The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 110

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1076

USA > Ohio > Hardin County > The history of Hardin county, Ohio > Part 110

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CHARLES WESLEY RUNSER, farmer, P. O. Ada, was born in Stark County, Ohio, January 9, 1843. He is a son of Andrew and Isabel (McDowell) Runser, the former a native of France, the latter of Pennsylvania. He came. to Hardin County, Ohio, in October of 1850, and settled in Marion Township, in almost the newest portion of it. He went to school in an old log house that was without windows or floors, and secured what at the time was considered a fair education. He was obliged to pass through the woods for a distance of about two miles. At the age of twenty he commenced to teach. He was married at Rantoul, Ill., October 30, 1867, to Martha M. Lawrence, born June 5, 1842, a daughter of John and Mary (Calvin) Lawrence, the former of English, and the latter of German descent. The five children that resulted from this union are as follows : Clarence D., born December 30, 1868 ; William W., born March 4, 1870 ; Charles Clement, born May 30, 1872 ; Ros- coe A., born February 13, 1875 ; and John Franklin, born August 28, 1879. Mr. Runser and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, Mr. Runser is a Republican, and has held the offices of Township Clerk for two years, Justice of the Peace fifteen years, and was elected County Com- missioner in the fall of 1882. He has lived to see the forests fade away, and the fields to blossom like the rose in their stead. Over the site where his dwelling now stands was a great place for game-such as deer and wild tur- key-to roam, and the Indian had a camping ground on the banks of a small stream running by. This seemed the favorite hunting ground, as it lies midway between the Scioto and Hog Creek Marshes, and game was very abundant. Mr. Runser owns a fine farm, which is under a high state of cul- tivation, and is located in the northwest quarter of Section 2, Marion Town- ship

JOHN S. SHADLEY, farmer and fruit grower, P. O. McGuffey, Hardin County, Ohio, is a son of Asaph and Margaret (Wolverton) Shadley, and was born in Frederick County, Va., March 1, 1827. His father was a native of Virginia, born June 21, 1797, came to Hardin County, Ohio, in 1837, and died December 8, 1871. His mother was born in Virginia in 1802, and died in Ohio August 18, 1860. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and educated at the common schools of his day. On December 31, 1850, he was married to Rachel J., daughter of Jacob and Susan Nibarger, and a native of

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Logan County, Ohio, where she was born July 6, 1833. To this union eleven children have been born-James M., born November 26, 1851, died June 29, 1874 ; Elizabeth J., born January 4, 1854, wife of Frederic Shroll; William A., born February 3, 1856, married to Martha Christopher ; Israel D., born September 15, 1858; Anderson E., born March 5, 1861; Argus C., born August 20, 1863 ; Francis A., born March 2, 1866, died April 23, 1866 ; Ar- thur S., born September 19, 1867 ; John W., born December 4, 1870 ; Laura E., born October 13, 1874; Mary A., born March 26, 1876, died July 27, 1876. Mr. Shadley has been in the fruit business since 1867, and his large and well-stocked orchards are filled with the best apples, pears, peaches, grapes, berries, etc. His farm of 310 acres, on which he also grows grain and grass, is well situated on the north side of the great Scioto Marsh, and is a great resort from the neighboring villages on account of its fine fruits. Mr. Shadley well remembers the Wyandot tribes of Indians, before their migration to the West.

DANIEL VAN BUREN SHADLEY, farmer, P. O. Ada, was born in Vir- ginia January 19, 1837. His parents, Asaph and Margaret (Wolverton) Shad- ley, are both natives of Virginia. He is descended from that thrifty stock known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. He was reared on a farm and obtained a common school education. In 1863, he was drafted as a soldier, but paid $224 for a substitute. On June 23, 1864, he was married to Hannah A. Stambaugh, born in Franklin County, Ohio, February 27, 1840, by which union he has had ten children-William S., born September 25, 1865; Francis W., born March 29, 1867 ; Lenna Dell, born September 25, 1869 ; Netta B., born February 25, 1871; Jessie May, born November 2, 1874; Sila Pearl, born March 25, 1876, died in infancy ; Lizzie Alverda and Willie Edson, twins, born April 7, 1878 ; Tanna Lula, born September 2, 1879, and Lida, born October 13, 1881. Mr. Shadley and his wife are members of the Christian Church. In politics, Mr. Shadley is a Democrat of the old Jeffersonian school. He is a farmer by occu- pation, and owns 338 acres of land on the north side of the marsh, on which he settled in 1861.

