150 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY teen years, he entered the volunteer service in the Nineteenth New York Volunteer Infantry, becoming a sergeant of Company A, Captain Charles Stewart commanding. He was in the first battle of Bull Run, after which he was detailed for guard duty at the White House in Washington, District of Columbia. After six months thus spent he was detailed in the secret service under Secretary Staunton, filling the latter position until 1864. At that time the regiment being changed from infantry to light artillery, Colonel Sprague joined his company, being promoted to second lieutenant of the same. Following the battle of Fort Wagner, for brave and meritorious service at the front, he was promoted to first lieutenant, .later becoming captain and having command of Battery F, Coast Division, under General Foster. He took part in many notable engagements, always discharging his duties in a most creditable manner. He was taken prisoner at Pocatalego, South Carolina, and was taken to Charleston, South Carolina, where he was held for three weeks, when he made his escape and returned to his battery. He was mustered out of service at Charlestown, South Carolina, in June, 1865. Returning to his home, Colonel Sprague became manager of McLean's circus, remaining in that position until 1869, when he came to Norwalk, Ohio. He secured a position with B. Courtright, as traveling salesman, selling fanning mills, but after a time thus spent he traveled for the Norwalk Tobacco Company, selling their goods. From 1876 until 1882 he was attorney for D. M. Osborne & Company, who handled harvesting machines and binders. Eventually Colonel Sprague became general manager of the Plano Harvester & Binder Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, Illinois, his territory covering Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. He continued with this company until 1886 and then feeling justified in entering business on his own account, he organized the firm of Sprague & French, manufacturers of advertising novelties. He was quite successful in this venture, securing the capital which in 1892 enabled him to organize the Sprague Umbrella Company of Norwalk. From the beginning he has been the president and general manager and also owns the greater share of the capital stock, amounting to forty thousand dollars, with a surplus of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They manufacture auto tops, wind shields, wagon umbrellas, carriage and lawn canopies, etc., and employ over two hundred people in the manufacture of these various articles. They also have their own plant and real estate. Their annual sales now amount to from two hundred and fifty to three hundred thousand dollars. In addition to their Norwalk office they have a branch office in New York city and also one in San Francisco, their sales extending to all parts of the world. The success of the firm is clue largely to the efforts of Colonel Sprague, who has spared no energy in bringing it to its present mammoth proportions, for the Sprague Umbrella Company has won a world-wide reputation. It was on the 3oth of May, 1869, that Colonel Sprague was united in marriage to Miss Eliza A. Cunningham, who was born in Ohio, in August, 1848. A great lover of music the Colonel has given much attention to composition. He set to band music the words of the popular song, Dixie, written by Daniel D. Emmet, at Mr. Emmet's request, and he likewise composed both words and music for My Dear Ohio Home and the Great White Throne, and many others of equal popularity. In this regard he has received complimentary letters from such men as the lamented President McKinley, General Corbin, General Miles and others. HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 151 Prominent in fraternal circles, Colonel Sprague is a valued member of the Society of the Ohio Commandery of Military Order of Foreign Wars, member of the Ohio Association Ex-prisoners of War and is senior vice commander of the department of Ohio, G. A. R. He is a Mason in high standing, belonging to Al Koran Temple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, is past eminent commander of Norwalk Commandery, No. 18, K. T., and past exalted ruler of Norwalk Lodge, No. 730, B. P. 0. E., while he also holds membership relations With the Grand Army of the Republic, Loyal Legion, Odd Fellows, United Commercial Travelers, Red Men, Royal Arcanum, National Union, Ohio Society of New York and the Auto Association of America. His political allegiance is evidenced by the stanch support which he gives to the republican party and his religious faith is indicated by his friendliness to the Presbyterian church. A man of domestic tastes, Mr. Sprague finds his chief pleasure in ministering to the welfare of his wife, to whom he is most devoted. While his success in the business world is very marked, yet it has been won through strict adherence to honorable methods. In business, as well as in social and fraternal circles, he has shown a talent for leading, and although crowned with wealth, he today stands in the same relation to his fellowmen as he did in early years when struggling for a livelihood, recognizing and appreciating honest purpose and genuine worth and rating the individual by his merits and not by his possessions. THOMAS HAGAMAN. The Hagaman family is an old and prominent one in Bronson township and Huron county, representatives of the name having settled here in the days of its early pioneer development. Thomas Hagaman, the subject of this review, fully sustained the reputation that had always been borne by his ancestors and thus the community lost one of its most valued citizens, when, on the 28th of September, 1905, he passed to his final reward. Mr. Hagaman was born August 20, 1834, a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Hagaman, residents of Bronson township. He was of Holland descent, his ancestors in both the paternal and maternal lines having come from that country to the United States in an early day. The paternal grandparents were Thomas and Nellie (Burnett) Hagaman, the former born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was their son John who became the father of our subject. Coming to Huron county in early times, John Hagaman settled on a tract of land in Bronson township and this property has been in possession of the family to the present time. He died in 1870. The only surviving sister of our subject is Mrs. Isabel Snook, a resident of Huron county. Thomas Hagaman was reared on the old home farm, which later became his property. He was early trained to the work of the fields, assisting his father during the season of plowing, planting and harvesting, while in the winter months he pursued his studies in the district schools. He always followed the occupation to which he had been reared and in the operation of the old home place carried on the work of development and improvement that had been begun by his father. He 152 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY became not only a successful man but was one of the highly esteemed citizens of his community. The Hagemans have ever been known for their probity and uprightness and Thomas Hagaman fully sustained that reputation. Mr. Hagaman was twice married. His first wife bore the maiden name of Mary E. Woodruff and her death occurred January 2, 1879. She left two children, a son, John E. Hageman, of Cleveland ; and daughter, Mrs. Jessie Kennedy, of Oberlin, Ohio. Mr. Hagaman was again married in 1895, his second union being with Mrs. Melissa (Severns) Henry, who was born October 13, 1853. By her former marriage she has three children who survive, namely: Frederick Severns Henry ; Nellie G. Henry ; and Elizabeth Henry, now the wife of C. M. Crawford. All completed the high-school course in Norwalk and the son spent one year in Kenyon College. Loyal to the best interests of his country, Mr. Hagaman enlisted in the Civil war as a member of Company B, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he did valiant service. His religious faith was manifest by his membership in the Congregational church, in which he served as a deacon. He was a true friend, and thus a deep feeling of sadness spread throughout the community when on the 28th of September, 1905. it was announced that he had passed from this life, but while those who knew him remain, his memory will be cherished, not so much on account of the success which he achieved in business but because of his life of helpfulness, of good cheer, of broad sympathy, and his deep interest in and labors for the benefit of his fellow men. His life span covered seventy-one years—years of helpfulness to his community, of loyalty to his country, and of devotion to his family and friends. SAMUEL SHERMAN. Samuel Sherman, who since April, 1901, has lived retired in Monroeville, was formerly actively and successfully identified with agricultural interests and is still the owner of three hundred acres of land in Huron county. His birth occurred in Huntingtonshire, England, on the 9th of March, 1838, his parents being William A. and Sarah (Lane) Sherman. In 1852 he crossed the Atlantic in company with his father and settled in Huron county, Ohio. At the; end of a year, however, the father returned to England, leaving his son Samuel with Mr. Husted, for whom the lad was to work until he had attained his majority. He proved so capable and diligent an apprentice, however, that when he was twenty years of age Mr. Hustecl gave him one hundred dollars and told him that his term of indenture would be considered ended. He then operated the Husted farm for a couple of years and subsequently was engaged in the cultivation of rented land for a time. By dint of untiring labor and close economy he at length accumulated sufficient capital with which to purchase a farm of his own and in 1855 bought thirty-five acres of land from George Sawyer, which has since remained in his possession and is known as the old Sherman homestead. As time passed and his financial resources increased he added to his acreage until he became the owner of 153 - PHOTO OF MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL SHERMAN 154 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 155 considerable land in this county, winning wide and favorable recognition as a most successful and energetic agriculturist. In April, 1901, he put aside the active work of the fields and has since lived retired in Monroeville, enjoying in well earned ease the fruits of his former toil. He still owns three hundred acres of rich and productive land in this county and has justly won the proud American title of a self-made man, for the prosperity which has crowned his labors has come entirely as the result of earnest, persistent and well directed effort, keen . discrimination and capable management. On the 28th of May, 1860, Mr. Sherman was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Ann Carpenter, who was born in England on the 20th of March, 1843, her father being William Carpenter, likewise a native of that country. In 1858 she accompanied her uncle and aunt on their emigration to the new world and took up her abode in Huron county, Ohio. By her marriage she became the mother of seven children, as follows: George, who is mentioned on another page of this work; John D.; Samuel, a sketch of whom also appears in this volume ; Edward A., who married Miss Minnie Rape and makes his home in Lyme township ; Joseph H., deceased, who wedded Miss Minnie Seible ; Luella, residing in Lyme township, who gave her hand in marriage to John Koch, by whom she has two sons, Melvin T. and Forest William; and Alice, at home. The wife and mother was called to her final rest on Christmas day of 1908 and her demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for her many good traits of heart and mind had won her an extensive circle of warm friends. Mr. Sherman is a vestryman in the Episcopal church, the teachings of which permeate his life. He has now made his home within the borders of this county for fifty-seven years and that his career has ever been above reproach is indicated by the fact that he is best liked where best known. ELMER SAMUEL BURRAS. An excellent farm of eighty acres in Fairfield township pays tribute to the care and labor of Elmer Samuel Burras, who has been in possession of the property since 1wo. His birth occurred in Fairfield township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 3d of August, 1876, his parents being Edgar and Eudolpha ( Jennings) .Burras, who were likewise natives of Fairfield township, this county. Their children were three in number : Minnie, Edwin and Elmer, all of whom are now married. With the exception of two years spent at the carpenter's trade, Elmer Samuel Burras has devoted his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits throughout his entire business career. In the year two he purchased his present farm of eighty acres, and the crops which he annually harvests bring to him a gratifying income. On the 18th of November, 1900, Mr. Burras was united in marriage to Miss Lena Lamoureaux, who was born in Fairfield township, this county, on the 5th of December, 1879. Her parents, Homer and Emma Lamoureuax, reared a family of six children, namely : Harry, William, George, Verna, Ruth and Lena. Mr. 156 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY and Mrs. Burras are now the parents of three daughters and two sons, as folio Dorothy, Marjorie, Merle, Myles and Leslie. