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 70
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LOUIS OLLMETZER, Greenville.
OLIVER CLINTON PERRY. ex-Auditor : Greenville. The subject of this memoir was born in Miami Co., Ohio. Feb. 28, 1830, and is a son of Na- than W. and Isabella (Buchanan) Perry, who moved their family to Darke Co., and located in Washington Township, in September. 1838. where they settled in the midst of comparatively early settlers, who were struggling with poverty and heavy timber. Oliver. with other children of that portion of the county, had poor advantages of an early education, but, by close application to his studies when an opportunity offered, acquired a good common-school education that enabled him to engage in school teaching when quite young, and for several years he was em- ployed as salesman in the dry-goods business ; he served as Deputy Clerk of the
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Court in 1867, and was elected Auditor and served in said office for nearly five years. During his term of office the system of building free turnpikes was inaugu- rated, and over thirty miles built in the county. The county jail was also built, and the contracting, and the greater part of the present court house was con- structed, in all of which improvements he took a deep interest and active part, being friendly to and indorsing the great improvements of the county. In politics he is a strong Democrat. from both education and honest conviction ; during the rebellion he denounced secession and advocated a vigorous prosecution of the war for the restoration of the Union.
WALLACE PLESSINGER, farmer and butcher ; - P. O. Greenville. Among the old settlers of Darke Co., this gentleman is entitled to more than a passing notice : he was born in Richland Township, this county, Ang. 6, 1847 ; his grand- father, Philip Plessinger, was among the very early pioneers of Darke Co .: emni- grating from Pennsylvania, and locating in Richland Township, about the year 1815. and his was the second or third white family that settled in the township ; here he lived until his death, which occurred July 4, 1860, at about 90 years of age, and upon the place where he located nearly half a century previous ; Solomon Plessinger (our subject's father) was the youngest of the above family ; he was born either in Lancaster Co .. Penn .. or in Richland Township. Soon after the arrival of the family here, he married Rebecca Jackson, a native of Maryland, near Baltimore ; she is now living in Richland Township ; they were the parents of six children, three of whom now survive ; Mr. Plessinger died Dec. 27. 1861; our subject then being only 14 years of age, and being the only surviving son. the responsibility, management and improvement of the farm fell upon him, and nobly did he perform this duty until 1869 when, upon the 27th of October, he was united in marriage with Carrie Jackson ; she was born in Shelby Co in 1846; they are the parents of four sons and four daughters, all of whom are now living, the family circle having never been broken by death. Their children are Estella. Ida May, Frank N., Flora. Fred, Melvin, Edith and Charles W. Upon the marriage of Ples- singer. he continued farming in Richland Township until the spring of 1874, when he purchased 80 acresof land in Adams Township, where he located ; in December, 1879. he purchased his present place of business in Greenville, and engaged in the butcher trade, designing to move his family to town in February, 1880, that he might have better facilities for churches and the education of his children. A card of his business is to be found in the business directory in another part of this work. It may be truly said of the above gentleman. that he is one of the self-made inen of Darke Co ; left fatherless at 14 years of age. he has battled against the hard- ships of the cold world, and by his own hard labor secured a good property.
WILLIAM REED. farmer and proprietor of Reed's saw-mill ; P. O. Green- ville ; another of our self-made men, born in the county of Antrim. Ireland, Dec. 14. 1831, where he obtained his education in the subscription schools. and fol- lowed farming and weaving until 18 years of age, when he emigrated to America, landing in New York in 1849 ; coming directly West, he followed various per- suits for a time in Michigan, and after a few years' residence in Missouri and Indi- ana. came to Ohio, and until 1861, was employed in farming and working in saw mills in Hamilton Co .; in 1861, he came to Darke Co. and located in Neave Town- ship ; in 1872. he located upon his present place, and purchased 160 acres to which he has since added until he now owns 230 acres, and has brought a large part of the same. which was at the time a howling wilderness, to a good state of cultivation, by his own hard labor ; he erected his steam saw-mill in 1872, and has since successfully run the saw-mill in connection with farming ; Mr. Reed arrived in New York with very little money. and was robbed of all save one penny : he then borrowed the means to take him to Michigan, and paid the same back from his wages at $15 per month ; the writer of this article has been informed by friends of the above gentleman of the misfortunes of Mr. Reed in losing a large part of his hard earnings by the " sharp " (?) practice of a certain professional gentleman ;
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in 1876, he visited the land of his birth ; during the voyage, in the steamer Scot- land, they ran into and sank another vessel near Sandy Hook ; returning in the city of Antwerp, he also experienced another accident of the same nature. Wm. Reed and Sarah Lowery, were married March 18, 1867 ; she died June 5, 1874 ; four sons were the fruit of this union, viz. : John R., born March 11, 1868 ; Will- iam H., Nov. 1, 1869 ; David L., Jan. 7, 1872 ; Clifford, May 25, 1874 ; his mar- riage with Christiana Howard was celebrated Sep. 22, 1876; she was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Aug. 1, 1846 ; they had two children by this union-Walter H., born March 19, 1878, and an infant born Oct. 22, 1879. Mr. Reed was raised a Presbyterian, his first wife being of the same belief, his present wife being a mem- ber of the Christian Church ; the mother of Mrs. Reed was a daughter of John Porter, who was born in Pennsylvania and removed to Kentucky in 1830, thence to Darke Co. at a very early day, living here several years, and died in Kentucky in 1846.
