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 93
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and died Sept. 9, 1866. Mr. Smith is a son of Jesse and Christina (Dietrick) Smith, natives of Adams Co., Penn., both deceased ; Mr. Smith died at the age of 69 years ; Mrs. Smith at the age of 40.
A. F. SMITH, druggist, Arcanum; one of the old settlers of Darke Co., and is a son of Jesse and Christina Smith, natives of Pennsylvania. He removed with his parents from Pennsylvania, to Preble Co., Ohio, in 1836, and remained there for a period of sixteen years, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits till 1852, when he abandoned that occupation, and removed to Arcanum the same year, and assisted his brothers in their business for two years, when he again resumed farming in Twin Township for a period of five years ; and thirsting for a more active life, he returned to Arcanum and entered in a general mercantile business, which he followed for twelve years, with fair success ; then embarked in the drug business, which he is still engaged in, and carries a full and perfect stock of drugs, paints, oils, and everything found in a first-class retail house. He was united in marriage with Miss Jane M., daughter of Herman and Margaret Conners, residents of Darke Co., in September, 1854. Two children have been given to this union, viz., Margaret E. and Eberle S. Mr. and Mrs. Conners departed this life within a few hours of each other, and their bodies were interred in the same grave.
WILLIAM M. SMITH, miller, grain and tobacco dealer, also dealer and shipper of live stock, Arcanum, Ohio. We could hardly do justice to the busi- ness interest of Arcanum without devoting a brief space of this work to the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, as we consider that the local interests of the town as well as the surrounding country owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Smith as conducting his many branches of business in a highly honorable manner, and supplying a market for the productions of the surrounding country. He was born in Adams Co., Penn., Nov. 16, 1829, and in the sketch of his brother, John Smith, will be found a more extended genealogy of the family. The subject of our sketch came to Ohio about the year 1836, and located in Preble Co .; here he was raised to and followed agricultural pursuits until 1858, when he came to this place and clerked in the store of his brother one year. For the next ten years he was engaged in the general merchandise and grain trade, disposing of the same in 1869 ; he then devoted one year to the real-estate business, the three years succeeding being agent of the D. & U. R. R. ; about the year 1872, he erected his present warehouse, since which time he has successfully followed the above business, his shipments of grain in a season to the Eastern markets being upward of 200,000 bushels, his purchases of tobacco being disposed of for export ; his mill has a capacity of from 400 to 500 bushels a day, the production of which is shipped largely in car-load lots to the New England States ; his shipments of live stock will exceed fifty car-loads yearly ; and, as stated above, we consider the business as conducted by the above gentleman of great importance to the interests of Arcanum and the surrounding country. Upon the 16th of February, 1852, he was united in marriage with Maria Keltner ; she was a native of Indiana, but came to Montgomery Co. with her parents when quite young. They are the parents of four sons and two daughters, viz., John W., Seges, Jesse C., Charles E., Daisy and William R.
JAMES STEELE, farmer ; P. O. Arcanum, Ohio. To the subject of this sketch we are pleased to accord a place in the front rank of the early pioneers of Darke Co .; he was born in Maryland in 1802 ; in 1812, he removed with his mother to Butler Co., Ohio, and labored faithfully for the maintenance of his widowed mother and the support of the family ; his father died when he was only 8 years old, and the responsibility of providing for the family rested exclusively on our subject ; young as he was, he fully understood the situation, and labored faithfully for the support and comfort of the family till he attained his 21st year, at which time he learned the blacksmith's trade, which, combined with farming, inade life very successful; in 1868, on account of failing health and rapid advancement of old age, he abandoned the anvil and forge, and his attentions have been
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exclusively directed to the farm ; Mr. Steele has lived on the farm he purchased at Government price, for forty-five years ; he has lived to see the monarchs of the forest laid low by the onward march of civilization, the wilderness robbed of its verdure, the desolate and pestilential swamps deprived of their poisons and con- verted into productive fields ; truly, the change has been great-a howling wilder- ness has been conquered and subjected to the use of a great industrial people within half a century, and still the resources of Darke Co. are not more than half developed. He united in marriage with Jemima Johns, March 6, 1825 ; twelve children have been given to this union, of whom ten are living, viz., Elizabeth and Hannah (twins), Urial, Stephen, Thomas, Martha, Asher, Ellen, Eliza and Mary (twins), William and Catherine having died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Steele have lived to see their children all married and comfortably situated in life ; they have, taken great pains in educating them, five of whom are successful educators.