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Burras has given his political allegiance to the republican party and is now serving as a member of the school board. He belongs to the Grange and is also a devoted member of the Methodist church, the teachings of which he exemplifies in his daily life. In the community where they have always resided both he and his wife are well known and highly esteemed, having ever displayed those sterling traits of character which in every land and clime awaken confidence and regard. GEORGE BOWEN. George Bowen, who is well known in Clarksfield township as a prosperous farmer, a miller and a man of affairs, was born May 29, 1847, in Norwich township, Huron county, Ohio, and is the son of John and Christine (Robinson) Bowen. The mother was a native of Coshocton county, but the father's place of birth was New Jersey. He was a farmer and an extensive landowner, was prosperous in his affairs, and took an active part in the public administration of local government. In addition to his large farming interests, he was an extensive manufacturer of bricks and a mason and contractor for brick work construction, and when he died, in August, 1880, he was mourned as a man whose efforts had not only brought him success, but whose influence had been good in the community where he lived. When he married he was living in Coshocton county, moving to Norwich township, Huron county, in 1836. A family of four sons and four daughters was born to him and his wife: Martha J., Agnes, John M., William K,, Henry C., Elizabeth C., George and Malinda C. Of these Martha J. and Henry C. have passed away. Mrs. Bowen survived her husband twenty years to the very month, dying in August, 1900. George Bowen spent his youth on his father's farm and was educated in the public schools of Norwich. He married at the age of twenty-three and engaged in farming in Norwich township, which remained his home until 1907, when he moved to Clarksfield and purchased the Clarksfield Gristmill and entered upon milling as a business. The mill he bought was the oldest in point of service in Huron county, for it was built seventy-three years ago and has been in general use since. Now, however, the old stone burrs and water power have given way to the roller process and to steam power, and equipped with the best of modern improvements . it is well able to take care of the large exchange business that is carried on between the farmers, the latter receiving for their grain, feed and flour. In the two years that Mr. Bowen and his son have had the management of it, it is estimated that it does a larger business than any other mill in the county. Aside from these private interests of his, Mr. Bowen has always evinced a deep concern for the public weal. For a number of years he served his community well as road supervisor and as a member of the board of education, in both of which capacities he allied himself actively with those working for progress and impr0vement. When called upon to vote, the republican candidate receives his support. HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 157 In December, 1870, Mr. Bowen Married Miss Alice P. Burdge, the daughter of William and Mary (Miller) Burdge. Her father was a soldier in the Civil war, and up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1904, was a farmer of Norwich township. Mrs. Burdge is still living. Two sons, Edison E. and Roscoe, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bowen. Both are residents of Clarksfield township and are mainly concerned with agriculture.. The elder was born June 16, 1876, and growing up under his father's care entered upon farming, which he pursued until 1907, when he engaged with the latter in the grain and milling business. On the 16th of June, 1901, he was married to Miss Grace E. Brown, the daughter of Franklin H. and Ella (Wood) Brown, of Norwich township, and is now the father of three children, Joy, Bertha and Herbert: He is a fine business man, a republican in politics, and very active in all that concerns the welfare of the community. Roscoe Bowen was born on the 1st of November, 1880, and has followed the life of a farmer. He was united in marriage 'to Miss Cora Sees, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin C. Sees, September 4, 1902, and the couple have been blessed with two daughters, Gladys and Mary. Like his brother and father, Roscoe Bowen has always been a republican, and like them also he is a good citizen, closely identified with the best interests of the township. Mr. Bowen is a loyal Mason and a member of Attica Lodge, No. 367. In past years he also belonged to several other organizations, to Norwich Grange, to the Patrons of Husbandry and to the Good Templars, and has ever been a strong temperance advocate. He and his family affiliate with the United Brethren church, and have always been supporters of all measures calculated to uplift humanity and better conditions morally, socially and commercially. Hence he and his two sons are among the best citizens that Clarksfield township can claim and by their lives give an example to others. WILLIAM HAMILTON McPHERSON, JR. William Hamilton McPherson, Jr., a well known and successful agriculturist and stock breeder of Fairfield township, is the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and one and a fourth acres. His birth occurred in Greenfield township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 1st of January, 1875, his parents being W. H. and Lucy (Wheeler) McPherson, who were also natives of Greenfield township. The paternal grandfather, James McPherson, came to the United States from Ireland, taking up his abode in Greenfield township, this county. Unto him and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Ann Jane Arthur, were born three children: John, George and William Hamilton. The maternal grandfather of our subject was John Henry Wheeler. W. H. McPherson, Sr., the father of the gentleman whose name initiates this review, was twice married and by his first wife had three children, namely : Arthur, Scott and William Hamilton. Subsequent to the death of his first wife he wedded Miss Maggie Much, residing near Bellevue, and their union was blessed with two children, Clyde and Glenn. In his youthful days William H. McPherson, Jr., attended the district schools and also assisted in the work of the home farm, so that he early became familiar 158 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY with all the varied duties that claim the attention of the agriculturist. In the year 1904 he came from Greenfield township to Fairfield township, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and one and a fourth acres, to the cultivation of which he has since devoted his time and energies. In addition to raising the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he is also engaged in the breeding of Delaine sheep, Duroc hogs and Jersey cattle, both branches of his business returning to him a gratifying annual income. He is the groom for "Fancher," the imported Percheron stallion owned by the North Fairfield Percheron Horse Company. On the 8th of April, 1896, Mr. McPherson was united in marriage/ to Miss Cora Lucile Fitch, a native of Genesee county, Michigan, and a daughter of Edgar and Letta (Ward) Fitch. Her father still survives and lives in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Fitch reared a family of five daughters and one son, as follows : Nina, Lena, Bessie, Lucy, Letta and Archie. One child is deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McPherson have been born the following children : Carl, Everett, Nina Pearl, Lester and Edith Margaret. Mr. McPherson, who has made his home in Huron county throughout his entire life, is well entitled to mention in this volume as one of its prosperous and enterprising farmers and stockmen and also as a worthy representative of a family that has figured in the annals of the county from pioneer times down to the present. GEORGE BARMAN. George Barman, who owns and operates an excellent farm of one hundred and thirty-three acres in Peru township, is numbered among the worthy native sons of Huron county, his birth having occurred in a little log cabin in Peru township on the 15th of June, 1856. His parents, Philip and Mary (Fisher) Barman, were both natives of Germany. When seventeen years of age the father accompanied his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bradous Barman, on their emigration to the United States, the family home being established in the German settlement in Peru township, Huron county, Ohio. The grandfather erected a log cabin and set himself to the task of clearing the timber from a tract of sixty acres which he had purchased, for at that time this entire region was still largely wild and undeveloped. Both he and his wife continued to reside here until called to their final rest. As before stated, Philip Barman, the father of our subject, was a young man of seventeen years on his arrival in Peru township and here he made his home until the time of his demise, which occurred in June, 1887, when he had attained the age of seventy-four years. He devoted his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits throughout his active business career and owned a farm of fifty acres in the southern portion of Peru township. His wife, who had made the voyage to this country in early life in company with her brother, passed away in 1892 at the age of seventy-four years. Unto this worthy couple were born eight children, namely : John, who is a resident of Peru township ; Philip, whose demise occurred when he was fifty-six years of age ; Mary Ann, the deceased wife of Thomas Bishop ; George, of this review ; Frank, living in Peru township; Kathryn, who is HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 159 the widow of Peter Hipp and makes her home in Peru township ; Louisa, who is deceased; and Rose, the wife of Alf Remelly, of Peru township. George Barman obtained his education in the district and Catholic schools and when not busy with his text-books gave his father the benefit of his services in the cultivation of the old home farm, thus early gaining practical knowledge of the best methods of tilling the soil. General agricultural pursuits have always claimed his attention and that his choice of a life, work was a wise one is proven by the gratifying measure of prosperity Which 'has rewarded his efforts along this line. In 1902 he bought the farm of one hundred and thirty-three acres on which he now resides from Alfonzo Smith and has made a number of substantial improvements on the property. The neat and thrifty appearance of the place indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive owner, whose well directed labors are annually rewarded by rich harvests. On the 19th of June, 1883, Mr. Barman was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Hipp, a native of Peru township and a daughter of Andrew and Regina Hipp, both of whom were born in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Barman now have a family of six children, as follows : Andrew, living in Ridgefield township, who wedded Katie Wise, by whom he has one child, Clarence ; and Benjamin, Charles, Elmer, Roman and Clatus, all of whom are still under the parental roof. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Barman has given his political allegiance to the men and measures of the democracy and has capably served his fellow townsmen in the positions of road supervisor and school director.. In religious faith he is a Catholic. Both he and his wife are widely and favorably known throughout the community in which their entire lives have been passed and well merit the regard and esteem which is uniformly accorded them. ALBERT G. BEDFORD. The name of Bedford has been known in Huron county from pioneer times, and he whose name introduces this record is a worthy representative of the family. He is a native of the county, his birth having occurred on a farm in Townsend township, December 23, 1865, and is a son of Robert and Phoebe (Stacy) Bedford. The father followed farming throughout his entire life, and was a well known pioneer of his section of the county. His death occurred many years ago. Albert G. Bedford, whose name introduces this review, acquired his education in the district schools of Townsend township and remained under the parental roof until he had attained the age of twenty years, during which time he had been thoroughly trained to habits of industry, assisting in the care and operation of the home farm up to that time. Feeling that he might be more independent if he ventured out in the business world, he accordingly started out for himself but his father's death occurring shortly afterward, he was needed by his widowed mother to care for the farm and, returning home, he took up the responsible duties of operating his mother's land. After about two years thus engaged he once more started out for himself, being employed at farm labor until the time of his marriage, after which he worked for his father-in-law by the month for a time. Then, feeling jus- 160 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY tified in engaging in farming on his own account, he rented a tract of land, which he operated until 1902. He had in the meantime saved a sum sufficient to invest in land and thus became the owner of ninety-four acres in Hartford Ridge, which he occupied until March 1909. It was in March, 1909, that he was appointed by the infirmary directors as superintendent of the Huron county infirmary, and his popularity is evidenced by the fact that he received not only the support of his own party but the support of many republicans as well, he being the first democrat ever appointed to this office in Huron county. This farm comprises two hundred and four acres, situated about a mile and a hall south-east of Norwalk. The home contains from sixty-five to seventy inmates, most of whom are very feeble. Mr. Bedford has already far outreached the expectations of his fellow citizens in the care and management of this infirmary, and it being an instance of where the position sought the man, rather than the man seeking the position, the public has every reason to feel that their choice has been a wise one and they have placed the right man in the right place. In his short term of service Mr. Bedford has made some changes which are prov; ing very beneficial and will also be a saving to tax-payers. By his courteous treatment and kindly manner he has won the good will of each and every inmate, while his estimable wife, a woman of most kindly disposition, cares for the household in a most able manner, an air of neatness and cleanliness pervading the various departments over which she has charge. It was in 1870 that Mr. Bedford wedded Miss Dora E. Minor, a daughter of Oliver Minor, of Hartland township. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Bedford has been blessed with two children: Clive A., who was born in 1896; and May C., born in 1905. Mr. Bedford deserves much praise for what he has accomplished in a business sense, for he started out in the humble capacity of a farm ham, and today is the owner of a good tract of land and is also supervising interests which none but those possessing only the most charitable nature and excellent managerial qualities could so capably control. F. G. LAIBLE. F. G. Laible, who is engaged in the undertaking business in Norwalk, was born in Michigan on the 29th of March, 1875. His father, George F. Laible, was likewise a native of that state, born on the 22d of February, 1845. He devoted his entire life to general agricultural pursuits and died in 1893. