Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 41

Author: Jacob Anthony Kimmell
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1189

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who is the widow of James H. McClintock ; Uhlrich; Anna, who is the widow of Sam- uel Behular; John, who is now deceased; Peter; Mary J., who is the wife of William Madouse; Christian D .; and one other that died in infancy.

Peter Inebnit had but meagre educa- tional advantages, as he was obliged to be- gin the battle of life when but a boy. Brought up on the farm, he acquired a store of practical knowledge pertaining to agricultural affairs, of which he has since made good use. By purchase from the other heirs of his father's property he ac- quired their interests therein, becoming the sole owner, and he has devoted his land to general farming. He has been quite suc- cessful and is numbered among the pros- perous residents of his township.

Mr. Inebnit was married April 25, 1872, to Miss Sophia Madouse, a daughter of Frederick and Sophia (Hennings) Ma- douse. Her parents were married in Ger- many and on first coming to Ohio located at Fostoria. Mr. Madouse remembered working many a day at splitting rails for fifty cents per hundred. Later he bought the farm in Hancock County, O., on which his son William now lives. The other sur- viving member of his family is Sophia, the wife of the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Inebnit have had six children, namely : Mary E., who is the wife of W. B. Conine and resides in Portage Township, this county ; John A., who married Maude Doty and resides in Findlay ; George F .; Charles H., who died at the age of twenty-one years; Harvey V., who manages the farm for his father; and Jessie O., who lives at

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home. Mr. and Mrs. Inebnit are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They have three grandchildren-Clarence, Ma- bel, and Rachel Conine. Mr. Inebnit and his sons are Republicans. He has served as township supervisor and also on the school board. He is one of the township's reliable and respected citizens.

ALFRED L. RUSSELL, who owns eighty acres of farm land, situated in Sec- tion 6, Big Lick Township, Hancock County, O., six and one-half miles east of Findlay, on the Tiffin turnpike road, was born on this farm, December 17, 1861, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Taylor) Russell.

William Russell was born in Jefferson County, O., April 14, 1826, a son of Will- iam Russell, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, and came to America in 1812. The father of Alfred L. Russell was left an or- phan at the age of fourteen years. He came as a farm hand to Big Lick Township where he worked until he purchased the farm which he continued to reside on until his death, on July 20, 1902. In 1852 he was married to Elizabeth Taylor, who was born in Washington Township, Hancock County, and died April 8, 1895. To this union nine children were born, as follows: George, Martha J., Wesley J., Emily, Will- iam T., Sarah C., Alfred, Robert B., and Charles.

Alfred L. Russell has spent the greater part of his life in his native township, where he obtained his education, and has been en- gaged in farming and stock raising ever since leaving school. The favorable loca- tion of his farm gives him one of the finest

watering places for his stock, in the town- ship. He has two gas wells in operation on the farm that he uses for his own purposes. He purchased this place in 1890, it being a part of the old homestead.

In 1887, Mr. Russell was married to Miss Zettie Snyder, and they have had five chil- dren, namely: Floyd, Ethel, Arnot, Ruth, and Kent, who died in infancy. Mr. Rusell and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and attend services at Arcadia. He is a Republican in politics but has never been willing to be a candidate for office. He is one of the reliable and repre- sentative citizens and practical business men of this section.

CHARLES F. SMITH, general manager at Findlay for the Toledo, Bowling Green & Southern Traction Company, and a man of enterprise and achievement in various related lines of industry, was born in Cin- cinnati, November 6, 1863. He is of Ger- man extraction, his father, John C. Smith, having come to America in infancy with his parents, who located in Cincinnati where they passed the remainder of their lives. John C. Smith, who was a mechanic by trade, took part in the defence of the Union during the Civil War, serving as a member of an Ohio Infantry regiment. He died in Cincinnati in 1893 at the age of fifty-three years.