ELIJAH THATCHER, farmer ; P. O. Arcanum ; was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. 31, 1828, and is the fourth son of Moses and Mary (Wert) Thatcher, the former born in New York Oct. 6, 1804, the latter in New Jersey Nov. 10, 1807 ; ten children are the fruits of this union, viz .: George R., born March 30, 1832 ; Nathaniel. born Feb. 2, 1834 : Godfrey, March 10. 1836 ; Moses, Dec. 28, 1840 ; Mary A., March 21, 1843 ; Loraine, Aug. 30, 1846 ; Sarah E., Feb. 3. 1849 ; Charlotte, June 8, 1850 ; John P., July 7, 1854. The parents and five children are deccased. Elijah remained at home principally through life, and in the year 1844 came with the family to Darke Co., where he has since resided ; he is the only child living that has not united in marriage. In the year 1860, he commenced life for himself, and since then has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Having started with nothing, he has since, by industry and economy, become the possessor of 40 acres of land in Sec. 22. Twin Township. which is well improved and under good cultivation ; it is valued at about $3,000. During the last days of his par- ents, he performed a child's duty by caring for them. In the late rebellion, he did his share in the field of war, and now lives a quiet life on the home farm of his sister.
JOHN L. THOMAS, retired ; P. O. Arcanum ; to the subject of this sketch we are pleased to accord a place in the advance guard of the early pioneers of Darke Co .; he was born in Greene Co., Ohio, Feb. 16, 1827, and removed with his parents when in infancy to German Township, in Darke Co., where his parents settled in 1827 ; his early boyhood days were spent at home, and, at the age of 16, he began life for himself and did carpenter work for fifteen years, when he com- menced the study of medicine at the Allopathic College in Cincinnati, where he prosecuted his studies with much energy ; he was engaged in money-loaning and doing a general brokerage business for a number of years, and in 1878, he with his son opened a bank in Arcanum. He celebrated his marriage with Sarah A. Emerson, in June, 1849 ; she was a daughter of Gen. Henry Emerson, President of the Farmers' National Bank of Greenville ; four children were given to this union, viz .: Francis V., deceased ; Alonzo S., Joseph E., Sarah J. ; Mrs. Thomas departed this life Jan. 30, 1867. leaving a large circle of friends to mourn her departure ; a kind wife, an affectionate mother, are the tablets erected to her memory by her husband and children. He was again united in marriage with Nannevine Ballard, Nov. 29, 1871 ; one child has been given to this union, viz., John Volney.
THEODORE O. WARNER, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. O. Arcanum. The subject of this sketch was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Nov. 24, 1842 ; he was reared on a farm and assisted his father in agricultural pursuits till his 21st year ; he, by hard labor, succeeded in obtaining a fair education in the common district schools ; at the age of 21, he commenced life for himself and worked at various pursuits for three years, when he was united in marriage with Miss Celestia E. Yeasel in 1866. The parents of Mr. Warner were born in Maryland, and removed to Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1828 ; his father died Sept. 3, 1874, aged 71
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years ; his mother still continues to reside on the old home farm, and is now 72 years of age. The subject of our sketch was engaged in farming in Montgomery County till the spring of 1875, and then removed to Darke County, in Twin Town- ship, where he still resides. Both Mr. and Mrs. Warner have been members of the Reformed Church upward of ten years, and are both zealous workers in the cause of religion. The father of Mrs. Warner, John Yeasel, was born in Virginia Oet. 15, 1804, and her mother, Susannah, was born in Warren Co., Ohio. Nov. 1. 1820 ; they were united in marriage Sept. 14, 1842. her maiden name being Susan- nah Aughe.
JOHN WEIKLE, retired farmer ; P. O. Areanum. He was born in Penn- sylvania in 1804, and removed with his parents to Butler Co., Ohio, in 1814 : here he assisted his father in agricultural pursuits until 1837. He has been thrice married, first with Sarah Shaffer, who bore him four children ; she departed this life in 1853. In 1855, he was married to Mrs. Mary Knox, by whom he had one child, Mrs. Weikle dying soon after. His third and last marriage was celebrated with Christiana Williams, two children being the result of this union ; Mr. Weikle has, by his own hard labor, skill and industry, succeeded in making a comfortable home in which to enjoy his declining years. He has been a member of the Reformed Dutch Church upward of fifty years, and a continuous resident of Darke Co. twenty-eight years.
