wm. Schulenberg 1895 to 1898.
F. W. Greber. 1898 to 1903.
Township Clerks.
David Caterlin 1839 to 1840 ..
F. Bosche 1840 to 1843.
F. Sprehe 1843 to 1849 ..
H. H. Bosche. 1844 to 1846.
Wm. Haverman 1846 to 1847.
Wm. Finke 1847 to 1848.
J. P. Schmieder 1848 to 1849.
C. Stueve
1850 to 1851.
C. Ellerman
1851 to 1852.
Dr. J. P. Schmieder
1852 to 1853. .
Christian Schmidt
1853 to 1854.
H. Knostman 1854 to 1855.
Christian Schmidt 1855 to 1856.
H. Knost . 1856 to 1857.
F. H. L. Neiter. 1857 to 1858.
John H. Gosman. 1858 to 1859.
F. H. L. Neiter 1859 to 1860.
Henry Schmidt 1860 to 1861.
.
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HISTORY OF WESTERN OHIO
A. F. Koop .. 1861 to 1863.
Henry Schmidt
1863 to 1864.
F. H. L. Neiter 1864 to 1867.
J. H. Mesloh. 1867 to 1871.
Jacob Boesel 1871 to 1876.
Edward Purpus 1876 to 1879.
Henry Schmidt
1879 to 1880.
Theodore Purpus 1880 to 1884.
Christian Langhorst 1884 to 1886.
A. Brueggeman 1886 to 1890.
C. P. Gress 1890 to 1894.
J. H. Mesloh. 1894 to 1896.
Herbert Schulenberg 1896 to 1898.
Edmund Grothaus 1898 to 1902.
Peter Tomhafe 1902 to . ..
Township Treasurers.
Wheatley Heilfield 1839 to 1840.
Charles Boesel
1840 to 1841.
B. H. Adelmeyer.
1841 to 1842.
F. Schulenberg
1842 to 1843.
H. Wellman
.1843
0 1847.
B. F. Schroeder.
1847 to 1848.
C. Kuenzel
1848 to 1849.
F. Sprehe
1849 to 1850.
C. Ellerman
1850
o 1851.
B. Nieberg
1851
o 1852.
B. Koop
1852
1853.
B. H. Nieberg. 1853 to 1854.
Christian Schmidt 1854 to 1855.
B. H. Nieberg
1855 to 1856.
Christian Schmidt 1856 to 1859.
Henry Rabe 1859 to 1861.
S. Wellman 1861 to 1864.
A. F. Koop.
1864 to 1866.
Gerhard Knost 1866 to 1867.
Henry Schmidt 1867 to 1871.
F. H. L. Neiter
1871 to 1876.
Wm. Schulenberg
1876 to 1880.
John Goll
1880 to 1881.
Aug. Boesel
1881 to 1882.
John Goll
1882 to 1883.
Henry Dierker :1883 to 1885.
Wm. Rabe
1885 to 1889.
Henry Laut 1889 to 1893.
John Laut 1893 to 1901.
Ferd. W. Rabe
1901 to 1904.
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AND AUGLAIZE COUNTY
Township Trustees.
1839. J. H. Kuenning, David Cotterling, Gustave Garnold. 1840. J. B. Behruz, Jno. B. Frederick, B. H. Busse.
1841. J. B. Behmus, Andrew Gart.
1842-3. B. H. Adelmeyer, Andrew Gart.
1844. B. H. Adelmeyer, F. Schulenberg, A. Gart.
1845. F. Schulenberg, B. H. Adelmeyer, John Osterloh.
1846. F. Schulenberg, A. Gerbrich, John Paul.
1847. F. Schulenberg, Andrew Gerbrich, E. Friche.
1848. John Paul, B. Friedrich, Bernard Pinning.
1849. J. B. Mesloh, John Neumann, H. Kalverlaze.
1850. J. B. Mesloh, Wm. Schaelling, Henry Kolwer.
1851. B. Friedrichs, F. B. Mesloh, John Paul.
1852. John Powell, Wm. Balgenort, John Friedrichs. 1853. Wm. Balzenad, J. B. Mesloh, E. Fricke.
1854. E. Fricke, Wm. Balgenort, P. B. Nienberg. 1855. J. B. Friedrichs, E. Fricke, Adam Horsman. 1856. J. A. Horsman, Henry Dorstman, B. H. Nieberg.