The literary education of the subject of this sketch was secured in the schools of his native city, which however he left at the age of fourteen years to accept a position as office boy with the Mt. Adams and Eden Park Inclined Plane Railway Company. After ten years' faithful service with the

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company, during which time he made the to-date in this Twentieth Century. His best use of his opportunities for acquiring a success is more noteworthy, as it is not due to the initial advantages of a liberal educa- tion, but rather to his own native energy and his ability to see and seize the oppor- tunities presented to him, which many oth- ers would have passed by unnoticed. Some of the most successful lives in the history of our country have been made up of just this kind of material, and to record them is to furnish an inspiration to the youth of today that, if heeded, will bear good and plente- ous fruit. knowledge of railway matters, he was made assistant superintendent, and held that posi- tion until he came to Findlay, in Septem- ber, 1887. Here he seized upon an opportunity presented to him, and purchas- ing the material, superintended the build- ing of the Findlay Street Railway. This line had at first a single trackage of eight miles, which, however, has since been more than doubled. On the absorption of the street railway by the Toledo, Bowling Green and Southern Traction Company, which subsequently occurred, Mr. Smith was made manager of the latter and he has since retained that position. This he is pre- eminently qualified to fill, as he has served in every department and has a thorough practical knowledge of every department in the business.

But Mr. Smith has also been active in other fields of industrial effort. In 1892 he assisted in organizing the Hancock Light & Power Company and became its presi- dent, which office he held for three years. From the reorganization of the company in 1895 he served as vice president until it was absorbed by the Findlay Street Railway Company, four years later. In June, 1901, Mr. Smith took another progressive step, securing the franchise for heating houses by the hot water system, which business is con- ducted by the traction company, under his management. In all these varied enter- prises, each having an important and pre- eminently useful as well as general applica- tion, Mr. Smith has proved himself to be a man of ability and force, such as is needed in every community that aspires to be up-

Mr. Smith was married at Cincinnati, in 1885, to Miss Lizzie J. Farland, daughter of John M. Farland, and has one son, Harry C. The hospitable home of the family is at No. 718 S. Main Street. In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican. He has fraternal connections with the Masons (being a mem- ber of the Mystic Shrine), the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and Elks.

CLARK L. SHEPPARD, president and general manager of the Sanitorium and Rem- edy Company, at Nos. 2217-2219 North Main Street, Findlay, O., bears a name that has been identified with the healing art for several gen- erations, both his father and grandfather pos- sessing a knowledge and medical skill that en- abled them to eradicate that terrible scourge of the human flesh, cancer. For the relief and cure of this dread disease, together with other persistent blood troubles, the Sanitorium and Remedy Company opened its quarters in this city, in April, 1908. Those interested in the enterprise are all men of high personal and financial standing, the officers being: Clark L. Sheppard, president and general manager; James M. Steen, vice president; and John C.

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CLARK L. SHEPPARD

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Firmin, secretary and treasurer. The Sanito- rium is a commodious three-story brick build- ing which was formerly a hotel. It has been fitted up with every comfort and pleasant sur- roundings assured patients, many of whom come long distances for treatment.

Clark L. Sheppard was born in Lapeer Coun- ty, Mich., July 3, 1860, and is a son of Gusta- vus C. and Hannah M. (Thornton) Sheppard. Gustavus C. Sheppard was born in New York and in early manhood accompanied his father, William Sheppard, to Canada. The latter was a native of England, who had come to America as a missionary and while among the Indians learned of the remedy which his descendants have preserved and so successfully made use of as a healing agent. Gustavus C. Sheppard was married in Canada and moved from there to Michigan, where his daily work was cooper- ing but he was widely known also as a healer through the remedy above mentioned.

Clark L. Sheppard was reared in the pine woods of Michigan. His mother died when he was twelve years old but he remained in Michigan and first made use of this famous cancer remedy while living in Cass County. In 1888 he came to Findlay and began the manu- facture of his medicines in 1891 over what is now the Buckeye Bank. For twenty-eight years Mr. Sheppard has been interested along the lines indicated and he doubtless has brought relief, cure and happiness to hundreds of his afflicted fellow creatures. He has grateful let- ters telling of the same and also has a large collection of valuable relics of various kinds presented to him by those who have been under his care at different times and they make a very interesting exhibit.

Mr. Sheppard was married (first) to Miss Ellen McClury, and (second) to Miss Clara E.

Scott. He has four children: Roy, Fisk, Ethel and Glenn. He is identified with the Odd Fel- lows, the Modern Woodmen and the Macca- bees.

ABRAHAM M. KYSER, M. D., a prom- inent and experienced medical practitioner of Hancock County, O., who has been lo- cated at McComb for the past thirteen years, was born in Holmes County, O. three and one-half miles east of Loudon- ville, May 21, 1833. His parents were Cor- nelius and Susan (Melott) Kyser.

