The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 112

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 112

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JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

Section 2. In 1882, he was elected Trustee, showing the esteem in which he is held by his fellow-men. His wife was Miss Miriam Case, of Wyandot County, Ohio. The issue of this union is four children.

R. C. WILEY, harness-maker, Forest, was born in York County, Penn., in 1839, but at a tender age was left an orphan. In 1852, he, with his grandfather, James Criswell, came to Hardin County, Ohio, settling near Round Head ; there the old gentleman followed farming, and instructed our subject in agricultural pursuits. While thus engaged, Mr. Wiley enjoyed the meager advantages of the common schools until seventeen years of age, when he commenced learning the harness trade at Bellefontaine. In 1860, there being no harness maker in Forest, he looked upon the location as possibly a good one, and opened out in business, but the following year the cry of war called for troops, and accord- ingly, on November 16, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Eighty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving until December 31, 1864. While in the service, he participated in the battles of McDonald, Cedar Mountain, Bull Run, Chancel- lorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain and Cassville, enduring many hard- ships. In the spring of 1865, he resumed his trade and made it a specialty until 1880, when he added a stock of hardware. His wife is Olive Ditzler, of Logan County, and they are the parents of five children, all living.

ROBERT S. WILSON, retired farmer, Mayor of Forest, and the oldest pioneer living in Jackson Township, this county, was born in Medina County, Ohio, November 25, 1820, and came to Hardin County June 10, 1833, set- tling, November 8, 1842, on a farm on the banks of the Blanchard River. On this farm he remained until April 6, 1870, when he moved to his present resi- dence in Forest. When Mr. Wilson came to this county, it was a vast wilder- ness, and he has lived to see it well cleared up and improved, studded with elegant dwellings and fine, commodious barns, and interlaced with excellent macadamized roads, making it a county that its people and the whole State may justly feel proud of. Since taking up his residence in Forest, Mr. Wilson has filled the office Councilman one term, and is at present acting as Mayor for the third term,

M. S. WOODARD, farmer, P. O. Patterson, is a son of John Woodard, of Scotch, Irish and German extraction. He was born in Wyoming County, N. Y., in 1812, and was raised to farm life. While in his native State, he mar- ried Arelia Mann, who was a native of York State, of English extraction, and distantly related to John A. Sherman. John Woodard and wife settled near Youngstown, Ohio, in 1843, subsequently moving to Knox County, and, in 1847, to Hardin, but now residing in Montcalm County, Mich. Of their six children, our subject is the eldest, having been born in New York State in 1834, but since 1847, has resided in Hardin County, where he now owns 330 acres of land, half of which is under cultivation. He started in life with noth- ing but a capital of energy and perseverance. In 1864, he entered the service of the United States Army, and served until the close of the war of 1865. His wife is Elizabeth, daughter of John Gardner, one of the pioneer families of the county, who settled near Kenton in 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Woodard have several children.

C. F. ZIMMERMANN, teacher, Forest, is a son of Joseph and Mar- garet (Kinsel) Zimmerman, who were early settlers here. C. F. is the youngest of his father's family, and was born in Hancock County in 1859. He was left fatherless at an early age, and since 1871 has lived in Hardin County, where he received a common school education. At an early age, he commenced teacli- ing, whereby he enabled himself to enter the Northwestern Ohio Normal, at Ada, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1881, and, in the following year, was chosen to his present position, Principal of the Forest Schools. His wife was Miss Alice Smyth, of Wyandot County. She is also a teacher.

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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

S. M. ANDREWS, railroad agent, North Washington, was born on February 16, 1824, in Greene County, Penn.« He is a son of Jacob and Eleanor (Montgom- ery) Andrews, of English and German descent. His parents settled in Crawford County, Ohio, in 1827. Our subject was reared in Crawford County until twenty-one years of age. From 1860 to 1865, he was in Washington, engaged in mercantile business ; for the past twenty-six years, he has been a railroad agent. On the 9th of August, 1848, he was married to Martha, daughter of Abel and Susan (Quaintence) Cary, born on the 8th of August, 1827, in Crawford County, Ohio. They are the parents of five children, viz. : Amanda J. ; J. F., married ; Alpharetta, wife of George Kahler ; Cary and J. B. Mr. Andrews has also five grandchildren. He has been a resident of this county for thirty-four years. His wife is a member of the United Brethren Church. He has been a member, since 1857, of Latham Lodge, No. 154, at Kenton. Mr. Andrews has filled the office of Justice of the Peace for fifteen years ; for several years has been Township Clerk, Trustee, Assessor and School Director, and for fifteen years was Postmaster in Washington Town- ship.

