350 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY necessary buildings and fences. He has tiled a great deal and with a dairy in operation is increasing the soil fertility. He has twelve head of Holstein dairy cows. Mr. Merrill has two sons, Marion Homer, who was born February 19, 1916, and Deane Louis, born January 18, 1920. Running back the Merrill family tree, Frank C. Merrill is a son of Ozias and Jane (Vaughn) Merrill, the father having been born August 2, 1827, in Maine. The mother was born May 5, 1829, in Holmes county, Ohio. The next generation of Merrills was Levi and Lucy (Staple) Merrill. It was in 1838 that the original Merrill family came by the Erie Canal to Buffalo and by a lake vessel to Toledo, and they soon settled where they have always lived in. Fulton county. It was a wild part of the country when the Merrills came into it. They have witnessed the transformation. It is known that Alexander and Rebecca (Jones) Vaughn, of the family ancestry, were natives of Holmes county, and that in 1834 they came into the limits of what is now Fulton county. Their son James Vaughn was the first white child born in Fulton Township. They lived at Ai. Ozias Merrill conducted a general store in. war times—Civil war. He served as auditor of Fulton county in its early history. He was engaged extensively in the real estate business for several years. His death occurred in 1903, while Mrs. Merrill had died seven years earlier. Their children were: Frank C.; Horace A. deceased; Eugene, of Wauseon; and Minnie wife of William Biddle, of York Township. Frank C. Merrill married Etta E. Nobbs March 22, 1882, and they located on a farm in Fulton Township. Her parents, James H. and Ann (Fetterman) Nobbs, had come from Pennsylvania. With the land they purchased and the land given them by Mr. and Mrs. Nobbs, the Merrills had 129 acres all under cultivation but twelve acres in timber and pasture. Since 1917 Mr. Merrill has rented the land to his son. The children of the Merrills are : Herma, wife of William Walters, of Fulton Township ; Clayton, of Fulton ; Florence, wife of Dwight Hand, of Ypsilanti, Michigan Roy O. of this sketch; Lucy, wife of Clark Drennan, of Lucas county ; Koyrl, of Ypsilanti; and Mildred. and Raymond. The members of the family have had common school educations, and the vote is with the republican party. Mr. Merrill has served as trustee of Fulton. He is a Mason in Swanton, and different members of the family belong to the Grange. WILLIAM H. WALTERS, of Fulton, was born August 9, 1880, in Dover. He is a son of 0. 0. and Ellen (Hoffmeyer) Walters, the parents both natives of York. For twelve years after his marriage O. O. Walters lived in Dover, but in 1882 he bought a farm in Fulton. There are 106 acres of the land and he cleared and improved it. He died there March 16, 1918. The wife still lives there. Their children were : Lulu, wife of Albert Greisinger, of Fulton ; William H., who heads this review, and Etta, wife of Edson Harger, of Fulton. On November 10, 1904, Mr. Walters married Herma Merrill, of Fulton, a daughter of Frank C. and Etta (Nobbs) Merrill. He had already rented a farm, but after marriage he removed to another at Ai, and for seven years he was a tenant, but in the spring of 1912 he bought forty acres where he lived five years, then rented it HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 351 and returned to the farm owned by his mother. He is engaged in general farming and stockraising, with attention given to the dairy. There is one daughter, Elnetta, born July 1, 1906. The family attend Union Church and Sunday School and Berry Grange, and they are members of the Ancient Order of Gleaners of Ai. Mr. Walters is a republican, and since 1917 he has served as a member of the Fulton County Central Committee. QUIMBY BATDORFF. While he is a native of York, Quimby Batdorff, of Fulton, is in the third generation from German ancestry. He was born December 2, 1848, and is a son of Jonah and Elizabeth (Biddle) Batdorff. The mother was born in Holmes county. It was the grandparents, John and Betsey Batdorff, who came from Germany. The grandparents on the other side, Samuel and Elizabeth (Knight) Biddle, were from Pennsylvania. Both families of the grandparents of Quimby Batdorff were early residents of Fulton county. For a few years Jonah and Elizabeth Batdorff lived in York, where their oldest son was born, and then they lived in Clinton. Later she died in Michigan, and after some years he died in Fulton county. Their children were: Quimby, who enrolls the family ; William, of Presque Isle county, Michigan ; Mary Ellen, wife of Marion Fashbaugh, of Clinton ; Samantha, wife of Samuel Blair, of Ogemaw county, Michigan ; and Hiram L., of Wauseon. On Christmas Day, 1870, Quimby Batdorff married Maggie Mack, of Swan Creek. Her parents, William and Eliza (Brooks) Mack, were from Donegal, Ireland. For a time they lived on the Batdorff farm, then rented another in Fulton, where they lived eight years. When he bought an eighty acre farm Mr. Batdorff immediately put out an orchard, built fences and remodeled farm buildings. In 1868 he learned house painting, and for half a century that has been his principal business while a son looks after the farm requirements. The Batdorff children are : Jennie, wife of Willard Gunn, of Toledo ; James, who is the farmer at the homestead ; William, of York ; Brooks, of Fulton ; May, wife of Henry Moore, of Fulton ; Ella, wife of John H. 'Table, of Fulton ; Joseph, at the homestead; Jonah, of Toledo ; and Harry, of Swanton. Mr. Batdorff has an unusual Civil war record, having served his country exactly five years. He was a member of Company B, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged June 18, 1866, exactly five years from the date the regiment entered the service. He is a member of McQuillan Grand Army of the Republic Post, and reviews in the way of campfire reminiscences many of the hard fought battles of the war. His ballot is cast with the republican party. DR. ARTHUR BUCHANAN LATHROP represents at once both the professional life and the business interests of Swanton. He was born September 27, 1856, at Berkey, Richfield Township, Lucas county. He is a son of Clark C. and Louisa (Tuttle) Lathrop, the father from Rochester, New York, and the mother from Fairfield Township, Lenawee county, Michigan. When his father, Clark C. Lathrop, was only twelve years old he was brought by his father, Aruna Lathrop, to Lucas county. It was in 1835 that the Lathrops came by boat across Lake Erie and cut their way through the heavy timber that covered the coun- 352 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY try to Fairfield Township from Maumee. The father and mother of Doctor Lathrop met and married when the country was primitive, and they settled on a farm near Berkey. The father died in 1905, at the age of eighty-two years, and the mother, at the age of eighty-seven, lives with her son in Swanton. Their children are: Dr. A. B. Lathrop; Edgar E., of Lorain county; and Alva A., who died June 9, 1919, in Swanton. Doctor Lathrop as a boy attended the common schools, and later went to high school in Sylvania. He still later attended a school near Adrian, Michigan, and the Valparaiso Normal at Valparaiso, Indiana. For four years he attended Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan. The doctor is a graduate from Starling Medical College in Columbus, and from Bellevue, New York. He began practicing medicine in Swanton, and has been there continuously except in 1900, when he took a post graduate course in New York City and also visited Europe. In 1876 Doctor Lathrop married Louie M. Clark. Their children are: Homer C., of Indianapolis, who is with the firm of Lathrop, McFarland Company in the automobile business there. Emily is an expert accountant and Louie, who is a graduate in the. department of agriculture in the University of Nebraska, operates one of the Lathrop farms near Sylvania. Doctor Lathrop's second marriage was with Lillian M. Printup, of Sylvania. She is a daughter of John Printup, who came as a babe six months old with his parents to Sylvania Township, Lucas county, in 1835—another pioneer Lucas county family. From this marriage there is one daughter, Helen Lucile. She is a Flower Hospital nurse in Toledo. The doctor and the nurse are. both adjuncts to the community. Doctor Lathrop was the democratic member of the Fulton County Board of Pension Examiners under President Cleveland. He is a Swanton Knight of Pythias, and a Mason up to the thirty-second degree. In the way of a business investment Doctor Lathrop owns a large farm near. Sylvania, and is president and manager of the Swanton Home Telephone Company. For nine. years, Doctor Lathrop was engaged in private banking business, in the Bank of Swanton, which was taken over by the Farmers and Mechanics Deposit Company. HORATIO BURKEY. While he was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1835, Horatio Burkey, of Fulton Township, has lived in Fulton county ever since 1858—three years before he enlisted in the Civil war. He is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Burkey) Burkey, of Pennsylvania. After coming to Fulton county in 18.58 Mr. Burkey worked by the month among farmers until August 21, 1861, when he enlisted in the service of his country. He was a member of Company I, Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was discharged from the service December 10, 1863, and next day he re-enlisted in the same company and regiment for three years or until the end of the. war. Mr. Burkey received his final discharge July. 12, 1865, near Louisville, Kentucky. He did not escape without injury. He had his knapsack shot off of his back, and he received a gunshot wound in his right wrist. The doctor probed for the bullet and secured it, and Mr. Burkey has it among, his treasures today. Aye, the veterans of the Civil war had their share of narrow escapes, and HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 353 today their campfires are burning dim—they are now so few in numbers. When this veteran of the Civil war returned to Fulton county, he bought an eighty-acre tract of timber in Fulton Township and he cleared it. Finally he and his wife owned 250 acres of well improved farm land, but in their old days they gave all to their children except a five-acre tract, where they they live in comfort. Mr. Burkey contracted deafness in the Civil war, and it grew worse until since 1898 he has been totally deaf. Of the children born to Jacob and Sarah Burkey, those living today are: Anna Eliza, wife of David Livingston, of Holsapple, Pennsylvania; Sarah, who is married and lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; and Horatio