USA > Ohio > Darke County > The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; > Part 104
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 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111
SILAS RIFFLE, contractor and builder (firm of Riffle & Hager, Dallas), Ansonia ; one of the old settlers of Darke Co .; born in Richland Township, April 27, 1828 ; he was a son of Jacob Riffle, who was born in Randolph Co., Va .. in 1793 ; came to Montgomery Co., Ohio, with his parents in 1796. He married Mary Van Scoyk, and followed farming until 1818, when he came to Darke Co .. and located in Richland Township, and was the second white family of the town- ship ; his father came from Virginia to Ohio with two children upon a pack-horse, Jacob being one of them, then 3 years of age ; upon the above land Jacob Riffle died in the fall of 1853 ; Mrs. Riffle died in February, 1852. At 20 years of age, Silas com- menced to learn the trade of a carpenter, and has since followed the same, with the exception of four years in the saw-mill business ; he has assisted largely in the building of Dallas, and by his superintendence and labor half of the town has been constructed. In 1875, he associated with Orlander Hager, since which time he has conducted the business under the above firm name. He is a strong Republican, and
724
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :
has been Assessor four years, Township Trustee one year, and held some other petty office. Ilis marriage with Emeline Fogger was celebrated in 1852; she died in 1854 ; in 1859, he married Leah Schultz, a native of Dauphin Co., Penn., born March 23, 1832 ; they have two daughters and one son by this union-Florence M., born Nov. 5, 1860 (now teaching in the public schools of Dallas) ; Elmer O., born Dec. 27, 1862 ; Grace, born Nov. 18, 1863.
DAVID RIFFLE, retired farmer, Dallas ; P. O. Ansonia ; one of the early pioneers, and among the oldest continuous residents of Darke Co. ; born in Mont- gomery Co., Ohio, Nov. 2, 1816 ; he was a son of Jacob Riffle, a native of Ran- dolph Co., Va., born in 1793, and emigrated with his parents to Montgomery Co., Ohio, in 1796, and in the year 1818, came to Darke Co., and located in Richland Township (this was the second white family of that township), and here he lived until his decease, which occurred in the fall of 1853, his wife having died in February, 1852. David Riffle was raised to agricultural pursuits, and followed school-teaching until 1841, when he came to Ansonia and purchased a farm and engaged in farm- ing in summer, and school-teaching during the winter ; he taught the first school in District No. 1 for three years ; he has been almost continually in office for a period of forty years, having held the office of Justice of the Peace or Notary Public for that length of time, and has held all the township offices in Brown Township ; his advantages for obtaining a school education were very limited, but, by devoting his spare time to study, he has been able to obtain a good education, and became master of the common branches of study, as well as surveying, and for several years did surveying in Brown Township ; he has a recollection of his early playmates, who were little Indian children, with whom he passed many pleasant hours. Upon March 8, 1841, he was united in marriage with Mary Beeler, a native of Butler Co., Ohio; they were the parents of ten children, of whom five are now living, viz., Emma, James K., Sephrene, Mary J. and William E.
