The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 93

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

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JACOB ROHRER, farmer, etc. ; P. O. Tippecanoe City. Of the citizens of Miami County, none are more worthy of notice than the subject of this sketch. He was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., in 1815, and is the son of Christian Rohrer, who was born on the same farm that our subject was, as was his grandfather, Christian. A brother died on the same farm, November, 1878, at the age of 86, which ended a family ownership in the land that had been existing over 150 years, the place having been deeded to a member of the family by one of Wm. Penn's agents. The father of our subject passed his entire life on his farm, his death occurring June 22, 1825, the first to die in a family of eleven. He had nine children, all reared to maturity. He was married to Maria Farrer, who lived to the advanced age of 83 years. Our subject was raised on a farm, and early taught the art and dignity of farm labor ; the pursuit of agriculture has been his chief occupation, in which he has taken a great interest and been eminently successful. In May, 1835, he immigrated to Ohio, locating four miles east of Dayton, where he remained seven years, and then moved to his present place, near Tippecanoe City, which place he had purchased June 23, 1837, of Joseph Jones, who had entered it. On this farm he moved March 1, 1842. Besides farming, he is largely identified with various manufacturing interests of the county ; he owns a control- ling interest in the " Wheel Works" of Tippecanoe; has an interest in the " Grape Sugar Co.," recently organized in the same place, and also the "Troy Spring Wagon and Wheel Works," and the "Spiker Wagon Works," at Piqua. Formerly an Old Line Whig, he became identified with the Republican party at its organiza- tion, and has ardently supported it since. Although no politician, but few persons have filled so many positions of honor and trust as Mr. R. In 1857 or 1858, he was elected County Commissioner, and subsequently re-elected, serving six years. He is now filling his third term as Land Appraiser of Monroe Township ; was fifteen years a Director in Troy Bank, and for four or five years has been Vice President. He is a Director in the Fireman's Insurance Co., of Dayton, Ohio, and a Trustee of the Knoop Children's Home, of Elizabeth Township. The duties of all these posi-

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tions he has discharged with fidelity and satisfaction to the public. He has, perhaps, settled more estates than any man in the county. He is one of the most enterprising of men, and is found identified with whatever promotes the welfare of the community ; careful in all business affairs, strictly honest, and possessing more than an ordinary foresight, he is one whose judgment in public matters is highly respected. He was married, Dec. 25, 1838, to Elizabeth Kendig, of Lancas- ter Co., Penn. One son and two daughters have been the issue of this union.

SAMUEL RUSSELL, farmer; P. O. Troy ; is the son of Isaac Russell, who was born in 1799, and came to Miami Co. as early as 1806. He was married in 1822, to Tamar Mendenhall, whose parents were natives of North Carolina, in which State she was also born ; they settled on the farm now owned by John West- lake, and entered a quarter-section adjoining; they had nine children, seven are living-Samuel, our subject, Joseph, Rachel, Rosanna, Oliver, Harriet and Tamar; Ruth and Isaac are dead. Samuel grew up on the farm, and was ever an honest, vigorous lad. At the age of 21, he was wedded to Miss Harriet Franklin ; they commenced housekeeping, and have always lived on part of the land originally entered by his father ; their children are named Louisa, Margaret A., John F., Mary J., Isaac N., Samuel L. and Jesse M. ; Louisa and John are not living ; Mary J. is the wife of James H. Snavely ; Margaret wedded Jacob A. Cain. Mr. Russell is one of our substantial men, and lives in a style commensurate with his means ; his wife died Aug. 1, 1880; she was a noble woman, whose loss will be deeply felt, not only by her husband and children, but by the entire neighborhood. Isaac Russell was wedded to Miss Frances J. Curtis ; Mr. Russell was born Nov. 17, 1822, and his wife Jan. 30, 1824, in Warren Co., Ohio; they were a model pair, and the children should ever feel a just pride in having an ancestry who were ever foremost in promoting all that pertained to honesty and morality.