F. REHLING, dealer in stoves, tinware, house-furnishing goods, etc., etc .. Greenville : is another of the self-made men of Darke Co .; born in Hesse, Ger- many, May 27, 1837, where he received a good German education ; at 16 years of age, he emigrated to America, landing in New York June 5, 1853 ; coming directly West, he arrived in Greenville without means, he then obtained employ- ment in the Fairview Hotel, at $6 per month, and for three years was employed in the hotel business ; he then served three years apprenticeship to learn the trade of tinner. and after completing his trade, he worked eleven years as journeyman ; in 1868, he engaged in the above business, and in 1870 was unfortunate in business, losing all his capital ; he then worked at the bench three years when he started his present business, which he has since successfully followed ; he feels perfectly safe in saying that he carries the largest stock of goods and does a more exten- sive trade in his line than any one in Greenville, and is one of our most enterprising and respected citizens. His marriage with Josephine Craig was celebrated in 1862 ; they have six children now living, viz : Wesley, William, Henry T., James F., Archie and Sophia E.
WILLIAM REQUARTH, farmer and stock-raiser ; residence Sec. 29, Township 10, Range 3 east ; P. O. Greenville ; born in Hesse, Germany, Sept. 22, 1833, where he attended the schools continually from 6 to 14 years of age ; he is the son of John H. Requarth, who was a native of the same place, born Jan. 9, 1796, and emigrated to America, landing in New York, Jan. 8, 1848, and is now living (at this date, 1879) at the advanced age of 84 years ; Wm. Requarth came to America and to Ohio with his parents in 1848 ; he assisted his father until 23 years of age, after which he was employed at farming and blacksmithing a few years, and upon the 5th of May, 1859. He was married to Wilhemia Ostermeier ; she was born Feb. 22. 1834, in Hesse, Germany ; they are the parents of six sons and four daughters, viz., William, Henry, John, Frank, Charlie, Louisa, Mena, Caro- line. Mollie and August ; the latter died in infancy. Mr. Requarth is one of the self-made men of Darke Co .; he has been a resident of the county since 1865, owns 123 acres of good land with good, farm-buildings valued at about $10,000, all of which he has made by his own hard labor ; he has held the office of Supervisor two terms, School Director two terms. and is now one of the Trustees of Green- ville Township.
FRED C. REQUARTH, brick-manufacturer ; P. O. Greenville. This gentle- man is a native of Germany ; born in Hesse July 1, 1841. He is a son of Henry Requarth, who emigrated to America with his family when our subject was only 6 years old. He landed in New York City, and from there came directly to Montgomery Co. and located in Clay Township; he is the father of sixteen children. Our subject remained at home, assisting his father on the farm in sum- mer, and devoting the winter to acquisition of knowledge in common schools till he was 14 years of age ; at this time he was apprenticed to learn the shoemaker's trade, and served a term of three years; he pursued his profession continually
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for the succeeding fourteen years. He then began the manufacturing of brick in the summer, and continued his trade through the winter months. He served his apprenticeship in Dayton, Ohio, and remained there the most of the time. till he came here in 1872 and settled on the place where he now resides ; he has an extensive brick-factory. He celebrated his marriage with Miss Lonisa Stein- brigge July 12, 1862 ; she is also a native of Germany ; seven children have been born to the family, all living. viz. : Rosa. born May 10. 1863 ; Emma, Sept. 11. 1865; Henry, Feb. 19, 1868 ; Augusta, -- 18. 1870 ; Mary. Nov. 12, 1873 ; Ida. Sept. 1, 1876, and Freddie, born Nov. 2. 18.8.