Cornelius Kyser was born April 1, 1800, in Herkimer County, N. Y. His father was Stacy Kyser, a native of Holland and a man of superior education, having a speaking knowledge of three languages and being able to write in two of these. He settled first in New York but later moved to Brad- ford County, Pa., where his death occurred. Cornelius Kyser was twenty-four years of age when he went from New York to Penn- sylvania and was thirty-two years old when he located, in 1832, in Holmes County, O. He was married in Center County, Pa., to Susan Melott, a daughter of John and Cath- erine (Bitner) Melott. John Melott was born in the city of Cologne, Germany, and his earlier educational training was for the priesthood. Later he spent seven years at Cologne engaged in the study of medicine and surgery. He escaped from his native land at the time of Bonaparte's invasion, shipped on an out-going vessel and was landed at Philadelphia. There he soon af- terward was married to Catherine Bitner, who had been born near Cologne. John Melott died in Center County, Pa., where they were in affluent circumstances, owning

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400 acres of land, including the site of the town of Melottville. His widow subse- quently married Daniel Boon and after his death she removed to Holmes County, O., where she died and her burial was in the Nashville Cemetery.

Cornelius Kyser moved from Holmes County to Richland County, where his death occurred at the age of seventy-eight years. His widow survived to be eighty- nine years of age, her death occurring at Crestline, in Crawford County. Both parents of Dr. Kyser, with two brothers and a sister, lie buried in the Nashville Cem- etery. The mother was a highly educated woman, a fine German scholar and was gifted in music. Of the children of Corne- lius Kyser and wife, the following reached maturity : Almira, Catherine, Elsie, Julia Ann, Abraham, Ammon, Hester, Martin L. and James U. Almira was married first to Rev. Percell, a minister in the Disciples church in Illinois. He died soon after mar- riage from smallpox and their child also died of this disease. Her second marriage was to Samuel Borden. She still survives and is about eighty-nine years of age. Cath- erine died at Antwerp, in Paulding County, O. She married Isaac W. Young and all the family except two sons died at Ant- werp. Elsie, now deceased, was left a widow a few years after her marriage to T. W. Rodgers, a hardware merchant of Cleve- land. Julia Ann, now deceased, was the wife of Harrison Quail, who was an artist and musician and was a brother of Senator Quail, of Iowa. Abraham M., was the fifth member of the family. Ammon died of typhoid fever at the age of twenty-three years. Hester resides on the home place at

Nashville and is the wife of James Mc- Clarren. Martin L. died in early manhood. James U. resides at Mt. Cory, in Hancock County, a farmer. He was married the first time to Ellen Smith, of Mercer County, O., and his second wife was Elizabeth Faulk, of Mt. Cory.

Abraham M. Kyser attended the Nash- ville schools in his youth and in his desire for a higher education he was encouraged by his mother. Very early he began to teach school and thus in great measure, pro- vided for his own educational advancement, attending the Normal School at Haysville, in Ashland County, and Spring Mountain, in Coshocton County. He taught accept- ably in Ashland, Holmes and Coshocton Counties, continuing up to the time he en- tered the old Buffalo Medical College, after which he practiced medicine for five years and then attended the eclectic schools at Cincinnati and later at Milwaukee, Wis. He has been in harness, as it were, for fifty-two years, beginning at Nashville, go- ing then to Mohickenville, and from there to Mt. Blanchard, in Hancock County and there was associated for a short time with Dr. Clark. From there he went to Vanlue and from there to Mercer County, where he was physician for a convent for over three years. For some eight years he prac- ticed at Monroeville, Ind., and for twenty- two years was at Bluffton, O., coming then to McComb. He stands at the head of his profession here, both as to skill and experi- ence. He is a member of the Northwestern Quarterly Eclectic Medical Association and also of the Ohio State and the National Eclectic Medical organizations. He is the

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leading exponent of this system of medical practice in Hancock County.