JOSIAH SMITH, blacksmith, Ada was born in Lincolnshire, England, July 26, 1826, and came to America while young. He was married, May 11, 1852, to Elizabeth Gould, which union has been blessed by four children, three living-Gould, William Arthur and John Henry; Elizabeth Ann is deceased. Mr. Smith came to Hardin County in 1855, and started a shop in Huntersville, where he has since remained. He and his family are members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church. He owns and cultivates a small farm near the town, and is a member of the Grange. In politics, he is a Republican; was Postmas- ter for some fifteen years at Huntersville, until the office there was discontinued, and has also served as School Director for a number of years.

JOHN STRAHM, farmer, P. O. Kenton, a son of John and Anna (Magley) Strahm, was born in Hardin County, Ohio, March 1, 1851. His father was a native of Germany, and his mother of Ohio. He was raised on a farm, and educated in the common schools. On September 8, 1874, he was married to Louisa, a daughter of Casper and Mary Burkhalter, born March 17, 1857. Two children have resulted from this union-Benjamin Franklin, born April 13, 1876, and Archie Earl, born August 31, 1879. Mrs. Strahm is a member of the German Reformed Church. Mr. Strahm is a Democrat in politics, and is an intelligent, respected citizen.

JAMES LEE TURNER, farmer, West Roundhead, was born in West Virginia October 24, 1835. His parents, Jolin and Love (Bartlett) Turner, of English and Welsh descent, came to Ohio in 1839. Our subject was brought up on a farm and received a common school education. He was married, Octo- ber 27, 1859, to Sarah E. Moore, a native of Guernsey, Ohio, born June 20,

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1839, to which union have been born seven children-Mary, born September 5, 1860 ; Clara, born November 23, 1863; Nora, born May 6, 1867 ; Lodena, born June 3, 1869; Elda, born August 6, 1871; Blanche, born September 7, 1875, and Donna, born December 11, 1880. At the time of the late civil war, Mr. Turner paid out about $600 toward bounties to volunteers. Starling Turner, brother of our subject, of Company B, Forty-fifth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, died August 28, 1863, in the Andersonville Prison. Mr. Turner and his wife are regular members of the Baptist Church. He is extensively en- gaged in farming and stock-raising, and owns 360 acres of land. Mr. Turner has served his township as Trustee for two terms, and School Director for fif- teen years.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

CAPT. P. C. BOSLOW, retired, Patterson. Among the pioneers of Hardin County we find and record the name of Capt. Boslow, whose father, John, was a native of Virginia, but whose father, again, in early life, settled in Canada, where John matured and married Mary Condon, of New Brunswick. In 1832, he came to Ohio with his wife and eight children, settling near Cleve- land, but he died in 1848, in Green County, Wis., and his widow died in Rich- mond, Ind., in 1881. Of their nine children, Peter C. is the fourth, and was. born near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1819, but from the age of thirteen years has been a resident of Ohio, and, since 1845, has lived in Hardin County. The following year, he and H. D. Harrison laid out Patterson, and in the same year he married Harriet Sherrer, of Ross County. Soon afterward, he opened a store, and, for a number of years, he was identified with all the leading inter- ests in and about Patterson. His official capacity has been varied to almost every office in the township. In 1861, he raised Company C, Eighty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of which he was made Captain, with recruiting com- mission. The following May, he was discharged for disability and returned home. He now lives retired, and is one of the well-to-do citizens of the county.

JOHN BRIGGS, farmer, P. O. Forest, is a son of Robert Briggs, who was born in Lincolnshire, Eng., March 20, 1800, and died in Hardin County, Ohio, February 17, 1879. He matured in his native county, where he married, in 1823, Mary Pickett, of the same county, born early in the present century, and who died in Richland County, Ohio, about 1834. While yet in England, they buried one child, and, in 1833, they came with four children to Ohio, where Mary soon after died. After a residence of three years there, he came to Hardin County as a pioneer, and bought eighty acres of land in Jackson Township, and subsequently bought forty acres more. In religion, he was a Methodist, and an upright man. He buried his second wife, Mary Aldrich, by whom he had four children. The names of his nine children are John, Eliza- beth, Mary, Sarah, Robert, Amos, Mathew, Jane and Mitchell. Of the entire family, John is the oldest, born in England, December 23, 1824, but, at nine years of age, came to Ohio ; at twelve, to Hardin County, where he is now the owner of two hundred and twenty acres of land. At an early age, he saw the value of education, and applied himself as best he could in those pioneer days, and, at the age of seventeen, began to teach school, being one of the early teachers on the Blanchard. This claimed his attention for nine winters. Since 1850, he has devoted his time exclusively to farming and stock-raising. Mr. Briggs has, by industry and prudence, placed himself among the well-to-do citizens of the county. On June 6, 1850, he married Margaret Elder, by whom

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he has seven children, viz. : Sarah E., born September 28, 1851 ; Robert W., November 12, 1853; Eliza E., April 6, 1855 ; John A., August 18, 1857 ; Sidney M., October 14, 1861 ; Dora A., December 4, 1863, and Benjamin F. E., November 14, 1865.

