Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 56

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

USA > Ohio > Hancock County > Findlay > Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens > Part 56

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Nicholas Hillshafer was a brewer by trade and about 1851 came alone to America. Three months after locating in Ohio, he sent to Ger- many for his family to come to Findlay and upon their arrival here they were greatly dis- appointed in not finding the father and hus- band. Seventeen years later it was learned through a lawsuit, that he had gone to Law- renceburg, Ind., in search of employment, and died very suddenly while there, among strang- ers, thus leaving no way for his family to dis- cover the fact of his death. His widow subse- quently married David Rohrer, who was one of the hardy pioneers and large land owners of Hancock County, O. He first looked over land in this section of the country in 1827, but find- ing it too wild did not locate, but returned in 1833 and took up 640 acres which lay in what was later discovered to be the heart of the great oil belt of Hancock County. Had Mr. Rohrer kept the entire 640 acres until the time of his death, which occurred in 1875, he would have died a millionaire. The mother of our subject died in 1906, at the age of eighty-four years.

Conrad Hillshafer was reared in Allen Township, where his mother and step-father located when he was about five years old, and received a limited amount of schooling in the local schools. He was reared a farmer, which occupation he has always followed, and

CONRAD HILLSHAFER, one of the for years also dealt extensively in buying and prominent oil producers and representative selling stock, which work necessitated consid-

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erable traveling over various parts of the coun- ploy of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, with try. Mr. Hillshafer is a self-made man, is a which corporation he remained for fifty years. He married Sarah E. Latham, who died in 1906. very fluent talker, and is exceptionally well in- formed for one whose educational advantages have been very limited. When oil was discov- ered in this section of the country, Mr. Hill- shafer entered actively into that industry, and was soon as widely known for his extensive oil operations, as he had formerly been as a stock dealer. Besides his home farm of eighty acres, he also owns a tract of eighty acres one mile west from where he resides, both of these farms having been owned by his step-father, David Rohrer, who entered the land from the govern- ment in 1833. Mr. Hillshafer also owns twen- ty-five acres east of the Perrysburg turnpike road in Allen Township, and has had over seventy producing oil wells on his three farms, having at one time forty wells in operation on the home property.

Mr. Hillshafer was joined in marriage with Miss Mary Groth, a native of Wood County, O., and a daughter of Fritz Groth, and to them have been born the following children: Ella, who is the wife of Samuel Conant, of Columbus, O .; William, who is a resident of Findlay; Conrad, who married Nancy Edel- man, has one child, Fred; and Elmer, and Orin.

GEORGE R. THOMPSON, who is pro- prietor of the leading jewelry store at Findlay and is also an optician and dealer in optical goods, was born in West Virginia, July 23, 1854, and is a son of L. F. and Sarah E. (La- tham) Thompson.

L. F. Thompson, father of George R., is now in his eighty-seventh year and is an es- teemed resident of Parkersburg, West Va., where he lives retired. In early manhood he was a school teacher and later entered the em-

George R. Thompson was small when his parents moved to Parkersburg, this being dur- ing the Civil War, and in that city he attended school and from there went to Cincinnati and later to Springfield, O. In 1875 he came to Findlay, at that time being a poor apprentice boy, and entered the employ of George W. Kimmell, who was in the jewelry line here. He remained with Mr. Kimmell for about one year and then was with D. C. Connell until 1885, when he went into busines for himself. He is one of the experienced men in this business and has been connected with the jewelry trade here for thirty-five continuous years. When he first came to this city he had little hope of be- coming what he is, one of the representative and substantial business men of Findlay.

Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Elta B. Tate, of Findlay, O., and they have two children: Marshall B., who is associated with his father; and Kenneth M. Mr. Thomp- son and family are members of the First Pres- byterian church. He is identified with the Ma- sons and the Elks. He is not active in politics but has high standing as a citizen and gives hearty support to all movements affecting Find- lay's substantial development and the welfare of its people.

S. C. WALKER, owner of 123 acres of fine farming land in Section 18, Delaware Town- ship, upon which he has lived for seventeen years, was born in Shelby County, O., Septem- ber 25, 1858, son of James and Melvina (Eltz- roth) Walker. Our subject's father was born in Ireland and came to Ohio at the age of

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twenty-one years, soon after becoming identi- fied with railroad work, at which he continued until reaching middle life. He subsequently moved to southern Indiana, where he bought a farm, upon which he resided until his death, at the age of seventy-three years. His wife, who was a native of Ohio, died when her son, the subject of this sketch, was a babe of four months, at Sidney, O.

