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 76
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THOMAS O'BRIEN, retired farmer ; P. O. Gettysburg, Ohio ; Michael. his father, was a native of Ireland, where he lived, died, and was buried in his native country ; he married Margaret Kilday, who was also a native of Ireland, born on the 15th of August, 1769 ; she emigrated to America with her daughter Ann, in 1850, landing in New Orleans, and in 1861 she came to Darke County, Ohio; she departed this life in Gettysburg, Ohio, at the residence of her son, on the 15th of August, 1879, at the advanced age of 110 years ; the day of her death being her birth day, her friends and relatives were going to celebrate the day with joy and good wishes, but alas ! the messenger of death entered the household and removed her from earth to heaven. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Ireland, born in March, 1822 ; lived with his mother and worked on the farm during the summer, and attended subscription schools during the winter, and by close application he obtained a good common school education ; at the age of 17, he emigrated to America, landing in New Orleans, and in 1841 he went to Cin- cinnati, Ohio, where he remained till June of the same year, when he began to travel from one State to another till he had visited nearly every city and State in the United States, during which time he worked at all kinds of work ; and, at the breaking-out of the rebellion, he was working in Nashville, Tenn., acting as fore- man of the corporation, in which he worked a squad of men on the public works, and had, by using economy, accumulated some money, but left the city ; and in March, 1861, he came to Darke County, Ohio, locating in Van Buren Township, and followed farming ; and in 1862 he purchased 624 acres of land, for which he paid $900, where he remained till 1872, when he rented his farm and purchased property in Gettysburg, where he moved and has resided since. On the 27th of March, 1857, he celebrated his marriage with Bridget Mannix; three children were born to them, of whom one is living, viz., Margaret, born on the 13th of April, 1859 ; his wife died Jan. 29, 1861. He celebrated his second marriage with Catherine Meagen on the 29th of January. 1865 ; she was born in Ireland in 831, and emigrated to America in the fall of 1854; no children by this union. Mr. O'Brien. has accumulated some property by his hard labor, in which he has
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been nobly assisted by his good and industrious wife. He is a member of the St. Mary's Church of Greenville.
DAVID PATTY, farmer ; P. O. Bradford, Ohio ; James, his father, was a native of South Carolina, born on the 11th of November, 1805. He married Nancy Jones, who is a native of the same State, born on the 4th of October, 1814 ; they were married in Miami Co., Ohio, on the 3d day of April, 1831 ; shortly after their marriage, they moved to Darke Co., locating in Adams Township, Sec. 33; they commenced life with but little of this world's goods, but by hard labor, connected with temperate and correct business habits, accumulated a considerable amount of property. On the 26th of November, 1871, the angel of death entered their peaceful and interesting family, removing from earth to heaven James, the father, who was a loving father and a kind husband ; Nancy, his widow, is living at the present writing on the old home farm. They were the parents of sixteen children, of whom only five are living, viz., David, Joseph J., Ennis E., Malinda, Nancy J .; David, the subject of this sketch, was born in Darke Co., on the 10th of September, 1851 ; he spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, assisting in the clearing and the cultivation of the soil during the summer months, and attended the dis- trict school in the winter, thereby obtaining a good common-school education ; he also attended two terms at Pleasant Hill (Miami Co.) Graded School, also two terms in Gettysburg, Ohio ; on the 31st day of April, 1870, he met with a shocking accident ; while tying a jack in the stable, the animal caught him by the calf of the left leg, chewing it so badly that he was compelled to have it amputated above the knee ; Mr. Patty owns the old home farm, where he and his mother resides at present ; his mother is a member of the Christian Church, living a zealous and con- sistent Christian. Children-Joseph J., born 23d of March, 1857; Ennis, born 26th of September, 1840 ; Malinda, 20th of October, 1842; Nancy J., 17th of February, 1853. Joseph J. is married, and has erected a beautiful two-story frame house on part of the old home farm.
