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 89
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JOHN J. KUHNLE, farmer, Sec. 18 ; P. O. Gordon. The subject of this memoir was born in Wittemburg, Germany, in 1821, and is the son of Philip and Julia Kuhnle, natives of Germany ; our subject assisted his father in agricultural pur- suits till he was 28 years of age ; in 1848, he emigrated to America ; he came to Montgomery Co., Ohio, where he resided for sixteen years and engaged in farming, then he came to Darke Co., where he purchased 80 acres of land in 1865 ; his land shows good cultivation, and his improvements are good and substantial ; in 1872, he purchased 50 acres adjoining his home farm, and now owns 130 acres of valu- able land. He was united in marriage with Miss Mary, daughter of Mr. Henkel. in 1851 ; five children have been given to this union, viz .: Elizabeth, born March 31, 1852 ; Caroline, Dec. 31, 1853 ; Eve, Aug. 29, 1857 ; Victoria, March 5, 1864 ; William, Oct. 8, 1868; Elizabeth was married April 1, 1872, to Adam Kohns ; Mrs. Kuhnle departed this life July 27, 1877, and her remains are interred in the Gordon Cemetery ; she was born Jan. 25, 1832.
SUSANAH LONG ; P. O. Potsdam, Ohio. The subject of this memoir was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Feb. 13, 1823, and is a daughter of David and Elizabeth Smith ; they were born in Pennsylvania and removed to Mont- gomery County in a very early day, and were among the early pioneers of that county ; her father died at the age of 48, and her mother at the age of 62 years ; they were the parents of seven children, of whom five are living, viz .: John S., Solomon, Mary, Esther, and the subject of this sketch, who was united in marriage with Abraham Long, now deceased, May 14, 1846 ; they resided in Montgomery Co. for sixteen years after their marriage, when they removed to Darke Co., where she now resides ; she owns 80 acres of land where she resides,
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all in a good state of cultivation, with good average improvements erected thereon. Mr. Long was born in Pennsylvania Feb. 18, 1818, and departed this life May 25, 1863 ; he was a son of Abraham and Ann Long, natives of Pennsyl- vania, afterward residents of Montgomery Co .; they died at advanced ages ; they were the parents of five children, viz., Christian, Elizabeth, Nancy, Fanny and Abraham. Mr. and Mrs. Long are the parents of thirteen children, of whom eight are living, viz .: John, born Feb. 28, 1847 ; Henry, Aug. 6, 1848 ; Rose A., Jan. 26, 1858 ; Joseph, Sept. 27, 1854; David, July 11, 1856 ; Ellen M., June 21, 1859 ; Daniel, Dec. 14, 1860. The deceased are-Elizabeth, born Jan. 1, 1850 (died May 9, 1878, nee Mrs. Aaron Pearson, leaving two children, viz., Esty, born Feb. 13, 1872, and Ellis, born Sept. 1, 1873; both are adopted by their grandmother) ; Noah, born May 17, 1851, and died in infancy ; Moses, born March 17, 1852, also died in infancy ; Sarah J., born March 26, 1853, and died Sept. 6, 1877 ; Esther, born Sept. 27, 1854, and died Aug. 1, 1855 ; William, born July 11, 1862, and departed this life Dec. 18, 1863. Mrs. Long has been a member of the Christian Church for twenty-four years, and is an exemplary Christian woman, and though her sorrows and bereavements have been many, her Christian fortitude has never forsaken her, but to the contrary, each affliction has added strength to the chain of tender ties that connect her with departed loved ones.
