USA > Ohio > Guernsey County > Portrait and biographical record of Guernsey County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
OSEPH H. HOSTETLER was elected Mayor of Canal Dover in April, 1894, on the Dem- ocratic ticket, and is serving to the full satis- faction of his constituents and greatly to lus own credit. For the past fourteen years his home has been in this place, and for some eight years he has been engaged in the practice of law. In 1885 he was elected to serve as Justice of the Peace, and has continued to act in that capacity ever since.
The birth of our subject occurred February 13, 1853, in Lawrence County, Pa .; his parents being Adam and Catherine ( Ross) Hostetler. The father,
who was a farmer, also worked at the carpenter's trade. He was a natural mechanic and readily took up any kind of work. It was his custom to make shoes, not only for his own family, but for 'friends and neighbors. He was born in Pennsyl- vania and was of German descent, with an inter- mixture of Swiss blood. Ilis ancestors were mem- bers of the Amish Church, taking the Scriptures literally and to the letter. Mrs. Catherine Hostetler was left an orphan at an early age and was reared by a family named Zuck; so she was known by that name more than by her proper cognomen. She was a noble woman and very industrious. Often she worked in the fields with her boys, but when our subject was fifteen years of age he made up his mind that his mother should not do any more farm work, and in every way he tried to spare her and save her from toil. Of his four sisters and two brothers, John is a resident of Canal Dover; Ann, whose home is in Indiana, is the widow of Joseph Harper; Jefferson lives in Hickory County, Mo .; Sarah is the wife of William C. Work, of Goshen, Ind .; Fannie resides in Hickory County, Mo .; and Emma, Mrs. Beiler, lives in Cass County, Mo.
In the year 1857 Adam Ilostetler and his family came to Ohio, and for six months lived in Holmes County, and then became residents of this coun- ty, whence, in the year 1868, they removed to Hickory County, Mo. When nineteen years of age, Joseph H. saddled his horse and joined a wagon train bound for Indiana. For eighteen nights he slept on the ground, with the result that he was taken siek with fever and ague. In Sep- tember, 1862, the father of our subject enlisted and served in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteers. After nearly two years at the front he was honorably discharged at Parkersburg, W. Va., on account of disability. He participated in the second fight at Harper's Ferry, and for the most part was stationed in West Virginia, at points along Cheat River.
As a student our subject was uncommonly bright, and early showed his more than ordinary ability. Ile pursued his studies in school until the winter of 1873, when he went into the law of- fice conducted by his elder brother, John. Ile remained there until December, 1875, when he
206
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
taught two terms of school in Indiana. Later he read medicine in the office of Dr. Frank Putt, of Middlebury, Ind. The next summer he was on a farm, and then and there did his last work as an agriculturist. The winter following he took a course of lectures in the Columbus (Ohio) Medical College, and the next year and a-half were passed under the instruction of Dr. Putt, who was then taking a special post-graduate course at college.
In the fall of 1879 the young doctor of whom we write set up in business for himself in the vil- lage of Emma, Lagrange County, Ind., where he remained only a few months. In May, 1880, he came to Canal Dover, and, dropping the medical practice, took up the study of law. In 1886 lie was admitted to the Bar, and has since found his time amply and profitably employed in attend- ing to the needs of his many clients. In poli- tics he is a stanch Democrat and cast his first vote for William Allen as Governor.
December 1, 1883, Joseph HI. Ilostetler married Miss Callie A. Myers, and two children grace their union, Joseph and Catherine. Mrs. Hostetler, who is a lady of culture and social attainments, is a daughter of Solomon and Angeline Myers, well known citizens of this place.
J OSEPH HANCE CRETER, a prominent and well-to-do citizen of New Comerstown, has been for many years engaged in the manu- facture of grain separators. In many re- spects he is a remarkable character. Possessed of a strong will power, he has swept away obstacles in his pathway and with determination has pressed forward to the goal he had in view. Though he has made much money, he has always been gener- ous, and no appeal from the worthy poor was ever made to him in vain. He has cheered and helped them with liberal gifts, and has lent his financial support to the cause of religion, education and public improvements.