Dr. Kyser was married (first) on April 10, 1860, to Miss Cecelia Moore, who was born at Wooster, O., and died in 1877. She was a daughter of Jesse and Catherine Moore. To this union three daughters and one son were born: Almira E., who is the wife of C. W. Brand, a druggist at Find- lay, and they have one daughter, Fera, who married Harry Overton ; Israel C., who died in infancy; Lillie M., who married E. N. Kyser, of Findlay, O., and they have one son, Joy ; and Cora C., who married Elmer Flack, of Findlay, O., and they have had two daughters and one son: Garnett, de- ceased, who was the wife of Clyde Cham- bers, of Lima, now assistant postmaster at Seattle, Wash .; and Vera and Harry, both of whom live at home.

Dr. Kyser was married (second) in 1894, to Miss Della Snyder, a daughter of Peter Snyder, a prominent and wealthy farmer near Lima. Dr. Kyser is an active member of the Presbyterian church although his early religious connections were with the Reform church.

J. L. HIGBIE, M. D., a successful medical practitioner and one of the representative busi- ness men of Jenera, Hancock County, O., was born February 23, 1863, in Allen County, O., and is a son of Henry H. and Nancy E. (Suaney) Higbie.

Henry H. Higbie taught school for many years in Indiana and Ohio during his early life, but later engaged in farming in Allen County, O. He died in March, 1908, at Lima, O., where he had been living in retirement for eight years, and is survived by his widow, who

is a resident of Lima. They were the parents of the following children: Frank, J. L., Em- met, Bert, Jennie, Cora, and Ada.

J. L. Higbie was reared in Allen County, O., and obtained his early education in the vil- lage schools and at Westminster. He also at- tended the Ohio State Normal School at Ada for three years, and then read medicine with Dr. Blackson and took a course in medicine at the St. Louis Medical College. In 1888 he came to Jenera, O., where he has since been continuously and successfully engaged in fol- lowing his profession. Dr. Higbie is a mem- ber of the Hancock County and Northwestern Medical Societies. He is politically a Demo- crat, and was for thirteen years a justice of the peace, and for six years served as mayor of Jenera. He is vice president of the Farmers' Banking Company of Jenera, and his religious connection is with the Lutheran church.

Dr. Higbie was joined in marriage with Miss Mary E. Traught, a daughter of Peter Traught, who resides near Jenera, and of their union were born the following children: Una, Lloyd, Merle, and Howard.

FREDERICK J. BICKELHAUPT, a re- tail grocery merchant of Findlay, O., is a na- tive of Germany, having been born in the Province of Hesse-Darmstadt, near the River Rhine, in 1843, a son of John Bickelhaupt. The latter, who was born also in Germany, in 1821, emigrated with his family to the United States in 1851, locating first in New York City. A year later they came to Findlay, O., where Frederick J. Bickelhaupt has since made his home. The father died at Findlay in 1896.

Frederick J. Bickelhaupt in his youth re- ceived but a limited education, but later read- ing, together with observation and contact with

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the practical affairs of life, broadened his un- derstanding and made him in time a man of good mental equipment, which he is today. When the Civil War broke out, like so many of his countrymen, he offered his services, en- listing at Findlay, in October, 1862, in Co. G, 57th O. Vol. Inf., with which he saw an act- ive service of four months, for the following three months being confined to the hospital. Subsequently receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Findlay and entered into part- nership with his father in the grocery and prod- uce business, which connection lasted until 1881, when the elder partner retired from the firm. The business was continued alone by the junior partner until 1896, when he also retired for a time from business activity. However, in 1907, he resumed as a retail grocery mer- chant and is conducting a large business at No. 513 So. Main Street, Findlay, where he has a modern, well equipped store. In the past as in the present, Mr. Bickelhaupt won public confidence through honorable methods. In politics he supports the principles and policies of the Republican party, taking an intelligent interest in public affairs and always casting his influence on what he believes to be the right side. Fraternally he holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Bickelhaupt was first married in 1870. In 1894 his second union occurred, to Miss Addie D. Folk, a daughter of George Folk, of Findlay. Her family is an old one in this state, dating from pioneer days, and her ma- ternal grandfather, Israel Pence, was born in Ohio and served against the British in the War of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Bickelhaupt have a pleasant residence at No. 131 West Lincoln Street. They are held in high esteem by the citizens of Findlay.