J. H. ROUSH, grain-dealer and manufacturer of staves, hubs, headings, etc., Dallas ; P. O. Ansonia ; another of our old settlers ; born in Juniata Co., Penn., May 6, 1829 ; he received a common-school education, and was raised to agricul- tural pursuits until 22 years of age, when he came to Ohio, and located in Allen Co. in 1851, and was engaged in different pursuits until 1854 ; he then moved to Montgomery Co., and followed merchandising at West Baltimore until Janu- ary, 1858, when he came to Darke Co., and engaged in the merchandise business some two years, after which he followed different branches of business until the fall of 1872, when he commenced buying grain, which business he has since fol- lowed, his shipments for the year 1878 amounting to upward of 120,000 bushels of corn, and about 50,000 bushels of wheat; when he located here there were some eighteen buildings of all kinds, no streets, no sidewalks and no turnpikes ; he has represented nearly every branch of business known in Ansonia ; he was Postmaster several years, his highest salary amounting to the enormous sum of $84 per year ; he was agent of the C., C., C. & I. R. R. for eighteen years, and received for his service a salary of from $15 to $85 per month ; in 1876, he asso- ciated with two of his sons, and purchased the stave manufactory, which is now carried on under the name of the Ansonia Stave Co., the firm being composed of J. H. Roush, William A. Roush and Charles A. Roush, and they are extensively engaged in the manufacture of the above articles ; the style of the firm as gra in- dealers being, J. H. Roush & Son. John A. being the partner. The marriage of J. H. Roush with Mary J. Anderson, was celebrated Dec. 30, 1851 : she was born in Juniata Co., Penn., Dec. 13, 1830 ; they have five sons-James H .. Charles A ., William A., John A. and Frank ; all live at home, with the exception of Charles A., who is married, and resides in Ansonia.
JOHN S. ROYER, Dallas, P. O. Ansonia ; Principal of the Dallas School ; born in Union Co., Penn., Jan. 31, 1845 ; here he received a good common-school education, and at 15 years of age commenced teaching at 80 cents per day, for a
725
BROWN TOWNSHIP.
term of four months ; until about 19 years of age, he followed teaching during the winter, and assisted his father upon the farm the remainder of the year ; in 1864, he emigrated to Ohio, and located at Pleasant Hill, Miami Co., teaching the graded school at the above place one year ; in 1865, he came to Darke Co., and taught the Graded School No. 9, in Adams Township, for seven years ; in 1874, he came to Dallas. and accepted the position as Principal of the Dallas School, since which time it has increased from 100 to upward of 180 scholars ; he has been the Prin- cipal for five years, and now has a contract for three years. He has been twice married ; his first wife was Lutie Mitchell ; they were married April 18, 1867 ; she was born in Iowa ; she died in Darke Co., in 1869, leaving one child, Minnie A., born April 9, 1868 ; his marriage with Malinda G. Wenrick was celebrated Jan. 30, 1873 ; she was born in Darke Co. May 5, 1852 ; they have two children, Estella M., born July 24, 1876 ; Isaac R., born July 6, 1879 ; in December, 1878, he was appointed one of the examiners of the public schools for Darke Co., which position he now holds.
HENRY SCHLEMMER, firm of Bertz, Schlemmer & Co., hardware mer- chants, Ansonia ; born in Hesse, Germany, March 23, 1842, where he received a good education in German, and in 1860, emigrated to America, landing in Balti- more ; coming directly West, he followed blacksmithing two years in Cincinnati. and in October, 1862, enlisted in the 47th O. V. I. ; he was in many hard-fought battles, among which was the siege and capture of Vicksburg and Atlanta, battle of Chattanooga, and with Sherman's army on his march through Georgia to the sea, arriving at Savannah to spend the Christmas of 1864; he then marched north, through the Carolinas, and was with Sherman's army at the surrender of Johnson, after which, he marched through Richmond to Washington, where, after the grand review of the army, he returned to Columbus, and received his discharge, having served in the Union army nearly three years ; he was wounded at the bat- tle of Jonesboro, but kept at his post ; he then followed blacksmithing in Cincin- nati until 1867, when he came to Ansonia and followed his trade until 1879, when he became a partner in the above firm. Mr. Schlemmer arrived in this country with a capital of only $7 ; he has made one trip to his native country, upon a visit to his parents, with whom he remained three months ; his father, John Schlemmer, was born in Hesse, in 1804 ; he married Martha Disher ; they are the parents of six children, three of whom are now living in Germany, and three in America. In 1868, George Schlemmer was united in marriage to Mary Baughman, a native of Darke Co., and a daughter of Simeon Baughman, one of the early pioneers ; they have five children, viz., John, George, Frank, Augustus and Elizabeth.