The birth of our subject occurred in the log
house built by President Garfield's father at Tuck- er's Lock, near this city, July 3, 1834. His par- ents were Morris and Lena (Voorhees) Creter, the former a native of Morris County, N. J., as were his parents before him. The unparalleled desola- tion and ravages caused by the troops of Louis XIV. under Marshal Turenne, were the stern prelude to bloody persecutions. To escape impending fate, Germans and other Protestants, to the number of about fifty thousand, emigrated to America be- tween the years 1702 and 1727. Many of them located in Morris County and in the German Val- ley, N. J. Among them was the fost by the naine of Creter to establish a home in America, and from him our subject is descended. The exact year of his coming is unknown, but it is believed that he came in 1738, in company with Leonhart Nachbar (the original spelling of the name Neighbor, borne by some of the early settlers of Tuscarawas Coun- ty), who was known as the "Father of the Val- ley." From the date last mentioned the Creters figure in the annals of New Jersey, and for more than two centuries the family has been one of prominence. One Andrew Creter came to this country in the fall of 1817, and soon afterwards married Elizabeth Neighbor. His brother, Morris, came in November, 1830, bringing with him his wife, Lena, to whom he was married September 8, 1829. He was born in Middlesex County, Febru- ary 14, 1808, and dicd June 7, 1838. Of his five children, Sarah Maria became the wife of Charles Correll, of Chauncey, Ill .; Catherine Ann first mar- ried Rev. William Conant, a Methodist Episcopal minister, who died at Milan, Ohio, and subsequent- ly she wedded Benjamin D. Patrick, of Norwalk, Ohio, now residents of Los Angeles, Cul .; Emeline became the wife of Frank Coder, a farmer near St. Louis, Mo .; Joseph H. is the next in order of birth; and Voorhees died at the age of fourteen years, from injuries received in falling upon the ice. After the death of his first wife, Morris Creter married, May 19, 1839, Mrs. Jane Clark, widow of Dr. H. G. Clark. His third marriage was with Mrs. Eliza A., widow of Perry C. Wolf, the ceremony heing performed January 20, 1860.
Morris Creter reached Ohio with but $44 in cash, and in 1838 made his first purchase of land, this
207
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
being a tract of five and a-half acres at Tucker's Lock, where our subject was born in the cabin erected there by President Garfield's father. Sub- sequently he became one of the landed proprietors of this section of the country by his active and energetic characteristics. From 1842 to 1845 he was a Justice of the Peace, and from the latter year up to 1852 he was Associate Judge. In 1870 he was elected Justice of the Peace for three years, was afterwards re-elected, and served altogether twelve years in that capacity. Politically he was a Whig and later a Republican. His decision and will power were very great. He had been accus- tomed all through life to take a morning dram. but upon hearing a temperance orator whom he regarded as a close and true friend, he determined to abandon his former practice. Ilis friend argued with him, saying, "At your time of life. and with your habits fixed, I guess you had better not quit abruptly; it may injure you." Mr. Creter replied, "There is only one way of quitting; tapering off won't do." Whenever he found himself from force of habit lifting a glass to his lips, his will immediately asserted itself, and he never touched a drop of liquor after pledging himself to future abstinence. His death occurred March 26, 1891.
The first years of Joseph Hance Creter were passed in an uneventful manner. After receiving an elementary education in the common schools, he for a time attended Oberlin College. Later he studied medicine in the Eclectic Medical College of Philadelphia, and after his graduation practiced with great success for eight years in Indiana and Illinois. At the end of that time he became inter- ested as a manufacturer, and has since given his attention to his present line of business. In this undertaking he has been blessed with success and has become well-to-do. Socially he is a member of the Masonic order, having united in 1864 with Lodge No. 993, of Wyanet, III. In his political convictions he is a Democrat, and religiously is a member of the German Lutheran denomination.
While a resident of Indiana, J. 11. Creter was married to Miss Sallie Brison, of Laurel, Franklin County, January 18, 1876. She was a most esti: mable and accomplished lady, her education hav- ing been obtained at College Hill, near Cincin-
nati. She excelled in music, and had as one of her teachers Madam Rive, the mother of the cele- brated pianiste, Madame Rive-King. To Mr. and Mrs. Creter were born two children: Plulip B., on the 18th of January, 1877; and Schubert, May 5, 1879. Both sons are being trained in agricultural pursuits. Mrs. Creter died May 16, 1889, very suddenly. She was on her way to church and was taken with hemorrhage of the lungs, from which her death resulted in a few minutes. She was placed to rest beside her father in Laurel Cemetery, of Laurel, Ind.
J OHIN WOLF, deceased, was one of the suc- cessful agriculturists of Warwick Township, and for forty-four years was an inhabitant of Tuscarawas County. He was an upright and honorable man in all of his dealings, and his loss is considered one of moment to the entire community in which he lived for many years in an exemplary manner.