S. C. Walker in his boyhood attended school in Delaware Township, and subsequently be- gan work on a farm in that township, the property being owned by his uncle, by whom he was employed. In 1893 he became its owner by purchase, and has since put in all the pres- ent standing improvements, including the house, barn and fences. Here he carries on general farming and stock raising very profita- bly, and is known as one of the prosperous and enterprising citizens of the township.

Mr. Walker was married in 1881, to Miss Laura Wolford, a daughter of Hamson and Barbara (Trackler) Wolford, prominent farm- ers of Delaware Township. Hamson Wolford lost his life fighting in defense of the Union, when his daughter Barbara was but a small child. Of this, Mr. Walker's first marriage, two children were born-James Earl and E. Guy. The former, James E. Walker, served for- ty-nine months in the United States Navy. E. Guy Walker, born March 24, 1887, was acci- dentally killed on a farm near his father's place, on January 29, 1906.

In March, 1888, the subject of this sketch was married to his second wife, who was Miss Alice Trackler of Blanchard Township, a daughter of J. A. and Anna ( Poorman) Track- ler, who were farming people. Of Mr. Walk- er's second union four children have been born, namely : Clarence Ray, born January 20,

1889, who died as the consequence of having been kicked by a colt on his father's farm, April 23, 1908; Ida May, born February 15, 1891; Harry Wayne, born October 26, 1893; and Stanley Eugene, born June 21, 1908. Mr. Walker and his family are supporters of the Hope Chapel in Delaware Township. He is also a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 519 at Mt. Blanchard. He served as township trustee for one year and was assessor of Del- aware Township from 1890 to 1895, being elected on the Republican ticket. For a num- ber of years also he was a member of the school board of Delaware Township, in all these va- rious positions proving a capable official and rendering good public service that was appre- ciated by his fellow townsmen.

DAVID B. KAGY, township trustee and one of the progressive farmers of Allen Township, resides on a farm of fifty-seven acres located about one-half mile east of Van Buren, O., and was born June 16, 1851, on his father's farm about one and a half miles east of Van Buren, O., a son of Samuel and Hannah (Baker) Kagy. Our subject's parents came to Hancock County from Fair- field County, in 1847, and settled on a farm in Allen Township.

David B. Kagy was reared on the home farm in Allen Township and received his early instruction in the local schools, later entering Mt. Union College, at Mt. Union, O., where he spent three years. After com- pleting his education, Mr. Kagy taught school for fifteen years, teaching four terms in the Van Buren school, and also taught summer school terms several years, but usually spent the summer months in farm- ing. In 1884, Mr. Kagy bought his present

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farm of fifty-seven acres, which is located on 1853 moved with his family to Hancock the Ridge Road, and has lived here con- tinuously since that time.

Mr. Kagy was married in 1879 to Eliza- beth H. Higgins, a graduate in the class of 1879 at Mt. Union College, whom he met while a student there himself, and whose father, Rev. Thomas J. Higgins, had pre- viously been pastor of the Methodist Epis- copal church of Mt. Union. Mr. and Mrs. Kagy have one son, Emmerson G., a bright lad of ten years. The family are members of the Presbyterian church of Van Buren of which Mr. Kagy is now serving as congrega- tional clerk. Mr. Kagy is a Democrat and in the fall of 1907 was elected trustee of Allen Township, and reelected to that office in 1909, his present term expiring January I, 1912. He has also held other township offices, having previously served several terms as trustee and clerk of Allen Town- ship.

HENRY STOUGH, whose possessions include 139 acres of valuable farming land situated in Sections 33 and 34, Cass Town- ship, Hancock County, O., was born April 12, 1844, in Ashland County, O., where his father owned a small farm. His parents were George and Catherine (Gearheart) Stough.

George Stough was born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio with his father, Moses Stough, who settled and lived in Ashland County, O., into old age but died at the home of his son George Stough, in Hancock County, when he was eighty-three years old. George Stough was married in Ashland County, to Catherine Gearheart, whose par- ents were also from Pennsylvania, and in

County, securing land in Allen Township on which stood a small log cabin. In the fol- lowing fall he built an addition which served until the present handsome and commodious brick residence took its place. George Stough cleared the land and burned the brush off where his buildings later covered a large space. He bought first 160 acres to which he subsequently added eighty acres and on this place he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the age of eighty-three years, having survived his wife. Ten chil- dren were born to them, eight in Ashland County and two in Hancock County. The family record is as follows: Eliza Jane, who is the widow of Samuel Wagner; Daniel; Mary Ann, deceased, who was the wife of H. B. McCracken; Henry ; Christopher ; Su- sanna, deceased, who was the wife of Fred Weiler, also deceased; Sarah, deceased, who was the wife of George Nelson; Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of John Taylor; Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of John Bly; and Amelia, deceased, who was the wife of William Shafer, also deceased.