1857. J. A. Horsmann, H. E. Fricke, Henry Dorsten. 1858. J. B. Pienning, B. Kruse, J. F. Meyer. 1859. H. Kuenzel, F. Kuenning, Charles Boesel. 1860. Charles Boesel, F. Vogelsang, H. Wellman. 1861-2. H. Wellman, F. Vogelsang, G. Knost. 1863-4. F. Vogelsang, F. Speckman, F, Kuenning.
1865. H. W. Meyer, F. Vogelsang, F. Speckman.
1866. F. Vogelsang, F. Speckman, F. Kuenning. 1867-8-9. F. Vogelsang, F. Kuenning, Jacob Kappels. 1870. Casper Metz, H. T. Kuenning, H. W. Meyer. 1871. H. W. Meyer, Wm. Meyer, Wm. Finke. 1872. F. Vogelsang, Wm. Finke, H. Nietert. 1873-4-5. Wm. Finke, F. Vogelsang, Wm. Barth. 1876. Henry Schmidt, Wm. Barth, Wm. Finke. 1877. Wm. Barth, H. V. Kuenning, Henry Schmidt. 1878-9. Wm. Barth, H. F. Kuenning, F. P. Jung.
1880.
F. P. Jung, H. F. Kuenning, Henry Moeller.
1881. Henry Schmidt, F. P. Jung, H. Herschfeld. 1882. Henry Schmidt, F. A. Fravert, H. Herschfeld. 1883. Wm. Barth, Herman Laut, H. Mohrmann.
1884. Wm. Barth, Henry Schmidt, Henry Hellbusch.
1885-6. Wm. Barth, F. Vogelsang, Henry Hellbusch.
1887. Henry Hellbusch. 1888. Henry Schmidt.
1889. F. Vogelsang.
1890. H. Hellbusch.
1891. Wm. Brunne. 1892. Henry F. Jung. 1893. Henry Wueberling.
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HISTORY OF WESTERN OHIO
1894. Wm. Bruns.
1895. H. F. Jung.
1896. Louis Conradi.
1897. H. Wiedeman.
1898. H. F. Jung.
1899. F. H. Wellman.
1900. H. Wiedeman.
1901. H. F. Jung.
1902. F. H. Wellman.
1903-4. Henry Wittenbrink.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
HON. CHARLES BOESEL was born in Rhenish Bavaria, Ger- many, February Ist, 1814, and was left without the guidance and care of a father at a very early age. He was one of five children, four of whom came to America with the mother in 1832, the ·other child having died in the Fatherland. Mr. Boesel learned the shoemaker's trade in the old country, and in 1833 he settled in New Bremen, then in Mercer county, where a few of his friends had located several months before, but as he found no employ- ment here he went to Dayton, Ohio, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and other cities where he could get work. In 1836, he returned and settled at New Bremen, where he started a small general store, and at the same time continued his trade. In the course of time, however, he gave up his trade and confined himself to his mer- cantile pursuits, and was appointed Postmaster under President Polk, holding that position for nine years. Year after year, he gradually enlarged his store and in 1845, built a warehouse, after which he began buying grain in connection with merchandising. New Bremen was the best market in all that section of the coun- try, and grain and produce were hauled here from forty miles west, even from Portland, Indiana. The canal here afforded ship- ping facilities that the people were not slow in seizing, and during the 50's, Mr. Boesel had a very flourishing business. He was in business at this point from 1836 until 1866, and from 1852 to 1856 he was one of the superintendents of the Miami and. Erie Canal, being appointed to that position by the State Board of Public Works.
When he first came to the county, he began an independent career with no capital save about eighteen dollars and a goodly supply of pluck, energy and push. He and a companion, Judge
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Lang, of Tiffin, Ohio, came from Germany in the same vessel and worked together for some time in this country. Mr. Boesel accu- mulated a large fortune and in the year 1866 retired from mer- cantile pursuits, his successors being his son Jacob and C. H. Kuenning. After retiring from mercantile pursuits, Mr. Boesel ·established a bank and continued the same until his death, which occurred April 17th, 1885. He was an excellent citizen and a man highly esteemed for his sterling business qualities. He held several positions of trust and represented Auglaize county in the Legislature from 1862 until 1866, and represented the thirty- second Senatorial District in the Senate from 1870 until 1874. He was also a member of the State Board of Charities, and was holding that position at the time of his death. He also held various local positions ; became commissioner of Mercer county in 1840 and served two terms, and was prominent in all affairs of moment. He was identified with the Lutheran Church and always gave liberally of his means to assist the same. He visited the Fatherland twice and on one occasion donated a fine organ, costing nine hundred dollars to one of the churches. He was ever noted for his strict integrity, enterprise and great liberality. He attended school at night after coming to this country, in order to obtain a knowledge of the English language.
