CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 525 ber eleven reached mature years and those still living are Isaac, of this review; Kate, the widow of James Fisher, of Michigan; John, a resident of Sterling, Kansas; Neriah, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri; Lydia, who married John Matz, of Thompson township, who has passed away; Marion, of Thompson township; and Jared, also of this township. Those who have passed away were Sarah, Annie, Samuel, Betsey and Margaret. Deciding to establish his home in the Buckeye state, John Royer, the father of our subject, severed the business ties which bound him to Pennsylvania and with his family moved to Summit county, Ohio, where he remained for three years. He afterward spent a similar period in Wayne county, and in the year 1828 came with his family to Seneca county, taking up his abode in Thompson township, where he entered four hundred and eighty acres of land, constituting the farm upon which his son Jared now resides. He was the third man from Pennsylvania to settle in Thompson township, the forerunner of many others. The Seneca Indians were still here at the time of the arrival of the family, and the chief of the tribe and his squaw had been sheltered for the night in the cabin home which belonged to the Royer family. The father of our subject erected a log house after the primitive manner of the times. It contained but one room, was covered with a slab roof and had a puncheon floor. When a number of years had passed, however, this pioneer dwelling was replaced by a more commodious and modern home. John Royer gave his time and attention to clearing, developing and improving his land and there carried on farming until his death, which cccurred in the eighty-eighth year of his age. It was through his efforts that the Royer ditch in Thompson township was made, thus reclaiming land which now constitutes some of the finest farms in this section of the state. Mr. Royer also aided in building the first log church for the Reformed denomination in Thompson township, and for many years he served as a trustee and elder in his church. He was an important factor in all movements which led to the substantial development and improvement of the county in an early date, and his name should be placed on the roll of honored pioneers of Seneca county. 526 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Isaac Royer was but an infant when his parents left the Keystone state, and was a lad of only eight summers when they came to Seneca county. Here he was reared upon the old family homestead, remaining there until 1843. During that time he attended the public schools, but his training at farm work was not nearly as meager as the mental instruction which he received. He early became familiar with the work of the fields and his practical experience in that direction enabled him to carry on farming on his own account with excellent success. In the year 1843 Mr. Royer was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Stitler, a daughter of Henry Stitler, and unto them were born three children,—Elizabeth, John and Mary,—but all are now deceased, the mother having passed away in 1847. In 1849 Mr. Royer was again married, his second union being with Miss Julia A. Fridley, who was born in Seneca county, New York, in 1826, a daughter of Louis Fridley, who came to Venice township in 1838. Ten children. have graced this marriage, of whom four are yet living : Mary, the wife of Edward Fobel, of Thompson township ; Amanda R., the wife of Thomas Wolfe, also of this township; Sarah, who married Thomas Higgins and is living in Bellevue, Ohio ; and Malinda, the wife of William Sears, of Bellevue. Those who have passed away are Benjamin F., Neriah, John J. and Josephine, twins, and two who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Royer now have eight grandchildren. In 1849 this worthy couple removed to the farm upon which they now reside, and Mr. Royer here owns two hundred acres of valuable land, while in another tract he has eighty acres. He cleared most of his land himself and all of the improvements upon the place are an indication of his enterprise and business ability, while the substantial buildings stand as monuments to his labor and resolute purpose. His attention has always been given to agricultural pursuits, and as the years have passed the well tilled fields have returned to him golden harvests. from the sale of which he has realized a handsome income. During the greater part of his life Mr. Royer has held membership in the Reformed church, to which his wife also belongs, and for many years he has been a deacon and elder in the church. He contributes CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 527 liberally to its support and has used his aid and influence for the upbuilding and advancement of the cause of Christianity, while in his life he has exemplified his Christian faith. His political views are in harmony with the principles of the Democracy, but he has never had the time nor desire to seek office. He has the honor of being a resident of Thompson township the longest of all, seventy-four years having passed since he arrived here. Great changes has he witnessed through this period. He has seen the passing of the Indians and has watched the forest give way to rich and fertile fields, while the work of progress and improvement has been carried on in all lines which lead to business prosperity and substantial development. He has taken great pride in what has been accomplished in the county and has ever borne his part in the work of improvement. He relates many interesting incidents of these pioneer times, when people lived in log cabins and followed a path through the forest in order to visit neighbors. But true hospitality existed in those days and many pleasant hours were spent in the homes of neighbors, who perchance lived many miles away. There was much hard work to be done in clearing and improving farms, but as the years passed the labors were requited by abundant returns, and like others Mr. Royer has secured a comfortable competence through his enterprising efforts. DAVID HOLMES. It is but in justice due that in this volume should be accorded a tribute to the memory of one who was identified with the civic and industrial life of Seneca county in so prominent a way as was Mr. Holmes, whose abilities and unswerving integrity in all the relations of life gained to him unlimited esteem from all with whom he came in contact. Super- added to this, the memoir is the more consistent from the fact that he was a native son of the county and here passed his entire life, attaining marked success and becoming one of the representative and influential men of this section of the state. 