FREDERICK MILLER, farmer, Sec. 6; P. O. Arcanum, was born in Ger- many in 1823 and emigrated to America in 1846, and landed in New York in June. He came to Montgomery Co., where he worked at the mason trade for about two years, and then removed to Darke Co. in 1850, and settled in Franklin Town- ship, where he purchased 120 acres of land. He resided here about fourteen years, when he sold out and moved to Monroe Township, where he now resides, and purchased 165 acres of land. It was partly in the woods, but he has cleared it all, and his land now is in a good state of cultivation, with good, comfortable buildings thereon. He was united in marriage Jan. 18, 1849, with Susanna, daughter of Jacob and Susanna Flory, natives of Pennsylvania ; six children are the fruits of this union, viz .: Mary A., born March 24, 1850 ; Susanna A., born Oct. 28, 1851 ; Jennie, born June 10, 1853, died Oct. 21, 1860 ; John F., born Oct. 24, 1856 ; Ammala, born March 23, 1860 ; Barbara M., born Jan. 8, 1863. Mr. Miller's father was born in Germany in 1792, and died at the age of 83 years. His mother, Mary J. (Gieser) Miller was born in 1801 and died in 1861. Mrs. Mil- ler's father, Jacob Flory, was born in Somerset Co., Penn., July 4, 1801, and died in September, 1853. Her mother, Susanna (Smith) Flory, was born in Virginia, October, 1802. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have made all their worldly wealth by their own hard labor and enterprise, and now have a good home, in which to enjoy their declining years. He has been Trustee and School Director of his township. Mr. Miller is a member of the Lutheran Church, and his wife belongs to the German Baptist Church. Mrs. Miller was born July 3, 1827.
GEORGE MILLER, farmer, Sec. 19; P. O. Gordon ; the subject of this sketch was born in Wittemburg, Germany, Oct. 5, 1817, and is a son of Charles and Dora Miller, both natives of Germany ; his father died in Germany, aged 53 years ; his mother died in America, aged 81 years ; his father was a cabinet- maker by trade, but our subject became a stonecutter, and afterward learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed while he lived in Germany ; he emigrated to this country in August, 1847, and landed in New York ; came to Ohio and settled in Darke Co. ; he purchased 62 acres of land all in the woods, but, going to work with a will that is characteristic of our German citizens, he soon cleared off the timber, and got his land in a state of cultivation, and now has good improvements erected thereon ; he commenced life with a very small capital, but by energy and persevering industry, in which he was nobly assisted by his good wife, overcame and bridged the broad gulf of poverty and adversity with the chain of determina- tion, and they are comfortably moored in a harbor of rest-secure from the chilling blasts of adversity. He was united in marriage with Catherine, daughter of
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Michael and Barbara Creeb, April 12, 1840 ; twelve children are the fruits of this. union, viz .: John, born April 1, 1841 ; Catherine, born Oct. 11, 1844 ; Rose, born Feb. 14, 1846; Margaret, born April 1, 1848 ; Elizabeth, born Nov. 1, 1849 ; Lydia, born April 1, 1851 ; Mary, born June 16, 1852 ; George, born June 2, 1854 ; Frederick, born March 16, 1856 ; David, born Feb. 27, 1858 ; Margaret, born June 22, 1860 ; Charles, born July 2, 1862. Margaret, died Nov. 15, 1854 ; Frederick, died Sept. 23, 1860 ; Rose, died Dec. 9, 1873. John was married to Rebecca Shank, daughter of Peter Shank, in March, 1869; Catherine married Nel- son Marcum, in March, 1870 ; Elizabeth married George Schmeltcher, July 2, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Lutheran Church, and are consist- ent Christian people ; Mrs. Miller was born Jan. 8, 1820.