JAMES S. SAYLOR, retired farmer ; P. O. Tippecanoe City ; an early settler of the county, was born in Bethel Township Jan. 15, 1827 ; his parents were Jacob and Rachel (McPherson) Saylor, the former born in Virginia, near Harper's Ferry, and the latter in this State. Jacob died in January, 1859, at the age of 80; his father, Jacob, was of German birth, and was brought to this country when only 4 years old ; he moved to Ohio with his family in 1800, or previous, and halted for a short time in Montgomery Co., and then moved on up the Miami to Bethel Town- ship, where his death occurred at the advanced age of 94 years ; two of his children, Jacob and Philip, in the fall of 1800, in their early manhood, pioneered their way up the Miami and entered. one-half section of land in Bethel Township, and moved on it the following spring with their father; here Jacob began with an unyielding determination to hew out a home in the wilderness, bearing with fortitude the privations and hardships of pioneer life ; he had six sons and six daughters, only four of whom still survive. Our subject was the eleventh child, and his life has been that of a farmer ; the experiences of his boyhood and youth were those of most any farmer boy at that time ; his education was obtained in the characteristic. pioneer log schoolhouse, and consequently was much limited ; he lived on his birth- place till 8 years ago, when he moved to Tippecanoe City; he now owns and operates one-half the homestead ; he finds his political views in the Republican party, and, although no political aspirant, he was elected in October, 1871, to the office of County Commissioner, the duties of which he faithfully and satisfactorily discharged. He was married, March 31, 1853, to Jealy Dye, of this county, a de- scendant of early settlers, her grandfather, Stephen Dye, being among the first set- tlers of the county ; one daughter, Lillie, has been born to this union, who became the wife of Dr. Sterrett, of Troy, and died Feb. 9, 1875.

GEORGE SMITH, farmer and manufacturer; P. O. Tippecanoe ; is one of the prominent citizens and well-established business men of Tippecanoe ; born in En- gland, in Lincolnshire, in 1816 ; he is the son of William and Mildred Smith, who subsequently emigrated to America ; they had seven children. George received no education but what he acquired by his own exertions and close observation throughout life. In 1838, he emigrated to this country, landing in New York City,

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then went to Dayton, Ohio, by steamer, canal-boat and wagon; he worked as a laborer at Greenville Falls a short time, and then entered a distillery east of Day- ton ; he engaged at this in the vicinity of Dayton, as a laborer, for about five years, and then at merchandising at Fairfield, Ohio, for sixteen months, when he, with his brother-in-law, leased and operated for three years the distillery, flouring and saw-mill at Greenville Falls ; subsequently for two years they operated a distillery at Casstown, where, in 1852, they erected the first one in this place ; then built & flour and oil mill, which he operated for some eight or nine years ; he then turned his attention to farming, which he has since engaged in ; he is now President of and a stockholder in the "Grape Sugar Company," of this place, which was recently organized, with a capital stock of $50,000 ; he has frequently held offices of trust in township and town, as Corporation and Township Treasurer for many years, member of School Board, City School Treasurer, etc. He is a self-made man. When he arrived at Dayton, in 1838, he had only a sixpence in his pocket, but his energy, industry and business sagacity have won for him a place among the foremost business men of the county. He has done much for the improvement of the city, and is identified with all measures of public interest. He is a Republican in politics, and, with his wife, a member of the Presbyterian Church. He is also a member of the A., F. & A. M. fraternity. He has been married twice, first to Miss Jane Smith, in 1839, who died Oct. 14, 1877. His second wife was Sarah E. Gal- loway nee Bennett. One child, now dead, was the issue of this latter union.

JOHN SMITH, farmer ; P. O. Ginghamsburg ; is a prominent farmer of Mon- roe Township, whose father was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., and came to this county in 1835. Elizabeth Whitehead, his wife, was born in Montgomery Co., about 1805, and they were married in 1821 ; they were the parents of Susannah, Jacob, Mary, Esther, John, Solomon, Samuel, Elizabeth and Elvira. John was born in Montgomery Co., in 1827, and he has always followed the occupation of farming. He was wedded to Eve Yount, in 1847 ; they had two children-Catha- rine E. and Ira Y. Smith. His second marriage was celebrated in 1855, Miss Mary Eidemiller being the lady of his choice ; their children are George J., John H., Alexander D., Elizabeth, Peter E., Mary J., Ida, Esther and Lillie M., and Jacob, Catharine and Ira are married and reside in Montgomery Co. Mr. Smith is a prominent local politician, and is a thoroughbred Democrat. He commenced life with a small capital, and by honesty and industry owns a farm of 264 acres of elegant land. His home and its surroundings are of the substantial kind, charac- teristic of democracy, and stamp him as one of our most practical men.