ABRAHAM RHOADES, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. O. Greenville ; one of the settlers of 1854; he was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio. Feb. 8, 1832 ; he was a son of Jacob Rhoades, who was born in Bedford Co, Penn., and came to Montgomery Co., Ohio, when 5 years of age, and is now living. at about 76 years of age. He married Barbara Soudurs ; she died about the year 1849. The subject of this sketch was raised to agricultural pursuits, and in 1854 came to Darke Co. and purchased 80 acres of the present place, to which he has since added by purchase, until he now owns, his home farm, with the best of farm buildings ; he also owns 106 acres of land in Mercer Co., besides one lot and one-half interest in two business houses in Greenville, and an interest in the National Bank of Greenville. all of which. save $200, he has secured by his own exertions and correct business habits. It can be truly said of him that he is one of the self-made men of Darke Co. Upon the 27th of April, 1856, he was united in marriage with Mary Pitsenberger ; she was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Jan. 23. 1832 ; they were the parents of seven children, viz. : Susan- nah, born Feb. 24. 1857, died Dec. 17, 1866 ; Jacob. March 9, 1859 ; Matilda A., May 12, 1861; Elizabeth. April 29. 1863; Stephen. Nov. 29, 1865 : Min- nie, Dec. 6, 1869, and Curtis, born March 17, 1873. Mrs. Rhoades was a daughter of Jacob Pitsenberger ; he was born in Pennsylvania Ang. 18, 1802; came to Ohio in 1811, and to Darke Co. about the year 1848 ; the last years of his life he lived in Greenville retired from business : he died Sept. 24, 1878. The mother of Mrs. Rhoades was Susanna Miller, born April 24. 1804. and died upon the anniversary. April 24, 1859.
CHARLES ROLAND, journalist ; Greenville ; was born in Washington Co., Ohio, Ang. 6. 1831 ; he was left an orphan when an infant, and was reared in the family of a friend in Fairfield Co .. Ohio ; his boyhood was passed on a farm, receiving only a meager common-school education, which terminated at the age of 14, when he entered the office of the Ohio Eagle, at Lancaster, where he learned the printing business and remained several years ; in 1856, he became a partner in the ownership of the paper with John M. Connell. subsequently Colonel of the 17th O. V. I .; in the latter part of 1861, Mr. Roland became sole proprietor and conducted that journal till the spring of 1866, when he disposed of the Eagle and purchased the Greenville Democrat, of which he has since been editor and pro- prietor ; when he took charge of the Democrat it was a small, poorly printed sheet, with a patronage too limited for support ; it is now the largest folio in the State, is conducted with ability, circulates widely, and has yielded its owner a handsome income. Mr. Roland has always been a stanch Democrat, and during his management of the Eagle it was a bold, outspoken sheet ; upon the opening of the late war. its editor. for taking exceptions to the manner in which the war was being conducted, in the fall of 1862, was summoned by Gov. Tod to an interview in his office at Columbus ; he at once presented himself before the Governor, hav- ing with him three prominent citizens of Lancaster, as witnesses of what might transpire. The Governor complained that the tone of his paper was disloyal and tended to discourage enlistments, and stated that his first impulse had been to suppress the paper and send its editor to Fort Warren. Mr. Roland replied, that he had taken for his guide the Constitution and laws of the country, and that of two meetings in the same week, at Lancaster, by Republicans and Democrats.
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respectively, at the former five men enlisted, and at the latter thirteen. The inter- view closed by a threat somewhat excitedly expressed by the Governor, in these words : " Constitution and laws or not, unless the tone of your paper is changed it will be suppressed, and you will be sent to Fort Warren ; I have the backbone to do it." Mr. Roland returned to Lancaster and published an attested account of the interview in the next issue of his paper, and continued to publish his views of the eventful struggle, and was not molested. In 1851, he married Amelia, daugh- ter of Lewis Clark, of Lancaster, and four sons and five daughters are the issue of the union ; the eldest son, Arthur A. Roland, is editor and publisher of the Leb- anon Patriot.
JERY RUNKEL, Sheriff; Greenville. Among the self-made men of Darke County we are pleased to make mention of the above gentleman ; he was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio. Ang. 15, 1835 ; came to Darke County with his parents when quite young ; he was left an orphan when 9 years of age ; thrown upon his own resouces and commenced the struggle of life alone ; he lived in Butler Township from 1844 to 1855, at which time he purchased a farm of forty acres in Harrison Township, upon which he then located and resided until Jan. 1. 1880, when he removed to Greenville ; in the spring of 1879 he received the nom- ination for Sheriff upon the Democratic ticket, elected October following by a majority of 675 votes. His marriage with Isabella Hindsley was celebrated in Harrison Township, Darke County, in 1857 ; they have four children now living, having lost two by death ; the living are William H., Joseph E .. Frances G. and Edith R.