NELSON MOTE, farmer ; P. O. Arcanum ; the subject of this memoir was born in this township, May 30, 1842, and is a son of Noah and Catherine Mote ; his father was the third actual settler in this township. Our subject assisted his father in the duties of the farm till his 17th year, when he began life for himself. and at his country's call for men to preserve the honor of the flag and save the Union in the impending crisis. he enlisted in Company B of the glorious old 110th O. V. I., Aug. 17, 1862, and went resolutely forth to do whatever his country required of him ; he was stationed at Piqua about two months, and then his regi- ment was sent to Parkersburg, W. Va., in October, where they remained two weeks, thence to Clarksburg. W. Va., where his regiment did camp duty till Christmas, and then did fortification duty till June, 1863, and was then ordered to the front, stationed at Harper's Ferry ; his regiment belonged to the 3d Divi- sion of the 3d Army Corps ; in the spring, they were transferred to the 6th Army Corps ; his regiment participated in the engagement at Winchester, and afterward in the ever-memorable and disastrous battle of the Wilderness, that raged with unabated fury all through the month of May, in 1864 ; here the regiment lost heavily, but our subject escaped uninjured ; the battle of Cold Harbor followed almost immediately, and the old 110th was again plunged into the thickest and hottest of the fight. and came out with thinned ranks, crippled and torn, and only a shadow of its former strength ; here our subject received a severe wound in the left hand, entirely losing the forefinger, and shattering the bones in his hand in a terrible manner ; this wound incapacitated Mr. Mote from further duty till the 15th of December, when he again joined the regiment at Petersburg, Va., and was engaged in the terrible and destructive battles of that renowned stronghold in March and April of 1864, and on April 2 he received two wounds. one in the breast, and the other behind the left ear, the ball passing clear through his head, and coming out by the side of his nose ; he was again taken to the hospital, this time to City Point, and afterward to the hospital in Washington, where he remained till he was honrably discharged from the service, May 19, 1865, having served his country well and faithfully for two years nine months and two days ; he now returned home, completely broken down from wounds, exposure and privations of war, and was unable to do much manual labor, but did all he could. He was united in marriage with Miss Sarah, daughter of George and Mary Hansberger, Aug. 16, 1866 ; her parents were residents of Darke County; her father was born in Vir- ginia in 1810, her mother was born in Kentucky in 1816, and came to Darke County in 1823 ; Mr. Hansberger came in 1835 ; they were married in 1840, and are the parents of six children, of whom three are living. Mr. Mote has filled the office of Supervisor for one term ; Mrs. Mote is a member of the Christian Church, and is an exemplary Christian woman.
GEORGE NETZLEY, deceased. The subject of this memoir was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., Nov. 5, 1823, and was a son of George and Eliza- beth Netzley, also natives of Pennsylvania, and removed to Montgomery County in 1835 and settled on a farm, where they lived till 1873, when they removed to Franklin Township, Darke Co., and resided till their death. Mr. Netzley, Sr., died in the summer of 1875, aged 78 years; Mrs. Netzley departed this life in 1876, aged
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75 years ; Geo. Netzley, our subject, settled in Monroe Township in 1859, on the same farm where his widow now resides; he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine, daughter of D. and Mary Cauffman, July 13, 1846, they being natives of Pennsylvania ; eight children are the fruits of this union, viz .: Mary, born Dec. 3, 1847 ; Urias, born Sept. 25, 1849 ; Joseph, born July 11, 1851 ; Eli. born Jan. 27, 1855 ; Allen, born Feb. 10, 1857 ; Jesse, born April 12, 1861 ; Ros- etta, born Nov. 7, 1865 ; David A., born Aug. 30, 1871. Mr. Netzley departed this life Sept. 7, 1879, aged 55 years 10 months and 2 days ; his death was caused by aceident, his arm being caught in the cylinder of a thrashing machine, and before he could be extrieated he was terribly injured ; the accident happened on Monday, and he lingered till the following Sunday, when death came to his relief ; Mr. Netzley purchased only 60 acres when he first settled in Darke County, but by careful management and persevering industry he kept adding to his small farm until his death, when he was in possession of 290 acres of as fine land as there is in the county, with fine buildings erected thereon, the fruits of his hard-earned labor.