CYRUS W. CANFIELD, one of the rep- resentative agriculturists of Cass Township, Hancock County, O., and a well known and valued citizen of a section in which his life has been mainly spent, owns 160 acres of valuable land which lies partly in Cass and partly in Allen Township. He was born on this farm, in the old log house which was the pioneer home of the family, January 23, 1845, and is a son of Elijah C. and Sarah (Weiss) Canfield, a grandson of Eli B. and Johanna (Wright) Canfield, and a great-grandson of Elijah Can- field.

The first Elijah Canfield was born in Eng- land but he evidently was brought early to the American colonies and the family record tells of his becoming a soldier in the Revolutionary War when a youth of fourteen years and of his being held in such favor by the great com- mander that he was made one of Gen. Wash- ington's body guards. He spent his closing years in Ohio and died in Portage County when within six years of the century mark. The name of his wife has not been preserved but he had three sons and three daughters born to him.

Eli B. Canfield, grandfather of Cyrus W. Canfield, was the eldest of the above six chil- dren and he was born in one of the mountain- ous counties of the State of New York. After the War of 1812, in which he possibly took part, he moved to Ohio and settled in Portage County. From there, in 1836, he moved to Hancock County and located in the deep woods in Cass Township, with his nearest neighbor fully a mile distant. Subsequently he sold that farm and in 1846 moved to Michigan, where he bought a quarter section of land and re- sided there until the time of his death, just prior to the opening of the Civil War, when

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aged seventy-six years. His old age thus was preserved from the grief that would have fallen on him had he known that within a few years one of his stalwart sons, Elanson, would have died on the field of battle, suffering from fourteen wounds made by Confederate bullets. His widow survived him six years, dying also in Michigan. They had eleven children, five of whom survived infancy, namely: Murwim, Elijah Cyrus, Harry, Elanson and Harriet. The only one yet living is Elijah Cyrus, the venerable father of Cyrus W. Canfield.

Elijah Cyrus Canfield comes of a long lived family. He was born September 14, 1820, in Portage County, O., and was only a boy when the family came in its covered wagon to Han- cock County, an ox-team drawing the same safely over the rough unsettled country. In those early days in Cass Township, schools had not yet been generally established and he was so eager to gain some book knowledge that he attended a subscription school for three months after he was twenty-one years of age and paid for the instruction himself. As soon as he was old enough he went into the woods and did his share of clearing, working over many acres. About the time of his marriage he bought the farm of forty acres on which he still lives, from his father, and was, in his prime, probably the equal of any farmer in this section. He also followed threshing for a number of years and in his work, while active, was more or less associated with his son, Cy- rus W. He has always been a Democrat and still deems it his duty to exercise his right of citizenship. Mr. Canfield is the oldest resident of Cass Township.

Elijah Cyrus Canfield has been twice mar- ried. On February 27, 1844, he was united with Sarah Weiss, who left three children at

her decease some years later, namely: Cyrus W .; Mary, who became the wife of William Gassman, and they have five children-Charles, James, Philip, William and Minnie; and Ella Jane, who married Warren Albertson and they have two children-William and Lillian. On December 25, 1884, Mr. Canfield was married again, this time to Mrs. Sarah Weiss, widow of Reuben Weiss and daughter of Samuel and Mary (McDougal) Edgar. No children were born to Mr. Canfield to this union but Mrs. Weiss had eight children born to her former marriage: Graig, Mary, Lavina, Sarah, Me- lissa, Alta, and three that died in infancy.

Cyrus W. Canfield obtained a district school education. He has always lived on his present farm but also has a home in the South, where he spends his winters. He assisted his father for many years and for fifty years followed threshing as a business, beginning with the old horse-power thresher, he and his father own- ing the first machine of the kind in Hancock County and they operated with it for twenty- three seasons. Later improved machinery was purchased and when Mr. Canfield retired from the business he owned modern equipments. At different times he has made improvements on his property and his comfortable residence is a well arranged eight-room house.

Mr. Canfield was married to Miss Maria Ames, a daughter of Milton Ames, and they have two children: Sadie and William. The former is the wife of J. C. Kissell and they have three children: Treasure, Paul and Ruby. Mr. and Mrs. Kissell live in Allen Township, Hancock County. William Canfield is a resi- dent of Wood County. He married Bertha Huffman and they have two children: Orpha and Fay. Mr. Canfield, like his father, is a

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Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 41

Author: Jacob Anthony Kimmell Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1189

Author: Jacob Anthony Kimmell
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1189