ISAAC RUSH, retired farmer ; P. O. Greenville. Among the early pioneers of Darke County the gentleman whose name heads this sketch is entitled to a place in the front ranks ; he was born in Trenton, Butler Co., Ohio, Dec. 8, 1815 ; he was a son of Jacob Rush, who was born in Pennsylvania, and was among the early pioneers of Darke County ; locating here in 1829 upon the place where Isaac Rush now lives ; in 1830 he entered this land, where he passed the remainder of his days ; his death occurring in 1842. He married Jemima House in Butler County ; she was born in Warren County, and died in Darke County in 1854; they were the parents of seven children, of whom three are deceased. Isaac Rush came to Darke County in 1829, Greenville, at that time, containing very few buildings, a large part of the land upon which the city now stands being covered by a dense thicket ; he assisted his father until 1836, when he devoted four years to carpentering, and in 1840 took charge of the home farm, upon which he has lived, with the exception of the above four years, for a period of half a century ; he now has 85 acres reaching to the corporation limits, a part of which he has refused $300 per acre for, during his residence here he has witnessed the marvelous growth of a town of some two hundred inhabitants, spread out to be a city of some four thousand, and which has already extended to, and obtained a foothold upon his farm. He married Nancy Swisher in August, 1843 ; she was born in Montgomery County, and in 1830 came to Darke County ; they are the parents of five children, viz .. Mary, Abram, John, Ie and Alaska.
ANDREW T. RUSH, manufacturer, Greenville ; firm of Rush & Eby, proprietors of the Greenville Agricultural Works ; Mr. R. is one of the oldest citizens of Darke County, being born in this township April 11, 1831, and is a son of W. H. Rush, a native of Pennsylvania, who located here in 1812 ; he died about the year 1873 ; the subject of our sketch was raised to farming, which oc- cupation he has always followed in connection with milling, during which time he was also agent for the D. & U. R. R. at Rush Station, which was named in honor of his father. Upon the 18th of March, 1866, he was married to Anna Byrom, born in Washington Township April 18, 1839 ; she was a daughter of Silas Byrom, also an old settler ; they have three children by this union, viz., Sarah O., Wm. A. and an infant. In the year 1879, the firm of Rush & Eby was organized for the purpose of supplying a long-felt want of Darke County. Their business will be chiefly confined
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to the manufacture of plows and all kinds of agricultural implements ; they also give special attention to repairing of the same. Mr. Wm. Eby, the junior member of the above firm is a gentleman thoroughly educated in every detail of his busi- ness, and we find his reputation and skill as a superior workman is already estab- lished in Greenville. A card of their business will be found in another part of work and is the first agricultural works of Greenville.
HENRY ST. CLAIR, merchant ; Greenville ; dealer in groceries, provisions, produce, glass and queensware, etc., etc. Greenville, like most cities of its size, has its representative business men in nearly all branches of trade, and while it has several good stores in the above line, it is conceded by all, that the leading grocery house of Greenville is that of Henry St. Clair, who is one of the most enterprising, energetic and active business men of the place, and has by the above traits of character, combined with honorable and fair dealing, during the past eight years, built up the largest grocery trade done by any one house in Darke County ; he carries a large stock, selected with care, which would do credit to any large city. He has had a steady yearly increase of trade ; his sales for the year 1878 being up- ward of $200,000. Mr. St. Clair was born in Seneca Co., N. Y., upon the 7th of May, 1852 ; when 3 years of age, he emigrated to Darke County with his parents. and, after a residence of seven years, removed to Cincinnati, and was educated in the public schools, and completed his education by a course of instruction in the Commercial College ; at 16 years of age, he accepted a position as book-keeper in a large wholesale house in Cincinnati with which he remained four years ; in 1872. he came to Greenville and engaged in his present business. A card of his busi- ness will be found in the business directory of Greenville, in another part of this work. His marriage with Ella S. Van Dyke was celebrated Feb. 4, 1875 ; she was born in Glendale, Hamilton Co., Ohio, in 1853.