528 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. David Holmes was born on a farm in Venice township, Seneca county, Ohio, on the 12th of May, 1843, and here his death occurred on the 7th of February., 1898. His parents, John and Sabina (Hillis) Holmes, had a family of eight children, of whom four survive at the present time, namely : Amos, who is a resident of Michigan; Rebecca, the wife of Lafayette Palmeter, is a resident of the state of Missouri; Sarah, the wife of Benjamin Slough, of Michigan; and John, who resides in Attica. The subject of this memoir was reared on the old homestead farm and received a common-school education, and as a young man served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade, to which he devoted his attention for a time, though agricultural pursuits constituted his vocation during by far the greater part of his independent business career, and through the medium of the same he achieved a high degree of prosperity. Mr. Holmes became the owner of two hundred and fifty acres of land in Huron county, Ohio, and also acquired the controlling interest in the old parental homestead of two hundred and twenty-six acres, the latter having been divided among the heirs subsequently to his death. Mr. Holmes was a man of a high order of mentality, was especially progressive and discriminating in the management of his business affairs and was one who had a deep and abiding interest in all that made for the general prosperity and advancement of the community in which he lived and in which he was honored by all who knew him. In his political proclivities he was found stanchly arrayed in support of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, and for nine years he was incumbent of the responsible office of trustee of Venice township, and he also gave the benefit of hiS influence and marked executive ability in promoting educational interests in the county, having been for a number of years a member of the board of school directors of his district. Mr. Holmes was one of those prominently concerned in the grange movement, and he gave his best efforts in the cause of this fraternal organization, through which he felt that much could be accomplished for the intellectual and material advancement of the agricultural community. He was called upon to serve as Master of Venice Grange, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 529 Patrons of Husbandry, in his township, and was one of the active and influential members of the order in the county and state. On the 21st of January, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Holmes to Mrs. Isabella (Philhower) Sheely, the widow of Andrew Sheely. She was born in the state of New Jersey, as was also her father, Elias Philhower, who became a resident of Seneca county, Ohio, in the early '70s, and here passed the remainder of his life. Of the three children of Mrs. Holmes' first marriage two survive, namely : Mary, who is the wife of Jacob Heintz, of 'Crawford county; and Francis A., a successful agriculturist of Seneca county. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes became the parents of three children,—Esther Sabina, Sarah Almeda and Oliver Wendall. Since her husband's death Mrs. Holmes has continued to reside on the homestead, which is one of the best improved and most attractive in this section of the county, and she has shown marked judgment and executive ability in the management of the farm and other business interests, and as a woman of gracious presence and true refinement she has gained a wide circle of friends in the community, and her home is a center of cordial hospitality. ISAAC FEASEL. It is an indication of the opportunities and advantages which Seneca county affords to her citizens that so many of her native sons still reside within her borders having no inclination to seek homes elsewhere. A representative of this class is Isaac Feasel, who is a resident of Liberty township and who was born in this township on the 26th of August, 1836, his parents being George and Jane (Anderson) Feasel, the former a native of Virginia. Unto this worthy couple were born eleven children, namely : Mary A., Jacob, John and Margaret, who have passed away; Elizabeth, now residing in Henry county; Lucinda, deceased ; Isaac, our subject ; Andrew, who lives in Missouri ,.George, who has also passed away; Sarah, the wife of John Armstrong, a resident of 530 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Illinois; and Rebecca, the widow of John Lynch. The family has long been identified with Seneca county and its representatives have ever borne their part in the work of public advancement and improvement. It was in 1821 that George Feasel, who was then twenty years of age, arrived in Seneca county, making the journey by team, moving a family to this place. He then returned to Franklin county, Ohio, where he had previously located, making his home there almost before Columbus was established, the city then being but a hamlet containing a few pioneer homes. Mr. Feasel, however, was pleased with the appearance and prospects of Seneca county and in 1829, accompanied by his wife and four children, he returned to this locality and entered from the government a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres in Liberty township. There in the midst of the forest he erected a log cabin containing but one room and in primitive pioneer style the family began life in this portion of the state. Indolence and idleness were utterly foreign to his nature and his resolution and energy enabled him to carry on the work of improving his land until the richly cultivated fields returned to him golden harvests. He continued his farm operations throughout his active business career and lived upon the old homestead until his death, which occurred in 1886. His wife passed away at the age of eighty-four years. They were members of the United Brethren church and were people of the highest respectability. The father aided in laying out roads, in organizing schools and in promoting' improvement in many lines of progress. Associated with other pioneers he made possible the present prosperity and progress of the county, and well does he deserve mention in a history of the leading and representative men of Seneca county from early days down to the present. It was upon the old family homestead' that Isaac Feasel first opened his eyes to. the light of day, and in Liberty township he was reared, early becoming familiar with the arduous tasks of developing a new farm in the midst of the forest. Trees had to be cut and the land prepared for cultivation before a return could be gained for labor. In company with his brother John he would take jobs of clearing new land, clearing about forty acres each season and receiving three to five CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 531 dollars per acre for the heaviest timber, and so continued for about seven years, making several hundred acres that he assisted in clearing. He became very expert in the use of the ax. He was the first man in the township to begin the use of tile in draining his land', and was yet