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Josephine Russell, was a native of Lorain county, Ohio, and a daughter of Daniel Wright Russell, one of the pioneers of that county who came to this state from New York. Mrs. Laible still survives her husband and is now living in Norwalk. In the country schools F. G. Laible acauainted himself with the common branches of English learning and afterward continued his studies at Owosso, Michigan. On putting aside his text-books he learned the bicycle business, worked in a bicycle factory for a time and afterward embarked in the same line of business on his own account in Owosso, Michigan. In 1897 he went to 161 - PHOTO OF F. G. LAIBLE 162 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 163 Grand Rapids, where he learned the undertaking business and in 1901 he came to Norwalk where he joined his uncle, Addison Sigourney, in the conduct of an undertaking establishment on Benedict avenue. After a brief period A. C. Holiday purchased Mr. Sigourney's interest and became a partner. This relation was maintained until 1907, when Mr. Holiday withdrew from the business and Mr. Laible became sole proprietor. He has since continued in this field of labor and has a well appointed undertaking establishment, which is liberally patronized by those who need his services. He also conducts a retail flower store, making his own floral designs in conjunction with his undertaking business. This has proven to be a profitable venture and a clever idea. In October, 1904, Mr. Laible married Miss Dorothy E. Zuick, a daughter of John Daniel Zuick, who came to Huron county during the early girlhood of Mrs. Laible. Unto them have been born two sons, George Forest, whose birth occurred July 19, 1905 ; and John Brandt, born June 20, 1909. In his fraternal relations Mr. Laible is a Mason, holding membership in Mount Vernon Lodge and in the Knight Templar Commandery. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Maccabees, while his religious faith is manifest in his membership in the Baptist church. He started out in life with nothing to aid him at the outset of his career, but by persistent and earnest purpose he has made steady progress and is now conducting a profitable business. JOHN TERRY WALSWORTH. John Terry Walsworth is a wide-awake and enterprising farmer. owning and operating a tract of land of one hundred acres in Fairfield township. He was born in Peru township, Huron county, on the 23d of October, 1854, his parents being Philander and Lucy (Reeves) Walsworth, the former a native of New York. Subsequent to their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Philander Walsworth came to Ohio and here established their home and reared their family, numbering four sons and one daughter, namely : Elijah C., Joel P., Daniel F., John T. and Mary Elizabeth. John Terry Walsworth left the parental roof at the age of eleven years and went to live with Harvey Pierce, of Peru township, with whom he remained until he had attained his majority, receiving his schooling and two hundred dollars in cash as remuneration for his services to this gentleman. A man of strong purpose and unfaltering energy, he then resolutely set to work in the hope of one day owning a farm of his own and that his efforts have met with a just reward is indicated by the fact that he is now in possession of a well improved and valuable tract of land of one hundred acres in Fairfield township and is comfortably situated financially. He purchased this property about nine years ago and has been successfully and energetically engaged in its cultivation and improvement to the present time, annually harvesting good crops which find a ready sale on the market. From an early age he has depended upon his own resources and has won the proud American title of a self-made man. 164 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY On the 29th of November, 1880, Mr. Walsworth was united in marriage to Miss Alice E. Collingwood, whose birth occurred on the 7th of February, 1852, her parents being Jonathan and Eliza (Munsel) Collingwood, of Hartland township, Huron county. Her father was born in York county, Pennsylvania, but her mother came from Gaylon, Wayne county, New York. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Collingwood were born eight children, as follows : James, Amos, Elmer, Harvey, Martha, Alice E., Rebecca, and one who died in infancy, Betsey Ann. Both Mr. and Mrs, Walsworth belong to the Baptist church at Mirth Fairfield and the former has sung in the choir during the entire period of his membership in the church, being the only tenor in the chorus. He has also served as a member of the finance committee at different times and takes an active and helpful interest in the various departments of the church work. He has an extensive circle of warm friends throughout the county in which he has made his home from his birth to the present time, for in all life's relations he has been true to high and honorable principles and has never faltered in a choice between right and wrong but has always endeavored to follow a course that his judgment and his conscience have sanctioned. MARTIN BEEBE, M. D. Dr. Martin Beebe, whose demise occurred on the 28th of March, 1890, was successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in Huron county for more than two decades and at the same time also superintended his farming interests in Clarksfield township. His birth occurred at Dover, Lenawee county, Michigan, on the 1st of September, 1836, his parents being George and Vesta (Porter) Beebe. They made their way from Massachusetts to Michigan at an early day, becoming pioneer settlers of the Peninsular state. About the year 1840 they came to this state, taking up their abode in Norwich township, Huron county. Brought to this county by his parents in childhood days, Martin Beebe obtained his primary education in the district schools of Norwich township and later attended a select school at Norwalk. In 1863 he entered the Western Reserve Medical College at Cleveland and was graduated from that institution with the degree of M. D. in 1866. On the 27th of December, 11865, he had wedded Miss Mary L. Barrett, who was horn October 29, 1843, a daughter of Augustus and Clarissa (Cochran) Barrett, of Clarksfield township. Mr. Barrett was a native of Monroe county, New York, and his wife of Vermont. Unto Dr. and Mrs. Beebe were born two sons, namely : Augustus C., whose birth occurred January 12, 1867, and who now resides in Cleveland, where he is engaged in business ; and George P., born October 11, 1871, who resides on the old family homestead in Clarksfield township. Subsequent to his marriage Dr. Beebe lived in Wakeman for a year and also spent a similar period in Oberlin but did not, engage in the practice of his profes- sion. He then returned to the college for a year's review, afterward took up his abode on his farm in Clarksfield township, this county, and began the practice of medicine. He continued as a successful and able representative of his chosen calling until the time of his death and became the loved family physician in many a HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 165 household. In addition to his labors as a medical practitioner he also superintended his farm and in both his professional and agricultural interests met with a gratifying measure of prosperity. Dr. Beebe gave his political allegiance to the men and measures of the democracy and was active in public affairs. His fraternal relations were with the Masons, while religiously he was identified with the Disciple church, being a valued and exemplary member of both organizations. He was a man of decided literary tastes and attainments and stood high in the estimation of men in all walks of life. He was called to his final rest on the 28th of March, 1890, when fifty-four years of age, and his remains were interred at New London, Ohio. Uniformly loved and respected, his loss came as a deep blow to his large circle of friends as well as to his immediate family. Subsequent to her husband's demise Mrs. Beebe managed the estate for some years with singular ability but in later years the care and responsibility incident to its supervision has largely devolved upon her younger son, George P. Beebe. The latter is also engaged in the breeding of thoroughbred draft and coach horses, having a wide and enviable reputation in this connection. The buildings on the old home farm are all modern and well adapted for their several uses and in fact everything about the place presents a neat and thrifty appearance. The residence, modern in its construction and furnishings, is one of the most attractive country homes in the entire county. On the 24th of November, 1892, George P. Beebe was united in marriage to Miss Winifred Rowland, a daughter of William and Rosetta (Peck) Rowland. Both the Rowland and Peck families were early pioneer settlers of this county and became prominent and influential residents here. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Beebe have been born two children, Charles A. and Mary R. Politically Mr. Beebe is a stalwart advocate of the republican party, while fraternally he is identified with the Eagles. Mrs. Beebe, the widow of Dr. Martin Beebe, is a devoted and faithful member of the Disciples church, taking an active and helpful interest in its work. She lives on the old homestead farm, in Clarksfield township with her son and his family, and enjoys in unqualified measure the kindly regard and friendship of all who know her. JOHN FEICHTNER. John Feichtner, owning and operating a rich and productive farm of sixty-nine acres in Fairfield township, was born in New Haven township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 13th of August, 1878, his parents being George and Eliza (Layer) Feichtner. The father, who was a native of Crawford county, Ohio, took up his abode in New Haven township, this county, about 1876. Unto him and his wife were born four children : John, Albert, Mary and Charles, all of whom still survive. John Feichtner attended the district schools in pursuit of an education and when not busy with his text-books assisted his father in the cultivation of the home farm, thus early gaining practical knowledge of the best methods of tiling the soil and caring for the crops. For the past four years he has devoted his time and en- 166 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY ergies to the cultivation of his farm of sixty-nine acres in Fairfield township, from which he annually derives a good income, the well tilled fields responding to his care and labor in golden harvests. In 1905 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Feichtner and Miss Blanche Newman, whose birth occurred in New Haven township, this county, in 1885. By this union there are two children, Ray and Dale. The parents are well known throughout the community in which they have always resided and are young people of the highest respectability, whose good qualities of heart and mind have won for them the confidence and friendly regard of all with whom they have come in contact. BENJAMIN BOWERSOX. Benjamin Bowersox, who is actively and successfully engaged in the cultivation of his farm of thirty-eight acres in Fairfield township, was born in Pennsylvania on the 4t1.1 of July, 1842, his parents being Jacob and Sophia (Walter) Bowersox, who spent their; entire lives in the Keystone state. Benjamin Bowersox, who has devoted his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits throughout . his entire business career, came to Ohio in the year 1861. He now owns a well improved and productive farm of thirty-eight acres in Fairfield township and annually harvests good crops which return to him a gratifying income. In 1865 Mr. Bowersox was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Walter, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of George and Kate (Weaver) Walter, who were likewise born in that state. Unto our subject and his wife have been born seven children, namely : Mahala, Della, Alice, Sophia, Hattie, Mandy and Katy, They have also reared an adopted son, Walter Bear. Politically Mr. Bowersox is a stalwart advocate of the republican party and is now capably discharging the duties devolving upon him in the position of township supervisor. As he has lived for many years in Huron county, he has a wide acquaintance here and his friends know him as an enterprising agriculturist and a man of genuine worth. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PALM General agricultural pursuits command the attention of Benjamin Franklin Palm, who owns and cultivates a farm of seventy-five acres in Fairfield township. He was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, on the 8th of October, 1854, his parents being David Logan and Ann (Delaney) Palm, the former a native of Juniata county and the latter of Perry county, Pennsylvania. The paternal grandparents, Benjamin and Betsy (Nicholson) Palm, were of German descent. George and Hannah (Rice) Delaney, the maternal grandparents of our subject, were natives of Perry county, Pennsylvania. Unto David L. and Ann (Delaney) Palm were born the following children : George, Benjamin Franklin, Tames, Elmer, Mary, Rebecca, Clara, Sadie and Joanna. HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 167 Benjamin Franklin Palm acquired his education in the schools of his native county and there continued to make his home until the year 1881, when he came to Huron county, Ohio, taking up his abode in Greenwich township. Subsequently he resided in Ripley township for a time and then came to Fairfield township, where he has since remained. During the first year of his residence in this county he followed the carpenter's trade but has since given his attention to general farming, in which line of activity he has won a creditable measure of prosperity. He purchased his present farm of seventy-five acres in October, 1899, and has brought the fields under a high state of cultivation and improvement. On the 30th of October, 1879, Mr. Palm was united in marriage to Miss Maggie A. Noss, whose birth occurred on the 13th of December, 1856, her parents being John G. and Maggie (Millikin) Noss, natives of Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandparents were Jacob and Sarah Jane Noss, while the maternal grandparents were William and Nancy ( Beal) Millikin. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Palm, have been born two children. Mary Bertha, whose birth occurred in 1880, is the wife of George Parrott, of Fairfield township. Ira Grover, who was born on the 2d of February, 1883, learned the upholstering trade in early manhood but now devotes his time and energies to agricultural pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Palm are devoted and consistent members of the Methodist church at North Fairfield and have gained an extensive circle of friends throughout the county in which they have now resided for almost three decades. E. A. SUTTON. E. A. Sutton, cashier of the Home Savings & Banking Company at Chicago Junction, was born in Greenwich township, Huron county, April 2, 1872. He is a son of Charles A. Sutton, who was born in the same township, July 4, 1844, and is still living on the farm where his birth occurred, being one of the representatives and respected agriculturists of the community. The grandparents were Aranson and Emeline (Brady) Sutton. The former was born April 1, 1802, and with two companions—his twin brother Alanson and James Carver—he made his way westward from New York state to Ohio about 1824. They spent the first night in Greenwich township, Huron county, with the family of Willis Smith, who then lived about a mile east of the village of Greenwich. The three young men took up a tract of land in Ruggles township, now included within Ashland county, and began clearing the place. Throughout his remaining days the grandfather carried on general farming in this county. His son, Charles A. Sutton, was reared to general agricultural pursuits and determined to engage in farming as a life work. He still resides upon the old homestead and the splendid appearance of the fields indicates his careful supervision and his progressive methods. Although he is not a politician in the sense of office seeking, he has been given several local positions, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity. In early manhood he wedded Annie E. Ellis, also a native of Greenwich township, Huron county, the Ellis family being numbered among the respected and prominent old families of that section. 168 - HISTORY OF HURON. COUNTY No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for E. A. Sutton in his boyhood and youth. He worked in the fields during the summer months and in the winter seasons attended school. He continued his education in the Greenwich high school and also in Oberlin University and throughout his business career he has been identified with banking. He was first associated with the Oberlin Banking Company, there remaining for a year and a half, when he removed to Berlin Heights and became assistant cashier for the Berlin Heights Banking Company, filling that position for eight years or until December, 1899. He then came to Chicago Junction and was one of the organizers of the Home Savings & Banking Company. He was also elected a director and cashier, which office he still fills, and has thus been active in executive control of the institution, which has come to be regarded as one of the safe and reliable moneyed enterprises of the county. Mr. Sutton is conservative in his business methods and widely recognized as an able and popular official, serving well the patrons of the bank, while at all times he is uniform in his courtesy and pleasant in manner. For the past sixteen years he has represented the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States in New York city, which is one of the largest financial institutions of the world. Mr. Sutton has upwards of one million dollars in force, which is an indication of his success for this company. In November, 1896, Mr. Sutton was married to Miss Elizabeth Romell, a native of Berlin Heights, Ohio, and they now have two children, Howard Ellis and Harry Romell. The parents are well known socially in Chicago Junction and have a circle of friends here almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance. Mr. Sutton is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity and is prominent in Masonry, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is a member of Golden Rule Lodge, No. 562, A. F. & A. M. ; Golden Rule Chapter, No. 167, R. A. M. ; and Toledo Consistory. He is an exemplary representative of the craft, is a public-spirited citizen and a most reliable business man. EDWIN C. WOODWORTH. Edwin C. Woodworth, who owns and operates a well improved farm of one hundred. and sixteen acres in Fairfield township, is numbered among the progressive and representative agriculturists of the community. His birth. occurred in North Fairfield, Huron county, Ohio, on the 19th of May, 1858. His paternal grandfather, Jonathan Woodworth, was one of the early pioneer settlers of this county, taking up his abode within its borders in 1834. He entered a tract of timber land in New Haven township and, being a man of untiring perseverance and resolute spirit, gradually transformed it into a rich and productive farming property. It has since been known as the Woodworth homestead and comprises ninety-three acres of valuable land. Herman Woodworth, the father of our subject, was born in Trumansburg, Tompkins county, New York, on the 18th of April, 1830, and was but four years of age when brought by his parents to this state. In early life he learned the trade of a blacksmith, with which line of activity he was successfully identified 169 - PHOTO OF MR. AND MRS. EDWIN C. WOODWORTH 170 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 171 until 1907, when he was obliged to abandon his work because of failing eyesight. The period of his residence in this county now covers three-fourths of a century and he is therefore largely familiar with its annals from a pioneer epoch down to the present time. He is a most highly respected and esteemed citizen of his community, his upright and honorable life having won him the regard and friendship of all with whom he has been associated. Edwin C. Woodworth obtained his preliminary education at Fairfield and afterward entered the university at Berea, Ohio, but was obliged to return home before completing the course. For several years he was identified with educational interests as a school teacher but in 1882 purchased the farm of one hundred and sixteen acres in Fairfield township on which he now resides. He has won a gratifying and well merited measure of prosperity as a tiller of the soil, for the methods which he follows are practical and at the same time are in keeping with ideas of progressive agriculture. On the list of March, 1882, Mr. Woodworth was united in marriage to Miss Hattie L. Sillman, who was born in Ripley township, Huron county, on the 29th of August, 1861, a daughter of Solomon Sillman. Unto them have been born eight children, namely: Iva B., Grace L., Ross S., Myrtle L., Adin M., George B., H. Corlette and Alton E. The children have been educated at the district and Union schools and the eldest daughter completed her studies in Tiffin. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Woodworth has given his political allegiance to the men and measures of the republican party, being convinced that its principles are most conducive to good government. In religious faith his wife is a Methodist, while fraternally he is identified with Fairfield Lodge, No. 261, F. & A. M. Both have an extensive circle of warm friends throughout the county in which they have spent their entire lives and well merit the regard and esteem which is uniformly accorded them. CORNELIUS W. ANDERSON. Cornelius W. Anderson, one of the most prominent- and respected citizens of Norwalk, has served as vice-president of the Citizens Banking Company since its organization. He is a native of Hackensack, New Jersey, his birth having there occurred on the 1st of September, 1869. His maternal grandfather, Cornelius Wortendyke, was the originator and founder of the Knickerbocker Ice Company of New York city and became a heavy stockholder in the concern. James Anderson, the father of our subject, did active duty in the Civil war as quartermaster sergeant of the Forty-seventh Regiment of New York Volunteer Infantry, being honorably discharged at the end of his three years' term of enlistment. His name is inscribed on the soldiers' monument at Hackensack, New Jersey. He was for many years engaged in the general commission business as a member of the firm of W. H. B. Totten & Company, of New York city. Cornelius W. Anderson received his preliminary education in the schools of Norwalk, coming here when a lad of ten years. Here he has since made his home, being widely recognized as a most substantial, enterprising and progressive citizen 172 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY of the community. Throughout his entire business career he has been engaged in the buying and selling of real estate, improving the property before disposing of it. He was likewise one of the organizers of the Citizens Banking Company of Norwalk and has acted as vice-president thereof from the beginning. The institution opened its doors for business on the 12th of June, 1902, and paid a dividend of four per cent the first year, setting aside two thousand dollars. The company has since paid an annual dividend of eight per cent and now has a surplus of thirty thousand dollars. Mr. Anderson has always been one of the bank's heaviest stockholders, while his keen discrimination, sound judgment and excellent executive ability have constituted important elements in its successful conduct. His home place comprises fifty acres within the city limits of Norwalk and the fine buildings thereon are thoroughly equipped with all modern improvements. The spacious residence is surrounded by an immense, well kept lawn, while a beautiful flower garden also greatly enhances the attractiveness of the place. Mr. Anderson is likewise the owner of a farm of one hundred and ten acres within a mile of Norwalk and at one time was quite an extensive breeder of high grade trotting horses, owning one with a mark of 2.11 1/4. In 1893 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Anderson and Miss Katherine Lawrence, who was born in Norwalk, Ohio, on the 14th of December, 1872, a daughter of J. P. Lawrence. By this union there are two children: Lawrence W.; whose birth occurred July 31, 1897; and Margaret, whose natal day was September 4, 1900. Mr. Anderson is a stalwart adherent of the republican party and when a young man of thirty-four years was elected to the office of mayor of Norwalk, capably and satisfactorily discharging the important duties devolving upon him in that connection for a period of four years and eight months. He was the youngest man who had ever been at the head of municipal affairs in Norwalk and previous to his accession to the mayoralty had served for several years as a member of the council: In November, 1909, he was elected a member of the board of education, His religious faith is indicated by his attendance at the Episcopal church. In whatever relation of life we find him—in political circles, in.business or in social relations—he is always the same honorable and honored gentleman, whose worth well merits the high regard which is uniformly given him. LYMAN ASHLEY. Lyman Ashley, a resident of Chicago, Ohio, who is now living retired from the labors of the farm, is still the owner of valuable farming property, having one hundred and eight acres of land in Greenfield township. He belongs to the native sons of Huron county, having been born here, February 0, 183z, and during a long and useful life has borne his part in the upbuilding of his locality. He is a son of Dennis and Lurany (Bliss) Ashley, and grandson of Luther and Eunice Ashley, and Jacob and Bertha (Brown) Bliss. These grandparents were all natives of Massachusetts. Dennis, Ashley was a farmer all his life, and at the time of his death owned sixty-six acres of land in Greenfield township. Lyman Ashley HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 173 was the eldest of the children born to him and his wife, the others being : Luther, who lives in Califorma ; Lucy and Norah, both of whom are deceased ; E. S. ; Mary, the deceased wife of Charles McMasters ; Deptor and Ward, also deceased ; and Charlotte, who married J. A. Wheeler and lives in Huron county. Luther and E. S. served in the Civil war. Lyman Ashley attended the district schools until he was sixteen, at which time he was forced to leave school and go to work in the mills, learning to be a stationary engineer, which occupation he followed for twelve years. Then, in 1853, he went to Iowa, where he purchased eighty acres of government land for one hundred dollars, and during the two years he owned it, the property increased so in value that he sold it for eleven hundred and seventy-five dollars. Following this sale he returned to Huron county, which has been his home ever since. The farm he owns in Greenfield township has been in his possession since 1856 and for thirty-eight years, he successfully operated it. On March 29, 1863, Mr. Ashley married Mary L. Young, who was a daughter of the late James and Sarah (Frost) Young, farmers of Huron county. Mrs. Ashley is the older of the two children born to her parents, her brother being Curtis Young. who resides in Miami, Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Ashley are the parents of the following named children : Cora B., who married James Baker, of North Fairfield, and has two children Glen and Nina ; Joseph B., who married Lucy Reed and has five children, Eunice, Leo, Lois, Carl and Ralph ; and Lewis C., who married Hattie M. Lindley and has two children : Helen M. and Mary Louisa. Mr. Ashley has served very acceptably as township trustee, school director and road supervisor, and upon six separate occasions has served as juryman at Norwalk. While a republican in national matters, having cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, in local affairs, he uses discrimination, preferring to select the man he deems best fitted for the office, rather than confine himself strictly to party lines. Neither he nor any member of his family are connected with a church organization. They are possessed of many good qualities