DAVID W. NISWONGER, carpenter and builder ; resides on Sec. 7 ; P. O. Arcanum. The subject of this sketch was born in Darke County Jan. 6, 1843. and is a son of John Niswonger, whose sketch appears in this work. Our subjeet assisted his father in agricultural pursuits till his 18th year, when at his eoun- trys'. eall, he was one of the first to respond, and volunteered in Co. K, of the 19th I. V. I., and afterward belonged to the 2d Corps, in the Army of the Potomae ; he passed through several severe engagements, the first at Slaughter Mountain, the second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, and the battle of Antietam, where he received a severe wound in the left breast that rendered him unfit for military duty, and he was obliged to repair to the hospital, where he remained for six months, when he was honorably discharged from the service and returned to his home, and remained for nine months, but, still thirsting for the smoke and exeite- ment of battle, he again enlisted in Co., B, of the 110th O. V. I., and returned to the front, and passed through the desperate and sanguinary battle of the Wilder- ness of 1864, where so many brave boys laid down their lives, merely to appease the clamorous cry raised by the North, of " On to Richmond ;" nothing of advan- tage was accomplished by this battle, but the heaps of dead and dying were ghastly witnesses of the great sacrifice of life to our brave boys in blue, and their noble and heroic commander, MeClellan, was stigmatized as an inefficient leader, because he led where popular sentiment demanded, but absolutely contrary to the better judgment of men posted in military tacties ; after this came the battle of Spottsylvania. the "Slaughter-pen," where, our subject informs us, the dead lay in literal heaps, and large trees were shattered by the terrible rain of iron hail ; he was at Cold Harbor, and in fact all the fighting that was gone through by the Army Potomae, in the great campaign of 1864. At Monocaey Junetion, in Maryland, he was taken prisoner, and sent to Danville, and was in the hands of the rebels seven months and thirteen days, when he was exchanged, and came home on furlough and reported at Camp Chase, but on account of ill health, and shattered constitution, caused by the fearful exposure in rebel prison pens, and the brutal treatment he received at their hands, he was honorably discharged from the service of his country in 1865. He returned home and labored on the farm for two years. and then engaged in harness-making in Pittsburgh for four years, when he sold out, and has followed carpentering from then till the present time. He was united in marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of David and Naney Oldmine, May 19, 1867; her father was born in Pennsylvania, and her mother in Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Niswonger are the parents of six children, viz .: William H., born Oct. 7, 1869 ; Hetta, V., born April 16, 1872 ; Sarah E., born July 25, 1874 ; Clifford, born Dee. 21. 1876 ; Harry, born Sept. 7, 1879 ; one dying in infaney. Our subject has had his full share of township offices, having served as Township Clerk for six years, Township Asses- sor five years. His wife is a member of the German Baptist Church, and an exem- plary Christian woman.
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ELI NISWONGER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 17; P. O. Arcanum ; was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Aug. 31, 1836, and is a son of George and Eliza- beth (Warner) Niswonger. His father was born in the same county in March, 1809, and died in the place of his birth, aged 70 years 4 months and 4 days. His mother was born in Pennsylvania in January, 1811, and died in Montgomery Co., aged 57 years. They were the parents of six children. of whom all are living but one, which died in infancy. Our subject assisted his father in home duties until his 21st year, when he began life for himself and engaged in farming, which he fol- lowed in his native county until 1864, when he removed to Darke Co., on the place where he now resides. It contained 90 acres, all in its wild state when he began operations on it, but by persistent labor he has deprived it of its native gran- deur, and now it is in a good state of cultivation and well improved. He was united in marriage with Miss Mary H., daughter of Jesse and Eliza Cauffman, Feb. 3, 1859. Her parents were residents of Montgomery Co. Her father died at the age of 48 years and 9 months. Her mother is still living, at the advanced age of 67 years. They were the parents of ten children, of whom all are living but four. All reside in Dayton but one, who resides in Tippecanoe, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Nis- wonger are the parents of eight children, viz .: Laura Belle and Dora Ellen (twins), born April 17, 1862 ; Orrie, born April 7, 1864 ; George, born March 18, 1866; Jesse and Ira (twins), born Jan. 27, 1873; Willie, born April 5, 1875 ; Webby, born July 14, 1877 ; Ira departed this life June 27, 1873. Mr. Niswon- ger has had the honors of petty offices conferred upon him by his constituents, and has performed his duties to the satisfaction of the public. Our subject was instrumental in causing the erection of School District No. 7. Ile circulated a petition and obtained the signatures of all the householders in the new district some eighteen months before it was presented to the Board, and was rewarded for his time and trouble, and has a good school with an enumeration of eighty-one, in close proximity to his own house.