REV. T. J. CELLAR, clergyman, Forest, is a grandson of the late Rev. Cellar, if not of German birth, certainly of German extraction, and who became a pioneer of Delaware County, Ohio, where he settled in 1802, and remained a resident of until his death. His son George, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Franklin County, Penn., and died in Delaware County, Ohio. His wife, Rachel Fleming, was a native of Venango County, Penn., and is still living, at the ripe age of eighty years. George and his father were both Elders of the Presbyterian Church. George and his wife were the parents of seven sons and two daughters, of whom the following survive : Thomas J., Moses H. (in Kansas), John A. F., Sarah J., George C., Wilson F. (Presbyterian clergyman) and Martha E. Rev. T. J. Cellar was born in Dela- ware County, Ohio, October 1, 1827, and, after receiving a common school edu- cation, entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, from which he graduated. He was licensed to preach in 1866, and ordained in June of the following year. His pastoral labors began in November, 1866, in Wyandot County, Ohio, and from there he moved to Forest in 1873. He was married to Eliza G. Harter, by whom he has a family of six children, five of whom survive, viz., George A., Jennie B., Enora H., Martha E. and Anna P.

JOHN COPELAND, farmer, P. O. Patterson, is a son of William Copeland, born in Lancashire, England, in 1785, and died in Hardin County July 16, 1868. He was reared to rural life in England, and in 1821 married Mary Wells, of the same county, and two years later came to America, stopping in New York State for a time. In 1824, they came to Mansfield, Ohio, and in 1835, with six children, settled in the then wilds of Hardin County, entering 120 acres of land in Sections 25 and 26 of Jackson Township. The late Mr. Copeland was a man of strong mind and constitution, turning his entire atten- tion to rural pursuits. Even, plentiful as game of all kinds was, he seldom, if ever, made any of it his prey. He and wife were members of the Methodist Church, and were among the ones to establish Methodism in Hardin County. He was repeatedly Trustee and School Director. Their children numbered seven, viz., Charlotte, Rebecca, Henry (deceased), Catharine, Thomas, John, and Wesley (deceased). The subject of this biography was born in 1834 in Rich- land County, Ohio, but since infancy has been a resident of this county, and now owns 120 acres of land. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Munson. Five of their six children are now living.

DAVID E. FISHER, farmer, P. O. Patterson, is a son of Mathew Fisher, who was born in Allegheny County, Penn., April 23, 1807, and who, when bor- dering on manhood, settled with his parents on the Muskingum River, Ohio, where he married Susan Mitchell, a native of Pennsylvania, born April 19, 1807. They settled in Hardin County in 1875, where she died. Of their twelve children, David E. is the seventli, and was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, September 11, 1839. He reached his seventeenth year in his native county, and acquired a common education, which he has since greatly improved by home study. During 1857 and 1858, he was in Missouri and Iowa, but has since been a resident of Ohio, where he has handled agricultural implements for Aultman & Taylor, of Mansfield, and for a time was Superintendent of their lumber yard ; subsequently, he represented the Findley Manufacturing Com- pany during three years. On June 13, 1876, he took out a patent on his " O K" farming-mill, in which he has perfect control of screens while running ; uses the same screen for coarse or fine, wet or dry wheat ; besides this, he has his " shoe " hung on diamond springs, which adds much to the ease of running

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the mill. He now lives on his farm of thirty-eight acres in Jackson Township, where he has been elected as Trustee several terms ; he is the present Assessor of his precinct, and has served for nine years in the same capacity. His wife was Miss Lydia A. Fitch, of Jackson Township, Wyandot Co., Ohio. They have seven children, all living-Milroy M., Martha A., Eva V., Emma M. and Mathew R. (twins), John W. C. and Jane W. He and his wife belong to the Baptist Church and also the Grange. The mother of our subject was born April 19, 1807, died May 7, 1876, aged sixty-nine years and eighteen days.

