USA > Ohio > Logan County > The historical review of Logan County, Ohio > Part 31
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of 1872 this building was partly wrecked. causing a loss of eighteen hundred dollars Mr. Cretcher continued in the hardware business until 1880, when he sold out. and has since lived retired. He is a Republican, and although he has never been an office secker, he served as assessor for several year -. He belongs to the Methodist church while his wife is of the Baptist faith.
Charles Cretcher spent his boyhood days in De Graff. atten led the public schools and was graduated in the high school in 1801. in a class of nine. When sixteen years of age he began working at the print- er's trade in the office of the De Graff Buck- eye, and was there employed until October, 1801. when he began teaching in the country schools of Logan coumy. He found that profession congenial, and followed it for eleven years, and during the vacation sea- sons he continued to work at the printer's trade. In 1900 he became the owner of the De Graff Buckeye, and was its editor until the 1st of November, 1902. when he accepted his present position, having in the menntime taken up the study of law. which he is now continuing in the office of Huston & White, and at the same time is acting as solicitor and collector for the firm.
On the 11th of November, 1894. Mr. Cretcher was married to Miss Catherine J. Sheely, of De Graff, who was born in Ta- wawa in Shelby county, Ohio, January 15. 1876. a daughter of Adam and Anna ( Knief ) Sheely. She obtained a good edu- cation and is an estimable lady. By her marriage she has one son. Charles Howard, born in De Graff, October 17, 1901.
Mr. Cretcher is a Republican, and while editing the Buckeye it was known as a wide-
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awake and up-to-date Republican journal. is living upon the old home farm in Perry Ile is still a stockholder of the Buckeye township.
Publishing Company, which was organized "in October. 1902, at which time he was chio- sen its president. He belongs to Helmet Lodge, No. 242, K. P., in which he has filled all the chairs and he is also connected with the Tribe of Ben Hur, in which he is now serving as scribe. A lailable ambition has caused him to direct his energies into these channels where intellectuality. chose appli- cation and energy are demanded, and through the exercise of these qualities he has won success in his former business re- lations, and will undoubtedly make good lars. He continued to purchase timber and progress at the bar.
NICHOLAS V. ELLIOTT.
Nicholas V. Elliott attendel the country schools to a limited extent and after he at- tained the age of tweny-five years he spent eight weeks in the district schools and for eight weeks was a student in the Pittsburg Commercial College. He worked as a farin hand upon the oldl homestead until twenty- three years of age, when he left the parental roof, and upon borrowed capital. amounting to one hundred dollars, he began buying timber. In this venture he succeeded .and in the first year cleared one thousand dol- to cut and sell it in the log. He followed this pursuit for several years, and purchased a tract of land in Kentucky in 1882 in con- nection with his brother and others. Upon this they established a sawmill. which they operated for three years, when they disposed of their interest therein. Mr. Elliott was largely engaged in shipping his mumber to Boston, and in his operations in that line of business he prospered.
Nicholas V. Elliott is one of the pro- gressive representatives of industrial inter- ests in Bellefontaine being at the present time the treasurer and general manager of the Bellefontaine Hame & Tool Company. On July 29. 1888, he took up his abode in Bellefontaine, and for two years was in the employ of H. McDonald. traveling in the agricultural implement business. This was the only time in his life that he ever worked upon a salary. Throughout the re- mainder of his business career he has carried on operations on his own account, and on leaving Mr. McDonald he turned his at- tention to the bridge-building business. in 1800 becoming a member of the Bridge Company, which was organized in Belle- fontaine. He acted as traveling solicitor and erected a number of bridges. He was one of the stockholders of the incorporated company, with which he was associated un- He was born upon a farm eight miles east of the city on the 30th of March, 1855, and has always resided in Logan county. His father, John Elliott, was a native of Co- lumbiana county, Ohio, and died December 17. 1873. The mother, who bore the maid- en name of Almira Hathaway, was born in Deighton, Massachusetts, and when only a year old was brought to Logan county, Ohio, where at an early day her people set- tled in West Mansfield. She died Septem- ber 20, 1883, and was laid to rest by the side of her husband in the West Mansfield cemetery. Mr. Elliott has one brother and one sister, namely : Mrs. William Brinser. of Jefferson township, and Elmer W., who til 1893, when he sold out and purchased a
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two-thirds interest in the carriage-body fac- tory at Sidney, Ohio. He was the general manager and also the president and treas- urer of that company during his connection with it. but in June, 1895. he disposed of his interest in that enterprise. and again pur- chased an interest in the Bellefontaine Bridge Company. He did not, however, begin work with that corporation until 1896, having in the meantime parchased a grocery store in Bellefontaine, which he con- ducted for a year. From 1806 until May, 1900. he was again traveling solicitor with the Bridge Company, making bids for the erection of steel bridges all over the country.