Burkey, of Fulton county. On July 1, 1866, Jacob Burkey married Rebecca Greisinger. She was born in the community where she has always lived, May 18, 1846, a daughter of Henry and Esther (Shultz) Greisinger. The father was born in Germany while the mother was a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Horatio Burkey had seven children : Laura F., wife of Frank Enfield, of Fulton ; Amelia, who died at thirteen and Abba, who died at eleven ; Erwin, of Fulton ; Ezra, who is married and lives in Fulton county ; Edna, wife of Peter Leibel, of Fulton ; and Leonard, who is an Evangelical minister located at Copemish, Michigan. Mr. Burkey belongs to the same denomination as the son. Mr. Burkey is republican in his political affiliation, and he is a member of McQuillan Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Delta. This is a simple record of an old soldier who gave several years from the flower of his youth to the service of his country, and for many years since has suffered partial impairment of his faculties because of his patriotism to the old flag. And after the military record comes the record of many long years spent in the toil and sacrifice of developing a farm and making a home, and that achievement well performed is an additional solace to a man who has lived four score and five years and in every one of life's numerous relationships has deserved well of his country and his fellow men. CHARLES I. FRAKER, who for many years was in business with his father in Delta, Fulton. county, Ohio, but who since the retirement of his father and the latter's ultimate death has devoted himself to the tillage of the old Fraker farm, which has been in the possession of the Fraker family for four generations, ever since the time it was deeded to their pioneer ancestor by President Pierce. The original parchment bearing the United States president's signature is still one of the treasured possessions of the family. The Fraker family has been in Ohio for more than a century, Thomas Fraker, great-grandfather of Charles I., was born in Pennsylvania, but his son George, grandfather of Charles I., was born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1819, his parents, Thomas and Nancy (McKee) Fraker, having an adventurous early life in Ohio, the Indians being troublesome in their vicinity in those days. Thomas Fraker came to Fulton county in 1834, and entered government land, gaining title to 320 acres in Swan Creek and York Townships, and eventually receiving the parchment deed signed by the president of the United States. The land was heavily wooded, all wilderness, but the wood was valuable, for the most part walnut, elm, and oak. 364 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY Gradually a good acreage was cleared, his son George doing much of the clearing, and continuing the work after his father's death. Thomas Fraker was a typical pioneer, a man of strong purpose, courageous and determined. And he was a man of influence in the township, as the early record shows. His son George, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1819, and came with his father into Fulton county, married Mary Ann Gorsuch. He was of worthy record in the county, and should be placed with his father as one of the pioneers of Swan Creek and York Townships. His son Andrew J., who was born in Clinton Township of Fulton county, married Rachel Fauble, who was born in Fulton Township of the same county, the daughter of Isaac Fauble and his wife, Rachel A. (Watkins), who were both born in Wayne county, Ohio, he in 1815 and she in 1818, and both of them the children of worthy pioneers of that part of Ohio. Michael Fauble, father of Isaac, was born in Germany, and was the American progenitor of the family and the pioneer ancestor in Wayne county, where he died. Isaac Fauble was in Fulton county soon after he had married, and secured several hundreds of acres of undeveloped government land situated in Fulton Township, Fulton county. There he and his wife lived for the remainder of their lives, and there their daughter Rachel, who married Andrew J. Fraker, was born. So that in both paternal and maternal lines the ancestry of Charles I. Fraker of Delta goes back to pioneers of the earliest days of Fulton county, a record which makes a review of his life of particular interest and value in this edition of Fulton County History. Andrew J. and Rachel (Fauble) Fraker were married on January 14, 1878, and soon afterward settled in Pettisville, Fulton county, where he established himself in a sawmilling enterprise. In the next year, however, he settled in Delta, having purchased an established saw and planing mill at that place. For twenty-one years thereafter he conducted that business, developing also quite a substantial trading in lumber. In 1900 he saw that it would be to his advantage to sell the business, and did so. However, three years later he again acquired the mill, and for the next six years operated it as a stave and heading mill. In 1909 he dismantled the mill and retired altogether from business, having acquired much material wealth by his years of trading. He died nine years later, on December 10, 1918, aged seventy years, having been born on June 26, 1848. Andrew J. Fraker was an able business man, and attained prominent place among the people of Delta. Throughout his life he showed commendable public spirit, and when he became a capitalist he became somewhat widely-known as a banking official. He was one of the founders of the Farmers Savings Bank of Delta, and for very many years was its vice president. His widow, who was born in 1857, still resides in Delta, and is in comparatively good health. The children of Andrew J. and Rachel (Fauble) Fraker were : Charles I., of whom more follows; William H., of Delta, now vice president of the Farmers Savings Bank of Delta, succeeding his father to the office; Herma Jane, who married the Rev. W. D. Hendershot, of Zanesville, Ohio, the latter in the Christian Church ministry. Charles I. Fraker, eldest child of Andrew J. and Rachel (Fauble) Fraker, attended the elementary public and also the high schools of Delta, graduating from the latter in 1901. He took a collegiate course at Hiram College of Portage county, Ohio, and eventually HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 355 entered business life in association with his father, continuing to take part in the business until his father decided to retire altogether, and to dismantle the mill. Charles I. then gave his attention to the, cultivation of the Fraker farming property of 120 acres adjoining the borough of Delta on the southeast, the property eventually becoming his by inheritance and in 1919 he added sixteen acres to it. His decision to work the farm himself arose not only because it was a rich agricultural property, but family associations had some influence in bringing him to a decision, for it is the property upon which four generations of his family have lived, and representing the initial pioneering effort of his 'great-grandfather, who received title to the property from President Pierce, the original parchment bearing the signature of the nation's then chief executive being still in the possession of the family. Mr. Charles I. Fraker entered into the management of the farm with energy, proved himself apt and ultimately a skillful farmer. He cultivates about 100 acres of the 120 acres, the remaining twenty acres being in timber and pasture, and he has built two large barns, has laid much tile, and in other ways has appreciably improved the property. His farming is of general character, to which the property is well adapted, and he has had good success with cattle and registered Duroc Jersey hogs, raising poultry also somewhat extensively. Politically Mr. Fraker is independent. He is a Mason, a member of local lodge No. 248, and he is a director and stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank of Delta. He is widely known throughout that section of Fulton county, and has proved himself to be a man of fine character and strong purpose. On November 12, 1913, he married Grace Vanaman, who was born in Bartlow Township, Henry county, Ohio, June 8, 1894, the daughter of Chester and Freda (Bundy) Vanaman, who were both natives of Fulton county, and granddaughter of Robert Vanaman, who was of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Fraker are the parents of three children : Herma Jane, who was born on April 8, 1915 Andrew Jackson, who was born on January 4, 1917; and Fred Carlton, born March 1, 1919. CLARENCE C. SMITH, B. A., prominent in Fulton county educational circles, a well-known school principal, and latterly superintendent of schools of Delta, Fulton county, Ohio, is a native of the county, and is giving his most earnest attention to the betterment of public facilities in the county generally, and especially to the elevating of the standard of public education in the county. He has had a good collegiate and academic record, and entered upon his life work well qualified, having graduated from the Tri-State College, Angola, Indiana, and Oberlin Business College, Ohio, and attended the Ohio State University at Columbus. He is a member of the Fulton County Board of Examiners of Teachers, and, being still quite a young man, be will, it seems, most probably take even more prominent part in educational matters as the years pass. He was born on May 14, 1882, the son of Hiram B. and Evelyn (Kyper) Smith, his birthplace being in Swan Creek Township of Fulton county. His father was born in Huron county, Ohio, but his mother was a native of Swan Creek Township, Fulton county, Ohio. The Smith family is of British origin, but the branch to which Professor Smith belongs has been resident in America since colonial days. His grandparents, John and Jane (Barber) Smith, 356 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY were both born in New York state, but were early settlers in Huron county, Ohio, coming into Fulton county in 1865, when they settled in Swan Creek Township. His genealogy connects with a Pennsylvania family of English descent, his maternal grandparents being Cyrus and Cynthia (Spaulding) Kyper, both of Pennsylvania birth, the former the son of Africa Kyper, who was born in England, but who in 1835 is of record among the pioneers of Swan Creek Township, he having in that year entered government (wild) land in the vicinity of Swanton, and gaining title to several hundred acres. So that in both maternal and paternal lineage Clarence C. Smith comes of families which are among the early residents of Fulton county. All the grandparents of Professor Smith died in Swan Creek Township, and his parents, Hiram B. and Evelyn (Kyper) Smith, settled in the township soon