ROBERT TEN EICK, farmer, Tippecanoe City ; he is a son of Henry Ten Eick, and was born in Bethel Township in 1843; he was raised on the farm, and passed his youth and boyhood in the country ; he came with his parents to Tippe- canoe City, in 1865, where he has since lived ; he moved to his present fine resi- dence, April 1, 1880, where he has a neat home, surrounded with all the comforts of life ; he is physically disabled, but superintends a farm in Bethel Township. He was married November, 1877, to Lizzie Smith, a native of Montgomery Co.

WILLIAM B. TEN EICK, farmer ; P. O. Tippecanoe City ; the son of Henry Ten Eick, was born in this county in 1834 ; he was brought up on the farm and educated in the common school ; he lived at home till the age of 20, when he went to Wyandot Co., and took charge of his father's stock-farm, which he operated for four years, he then returned to the homestead, where he remained engaged in agricultural pursuits till last December, when he moved to his present fine resi- dence in Tippecanoe. In 1864, he enlisted in the United States service, and served as a Sergeant in the 147th O. N. G. ; he is a Republican, in politics, and finds his religious creed in the Baptist Church ; he is also a member of the patrons of Hus- bandry. He married, in 1858, Louisa Kiser, of Indiana ; of the five children born to this union, only one, a son, still survives.

HENRY TEN EICK, retired farmer ; P. O. Tippecanoe City ; one of the earliest settlers and prominent citizens of Miami Co .; he comes from a vigorous and long-lived family ; his paternal grandparents were Hollanders ; he was born in

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Somerset Co., N. J., Aug. 14, 1802, and is the son of Matthew and Cornelia (Post) Ten Eick; the former born May 4, 1764, in the same county as our subject ; his father, Henry, came from Holland in an early day, and settled in New Jersey ; he served as a Captain under Gen. Washington, in the struggle for American Inde- pendence, and was a brave man ; he participated in the battle of Bunker Hill and others ; he survived to the advanced age of 86 years, and had seven sons and one daughter ; the daughter married Benjamin J. Hayes, the celebrated New York detect- ive; Matthew was the seventh son, and, according to the old superstitious belief that the seventh son was endowed with extraordinary curative powers, he was educated for the medical profession, and practiced medicine to some extent through life ; though quite young, he participated in the war of 1776, and was Ist Lieutenant of a New Jersey company. He married Cornelia Post April 9, 1796, who was born Jan. 4, 1771, in New Jersey ; Matthew emigrated to Ohio in the fall of 1812, mak- ing the trip by team ; he located in Montgomery Co., near the present site of Mi- amisburg ; here he erected his rude log cabin, and began pioneer life ; he soon pur- chased a farm, and, with unflagging industry and perseverance, established a per- manent home, where he passed the remainder of his active life, the latter eight years of his life being passed in Bethel Township, Miami Co., with our subject ; he died at the age of nearly 90 years, April, 1853, and his wife in May, 1849 ; he had four sons and one daughter ; Matthew, his youngest son, went to Iowa early, and with Gov. Lucas, laid out Iowa City, and his oldest daughter was the first child born in the place. Our subject was the third son, and his early life was that of a pioneer ; the hardships and privations of which developed a vigorous constitution and a fine physique ; in the fall of 1821, he teamed to Ft. Wayne, Ind., where he first met and made the acquaintance of Col. Johnston, with whom he was an inti- mate friend ever after ; in the spring of 1822, he moved to Shelby Co., on a farm, where he began a career as a farmer, land and stock-dealer, and which has been marked with signal success, due to his unusual foresight as a business man, bis in- dustry and economy ; he remained six years in Shelby Co., and then removed to Bethel Township, Miami Co., and in 1865, came to his present place in Tippecanoe City ; while in Shelby Co., he lived a neighbor to Col. Johnston ; he began life with small financial means, and, by his unflagging industry and business sagacity, has amassed a large fortune ; he has 1,440 acres of land in one tract, lying in the horse- shoe bend of Honey Creek, Bethel Township, all under the best of improvement ; he also owns " the model " farm of Central Ohio, of 1,000 acres, for which he has been offered $60,000, and a few years ago paid the largest real estate tax in the county ; when the Wyandot reservation of Ohio was sold, he purchased 2,700 acres of the land, and afterward disposed of it in two tracts at a great profit ; he has been equally successful in stock-dealing, and has established a wide reputation as a dealer in fine horses, his judgment in the selection of horses being regarded as par excellence ; while buying horses in Kentucky, he became acquainted with Henry Clay, at whose house he frequently dined, and one time, to convince Clay that the farming implements of the Miami Valley were far ahead of those of Kentucky, expressed him a patent Wilmington plow, which he much appreciated, and after- ward sold him what, he said was the finest horse he ever owned ; during the late war, he took large Government contracts to furnish mules, and among the many hundreds which he supplied, so well had he selected them, not one was rejected by the Government Inspector ; he is now 78 years old, with his mental and physical powers remarkably well preserved ; coming from a stock of " Old-Line Whigs, he naturally became a Republican at the organization of the party. He was married, May 30, 1821, to Eleanor, daughter of William P. and Mary Barkalow ; she was born Nov. 19, 1803 ; their golden wedding was celebrated May 30, 1871, with many guests and valuable gifts ; of the six sons and four daughters born to them, three sons and three daughters have died.