JEREMIAH WHITENACK, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 7; P. O. Arca- nnm. To the subject of this sketch we are pleased to accord a place in the front ranks of the early pioneers of Darke Co .; he was born in Somerset Co., N. J., Oct. 19, 1802 ; he assisted his father in the labors of the farm, and removed with his parents to Warren Co., Ohio, in 1823, and still continued to assist his father in farming and weaving till 1828. He was united in marriage, June 26 of the same year, to Miss Lavina, daughter of George and Elenore Camblin, residents of Penn- sylvania ; one child has been given to this union, viz., John C., whose sketch appears in this work. Mr. Whitenack settled in Darke Co. in 1837, upon 68 acres of land. where he still resides. He and his wife are members of the Reformed Church, and are greatly interested in the advancement of the Christian religion, and have borne the eross for upward of fifty years ; his house has been the house of God, where his neighbors congregated to worship their Maker in their wilderness home. In the year 1858. the parents of Mrs. Whitenack, becoming old and infirm, came to her home and lived with her until their death ; Mr. Camblin died at the age of 81 years, and Mrs. Camblin at the age of 73.
MARTIN WILD, Twin Township Clerk; P. O. Arcanum; born in Scot- land, near Glasgow, May 15, 1850 ; his father was born in Liverpool, and mother in Germany, and died in Scotland. Our subject, in 1856. with his father. brother and sister, emigrated to Germany, where he attained a German education; in the spring of 1860, they traversed the countries of France, Prussia, and the Rhenish part of Germany ; and on the 10th of May following, they boarded a sail- vessel, at Havre de Grace, France, for the United States, and landed in New York city in the following month ; soon after, it is supposed, their father enlisted in the late rebellion ; nothing has been heard of him since. Martin W., though but a boy, engaged in various pursuits whereby he supported himself until 1868. at which time he emigrated to Darke Co., where he now resides. In 1870, commeneed the plastering trade, which has since been his occupation, and during the time (10 years) of his life in Twin Township he has held the office of Constable one year, Township Clerk four years, and is now a candidate for County Recorder, sub- jeet to the Democratic Primary election, for 1880. On May 11. 1872, he united in marriage with Susan Siler, and by this union they have four children, of whom one is deceased, and three living viz .: Gertie, Eddie C. and Ethel.
THOMAS H. WILLIAMS, farmer and stoek-raiser, Sec. 32; P. O. Ithaca. The subject of this memoir is another among the many old settlers to be found in Twin Township ; he was born in Washington Co .. Penn .. JJuly 5. 1806, and is a
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son of John and Margaret Williams ; his father was a native of Maryland, his mother being born in Washington Co., Penn. ; he was reared on the farm, and assisted his father in agricultural pursuits till his 18th year, when he began life for himself, and engaged in ship-carpentering for three years, when, having gained his majority, he emigrated West, and traveled through the States of Indiana. Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and, on his way up the Mississippi River to Wis- consin, he erected the first building in Keokuk, and also the first fine frame building in Madison, Iowa. This Western tour occupied about twelve years, when he removed to Pennsylvania, in 1839, and operated a saw-mill for two years, when he returned to Warren Co., Ohio, and was united in marriage with Miss Nancy, daughter of Barzilla and Mary Clark, Dec. 13, 1846. Her parents being residents of Warren Co., he remained in Warren Co. till the next year, and then removed to Darke Co., in Twin Township ; he first purchased 40 acres of land, on which he erected a frame dwelling, and moved his family into their new quarters in September. 1847 ; his land being in a wild state, Mr. Williams com- menced his almost herculean task of removing the vast growth of timber and underbrush from the land, to prepare it for the implements of agriculture, and by dint of hard labor and perseverance, he succeeded in removing these obstruc- tions ; in 1871, he purchased 80 acres more land, and in addition to the other, he now owns 120 acres of as fine land as is to be found in Darke Co. ; all in a good state of cultivation. Politically, Mr. Williams is a sound Republican. and has been identified with the most of the township offices ; he, with his estimable wife, are leading members in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have labored long and earnestly in their Master's vineyard. Mr. Williams is greatly interested in educational matters, and has spared neither pains nor expense in giving his children good educations, his son Thornton being a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University. and a proficient and successful educator. Mr. Williams informs us that James G. Blaine, America's greatest orator and states- man, was once a pupil in his brother's school, who was a very prominent educator in Pennsylvania. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Williams are nine in number, viz. : Clark L., born Dec. 7, 1848 ; Thornton R .. born July 21, 1850 ; Frank M., born Nov. 3, 1852 ; Mary Belle, born May 31, 1854; Martha J., born March 31. 1856 ; Melissa A., born April 5, 1858 ; their first child died in infancy ; Clark departed this life Feb. 9, 1871 ; Frank died Aug. 30, 1868.