John Wolf was born in Prussia, Germany, near the village of Baumholder, March 30, 1832. His early years were passed uneventfully in his native land. where he received a common-school education in his mother tongue. Ile emigrated to America with his parents when he was eighteen years of age. On arriving in New York City he continued on his westward journey, and landed in Port Washington, this county, June 4, 1850. With the exception of three years which he spent in lowa be- fore his marriage, he was ever afterward a resident of Tuscarawas County. He was a farmer by oecu- pation, having become familiar with its practical details in his boyhood. In 1870 he took up his abode on his farm in Warwick Township, where he resided until the time of his death. He was suc- cessful in his business career, and in addition to making a good living for his family, accumulated a valuable estate.
Mr. Wolf was married. June 4, 1861, to Eliza- beth Schneider, who was born in the same locality
208
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
in Prussia, Germany, as was her husband, and emi- grated to America with her parents in 1857, settling in Washington Township. Six children graced the union of John and Elizabeth Wolf: John A. and Charles R., enterprising young farmers of Warwick Township; E. Albert, who is a physician of Dennison, Ohio; E. Louise, born June 6, 1874, and who died October 23, 1893; and two who died in infancy. The mother of this family was born October 4, 1841, and was called to her final rest December 24, 1893.
Politically John Wolf was identified with the Democratic party, but was never induced to hold any official office, except as a member of the Board of Education. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wolf were act- ive members of the Lutheran Church, in which the former held offices at various times. Ile was called to his final rest January 19, 1894, and with the others of his family hes buried in the family lot in the Lutheran Cemetery at Tuscarawas, Ohio.
H ON. MILTON TURNER is one of the representative men of Cambridge, and is a prominent Democratie politician in this portion of the state. During the late war lic made a gallant record as a defender of the Union, and served from October 24, 1861, until the close of the conflict, his discharge papers being dated Au- gust 6, 1865. lle has always kept a warm spot in his heart for his soldier comrades, is a member of the Union Veteran League, and has been one of the most enthusiastic promoters of the Guernsey County Soldiers' Monument.
George Turner, the father of our subject, was born in Virginia, and his father, who bore the same Christian name, was a native of England. The latter emigrated to the United States in 1801, and died in 1812, as the result of an accident, a trec falling upon him. He left a wife, formerly Mary Stephenson (of Irish birth), and three children. The widow subsequently became the wife of John
Shields. George Turner, Jr., was brought up as a blacksmith, and learned the trade in Cadiz, Har- rison County, Ohio. In early manhood he re- moved to Cambridge, and worked at his trade with Mitchell Atkinson. He met and married Eliza J. Porter, their union being celebrated in April, 1843. Eleven children were born to thicm, and of the seven who survive Milton is the eldest. James was killed at Atlanta, Ga., July 22, 1864. He was a private of Company H, Seventy-eighth Ohio In- fantry, and participated in all of the engagements from Ft. Donelson to Atlanta. George died in Texas. Celesta became the wife of James Hunter, a telegraph operator. Isabella is the wife of James F. Hardesty, a bridge contractor of Cambridge. William is weigh-master in the Cambridge coal mines, and is ex-Deputy State Mine Inspector. Mary is the widow of Austin Sines. John P. is Principal of the South Side School in this city; and Samuel is a resident of Columbus, Ohio.
The parents of Mrs. Eliza (Porter) Turner were James and Hannah (Sharp) Porter, natives of County Down, Ireland. The former was born in 1796, and was brought to the United States when about five years of age. His father, Joseph, lo- cated near Carlisle, Pa., and thence removed to Allegheny County, where he died at the age of seventy-seven years. He had three childreni, James, Robert and Margaret. James Porter came to Guernsey County in 1833, and followed agri- cultural pursuits from that time until his death, which occurred April 28, 1864. His children were as follows: Eliza J .; Joseph, who died at Pca- body, Kan., in 1894; Mary Ann, James S., Robert, Cynthia, Margaret, Ellen, Ann H., William W. and John T. The Sharps were carly settlers in Mary- land, and later in Pittsburg, and the grandfather of Mrs. Turner was killed by Indians.