PHILIP BAIER, farmer, P. O. North Washington, was born on the 25th of December, 1835, in Germany. He was married when twenty-four years old to Anna Clock, born December 25, 1838, by whom he has had ten children, viz. : Anna Byers, born October 26, 1860 ; Katie, born June 15, 1862 ; Louisa, born October 4, 1864; Frederick, born September 6, 1867; Otilda, born December 12, 1869 ; John, born January 30, 1872; Charles, born May 15, 1875 ; William, born August 12, 1877 ; Mary, born June 5, 1879, and Lizzie, born March 12, 1882. He also has three grandchildren. Anna, his oldest child, is the wife of Samuel Wilcox. Mr. Baier emigrated to Ohio when twenty- five years of age, and has resided in this county for seventeen years. He owns eighty acres of land in Section 28, Washington Township, and has been a School Director for one year.

MATTHIAS BAMBERG, farmer, P. O. North Washington, is a native of Prussia, born on the 24th of February, 1820. He emigrated and landed in New York ; came to Ohio and lived at first in Kenton ; finally, in 1853, came to Wash- ington Township, where he has since been occupied in farming and stock-raising. He owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in Section 32, and eighty acres in Section 28. In 1855, he was married to Miss Reifenstein, deceased. He was married, a second time, in 1868, to Mrs. Kahler, daughter of Henry and Sophia Greenawald ; she was born in the year 1839 in Prussia. This union has resulted in two children, Charles and Mary. Mrs. Bamberg's first marriage was in 1862, to Henry Kahler, deceased, who was born in 1839, and died at Kenton. He was a brick-maker and farmer by occupation and followed same since he was fifteen years old. Mrs. Bamberg had, by her first husband two children- Harman and Henry, the latter of whom died when he was six years of age, 8th of September, 1870.

WILLIAM BEACH, farmer, lumberman and saw miller, P. O. North Wash- ington, was born on the 9th of October, 1843, in Germany, and is a son of Adam Beach. He emigrated in 1855, settling in Ohio, and has resided in this county eight years. In 1865, he was united in marriage to Anna Barbara, daughter of Fred Boised, born in Columbus, Ohio, on the 8th of December, 1845. Ten

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children were born, of whom the five living are Anna, George, Adam, Lizzie and William. Maggie and four infants are deceased. Mr. Beach is a member of the Lutheran Church, of which he is Secretary. He is the owner of ninety- nine acres of land in Washington Township ; has filled the office of Justice of the Peace for two years and School Director for about six years. He is a self- made man and is a useful citizen of Washington Township.

CHARLES BLOCK, merchant and blacksmith, P. O. North Washington, is a native of Germany, born on the 14th of February, 1841, and is the son of Charles Block. He emigrated to Ohio in July, 1870, and founded six years ago in Washington Township the village of Blocktown, where he carries on his - business. He deals in groceries and dry goods ; he learned his trade of a blacksmith in Germany, at the age of fourteen years. He was married sixteen years ago to Elizabeth native of Germany, born on the 15th of April, 1843, and a daughter of Casper Five children have been born-Eliza- beth, deceased, Charles, Sophia, Adam and Frederica. Mr. Block has been successful in his business, owns his residence and is worth $6,000.

W. R. BRAYTON, physician, North Washington, was born in Huron County, Ohio, on the 9th of January, 1850. He is a son of R. M. and Melicca (Williams) Brayton. His mother (deceased) was a native of Connecticut, and reared a family of five children, two sons and one daughter living. Our sub- ject's parents came to Hardin County when he was one year old ; resided here for ten years, thence proceeding to Richland County, where he acquired his ed- ucation ; he studied medicine at Patterson, Ohio, with his father, who is also a physician, and graduated from the Starling College in Columbus in 1873 ; for four years he practiced at Dunkirk, then two years in Steuben, Ohio, two years more in Huron, afterward spending one year in Elmo, Texas, and between two and three years in Indiana, coming to Washington Township, where he has since pursued his practice with success. In 1867, Dr. Brayton was married to Miss Fanny Osborne, and subsequently formed a union with Miss Artalissa F., daughter of George and Matilda M. (Williams) Burk. She was born in Jay County, Ind., May 31, 1857, where her parents are still residing, and was the fourth child of a family of ten children, living. The Doctor and his wife have been the parents of three children, one pair twins (deceased), and Frank, born on the 12th of September, 1881.