FRANCIS M. TULLIS. resides in Dallas ; manufacturer of tile, Ansonia ; born in Brown Township, DarkeCo., Ohio, Sept. 26, 1854; he was the youngest son of Milton Tullis, who was born in Miami Co., Ohio, March 29, 1813. He mar- ried, in Ohio, Sarah Marshall, Sept. 5, 1848, who was born in Pennsylvania Feb. 20, 1816 ; they came to Darke County about the year 1849, and located in Brown Township, near Dallas ; followed farming and merchandise till his death, which occurred Ang. 26, 1863. Mrs. Tullis died Jan. 12, 1870 ; they were the parents of five children, of whom three are living-Francis M., Cordelia A. (now Mrs. Dr. Samuel Hostetter), and Olive D. (now Dr. L. C. Anderson), all living in Dallas ; Francis M. obtained a common-school education, and followed clerking in Dallas until the spring of 1877, when he engaged in farming, and in the fall of 1878, pur- chased the tile factory of Reed & White, at Dallas, and has since devoted his attention to the above business, manufacturing tile of the best quality ; his sales the first year amounted to some $3.000 ; his business card will be found in the business directory of Ansonia. in another part of this work ; he has, aside from his factory, a farm of 42 acres joining the corporation of Dallas. and his lots and resi- dence in town. His marriage with Margaret A. Burket was celebrated May 29, 1877 : she was born in Darke Co., Ohio, May 15, 1857.
726
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :
JAMES S. WEBSTER, merchant. Ansonia, resides in Dallas. The subject of this memoir. a native of Fayette Co., Ohio, was born Jan. 1, 1820 ; he was a son of Dr. James Webster, who was born in Pennsylvania. and emigrated to Ohio and Fayette County in 1804. two years after its admission into the Union as a State ; he was consequently one of the early pioncers of the State ; he followed the practice of medicine a short time in Fayette County, and in 1815 he was elected Sheriff of the county, and about the year 1829, was Associate Judge, which office he held several years, after which he was Treasurer of the county for four years. The latter part of his life he devoted to the carding and fulling of wool at his factory at Washington ; his death occurred January, 1837 ; he was married in Kentucky, to Amelia Danson ; she died previous to her husband. J. S. Webster worked in the woolen-mill of his father, until the decease of the latter, after which he followed farming some two years, when he engaged in the trade of harness- maker at Mt. Sterling until 1866, when he came to Darke County, and. after fol- lowing his trade one year in Greenville, purchased a farm of 114 acres in Green- ville Township, three miles south of Dallas, and followed farming until the spring of 1879, when he rented his farm and purchased a residence in Dallas, and engaged in the general merchandise with T. B. White. His marriage with Pamelia Loof- bourrow was celebrated June 18, 1845 ; she was born in Fayette Co., Ohio, in 1827; eight children were born to them ; five are now living-Nathan A., produce mer- chant, of Greenville ; William, living at home ; Hannah, now Mrs. T. B. White ; Lin- den, clerk in his father's store ; Laura, living at home. Mr. Webster has been a member of the Baptist Church for a period of fifteen years ; Mrs. W. also a mem- ber of the same church.
THOMAS B. WHITE. firm of T. B. White & Co., general merchant, Ansonia ; another of the old settlers of Darke Co .; born in Brown Township, Darke Co., upon the 23d of July, 1842 ; he was a son of William White, of the State of New York. who came to Darke Co. in 1822 ; the maiden name of his wife was Esther Stahl ; she came to Richland Township with her parents about the year 1820, and is now living upon the old homestead, a little north of Ansonia ; Mr. White died in 1864 ; Thomas B. White was raised to agricultural pursuits until 19 years of age, when, upon the 6th of August 1862, he enlisted in the 944th O. V. I., and went forward to bat- tle for the Union; in his first severe engagement, he, with a large part of his regiment. were captured, but he, with many others, escaped and again joined the Union army; he was then engaged in the battle of Perryville, and at the fight of Stone River Dec. 31, 1862 ; he was severely wounded, and lay in hospital until May, 1863. when he received his discharge on account of disability ; he then returned home. and, on account of his wounds, lay idle until the fall of 1864, when he engaged in school-teaching for three years, and in the fall of 1868, he engaged in the general merchandise trade at Ansonia, which he has since successfully followed ; in 1878, he associated with J. S. Webster, under the above firm name, carrying a large and complete stock ; a card of their business will be found in the business directory of Ansonia, in this work. His marriage nuptials with Hannah Webster were cele- brated in 1875 ; she was born in Madison Co., Ohio, and is a daughter of J. S. Webster, whose sketch also appears in this work ; they have one child, Lucy F., born Dec. 15. 1876.