after marriage, the former farming independently from his parents. Eventually Hiram B. Smith became superintendent of the Fulton county farm, holding that office until his death on June 16, 1914. His widow still resides in the family homestead in Swan Creek Township, in which all of their children were born. The four children of Hiram B. and Evelyn (Kyper) Smith were: Clarence C., regarding whose life in its connection with Fulton county more is written below for this edition of county history ; Grace, who married A. E. Lawrence, but is now deceased; Maude, who married E. A. Jones, and now lives with her mother and brother on the home farm; and Fred, who resides with the mother on the home farm. Clarence C., eldest child of Hiram B. and Evelyn (Kyper) Smith, in his boyhood attended the district school nearest to his home, and later passed through the high school of Delta, after which he enterd the Tri-State College at Angola, Indiana, eventually graduating. He also attended Oberlin Business College, and was a student at the Ohio State University at Columbus. He early entered the teaching profession, being only seventeen years old when he was first appointed a member of the teaching staff of Swan Creek district school. He was a district school teacher for six years, and for seven years was a teacher in the Delta High School, eventually, on June 1, 1916, becoming the superintendent of schools of Delta, which office he has since held. He has a recognized place among the able educators of the county, and is well-regarded in Delta. He is a member of the Fulton County Board of Examiners of Teachers. Mr. Smith is of good personal repute, is an earnest church worker and is esteemed as a man of high moral integrity. By religious conviction a Methodist, he has entered earnestly into church work, is a steward of the Delta church of that denomination, and has been a Sunday School teacher for many years. Politically he he is a republican and fraternally is a Mason, of Royal Arch degree, member of Octavius Waters Chapter of Delta. On December 29, 1907, Clarence C. Smith married Chloe Putnam, who was born in Fulton county, daughter of Israel and Mary (Bratton) Putnam, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Smith in descent is German-Irish, the paternal line being of German antecedents, and her mother having been born in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two children : Roscoe, who was born April 21, 1910; and Ross, born May 5, 1911. MERLIN A. BATDORF, a life-long resident in York Township, Fulton county, Ohio, well-known among agriculturists of the HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 357 county, and well-regarded in his home township,has succeeded well as a farmer, and has shown commendable public spirit, and a consistent earnestness in church work. He has been a trustee of his church for twenty years ; has served as school director; and has several times been elected to high office in a fraternal order instituted by agriculturists. And he comes into Fulton County History with particular interest, his grandparent, John Batdorff, having been one of the pioneer settlers in York Township. Merlin A. Batdorf was born in York Township on September 5, 1874, the son of Aaron Benton and Mary Jane (Minnich) Batdorf, and grandson in the paternal line of John and Elizabeth (Morgan) Batdorf, who were both born in Pennsylvania, but came to York Township, which then was in Lucas county, Ohio, in the early '40s. They entered government land and lived the lives of pioneers, gradually clearing a good acreage and having a comfortable old age. Their son Aaron Benton, father of Merlin A., was born in York Township, and in due course attended the district school, although in those days the school was practically open only for the winter months, the summer vacation extending over most of the growing period of the year. After leaving school he gave his time wholly to his father, and did much pioneering work on the home estate. He married Mary Jane Minnich, who was born in Marion county, Ohio, daughter of David and Hannah (Crawford) Minnich, both born in Marion county, Ohio, but eventually residents in Delta village, York Township, where David Minnich followed his trade, shoemaking. After marriage Aaron B. Batdorf and his wife settled on the farm in York Township upon which they raised their children, living there until 1907, when they moved into the city of Wauseon. In that city Aaron B. Batdorf died on December 21, 1918, his widow, however, still living a quiet comfortable life in that city. They were the parents of six children, who in order of birth were: Jessie, who married John W. Sands, of Toledo, Ohio; Merlin A., of whom further; Cora E., who married Blanchard Miller, but is now deceased; Ethel M., who married Jonas Snyder, of Toledo, Ohio ; Frances E., who married Charles Snyder, of Wauseon, Ohio; Nellie A.. who married Frank Zeigler, of Toledo, Ohio. Merlin A. Batdorf attended the York Township district school nearest to his home, and when sixteen years old went to live with his paternal grandparents in York Township, with whom he lived until his twenty-second year, when he married. With that responsibility Merlin A. began to independently farm, and for two years rented properties in the township. In the third year of his married life, however, he acquired a farm of twenty-five acres of cleared land, but without buildings. He erected the necessary buildings, and had good success in his cultivation of the land, so much so that eight years later he purchased an additional twenty-five acres, ten of which were in timber. He has farmed enterprisingly and thoroughly, and his industry has brought him good return. He has followed general farming, to which his acreage was adaptable, and has had good success in stockraising, and dairying. During his years of busy farming he has not neglected public responsibilities. He has taken close interest in local affairs, and has been ever ready to support personally and financially local movements of civic, social or religious character. He has been especially interested in educational matters, and has devoted some of 358 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY his time to the duties of school director. Politically he is a republican, but he has not actively concerned himself in national political campaigns. He has always been sincere in church matters. By religious conviction he is a member of the United Brethren denomination, and has been a trustee of the local church since 1900. Fraternally he has been prominent in the functioning of the Ancient Order of Gleaners, an organization composed mostly of agriculturists. In that organization he has held the office of chief gleaner for several years. In November, 1919, he was elected township trustee. On July 22, 1896, he married Laura A. Williams, who was born in York Township, daughter of John and Ann (Struble) Williams, well-known residents. Mr. and Mrs. Batdorf raised a large family, having had eight children born to them, only one of whom, their first born, is deceased. Their children in order of birth are : Ralph B., who died in infancy ; Walter C. now successfully established in Clinton Township, and married to C., Turney ; Mildred M., who has taken a business course in the State University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and who is now employed by The Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company of Lincoln, Nebraska; Frank H. at home; Lowell E., also at home; Lawrence C.; John Cair ; and H., L. EDWIN B. PERKINS has lived in York Township, Fulton county, Ohio, for almost sixty-three years. He comes of pioneer residents of Clinton and York Townships, and has given his whole life to useful development and profitable industry in York Township, where he is esteemed as a substantial and industrious resident, and public-spirited and good-hearted neighbor. Edwin B. Perkins was born in York Township, Fulton county, on March 15, 1857, the son of Evander and Susan (McAllister) Perkins. In the paternal line he comes of an old colonial New England family, and through his mother his genealogy connects with a New York state family. His father was born in Connecticut and his mother in New York state, where they were married, and from which state in 1845 they eventually came into Ohio, and to Clinton Township of Fulton county. Four years later Evander and Susan (McAllister) Perkins moved to York Township, having purchased the farm known as the Steadman Farm, upon which for the next ten years they resided, and upon which their son Edwin B. was born. Evander Perkins died in 1867, but his widow lived a further thirty-three years, her demise not occurring until 1900. They were the parents of five children, namely : Eliza, who is the widow of William Welling, and now lives with her brother Edwin B.; Eunice, who married Solomon Fisher, but is now deceased ; Lydia, also deceased ; William A., a successful farmer in York Township ; and Edwin B. Edwin B. Perkins was reared in the wholesome environment of the parental farm, and in due course attended the public school of his home district; giving, as he grew, increasing assistance to his father in the operation of the farm. He was ten years old when his father died, and thereafter his part in the operation of the farm became increasingly important. With his elder brother he remained near his widowed mother until he was thirty years old, when he married and set up a separate establishment, residing on the seventy-five acre farm that he in partnership with his brother owned. The farm was to the southward, in section 7 of York Township, and it was his home until 1897, when he sold his interest in it to his brother, HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 359 and soon afterwards bought a farm of 104 acres in section 31 of York Township, a good farm, well improved. There he lived and worked for the next twenty-one years, until 1918, when he acquired sixty acres of the farm in section 7 he had formerly occupied and had sold to his brother. He resides there, but his days of strenuous labor are over, and his agricultural property he now rents to a reliable tenant. He has lived an energetic life, has farmed well and enterprisingly, and during his life has manifested commendable personal traits. Consequently he has good place among the leading residents of that section of Fulton county. Politically he is a republican, and during his life has shown close interest in local movements of public character; yet he has never sought public office, contenting himself by contributing by his industry to the progress of the county. He married on January 1, 1888, Nettie, daughter of Spencer and Anna (Criswell) Fouty, and granddaughter of William Fouty, a pioneer settler Clinton Township. William Fouty was born in Switzerland, but was an early settler in Ohio. In 1851 he came into Fulton county, having acquired a tract of eighty acres of virgin timber land in Clinton Township. Spencer Fouty, father of Nettie, was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, and Anna Criswell was born in Wayne county, Ohio. James Criswell, father of Anna, was born in the United States, but was of Irish descent. Nettie Fouty, who married Edwin B. Perkins, is a native of York Township, Fulton county, and received her education in the local school, and during her long life in the community has been interested and active in the church and social affairs of the township. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin B. Perkins are the parents of two children : Walter W. who now manages the home farm ; and Vern E., who also has stayed with his parents. Walter W. married Georgie Biddle, daughter of Stillman and Mina (Highshoe) Biddle, of York Township, April 16, 1919. DAVID WILLIAM GORSUCH. A traveler through Fulton county is immediately impressed by the fine farms and modern improvements of the rural regions and realizes the value of these investments not only to the individual owners, but the country and world, for from them and similar ones comes a. large amount of the food for mankind. The agriculturists of Fulton county are particularly awake to the responsibilities and dignity of their calling, and are living up to the best conceptions of it. One of these men who is typical of his associates is David William Gorsuch of York Township. David William Gorsuch was born in Clinton Township of this county on September 13, 1868, a son of Ephraim and Maria (Cantle-berry) Gorsuch, he born at Centerville, Wayne county, Ohio, and she in Holmes county, Ohio. The grandparents were Nathan and Elizabeth (Ayers) Gorsuch, he born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she a native of Ohio, and David and Eliza (Davenport) Cantleberry, natives of Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, respectively. The paternal grandparents located in Clinton Township, Fulton county, in 1846, the maternal grandparents arriving in Fulton county in 1844. At that time practically all of the county was in the timber, and Wauseon was not then even thought of, and David Cantleberry had his choice of the location of the eighty acres of land he entered 360 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY from the government, all of which was covered with timber. On this farm the eastern outskirts of Wauseon now stand. Nathan Gorsuch had nearly as good a choice when he arrived two years later, and he entered 160 acres of government land. All of the grandparents died in Fulton county. Following their marriage Ephraim Gorsuch and his wife settled 3 1/2 miles west of Wauseon on 100 acres of land he owned. In addition to it he had other property, namely, 280 acres in Clinton Township and 100 acres in Pike Township. Later on in life he turned these farms over to his sons and bought a five-acre tract two miles west of Wauseon, and he died June 1, 1918, closely following his wife, who passed away on April 7 of that same year. Their children were as follows: Edward, who lives in Clinton Township; Nathan, who lives at Toledo, Ohio; David William, who was third in order of birth and Frank, who is on his parents' old homestead. Growing up on his father's farm and learning to operate it, David William Gorsuch attended the local schools and the Wauseon Normal School, and for three winter seasons taught the country schools of Clinton Township and for one those of York Township. On November 25, 1897, he was married to Ida M. Bryant, born in Lenawee county, Michigan, a daughter of John and Sophronia (Vedder) Bryant, the father born in New York state and the mother born in Lenawee county, Michigan. For five years after his marriage Mr. Gorsuch lived on a farm of eighty acres his father owned in Clinton Township, and in the spring of 1903 he and his wife bought 160 acres in York Township, which has since been their home. On it he has erected a fine modern residence. The house is supplied with hot water heat, electric light, and a full water system gives plenty of hot and cold water on both floors. In addition to erecting his house Mr. Gorsuch rebuilt his barns, and has everything in fine order. Here he carries on general farming and dairying, his herd being composed of twelve cows of the Holstein strain. Mr. and Mrs. Gorsuch have three children, namely: Louella, Howard and Isabelle, all of whom are at home. They are consistent members of the Christian Church, and take an active part in its good work. Well known as a Mason, he belongs to Wauseon Lodge No. 349, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Gorsuch has worked steadily and hard, and invested his savings wisely, and he and his wife are now enjoying many comforts. Their 'beautiful rural home compares very favorably with those in adjoining cities, and they have the further advantages of urban life. As a citizen Mr. Gorsuch is held in high esteem, and both he and Mrs. Gorsuch have many warm personal friends in their neighborhood. WILLIAM BARTLETT. The man who invests in farm land and devotes his energies to improving and cultivating his property not only is an excellent business man but a good citizen, for no community can make progress unless its residents are willing to lend a hand and through their individual efforts raise the standard of living. Such a man is William Bartlett of York Township, whose well cultivated farm, with its good improvements, is one of the best in Fulton county. William Bartlett was born in Holmes county, Ohio, September 10, 1855, a son of Jacob and Martha (Bates) Bartlett, natives of Ohio, he born in Wayne county, and she in Holmes county, re- HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 361 spectively. Jacob Bartlett was a veteran of the great rebellion, having enlisted April 22, 1861, for 100 days' service. He re-enlisted and received his commission as second lieutenant from Governor Tod on December 1, 1861, for Company E, Sixty-eighth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, receiving his discharge from same February 14, 1863. He once more enlisted and on July 4, 1863, received his commission as captain of Company E, First Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Fulton county. As such he served until the close of the war. The parents were married in Holmes county, Ohio, and lived there until 1856, when they came to Fulton county and bought fifty-three acres of timberland in what is now York Township, which they soon thereafter traded for 160 acres of partly improved land in the same township. Here he died June 29, 1906, his wife having died on October 30, 1901. Their children were as follows: Sarah, who is Mrs. G. A. Hendricks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Elizabeth, who died at the age of two years; Jennie, who was Mrs. A. E. Dunham, of Toledo, Ohio, died January 16, 1917 ; William, whose name heads this biography ; Millicent and Ada, both of whom are deceased; and George M., who lives in Arizona, and who was one of the Rough Riders with Roosevelt in Cuba and was also a body guard of General Funston in the Philippine Isles. William Bartlett has always lived on his present farm since his parents located on it, and he acquired his education in the schools of the district. He bought the old homestead of 160 acres, and has all but ten acres under cultivation, it being devoted to timber. After becoming the owner of the farm Mr. Bartlett began replacing the old buildings with new ones, and in the spring of 1917 rebuilt and remodeled the house into one of the most convenient and modern ones on this section. He installed heat, hot and cold water, bathroom and toilet and artificial lights, so that it compares favorably with homes in adjoining cities. In addition he has tiled the farm, put up new fences, and in fact made all the improvements necessary to put it in first-class condition and increase its producing power. Mr. Bartlett has always carried on general farming, and now has a dairy and manufactures butter and other milk products. In October, 1877, Mr. Bartlett was married to Maria Shreves, of Fulton county, Ohio, a daughter of C. R. and Thankful (Stone) Shreves, natives of New Jersey and Connecticut, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett became the parents of the following children: Minnie, who is Mrs. William Robinson, of York Township; and Lottie, Jay, Florence, Burr, Celia and Laura, all of whom are at home. The Taylor Methodist Episcopal Church holds Mr. Bartlett's membership, and he has served it as a trustee for some years. He is a republican and has been road supervisor. A Mason, he belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council, all of Wauseon. Mr. Bartlett's success in life has not come to him through any extraordinary processes but is the natural outcome of steady, intelligent and practical efforts. He has always' endeavored to keep abreast of inventions and discoveries of new methods in his work, and has never felt that he was through with his improvements. His experiments are watched with interest by his neighbors, for they realize that he knows what be is doing and that if he decides anything is worth while they had better follow his example if they want to keep up with his production. Both as an official and a private citizen he has been a friend 362 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY of good roads, for he recognizes their value to the individual farmer and the neighborhood. In fact William Bartlett is a man who measures up to the best standards of American manhood, and Fulton county may well be proud of him. HERMAN EDWARD STRONG. Occupying the farm formerly owned by his father in Pike Township, Herman Edward Strong has developed into one of the prosperous and representative men of Fulton county, of which he is a native son. His birth occurred in Fulton Township on May 9, 1866, and he a son of Hiram and Sophia Ann (Johnson) Strong. Hiram Strong was born in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York? and his wife in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and they were married in Michigan, following which they located in Fulton county, Ohio, first owning farm in Fulton Township, known as Dutch Ridge. From there in 1872 they moved to another farm owned by him, located in Pike Township, and there he erected a sawmill. After two years he sold that farm and bought one in Swan Creek Township, but subsequently sold it and returned to Pike Township and bought another farm, which he conducted until 1885, and then moved to Delta and for 21/2 