Henry Stough was nine years old when his parents came to Hancock County, reach- ing here on his birthday. He was a bright, inquisitive boy and when he started to school found the schoolhouse a log structure in the woods not far from his father's cabin, and on its old slab benches he passed many a winter day later on. He was soon called 'on, however, to help in clearing up the land, his first work in this line being the watching of the brush heaps in burning, to see that no conflagrations started. Later he became his father's most valuable helper in farming and stock raising.

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HON. JOSEPH R. KAGY

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In December, 1865, Henry Stough was married to Miss Susanna Shafer, a daughter of Josiah Shafer, an old resident of Han- cock County. Mrs. Stough became the mother of two children-Henrietta and William, and died in 1902. Henrietta was born in 1866 and died in June, 1905. She married Edward Wachtel and they had two children : Merle and Corinne. The latter was reared by her grandfather to the age of fifteen years and was a student in the Find- lay High School when her death occurred in February, 1910. William, the only son of Mr. Stough, who was born in November, 1874, died in 1892.

Mr. Stough moved into a log cabin on his present farm in the fall of 1867, this farm being the old Shafer home place, and in 1875 he erected his present comfortable resi- dence. He carries on general farming. In politics, as was his father, he is a Democrat and he has served as a justice of the peace and as land appraiser in 1900 and 1910.

JOSEPH OEHLSCHLAGER, director of Public Service, at Findlay, O., has been a resident of this city since 1888 and as busi- ness man and public official is widely known. He was born in a village in New York, September 14, 1855, and is a son of Martin and Amelia O. Oehlschlager, the latter of whom died when he was one year old, in New York, and the father at a later date in Iowa.

Mr. Oehlschlager was young when his father took him to Iowa and he was reared and attended school there and prior to com- ing to Findlay, was engaged in a grocery business in that state. After reaching this city he engaged in the liquor business in

which he continued until 1902, when he be- came interested in the oil business and re- mained so engaged until in the fall of 1907, when he was elected on the Republican ticket to membership on the Board of Pub- lic Service and served as president of that body until January 1, 1910, when, under the new code he was appointed director of the Public Service by Mayor Groves. He is one of the city's substantial as well as re- liable citizens. In 1895 he bought the prop- erty at No. 331 South Main Street, which is now occupied by the Edwards Shoe Com- pany, and has other interests. Mr. Oehl- schlager was married in Iowa to Miss Amelia Braumberger. He is a member of the Elks and the Maccabees.

HON. JOSEPH R. KAGY, formerly mayor of the city of Findlay, and for many years a public official of Hancock County, dur- ing which time he capably filled many offices of responsibility, has been engaged in the real estate and insurance business at Findlay, for over a decade. He was born December 21, 1842, in Fairfield County, Ohio, and in 1847 was brought to Hancock County by his par- ents, and from that time until the present he has been identified with the interests of this section of Ohio.

When nineteen years of age, Mr. Kagy be- gan to teach school during the winter seasons, passing his summers in healthy farm work; and for about nine years he had charge of the public schools of Van Buren. During his many years of residence in Allen Township, Mr. Kagy proved himself an active and useful citi- zen, and after serving a number of terms as township clerk, assessor and treasurer, in 1877 he was elected auditor of Hancock County,

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being re-elected in 1880. After the close of his second term, he served for almost two years as deputy auditor. When Hon. W. L. Carlin, then mayor of Findlay, was elected to the State Senate, Mr. Kagy, who was then serving as a member of the city council of Findlay, was elected by the council to fill out the unexpired term of Mayor Carlin, which he did to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. The duties of his other public positions occupied a large part of his time, these offices including membership on the board of county school ex- aminers, and the positions of assistant clerk of the State Senate, deputy state superintendent of insurance, and roll clerk in the Pension De- partment at Columbus. Since 1901, when he was put forward by the Democratic party as its candidate for state senator, Mr. Kagy has not been as active in politics as formerly and thus has found more time to give attention to his own business affairs. From 1886 to 1889, he was engaged very successfully in the oil and gas business, but since 1898 he has been mainly interested in fire insurance and realty, and in these lines is a representative business man of this city. He has offices in the Marvin Block and is agent for fire, tornado, and plate glass insurance, representing the following standard companies : the Aetna Insurance Company, of Hartford, Conn .; the Phoenix Insurance Com- pany, of Brooklyn, New York; the Royal Ex- change Assurance, of London, England; the Sun Insurance Office, of London, England; Lloyd's Plate Glass, of New York; and the Citizens, of St. Louis, Missouri.