G. W. BURNWORTH, saw miller and merchant, North Washington, was born near Fall City, Fayette Co., Penn., June 3, 1834. He is the son of John G. and Elizabeth Burnworth. His grandparents on the paternal side were of English, and those on the maternal side of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. He is the only son of a family of twelve, of whom five of the daughters are living. His uncle, W. H. H. Whysong, resides in Steuben County, Ind., and an aunt, Mary Ann Morrison, in Washington Township, Hardin Co, Ohio. Our subject lived with his parents until near his majority, when, on May 1, 1855, he was married to Sarah Leonard. After his marriage, in 1861, when President Lin- coln made the call for 75,000 men, he enlisted in the State militia of the Seven- teenth Pennsylvania Regiment, and was at Grafton, Va., until the time of his enlistment had expired ; he fought in several skirmishes between the contend- ing armies, after which he received his discharge and returned home. On Oc- tober 27, 1862, he came with his family to North Waslington, Ohio; he had learned the shoe-maker's trade and worked on the shoe bench until August 22, 1864, when he enlisted in the United States Army under Maj. John Pierce, now of Kenton, Ohio, and was placed in Company I, One Hundred and Seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry ; he served under Gen. G. H. Thomas during the Hood raid, and was discharged in June, 1865. When he came to Ohio, G. W. Burnworth was worth $115 all told, but he had made some money in the army, and in 1867 went into the saw mill business, in which he has since been en-

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gaged. On the 14th of September, 1868, his wife died, leaving four children- Laura Bell, Adoniram Judson, Betty, Thomas, deceased, and Sarah Orena ; he subsequently married Amanda A., daughter of Samuel and Mary Ann Hively. From this union there has been four children-Samuel V., John, Elmer and Charles. In 1881, Mr. Burnworth opened in the grocery business ; he built a good business room in North Washington, in 1882, stocked it with groceries and dry goods, and is now doing a thriving business; he is also engaged in business as a saw miller and an apiarist, making bees and honey a special study. Mr. Burnworth has been moderately prosperous, being at present worth between $10,000 and $11,000, all secured through his own exertions.

EPHRAIM CRAWFORD, farmer, P. O. North Washington, was born on the 8th of July, 1823, near New Lisbon, Ohio, and is the son of James and Elizabeth (Bargdoll) Crawford, of German and Irish lineage ; he is the fourth son of a family of fourteen, was raised on a farm and educated in Columbiana and Jefferson Counties. On July 18, 1845, he was married to Susanna Hively, born in 1821, in Columbiana County, Ohio. Eight children have resulted from this union, viz .: Emery W., Ephraim F., Franklin, Emanuel, Oliver J., Lizzie, Ida and Louisa. He has resided in this county thirty-six years, and is the owner of 120 acres of land in Section 30, and thirty-four acres in Liberty Township. Mr. Crawford and his wife have been members for fifteen years of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which the former has been Steward for about eight years, Class Leader for four years, and Sabbath School Superintend- ent for fourteen years ; he has been School Director for five years, and in politics is a Democrat. Mr. Crawford is a self-made man, and is strictly temperate in his habits.

A. DIRMEYER, farmer and saw-miller, who also runs a steam thresher, P. O. North Washington, was born November 27, 1829, in the Duchy of Baden, Germany, and is a son of John and Anna (Floa) Dirmeyer. He emigrated to America in 1853, and came to North Washington, Hardin Co., Ohio, in 1854, when the township was almost a wilderness. He was married, on the 15th of May, 1855, to Margaret Daniels, also a native of Germany, where she was born June 27, 1835. To this union nine children were born, viz .: C. William (mar- ried), M. Elizabeth (married), John F., George A., Hamilton W., Charles W., Orrie M., Edward F. and an infant, deceased. A. Dirmeyer, who commenced life on nothing, and has suffered loss by fire, his saw mill having been burnt down once, has, by individual industry and prudence, accumulated a nice prop- erty and extensive business ; he is now owner of 786 acres of land in Sections 10, 16, 21, 22 and 23. As a saw miller, he ships his own lumber, and, as a farmer, ships his own produce. Our subject has been a School Director for about four terms, Township Treasurer for two years, and has always been a member of the Board of Education. As a useful, industrious citizen, he is highly respected by the entire community.