On the ist of May. 1900, he purchased a fifth interest in the Bellefontaine Hame & Tool Company. It is a stock company, capitalized for forty thousand dollars. Its officers are: W. W. Fisher. president : N. Vinton Elliott, vice president and general manager : and M. C. Boals, secretary. Mr. Elliott is also acting as treasurer of the company. They manufacture steel-clad hames and harness tools, and the factory is located at No. 220 North St. Paris street in Bellefontaine, with an eastern office in New York city. The output amounts to fifty thousand dollars annually, and between thirty and forty men are employed through- (ut the year. Mr. Elliott is a typical Amer- ican business man, progressive, diligent and capable, and he forms his plans readily and carries them forward to a successful com- pletion. From the time when he left home lie has been dependent entirely upon his own resources, and whatever success he has achieved is the merited reward of his labor and keen discernment. He is also interest- ed in oil and gas stock in West Virginia.
On the 11th of December. 1884. at West Mansfield, Ohio, occurred the marriage of
Mr. Elliott and Miss Flora B. MeAtec, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1864. They have two children : Alice T., born December IS. 1886: and Amira Marie, born Novem- ber 6, 1888, on the morning of the day on which Benjamin Harrison was elected pres- ident of the United States. The family have a very pleasant home at No. 206 North Detroit street, which Mr. Elliott purchased seven years ago, and he also owns a house at 727 West Columbus street, which he rents. He belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge at Sidney, to the encampment at Belle- fontaine, and is also connected with the Re- bekan degree at Sidney. He joined the or- ganization when twenty-three years of age and has since affiliated with it, filling all of the offices of the local lodge. He also has membership relations with the Golden Eagle of Bellefontaine and the Junior Order of American Mechanics. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, who has served as a member of the board of health. and has taken an active interest in the progress and wel- fare of his community, but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. His wife is also connected with the Rebekah degree of Odd Fellows at Sidney, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
BARTLEY CRANE.
The subject of this personal narrative is one of the enterprising and energetic farmers of Rush Creek township, where he owns and operates a good farm. A na- tive of Ohio. he was born near Lafayette, iti Madison county, on the 6th of January, 1845. and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Furman) Crane. The birth of the father
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occurred in the same county October 14. ject and his wife, as follows: Sallie M., 1819, and there he was reared and edu- cated in much the usual manner of boys of that period. In his religious views he was a Methodist, and his political support was given the men and measures of the Republican party. His wife was born on the 13th of September, 1822. Of the six children born to them Bartley is the eld- est. The others were Lafayette, born No- vember 25. 1846; Anna Eliza, born Janu- ary 16, 1850; Morris, born July 21, 1861 ; Sylvester and William.
As soon as he had attained a sufficient age Bartley Crane entered the public schools. where he continued his studies un- til fifteen, and then turned his attention to farming, which he followed uninterrupt- edly until he entered the Union army dur- ing the dark days of the Rebellion. He enlisted on the 2d of May. 1864. and was discharged September 12. 1865. hostilities having ceased and his services being no longer needed. Returning home, he re- sumed farming near West Mansfield and has since followed that occupation unin- terruptedly. his home being now in Rush Creek township.