Milton Turner was born in Adam Township, of this connty, February 5, 1844, and received a com- mon-school education. He enlisted in the fall of 1861, and after the close of his term of service re- enlisted as a veteran. His first engagement was at Ft. Donelson, after which followed tlie battles of Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, Corinth, Jackson, I uka, Bolivar, Grand Junction, Memphis, Thompson's Hill, Raymond, Black River and the siege of Vicks-
209
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
burg. He was wounded at Bentonville, N. C., March 21, 1865, and thereby lost his right arm. He was discharged soon afterward at Columbus, Ohio. He had served in the Atlanta and Carolina campaigns, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea.
Returning home, our subject attended school for a year, and March 21, 1866, married Henrietta, daughter of Henry Urban. Seven children came to grace their union: Henry Howard, who is in the railroad employ, and lives at home; James P., who is now working in the Cambridge Rolling-mills; Charles W., who died April 7, 1871; Laura B., wife of James McMahon, of the Cambridge Rolling- mills; Frederick Livingstone, a grocer of this city; and Milton Hoge, Jr., and Carlos, who are at school.
In 1866 Milton Turner was placed on the Demo- cratic ticket to run for the position of Slicriff of this county, but was defeated. The next eight years he gave his attention to the management of a dairy. In 1874 he was appointed under Gover- nor Bishop as Visitors' Attendant at Columbus, and served as such for two years. In 1886 he was elected County Treasurer, receiving a majority of two hundred votes, in the face of a Republican majority of one thousand. He served for two years, after which he was nominated for Represen- tative, running against D. D. Taylor, and reduced his opponent's majority from nine hundred and seventy-five to two hundred and fifty votes. In 1890 he was elected to the State Board of Equali- zation for the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Districts, comprising the counties of Tuscarawas, Coshocton, Guernsey, Monroe and part of Noble. In 1892 Mr. Turner was nominated for Congress from this district, and was defeated by only eleven hundred votes, though every county in the district is Re- publican. Moreover, he carried Muskingum Coun- ty, the home of Van Voorhies, by a majority of five hundred. In 1894 he was nominated Secretary of the State Convention. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In the intervals of his public office, Mr. Turner has been engaged in cultivating the farm which lie owns in Cambridge Township, and which is prin- cipally devoted to fruit-growing. Each year im-
mense crops of peaches, in particular, are grown on this farm, and of late years the owner has been very successful in evaporating fruit, as with a com- pany he erected a suitable building, equipped withı the most modern processes and machinery. Per- sonally he is deemed a wise counselor, a sincere friend and a desirable companion. He is gener- ous, large-hearted and just in all his dealings with his fellow-men.
OHN OZIER, whose accidental deatlı, January 13, 1891, was a great shock to the com- munity, was long one of the enterprising business men of Cambridge, and was born only a mile and a-half north of this city, August 8, 1826. Among his most prominent characteristics were integrity, fidelity and sincerity of word and deed. For thirty-four years he was one of the most faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and took a most active interest in its wel- fare and progress.
The parents of John Ozier were Thomas and Rachel ( Marguand) Ozier. The former was a na- tive of the Isle of Guernsey, and was one of the pioneers of this county, having settled in Cam- bridge as carly as 1810. He was an agriculturist by occupation, and for many years was a Notary Public.
The boyhood days of John Ozier were passed in farming and in striving to gain a fair education in the poorly conducted schools of that day. On arriving at man's estate he married Catherine Kneeland, and their son, Charles, died in early childhood. The mother was called to her final rest in June, 1882. Subsequently Mr. Ozier mar- ried Sarepta, daughter of Lloyd L. and Mary L. Bonnell, the latter of whom bore the maiden name of Sarchet. The Bonnell family was originally from Virginia. Mrs Sarepta Ozier was born July 16, 1848, in Cambridge, and was married October
210
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
15, 1884. To herself and husband was born one child, Thomas, September 17, 1885.
The circumstances under which Jolin Ozier met his death were a little peculiar. While lie was as- sisting to load a wagon of lumber at the Cam- bridge Planing-mill the three o'clock train came thundering by, frightening his horses, which ran away. In his efforts to control them he was thrown to the ground, the wagon passing over his body. Though he was cut and bruised about the head and shoulders, his most serious injuries were prob- ably internal ones. He was picked up and carried to the residence of a brother-in-law, where he ex- pired in a few moments. He was a man of few words, but when he did speak it was to the point, and his judgment was generally very rehable. He never antagonized his fellows, and was a respecter of authority and pre-eminently a man of peace.
****
ILLIAM LAFAYETTE WALLICK is the proprietor of the Sherman House of New Philadelphia, which is known far and wide for its good appointments, fine table, and clean, well kept rooms. The host and his pleasant wife are much respected by all who know them, and contribute in every possible way to the comfort and pleasure of their guests.