FRANKLIN PEIFFER, blacksmith, Gettysburg, Ohio ; is a son of Joseph Peiffer, whose biography appears in another place of this work, was born in Darke Co., Ohio, on the 26th day of June, 1854 ; he assisted his father on the farm until he was about 17 years old, when he commenced to work for himself, performing all kinds of work by the day and month, for different persons ; followed the thrashing machine for several seasons ; assisted in getting out railroad ties for some time, and also worked on the railroad as a section hand ; he commenced to learn the blacksmithing trade when in his 20th year, with Albert Behme, at Painter's Creek, where he applied himself very closely for a period of three years, completely mastering his trade. On the 25th day of March, 1877, he was united in marriage with Margaretha E. Friedrich, who was born in Dayton, Ohio, on the 19th day of November, 1856 ; he moved to Dawn, Darke Co., and formed a part- nership with G. W. Hartzell, and carried on blacksmithing for about seven months, meeting with fair success ; sold out to his partner and moved to Painter's Creek, where he followed his trade for about nineteen months, after which he moved to Gettysburg, Ohio, and entered into partnership with his brother Jacob, where he now resides. Mr. Peiffer is a hard-working man, and, with the help of his good wife, will in a short time, receive the reward of his toil. They have one child- Mary Olive, who was born on the 27th day of September, 1877.
JACOB PEIFFER, blacksmith, Gettysburg, Ohio ; Joseph G. Peiffer, the father of Jacob, is a native of York County, Penn., born on the 19th day of August. 1815 ; Magdalena Etter, his wife, is a native of Pennsylvania, born on the 18th day of August, 1817 ; they emigrated to Darke County, Ohio, in 1850, locating north of Gettysburg, where he rented a farm ; in 1869, he purchased 64 acres in Franklin Township, where he now resides ; have had seven children, of whom five are living, viz., Lucy, Michael, Jacob, Franklin and Peter A. Jacob, the subject of this sketch, was born in York County. Penn., on the 12th day of June, 1848 ; came with his parents to Darke County in the spring of 1850; lived with his
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parents till he was 20 years of age, assisting his father on the farm during the summer, and in the winter attended the district school, thereby obtaining a com- mon-school education. On the 2d day of May, 1864, he enlisted as a substitute for his brother-in-law in the one hundred day service, and went forth in defense of his country ; served four months, after which he was mustered out of service and returned home. In 1868, he commenced to learn the blacksmithing trade at Painter's Creek, with Poock & Behme, and in two years, he, by strict and close at- tention to business, mastered his trade, and in 1870 he went to Woodington and worked jour work till the 1st of April, 1871, after which he worked in Greenville, Ohio, with Coonrad Baker, for about six months, when he returned home and worked on the farm a short time ; on the 5th day of December, 1871, he formed a partnership with G. W. Hartzell, of Gettysburg, carrying on blacksmithing till 1873, when he sold out to his partner, and in June he made a visit to Pennsyl- vania, remaining about six weeks; returning to Gettysburg, he worked at his trade with Aaron Dershen till the fall of 1875, and in November he purchased property in Gettysburg, where he now resides ; in April, 1879, he formed a partnership with his brother Franklin, and are now doing a good business, giving universal satisfaction to their patrons. He was united in marriage with Millie A. Shimp, in Gettysburg, Ohio, on the 4th day of February, 1875 ; she was born in Preble County, Ohio, on the 28th day of August, 1852; two children are the fruits of this union, viz .: Edith Pearl, born on the 29th day of December, 1875 ; Vernon Ellsworth, born on the 28th day of March, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Peiffer are members of the Lutheran Church, and are highly esteemed by all who know them.
THOMAS A. RAMSEY, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 31; P. O. Gettysburg, Ohio. Samuel, his father, was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Berks Co. in 1780 ; was married to Ellen Fletcher, who was a native of England, born in Der- byshire about 1784; she came to America with two of her cousins when she was about 9 years old, locating in Pennsylvania, where she was married, and in 1811 they emigrated to Ohio, locating in Montgomery Co., two miles east of Dayton, on Gen. Finley's farm ; at that time, there were only a few houses in Day- ton, now a city of 65,000 inhabitants ; six years later, he purchased 208 acres of land in Miami Co., about five miles from Troy, where he moved, remaining there until his death, which occurred in September, 1860 ; Ellen, his wife, died in about 1855. Mr. Ramsey served as a wagoner under Gen. Hull, in the war of 1812 ; he also performed guard duty at the old block-house which stood opposite Gettys- burg, Ohio; he would pilot parties from the block-house to Greenville, and back again ; but the decay and ravages of time have left no trace of the "old block- house." Thomas A., the subject of this sketch, is a native of Ohio, born in Mont- gomery Co., on the 17th of August, 1814 ; he was taken by his parents to Miami Co. when he was quite young, where he spent his boyhood days, assisting his father on the farm during the summer months, and attending school part of the winter, which at that time was kept up by subscription until within the last two or three years, when free schools were organized ; he lived with his parents until he was in his 33d year, giving his entire services to them, knowing that by so doing his father would give him a good start in life ; however, there was a strong attach- ment between the father and son ; however, as he advanced in years, he concluded that he would engage in business for himself, and with due consideration he formed a resolution to take a partner for life, and on the 15th of April, 1847, he celebrated his marriage with Malinda Hoover, daughter of John and Mary Hoover, who was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1826 ; after his marriage he moved on his farm of 50 acres, which his father had given him, and engaged in farming for about seven years, when he sold out and purchased 50 acres in the same county (Miami), near Tippecanoe, where he moved, but only resided there about one year. when he sold out for $2,500, and moved on the Booher farm, consisting of about 500 acres ; however, previous to his moving, he had been appointed guardian for