years owned an interest in a grocery, but disposed of it and bought a farm of sixty-five acres in Pike Township, on which he died in 1890. His widow survived him until 1910, when she passed away. She was a widow, Mrs. Draker, when she married Mr. Strong, and had three children by her first husband, namely : Jeanette, who died at the age of three years; Adelia, who was Mrs. Uriah Fuller, of Detroit, Michigan; and Arake, who is Mrs. Israel Salsbury, of Pike Township. Mr. and Mrs. Strong became the parents of the following children: Elisha, who is deceased; Volney, who lives in Michigan ; Amos, who is a resident of Zurich, Montana; Angeline, who is Mrs. A. P. Ross, of Fayette, Ohio; Herman Edward, whose name heads this review; Nathan Wesley, who lives at Moorcroft, Wyoming; and Alonzo, who died in infancy. Herman Edward Strong grew up in Fulton county and attended its country schools, while at the same time he was acquiring a work-, ing knowledge of farming under his father's supervision. When he was seventeen years old he went to Iona county, Michigan, and worked as a farm hand for one year, and as his parents during that time had moved to Delta, he went to Benton Harbor, Michigan, instead of returning home,, and was engaged in working at various jobs for two years. He then came back to Fulton county for a time, when he returned to Michigan. In 1897 he went to Toledo, Ohio, and for three years worked at painting and paper-hanging for various concerns of that city, at the expiration of that period coming back once more to Fulton county and working on the home place in Pike Township. After his mother's death he bought out the other heirs to the homestead of sixty-five acres of partly improved land. Since then he has rebuilt all the buildings and put up some new ones, ditched the place, erected a silo, and otherwise improved it, having now a very valuable property, on which he carries on general farming. At times he works at his trade, generally to accommodate one of his neighbors, all of whom appreciate the excellence of his work. On September 24, 1910, Mr. Strong was united in marriage with Susie Enfield, born in Fulton Township, a daughter of Jacob and HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 363 Malinda (Luke) Enfield, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. Politically Mr. Strong is a republican, and served as road supervisor for two years, and during that period did some excellent work in behalf of securing good roads for his section, and since then has supported the "good roads" movement, for he realizes what a necessity they are in order to keep a community abreast of modern development. Good roads more than pay for the initial expense through the amount of business brought in over them since the almost universal use of the automobile. Those communities which have the misfortune to be off the improved highways cannot hope to compete with the ones which have a constant stream of tourists passing through them daily. Mr. Strong is one of the men who has traveled considerably and been broadened through a varied experience, and so he appreciates the value of improvements of all kind, both private and public, and is in favor of them, and of raising the general standard of the neighborhood through the education of the masses. OSCAR S. GEER. A number of the enterprising farmers of Fulton county have found it profitable to engage in dairying, this region being admirably adapted to the production of milk, and one of these men so engaged is Oscar S. Geer of Pike Township. He was born in Clinton Township, Fulton county, Ohio, on June 29, 1872, a son of Milo and Rebecca (Parker) Geer, 'natives of Fulton. county, Ohio, and Newark, New Jersey, respectively. The Geer family was founded in Fulton county by the grandparents of Oscar S. Geer at a very early day. Both Milo Geer and his wife were reared in Fulton county, and after their marriage they located in Clinton Township, which continued to be their home until 1884, when they moved to Pike Township, where he bought a farm and conducted it. When he retired in 1886 he moved to Delta, and there he died in 1899, his widow surviving him until 1911. Their children were as follows: Lutissa, who died in childhood ; Lucy, who is Mrs. E. L. Smith, of Delta, Ohio; Perry, who is a resident of Delta; Elsie, who is Mrs. S. P. Dennis, of -Pike Township ; Edward, who died in infancy; Oscar S., whose name heads this review ; Harvey, who is a resident of Toledo, Ohio ; Minnie, who is Mrs. Dell Rieghard, of Delta, Ohio ; and Samuel, who died in infancy. Oscar S. Geer was reared in Fulton county and attended the country schools. His wise father taught him to be a farmer, and from childhood he was occupied with work on the homestead, so that when he started out in life for himself he was prepared to do so intelligently and achieve an ultimate success. For five years subsequent to his marriage he had charge of his father's homestead, and then for six years operated rented land in Fulton Township. He then bought eighty acres of land in Pike Township that was unimproved, although partially cleared. He has kept sixteen acres of the woodland, but the remainder of the farm is under cultivation, and all of the modern improvements on the property have been put in by him. The house, barn and other buildings, are thoroughly modern, the land is all tiled, and the fences are well kept up, the entire place showing that much care and thought have been expended upon it. Mr. Geer has always been occupied with general farming and dairying, and now has a fine herd of ten cows. 364 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY On March 19, 1896, Mr. Geer was united in marriage with Orrie Watkins, born in Fulton Township on December 13, 1875, a daughter of Thomas and Anna (Bundy) Watkins, of Fulton Township. Mrs. Geer's grandparents were Wesley and Catherine (Fesler) Watkins, and Eli and Mary (Wilbur) Bundy. Mr. and Mrs. Geer became the parents of the following children: Ethel, who is Mrs. George Hines, of Pike Township ; and Ralph, Ross and Ruby, all of whom are at home. Mr. Geer is a strong republican, and has been a member of the School Board of his district since 1917. In his fraternal affiliations he maintains membership with Delta Camp, Modern Woodmen of America. An excellent farmer and sound business man, Mr. Geer deserves the prosperity he now enjoys, as well as the esteem of his neighbors, which he also possesses. HERBERT E. McQUILLIN. After a life devoted to general farming and stockraising, Herbert E. McQuillin has developed into one of the prosperous men of Fulton county, and owner of forty acres of his father's homestead in Pike Township. His finely improved farm speaks for the ability and foresightedness of the owner, and 'his public acts show that he is one of the enterprising citizens of his section. Herbert E. McQuillin was born in Pike Township, Fulton county, on October 1, 1866, a son of John W. and Elizabeth (Dunbar) McQuillin, natives of Pennsylvania and Fulton county, Ohio, respectively, and grandson of David and Rachel McQuillin, who came from Pennsylvania to Fulton county at an early day. After their marriage John' W. McQuillin and his wife settled on a farm of 120 acres in Pike Township, which was covered with timber, and he cleared off many acres of it by his own efforts and improved his property, on which he lived until 1903, when he moved. to Delta, Ohio, and there she died on January 18, 1911, he surviving her until April 14 of that same year, when he, too, passed away. They were most excellent people in every respect and held the confidence and respect of their neighbors. Their children were as follows: William and James, both of whom live at Delta, Ohio; John, who lives at Wauseon, Ohio ; Herbert E. whose name heads this sketch; Eva, who is Mrs. Newton Ward, of Fayette, Ohio; and Frank, who occupies a portion of his father's homestead. For a time following his marriage, which occurred in 1892, Mr. McQuillin rented the Rupp farm in York Township, and then bought sixty-one acres in Pike Township. The greater part of this property was then covered with timber, and the only house was a small one that he has replaced with a nice modern frame one. Mr. McQuillin has also rebuilt the barn, put up fences and other buildings, and now has his place in splendid condition. He cleared off the land and grubbed out the stumps of that portion of it he desired to put under cultivation. The land is fitted for a diversity of crops and stockraising, and he is engaged in both lines, having always found them profitable. On November 23, 1892, Mr. McQuillin was united in marriage with Alice Rupp, born in Hancock county, Ohio, a daughter of Michael and Mary (Gassman) Rupp, also natives of Hancock county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. McQuillin became the parents of the following children : Walter, who lives in Pike Township, married Effie Miller, and they have one son, Herbert; Bert and Mary, who HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 365 are both at home ; Clarence, who lives at Toledo, Ohio ; and Roy, Howard and Glenn, all of whom are at home. Mr. McQuillin is a friend of the public schools, all of his educational training having been obtained from them, but when they were in a far less satisfactory condition than today, and in, order to secure for his own children and those of the neighborhood better educational facilities he has given his services to the School Board for a period of nine years. In politics he is a stalwart republican, and one of the leaders of his party locally. In 1915 he was appointed one of the township trustees to fill a vacancy, and so efficient did he prove that in December, 1915, he was elected to that office, and filled it with satisfaction to his constituents and credit to himself. For some years he has been a faithful member of the United Brethren Church, and donates generously toward its support. The watchword of Mr. McQuillin has been hard work. He does not believe there is any royal road to honest success. Prosperity in his estimation only lies at the end of the road of honorable endeavor, which must be trod, even though the way be steep and the going hard, in order to reach the ultimate goal. His own experiences has taught him this, and he is proud of the fact that he has earned all he now possesses through his own efforts, which he has endeavored to direct in an intelligent manner. JAMES H. DISBROW. The Disbrow name belongs to the early history of Fulton county, although James H. Disbrow, who lives in Pike Township, is still a young man. He was born in Pike Township October 29, 1874, and is a son of Lewis K. and Alice (Thornton). Disbrow. The Thornton side of the family came from New York. George