three thousand five hundred dollars in debt when he bought his first tile, against the prediction of many friends, including his wife, that it would not pay. He persisted and in three years had paid his debts, not owing a dollar. The crops produced were nearly doubled and land that it was said' would not yield enough for his bread has never failed to produce excellent crops. Mr. Feasel worked with his father until twenty-seven years of age, when he made preparation for a home of his own by his marriage to Catherine Good. Unto them have been born eight children: Orlando, a resident of Liberty township; Rosetta, at home; Jacob and Della, twins, the latter the wife of Franklin Hall; Sarah J., the wife of Charles Lightner; Lydia, who married J. F. Early; and John, who died in infancy. After his marriage Mr. Feasel purchased eighty acres of wild land and his first home was also a pioneer log cabin, containing but one room. After two years he removed to the farm upon which he now resides and which has been his home for thirty-five years. It was then but partially improved, but with characteristic energy he began its further development and soon well tilled fields returned to him good harvests. At the time of the Civil war he put aside all personal consideration and on the 27th of September, 1864, enlisted in the First Ohio Heavy Artillery, joining his regiment at Cleveland, Tennessee. He then served until the close of the war and was a loyal defender of the Union. For five months he was in the hospital at Knoxville, but ultimately recovered his health. In his political views. Mr. Feasel is independent, supporting the man whom he thinks best qualified for office, regardless of party affiliations. He has never been an aspirant for office, as his farming interests have claimed his entire attention. He now owns one hundred and sixty-five acres of good land, and no better improvements can be found in the township than are upon his place. He has an at- 532 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tractive residence, substantial barns and outbuildings and the latest improved machinery. There are over fifteen miles of tiling on his farm and he successfully engages in the cultivation of the crops best adapted to this climate and in stock-raising, both branches of his business returning to him a good income. His business methods have ever been commendable and' have gained to him the high regard of all with whom he has been associated. JOHN PANKHURST. The life history of him whose name heads this sketch is closely identified with the history of Seneca county, which has been his home throughout his entire life, and since attaining to years of maturity he has been closely allied with its interests and upbuilding. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned with a high and well merited degree of success. Mr. Pankhurst was born in Jackson township, Seneca county, on the 25th of November, 1852, a son of Jeremiah and Lucy A. (McDoughel) Pankhurst. The father was born in the far-off country of England, in 18o9, and when nineteen years of age he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, landing in this country with but twenty-five cents in his .pocket, a stranger in a strange land, and this amount he paid to a girl to direct him to a place where he could obtain employment. In an early day he took up his abode in Seneca county, Ohio, settling in Loudon township, but later came to Jackson township, and became the owner of six hundred acres of land. He was a Republican in his political views and religiously was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. and Mrs. Pankhurst became the parents of thirteen children, only seven of whom are now living, namely: Daniel, who makes his home in Sandusky county, Ohio; Peter, of Fostoria ; John, the subject of this review; Amanda, the wife of Robert Bigham, of Jackson township; Wesley, of Fostoria; and Celinda E. and Lucinda A., twins, the former the wife of James R. Chilcote, of Jackson township. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 533 John Pankhurst, of this review, grew to years of maturity on his parents' homestead farm, and the educational advantages which he acquired in his youth were those afforded by the common schools of his neighborhood. After his marriage he located on one hundred and twenty acres of land in Jackson township, this tract having been inherited by his wife from her father, and at that time it was covered with timber. Mr. Pankhurst at once began the arduous task of clearing the land, living in a log cabin which stood thereon. Four years later, however, he sold the property and purchased his present home place, which consists of one hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land, and there he is extensively engaged in general farming. By persistent energy and the display of considerable foresight he has succeeded in his chosen line of endeavor, and he is now the owner of one of the most valuable and highly cultivated homesteads in the county. November 16, 1871, when but nineteen years of age, Mr. Pankhurst was united in marriage to Miss Marietta Trumbo, a daughter of Enoch Trumbo, an account of whose life will be found in the history of Phiny Trumbo in this volume. Three children have been born unto this union, but only two are now living,—Charles T., who is attending the Western Reserve Medical College, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Irvin, at home. The eldest, a daughter, died in infancy. The Republican party receives Mr. Pankhurst's hearty support and co-operation, and for one term he served as the trustee of his township. At the present time he is serving as a member of the school board. In his social relations he is a member of Fostoria Lodge, No. 86, K. of P., and also of the Uniformed Rank, No. 59. He is of a social disposition, courteous. and genial in manner, and throughout the county in which his entire life has been passed he has a host of warm friends. GEORGE WHITMAN. An enterprising and progressive farmer and honored citizen of Venice township is George Whitman, who has spent his entire life in the Buckeye state, his birth occurring in Attica, on the 11th of Decem- 534 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ber, 1857. His parents were Michael and Barbara (Vogelsang) Whitman, and they had seven children, three of whom now survive: Fannie, the wife of George Jordan, of Attica; Margaret, the wife of William Conrad, also of that city; and George, the subject of this review. The father was born in Germany, but when a young man he left his home across the sea and came to America. He was a wagon-maker by trade, and after his arrival in this country he located in Mansfield, Ohio, where he was married and soon afterward took -up his abode in Attica, there opening a wagon-making shop. At the outbreak of the Civil war he put aside all personal considerations and nobly offered his services to his adopted