At Van Buren, Ohio, on January 21, 1864, Mr. Kagy married Miss Catherine M. Zar- baugh, and the survivors of their family of six children are: Nora B., who resides at home and is associated with her father in the office

(she is prominent in the Rebecca branch of Odd Fellowship, and is past president of the Rebecca Assembly of Ohio); Mary E., who is the wife of Dr. E. B. Jacobs, residing at Chicago, Ill .; David C. D., who is an attorney and a well known educator in Hancock County; and J. Rodney, who is engaged in the practice of dentistry, at Chicago, Ill. The family home is situated on Perrysburg Road. Mr. Kagy is an Odd Fellow and an Elk.

P. McDOWELL, who resides on his well improved farm of ninety-three acres, which is situated in Sections 4 and 9, Union Town- ship, Hancock County, O., came here in 1877 and this has been his continuous home, He was born in Licking County, O., Feb- ruary 16, 1832, and is a son of John and Eliza (Ackley) McDowell.

John McDowell was a native of Ohio and was a farmer all his life. In 1836 he moved from Licking to Putnam County, where he died in 1842. He married Eliza Ackley, who was born in New York, in 1812, and died in Putnam County, in 1900. They were well known and highly respected people.

P. McDowell obtained his education in boyhood in the country schools but early went to work as he was only ten years old when his father died. When he reached manhood he married Miss Nancy E. Harris, who was born in Licking County, O., in 1833, and they began housekeeping in Put- nam County but moved to Hancock County and settled on the present farm in 1877. They have had six children, namely: Lorenzo, who died in Putnam County in 1877; Ansel, who died at the age of four weeks; Mary, who married a Mr. Rother, of Hancock County, and they have six chil-

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dren-Claude, Olive, Clare, Arby, Guy, and Alma. Lida, who married Sheridan Wil- kins, of Putnam County; Delbert, who mar- ried Miss Allie Aurand, resides on his farm in Union Township, they have one son, Hol- lis age eight years; and Clara, who resides at home. The mother of the above family died here in 1897, when aged sixty-four years. She was a loving wife and mother and a valued member of the Methodist Epis- copal church at Benton Ridge. Mr. Mc- Dowell is also connected with this church and for a number of years was the super- intendent of the Sunday-school.

General farming and stock raising are carried on by Mr. McDowell and he has always met with satisfactory returns. It is conceded that this is the best grain farm in Union Township. At different times he has made improvements, has substantial build- ings, plenty of fencing and excellent ac- commodations for his various kinds of stock.

PETER A. MATHEWSON, who car- ries on general farming and has a reputation for raising especially fine road horses, owns 160 acres of valuable land situated in Sec- tion 25, Orange Township, Hancock County, O. Mr. Mathewson was born in Van Buren Township, Hancock County, May 1, 1882, and is a son of Dr. W. R. and Flora (Bender) Mathewson.

Dr. W. R. Mathewson is a well known veterinary surgeon and horse dealer and has been a resident of Bluffton, O., since Sep- tember, 1900. He married Flora Bender, a native of Orange Township, who, like him- self had neither brother nor sister. They had but two children born to them: Lottie and Peter A.

Peter A. Mathewson obtained his educa- tion in School District No. 7, Orange Town- ship, and then began to assist his father, having always resided on a farm with the exception of a short period following his marriage, when he lived at Bluffton. In association with his father he has greatly improved this farm, about 102 acres of which is in first class condition, the soil mellow and fertile and very productive. They care- fully drained the land and it is one of the best cared for farms in the township. The farm buildings are substantial and have been remodeled and made very presentable. Mr. Mathewson is an enterprising and prac- tical young farmer and horseman and suc- cess is attending his efforts.