727
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
LAWSON ALLEN, farmer ; P. O. Arcanum ; was born in Centerville, Mont- gomery Co., Ohio, in 1842 ; his parents were John and Susannah Allen ; John was born in the same place as his son, and his wife, Susannah, was born in Scioto Co., Ohio, in 1822 ; they were the parents of twelve children, and only four are living, viz., Lawson, Jeremiah, Joseph M. and Mary. Lawson Allen, the oldest and the subject of this sketch, was united in marriage on April 22, 1868, to Mariah Montgomery, daughter of Robert and Harriet Montgomery ; Robert was born in Pennsylvania and his wife in Virginia, came to Ohio and settled in a very early day ; Mr. Allen lived and followed farming in Montgomery Co. until Octo- ber, 1873, when he moved upon his farm where he now lives ; they have only one child born them, a girl, now 11 years of age, named Florence; Mr. Allen owns 89 acres of fine land, about 60 acres of which are in good cultivation. He was one of the patriots of the war of the rebellion, and enlisted in the 131st O. V. I., Co. I., under Col. John G. Lowe, and served till honorably discharged. Mr. Allen is not one of the earliest settlers, but has been here about six years, and is one of the representative men of Van Buren Township, and will, we are satisfied, be an accession and credit to the neighborhood in which he lives ; he is an active member of the M. E. Church, to which he has belonged since 1867 ; thus, while living and toiling for this world. he is also preparing for that better one beyond.
S. W. ALLREAD, farmer and merchant ; P. O. Delisle ; the son of Isaac and Lucy Allread ; Isaac was born in Maryland, and moved with his parents to North Carolina, where he remained till he came to Butler Co. when he was 18 years of age ; he was in the war of 1812, and served all through it, and then returned safely home. Lucy, his wife, was born in the State of Vermont, and came with her parents to Butler Co., Ohio, when 9 years of age : they were united in mar- riage in 1816, and raised seven children, four boys and three girls. Mr. Allread. the subject of this sketch, was the eldest of his father's family ; he left home when 11 years of age, and worked at various places until 16 years of age, when his father bound him out to Capt. Samuel Diek, till 21 years of age, in Butler Co., Ohio, where he lived till he became of age, then worked for him two years longer for wages ; he then worked here and there and rented farms till he was 27 years of age, which was in 1843, when he was united in marriage with Martha Ann Van Lieu, who was born and raised in Butler Co .; they followed farming in that county for twelve years, or till 1855, when they moved to Darke Co., Van Buren Town- ship, where he still followed the life of a farmer for four years, when he entered into the mercantile trade, which, together with farming, he has followed to the present time ; he has bought and sold several farms, and by these transactions made considerable money ; he is now the owner of 87 acres of good land in Delisle, where he now lives ; he is associated in the mercantile trade in Delisle with W. Reed, and is also carrying on an extensive trade in buying and shipping grain. Mr. Allread started in life a poor man, and with but little education, and has worked his way up to the possessions and prominence he now has-all aecom- plished by his good management and industry ; he is now 63 years of age. with good health, and will doubless still climb upward and onward. and enjoy the society of his family ; he is the father of nine children, seven now living, viz., Isaac F., Elvira, Oliver M., George D., Amanda, John E. and Tabitha J .; five are married and two single at home. Mr. Allread has taken quite an active part in political matters, being a stanch Democrat, and having held several offices of trust, as Township Trustee, Assessor and Treasurer, and in the county has been Infirmary Director for six years, thus showing that he has the confidence of the community.