Mr. Wallick was born in Wayne Township. Tus- carawas County, September 10, 1848, and is a son of Isaac and Nancy (Smiley ) Wallick. The former, a son of Michael Wallick, was of German descent, and both father and son were farmers by occupa- tion. The old homestead cultivated by our sub- ject's father comprised one hundred and forty- seven acres, under good improvement. In poli- tics Isaac Wallick was a Democrat, and frequently served with credit to himself in local offices. IIc was a member of the English Lutheran Church, in which faith he died, December 12, 1882. His wife, Nancy, was a native of Wayne Township, and a daughter of William Smiley, an early settler of
Ohio, who came from what is known as a "Penn- sylvania-Dutch" family. Mrs. Nancy Wallick de- parted this life March 22, 1886, having been a life- long and faithful member of the Lutheran Church. Her nine children were as follows: Martha, wife of Gus Ziegler, of Davis County, Ind .; Lueinda, Mrs. Solomon Fair, of Lagrange County, Ind .; W. L., whose name heads this biography; Abner, a resi- dent of Sugar Creek Township; John F., who is now in Missouri; Elizabeth, wife of Simon John- son, of Wayne Township; George W., who lives in Sugar Creek Township; Nancy J., a resident of the last-mentioned township, and wife of John Orin; and Mary L., who became the wife of Grant Adams, and has her home in Great Bend, Kan.
William L. Wallick had good public-school ad- vantages until he was about seventeen years of age, when he started out to hew his own way. He had much natural musical talent, and soon began teaching the art in a singing-school. This busi- ness he followed successfully for thirteen years, his time being spent in study and practice as a musi- cian. Though he has long since abandoned music as a means of obtaining a livelihood, he has a good voice, and often entertains his guests with choice selections. About 1879 he became interested in the livery business at Shanesville, but at the end of four years sold out and went to Burgh IIill, Trumbull County, Ohio, where he bought a hotel and also a farm, which he supervised. When a favorable opportunity presented itself, he sold out and came to New Philadelphia. He leased the Gilsey House, which he ran for ten months, and then became the owner of the Sherman House. This he remodeled and refitted at large expense, and has since conducted.
In Winesburg, Holmes County, Ohio, Mr. Wal- lick was married, February 8, 1866, to Miss Nancy E. Jolinson. Iler father, Jacob Johnson, was a na- tive of Pennsylvania, and followed farming as a life occupation. His wife, Anna, nee Aerion, was born in Maryland, and died in 1890, after surviv- ing her husband some eighteen years. Their children were as follows: Philip; Rosanna, who married George Winklepleck; Sarah, now deceased, formerly the wife of Christian Kaldenbaug; Nancy E., wife of our subject; Marion F .; Mary M., wife
211
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
of Wheeler Arion, of Iowa; Ida, wife of Joseph Shenneman, of this county; Caroline, deceased, formerly the wife of Martin Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were members of the Christian Church.
The union of our worthy subject and wife has been blessed with six children: Ermina A., de- ceased, wife of Frank Skelley; William Allen, who married Miss Carrie Senhauser, and lives at home; Jacob O., who wedded Catherine Hoffman; Louis C., who married Lessie Taylor; Loudon I. and Adrian L. Mrs. Skelley died February 16, 1889, leaving a little son, Adrian S., who has been adopted by our subject. Mr. Skelley is now a resi- dent of Cleveland, Ohio.
In politics Mr. Wallick deposits his ballot for Democratic nominees. He is identified with Equity Lodge No. 72, K. of P., the only society to which he belongs. His wife is a faithful member of the Lutheran Church, and has a large circle of sincere friends. She personally attends to everything which would naturally come under her supervision as a good housekeeper, and to her are due in no small measure the neat appearance and cleanliness which are the well known factors of the hotel man- agement. The traveler comes under their roof with pleasure, and departs with regret.
G
H ON. DAVID DANNER TAYLOR, of Cambridge, editor of The Guernsey Times. was elected to the Ohio State Legisla- ture in 1889. While serving in that responsi- ble office, he faithfully performed all duties which rested upon his shoulders, and in such a manner as to merit the commendation of his constituents. Among the laws of which he was the author and pushed to successful enactment, were the Standard Time law, the Students' Hazing law, and the law to punish married men for proposing matrimony upon the pretense that they were single. He was given the title of " Guernsey Taylor " by his fel- low-members and the press, and by this he is still
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.