T
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the Booher heirs ; he resided here for about nine years. during which time he lost his wife, her death occurring on the 27th of December, 1861 ; after her death he moved into the town of Tippecanoe, where he followed, or rather engaged in, the banking business on his own hook. In 1869, he purchased 197 acres in Darke County, Adams Township, for which he paid $7,880 ; during the same year he moved, and has resided there ever since, and on the 3d of March, 1864, he cele- brated his second marriage with Mrs. Adaline Litteral, whose maiden name was Snell. daughter of Eli and Evaline Snell. who is a native of Ohio, born in Miami County on the 23d of February, 1843; one child has been born to them, viz., Allie Grant, born on the 13th day of February, 1865. Mr. Ramsey is not a mem- ber of any church, but lives in his own soul's freedom, thinking, acting, and read- ing for himself, obeying the golden rule. " Do unto others as you would have them do unto yon ;" is strictly temperate in all his habits, and has accumulated a con- siderable amount of property, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and amiable wife. He is a firm Republican, his first vote being cast for Martin Van Buren. Mr. Ramsey's father and mother were the parents of ten children. five boys and five girls, of whom seven are living at the present time of writing, viz., Eliza, John H., James H., Thomas A., Mary A., Margaret B., Lewis M., George B., Harriett E. and Alfred W.
MICHAEL RECK, farmer and mechanic, P. O. Gettysburg, Ohio ; John, his father, was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Adams Co., in 1785. He married Miss Ann Hiner, who was a native of Maryland, born in Frederick Co., in 1788 ; they emigrated to Ohio in 1827, leaving Pennsylvania the 14th of October, arriving on the old Campbell farm on the 14th of November, moving in the house with Mr. Campbell, where they spent the winter, and in the spring they moved on the north- west corner of Sec. 31, on the banks of Greenville Creek, and in 1831 he erected a saw-mill near where the flouring-mill now stands; Mr. Reck laid out the town of Gettysburg. and named it after the Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ; he entered 928 acres in Darke Co .; they were the parents of eleven children, six boys and five girls; ten were living when they came to Ohio, six of whom have survived the storms of life at the present writing, viz., Samuel, John, Eli. Lydia, Elizabeth and Michael. Mr. Reck departed this life on the 9th of February, 1878, being 93 years 10 months and 24 days old; his wife died Sept. 11, 1856. Michael, the subject of this sketch, is one of Darke Co's old pioneers, who is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Adams Co., on the 23rd of October, 1810 ; he received his education in the district schools of Adams Co., Penn., and, being a natural mechanic, he spent the most of his time at carpentering, in preference to farming ; he came to Darke Co ... with his parents, in 1828, being in his 17th year ; he continued to follow his trade, and in 1830 he performed the first carpentering work on the first schoolhouse built in the township. On the 20th of June, 1833. he celebrated his marriage with Eliza Hershey, and on the 28th of November. 1834, she passed from earth to heaven. He followed his trade for about twenty-three years. On the 28th of November, 1836, he celebrated his second marriage with Miss Mary Warwick ; after his marriage. he moved on a traet of land which contained 70 acres. that he had purchased in 1831, in Sec. 31, where he resided for a period of about six years. when he removed to Gettysburg .. and engaged in the hotel business, which at that time was good ; he had built the stand in 1838; he remained here about six vears, meeting with good success ; he then rented the hotel to William Fritz, and removed to his farm, where he remained till 1869, when he removed to Gettysburg, remaining about eighteen months, after which he removed to his farm, where he has continued to reside ever since ; in the course of time he traded the hotel prop- erty in Gettysburg, for a farm of 160 acres in Mercer Co., which he sold in 1862 for $1,650 ; he now owns 181 acres and a house and lot in Gettysburg ; Mr. Reck has given to his children about $11,000 in land and money ; he has, by his hard labor, connected with correct business and strict temperate habits, accumulated a large amount of property. in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and
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amiable wife, both of whom have passed through the many struggles, dangers, privations and incidents so common to the pioneer of the West, and are now reaping the reward of their toil ; Mr. Reck would not accept any of the township offices. although they have been offered to him time and again. They are the parents of ten children. of whom eight are living, viz., Sarah A., born Jan. 24 1838 ; Wilkins, Nov. 14. 1841 ; Jeremiah S., Oct. 15, 1843 ; Frances, July 28, 1845 ; Nancy J., Sept. 29, 1848 ; Mary, Nov., 16, 1854 ; Charles E., May 16, 1852 ; James C, April 6, 1858. Mr. Reck has raised a large family and has taught them the great importance of industry and the use of carpentering tools.