WILLIAM SCHAFER, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Greenville ; was born in Prussia, Germany. Sept. 2, 1833, where he followed farming until 20 years of age, when he emigrated to America, landing in New Orleans in 1853 ; he then came to Montgomery County and to Dayton and followed various pursuits in the above county until March, 1865, when he came to Darke County and purchased his pres- ent place ; he now has 84 acres with the best of farm buildings ; he landed in Dayton with a capital of $3.00, and has by his own hard labor and correct business habits, secured all of the above property ; in 1877, he was elected one of the Directors of the county infirmary, which office he now holds ; has been a member of the Lutheran Church thirty-two years ; has suffered great affliction in his family, having lost five of his eight children by death. Upon the 1st of December, 1859, he was united in marriage with Mary Schermer ; she was born in Auglaize Co., Ohio, in 1835 ; they were the parents of eight children, viz., Mary, born Feb. 3, 1861 ; William, born June 17, 1863, died Aug. 16, 1864 ; Katie, born Aug. 3, 1865, died May 8, 1876 ; Menie, born Aug. 29, 1867, died March 14, 1870 ; Louisa, born Dec. 10, 1869. died in 1871 ; John, born Feb. 17, 1872 ; Susie, born July 7, 1874 ; Harvey, born Oct. 4. 1876, died Feb. 1. 1879.
JACOB O. SCHELL, biographical historian, Greenville, is a son of Joshua Schell, and a grandson of Jacob and Elizabeth (Caylor) Schell ; he was born in Pennsylvania Oct. 14, 1779 ; and she, Dec. 19, 1784; they were the parents of twelve children ; six died in infancy, and six grew to maturity ; these were Elizabeth, born March 27. 1807 ; George, March 15, 1809 ; Joshua, July 29. 1811 ; Sophia, Jan. 2, 1815 ; Nancy, July 30, 1819; and Jacob, Jan. 19, 1827. They left Pennsylvania Oct. 14, 1830, and came to Ohio in a one-horse wagon, this was so crowded with their household goods that there was room for but one pas- senger ; the mother and the youngest son occupied. by turns, the va- cant space in the wagon ; Jacob was not 4 years old, yet he walked a good portion of the way, and no doubt made a grotesque appear- ance, in his red linsey dress andcap of rabbit skins. Elizabeth was married to Joseph Fourman and came to this State at the same time in a wagon
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of their own; they traveled from twelve to twenty-two miles per day ; in twenty-eight days they reached Montgomery County and stopped for a few days with Jacob Ryder near Liberty, and then went six miles below Hamilton to John Redsecker, who furnished them with an old log house to live in. When they landed, their stock consisted of the one-horse load of household goods, horse and wagon, and some less than $1 in money. They bought some 30 acres acres of timber land, and the next fall built a house and settled on their new home. It was mainly by the energy and economy of the two oldest boys that they were enabled to pay for this and improve it; George stayed at home till 25 years of age, and Joshua till 23 years old ; they and their father were carpenters, and worked for 75 cents a day. In 1850, they sold their little home for $1,500, and afterward bought 92 acres in Clay Township, Montgomery Co., near West Baltimore ; here he died Aug. 4, 1861. His widow then went to live with her son Joshua (who since the fall of 1851 had lived in Darke Co.), where she died Aug. 31, 1868. In 1839, Jan. 10, Joshua Schell was united in marriage with Mary White, born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 29, 1820 ; she is a daughter of Jacob White, who died a few years ago in Indiana, at the advanced age of 93 years. Joshua and Mary Schell were the parents of ten children-Amanda, born in Butler Co., Ohio. Aug. 30, 1839 ; Ann Elizabeth, Aug. 5, 1841 ; Mary F., Aug. 5, 1844; Sophy, Sept. 2, 1846 ; Jacob O., Sept 25, 1849; Adin H., born in Darke Co., Ohio, March 22, 1852; Nancy E., July 15, 1854 ; Joseph W., Sept. 24, 1856; Aurelia C., Nov. 28, 1860, and Milo M., Feb. 18, 1863. Five of these are married and have had in all nineteen children, of which seventeen are living. The subject of this sketch was brought up on the farm, and received a good common-school education ; in the fall of 1869, he commenced teaching, and continued to teach in the winter season for several years, and attended school during the summer, or worked at the car- penter's trade. On the 17th of June, 1875, just 100 years after the battle of Bunker Hill, he completed the English normal course at the Ohio Central Normal School at Worthington. On the 19th of June of the same year, he married Eliza- beth R. Mundhenk, a daughter of Philip Mundhenk, whose biography appears in this volume; she was born Feb. 16. 1853 ; for several years she also was en- gaged in teaching. In the fall of 1875, they moved to Gettysburg, Darke Co., Ohio, and taught the schools of that place ; the following year, they moved to Arcanum and remained three years ; here their daughter, Judith Opal, was born Aug. 9, 1877. They are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in which he was brought up. On Oct. 22, 1879, they moved to Greenville, and he is now one of the solicitors for this work.
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