which have won for them the friendship of the people whose opinion counts, and while enjoying the comforts of life their hard work has gained them, Mr. and Mrs. Ashley are tenderly remembered by their old friends in Greenfield township, where. they lived for so many years. GEORGE S. CATLIN. After an experience of almost four decades as a successful teacher and school superintendent George S. Catlin has returned to agricultural pursuits, to which he was reared and on the land he owns in Boughtonville, Ripley township, devotes himself to farming and the breeding of brown Leghorn chickens. He was born in Huron county, July 21, 1857, and is a son of Hudson and Theresa (Scobey) Catlin. Of remotely Irish ancestry on both his father's and mother's side, Mr. Catlin is the scion of families which have from the earliest years of the nation participated in its struggles and history. The Scobeys date back to colonial days, 174 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY when some of that name were familiar with the Indian wars that involved two European powers in mortal conflict. Theresa Scobey, who became the wife of Hudson Catlin and the mother of George S. Catlin, was born in 1835, in Schuyler county, New York. Her father, Archibald Scobey, who was the son of James Scobey, was born on Long Island in 1800. In his young manhood, he married Miss Sarah Ann Van Valor, a native of Buffalo, New York, 'and ten years his junior. Of this union, there were born eight children: Andrew, Augustus, Catherine, Jane, Cornelia, Isabel, Margaret and Sarah Ann. Hudson Catlin, the father of George S. Catlin, comes from a family that was identified with the history of the country on this side of the Alleghenies in the early decades of the last century. He was a son of Burge Catlin, a native of Medina county, Ohio, who entered upon this life in the year 1812. By his wife, who in her maidenhood was Miss Eliza Reed (Burge) Catlin, became the father of nine children: Mason, Victor, Allen, Seymour, Cynthia, Anna, Lorene, Eliza and Celia. Hudson Catlin grew to manhood in this state and after the inauguration of the Civil war, responded to the nation's call for troops, enlisting in the One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Although his period of services comprised only two years and nine months it was crowded with memorable experiences and numerous engagements. The latter included about twenty battles, while the forty days spent in Libby prison made pictures upon his mind which years did not efface. To Hudson Catlin and wife were born seven children : George, Archibald, Burge, Wayne, Maud, Cora and Mae. George S. Catlin began his school life in Shiloh, and after completing the prescribed course of study there went to the Mansfield Normal School for further training in the profession which was for many years to be his vocation. Though not a man in years when he undertook to teach his first class, he possessed that insight in human nature and the ability to impart knowledge which is considered the peculiar property of older and more experienced men and from the first was successful in his direction of a school and his control of its pupils. For twenty-five years, in common and graded institutions of popular instruction, Mr. Catlin taught the elementary branches of English education and then, having proved his efficiency as a teacher, he was made a superintendent of schools, in this capacity serving in different cities through a period of eleven years. But the responsibilities were heavy and exhausting, and when an opportunity presented itself, Mr. Catlin retired from his profession and sought rest and recreation on his farm. Always a chicken fancier, he has turned to the breeding of flue brown Leghorns, contemplating engaging in the poultry and egg busmess on a large scale in the near future. On the 3d of June, 1882, Mr. Catlin was married to Miss Lovina Truxell. She was born on the farm on which her husband now lives, August 27, 1865, and is a daughter of David and Sarah (Howard) Truxell, both natives of Huron county, for Milan, Ohio, was, at the time of the father's birth in 1819, included within the boundaries of this county. Mrs. Truxell was born in Greenfield township in 1839. David Truxell was of remotely German descent, his grandfather, Christopher Truxell, having been of German birth, although he came to this country, where he died only five months before he reached the hundredth milestone on life's journey. His son William, the father of David Trux- HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 175 ell, was born in Pennsylvania about 1792. He married Miss Mary Brubaker, who was born in Virginia in the first year of the nineteenth century. She was the daughter of Christopher Brubaker, a native of Germany, and by her marriage became the mother of eight children : Andrew, Addison, William, James, David, Mary Jane, Elizabeth and Maria. When William Truxell came to Ohio he stopped first at Florence. From there he and five companions walked to Norwalk, where they assisted in erecting the first two buildings of that city. Thence they went to Greenfield township, entirely covered with timber at the time, purchased their farms, cleared their land and put up rude houses for themselves. David Truxell, too, experienced the hardships of pioneer days, for he bought his farm in 1844 and had to remove the timber before it was habitable. He had worked for his father until he was twenty-one, and then, dressed in homespun, set out from home literally to cut his own fortune. He began by chopping trees for the small sum of four dollars and a half an acre and used the money thus gained for the purchase of other clothes. After working for Miner Lawrence for about eight years, he was able to buy his farm. Alone and unaided, he cleared the fields and built his first home, and now though a man well advanced in years is still of strong physique and able to work like many a younger man. The strength of his constitution he attributes to the fact that he has never smoked, chewed, nor drank and tells with pride that he has never been inside a saloon. He has always been a liberal supporter of the churches, has been a professed member since he was eighteen, and in politics is a republican. His first presidential vote was cast for William Henry Harrison, the whig candidate, and when he marked his ballot in the fall of 1908, he had signified his choice of a national executive for the eighteenth time. To Mr. Truxell and wife have been born five children: Lafayette ; Nettie ; Lovina ; one who died in infancy ; and Perry. Mr. and Mrs. Catlin's family consists of three children : Lela, the eldest, who was born January 5, 1884, married W. J. Wilkinson, the North Fairfield agent for the S. N. & M. railroad. Millicent, born March 2, 1885, married F. W. Devoe, and they have two children : Robb and Donna. Clarke, the youngest, born October 27, 1887, is a school teacher. Mr. Catlin is a member of the Methodist church and is very prominent as a church worker, having been for years the leading spirit in the congregation, a class leader and chorister. Politically, he affiliates with the republican party, and though his own duties have, always been heavy, he has found time for the past nine years to render his fellow citizens invaluable service as justice of the peace. A man of undeniable ability, he is also possessed of indefatigable energy and has won the esteem of all who know him. HARVEY NEWTON MILLER. Harvey Newton Miller a retired farmer of Ripley township, Huron county, now living in Plymouth, was born in Cass township, Richland county, August 1, 1854, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Noble) Miller. Jacob Miller, a son of John Miller, was born in November, 1827, in Crawford county, Pennsylvania. 176 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY His parents having died in his infancy, he was taken by his grandparents who brought him to Ohio in 1832, when he was less than five years old. In his early manhood, he married Miss Mary Noble, who was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, in 1827, and was only two years of age when, in 1829, her parents, Harvey and Maria (Little) Noble, came to Ohio. She was one of a family of six children, John, James, William, Elizabeth and Minerva, being the others. Reared on a farm and working in the fields during the summer vacations, it was but natural that Harvey Newton Miller should devote himself to agriculture. The farm of eighty acres in Ripley township, which he turned over to the care of his son in the spring of 1909, was for twenty-two years his home and the scene of his daily toil. Nine years ago, he purchased the land, for he felt that it was as rich and fertile a tract as could be obtained in that neighborhood, and also the fact that he had worked on it for so many years and knew all the peculiarities of the soil urged him to the step. On the 1st of August, 1877, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Ella Bowlby, who was born July 8, 1858, in Ripley township and is a daughter of Emanuel and Lucretia (Park) Bowlby. Her parents had five children: David, William, Martha, Addie and Ella. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have three children: Park, was born September 15, 1883. On the l0th of March, 1906, he married Miss Florence Waddington, a daughter of Chory and Elizabeth (Nothacker) Waddington. Oliver, was born January 24, 1890, and is now employed in Lofland's grocery at Plymouth. Frey, the eldest son, was born March 11, 1878, and died May 26, 1884. Mr. Miller and the members of his family belong to the English Lutheran church and are regular in attendance on its services, and consistent in their practice of its teachings. In politics, he espouses the republican party and invariably casts his vote for its candiate. He is not a politician nor an office seeker, however, though he has rendered valuable service to his fellow citizens as a member of the school board. A man of high principles, whose life has been devoted to conscientious labor, he is well deserving of the rest which he is now enjoying in Plymouth. SEBASTIAN SCHNURR. Sebastian Schnurr, who throughout his entire life has been numbered among the worthy and respected residents of Huron county, is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and seventy acres in Ridgefield township, on which he has now made his home for fifty years. He is today one of the oldest native born citizens of the county. His birth occurred in Peru township, on the 4th of November, 1835, his parents being Plasey and Teckla (Barman) Schnurr, both of whom were natives of Baden, Germany. In the year 1829 the father crossed the Atlantic to the United States, taking up his abode in Peru township, this county, where he worked for others for a time and then purchased a farm of thirty acres. He was identified with general agricultural pursuits throughout his active business career and had attained the age of sixty-five years when he was called to his final rest, the community thus losing one of its most esteemed and well 177 - PHOTO OF MR. AND MRS. SEBASTIAN SCHURR 178 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 179 known early settlers. His wife was fifty-five years of age when she passed away. Unto this worthy couple were born twelve children, six of whom died in infancy. The others were as follows: Cornelius and Rosie, who are now deceased; Sebastian, of this review ; Philip ; Katie ; and Frances. As stated above, Sebastian Schnurr has remained a resident of this county throughout his entire life and has always devoted his time and energies to the work of general farming. For the past half century he has made his home on his present farm of one hundred and seventy acres in Ridgefield township and as the years have gone by has won a gratifying measure of prosperity in the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to soil and climate. The place is well improved and in its neat and thrifty appearance indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive owner. On the 22d of June, 1863, Mr. Schnurr was joined in wedlock to Miss Emma Friend, a native of Germany, who in early life was brought to this country by her aunt. By this union there are five children, namely : Ida, who is at home ; Emile, living in Peru township, who married Miss Amelia Gise and has two children, Josie and Paul ; Flora, who makes her home in this county and married Jacob Russman, by whom she has ten children; Bertha, living in Ridgefield township, who ,gave her hand in marriage to John Bachman, by whom she has two children, Ciralus and Frances ; and Otto, a resident of Ridgefield township, who wedded Miss Mary Dernwald and has two children, Emery and Ellis. Mr. Schnurr is a communicant of the Catholic church and his life has been honorable and upright, so that in the evening of his days he receives the respect and veneration which should ever be accorded to one of advanced years. He has been an interested witness of the county's growth and development as it has emerged from pioneer conditions and taken on all the evidences of our modern civilization and well deserves mention in this volume as one of its most worthy and well known citizens. ALFRED BARNARD. Alfred Barnard, carrying on agricultural pursuits in Lyme township, Huron county, is the owner of eighty-six acres of land, to the cultivation of which he is devoting his time and energies. He was born in Shelburn, Massachusetts, August 9, 1824, a son of Anson and Lucinda (Nims) Barnard, also natives of that place. The father was born February 22, 1792, and the mother March 27, 1795, while they both passed away in April, 1859, the father's demise occurring on the 11th and the mother's on the 30th of that Month. Their marriage was celebrated December 2, 1819, and in their family were eight children, namely : Anson A., who was born October 14, 1820, and died April 11, 1859; Frederick A., who was born September 8, 1822, and died in 1854 ; Alfred of this review ; Charles, who was born August 22, 1829, and died in 1908 ; Helen A., who was born September 11, 1828, and passed away December 24, 1861 ; William, born October 12, 1830; Lucinda, who was born June 30, 1833, and died January 3, 1864 ; and Asa W., born October 21, 1836. 