AARON F. THOMAS, farmer ; P. O. Troy ; is one of our prominent men, and was born in Concord Township June 12, 1836 ; his vocation mainly being that of & farmer, he has for the past sixteen years (during the winter months) been

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engaged in teaching vocal music. . His father, Samuel Thomas, was born in Ken- tucky, Feb. 24, 1790, and came to this county in 1805 ; his neighbors were Indians, of whom the nearest was the noted chief, Kilbuck, who figured prominently in the war of 1812. At one time his father sold this chief some whisky, and Samuel carried it to him. Kilbuck became intoxicated ; his son and Samuel were wrest- ling, and, as Samuel appeared to be getting the better of him, the chief became very angry, attempting to kill him ; Samuel's life was saved only by his fleetness of foot. During the war of 1812, he helped capture both this noted chief and his son, which was a great degradation in their estimation. His wife, Elizabeth Gear- heart, was born in Virginia May 15, 1796 ; she came this county in 1812, and they were married Dec. 26, 1815, and settled near Troy. Their outfit consisted of two knives and forks, two plates, and tin cups to match ; their furniture consisted of two puncheon stools, a board being mortised in one for a back, which was used by Mrs. Thomas in spinning ; all their clothing was manufactured by her skillful fingers. They were the parents of Silas A., Maria, John M., Charlotta, Charles and Aaron F. Thomas, all of whom are living. Samuel was a plasterer by trade, and worked at the business for more than a half-century, plastering the first house in Troy, and also the first one in the county. He owned 160 acres of land, and was on the pension list of the old veterans of the war of 1812 ; his death occurred in July, 1878, at the advanced age of 88 years. Aaron F. Thomas was first mar- ried to Miss Belle McCain ; they had three children-Harry E., Edgar S. and Frankie, who died in infancy. Mr. Thomas enlisted in the navy, during the war of the rebellion, under Commodore Farragut ; he was discharged in June, 1864 ; soon after his return, his wife died ; his health was much injured in the service, but he is now nearly recovered. His marriage with Miss Susan Patty was celebrated November, 1865 ; he resided on the Thomas home farm until 1879, when he pur- chased a farm of his father-in-law, Enoch Patty. Mr. Thomas has built a fine resi- dence and barn upon it, and now lives at his ease. They have four children living, viz., Lizzie, Lucella, Omer and Mary. His wife's father, Enoch Patty, was born in 1815 ; he was married to Miss Catharine Kessler in March, 1841 ; her parents, John B. and Susan Kessler, also being pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Patty were the parents of seven children, six of whom are now living: His first wife was Miss Curtis, by whom one son, William H. Patty, was born. Enoch is one of the wealthy farmers of this county, and his honorable dealings for a long period of years, have greatly endeared him to the people. Since his wife's death, in 1875, his daughters have kept house for him. We cannot hope to have him long with us, as he is afflicted with an incurable disease, but we wish to put his name on record among the first families of the county.

CHARLES TRUPP, contractor, builder and manufacturer, Tippecanoe City ; one of the well-established business men of Tippecanoe; was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1833, and is the son of George and Caroline Trupp, both now deceased. George was a contractor and builder, and carried on the business quite exten- sively. Our subject was educated in the common schools of his native country, and from the age of 16 to 18 he took a thorough course in architecture, having, outside of this obtained valuable experience and instruction in his profession, under the direction of his father ; at the age of 18, he immigrated to this country, landing in New York City, April 7, 1851, where he engaged at carpentering for one year ; he then came direct to Tippecanoe, and followed his occupation for four years, and the three subsequent years had charge of the machinery in Chaffee's distillery ; he then began contracting and building, which he continued until the outbreak of the late rebellion, when he responded to Lincoln's first call for troops, enlisting in the 10th O. V. I., and in 1862 in the 94th O. V. I., in which regiment he served till the close of the war, participating in the battles of Perryville, Stone River, Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Atlanta campaign and with Sherman in his march to the sea, sharing in all the hardships of that journey. After his discharge, he returned to Tippecanoe and purchased a one-third interest in the sash and blind factory with which he has been connected, and since 1867 as