728
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:
CHRISTOPHER BRINEY, farmer and Justice of the Peace ; P. O. Delisle ; was born Jan. 2, 1811, in Warren Co., Ohio ; his parents were Adam and Euphemy Briney, who came from Pennsylvania at an early day. and located in Ohio; Squire Briney came to Darke Co. in 1835, being among the earliest settlers of the county. He was married in 1835, to Mary Mills, daughter of John V. and Eliza- beth Mills ; she was born in Pennsylvania in 1816, and emigrated to this county with her parents when quite an infant ; to them have been born fourteen children, eight of them are now living, viz .. Ellen, Emeline, Adam. Silas P., Herod M. and Israel (twins), Mary E. and Joseph M. Squire Briney lost his wife by death Sept. 15, 1874. In about three years after Squire Briney's marriage, being in 1837, they moved on the farm on which he now lives and commenced to open out a farm and make a home, with no capital but a few dollars ; he has now 260 acres of land, and, his sons and daughters all being grown up and married, he has divided up and deeded a portion of land to each child, simply reserving a life estate and control of the same during his lifetime, thus giving each child a better start in life than he had when he commenced ; this has all been accomplished by his energy and industry, and made from the wilderness, which then, in his early commencement, existed through this section, for which he deserves great credit. as one of the pioneers. Squire Briney has always been an active politician, and always held office since he lived in the township, such as Township Trustee, Clerk, Supervisor, School Director, etc .; has been Justice of the Peace for twenty-one years, thus showing the prominence and confidence he holds in the community in which he lives. He is now 69 years of age, and of course the most active part of his life is spent, but he has left a record and history of success and confidence for his children and future generations worthy of their imitation.
JACOB M. BROWN, farmer ; P. O. Delisle ; was born the 1st of April, 1833, in Darke Co., on an adjoining farm in Neave Township ; he is the son of Caleb Brown, who was born in Tennessee, and with his father came to Indiana, near Liberty, in about 1812, where they remained about one year, and then came and located in Darke Co., where they remained till the death of his father ; at that time it was a perfect wilderness, there being but two or three settlers in the neigh- borhood, and of course had to pass through all the hardships incident to such a life. Mr. Brown, the subject of this sketch, was united in marriage with Elizabeth Eddington, in 1854, daughter of Charles Eddington, who with his father, were among the first settlers of the county ; since which three children have been born to them, and all are now living. Mr. Brown has been a very prominent man in busi- ness, having, in connection with his labors on the farm. carried on quite an extensive trade in grain, buying and shipping very largely, last year shipping over 400 car loads ; also buying and shipping much stock, and was at one time quite extensively engaged in merchandising, all of which has given him an acquaintance and prom- inence in the community second, perhaps, to no other man in the township; he is also one of those who has amassed a fair and comfortable competency by his own industry, hard labor and careful management of business, and who as an example of a devoted and industrious worker and careful manager, stands forth as a bright and shining light, worthy of the admiration of all young men.