WILLIAM L. RECK, miller and grain dealer ; P. O. Gettysburg ; the son of David Reck, whose biography appears in another place of this work ; born in Penn- sylvania, on the 10th of February, 1835 ; came with his parents to Ohio when he was in his 4th year ; spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, and obtained his education in the first schoolhouse that was built in Adams Township ; at the age of 21 he apprenticed himself to his brother to learn the carpentering trade, and at the expiration of two and a half years he completed his trade, and formed a partnership with his brother, carrying on the business for about six years, meeting with good success ; dissolved partnership, and worked on his own responsibility till 1864, when, on the 2d day of May. he enlisted in the 100-day service. going forth in defense of his country ; was mustered in the United States Service at Camp Dennison, where he joined the 152d O. N. G. Co. C, and was appointed Sergeant ; joined the command of Gen. Hunter in Virginia ; he was in several hard-fought battles and long and tedious marches, viz. : Lynchburg, Sulphur Springs, Liberty, etc. ; on the 2d of September, 1864, he was mustered out at Camp Dennison ; he enlisted in the State service, 28th Battalion, Co. D. and was appointed Third Sergeant ; after his return from the army he was drafted, but hired a substitute, Joseph Allspaugh, who died in Wilmington, N. C .; in 1871 he purchased the half-interest in the Premium Flouring Mills, near Gettys- burg, where he now resides ; the mill has four run of buhrs, with a capacity of 100 bushels per day ; the brand of flour brings the highest market price in the Eastern market ; he handles about 150,000 bushels of grain during the year, always pay- ing the highest market price.
Was united in marriage with Mary Ann Trump
on the 14th of August, 1859 ; she was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, on the 27th of April, 1840 ; seven children have been born to this union, viz. : Ervin, born June 10, 1861 ; Lanna Bell, Oct. 22, 1863 ; Horris, July 6, 1866 ; Harriett, July 6, 1866 ; Olive, May 22. 1868 ; Cora, May 16, 1870 ; Mary Blanch, Dec. 12, 1874. Mr. Reck has accumulated a considerable amount of property by his hard labor, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and industrious wife ; he is a member of the Masonic Order, also of the I. O. O. F. of Gettysburg ; he stands high in both orders, and is known as an honest, upright man in all his deal- ings, being strictly temperate in all his habits.