and Jane (Corry) Thornton came to Fulton county early in its history. When Lewis Disbrow married he settled in Pike, and continued his home there until 1878, when his death occurred. The widow married Giles McArthur, deceased, and two sons were born : Elmer, of Pike, and Frank, of Ottokee. On May 3, 1911, James H. Disbrow married Hazel Aulman, of York Township. She is a daughter of Clark and Evelyn (Sheffield) Aulman, the father of York and the mother of .Swan Creek. The grandparents, Samuel and Martha (Misson) Aulman, were born in England. William and Mary (Guthrie) Sheffield were also early settlers in Fulton county. They were all of them farmers in their days of activity. Since 1900 Mr. Disbrow has lived as tenant and later as owner of the present home place in Pike Township, buying part of the land in 1908 and the rest of it later. He rebuilt the house and added the necessary barns and stables. Nearly all the land is under cultivation, and Mr. Disbrow operates a Holstein farm dairy. There is one daughter, Alice. Mr. and Mrs. Disbrow attended Delta High School, and for four years she was a teacher in common schools. In politics he is a republican. They are members of the Ancient Qrder of Gleaners. ERWIN M. TAPPAN. Both as a farmer and public official Erwin M. Tappan measures up as a man of sound principles and efficient methods, and it would be difficult to find one more universally popular in either Pike Township, where his farm is located, or Fulton county, of which he is a. native son. He was born in Pike Town- 366 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY ship on February 3, 1879, a son of Herman M. and Harriet A. (Wood) Tappan, and grandson of Moses and Hettie (Miller) Tappan, natives of New Jersey, who located at Toledo, Ohio, in 1836, and William H. and Laura N. (Fuller) Wood, who came to Fulton county, Ohio, from Medina county, Ohio. Herman M. Tappan was born in Pike Township, Fulton county, on 'July 15, 1848, and his wife was born in Medina county, Ohio, on February 15, 1849. After their marriage Herman Tappan and his wife settled on his father's old homestead in Pike Township, and there he died in 1914, she surviving him until 1917. Their children were as follows : Walter A., who is a resident of Pike Township ; and Erwin M., who is the younger. Growing up in Pike Township, Erwin M. Tappan became a pupil of its public schools, and while gaining an educational training he learned to be a farmer through practical work on the homestead. On November 25, 1900, he was married to Bernice Sindel; born in Pike Township, a daughter of John M. and Elizabeth E. (Elliott) Sindel. After his marriage Mr. Tappan lived with his parents for four years, and then took possession of eighty acres of the homestead, on which he erected a comfortable residence, barns and other outbuildings, and began farming on his own account. His property is now in fine condition, and in addition to it he owns eighty acres in section 34, his homestead being in section 10. Ever since he began farming he has raised diversified crops and stock, and carried on dairying, and each year has seen a substantial increase in his profits. Mr. and Mrs. Tappan have two children,. namely : John H., who was born on January 23, 1905 ; and Mary E., who was born on March 9, 1909. In the Christian Church Mr. Tappan finds the expression of his religious creed, and he has long been a member of the local congregation, and is now one of its deacons. In 1912 Mr. Tappan was appointed a township trustee, and has served in that capacity continuously ever since. In politics he is a republican, and is looked upon as somewhat of a leader in his party. Believing in the work of the Grange, he has taken an active part in it, and still belongs to the one in his neighborhood. Few men are held in higher regard than he, and he is justly recognized as an excellent type of the modern agriculturist. ALBERT KUTZLI. The farm of Albert Kutzli in Pike Township is one of the well improved rural properties of Fulton county, and the entire premises show the care of an efficient farmer and good business man. Albert Kutzli was born in Ridgeville Township, Henry county, Ohio, on April 16, 1871, a son of Blessy and Susan (Spiess) Kutzli, natives of Switzerland, and grandson of Henry Spiess. Both the Kutzli and Spiess families located in Fulton county, Ohio, three generations ago; and their representatives were among the early settlers on wild land in this region. Blessy Kutzli and his wife moved to Henry county, Ohio, after their marriage, and she died there on July 2, 1908, but he survives, an aged man, having been born in January, 1838, and still makes his home in Henry county. Children were born to them as follows: Mary, who is deceased; Conrad, who lives at Archbold, Ohio; Henry, who lives in Dover Township ; Barnet, who resides at Archbold, Ohio; Susan, who is Mrs. Adam Mohr, of Ridgeville HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 367 Township, Henry county, Ohio ; Blessy, who is a resident of Clinton Township Caroline, who was Mrs. Albert Buhrer, is now deceased ; Albert, whose name heads this review ; Manno, who is a resident of Dover Township ; Rudolph, who lives at Morenci, Michigan ; Emil, who is deceased ; and Ida, who is Mrs. Archie Feltzer, of Pike Township. Albert Kutzli was reared in Henry county and attended its district schools. When he was nineteen years old he began working by the month for farmers with a threshing outfit and in sawmills, and continued this line of work for six years. He was then married, on March 18, 1897, to Virginia Buhrer, born in Williams county, Ohio, a daughter of Andrew and Adeline (Gashie) Buhrer, natives of Switzerland and Clinton Township, Fulton county, Ohio, respectively. On April 9, 1901, Mr. Kutzli bought seventy-eight acres of land in section 6, Pike Township. At that time there were no fences on this farm, it needed tiling and buildings, so he had a lot of work before him when he moved on this property. Now he has the place cleared and under cultivation with the exception of ten acres he is keeping in timber. The necessary fences have been put up and are maintained in good order, and the whole farm is well tiled. Not only is his residence a comfortable and modern one, but his barns and other buildings are equally good, and he has one of the best farms in this part of the county. Here he is carrying on general farming, stockraising and dairying, and is successful in all his undertakings, for he is an experienced farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Kutzli became the parents of the following children : Theron, Luetta, Rosella, Ruth, Fernando, Agnes and Florence, all of whom are at home. The children, Orpha, Caroline, and Dorothy died in infancy. Mr. Kutzli is a member of the Reformed Church of Archbold, Ohio. In his political convictions he is a democrat, but aside from casting his vote for the candidates of his party he has not taken much part in public matters, being too much occupied with his farming. ERNEST CHRISTOPHER LANE. The Oakland Farm is one of the best improved rural properties in Pike Township and has been brought to its present state of development through the intelligent efforts of its owner, Ernest Christopher Lane, whose methods are so progressive as to cause them to be adopted by a number of his fellow citizens. Mr. Lane was born in Clinton Township, this county, September 8, 1879, a son of William and Lydia (Lozer) Lane, natives of Muskingum county, Ohio, and Clinton county, Ohio, respectively, and grandson of Harrison and Harriet (Gorsuch) Lane, early settlers of Clinton Township, and Stephen Lozer, who also came to Clinton Township at an early day. William Lane owned a large tract of land in Clinton Township, three miles west of Wauseon, Ohio, and on it he and his wife were engaged in farming activities for many years. Her death occurred in February, 1914, but he survived her until January, 1919. Their children were as follows: Ernest Christopher, whose name heads this review; Fred, who is a resident of Texas; Jesse, who is a resident of Zanesville, Ohio; Edward, who is a resident of Amboy Township, Fulton county ; and Grace, who is Mrs. Roy Parish, and lives at Delta. After completing his courses in the district schools, Ernest C. 368 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY Lane was given the advantage of a year's attendance at the Wauseon High School, but then, at the age of eighteen years, he decided to become self-supporting, so he left school and began working out by the month among the neighboring farmers, continuing this mode of operation for nine years. He then rented land for another nine years, all the time saving his money, and as soon as he had acquired a sufficient amount he bought forty acres of land in York Township. One year later he rented eighty acres in section 12, Pike Township, from his father, and he later inherited it from his father's estate. Of this eighty acres Mr. Lane has sixty-five under the plow, and the remainder is in timber. He has put in all his improvements and here he is carrying on general farming. The farm takes its name from the beautiful oak trees which Mr. Lane has taken such pains to preserve. On September 16, 1903, Mr. Lane was united in marriage with Lois Greeley, born in Franklin Township, Fulton county, Ohio, a daughter of Lewis and Mary (Wickey) Greeley, natives of German Township, Fulton county. Mr. and Mrs. Lane became the parents of one son, Earle, who was born on April 9, 1908. The creed of the Disciple Church affords Mr. Lane adequate expression for his religious views, and he is one of the earnest members of the local congregation. Being in perfect sympathy with the work of the Gleaners, Mr. Lane belongs to the Pike branch of this organization, and is active in it. Since casting his first vote Mr. Lane has been a strong republican and is proud of the record of his party. In all of his operations Mr. Lane has exercised good common sense, and his present prosperity proves that he was wise to follow the methods he did in the conduct of his business affairs. JOHN G. RORABECK, one of the substantial men of .Fulton county, is now living in Pike Township after a somewhat varied career in commercial circles. He was born in New York state on November 30, 1841, a son of George T. and Tabatha (Rorabeck) Rorabeck, cousins, who were born at Bridgeport, Connecticut, where they were married, going from there to the State of New York. A carpenter and builder, George T. Rorabeck went in 1851 to Prince Edward county, Ontario, Canada, near Picton, and there continued in business until his death at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife died three months before him, at the age of eighty-six years. Their