, In 1866 Mr. Crane was married. the lady of his choice being Miss Welthy Green, who was born in Union county. this state, on the 19th of November, 1846. Her parents, George W. and Elizabeth (Miller) Green, were also natives of Ohio, the former born in Logan county, Octo- ber 18, 1810, and the latter in Champaign county in 1818. Of their five children Elizabeth, Sarah A. and Rebecca, are all deceased, so that Mrs. Crane and her brother, Alpheus H., are now the only sur- viving members of the family.
born May 17. 1867. is now the wife of A. F. Painter. a resident of Middlesburg, and they have two children, Hazel and Wil- liam. Minnie M., born July 30. 1869, is the wife of Frank Eckhart, whose home is in Pulliam, West Virginia. Ella M., born September 22, 1871, is the wife of John Floyd, who is conducting a hotel in Rush- sylvania. Bessie M., born January 20. 1888, completes the family, and is at home with her parents. Mr. Crane casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, and is an active member of the Methodist church. Wherever known he is held in high regard, and he is recog- nized as one of the leading citizens of his community.
SAMUEL EDGAR MOHR.
Samuel Edgar Mohr. one of the lead- ing and representative agriculturists of Harrison township, whose home is four miles west of Bellefontaine, was born in that city on the 2d of August. 1859, a son of Jacob and Mary (Douglass) Mohr. His paternal grandfather, Conrad Mohr, was a native of Stuttgart, Germany, where he grew to manhood and learned the cabinet- maker's trade, at which he worked in that country until about twenty-five years of age. He then crossed the Atlantic to America and took up his residence in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, where he purchased a little home and continued to follow his chosen occupation for some time. It was there that he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Ischelmann, and
Five children were born to our sub- there the father of our subject was born, 16
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November 7, 1826. When the latter was four years old the family came to Ohio and located seven miles north of Dayton, where they made their home for eight years, at the expiration of which time they came to Logan county and settled in Union township. Buying eighty acres of land, the grandfather then turned his at- tention to farming and so successful was he in this pursuit that at the time of his death he owned two hundred and sixty acres.
At the age of sixteen years Jacob Moore, our subject's father, began learn- ing the cabinetmaker's trade, at which he served a three years' apprenticeship, re- ceiving thirty dollars in compensation for his services the first year. This time was mostly passed in West Liberty and Urbana. Ohio, and for a time he was in the employ of his father. In 1858 he opened a shop of his own in Bellefontaine, where he car- ried on business in partnership with a Mr. Rogers for a few years, while for eighteen months another gentleman was also a member of the firm. After working at his trade for about twenty-two years Mr. Mohr bought a farm in the fall of 1868. consisting of eighty-four acres, where our ' subject now lives. Although he went in debt for this place. it was soon free from all incumbrance. and it continued to be his home until 1888. when he retired from active labor and has since resided in Belle- fontaine. enjoying a well-earned rest and the fruits of former toil. Although he re- ceived but a limited education in early life. he is now a man of intelligence and well read. He was reared in the Lutheran church, but is now a Presbyterian in re- ligious belief, and is a supporter of the Democratic party.
In Harrison township, this county. Jacob Mohr was married. September 8. 1854, to Miss Mary Douglass, a native of Logan county, and to them were born four children, namely: Laura A., the eldest. is now the wife of Henry Coleman, living in Bellefontaine, and they have five children. Emanuel J .. Fay. Daniel Grier, Samuel Edgar and Perry. Carrie L. is the wife of Daniel Sullivan, of Kenton. Ohio, and they have one child, Edna M. Samuel E., of this review, is the next of the family. George Boyd died in infancy.
The subject of this sketch was about nine years old when the family removed from Bellefontaine to the farm in Harrison township, where he now resides, and it has since been his home. He attended the public schools and early acquired an ex- cellent knowledge of every department of farm work, to which occupation he has de- voted his entire attention since reaching manhood.
On the 25th of January. 1888, in Union township, was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Mohr and Miss Addie May Newell, who was born in that township March 8. 1864. her parents being Hugh and Mary ( Miller) Newell. Of their eight children she is the third in order of birth. the others being Emma E. and Effie D., twins, the former of whom is deceased. and the latter at home with her parents; Oak M .. who is proprietor of a meat mar- ket in Bellefontaine, and has one child, Herman W. : Mary Hugh, who died at the age of fourteen years: Lulu Belle. who is the wife of James William McCracken, of Bellefontaine, and has one child; Richard N., Bertha Susie, at home, and John, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Mohr have four children, whose names and dates of
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birth are as follows: Mary Lou. August 22, 1889; Don Newell, December 8. 1891 ; Hugh Newell, April 8. 1895. and Susan Christina, April 27. 1897. The parents both hold membership in the Lutheran church and Mr. Mohr is a supporter of the Democratic party. The family is one of prominence in the community where they reside and throughout Logan county they are held in the highest respect and es- teem.