180 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY Alfred Barnard spent the early years of his life under the parental roof and acquired his education in the common schools. He remained at home until twenty-two years of age, when he came to Huron county, this state, where he resided with his uncle, Samuel Nims, for about seven years. On March 1, 1855, he was married to Ruth A. Bemiss, who was born March 1o, 1827, and is a daughter of 'Elijah and Sophronia Bemiss, pioneer settlers of this district. After his marriage, he removed to the farm which is now his residence and which was given to him by his wife's father. When the land came into his possession, it was entirely covered with timber and brush, but with characteristic energy and industry, he set about its improvement, erecting a house, clearing the land and cultivating the soil until, in due course of time, the fields began to yield substantial harvests in return for his time and labor. Mr. Barnard is practical in his methods, studying the best ways of plowing, planting and harvesting, while today his place is a well improved property, containing all the equipment and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Barnard were six children : Helen, at home, who is a graduate of the Painsville College, and has been a district school teacher for many years ; William E., who married Lillian Haynes, by whom he has two children, Rachel and Alfred, and who resides with his father, assisting in the operation of the home farm ; Charles, who died at the age of twenty-three years; Mary, who passed away at the age of two years ; Lyman, living at Toledo, Ohio, who married Bertha Kessler and has two children, Dorothy and Kenneth ; and Clara, who married Frank Seymour, a resident of this township, by whom she has four children, George B., Ruth H., Ethelyn and Alberta Y. In 1892, the wife and mother was called to her final rest, leaving husband and children to mourn her loss. She was a lady of excellent traits of character and enjoyed the high regard of a large circle of friends. Mr. Barnard's political affiliations are in accord with the principles of the republican party and for six years, he served as trustee of his township. He is a prominent member of the Lyme Congregational church, in which he served for many years as deacon. Honorable and upright in all his dealings, the salient characteristics of his life have ever been such as command the respect, confidence and good will of his fellowmen. JONATHAN S. WHITE. Jonathan S. White, one of the most prominent citizens of the progressive village of Greenwich and cashier of the First National Bank there, was born in Ripley township, Huron county, Ohio, February 24, 1844, and is a son of John C. and Nancy A. (Taylor) White. The latter was born in Pennsylvania, but the father's birthplace was Orange county, New York, though he was but fourteen years of age when brought by his parents fo this state. The family settled in Richland county, near Mansfield, and engaged in farming, though the father for many years taught in the district schools during the winter. John C. White moved to Huron county in 1840 and bought a large tract of land which he set HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 181 about clearing, a task that was not entirely completed when his son Jonathan became old enough to assist him. His wife, who shared with him the toils of those early days, bore him four children: Mary E., Jonathan S., Jennie and Margaret A., the last named being the only member of the family beside the subject of this sketch now surviving. She married Joseph H. Lombard and has now been a widow for some years, living in Jamestown, New York. Both Mr. and Mrs. John C. White have passed away, the former in August, 1883 the latter eleven years later in the month of April, and both are buried in Edwards Grove cemetery, Ripley township. Mr. White was always a farmer, sincerely interested in the public weal, though he was never a participant in the political life of the community. He was devoted to his family and in every way a most exemplary citizen. Jonathan S. White was educated in the district schools, spending his youth on the farm and engaging in the general work there under his father's supervision. During the Civil war, he served as a private in Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and was chiefly engaged in post duty in and about Washington and on the Potomac river. When he was discharged at the close of the war, he taught school for a number of winter terms, and in the summer devoted his energies to farming. For about one and a half years, he clerked in a general store in New London, and then returned to farming in Ripley township. After his marriage, Mr. White, not only pursued a general line of agriculture, but also engaged in stock raising and feeding, in both of which he prospered. In politics, he is a republican and has ever taken an active and creditable part in public matters. For one year, he served as township trustee and then was elected town clerk, in which capacity he rendered efficient and faithful service during a period of thirteen years. In 1886, he was nominated and elected auditor of Huron county and filled the position to the entire satisfaction of his constituents and with credit to himself for the space of six years. It was during this period, that Mr. White moved his family to Norwalk. When he retired from the office of auditor, carrying with him the best wishes of the community, he had served, he entered the First National Bank of Norwalk as cashier. From January, 1894, to October, 1902, he filled that position, leaving it to become cashier of the First National Bank of Greenwich, in December, 1903, where he has remained to the present. At that time, he took up his residence in Greenwich and has since identified himself with every movement that has had in view the advancement of the village and the increase of its prosperity. On the 25th of February, 1869, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. White and Miss Marietta Barre, a daughter of John and Amy (Stout) Barre, of Ripley township. The Barres came to Ohio from Niagara county, New York, as a newly married couple, and here took up the life of farmers. Fifteen children were born to them, all but two being still alive: Cornelia E., deceased ; David E.; Herman B., deceased ; Eliza J.; Jonathan S.; Theodore W. ; William H. ; Marrietta E.; Ira E.; Lyman S.; James K. ; Corbis M. ; Dwight M. ; Josephine .E.; and Jessie F. The mother of these children died in May 1882. Mr. Barre was prospered in his private affairs. When death overtook him, in 1883, he was mourned as a public spirited citizen, whose life's record was one of integrity and 182 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY of good works. To Mr. and Mrs. White there have been born three children: James E., deceased ; Blanche M., at home ; and John G., who married Myrtle Beveridge of Greenwich and is now cashier of the Wakeman Bank Company of Wakeman, Ohio. He is an alert, efficient and popular young business man, that gives promise of a successful career. Mr. White is, and has been for many years, a stanch Mason, belonging to Greenwich Lodge, No. 543, and to the Chapter at Norwalk. In religious matters, he and his family give their support to the Congregational church, of which Mr. White is trustee, and in whose Sunday school he has been superintendent, and otherwise prominent in all that concerns the work of the church. Mrs. White and her daughter, Blanche M., are well known for the conspicuous part they play in the social and literary life of the village. In short, they are active coadjutors to Mr. White in maintaining his reputation as the best citizen, in point of efficient activity, toward bettering the conditions of the village. His influence is always thrown on the side of progress, for the improvement of the educational opportunities here, better streets and roads, and better government. ALBERT L. GINSTE. Albert L. Ginste owns a well improved and valuable farm of eighty acres in Wakeman township which annually pays tribute to his care and labor in bounteous harvests. He is numbered among the worthy native sons of Huron county, his birth having occurred in Wakeman township on the 26th of July, 1879. He was a son of John and Wilhelmina (Burke) Ginste, who in early manhood and womanhood sailed from Germany to the United States with their respective parents and settled near Henrietta, Lorain county, Ohio. At the time of the Civil war John Ginste, the father of our subject, enlisted in defense of the Union, becoming a member of Company H, Forty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for more than three years. After the close of the war he became an active member of Harrison Douglass Post, G. A. R., at Kipton, Lorain county, Ohio, acted as its commander for a number of years and always bore a helpful part in Grand Army matters, being deeply interested in the welfare of the "boys in blue." At his death the following resolutions were adopted by this post.: "We pause, we falter at this portal of fate where the gates stand forever ajar. At this open grave of a comrade we tarry to review the grand record of a glorious life. The meteor has traversed the arc of trajection but the sheen of its glory illumines the sky with its splendor, and that sheen will fade only as the memory of man will fade. We are standing at the bier of John Ginste, a man who was of high moral worth and unfaltering integrity. He was the embodiment of all that was true and noble in man. In his death we recognize that a brilliant star has been erased from the earth's galaxy of noble manhood. When in the full rigor of manhood, at the call of duty he enlisted in Company H, Forty-third Regiment of Ohio Infantry at Oberlin, October 15, 1861. On account of his superior qualities and proficiency he was early promoted through the various noncommissioned grades HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 183 to that of first sergeant of his company. On October 28, 1863, he was commissioned by the governor as a second lieutenant. During 1861-62 and 63 he served in the army of the Mississippi and the army of the Tennessee, in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. In 1864 he served in the Sixteenth Army Corps until that organization ceased to exist. The command to which he belonged was transferred to the Seventeenth Army Corps. He rendered honorable service on Sherman's bloody trail down through Georgia, where the crash of infantry firing and the thunder of artillery never ceased neither day or night from the morning of the 4th day of May to the night of the 5th day of September, 1864. He was with Sherman's retrograde march from Atlanta to Northern Alabama against the Confederate army of General Hood. He was mustered out at Savannah, Georgia, December 22, 1864, having served two months and eight days beyond a three year enlistment. During his services he traversed the entire Confederacy from the west to east. His military service is a grand record of patriotic manhood ; he has to his credit a grand array of brilliant stars which adorn the nation's baldrick of glory. He was engaged with his command at Cripple Creek ; Resaca ; New Madrid ; second battle of Corinth ; Rome ; Island No. 10; Oxford ; Adairsville ; Tiptonville ; Decatur, Alabama ; Dallas ; Fort Pillow ; Snake Creek Gap ; Big Shanty ; first battle of Corinth ; Nickajack ; Kennesaw ; Iuka ; Decatur, Georgia ; Atlanta ; Ezra Church ; Jonesboro ; Lovejoy Station ; and Savannah. After leaving the army John Ginste turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits, successfully carrying on farming in Wakeman township, Huron county, until 1882, when he took up his abode in Lorain county and there made his home until called to his final rest. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and he never failed to cast his ballot in support of its men and measures on election day. For some years he served as a trustee of Camden township, Lorain county, capably discharging the duties devolving upon him in this connection. Interested and active in matters of public moment, his aid and cooperation could always be counted upon to 'further any movement instituted to promote the general welfare. He kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day and was always able to support his position by intelligent argument. He was highly respected and honored throughout the community in which he made his home and his death, which occurred in Elyria, Lorain county, in the fall of 1906, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. His wife had passed away in October, 1904. They reared a family of seven children, namely : Ida, now the wife of Alfred Squires, of Eaton township, Lorain county ; John, a resident of Cleveland ; Catherine, who is deceased ; Albert L., of this review ; Mary, who has also passed away ; Charles, of Wakeman ; and Minnie, the wife of Meade Buckley, of Camden township. John Ginste had a full realization of the value of good mental training as a preparation for life's practical and responsible duties and provided his children with all the educational advantages which his means would permit. Albert L. Ginste obtained his education in the public schools of Lorain county and grew to manhood on his father's farm, in the work of which he assisted when his time was not occupied with his text-books. Subsequent to his marriage he took up his abode on his present farm of eighty acres in Wakeman township and has since devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits. His property is the visible evidence of his life of well directed thrift and industry, for he started 184 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY out on his own account empty handed and has steadily worked his way upward until he is now the owner of a valuable and productive farm. The buildings on the place are all of a substantial and modern character. During the winter seasons Mr. Ginste engages in the feeding of sheep and in all of his undertakings is meeting with that measure of success which always rewards earnest, persistent and untiring labor. On the 2d of December, 1897, Mr. Ginste was united in marriage to Miss Cordelia Barnes, a daughter of Charles and Helen (Hall) Barnes. The Halls were a prominent picneer family of Wakeman township, contributing in substantial measure to its early development and upbuilding. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ginste has been born a daughter, Helen. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Ginste has given his political allegiance to the republican party and for three years has filled the office of assessor in Wakeman township. At the present time he is acting as a member of the township board of education, doing effective service for the cause of public instruction. All matters pertaining to the advancement of the community along material, intellectual and moral lines receive his hearty. support and cooperation and he is widely recognized as a most progressive and public-spirited citizen. For about twelve years he has been a member of Wakeman Tent, No. 92, K. O. T. M., of which he has served as commander and also as lieutenant commander. Both he and his wife are prominent and valued members of the Congregational church, taking a deep and helpful interest in both church and Sunday-school work. He is a member of the board of trustees and his wife was organist in the church for a number of years. The young couple hold a high place in public esteem and their own hospitable and attractive home is a favorite resort with their many friends. CHARLES S. CLARK. Charles S. Clark needs no introduction to the readers of this volume for he has gained a world-wide reputation as the most extensive producer and propagator of seed corn not only in this country but in foreign countries as well. He was born March 22, 1860, in a house which stood upon the site of his present residence, his parents being David S. and Esther (Boyd) Clerk. The father, who followed farming throughout his active life, passed away on the 7th of February, 1885. In the family were three sons and two daughters: Ella, Walter and Rollie B., all now deceased ; Charles S.; and Hattie, the wife. of Professor W. Andrews of Oberlin College. The father was a man of strong character, prominent in public affairs and given to good works, and he lived and died with the full confidence and respect of all who knew him. His widow still survives at the age of seventy-seven years and enjoys remarkable health. Charles S. Clark spent his youth on the home farm and was educated in the public schools of Wakeman. At the age of eighteen years he began raising seed corn on one acre of ground, cultivating two varieties of select corn. Something of the growth and extent of his business is indicated in the fact that on the 185 - PHOTO OF CHARLES S. CLARK 186 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 187 1st of May, 1909, he shipped ninety-four varieties of seed corn to one man in Rockford, Illinois. His success has been phenomenal in this line of business and for the past twenty years he has been the largest grower of seed corn in the world, shipping to every corn-growing country on the face of the globe. During the winter of 1908-9 three shipments were sent to Paris and beginning in the month of October, 1909, his shipments averaged one thousand bushels per clay during the entire season up to the middle of May. Among other very large contracts made for next winter's delivery he has one for a carload to be sent to San Francisco, California, and a full carload to Knowlton, Quebec, Canada. His business has developed from the small beginning of one acre, which was taken up as an experimental work, the excellence of his product being his best advertisement. He has been the originator and introducer of a great many of the different varieties of field corn and sweet corn now in use, including the finest varieties which are in cultivation today, There is a large amount of seed corn and many varieties raised by the farmers of Huron, Erie and Sandusky counties, from seed furnished by Mr. Clark and under contract with him for the purchase of their crop. He applies the same business rules to other sections which are well adapted for the development of seed corn. In addition to the enormous trade which he has built up in this connection he is also extensively engaged in the production of seed oats, of which he ships large quantities. These are also produced in many varieties and go into every oat-growing district. Mr.. Clark has a fine farm of his own on which he produces a great deal of seed corn and oats, especially in an experimental way in the development of new varieties. His home is a commodious and attractive residence and altogether is a model farm in the nature of its improvements and the care which is bestowed upon it. On the 12th of June, 1888, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Sarah T. Smith, of Milford, Connecticut, a daughter of E. Stiles and Maria Theresa (Platte) Smith, who had one son and 'two daughters : Frank W., Sarah T. and Susan Isabelle. The last named is now Mrs. Elbert N. Clark. The son married Miss Carrie W. Beard, of New Haven, Connecticut. The Smith family, to which Mrs. Clark belongs, never became residents of Ohio but were prominent in their locality, the ancestry extending back to twelve generations since the first of the name came to America from England. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have three children : Hazel Theresa, Hattie Marie, and Charles Harold Stiles. They are refined and highly intelligent people and their home bears every evidence of these characteristics. They expect to give to their children every ad-. vantage in educational lines, intending to send all to college. Mrs. Clark is devoted to her home and gives to it her best efforts but also finds time for diversion and development in club work. The family are members of the Congregational church and active in church and Sunday-school work. Mr. Clark has done much valuable public service aside from what he has accomplished in a business way. He was a member and president of the board of education for six years, has been vice-president of the Wakeman Banking Company for ten years and is now a member of the township board of trustees. He is independent in politics, giving his support to the men and measures that his judgment endorses. As a young man he was much interested in baseball and won considerable note as a 188 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY member of the famous Wakeman Club. He still retains a keen interest in the national game but finds his special diversion in a summer outing with his family enjoyed at their handsome summer cottage at Ruggles Beach on the shores of Lake Erie. FRED BROWN. Among the native sons of Sherman township, Huron county, who are engaged in agricultural pursuits and are ranked among the progressive and representative farmers of the community, is Fred Brown, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres in this township. He was born on the l0th of November, 1855, and is a son of Fred and Margaret (Pirrung) Brown, both natives of Germany. They came to America about 184i or 1842 and settled in Columbus, Ohio, where they remained for two years, after which they came to Sherman township, Huron county. While in Germany, the father was a wagonmaker by occupation and followed that trade during his residence, in Columbus, but after his arrival in Sherman township, he devoted himself to farming. He purchased one hundred acres of land but later sold a part of it, owning at the time of his death eighty-eight acres. He and his wife were bath buried in Sherman township. In their family were the following children: Jacob ; Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Westrick, of Norwalk ; Peter, who lives in Michigan; Margaret, the wife of Sebastian Purcell, residing in Peru township ; John, who lives in Michigan ; Frank, also of that state ; Fred, of this review ; Anna, the deceased wife of Henry Schendorf and Anthony, who resides on and operates the old homestead in Sherman township. Of this family the three eldest were born in Germany. Reared amid the scenes and environment of rural life, Fred Brown attended the district schools of his native township in the acquirement of an education. At the age of sixteen, he put aside his textbooks and engaged in farming for his father until twenty-seven years of age, when he started out for himself, renting a farm for four years. At the expiration of that period, he removed to Indiana, where he purchased a farm of ninety-five acres in Pulaski county and continued to make that his residence for thirteen years. He then sold his farm in Indiana and returned to Sherman township in 1900, buying his present place from George Diehr. He is now engaged in general farming and through his industry, well directed labors and careful management, is meeting with a creditable measure of success. On the 14th of February, 1882, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Ottilia Geiger, a daughter of Rudolph and Ernestina (Ott) Geiger, both natives of Germany. They were farming people and both passed away in Sandusky, to which place they had removed just prior to their demise. In their family were the following children: Louisa, the deceased wife of John Smith ; John ; Adolph ; Mrs. Fred Brown ; Mary, the wife of John Weidinger ; and Anna, who wedded Joseph Ringlein. Mr. and Mrs. Brown became the parents of five children, as follows: William A., born June 1, 1883 ; Albin P., born May 24, 1888 ; Frank M., born HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 189 July 25, 1890; Fred R., born August 16, 1893 ; and Ernestina M., born December 6, 1896. The family are members of the Catholic church at Bismarck, Sherman township, and are held in high esteem throughout the community. Mr. Brown gives substantial support to the democratic party and is serving at present as township trustee. He has also been constable, road supervisor and school director, and is a loyal citizen, supporting every measure calculated to benefit the community in its rapid and substantial development. ALFRED W. PEIRCE. For half a century Alfred W. Peirce has lived in Huron county and needs no introduction to the readers of this volume for his creditable life record has made him widely and favorably known.- In all business affairs, he has been thoroughly reliable as well as progressive and in his relations to public interests he has been found a man of progressive spirit whose -desire for the public welfare has been manifest in active work for its behalf. He was born April 29, 1833, in Charlotte, Vermont, a son of Chauncey and Mahala (Conger) Peirce. The father was a native of Rhode Island and removed to Vermont, but never became a resident of Ohio. The son spent his youth on his father’s farm and was educated in the district schools, the schoolhouse of the neighborhood being upon land in possession of the family. After he had mastered the elementary branches of learning, he spent one term in an academy to which he walked a distance of five miles each morning, returning in the same way each evening. He would also assist with the chores about the farm and though every moment was busily occupied and he had to walk so far to school, he never entered the schoolroom too late for the opening exercises. At seventeen years of age, he began teaching school, following that profession through the winter months while the summer seasons were devoted to the work 0f the fields, his father thus receiving the benefit of his services until after he had attained his majority. In 1856, when twenty-three years of age, he left Vermont and made his way to Chicago. In the meantime, he had picked up a knowledge of the carpenter's trade during his leisure hours. His education, too, was largely obtained by studying when the work of the farm was over for the day, and in this manner he became a man of broad education with wide knowledge concerning literature, mathematics and the sciences. On going to Chicago, in 1856, he found employment in the shops of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway Company. At that time there was not a foot of paving in Chicago, which was a city of comparatively small proportions. Mr. Peirce remained there from March until June, when he was called to his home in Vermont by the death of his father. He then continued in the Green Mountain state until the spring of 1857, when he made his way to Lake City, Minnesota. There he again worked at the carpenter's trade until the succeeding fall, when the country became involved in a financial panic rendering it very difficult to secure employment for building operations were practically suspended. 190 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY About that time Mr. Peirce came to Townsend, Huron county, Ohio, through the influence of some acquaintances he had made during his residence in Minnesota. He and his brother-in-law, M. M. Perkins, who came with him, purchased a hotel in Townsend and in addition to conducting the hostelry Mr. Peirce also worked in the agricultural implement factory owned by the firm of Hyde & Allen, the partners being W. S. Hyde and Pruden Allen. Mr. Peirce was employed in the shops until the spring of 1858, when the company suspended because of the stringency of the times. He then turned his attention to contracting and building and became a large operator along this line, erecting many. of the schoolhouses of the county and many of the best dwellings. He was thus connected with 'building operations in addition to conducting his small farm until 1869, when he became associated with a company of railroad bridge contractors and was in Des Moines, Iowa, for a period. On his return to Huron county, Ohio, he located in Townsend and accepted the superintendency of a sash and door factory. Three years later, he became engaged in the black walnut business in Indiana. When he again returned to Townsend, he built a residence for himself and this was about the last of his building operations. In 1875, he engaged with the Collins Pump Company as bookkeeper and thus represented them for two years, after which he became interested in the business of manufacturing pumps and also in the operation of a sawmill, in company with John C. Shaw. In this, he continued until 1890, when the mill and factory were destroyed by a cyclone., terminating his business interests of that character. He next purchased the Union Bending Works, at Collins, and has since operated this plant in connection with his son, Frank Peirce. He has ever been a man of resolute purpose, carrying forward to successful completion whatever he has undertaken unless his path was barred by some obstacle or difficulty that could not be overcome by persistent and honorable effort. In 1884, he established a mercantile enterprise in Collins which he has since conducted in connection with other business affairs. He has ever been watchful of opportunities and his utilization of the advantages which