children were as follows : Thomas, who is a resident of Osseo, Wisconsin ; Julia, who is Mrs. Byron McDonald, and lives at Allendale, Ontario, Canada; Emma, who is Mrs. Francis McDonald, of Comber, Ontario, Canada; John G., whose name heads this review; Dorcas Ann, who is deceased; Reuben, who lives at North Bay, Ontario, Canada,. Edward, who is deceased ; and Elizabeth, who is Mrs. Charles Mitchell, of Midland, Ontario, Canada. When he was sixteen years old John G. Rorabeck began learning the trade of a carpenter and joiner from his father, and completed it by the time he attained his majority. He then went to Rochester, New York, where he worked at his trade for two years. Returning to Canada, he was engaged in carpentering for nine months in the west. He then returned home for a visit, and the following spring found employment at Kent, Ohio, with the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad Company in car construction, and continued with that concern for eight years. Leaving that com- HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 369 pany, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and for fourteen years was with the bridge and car works of that city, rising to the office of assistant foreman, and he also spent several years working at the tinner's trade. His next employment was at Ashtabula, Ohio, where for two years he .worked in a tinshop. Mr. Rorabeck then changed the nature of his work and was a clerk in a shoe store of that city for a year. Returning to Cleveland, Ohio, he worked for a year in a sash and blind factory, becoming foreman for the Knowlton Valley Railroad Company after leaving the factory, and holding that position for two years. Mr. Rorabeck then spent one year in a pattern shop of Cleveland, and was then called to Toledo, Ohio, to take charge of the estate of his father-in-law, and for the subsequent eighteen months was occupied in settling it up. He then came to Delta, Ohio, and bought the tinshop of that place, conducting it for seven years. He then bought a half interest in the butcher shop of Mr. Geer at Delta, but sold it in 1898, and became superintendent of building construction at the state prison at Columbus, Ohio. Two years later he returned to Delta and clerked in various stores for eighteen months, when he bought a half interest in the drug store of Edward Pratt. Two years later they sold the store and Mr. Rorabeck continued to clerk in various establishments until July 5, 1916, when he moved to the ten-acre farm of his wife in Pike Township. She also has a life lease on sixty-five acres in Pike Township, and Mr. Rorabeck is now engaged in keeping up the improvements on the property. John G. Rorabeck was married at Jefferson, Ohio, in October, 1870, to Augusta Tolcott, and they had two children, namely: Winifred, who is Mrs. Frank Cately, of Delta, Ohio; and Mabel, who died at the age of three years. In 1883 Mr. Rorabeck was married to Eva T. Clark, a daughter of Ira L. Clark, one of the first conductors of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. She was the widow of Charles Mason„ by whom she had five children, two of whom survive, namely : Carrie Brigham, of Portland, Oregon ; and Maude. The second Mrs. Rorabeck died on April 8, 1914. On July 5, 1916, Mr. Rorabeck was married to Mrs. Ellen (Niel) Taylor, born in Cass county, Georgia, a daughter of James and Carrie (Champlin) Niel. Ellen Niel was first married to Grifford Cassin, and she and her husband lived. with Mrs. Niel until .the outbreak of the war between the states, when she, her husband and two little sons went to the vicinity of Lexington, Kentucky, where he was later killed, leaving her without resources. She returned to Ohio and in order to support herself worked in the household of different families. Owing to her lack of money she was forced to turn her children over to others. In 1867 she came to Fulton county, Ohio, and in 1870 was married second to J. S. Taylor, who owned a farm, which he deeded to her. Mr. Taylor died in December, 1903. Her two children by her first marriage were as follows: Samuel, who lives at Delta, Ohio; and Benjamin, who lives at Elery, Ohio. Mrs. Rorabeck belongs to the United Brethren Church, and is active in its work. While residing at Delta, Ohio, Mr. Rorabeck served as a member of the City Council one term, and on the Cemetery Board for two years, being elected on the republican ticket. He belongs to Fulton Lodge No. 248, of Delta; Octavius Waters Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, which he has served as high priest, and Wauseon Council, Royal and Selected Masters. During 370 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY the many years Mr. Rorabeck has lived in Fulton county he has become known as one of the dependable citizens of this locality, and one worthy of the highest esteem. He and Mrs. Rorabeck have many warm personal friends, who are always made welcome at their pleasant rural home, and an open-handed hospitality is shown by these two estimable people, who after the strenuous years of earlier life are now enjoying the comforts to which they are most certainly entitled. JOHN H. MILLER. The study of the life of the representative American never fails to offer much of pleasing interest and valuable instruction, developing a mastering of expedients which has brought about satisfactory results. John H. Miller, the well-known president of the Peoples State Bank of Archbold, is a worthy representative of that type of American character and of that progressive spirit which promotes public good in advancing individual prosperity and conserving popular interests. He has long been prominently identified with the farming and business interests of Fulton county, and is numbered among the progressive and public-spirited citizens of the community. John H. Miller was born on his father's farm in German Town-, ship, Fulton county, Ohio, on December 29, 1859, and is the son of John and Catherine (Knapp) Miller. He is descended from sterling old Swiss stock, and the family was established at Tedrow, Ohio, whence they moved to German Township, this county, when the subject's father was about eighteen years of age. Here they established their home in the midst of the forest which covered that section of the country, their first labors being directed toward clearing the land and fitting it for cultivation. John H. Miller is the first son in order of birth of the eight children born to his parents. He received his elementary education in the common schools of German Township during the winter terms, his summers being spent in assisting his father on the home farm, where he remained until he was twenty-two years of age, at which time he was married. At that time he bought his first land, consisting of eighty-five acres. to the operation of which he devoted himself during the following eighteen years. This farm, which is located in Richville Township, Henry county, he still owns. His next purchase was 128 acres of land near Archbold, this county, on which he made his home up to June, 1920, having bought a fine home in the town of Archbold in that year and is now living in town. Mr. Miller also Owns twenty-five acres of land in Richville Township, Henry county, besides his other holdings there, and Mrs. Miller is the owner of 100 acres in Springfield Township, Williams county, Ohio. In 1908 Mr. Miller was elected vice president of the People's State Bank of Archbold, of which he was a stockholder and director, and subsequently he was chosen president of the institution, which is one of the strong and influential banks of Fulton county, much of the popularity of the bank being due to the sound business management and personal qualities of its president. On October 1, 1881, Mr. Miller was married to Susan Luty, the daughter of Peter and Martrit Luty, and to this union have been born the following children : May V., who has been a teacher for many years; Carietta, who is the wife of E. C. Sieler, a dentist of Chicago, Illinois, and they have one child, Lucile ; Blanche and HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 371 Sylvan L. are at home. All- of the children have been teachers. In political affairs Mr. Miller is independent of party ties, reserving to himself the right to vote for the men he considers best qualified for office. His religious affiliations are with the German Reformed Church. He is essenially a man among men, moving as one who commands respect by innate force as well as by his superior ability. As a citizen he ranks among the leaders of his community in all efforts to advance and conserve the general welfare, and he enjoys to a marked degree the confidence and regard of all who know him. ALBERT WANNER, who is now one of the leading agriculturists of Clinton Township, Fulton county, Ohio, owner and successful farmer of an extensive acreage in Clinton and Dover Townships, comes of one of the pioneer families of Franklin Township, in which he was born in 1876. He is the son of Jacob and Mary (Pfound) Wanner, and grandson of Andrew Wanner, who appears in the early records of Franklin Township. Andrew Wanner was born in Schaueffhausen Canton, Switzerland, and came to America with his wife and family of five children. They came into Ohio, and drove to Franklin Township, Fulton county, where Andrew Wanner gained title to eighty acres of wild land which he gradually cleared with the aid of his sons. He prospered well, and before he died was the owner of 160 acres of good land, the majority of which had been cleared. In Franklin Township, and upon this farm, Jacob Wanner, son of Andrew and father of Albert, lived for the greater part of his life, and at his death the extensive Franklin Township estate was divided among his children. Jacob Wanner died in 1914, and of the seven children, four sons and three daughters, born to him and to his wife, Mary Pfound, Albert is the oldest, but he seems to have made his own way. The Franklin Township estate of Jacob Wanner is occupied by his younger brother, Frank, who was born in 1889, and married Effie Gusman in 1914. Frank has eighty acres, and the other eighty acres belong to their two unmarried- sisters, Anna and Ida. Albert was raised in the wholesome environment of the home farm, and until he was seventeen years old attended the country school during the winter and spring, and in the summer vacations gave sturdy assistance to his father in the operation of the large acreage belonging to the family. As a matter of fact he had been doing minor tasks on the home farm long before he left school, and when eventually he took wholly to farming he was almost completely efficient in the ordinary operation of a farm. He stayed with his father and worked steadily on the