JOHN C. BROWN.
of her husband in the Bellefontaine ceme- tery.
Amid rural scenes John C. Brown passed the days of his boyhood and youth, pursu- ing his studies in the local schools. His parents being in limited circumstances, he began earning his living when a mere boy, and on attaining his majority started to cperate his father's farm on the shares. He carried on the farm for three years, but made very little in that time. In 1866 he and a brother-in-law invested in a mill near Huntsville, which was closed out in 1871. our subject having nothing left and being one thousand dollars in debt. He then rented a farm in Mc.Arthur township, which he operated for two years, and subsequently rented property in Harrison township for several years, locating here in 1874. In 1882 he purchased sixty acres of land, where he has since made his home, and three years later bought a tract of similar size in Pleas- ant township. In 1891 he purchased fifty- and two years later fifty-four acres more. having previously sold forty acres of the original eighty. Upon his place he has made many valuable and useful improve- ments, and now has one of the most desir- able farms of its size in Harrison township.
John C. Brown, who follows farming. and is a well known stock dealer in Harrison township, is one of the best known and most prominent citizens of his part of the county. his home being on the Silver Lake pike. about six miles west of Bellefontaine, and four miles northeast of De Graff, which is his postoffice address. He was born in 'two acres of land adjoining his present farm Linn township, Hardin county, Ohio, on the ioth of May. 1843, his parents being Joseph and Elizabeth (Koons) Brown, the former a native of Virginia and the latter . of Lawrence county, Ohio, though they were married in Logan county, this state. The father was a young man when he came On the 6th of April, 1871, near Hunts- ville, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Brown and Miss Mary C. Collins, who was born in McArthur township. this county, December 19. 1844. and educated in the common schools. Her parents were Bur- rell S. and Margaret ( Mahan) Collins. Five children blessed this union : Effie M .. the eldest, was born in McArthur township and died at the age of three years and three months. Charles, born in the same town- ship, August 28, 1873, received a good prac- to Ohio, and after his marriage he spent a few years in Logan county, and then re- moved to Hardin county, where he owned and operated a small farm over a quarter of a century. Returning to Logan county in 1866, he made his home near Huntsville throughout the remainder of his life, and died there on the 19th of December, 1870. His wife passed away December 19, 1880, at Lima, Ohio, whither she had gone with a daughter, and was then laid by the side
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tical education in the public schools and is now engaged in farming and stock raising in partnership with his father. He was married August 30, 1899. to Bertha Pool, and they live on one of his father's farms. Alice E., born in Harrison township, June 30, 1875, also attended the common school and is now at home with her parents. J. Earl and J. Pearl, twins, were born April 19, 1877, and the latter died at the age of five and a half months. Earl was gradu- ated at the De Graff high school with the class of 1895. at the age of seventeen, after which he taught school three years, and then studied law with the firm of Kernan & Cas- sidy, of Bellefontaine, one year, and later attended the law school at Columbus foi two years, being graduated with the class of 1901 and admitted to the bar the same year. He located for practice in Lima, Ohio, but on account of ill health he subse- quently went to New Mexico, and after spending some time in Las Vegas and Las Cruces he proceeded to El Paso, Texas, and later to San Antonio, where he died on the 2Ist of February, 1902, his father reaching his bedside four days before his death, and brought his remains home, and after the fu- neral the remains were taken to Huntsville for interment. Mrs. Brown and her chil- dren are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church of De Graff.