Mr. Matthewson married Amanda Bame, who is a daughter of George Bame, of Williamstown, and two children have been born to them: Kenneth G. and Byrl. The former died April 15, 1904, and was buried at Hassam Cemetery. The latter was born June 12, 1902, and is a bright student at school. Mr. Mathewson calls himself an Independent Democrat in his political views. He is a member of the order of Modern Woodmen of America and attends the lodge at Bluffton.

REUBEN B. KEERAN, M. D., physician and surgeon, with offices at No. 3151/2 South Main Street, Findlay, O., has been in active practice in this city since 1886 and is num- bered with her leading professional men. He was born near Burgoon, Sandusky County, O., February 20, 1853, and is a son of Nathaniel and Eliza (Linch) Keeran.

Nathaniel Keeran, who was a blacksmith

and farmer, came to Hancock County in ·

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1866, and settled on a farm near McComb, son Townships. He died at Mt. Blanchard on which he continued to reside until his in 1875. He married Mary Missmore, who death, in 1879. His widow survived until 1886. was born in Pennsylvania, on the farm of her parents. She survived until 1901, her death taking place in Delaware Township, Hancock County.

Reuben B. Keeran obtained his education in the country schools and a select school at Findlay and thus prepared himself for teaching, and afterward taught three terms in the country districts, one term at Find- lay, and two terms in Clark County, Ill., where he had gone in 1876. Prior to this move, however, he had read medicine with Dr. Jesse Watson, at McComb, Hancock County, and later entered the Cincinnati Eclectic Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1876. He immediately en- gaged in practice in Clark County but his health failed and instead of practicing he taught school for a time and rested a year, when he resumed medical practice and re- mained in Clark County, until 1886, when he located permanently at Findlay. Dr. Keeran is a member of the Northwestern, the Ohio State and the National Medical Societies. He married Miss Annie C. Fahrer, of Lancaster, O.

WILLIAM P. HAMMOND, who con- ducts the only bakery at Rawson, O., has been in business here for the past four years and has become one of the representative citizens. He was born at Mt. Blanchard, Hancock County, O., May 15, 1851, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Missmore) Hammond.

Thomas Hammond was born on a farm in Jackson Township, Hancock County, and for a number of years was an acceptable school teacher through Delaware and Jack-

William P. Hammond attended the schools of Delaware Township and later be- came a teacher, for a number of terms teach- ing in Jackson and Amanda Townships. He has always taken an active part in politics, being identified with the Democratic party, and for eight years served as clerk of Amanda Township, being first elected in 1880, and for one year was also township assessor, elected to this office in 1890. In the performance of public duties he has been honest and efficient and numbers his friends, both political and personal, by the score.

In 1875, Mr. Hammond was married to Miss Laura Lee, who died in 1904 at Van- lue, O., aged thirty-five years. They had three children: Harry, Cora and Trude. Harry married Gertrude Corbin, of Big Lick Township and they have one daughter, Helen. Cora married Charles Kear, of Wyandot County, and they have two chil- dren: Russell and David. Trude married Robert Earley, of Amanda Township, and they have one son, Clarence. In 1905, Mr. Hammond was married to Miss Emma Shull, a daughter of Franklin Shull, a farmer in Amanda Township. Mr. Hammond and family belong to the United Brethren church at Rawson. He is a member of Lodge No. 353, I. O. O. F., at Vanlue, and for the past ten years has been a member of Lodge No. 710, Knights of Pythias, at Vanlue.

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CHRISTOPHER STOUGH, owner of member of his profession, was born at Benton 160 acres of productive and highly cultivated Ridge, Hancock County, O, March 22, 1864, and is a son of Thomas J. and Hannah L. (Ballard) Saunders. farm land in Allen Township, Hancock County, O., was born August 1, 1846, on a farm about three miles northeast of Ashland, Ashland County, O., and is a son of George and Catherine (Geirhart) Stough.

In 1853 Christopher Stough came to Han- cock County with his parents, who settled on land in the extreme southeastern part of Allen Township, where the father died June 9, 1898. The mother died in 1893. Here Mr. Stough was reared and educated, attending the local schools, and has always followed farming and stock raising. The first two years of his mar- ried life were spent on the Eckert farm in Cass Township, which was originally owned by his wife's grandfather Eckert, and the three fol- lowing years were spent on his father's farm in Allen Township. Since 1873, Mr. Stough has been living on his present farm, eighty acres being located in Section 32, and eighty acres, which corner to the southwest, being located in Section 31.

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Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 56

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

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