country. At the battle of Gettysburg he received a mortal wound, and he died in a hospital at Evansville, Indiana. After his death the mother married Andrew Myers, by whom she had one child, Anna B., the widow of John Cunningham. Mr. Myers was also a wagon-maker by trade, and was working for Mr. Whitman at the time of the latter's enlistment for the war, and conducted the shop during his absence. George Whitman, the immediate subject of this review, was but a little lad of ten years when he was obliged to begin the active duties of life on his own account, and for a time thereafter he worked for various farmers in Seneca county, his educational advantages having been thus necessarily very limited. In 1877 he purchased an outfit and engaged in the huckstering business, thus continuing through the four succeeding years, and in 1881 he became an employe in the saloon of Adolph Hassler, where he remained for three years. Later for four years he conducted a place of his own, when the building and contents were destroyed by fire, and he then became the owner of a farm in Reed township, continuing as a tiller of the soil for the following three years. On the expiration of that period, however, he left the quiet duties of the farm and once more returned to Attica, where he erected a brick block and for seven years was the proprietor of a saloon. In the spring of 1899 he purchased the farm which he now owns, known as the George Ringle farm, and consisting of one hundred and ninety acres in the northeast corner of Venice township, where he has ever CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 535 since made his home. He has placed his land under an excellent state of cultivation, and his fields annually return to their owner abundant harvests. The marriage of Mr. Whitman was celebrated on the 23d of December, 1884, when Miss Anna Songer became his wife. She is a native daughter of the Buckeye state, her birth occurring in Bucyrus, Crawford county. Her father, John Songer, is one of the well known farmers of Venice township, and he now makes his home in Attica. Unto lir. and Mrs. Whitman have been born three children: Virda M., Alvin Ray and Glen L., all attending school. Mr. Whitman gives stanch support to the Democracy, .and while a resident of Attica he served for one term as a member of the city council. He was reared in the faith of the German Reformed church and still holds membership relations with that denomination. ELIJAH B. FERREE. Elijah B. Ferree, who is a representative of the farming interests of Scipio township, is numbered among the citizens that Maryland has furnished to the Buckeye state. He was born in Washington county, Maryland, January 31, 1840, and is a son of Cyrus and Elizabeth (Wydow) Ferree, in which family were but two children, the younger being Margaret, who married Benjamin Leckrone and died in 1898. Leaving his native state, the father emigrated westward and took up his abode in Scipio township, Seneca county, Ohio, purchasing ninety-one acres of land, from which he developed the farm upon which our subject now resides. This was but partially cleared and upon it he made his home until four years prior to his death, which occurred in 1894, when he was in his seventy-ninth year. The subject of this review was a little lad of only eight summers when the family came to Ohio. He worked in the fields and meadows, assisting his father in the farm labors, and through the winter seasons 536 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. he attended school, acquiring a good English education to fit him for the practical duties of life. He was married March 4, 1866, to Elizabeth Smith, a native of Scipio township and a daughter of Abraham and Nancy (Blakely) Smith,—the former a native of Virginia, while the latter was born in the Emerald Isle. Mr. Smith became one of the pioneer settlers of Scipio township, taking up his abode upon a tract of land which had been entered from the government by his father. He had one hundred and sixty acres all covered with heavy timber, and in the midst of the forest he built a little log cabin and began clearing away the trees which still stood in their primeval strength. As acre after acre was cleared he plowed and planted it and in the course of time good harvests rewarded his efforts. His death occurred February 12, 1883, when he was seventy-five years of age, and his wife passed away in 1867. They were members of the Baptist church and were people of sterling worth who enjoyed the high regard of all who knew them. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ferree has been blessed with two children,—Curtis H. and Martin W.,—both of whom are now married and reside on and manage the home farm. Curtis H. married Frances A. Williams and has three children,—Roy, Ruth and Sarah. Martin W. married Lola Egbert. After his marriage Mr. Ferree removed to Clinton township, where he lived for twenty-two years, and then returned to the old homestead, where he now owns one hundred and eighty acres of land, together with sixty-five acres in Clinton township, which adjoins the homestead. He carries on general farming, his life being quietly passeded it is such a career that always commands respect, for he is honorable in business and trustworthy in all life's relations. JOHN M. NAYLOR. Honored and respected by all, there is no man in Tiffin who occupies a more enviable position than John M. Naylor in commercial and financial circles, not alone on account of the brilliant success he has CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 537 achieved but also on account of the honorable, straightforward business policy he has ever followed. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of perception, forms his. plans readily and is determined in their execution, and his close application to business and excellent management have brought to him the high degree of prosperity which is to-day his. early manhood he entered upon his business career without capital, and, placing his dependence solely upon the sterling qualities of diligence, perseverance and honesty, he has worked his way steadily upward and now occupies a commanding position in the business circles of this city. Mr. Naylor was born in Wooster, Ohio, December 9, 1822, a son of James and Eleanor (Musgrove) Naylor, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in Beaver and the latter in Dauphin. county. The father was a carpenter by trade and was engaged in house building in Wooster, Ohio, for many years. During his boyhood John M. Naylor attended the public schools and before he had left his 'teens. he engaged in teaching. In this way he earned the money with which to pay his tuition in Granville College, where he remained as a student. for some time. His aim was to obtain a thorough preliminary education and then study law, but at the age of twenty he was induced to accept a clerkship in a hardware store owned by the firm of