C. A. GUIDER, wheelwright and blacksmith, North Washington, was born November 5, 1837, in Columbus, Ohio. His parents, Augustus C. W. and Chris- tena (Daniel) Guider, were natives of Schwartzburg-Rodolstadt, Germany ; the former was born in 1810, died in 1870; the latter born in 1812, and died in 1852. His grandfather was a Spaniard by birth. The parents of our subject came to Ohio about 1834, and to Washington Township in 1841. Our subject, who was the oldest son, spent his youth on the farm, where he was very in- genius, and often turned his hand at making harrows, plows, ox-yokes, etc., and even wagons and buggies. In the spring of 1858, he was employed by J. G. Orth, of Arcadia, Ohio, a wagon and carriage maker ; and, in November of the same year, by Daniel Bouck, of Findlay, Ohio, where he distinguished him- self as a mechanic. In May, 1860, he was working in the saw mill of J. G. Ott, in North Washington, Ohio, where he was soon appointed head sawyer, but he

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left in October of the same year and went to Indiana. On November 21, 1861, he sustained an injury by the overturning of a wagon, which crushed his right ankle joint, necessitating amputation. On July 23, 1863, he enlisted in the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, stationed in the Rocky Mountains. Our subject had charge of many a mail squad going from Horseshoe Station to Fort Marshall, a distance of twenty-five miles, and from Fort Marshall to Deer Creek Station, a distance of thirty miles. He was in service three years, and was excused from duty only six days during the entire time. Fifteen months after his enlistment, he was promoted to Corporal, and was intrusted with large squads, as many as thirty-eight men and 500 mules and horses. In this posi- tion he was in great danger from the Indians. On one occasion, the Indians made an attack on the herd, and our subject and three brother officers, in look- ing for the Indians, and after the safety of the stock, went a distance of eighty miles, from sunrise to sunset, only stopping for their meals and twice to change horses. In the fall of 1865, Corporal Guider and twelve of his comrades were assigned, under Sergeant Denny, to Fort Marshall. At the latter place, during the last three months, our subject had charge of the artillery, which office was attained by his bravery and skill as a marksman. In July of 1864, he carried a message for re-enforcements from Col. Collins, at Fort Laramie, to Maj. Mackey, at Fort Halleck, a distance of 130 miles, in possession of the Indians, which journey was accomplished in a day and a half. In the spring of 1866, his company returned to Fort Laramie, and on June 15 started for the States, reaching Fort Leavenworth, Kan., about the middle of July. Their final dis- charge was on July 24, 1866. . On his return, our subject hired out in Cessna Township at the building of a schoolhouse. He followed carpentering in the summer and blacksmithing in the winter for four years. He was married, at Kenton, October 23, 1871, to Merilla A. Kridler. She was born in Lordstown, Trumbull Co., Ohio, October 19, 1850, and is a daughter of Daniel and Jen- nette (Campbell) Kridler, the former a native of Pennsylvania. Four children have been born, viz .: Myrta, Eva Jennette, Ethel Pearl (who died September 6, 1880), and Emma Grace. After marriage, Mr. Guider carried on the manufact- ure of wagons and carriages, and did repairing on agricultural implements and machinery. From 1875 to 1881, he ran the shop by horse power ; the band-saw, boring machine, drill and lathe were all his own make. In the fall of 1881, he was in the lumber business in Lynn Township, in company with M. L. Bridenstine and W. J. Obenour, but in September, 1882, sold out to them and returned to his home, where he has since remained. He is a member of the United Brethren Church, and has belonged to several temperance so- cieties.

I. M. HANSON, wagon-maker, North Washington, was born in the Prov- ince of Schleswig, Germany, on the 3d of November, 1837. He is a son of Mathias and May Hanson, and is the third child and second son. He learned his trade when fifteen years old, and has since followed it as his occupation. He emigrated to Hardin County, Ohio, in October, 1866, and, for nine years, was working in Columbus. In 1871, he was married, at Kenton, by Squire Childs, to Mary Anna Ins, born in Fairfield County in 1847. By this union there have been five children, four living-Christena, Rosina, Amelia, Mar- garet (deceased), and Anna. Mr. Hanson owns his residence in North Wash- ington and is a useful citizen of that town.

BYRON HARRIS, farmer, P. O. North Washington, was born February 4, 1837, in Mahoning County. Ohio. He is a son of Nehemiah and Anna (Mc- Guffey) Harris, natives of Washington County, Penn. His father was a cousin of Adam Poe, who killed the Indian, named Big Foot, in Washington, Penn. His mother is a sister of William McGuffey, author of the McGuffey school books. Our subject is the youngest of a family of ten children, seven living,

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and is occupied in farming. He has resided in this county about sixteen years, and is the owner of the undivided half of eighty acres of land, in Section 14, Washington Township. He has filled the office of Supervisor and Town- ship Trustee.