SAMUEL GEORGE (deceased) was a son of William George, who was of German descent, and who died in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1844. He was by occupation a carpenter and cooper. His wife was Lena Hull, of Scotch descent ; she died in 1849. Of their twelve children, Samuel was the eleventh, and was born September 14, 1818, and died September 29, 1882. He matured and was married in his native county to Catharine Eaton, and, in 1857, came to Hardin County. They settled west of Forest, where he bought 160 acres of land, all in the woods, which he improved, undergoing much hard work. He was a man of large frame and good constitution ; he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and evinced a firm Christian character. Mrs. George was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1822, and now resides in Forest. Of her five children, four are living, viz. : James M., William E., Jane F. (Mrs. William Metcher), and Ann M. (now Mrs. McKean.) Mr. Metcher is one of the Township Trustees, was born in Hancock County, and is of Ger- man descent. He owns a fine farm of eighty acres, and good town property in Forest, where he resides.

JOHN HAFER (deceased), was born in Pennsylvania September 17, 1809, and died in this county July 16, 1882. He matured in his native State, where, on April 12, 1831, he married Catharine Howard, of the same State. In 1850, they came to Ohio, settling at Milton, where his wife died the following year, and five of their ten children are now living. John's second wife was Eliza- beth Sheckler, to whom he was united September 9, 1852. She was born near Mansfield, Ohio, June 25, 1824. Their family consisted of five children, of whom four are now living, viz. : Mary E., widow of Capt. Herrick, who, for a number of years, taught school in Hardin County ; George W., William C. and Franklin S. Mr. Hafer and family moved to Hardin County from Crawford County during the late war, and bought land where he has since lived, in Jackson Township. He cleared his farm of eighty acres and im- proved it, but, up to the time of coming to Hardin, he chiefly followed his trade as carpenter. In early life, he belonged to the United Brethren Church, but in later life joined the Methodist Church for convenience of attendance.

J. S. HALE, real estate agent, Forest, is a son of Charles and grandson of Randall Hale, the latter having been born in New England, of English extraction. He was a patriot in the Revolutionary war. His wife was a Miss Taylor, cousin of Zachary Taylor. He and wife both died in Hancock County, whither they had migrated at an early day. Of their eight children, Charles was the fourth, born in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1815, died in Hancock County, in 1876. At the time of his death, he had resided forty- six years in Hancock County, where he followed farming. His wife was Eliza Swinglar, of Jefferson County, and now a resident of Arcadia, Ohio. Their union resulted in nine children, of whom J. S. is the fifth. He was born in Hancock County, Ohio, in 1843. He was raised to farm life, and acquired a common school education, subsequently taking a commercial course. At the age of seventeen, he commenced clerking in the dry goods line, and has since carried on the business in different places. He came to Forest in 1871, where he established a drug store, and altogether has been in the business eight years. He has done much to improve the town, and

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now possesses two large brick business houses. In 1862, he enlisted in Company B, Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving one year, and participating in the battles of Vicksburg and Arkansas Post. He was mar- ried in July, 1868, to Nancy Scott, who was born in 1841. She is a daughter of John and Lucy Scott, pioneers of Round Head. Mr. and Mrs. Hale have four children.

I. B. HARMAN, farmer, P. O. Forest, is a son of Christian and a grandson of John Harman. The latter was a native of Germany, came to America in middle life, and settled in Columbiana County, Ohio, where he died about 1836, aged nearly ninety years. Christian, his third son, was born in Lan- caster County, Penn .. in 1790, and died in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1844. He acquired a common school education, and, early in life, joined the Meth- odist Church, although he had been raised by Lutheran parents, and soon after became an exhorter and finally a licensed minister. He served in his profes- sion until declining health forbade it. 'His wife was Elizabeth Bowker, a na- tive of New Jersey, and of Irish descent, born about 1803, and died in Hardin County, Ohio, in 1863. Of their three sons-Isaiah B., William H. and Eman- uel P. ; the eldest and youngest survive. Isaiah was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1816, came to Hardin County in 1863, and now owns ninety- five acres of land in Jackson Township. His wife was Margaret R., daughter of Rev. William Stone. She was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., and died in Hardin County, Ohio, March 19, 1876, aged nearly sixty years. Their children were : Ann E., Christian C., Margaret J., Willard F., William H., John W., Emanuel I., Marietta, David L. and Elmer E., all living. Mr. Har- man has served as Township Trustee and School Director.