Jacobs & Kouke, at Wooster. For four years he remained in that service and then entered into partnership with Harvey Howard. They came to Tiffin and. opened a hardware store under the firm name of Howard & Naylor, and. under that style conducted the business for four years, when Mr. Naylor purchased his partner's interest, conducting the enterprise successfully for a number of years, when he sold his store. Under his management,. however, it grew to be the largest mercantile establishment in the town and was excelled by few, if any, in the northern part of the state. Mr. Naylor made a careful study of the wishes of the people and made an earnest effort to please, sincerely wishing to give good satisfaction as well as gain success. His honorable methods and enterprise brought. him a continually increasing patronage and when he was enabled to command an excellent income he made judicious and extensive investments in real estate. He has in many ways been connected with business ac- - 34 - 538 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tivity in Tiffin. He was one of the founders of the National Exchange Bank, now the Tiffin National Bank, of which he has always been a director and large stockholder. He finally became its president and is now at the head of the institution, which owes not a little of its success to his excellent ability and sound judgment. On the 11th of December, 1849, Mr. Naylor was united in marriage to Miss Cornelia. T. Pittinger, a daughter of Judge Benjamin Pittinger, and unto them were born two children, but both are now deceased. Cora, born in 1851, died in 1853, and Frank, who was born in 1854, died in 1883, while on a visit to Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Naylor occupy one of the finest brick residences in the city, his success in former years enabling him to secure for them all the comforts and many of the luxuries that go to make life worth the living. He is now seventy-nine years of age, but he is still very active and could pass for a man many years younger. Instead of retiring altogether from business life he still gives his attention to banking and to the control of his real-estate investments, being still a valued factor in financial circles in Tiffin. Of a studious nature, he has devoted much attention to the study of standard works and has thus gained valuable and comprehensive information, such as is seldom possessed except by a college graduate. Tiffin has found in him a warm and helpful friend, ever ready to promote her welfare along the lines of substantial progress and improvement. For fifty-four years he has been identified with her business and social interests, and during this time has proven to be a man of excellent executive ability with marked perceptive and reasoning faculties. His judgment and prompt decisions are seldom at fault and throughout the years his course has been characterized by a conscientious desire to- be just and fair in his treatment of all. In politics he has ever been a stalwart' Republican, but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him. During the Civil war he strongly endorsed the presidential policy and was a warm supporter of the Union. He holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and contributes most liberally to its support. When the new brick house of worship was erected he gave most liberally to the work and aided in pushing forward the enterprise in other CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 539 ways. He is a man of even temperament, calm and self-poised, of refined character, in whom nature and culture have vied in making an honored and interesting gentleman. His erect form and clear-cut features give little suggestion of the fact that he had almost completed eight decades since starting upon life's journey. Nature deals kindly with the man who abuses not her laws, and though Mr. Naylor's business cares have been extensive, age rests lightly upon him. LESTER SUTTON. Through the years of his manhood Attica has numbered Lester Sutton among its most prominent and progressive citizens. He may well be termed one of the founders of the city, for he has been the promoter of many of its leading business enterprises, and the growth and development of the city depend upon its commercial and industrial activity. His connection with any undertaking insures a prosperous outcome of the same, for it is in his nature to carry forward to successful completion whatever movement he is associated with. He has earned for himself an.enviable reputation as a careful man of business, and in his dealings is known for his prompt and honorable methods, which have won. for him the deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellow men. Mr. Sutton was born in Steuben county, New York, in the town of Hornellsville, July 13, 1836, his parents being John and Christina (True) Sutton. The father was born in Pennsylvania, April 2, 1800, and when a young man removed to Steuben county, New York. He had previously married a Miss Hendershot and to them were born six children, of whom three are living: Isaac, who resided until recently near Owosso, Michigan, and died May 19, 1902; William, also. a resident of Michigan; and Margaret, the wife of Thomas Doorley, of Steuben county, New York, In New York the father took up his abode on a farm in Steuben county, and in September, 1852, he removed to 540 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Seneca county, settling in Reed township, where he remained for several years. On selling that property he purchased a farm in Venice: township, upon which he maintained his residence until a short time prior to his death, his last days being spent in Attica., where he died in 1878. His wife passed away in 1890. They had six children, of whom: three are living: Lester; Susan, the wife of John H. Carpenter, of Tiffin; and Alva, who is with his brother in the bank. Mr. Sutton was again married, March 18, 19o2, to Mrs. Rebecca Smith, who is a daughter of Jeremiah and Arvilla (Olds) Carpenter, both deceased. She was born in Venice township and was married at nineteen to James M. Titus, and at twenty-one was a widow, and at length became the wife of Harvey Smith, who died about three years later. She has resided in Attica for years. She has two daughters : Myrtle Titus, the wife of W. S. Force;, and Margaret Smith, the wife of J. W. Price. In early life John Sutton was an ardent Whig and became a stanch Abolitionist. When the .latter party ceased to have an existence he joined the ranks of the new Republican party, with which he continued to affiliate until his death. He held membership in the Methodist Protestant church. Under the parental roof Lester Sutton spent his. early boyhood. days and after attending the common schools was graduated at the academy of Republic, Ohio, at the early age of 'eighteen years. He then began teaching and for eight years successfully followed that profession, five terms being in one district. In 1862 he took up the study of law under General Leander Stem, of Tiffin, remaining in his office until the death of his preceptor in the battle of Stone river. The office was then closed and Mr. Sutton resumed teaching, but continued his law reading until 1866, when he was admitted to the bar. A short time previously he had removed to Attica and'. here he opened an office, continuing in active practice until the present, during which time he. has gained a large and distinctively representative clientage. In the year 1882 he established a private bank, known as the Banking House. of Lester Sutton, which is the only institution of the kind in the town. From the beginning it has been attended with a high degree of success. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 541 and is of great value to the citizens as well as a source of income to the owner. For forty-five years Mr. Sutton has been in demand over a wide area as an auctioneer, and even in the last years, when he was occupied with other business, his services have been sought throughout the county. He has also been chosen as administrator of estates, his handling of such always being to the universal satisfaction of the heirs, the courts and of all concerned. Probably no man in the county has done more business in this particular line than he. On the l0th of March, 1859, Mr. Sutton was married to Miss Emeline Rundell, a native of Seneca county, Ohio, and a daughter of William and Miranda Rundell, who were early settlers of this locality, coming to the Buckeye state from New York. Five children were born unto our subject and his wife, of whom four are yet living: Leonard L., a fire insurance and real-estate agent of Attica, Ohio; Laura, the wife of Ross W. Ayres, a business man of Chicago, Illinois; Charles C., in his father's bank; and Luella, who married E. S. Bernard, a deputy postmaster of Tiffin, Ohio. On the 7th of February, 1901, the wife and mother was called to her final rest, her loss being mourned not only in her own home but also throughout a large circle of friends. Mr. Sutton has long been recognized as one of the most prominent, influential and active citizens of Attica. He has been solicitor for the town almost since his arrival here, and has been connected with every public interest or measure for the welfare and promotion of the place. In politics he is a stanch Republican, but has never sought or desired office. He belongs to Attica Lodge, No. 367, F. & A. M., and is also the only surviving charter member living in the town. He has held all of its offices and for thirteen consecutive years was its honored master. He has also taken the degrees of the Scottish rite up to and including the thirty-second, and has passed all of the chairs in Venice Lodge, No. 197, I. O. O. F. He is a member of the Baptist church and is deeply interested in everything pertaining to the material, social, intellectual and Moral welfare of his town. He has ever discharged his duties with marked ability and fairness, for he is a most loyal, public-spirited citizen. As a business man he has been conspicuous among 542 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. his associates, not only for his success, but for his probity, fairness and honorable methods. In everything he has been eminently practical, and this has been manifest not only in his business undertakings, but also in social and private life. SAMUEL F. KAUFMAN. In connection with the mercantile interests of Attica Mr. Kaufman has become well and favorably known, and by his own unaided efforts he has risen to his present high position in the business world. His birth occurred in Crawford county, Ohio, March 7, 1864, his parents being Daniel and Elizabeth (Kaufman) Kaufman. The father was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in 1816, and the mother's birth also occurred in the Keystone state, in 1825, and both were of Dutch descent. The paternal grandfather of our subject was a merchant in that state, but meeting with financial reverses there he removed with his family to the eastern part of Ohio, his son Daniel being then a small boy. When twenty-five years of age the latter came to Crawford county, purchasing eighty acres of land in Cranberry township, after which he returned to his old home and was married. He immediately brought his bride to his new Ohio home, erected a log cabin twelve by twelve feet in the dense woods, and after paying the first installment on the place he had but ten dollars left. As time passed by he succeeded in clearing his land, and there made his home until within six years of his death, when he purchased property in and removed to Tiro, there passing away in death in 1891. He gave his political support to the Republican party and was a. member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. His widow is still living, and now makes her home. with her son Amos in Tiro. This worthy couple became the parents of 'ten children, seven of whom are now living, namely: Mary, the wife of Peter Lash, of Crawford county; Sarah, the wife of Frank Lash, of Richland county; Katie, the wife of Jacob Fike, of Los Angeles county, California; Nora, the wife of J. E. Brown, also of that county; Emanuel, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 543 a stock dealer of Attica; Amos, of Crawford county; and Samuel, the subject of this review. The last mentioned remained under the parental roof until his nineteenth year, during which time he pursued his education in the district schools of his neighborhood. In 1882 he entered the grocery store of George H. Hamilton, of Attica, where he was employed as a salesman for two and a half years, on the expiration of which period he entered the jewelry store of T. K. Crane, with the agreement that he was to purchase the stock of goods after serving a given period. Accordingly, about eight months later Mr. Crane left the store, our subject then becoming its sole owner and manager. After two years had passed by he was enabled to purchase the stock of another jeweler of the town, and on the expiration of a similar period he became the owner of the business property, which he occupied for the following four years. Subsequently he built his present substantial brick building and about ten years ago he began adding to his jewelry stock until in addition thereto he now carries queensware, notions, stationery, books and many other articles. In the line of watches, especially, he not only enjoys a large retail trade but does quite a lucrative jobbing trade, selling to jewelers in various Ohio towns. In all his business relations he has been thoroughly upright and conscientious, and has won the respect and esteem of those. with whom he has had business or social intercourse. The marriage of Mr. Kaufman was celebrated on the 30th of May, 1890, when Miss Icedore Huffman became his wife. She is a native daughter of Attica, and