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the principal member of the firm. Since 1877, the firm has been known under the style of Trupp, Weakley & Co. (see card in directory). Their firm is the largest of the kind on the D. & M. R. R. from. Dayton to Toledo, and by their integrity and careful attention to business, they have built up a large and increasing trade, and enjoy the reputation of being first-class workmen. Mr. Trupp is the largest established manufacturer of Tippecanoe, and one of its most enterprising men ; he is found identified with whatever pertains to the welfare of the community. He is a Republican in politics, and has had his share of offices of honor and trust ; has been a member of the Town Council for twelve years, was Township Trustee for five years, has been for five years a member of City School Board, a member of band since its organization in 1858, and is Chief of the Fire Department. He is a member of the following orders : A., F. & A. M., I. O. O. F. and D. O. H. Mr. Trupp has been twice married, first, in 1853, to Caroline Barth, of Germany, who died in 1864, leaving two sons and one daughter-one son, Herman, died after reaching manhood. His second marriage was with Clara Falke, of Montgomery Co., in 1865, to whom have been born one son and two daughters.

ROBERT WEAVER, wagon manufacturer, Tippecanoe City ; was born in 1818 in Bethel Township, where he passed half his life, and with the exception of a five-years residence in Dayton, Ohio, he has lived a life-time in this county ; Peter Weaver, his father, was a native of Maryland, and one of the pioneers of Miami Co., locating in Bethel Township several years previous to the present century ; his mother, Jane Ross, a native of Pennsylvania, came down the Ohio with her parents, by flat-boat, soon after the Northwest Territory was opened up to civiliza- tion; they pioneered their way up to the present site of Franklin Co., where they entered land under Symmes' purchase ; the Rosses were pioneers of this county, and are noted for their adventures with the Indians, one Taff being a captive among them for twenty-seven years. Peter Weaver was married twice, and had three sons and one daughter by the first, and two sons and one daughter by the second union; our subject was the oldest child of the second marriage; at the age of 11, he was apprenticed to the trade of coverlet weaver, and served a term of seven and one- half years ; then he learned the trade of wagon and cradle maker, which he has since continued, a period of forty-one years ; be is now located on Second, between Main and Dow streets, Tippecanoe City, where he has been for three years. He enjoys the reputation of a first-class workman, and is a much-respected citizen. His polit- ical inclinations are with the Republican party, with which he has been identified since its organization. He was married Jan. 9, 1843, to Antimus Fitton, of En- glish descent, and a native of Cincinnati ; of the four sons and six daughters born to this union, three sons and one daughter are dead. We find the spirit of patri- otism strongly manifested in the Weaver family. Peter, the father, was a Revolu- tionary soldier, and two of his sons, by first marriage, John and Peter, were soldiers in the war of 1812 ; Milton, a son of our subject, enlisted when quite a boy in the late war, as a member of the 74th O. V. I .; he enlisted in October, 1861 ; in Sep- tember, 1864, he fell dead, pierced by the enemy's bullet, while at his post of duty as color-bearer of regiment, in the battle of Jonesboro, Tenn.

S. S. WELLS, farmer ; P. O. Ginghamsburg. S. S. Wells is quite a noted man in this county, and his ancestry dates back early in the county's history ; his grand- parents emigrated to this county in 1816, and settled near Ginghamsburg ; they had six children-William, Levi, Silas, Martha, Willie and John W. ; none are now living ; Silas was the father of the man whose name heads this sketch, and married Miss Alesa Skinner in North Carolina ; afterward moved to Virginia, and finally came, together with all the Wells family, to this county. They were the parents of the following children-Thomas, Richard, William, Samuel S., John, Daniel, Robert, Levi, and two other sons who died in infancy ; their daughters were Martha J. and Sarah Isabella ; all are living except Richard and Daniel ; the farm where Hitzman now lives was the one settled by the Wells family in 1816. Samuel S. Wells married Miss Caroline Lavy, in 1842 ; their children are Harriet, Matilda, Emily, Margaret,

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 93

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051