Mr. Brown has always affiliated with the Democratic party and cast his first pres- idential ballot for- General McClellan in 1864. He has taken quite an active and prominent part in local politics, and has been a delegate to various conventions of his party. He served one term as trustee . of Harrison township, and was appointed a trustee of the Children's Home by a Re- publican board of county commissioners,
filling that position for nearly seven years. During that time he was elected county commissioner in 1897 for a term of three years, being the only Democratic member of the board since Dr. Robb had served as commissioner. about thirty years before. Mr. Brown received a majority of one hun- dred and five. During his incumbency steam heat was put in the courthouse ; many bridges were built; a grant was made for the Silver Lake pike, and the work begun ; and a joint pike was also voted for, to be constructed by Logan and Auglaize count- ties. Two and a half miles of the stone pike west of Lake View was also built, and many other improvements made. In 1900 Mr. Brown was again the candidate of his party for county commissioner, and although he did not expect to be elected, he succeeded in reducing the Republican majority about seven hundred. He is one of the most pub- lic spirited, enterprising and popular citi- zens of his community, and gives a liberal support to all measures which he believes will advance the public welfare or promote the interests of his locality. Wherever known he is held in high regard, and is justly deserving of honorable mention in this volume.
MAJ. WORTHINGTON KAUTZMAN.
In recent years a new chapter has been added to American history, the nation which came into. existence through the throes of war, has steadily progressed until its inhabitants have made their way east- ward from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and have extended its domain in the name of liberty to the islands of the sea. There
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is certainly a glorious future before Amer- line of business as a representative of the `ica in the colonization of the world and the Cleveland Dry Goods Company for four months. At the end of that time he turned his attention to the insurance business, which he followed continuously until the spring of 1898, when the Spanish-American war was inaugurated. planting of the principles of freedom, of liberty and of progress in distant lands. Upon the records which form this new chap- ter of our national annals appears the name of Major Worthington Kautzman, an hon- ored . and representative citizen of Logan county, who for seventeen long months was actively engaged in warfare in the Philip- pines, making for himself a most creditable military record.
The Major was born in this county, May 24, 1855, and is a son of Barney and Sarepta J. (Prater) Kautzman. The fa- ther was a well known farmer of this county and died June 4, 1872, at the age of forty- three years. His widow, however, is still living. Major Kautzman comes of Ger- man ancestry. He was born near Rushsyl- vania, being one of a family of six children. all of whom survive, namely: Alice, the wife of M. D. Sullivan: Mrs. Kate Oder; Belle K., the wife of B. F. Stanfield; George, John and Worthington.
Major Kautzman is the eldest, and to the common schools of Logan county he is indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed aside from those of the school of experience. When twenty years of age he left the home farm and began clerking in a dry goods store owned by Lewis & Stewart, of Rushsylvania, and in 1881 he removed to Bellefontaine, where he secured a position as a salesman in the dry goods store of Joseph Chambers. He was after- ward employed by J. M. Hill, and from 1888 until 1892 he was connected with the dry goods trade on his own account, opening a store on North Main street in Bellefon- taine. In December, 1893, he went to Cleve- land where he was connecter with the same
Major Kautzman at once offered his ser- vices to the government and was commis- sioned a major of the Second Ohio Volun- teer Infantry on the 10th of May, the com- mission to date from the 25th of April. The regiment had its headquarters at Kenton. Ohio, and went to Camp Bushnell on the 2d of May. On the 16th of May the troops left Camp Bushnell for Camp George A. Thomas at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, where they arrived on the 18th of the same month, remaining there until the 29th of August, when they started for Knoxville, Tennessee, reaching their destination the fol- lowng day. At that place they were en- camped until the 14th of November, when they started for Macon, Georgia. On the Ioth of February, 1899, with the others of the regiment, Major Kautzman was muster- ed out. This was not his first military ex- perience, for on the 5th of May, 1884, he had enlisted as a member of Company E of the Second Regiment of Ohio National Guard, known as the Lawrence Cadets. He was elected and commissioned captain of the company on the 30th of April, 1888, was elected and commissioned major of the Second Ohio National Guard, July 29, 1891, and was again commissioned to the same rank on the 5th of August, 1896. On the 13th of June, 1899, he received a retired officer's discharge as provided by the law of Ohio, thus closing a thirteen years' ser- vice. At the time of his discharge he was second in rank in Ohio, and he was one of
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the most popular and highly esteemed rep- pedition through the district of Morong, resentatives of the National Guard of the north of Leguna de Bay, proceeding on state.
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