Mr. Boesel was three times married, his first wife being Miss Wilhelmina Maurer, who died in 1843, leaving two children, Jacob and Charles. Mrs. Boesel was a native of Germany and came to America on the same vessel with her future husband. The Maurer family was among the first to settle in New Bremen and its members were very prominent and wealthy citizens. In 1845, Mr. Boesel married a sister of his first wife and who died in 1874. There were ten children born of this union, six of whom are still living.
HON. JACOB BOESEL, son of Hon. Charles Boesel, was born in New Bremen, Ohio, February 6th, 1841. His elementary edu- cation was received in the schools of his native village, and at St. Marys Union Schools. He attended the St. Marys schools two years and there learned the English language. At a later period he graduated from Bartlett's Commercial College, Cincin- nati, in 1860, but previous to that, in the fall of 1856, he began his mercantile career at St. Marys, where he served in the capacity
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HISTORY OF WESTERN OHIO
of clerk for two years in the store of Joseph Kelsey. In 1858, he returned to New Bremen and took charge of his father's busi- ness, which he continued until 1866, when he embarked in merch- andizing for himself in partnership with C. H. Kunning. In 1870, Charles Boesel, Jr., his brother, was included in the firm, and at this time the firm took charge of the extensive pork and grain trade which the father had established, and this they con- tinued up to 1896. The firm of Boesel & Kunning were engaged in the hardware business in an adjoining room to their dry goods store until 1891, when Charles Boesel, Jr., assumed charge of it. Our subject assumed charge of the bank after the death of his father in 1885, at which time the bank was reorganized under the firm name of Boesel Brothers & Co. Mr. Boesel be- came president of the bank from its re-organization to the date of his death, which occurred August 17th, 1896.
In 1867, our subject wedded Miss Louisa Wolf, a native of Germany, who came to America with her friends when six years of age, and who has since lived in New Bremen. This union resulted in the birth of six children: Adolph, now cashier in the bank; Ida, Alma, Otto, Walter and Dora, the latter deceased. Mr. Boesel was an active and prominent member of the Demo- cratic party and advocated its principles from the time he be- came a voter until his death. At the solicitation of his friends, he held a number of prominent positions, the first being Township Clerk, which position he held for six years. After this he served. four years as Village Clerk, was Mayor for four years, President of the School Board four years, and a member for six years. In: 1889, he was elected to represent Auglaize county in the Legis- lature, and as his character and ability became recognized, he was re-elected in 1891. He served on the Finance, Library, and Deaf and Dumb Asylum Committees during both terms, being one of only two Democrats on the Finance Committee during the several terms. Mr. Boesel and his wife were consistent mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.
(From Portrait and Biographical Record.)
JOHN H. BOSCHE was born in Hanover, Germany, April 29, 1831. His father, John H. Bosche, was a native of the same place. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Louisa Schroeder, was also a native of Germany, and in that
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AND AUGLAIZE COUNTY
country both parents passed their entire lives, the father dying in 1833, when our subject was about two years old, and the mother passing away in 1886. Both were members of the Lutheran Church. Two children were born of this union, but only our subject is living. The other child, Sophia, grew to mature years, married and died in 1859, leaving two children.
After the death of his father, Mr. Bosche remained with his mother until twelve years of age, and attended the schools in his native country. In 1845, when but fourteen years of age, he came to America with some relatives with whom he had been liv- ing for about two years, and was nine weeks and three days cross- ing the ocean. The vessel on which he took passage was given up as lost at one time, for the Captain informed the passengers that she was doomed. She drifted far out of her course, and for three days the passengers were without food and exposed to the fury of the gale. They expected every moment to be sent to the bottom, but she brought them through all right, and a very thankful lot of passengers landed at Baltimore in the fall of 1845. Word had reached Germany that the vessel had been lost, and the mother had given her boy up as drowned, when other news reached her.
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