JACOB RECK, grain-dealer; P. O. Horatio, Ohio ; is a son of Jacob and Mary M. Reck, who is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Bedford County on the 3d day of July, 1833. Jacob, his father, was a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1795 ; he married Mary M. Seibt, who was born in Maryland, near Chambersburg, in 1802. In 1837, he with his family were making preparations to move West, when death overtook him and he sank peacefully to rest, his spirit passing to the higher courts above, and in 1838, Mary M., his widow, with a family of six chil- dren emigrated to Ohio, locating in Adams Township, Darke County, where she bought a farm for which she paid $800, all the money that she possessed, and for six years she with her family labored hard to keep from starving, living on corn bread the most of the time, but with willing hands and an indomitable will she survived the storm of life to see all of her children arrive at the years of maturity, and in 1868 her spirit joined the angel band that was awaiting her arrival to the summer land ; her children are all living at the present writing, viz. : William, Samuel, Susan (now Mrs. John Morrison), Mary J. (now Mrs. Henry Erisman),
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Anna E. (now Mrs. John Walker). Jacob, the subject of this memoir, lived with his mother till he was about 18 years old, during which time he assisted in the clearing and the cultivation of the soil during the summer months, and attended the district school part of the winter, and by close application to his books he oh- tained a good common school education ; at the age of 18 he commenced to learn the carpentering trade with Levi Reck, for whom he worked a period of about eighteen months, when he accidentally cut his knee with the ax, which prevented him working away from home ; however, while at home he built a kitchen for his mother, remained at home for about one year, when he formed a partnership with Perry Creager and engaged in the grocery and dry-goods business in Horatio, where they also bought and sold grain, which business they followed for about eleven years, meeting with good success ; they sold out to Perry's brother, but one year later Mr. Lecklider purchased the property. He moved on his mother's farm and farmed for three years, after which he removed to Horatio, where he has re- sided ever since, working at all kinds of work, carpentering, plastering, buying grain, etc., and, in fact, is never idle. He celebrated his marriage on the 19th day of September, 1861, with Lizzie Werts, an accomplished daughter of Christian and Mary Werts ; she was born in Mercer Co., Ohio, on the 6th of September, 1840 ; she has taught school four years ; her parents reside in Mercer Co., Ohio. Mr. Reck has accumulated a handsome little fortune by his hard labor, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and industrious wife, connected with cor- rect and temperate business habits. They are active workers in the cause of religion, being members of the Presbyterian Church of Gettysburg ; three children have been born to them, of whom one is living, viz. : Ira W., born on the 13th of January, 1868. The shadows of two great afflictions have rested upon the family hearth-stone during the past ten years-that of little Noah, a bright and promising little boy of 62 summers, who came to his death by a stick of wood falling on him, killing him instantly ; Estella, an interesting child of 18 months, was called to join her angel brother in that beautiful summer land. Mr. Reck is not a political aspirant, refusing all offices offered him.
JOHN RECK, farmer ; P. O. Gettysburg. He is a son of John Reck, whose biography appears with Michael Reck's, who is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Adams Co., on the 27th of February, 1814 ; lived with his parents and assisted his father on the farm during the summer months, and attended subscription school a part of the winter, till he was in his 14th year, when he, with his parents, emi- grated to Ohio, locating in Darke Co., Adams Township, while at that time there was not a schoolhouse in the township, and during the summer of 1830 he assisted in the erection of the first schoolhouse, and completed his course of studies in the same, although he did not have the opportunity of attending the school as much as he desired, as he was compelled to assist his father in clearing and preparing the soil for cultivation ; he remained at home, helping his father to open up the farm, till he was 23 years old, except at times he would assist his brother Michael in carpentering. On the 5th day of January, 1837, he celebrated his marriage with Isabell Belew, who was born in Miami Co., Ohio, on the 13th of January, 1819 ; after his marriage he erected a hewed-log house on Sec. 31, a tract of land which his father had given him as his share ; he then moved what little furniture they had, which consisted of one bedstead and bedding, seven splint-bottomed chairs, one set of cups and saucers, one set of plates, one skillet, two Dutch ovens and a teakettle ; the cupboard he made himself, and in fact he made nearly all of his furniture, as he was a natural mechanic ; he then commenced the task of clearing and opening up his farm ; he did not spend much time in hunting, but put all his time in on his farm, although he has killed several deer by torchlight on Green- ville Creek. He remained on his farm for a period of about four years, after which he rented his farm and moved to his father's saw-mill, on Greenville Creek, where he took charge of the sawing, which he followed for nearly seven years, when he removed to his farm, where he has resided ever since, and, by hard labor, connected
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with correct business and strictly temperate habits, he has cleared nearly 100 acres, accumulating a considerable amount of property, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and industrious wife, both having passed through the many struggles, dangers and incidents so common to the pioneer of the West ; having fought the battles of a pioneer life bravely, they are now reaping the reward of their labor. They have had a family of six children, of whom three are living, viz .: Isaac, born July 13, 1838 ; Silas, July 20, 1844 ; Rebecca, June 12, 1846. Mr. Reck relates a very interesting account of a remarkably large white-oak tree which stood on his farm ; he felled it with his ax, and it took him about three- quarters of a day to cut it down, which, when down, measured eight feet through ; from which tree he made 730 rails from 7 o'clock A. M. till 4 P. M. Where could there be found a young man at this time who could perform the same amount of labor in a week ? He now owns 160 acres, with good farm buildings, etc., and has given his children to the amount of about $7.000. Mr. and Mrs. Reck are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are living zealous and consistent Christians, having been members of the church for about forty-two years.
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