BUTLER TOWNSHIP.
EVIN BAKER, deceased : was born in Rockingham Co .. Va., in 1808 ; died in 1863 ; a resident of this county nearly all his life ; was identified with most of the public improvements of the county ; was elected to the Legislature in 1854, and was the author of the Ohio ditch laws. and at the time of his death had a large law practice. He was President of the Richmond & Covington Rail- road, for the location of which through Greenville he had labored long and earnestly.
BENJAMIN BOBENMOYER, retired farmer : P. O. Arcanum ; a native of Pennsylvania, and a resident of Ohio for the past fifty years, and of Darke Co. nearly one-fourth of a century ; is a brother to Charles Bobenmoyer, whose biog- raphy also appears in the Butler Township list. The subject of this sketch was born in Berks Co., Penn., in 1805 ; was brought up on a farm, and received but little education and that in German : was married in 1826 to Sarah Rhinesmith ; they removed from Pennsylvania to Butler Co. Ohio, about the year 1833 ; came to Darke Co. in 1853, and purchased the farm in Sec. 11. Butler Township, where they
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now reside ; his farm then had an " opening" and a cabin on it, but was mostly woods and very wet and swampy ; since then, he, with the other settlers, have, by means of clearing and ditching, made this to rank with the best lands in Darke Co .; he now has a pike in every direction from his place, good 'buildings, and in every way pleasantly situated and prepared to enjoy the remainder of his days, the fruit of his early toils and sacrifices. Mr. and Mrs. Bobenmoyer are substantial, respected people ; are the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom are living, five sons and five daughters-Eliza, now Mrs. William Banois, of Cincinnati ; Mary, now Mrs. Clarke Robinson, of Neave Township ; William, a resident of Middletown, Ohio ; Christena, now Mrs. Fred. Wagner ; Frederick, now a resident of Allentown, Penn. ; Sophia, now Mrs. John Bridenstine, of Hamilton. Ohio; John, now a resident of California ; Nathan, a resident of Port Jefferson ; Kate, now Mrs. Abram Baker, of Twin Township, and Benjamin, Jr., now married, and residing on and farming the homestead.
CHARLES BOBENMOYER, farmer ; P. O. Arcanum ; a Pennsylvanian by birth and an old resident of Darke Co. : is the son of Frederick and Christena Ann Bobenmoyer ; was born in Berks Co., Penn., March 4, 1817 ; when about 14 years of age, his father came to Butler Co., Ohio, where Charles grew to manhood and was married to Caroline Burkholder April 20, 1847 ; she is a daughter of Joseph and Barbara (Meyers) Burkholder, both of whom were natives of Lehigh Co., Penn .; Caroline was one of a family of ten children, all but one of whom grew to man- hood or womanhood ; she was born in Lehigh County Dec. 20, 1824 ; her parents emigrated to Butler Co., Ohio, when she was an infant ; Mr. and Mrs. Bobenmoyer began domestic life on his father's farm, in Butler County, and continued there six years ; then purchased and removed to the farm in Sec. 3, Butler Township, Darke County, where they now reside, having lived in the same house for more than a quarter of a century ; most of the fine improvements and all the gravel roads and public ditches have been made during their residence here. Mr. Boben- moyer commenced life a renter, and, by persevering labor and economy, saved enough to get a start in Darke County when Butler Township was yet new, and has grown with the growing country, and is now retired from the field of labor, having accumulated sufficient to keep himself and family comfortably and have something left. Mr. and Mrs. Bobemnoyer are worthy members of the German Reformed Church and useful, respected people ; they have never had any children, but have raised two-Charles F. Bell, now a dentist in Arcanum, and Emma J. Harp, who still lives with them.