JOHN H. CORWIN. farmer ; P. O. Arcanum ; was born in Warren Co., Ohio. in 1819 ; he was the son of Mathias and Margaret Corwin ; Mathias was born in Kentucky ; his father's name was Joseph Corwin, who was a native of Pennsylvania ; Margaret's father's name was Shnorf, and he was a native of Germany. Mr. Corwin. the subject of this sketch, was united in marriage in 1842, with Maria Weaver. daughter of Larken and Susan Weaver, who are further spoken of in the sketch of William Weaver ; they first settled in Preble Co., Ohio, but moved from there to this county in 1855, and located upon the place on which he now lives ; they have had born to them six children. five of whom are now living, viz .: Mary Jane, born Jan. 30, 1843 ; Mathias, born April 24, 1847 ; Abigail, born April 13, 1849 ; Susan M., born Nov. 10, 1853, and William O., born June 28, 1860 ; and all are married
729
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
and settled in life except the youngest, who is still single and living at home. When Mr. Corwin located in 1855 upon his present farm, there was but very little cleared up; he had to commence and clear up and improve, and in doing so, of course went through all the hardships incident to the opening of a farm in a new .country, and particularly so. as he started with the small capital of 80 acres of unim- proved land ; but by hard labor and diligently attending to business, he has increased in property and wealth, until now he is the owner of 535 acres of land. with good buildings, and everything for the convenience and comfort of life ; and, in connection with this, he has paid $2,100 for free pikes, and $1,600 for ditching and draining ; this has all been accomplished since 1855, which has certainly been sufficient to declare Mr. Corwin a model farmer and business man ; Mr. Corwin has always taken an active part in political matters, being a stanch Republican, but has never desired or held office ; we feel justified, in summing up this brief sketch of Mr. Corwin, to say that he is most truly a representative man of Van Buren Township, and one worthy of imitation by all young men, for all generations in future, and desire thus to place his record upon the pages of this history, there to remain for all time to come.
WILLIAM DAVIS, carpenter, Arcanum ; was born in Butler Co., Ohio, in 1821 ; he is the son of Hugh and Christi Ann Davis ; Hugh was born in South Car- olina, and his wife in Virginia ; they came to Ohio, with their parents, in a very early day, so early that at that time they could enter Government land, near Cin- cinnati, at $1.25 per acre. Mr. Davis, the subject of this sketch, came to Darke Co. in 1856 ; he was married in 1849, to Mary Ann Shaffer, daughter of David and Susannah Shaffer, who were born in Pennsylvania; Mary Ann came with her parents to Ohio in an early day ; they are the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living, viz., John W., David, Susanna, William H., Pharan, Mary Jane and Thomas. When Mr. Davis first came to this county, he located in Butler Township, where he remained one year, and then moved to Van Buren Township ; he located at his present place of residence in 1861 ; when he came here, he opened out in the woods, and built a small house, and, in order to move into it, had to cut a road through the woods to get to his house ; he has 1 acre of land, and since he came there has cleared it up and built a comfortable house and barn, so that he has a pleas- ant little home. He has always followed the trade of a carpenter, and has had the pleasure of seeing the country improve around him, and the old log buildings of the early settlers disappear, and fine frame and brick buildings take their place ; and he, as a good mechanic, has had a goodly share of the work to do.
WILLIAM DREW, farmer; P. O. Delisle ; was born in Van Buren Township in 1834, and is the son of Robert Drew, who was born in New Jersey, March 29, 1807, and moved to Darke Co. about 1825, and located here when there were but few settlers in the township. Mr. Drew, the subject of our sketch, was the third of twelve children, five sons and seven daughters, nine of whom are now living. Mr. Drew was united in marriage to Mary Bitner, daughter of John Bitner; she was born in Darke Co. March 9, 1837; they first settled at Delisle. on the place now .owned by S. W. Allread. where they remained two years ; then moved to a farm in the neighborhood for a short time, then back again, and engaged in merchandising about six months ; then sold out and moved to present place of residence, where they have since resided and followed farming, except two years, in which he was in mercantile trade in Delisle. They are parents of nine children, six of whom are now living, viz., Rosetta, Abraham, Franklin, Elmer, Nora and Edward. Mr. Drew has gained a good competency, being owner of 280 acres of excellent land, all except 80 acres of which were made by his own energy and industry. Mr. Drew is at present Township Treasurer, thus showing not only that with his indns- try and perseverance he has accumulated quite a property, but also has the con- fidence of the community in which he lives. by the trust they have placed in his hands ; this being another example to the rising generation of what indefatigable industry, together with honorable dealings with his fellow-men, may accomplish.
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.