ANSEL W. HOLDEN, minister, Dunkirk, was born in Cortland County, N. Y., October 29, 1825. His father, James J. Holden, was born in Hampshire County, Mass., in May, 1772. His ancestors were from England and settled in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, about the year 1740. Ebene- zer Holden, an uncle, was a soldier of the Revolution, and fought for the liber- ties we now so richly enjoy. Mr. Holden's mother was a daughter of Philip Van Ness, and her ancestors, who came from Holland, were probably among the early settlers of the Empire State. In the spring of 1833, Mr. Holden, in connection with his father's family, migrated to Ohio, settling in Crawford County, and sharing largely in the affairs of pioneer life. He had but few chances for culture and education, but always improved the few opportunities and turned them to the best advantage. He was married, November 23, 1843, to Lucy A., a daughter of Moses Cole, of Huron County, Ohio ; ten children were the fruits of this union, one of whom, Alfred F., was in the Union army during the rebellion, and died of wounds at Nashville, Tenn., June 27, 1864. Mrs. Holden was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., December 13, 1826, and came with her parents to Ohio when quite young. Mr. Holden, at one time, was teaching school in the winter and laboring in the summer. Subsequently, he studied medicine, with the intention of following the medical profession, but decided, instead, to embrace the Christian religion. In 1850, he united with the United Brethren Church, and entered the ministry of the said church in September, 1853. He has continued to do the work of an itinerant for thirty years, with a prospect of further usefulness in the ministerial work. In the spring of 1872, he located on a small farm in Washington Township, where he now resides, superintending home interests and preaching for four congrega- tions.

W. M. HUFFMAN, farmer, P. O. Dunkirk, was born in Medina County, Ohio, on the 6th of November, 1847. He is the son of James and Maria (Hoot) Huffman, the former of German, the latter of Irish and Scotch descent. His father died in 1881, at the age of sixty five years. His mother has at- tained her sixtieth year and is a resident of Medina County. Our subject, the third child of a family of five, was educated at the district schools. He was married on the 14th of October. 1869, to Maryette, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Shane) Martin, of Pennsylvania, born on the 14th of August, 1847, in Medina County. By this union there were two children born, viz .: Coral, born June 23, 1873, and Jay, born October 5, 1876. Mrs. Huffman was the fourth child of a family of six, and was educated at the Medina High School. Her father died in 1867, at the age of forty-seven years. Her mother is a resi- dent of Hardin County, and has reached her sixty-sixth year. Mrs. Huffman is a Methodist. Mr. Huffman filled the office of Constable for two years, and for six years was a School Director.

ELIHU MATHEWS, farmer and school teacher, P. O. Ada, was born April 5, 1826, in Crawford County, Ohio. His mother, Nancy Hamilton, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, on March 25, 1790; his father, Isaac Mathews, was born in Washington County, Penn., on September 20, 1781. They were married in 1806, and settled in the woods eleven distinct times. They raised ten children, seven sons and three daughters ; four died in infancy, the remainder living to have families. Elihu, our subject, was brought to Hardin County in the fall of 1834, about two months before his father had permanently settled there. At this time he was living with his brother Jonathan, and going out a half mile in the woods, lost his way and wandered about until nightfall, when

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becoming fearful that he would be compelled to spend the night in the woods, he tied a strip of bark around one of the two dogs that were with him. The animal led and he followed till finally the cabin of his brother was reached. This happened in the early part of December ; the night was very cold, enough so as to cause a boy of eight years to perish ; it was only owing to providence and the sagacity of his dog that he was saved. His grandfather, William Mathews, was five years in the Revolutionary war. His father died at his residence in Cessna Township September 16, 1848, at the age of sixty-seven years; his mother on November 30, 1871, at the age of eighty-one years. They were members of the Presbyterian Church. On the 1st of April, 1851, our subject was united in marriage in Hardin County to Margaret J. Rusk, born July 28, 1826, in Morgan County, Ohio. They have had four children -Austin W., born January 14, 1852, married June 25, 1874, to Sarah G., daughter of David and Hannah Obenour ; William Jasper, born November 4, 1856; Emmor Seldon, born October 28, 1860; and Philander Newton (deceased), born April 25, 1854, died September 10, 1860. Austin Mathews lives on a farm of ninety-four acres in Cessna Township, and has two children living- Charles Lehr and Melvin Carl ; their oldest, Nellie Florence, died at the age of four months. Andrew Donaldson, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Mat- hews, was the only child of his father's family who escaped the murderous attack of the Indians. . His father had placed the family in a canoe on the Sus- quehanna River, and went to notify another family of the expected approach of the savages. In his absence his family, consisting of his wife and four children, were no doubt brutally murdered by the Indians, for, on his reach- ing the fort, he found only Andrew, who had been taken there by a citizen. Mr. Donaldson never knew the particulars of the horrible fate of his family, nor where their bodies rest.

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The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 112

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