home farm until he was twenty-one years old, when he married, and took upon himself the responsibilities of an independent farmer. Soon after he had married he bought a farm of forty acres, which small acreage he tilled so well that it was more than ample to meet the requirements of his family; in fact, as the years passed and he accumulated some substance, he was able to take on additional acreage, until he has today 200 acres in Clinton Township acid forty acres in Dover Township, all good land. He is a man esteemed by those who know him for his sturdy industry and steady life, his characteristics being those of the strong-purposed pioneers. A successful farmer is so in- 372 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY variably because of his readiness to take upon himself the laborious burdens that come up for execution in the general course of farming; and it may truthfully be said of Albert Wanner that he never shirked such labors. Whatever has been necessary to carry through the operation to the successful harvest, he has always taken the task upon himself when hired help has not been available. So he has succeeded, and so he has been able to raise a well-nourished and healthy family of nine children, a worthy record. Not only in the raising of a large family has Albert Wanner been a helpful American citizen, for during the recent war he was one of the patriotic citizens who made it possible for the various loan issues to reach their expected quota in his district. Politically he is independent; indeed, he is a man of much discrimination in political matters, not following any party without thought to the present platform of that party. In his voting he is more disposed to be influenced by the reputation and convictions of the candidate than by the party. And in local affairs and in all projects that have bearing upon the prosperity of his own commu nity he has always shown a close interest, although he has never sought office in the civic administration. He is still in the prime of life, being only forty-four years old, yet he has been married for twenty-three years, as it was in 1897 that he married Amanda, daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Ricker) Ruger. Their nine children have all been reared in the county, and the elder children are, or will soon be, entering upon manful and useful careers. CHARLES E. REED. In the early days farming was carried on in a much different manner from what it is today. Then a man was content to earn his living from his land, and whenever the opportunity offered made his escape from the rural regions. Now the man fortunate enough to own a farm is one of the most independent of business men, and he carries on his transactions systematically and profitably. His land, buildings, stock and machinery are a well-balanced organization, and with them he is able to produce foodstuffs which he markets to the world. One of the most progressive of the representative agriculturists of Fulton county is Charles E. Reed of York Township, whose farming plant is one of the best equipped in this region. Charles E. Reed was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 1852, a son of Henry and Christie Ann. (Burger) Reed, also natives of Franklin county. They spent their lives there, and there they died and are buried. Growing up on his father's farm, Charles E. Reed learned the fundamentals of agricultural life from his father while he was acquiring a common school education in the rural schools. In 1882 he was united in marriage with Anna Krome, a native of Pennsylvania, and for about two years lived on a farm in Pennsylvania, but in 1884 moved to Fulton county, Ohio, and for a year was in the employ of D. K. Shoop of York Township. Mr. Reed then bought eighty acres of land in section 30, York Township, for which he paid fifty dollars an acre. There were some old buildings on the farm, but Mr. Reed has replaced them with thoroughly modern ones, has tiled and fenced the place and made other improvements, so that it is now one of the fine rural properties of the town- HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY - 373 ship. Here he carried on general farming until 1914, when he rented his farm and moved to Wauseon. A year later he returned to the farm. The first Mrs. Reed died in 1890, leaving no issue. On November 19, 1893, Mr. Reed was married to Katherine Rupp, born near Fostoria, Hancock county, Ohio, a daughter of Michael and Mary (Gassman) Rupp, natives of Germany. There are no children of this marriage. Mr. Reed is a democrat, but has no political record, as he has not cared to hold office. CHARLES JACOB BRINDLEY. There is German and Swiss in the blood of Charles Jacob Brindley of Swanton. While he was American born—November 11, 1851, his father, John William Brindley was born in Wurtemberg, Germany. His mother, Minnie (Schochley) Brindley, was born at Elk, Switzerland. They were married at Maumee, and their son Charles J. Brindley was born in Spencer Township, Lucas county. In 1889 the Brindley family moved to Swanton. The father was born in Germany, February 18, 1825, and died in Swanton, June 17, 1909. The mother was born in Switzerland, February 3, 1828, and died in Swanton, April 26, 1897. They had five children: Charles J.; Sophie, wife of Edward Dilgart, of Lucas county; Sebastian, who met an accidental death in 1919; William and Nettie, both deceased. C. J. Brindley lived with his parents on their Lucas county farm until he was twenty-one years old, when he went to work in a grocery store in Toledo. Two years later he located in Swanton. He started a general merchandise business, and continued it eleven years. At that time he sold his interest to his partner, William Geyser, and he engaged for a time in the butcher business in Swanton. His next business venture was a livery barn, and six months later he sold it and engaged in the hardware and implement business. Eleven years later Mr. Brindley sold this business and went onto a farm in Lucas county. After one season on the farm Mr. Brindley opened a furniture and undertaking business in Swanton, August 15, 1898, it being the only business of the kind in the community. He purchased the business of Robert Fenton. It had been established in 1874, and is the oldest business establishment now in Swanton. Mr. Brindley carries a full stock in both branches of the business—an up-to-date furniture store in Swanton. On May 6, 1875, Mr. Brindley married Eva A. Kaley, who lived in Swanton Township, Lucas county. She is a daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Stair) Kaley. They were a Pennsylvania family who had come early to Lucas county. They came in 1840—at a time when the pioneers knew the meaning of the word privations. The children are: Charles Edward, associated with his father in business in Swanton, married Myrtle Haynes, and they have one daughter, Londa. Nettie, the wife of W. W. Butler, of Toledo, has two children, Charles and Martine. Alfred, of Kenton, married first Nettie Hatfield. and they have two children, Alfred and Jack. He married second Grace Norigan. Arthur Aquilla, a physician at Port Clinton, Ohio, married Catharine Thomas. Mr. Brindkey has had his share in public life, having been Swanton town treasurer four terms. He has also been township treasurer and for twenty-one years he has been a member of the Swanton School Board. He was a member of the board when the 374 - HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY high school was built in Swanton. For eight years he has served as township clerk—elected by the republicans, but serving the whole community. Mr. Brindley was active in the organization of the Farmers and Merchants Deposit Company of Swanton. He was a director and has since served as its president. He is a stockholder in the Swanton Milling and Elevator Company, and closely identified with all business movements in the community. While in his early life Mr. Brindley belonged to the Baptist Church, in Swanton he belongs to the Methodist and is chairman of the board of trustees. For many years he was superintendent of the Sunday school. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons No. 555, of Swanton, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows No. 528, and has been through all of the chairs: With his wife he is a member of the Eastern Star in Swanton. GIDEON REUBEN SHAFER. One of the substantial farmers of Fulton county who is successfully engaged in operating his fine 140-acre farm in German Township is Gideon Reuben Shafer, a native son of the county. He was born in Franklin Township, Fulton county, in 1855, his parents, John B. and Mary Catherine (Huke) Shafer, having come to the United States from Germany and settled in Franklin Township, where they bought fifty acres of land. They continued to live on this farm until claimed by death, she passing away in 1907 and he in 1910. Growing up in his native township, Gideon Reuben Shafer attended the Fisher and Masters schools during a few months each winter until he was seventeen years old, after which he had to spend all his time working hard, first assisting his father and later as a hired man. In those days wages were small and the hours long, and a man certainly earned all he received, and generally a good seal more. When he was twenty-three years old Mr. Shafer was married to Mary Shetler, a daughter of George and Sarah Ellen (Collins) Shetler, of Franklin Township. Of the three children born to them, only one survives, he being Jesse Dale, who married Rody Bemo. Following his marriage Mr. Shafer bought seventy-five acres, to which he later added land until he now has 140 acres, and on it has since engaged in general farming. He is an experienced and practical man and understands every phase of his work. Having spent his life in this line, he feels that he is able to conduct his farm in his own manner, and is somewhat conservative about making experiments. However, when he is convinced that a new method is good and can be adopted without serious inconvenience, or that the outlay will pay him, he gives it a trial. He is a republican and has always given the candidates of his party the support of his vote. For six years he served as a justice of the peace of German Township, and his decisions were so just and equitable that they were seldom reversed by the higher courts. Mr. Shafer has held a number of other offices, having been on the township School Board for six years, township trustee for two years, and county commissioner for four years. Since 1914 he has been manager and one of the directors of the Northwestern Mutual Telephone Company, and he is a stockholder and director of the Farmers Commercial Bank at West Unity, Ohio. Recognition of his integ-