DAVID NISWONGER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 17; P. O. Pottsdam. Miami Co., Ohio. The subject of this memoir was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, May 29, 1834, and is a son of George and Elizabeth Niswonger; Mr. Niswonger was born in Montgomery Co. March, 1809, and lived and died on the place where he was born, aged 70 years 4 months and 4 days ; Mrs. Niswonger was born in Pennsyl- vania January, 1811, and died in Montgomery Co., Ohio, aged 57 years ; they were the parents of six children, of whom all are living but one, who died in infancy- David (the subject of this sketch), Eli (whose sketch also appears in this work), Catharine (now Mrs. Peffly, and resides in Franklin Township), May (now Mrs. Wanger, lives in Montgomery County) and Moses who resides in Michigan. Our subject assisted his father on the farm till his 21st year, when he began life for himself, and worked his father's farm on shares for two years, and burned lime for a season ; then removed to Darke County and settled on the farm where he now resides, when it was mostly in the woods ; he immediately set to work to clear off the heavy timber, and, going at it with a will, he soon accomplished a large part of the work, and, at the expiration of six years, he purchased a steam saw-mill, which he operated for four years, but was very unfortunate in this undertaking as the mill was twice destroyed by fire, and he was a loser of all the labor and money he had furnished; he then turned his attention to the farm again, and has followed this occupation ever since; he has 90 acres of good land, all in a good state of cultivation, and the improvements are all first-class; Mr. Niswonger has been very unfortunate in life; in 1863, the first year after he resumed work on the farm, he lost upward of $100 worth of hogs from cholera; the second year, he lost the best horse he had, which cost him $140 to replace ; the third year, he was terribly afflicted with sickness in his family, and doctor bills, etc., cost him a large amount of money ; in 1871, he lost his entire crop, except some barley and wheat, by a terrible hail-storm that swept over his locality, and was a heavy loss to him ; since then, the sunshine of peace and prosperity has dissolved the lowering clouds
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of adversity, and all has gone well ; free from pecuniary loss, he has escaped the rav- ages of disease, and the elements no longer play sad havoc with his growing grain. He celebrated his marriage with Miss Anna, daughter of Jacob and May Pebbly, March 14, 1857; they were natives of Pennsylvania, and removed to Montgomery County in 1823; Mr. Pebbly was born in August, 1801; Mrs. Pebbly was born in 1803 ; they were the parents of ten children. viz., Lydia (now Mrs. Flory, resides in Montgomery County), Sarah (now deceased, formerly Mrs. Prizen resided in Indiana), Fanny (now Mrs. Flory, resides in Montgomery County), John (who lives in Darke County), Mary (now Mrs. Landis, formerly Mrs. Cloppert, who lives in Montgomery County), Anna (wife of the subject of this sketch), Jacob (resides in Darke County), Simon (lives in Montgomery County), Samuel (resides in Miami County), Benjamin (started for Kansas the 16th of December, where he intends to make a home); Mr. and Mrs. Niswonger are the parents of seven children, viz .: Moses, born June 14, 1858; Mary E., March 12, 1861 ; Clem- ent L., Sept. 1, 1863; Charles E., March 26, 1868; Cora, Sept. 27, 1870; Sarah. Nov. 30, 1873; Edwin A., Aug. 21, 1877; Clement departed this life Oct. 15, 1863 ; both Mr. and Mrs. Niswonger are members of the German Baptist Church, and are worthy Christian people ; he was once an inveterate user of tobacco, but, finding it was undermining his health, he resolved to quit, and did ; his receipt for a cure is, " never put it in your mouth, and don't use it in any way, shape or form."