ASARIAH BRUSS, farmer ; P. O. Arcanum ; son of John and Mary (Sher- man ) Bruss : John was a native of Pennsylvania ; his father, whose name was also John, came to Preble Co., Ohio. in 1819, the son being then 3 years old, and after- ward removed to Marion Co., Ind., where his death occurred. Mary is the daughter of John and Susannah Sherman, natives of Maryland ; the father had sold off his loose property to be in readiness to move West, but sickened and died about the time he had intended to start, and the widow came soon after to Preble Co., Ohio ; Mary was born in Maryland in 1815 ; John Bruss, Jr., and Mary Sherman were married in Preble Co., in 1837 ; they first began domestic life in Preble Co .; he worked by the day or job as he could, mostly making shingles and roofing barns, for several years ; then farmed a year or two in Preble Co., and in 1850 came to Darke Co., and purchased a farm near Matehetts Corners, where Asariah grew to manhood ; in 1872, they traded for and removed to the farm in Sec. 11, where the widow now resides, his decease having occurred Oct. 26, 1878. Asariah was born in Preble Co., Jan. 18, 1843, grew to manhood here in Butler Town- ship before the era of good schools, good roads, and easy farming ; he was married Jan. 22, 1867, to Miss Mary E., daughter of Joseph Hittle, and they lived with his parents several years, he having charge of his father's farm ; the same year in which his father traded farms, Asariah purchased 33 acres in the same section, and built a small house just across the road from his father's, where they first began
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housekeeping by themselves, and are still residing, he here having charge of the old homestead. where his widowed mother now resides. In 1862, Azariah enlisted in the 94th Ohio V. I., and faithfully served his country three years, enduring the hard- ships and privations, as well as the dangers of the service, willingly, in defense of the flag of our country ; he passed unharmed through several severe engage- ments, was taken prisoner while under Sherman, at Goldsboro, N. C., but was only held seven days, then paroled ; the capture of Richmond and surrender of Lee soon followed, and he, with the other remaining brave defenders of their country, was mustered out of service and joyfully returned home, receiving glad and grateful welcome from friends and neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Bruss have six children.
GEORGE BYERS, Sr. (deceased) ; the subject of this sketch was a native of Maryland ; was married to Susan Hetzler ; they came to Darke Co. in 1832, and located in Sec. 36, and are prominently mentioned in connection with the town- ship history ; they raised a family of four children. three of whom are living, viz .. Catherine E., George H. and Joseph ; Catherine is now the wife of Peter Fowble, of Preble Co. ; George H. resided with his parents until his marriage with Kezia Fowble, daughter of Peter Fowble, of Preble Co., which occurred March 26, 1863 ; they first began domestic life at his father's ; about two years later he purchased and removed to his present place, but his mother's decease. which occurred March 26, 1872, made it necessary for him to remove to the old homestead ; about two years later. Joseph married. and he returned to his own place in Sec. 25, where they now reside. They are both members of the United Brethren Church, and respected members of the community ; they have six children-Peter W., Emma C., John H., Theodore, Bertie W. and Clara E. ; Joseph was the youngest child ; he was married March 11, 1875, to Sarah Ann, daughter of John W. Smith, a resi- dlent of Butler Township. and they immediately took charge of the old homestead and the care of his aged father, his brother older removing to his own farm in the adjoining section ; after their father's decease, which occurred Sept. 5, 1875. Joseph bought the other shares, and thus retains the old homestead, around which cling the memories of the struggles, toils and achievements of his parents during their forty years' residence, in which the wilderness and swamp which first covered this township were converted, by toil and perseverance. amid unfavorable circum- stances, into one of the most fertile portions of the county ; in this struggle, Mr. and Mrs. Byers bore their full share, and have handed down their legacies to their children, who, it will be seen by this sketch, are carrying forward the work of improvement and beautifying, and making pleasant and profitable, the legacy of their fathers.
HARRISON COBLENTZ, farmer and Justice of the Peace, Sec. 21 ; P. O. New Madison ; a life resident of Butler Township ; was born June 2, 1840 : remained at home until after his marriage, Sept. 18, 1860 ; he was united in mar- riage with Caroline Hittle ; she is the daughter of Nicholas Hittle, an early settler of Butler Township ; she is also a life resident of Butler Township ; was born Dec. 25, 1843. After his marriage. Mr. Coblentz built a small frame house on his farm. which then consisted of 80 acres, the gift, in part. of his father. and. in the April following, they began the duties of domestic life upon the farm upon which they now reside. In the year 1875, he remodeled and enlarged his house, making a very neat, commodious home ; he also added to the original 80 acres, as he had means and opportunity, and now has 334 aeres in a good state of cultivation ; 229 in the home farm, in Sec. 21, and 105 in Sec. 16. Mr. and Mrs. Coblentz are the parents of four children, viz .: John C., born Oct. 15, 1862; Lizzie, born Dec. 3, 1865; Kate, born April 29, 1871, and Frank L., born Oct. 24, 1873. Mr. Coblentz, though a young man, is already one of the substantial citizens of Butler Township ; has been Trus- tee, and is now Justice of the Peace, and an intelligent, agreeable gentleman. Both he, and his amiable wife, are members of the United Brethren Church, and useful members of society.
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