prior to her marriage she was a successful and popular teacher in its schools for a number of years. She is a daughter of Josiah and Sarah L. Huffman, and the former, who was one of the prominent farmers of Venice township, is now deceased.. Unto our subject and wife have been born two children,—Morton L., born September 25, 1893, and Paul H., born June 9, 1900. Mr. Kaufman gives his political support to the Republican party, and for two years he was a member of the city council, serving in that position at the time of the building of the water works. Socially he was formerly a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity in Attica, but has since 544 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. withdrawn his membership therefrom. He is a member of Attica Lodge, No. 367, F. & A. M., of Bellevue Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M., in which he was initiated on the 3d of May, 1898. He became a member of Bellevue Council, No. 82, April 5, 1900, and on the 23d of May of that year was made a member of De Molai Commandery, No. 9, of Tiffin. He is also a member of Attica Lodge, No. 317, J. 0. U. A. M., and Sappho Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. PETER DEWALD. The unostentatious routine of private life, although of vast importance to the welfare of the community, has not figured to any great extent in history. But the names of men who have disinguished themselves by the possession of those qualities which mainly contribute to the success of private life and to the public stability, and who have enjoyed the respect and confidence of those around them, should not be permitted to perish. Their examples are most valuable and their lives well worthy of consideration. Such are the thoughts that involuntarily come to mind when we take under review the career of such an bonored pioneer as the gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph. He is a representative of one of the old families of Seneca county, and his mind links the early formative epoch with that of latter-day progress and magnificent prosperity. Such are the men particularly worthy of mention in a work of this nature. Peter Dewald, who has passed practically his entire life in Seneca county, comes of stanch old German lineage and is himself a native of the fatherland, having been born in the kingdom of Bavaria, in the year 1827, the son of John and Elizabeth (Rusick) Dewald, two of whose ten children are living at the present time, namely : Peter, the subject of 'this sketch, and Philip, who is elsewhere mentioned in this work. Maria, who became the wife of Jacob Starber, of Tiffin, died May I, 1902. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 545 In the early '305 John Dewald emigrated from Germany to America and took up his residence in Seneca county, Ohio, locating on what were designated as the "Swale lands" north of the present village of Bascom, in Hopewell township. On account of the superabundance of water in that locality at the time, he removed to a point one mile south of the village mentioned, and there reclaimed a farm and continued to reside until his death, in the year 185o. The subject of this sketch was reared on the old homestead farm and his educational privileges were such as could be supplied in the primitive log schoolhouse of the period. In 1859 he was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Smith, who was born in Buffalo, New York, being the daughter of Jacob Smith, who located in Seneca county in the year 1833, settling in Loudon township. In his youth our subject learned the carpenter's trade, and for seven years after his marriage he continued to devote his attention to the same, his services being in constant requisition during the early days. In 1866 he erected a residence on his present farm, which is most eligibly located in Loudon township and which he purchased prior to his marriage. Upon the completion of this dwelling-house he took up, his residence on the farm, and the same has ever since been his home and the scene of his well directed and successful efforts. He now has a landed estate of two hundred and fifty acres, the same being in three farms and all are in this township. He has been indefatigable in his industry, has ever been animated by the highest principles and has been a valuable factor in the development and progress of the county, where he has so ordered his life as to gain and retain the unequivocal confidence and high regard of all with whom he has come in contact. He has made the best improvements on his estate, and it is interesting, in view of its present attractions and well tilled fields, to revert to the fact that he personally reclaimed from the virgin forests the greater portion of his home farm, which is one of the best in this section of the county. He has ever shown himself concerned in the enterprises and undertakings which conserve the general welfare, and has given his allegiance to the Republican party from the time of its organization, while his religious faith is that of the Zion 546 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Reformed church; of which he and his devoted wife have long been zealous and consistent members. Of their ten children all but one are living and all are well established in life and are numbered among the sterling and honored people of their home county, where all still reside,. the following brief record being given concerning them: Mary is the wife of John Rainey, of Loudon township; Jacob is a farmer of Hopewell township; Margaret, unmarried, resides in Tiffin; Susan is the wife of John Coppes, of Loudon township; William is a farmer of Hopewell township; Peter remains at the parental homestead; Alice died in her twentieth year; and Della, Nora and Leota remain at the home of their honored parents. HENRY W. MATTHEWS. The name of Henry W. Matthews is inscribed on the roll of Seneca county's honored and valued citizens, and the part which he has performed in the development of the county well entitles him to prominent mention in this volume. Almost entirely through his efforts the town of Bascom—so named in honor of a Mr. Bascom who was a resident here—was established, in which he has long made his home,. laboring for its promotion and welfare. Mr. Matthews is a native son of the Buckeye state, his birth having occurred near Lexington, Richland county, on the 23d of September, 1841, a son of Jeremiah and Mary (Creeger) Matthews. About 1852 or 1853 the father came with his family to Seneca county, a location being made in Hopewell township, where he purchased a farm, and there his death occurred, at the age of sixty-five years. The mother is still living with her son George, at Niles, Michigan, being remarkably well preserved for a woman of eighty-five. Our subject is the eldest of his four living children, the others being Augustus, who is engaged in the lumber business in Michigan; Jeremiah, engaged in the same vocation in South Bend, Indiana ; and George, who is engaged in the manufacture of bicycles in Niles, Michigan. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 547 The educational privileges which Henry W. Matthews was permitted to enjoy in his youth were those afforded by the common schools of his neighborhood, and on a farm in the county of his nativity he was early inured to the labors of the field and meadow. At the age of twenty-two years he began without means the active duties of life on his own account, and after following agricultural pursuits for a time he engaged in the lumber and milling business on Wolf creek, erecting a sawmill by borrowing three hundred' and fifty dollars to make a first payment of four hundred dollars. In the three years following he had cleared off that debt and had about fifteen hundred dollars to use in erecting the second mill at that point. This he conducted for three years and then erected the present mill at Bascom. To his skill and ability is due the erection of the first circular-saw mill in this section of the country, which was located on the present site of the boat factory of his son, S. J. Matthews, and this he conducted' as a saw and planing mill until 1895. In 1885, in company with his brother, J. H. Matthews, he extended his. milling business into Tennessee, where at one time they owned six sawmills, while in addition' thereto they also became the owners of eighteen hundred acres of timber land in that commonwealth, a part of which they have cleared and converted into a valuable farm of seven hundred acres. Throughout the period of his connection with the interests of Seneca county Mr. Matthews has exerted a wide and helpful interest in its affairs, and the prosperity which the thriving little city of Bascom now enjoys is due in a large measure to his untiring energy and ability. He was instrumental in securing the right of way for the street railroad from Tiffin to Fostoria, and is now a stockholder and director of the company. He is an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, and on its ticket he was twice elected to the position' of trustee of his township and three times as treasurer. He has served; about thirty years on the township board of education, being responsible for the first brick school-house in Bascom; more than thirty years ago, as well as: for Cie present new three-room building —one of the best in the county—which was demanded by the growth of the village, though secured 548 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. against strenuous opposition. The Bascom Sand Ridge Cemetery Association was also organized by him. To a considerable extent he has been a builder, especially in the village of Bascom, where he still owns a dozen or more residences; and besides he is also the proprietor of a choice farm a mile and a half northwest of the village. His religious tendencies connect him with the United Brethren ..church, in which he has long served as a trustee. He has given his aid in many generous ways to the perpetuation of those forces which con-. serve the best interests of the community, and the course that he has followed in political, business and social circles commends him to the high esteem of all. He was married on the 26th of May, 1868, in Frederick county, Maryland, to Miss Linnie C. Smith, of that county. They have but one child, named Scott J., of whom separate mention is made in this volume. GEORGE C. LAKE. As one of the able and progressive newspaper publishers of Seneca county and as representative of two of its honored pioneer families, it is with distinctive gratification that we here accord a review of the career of Mr. Lake, editor and publisher of the Attica Weekly Hub, a vigorous and ably conducted paper and one which is a valued exponent of local interests. George Clifford Lake was born in Venice township, this county, on the 2d of April, 1866, being the son of Wilson D. and Mary L. (Cain) Lake, who became the parents of three children, of whom two survive, namely : Charlotte A., the wife of J. L. Williams, of Reed township, this county; and George C., the immediate subject of this sketch. That the name borne by Mr. Lake has been long identified with the annals of this county is evident when we revert to the fact that his father was likewise born in Venice township, in the year 1825, and that he here passed his entire life,—having been a resident consecutively of Venice township with the exception of three years passed in Reed town- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 549 ship. He was a son of David L. and Ruth (Lester) Lake, both of whom were born in Geneva, New York, whence they came to Seneca_ county, Ohio, directly after their marriage. The latter was a sister of Marvin Lester, who achieved distinction as a scout and Indian fighter-and whose name is familiar in the history of this section of the Union._ Upon arriving in the wilds of Seneca county the grandparents of our subject took up a quarter section of government land, two miles west: of the present town of Attica, and there they erected their primitive.. ,log domicile, with puncheon floor and other rudimentary equipments. David L. Lake set to himself the task of clearing and improving his, frontier farm and he reclaimed the greater portion. When well advanced in years he and his wife removed to Barry county, Michigan,. locating near Hastings, where they passed the residue of their lives. The father of our subject was reared on the old homestead in Venice township, early beginning to contribute to the arduous work of reclamation and cultivation, and securing only such educational advantages as were afforded in the subscription or district schools precariously maintained by the isolated settlers of the pioneer locality. After his marriage he settled on what is now known as the Samuel Nesbitt farm, two miles southeast of Attica. Here he purchased eighty acres and thereafter devoted his attention to the improving and cultivation of the place,. where he maintained his home until April, 1867, when his residence: was destroyed by fire, and he then disposed of the farm and removed to Attica, where he was for some time employed as an engineer in the local planing mill and blind and' sash factory. Incidental to the excitement attending the destruction of his home by fire he suffered a stroke: of paralysis, and was ever afterward crippled from the effects. He died on the l0th of March, 1875, and he commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem in the community, being a man of absolute rectitude and one' whose life had been one of consecutive application, even in the face of serious physical infirmities. He originally gave his support to the Democratic party, but early espoused the cause of the Prohibition party, it. having been his honor to deposit the first Prohibition ticket ever voted in Reed township. While deeply appreciative of spiritual verities and hav-