JOHN NISWONGER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 18; P. O. Arcanum ; to the subject of this memoir we are pleased to accord a place in the front ranks of the early pioneers of Darke Co. ; he was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, May 28, 1815, and is a son of John and Elizabeth Niswonger, who were born in Virginia about 1786, and removed to Ohio in 1807, and settled northwest of Dayton about twelve miles, where they resided till Mr. Niswonger's death, which occurred in 1850 ; some years after the death of her husband, Mrs. Niswonger removed to Darke Co., and resided with her daughter, Mrs. Samuel Baker, till her death, which occurred when upward of 70 years of age ; they were the parents of nine children, of whom five are living, viz .: John, the subject of this sketch ; Eli, a resident of Montgomery Co. ; Frances, now Mrs. Benjamin Baker, and resides in Mont- gomery ; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Samuel Baker, and lives in the same county ; May, now Mrs. Samuel Baker, and resides in Darke Co. The deceased are George, died aged 71 years ; Rachel (Mrs. Michael), aged 68 years; Nellie (Mrs. Swank), aged 38 years ; Nicholas departed this life at the age of 47 years. Our subject assisted his father on the farm till his 21st year, when he began life for himself, and rented a farm in Montgomery Co. for two years, and then removed to Darke Co. in 1837 ; he purchased 189 acres of land, built a cabin immediately and went to work to clear up his land, which was covered with a dense growth of heavy timber and underbrush, and, by dint of hard labor that required energy and perse- verance, he and his good wife, after years of toil and privations, such as the early pioneers of Darke Co. know, have, with their combined efforts, made a home in which to end their declining years, full of every comfort and happiness and refinement, and are dwellers therein. Our subject has been very successful all through life, and added to his original purchase 160 acres in Sec. 18, and removed to this place in 1878, where he still resides. He was united in marriage with Miss Susanna, daughter of David and Esther Warner, Sept. 3, 1835. Mr. Warner was born in Bedford Co., Penn., April 3, 1787, and died Nov. 13, 1862. Mrs. Warner was born in the same county in 1788, and died Sept. 13, 1872 ; they removed to Mont- gomery Co. in 1811, and settled on a farm ; they were the parents of seven chil- dren, of whom five are living, Susanna, now Mrs. Niswonger ; Catharine, now Mrs. Lecchy, and resides in this county ; John, resident of Miami Co. ; Jacob, resides in this county ; David, a resident of Madison Co., Ind. The deceased are Henry, died Sept. 22, 1841 ; Elizabeth, died in 1867, aged 56 years. Mr. and Mrs. Nis- wonger are the parents of twelve children, viz. Mary, born Jan. 9, 1837 ; Catharine, born July 11, 1838; George, born Nov. 3, 1839; Elizabeth, born April 13,
Y
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1841 ; David, born Jan. 6, 1843; Esther, born March 4, 1845 ; Lydia, born April 20, 1847 ; Lucinda, born Sept. 2, 1851 ; John C., born July 22, 1853; Harvey, born Sept. 16, 1855 ; Nicholas J., born June 1, 1857, and Harriet. Elizabeth departed this life Aug. 14, 1870. Mr. Niswonger has spared neither pains nor expense to educate his children, John, Harvey, Nicholas and Harriet being suc- cessful educators, and are leaders in the profession ; our subject and his wife have been members of the German Baptist Church for twenty-six years, and are zealous Christian people.
JACOB PRESSLER, farmer ; P. O. Gordon. Born near Sultz Oct. 5, 1835 ; is a son of Martin and Catherine (Roth) Pressler, who were married in Germany in 1834. Mrs. Pressler died soon after the birth of our subject, hence he was the only child by the union. Martin was again married in 1836, to Susan Bass, and by this union there were eight children, of whom seven are now living. In early life, he served an apprenticeship of carpentering, after which he devoted sev- eral years to traveling over the continent of Europe. Being a man of remarkable ingenuity, a large portion of his time was devoted to the manufacture of public and town clocks, cabinet-organ cases, etc. He also served a length of time in the military service of his country. On the 30th of June, 1848, he and his family emigrated to the United States, landing in Dayton, Ohio, in August following. He soon found employment in a machine-shop in Miamisburg ; continued the same until 1860, when he moved to Darke Co. and followed farming until his death, which occurred Dec. 5, 1868. His widow survived him until June 9, 1878, when she, too, passed away. Our subject was employed in a machine-shop in Miamis- burg from the age of 16 to 19 years. He then engaged in agricultural pursuits, which he has since followed. In 1862, he was united in marriage with Margaret Surber ; nine children are the fruits of this union, of whom eight are now living. Upon his marriage, he purchased 40 acres of land in Sec. 24, Monroe Township, which he has since brought from its wild condition to a good state of cultivation by his own hard labor. He has, since a resident of Darke Co., held the office of Township Clerk three years, Township Trustee six years, and School Director nine years.
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