WILLIAM HEMPY, farmer, P. O. Forest, is a son of Peter Hempy, whose father was born near Lutzenburg, Germany. Peter Hempy was born in the State of Maryland, where he matured and married Mary Michael, of the same State. During the first decade of the present century, they settled in Fairfield County, Ohio, where they both died. He was a millwright by trade, but owned and lived on a farm. He furnished a substitute in the war of 1812 from Fair- field County, where William, the sixth of their thirteen children, was born April 15, 1823. William matured in his native county, where he received a common school education, and when sixteen years old was enabled to teach. About this time, his father died, leaving him entirely alone in the circle of life. On June 15, 1851, he married Christina Trissler, and the same year purchased and settled on five acres of land in this township. By strict economy and industry, he and his wife have accumulated until they now own nearly 400 acres of good land. In 1863, when all building material was extremely high, his entire build- ings were swept away by the devouring flames. Mr. Hempy has always been handy with tools, and has done considerable carpentering, which was conven- ient for him in many instances when starting in the dense wilderness of Har- din County. He has devoted some time to saw-milling, and for several years had a mill on his farm. He and wife have had eight children, seven of whom are now living. Mrs. Hempy is a sister of J. R. Trissler, whose sketch ap- pears in this volume.

CAPT. CYRUS HERRICK, deceased, was a son of Ezra Herrick, who was a resident of the neighborhood of Dunkirk, Ohio, at the time of his death, which occurred in December, 1871. Cyrus Herrick was born near Hawley, Oakland Co., Mich., December 13, 1841. In 1847, his father moved to Ohio and settled in Blanchard Township, this county. He bought eighty acres of the farm that the Captain owned when he died. The place was but a wild for- est without even a house. They unloaded their goods under the trees and went to work to build a house, where they lived until the late rebellion. Capt. C. Herrick enlisted in the Eighty-second Regiment as private; was promoted

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to Second Lieutenant July 17, 1862, to First Lieutenant July 31, 1862, and to Captain May 3, 1863, serving to the close of the war. While in the service, he obtained a furlough to visit his home, on which occasion he married Miss Par- melia Wilson, daughter of R. S. Wilson. This was on February 9, 1864. At the close of the war, he came home and bought his father's farm, and, in a short time, bought 100 acres more, which made him a home of 180 acres. In 1869, he built a large barn; in 1873, he built a large brick house at a cost of $4,500. On December 17, 1874, his wife died, leaving three children, two now living- Emma and Anna. On March 16, 1876, he married a second time. The part- ner of his choice was Miss Mary E. Hafer, daughter of John Hafer; he had been acquainted with the lady for a number of years; she having taught school in his district at one time. By this union two children were born- Gertie and Alice, Alice being only eight weeks old when her father died, and his widow was but twenty-six years of age. In 1879, Capt. Herrick bought another farm of 117 acres, which gave him in the aggregate a farm of nearly 300 acres. He died March 8, 1880.

JAMES M. HIGGINS, farmer, P. O. Forest, is a son of William Higgins, who was born April 22, 1805, near Philadelphia, Penn., and died in Hardin County, Ohio, in 1858. He was raised in his native State and was married in Fayette County, in 1826, to Mary A., daughter of David Trissler. She was born near Hagerstown, Md., December 22, 1807. They came to Ohio in 1831, stopping in Jefferson County, but in 1836 came to Hardin County, settling on Section 2 of Jackson Township, where he entered forty acres of land. He was a stout, hearty man, energetic and industrious, and erelong he had transformed the handiwork of nature into open and productive fields. He had eleven chil- dren-David, Mary A., Eliza, Christina (who married, and at her death left a family), William, Margaretta, John J., Frances M., James M., Amanda E. and George W. Of this family our subject was the ninth, and was born in Jackson Township April 11, 1844. He has always resided in the county and followed farming, save nine months during the late war. He is a live, energetic, tidy and practical farmer, owning 140 acres, well improved in modern style. His wife was Miss Annie R., daughter of Jasper M. Pimperton. She was born in Hardin County, and they have one child-Eva.

JOHN J. HIGGINS, farmer, P. O. Forest, is a brother of J. M. Higgins, whose sketch appears in this volume. John was born in Jackson Township, February 9, 1841. He has always resided in Hardin County and followed farming, and is now the owner of 229 acres of well-improved land in Jackson Township. This he cleared and improved himself, and has it stocked with good cattle, sheep, hogs and horses. He was married to Nancy M., daughter of Na- thaniel Miller, of Hancock County, where she was born in 1840. They have a: family of four children.

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The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 110

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1076

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1076