have come to him have brought him to a prominent position in the business circles of the community. Mr. Peirce has been married three times. On the 22d of August, 1854, he wedded Miss Lutheria M. Brown, a daughter of Smyrna and Almeda (Morse) Brown. Mrs. Peirce was of the same township in Vermont in which her husband's birth occurred. There were two children of this union : Lynda and Charles The daughter is now the wife of the Rev. William Fisher, Congregational minister of Kansas, while the son, Charles, is a successful farmer in Hartman township. The wife and mother died November 24, 1864, and on the 9th of December, 1869, Mr. Peirce wedded Miss Julia A. Dean, a daughter of Royal C. and Mary (Smith) Dean. The father was a traveling saleman for a Zanesville (Ohio) firm for many years and also the owner .of a farm in Townsend township. By the second marriage there were born three children : Royal C., who was killed at Akron, Ohio, while in the line of duty with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company ; Carl W., who after graduating from Oberlin College in 1900, went to Pittsburg and is now identified with the steel interests of that city ; and Frank H., who was formerly an Oberlin student and is now associated in business with his father. The death of Mrs. Julia Peirce occurred March 9, 1894, and on the 24th of Octo- HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 191 ber, 1895, Mr. Peirce was joined in wedlock to Miss Lena E. Fitch, a daughter of Edgar .and Letta (Ward) Fitch, of Townsend township, who came to this state front Michigan in 1891. Mr. Fitch is a farmer by occupation and has returned to Michigan. By the third marriage there is but one child, a daughter, Pauline. Politically, Mr. Peirce is a republican having been identified with the party for years as one of its well informed representatives and active workers thoroughly qualified to defend his position by intelligent argument. He has served as justice of the peace for one term, was township trustee for several terms, and township clerk for several years. He was a member of the school board for many years and .has always been a friend of education, advocating advanced ideas in connection with the work of public instruction. To his children, he gave superior college advantages and all made excellent records in their studies, especially in mathematical lines. Mr. Peirce is a member of the Masonic fraternity and for years was active in the affairs of the order. He has always been an advocate of temperance and of things which work for honorable manhood and progressive citizenship. His wife and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are active in church and Sunday school work, while Mr. Peirce gives liberally to the support thereof. He is in every way a splendid type of citizen and his cooperation can be counted upon to further any movement for the general good. FRANK W. ADELMAN. Frank W. Adelman, owning and operating a fine farm of one hundred acres of land, situated in Norwalk township, Huron county, Ohio, was born upon this farm on the 27th of February, 1861, a son of John J. and Margaret (Klunding) Adelman, both natives of Germany. In 1830, the father accompanied his parents, J. P. and Tracy Adelman, to the United States, and they located in Buffalo, New York, remaining in that city for a short time, after which a removal was made to Ohio, the family home being established in Ridgefield township, Huron county. There the grandfather of our subject purchased one hundred acres of land and in that township, John P. Adelman spent almost his entire life. He bought the farm upon which our subject now resides and placed many improvements thereon, devoting his energies entirely to agricultural pursuits. He became well known in the community in which he resides and served for some time as road supervisor. He passed away in 1870 in the faith of the Catholic church. He had married Margaret Klunding, who was born in Germany in 1831 and left the fatherland when thirteen years of age, accompanying her parents to the United States, where they settled in Sherman township, Huron county, Ohio. Her death occurred on the 17th of November, 1898. In the family of this worthy couple, were seven children, namely: Francis, deceased ; Charles, who has also passed away ; Rose, the wife of Anthony Harr, residing in Norwalk, Ohio ; Frank W.. of this review ; Clara M.. also residing in Norwalk ; Joseph, deceased ; and Benjamin, of Norwalk. 192 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY Reared amid the scenes and environments of rural life, Frank W. Adelman acquired his education in the district and German schools, while the periods of vacation were devoted to the work of the farm. Upon attaining his majority, he decided to make the occupation to which he had been reared his life work and he has since directed his energies and time to general agricultural pursuits. He has always resided upon the farm where he was born and has continued in the work of improvement and development until he has brought his fields under a fine state of cultivation, the excellent condition of the entire place today attesting the care and labor expended upon it. He possesses good business ability and his energy and close application to work have been the means of bringing to him the prosperity which he now enjoys. On the 9th of October, 1888, Mr. Adelman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Shaeffer, a daughter of George and Angeline (Dehe) Shaeffer. She was born in Peru township, this county, February 26, 1867, and on the T0th of October, 1907, was called to her final rest, leaving besides her husband, six children to mourn her loss, namely : George, Loretta, Emma, Elmie, Herbert and Clarence, all residing at home. Mr. Adelman holds membership with the Modern Woodman of Norwalk and is also a member of the Catholic church. His long residence in this locality has brought him a wide acquaintance, and he is held in high esteem by his many friends. The fact that he is best liked where best known is an indication of his personal worth. Successful in his agricultural pursuits, he is ranked among the representative members of the German-American element of this county. BLASIUS SIMON. Blasius Simon who has made his home continuously in Peru township since 1834, covering a period of three-fourths of a century, is the owner of a well improved and productive farm of fifty-eight acres in that township, on which he resides. His birth occurred in Baden, Germany, on the 15th of March, 1833. his parents being Conrad and Mary Ann (Krieveler) Simon. The year 1834 witnessed their emigration to the new world, the family home being established in Pent township, Huron county, Ohio, where the father purchased a small tract of land and built a log cabin. After clearing the land he gave his attention to its cultivation and improvement and there carried on his agricultural interests throughout the remainder of his life, winning a goodly measure of prosperity in his undertakings. His wife also passed away on this farm, and thus the community lost two of its most respected and worthy pioneer settlers. Their children were as follows : Seraphine, George and Mary, all of whom are deceased; Blasius, of their review ; Christian ; Anthony ; Andrew, who has also passed away; and several who died in infancy. Blasius Simon was but a year old when brought by his parents to the United States and, as before stated, has since continued to reside in Peru township. In early manhood he learned the carpenter's trade and for a number of years was actively and successfully identified with the building interests of the county, 193 - PHOTO OF MR. AND MRS. BLASIUS SIMON 196 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 195 erecting a large number of houses and barns. In 1862 he purchased his present farm of fifty-eight acres from George Sowers and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which field of activity he has likewise met with success. As the years have gone by he. has brought the property under a high state of cultivation and has made many substantial improvements thereon, remodeling the residence, etc. In recent years, however, he has largely put aside the active work of the fields and his farm is now being operated by his son Edward. On the 4th of June, 1861, Mr. Simon was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn Hills, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann (Biddle) Hills, both of whom are now deceased. Mrs. Simon was a little maiden of seven years when she came with her parents to Norwalk township, this county. She was one of ten children, the record of whom is as follows: Helen, Frances, Mary and Jennie, all of whom have passed away ; Kathryn ; Tracy, who is likewise deceased ; Fred ; Joseph ; and two who died in infancy. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Simon have been born six children. Amelia, living in Ridgefield township, is the wife of Lawrence Smith and has three children: Edward, Anna and Otto. Albert, a resident of Norwalk, wedded Miss Rose Meyer, by whom he has four children : Walter, Henry, Mildred and Fred. Rose is still under the parental roof. George, who makes his home at Monroeville, married Miss Rosella Frey and had five children : Alfred; Reuben ; Helen ; Hilda, who is deceased ; and Norman. Edward, who wedded Miss Emma Frey, lives at home and manages his father's farm. Andrew was called to his final rest at the age of eighteen years. The different members of the family are all faithful communicants of the Catholic church. Mr. Simon has now passed the seventy-sixth milestone on life's journey and that his career has been at all times above reproach and worthy of commendation is indicated by the high esteem and regard in which he is held by those among whom practically his entire life has been spent. His memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present and he has been an interested witness of the wonderful transformation that has been wrought as pioneer conditions have gradually given way before the onward march of civilization. WILLIAM HENRY SNYDER. William Henry Snyder, now living retired in North Fairfield, is numbered among the honored veterans of the Civil war and is also classed with those men who in positions of public service have demonstrated their loyalty to the general good by lhe prompt, efficient and faithful performance of duty. His record is altogether a most creditable one and •because of his wide acquaintance in Huron county, cannot fail to prove of interest to many of the readers of this volume. Mr. Snyder was born in Greene county, New York, on the 11th of January, 1835, his parents being John and Harriet (Watrous) Snyder. His paternal grandparents were Peter A. and Hannah (Wells) Snyder, whose family numbered seven children, namely : John, Henry, Maria, Abram, Peter, James and Jane. Of this number, John Snyder, the father of our subject, was reared, educated and 196 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY married in the east and unto him and his wife were born five sons and three daughters as follows : William Henry, Hiram, Henry, Maria, Lucy, Vincent, Sylvester and Caroline. William Henry Snyder spent his youthful days under the parental roof. It was in 1854, that the family came to Ohio, settling at Snyder's Corners at which time William H. Snyder was a young man of nineteen years. He was prepared for life's practical and responsible duties by the educational privileges offered by the public schools and by the thorough business training which he received, under the direction of his father. In early manhood, he took up general farming as a life work and carefully tilled the soil for many years, but at length withdrew from that field of labor and later was busily engaged with official service and also with the duties of the secretaryship of the Huron County Insurance Company, which position he filled for a number of years. He is still the owner of sixty acres of land in Ashland county and that farm returns to him a gratifying annual income. It was on the 5th of December, 1856, that Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Miss Hannah. Hinkley, a daughter of Benjamin and Maria (Paine) Hinkley, in whose family were the following named : Hannah, Joshua, Mary, Phoebe and William. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have become the parents of four children : Ida, Lucia, Harry and Benjamin. Mr. Snyder is entitled to wear the Grand Army button from the fact that he served as a soldier of the Civil war, enlisting in August, 1862, as a member of Company D, One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He remained with that command until honorably discharged in 1863, when he returned to the north. He has always been as loyal to his duties of citizenship as when he followed the old flag on southern battlefields. His political allegiance is given to the democracy and he has served as justice of the peace for a number of terms and as postmaster at North Fairfield for four years. His offrcial service has been characterized by the prompt and capable discharge of his duties, his fidelity to any trust being recognized as one of his strong traits. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and both he and his wife are connected with the Eastern Star, exemplifying in their lives the beneficent spirit of the craft, which is based upon mutual helpfulness and the recognition of the brotherhood of mankind. CHARLES A. EASTER. One of the old farms of Greenfield township, Huron county, Ohio, is that on which Charles A. Easter lives. lHe was born on this place as was his father before him, and the house which is his home was built by his grandfather in 1834. The latter, Archibald Easter, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1777, and was the son of John Easter, a well-to-do farmer and cloth manufacturer of Berragh, near Londonderry, Ireland. Archibald Easter received a good education and as a young man, was sent to the United States to look after some real estate interests of his father. He could not return immediately upon the accomplishment of his business on account of the War of 1812, and so sought employment HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 197 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, as a weaver, a trade he had learned in Ireland. After three years, he was made foreman, but in 1815, he returned to Ireland. In 1817, however, he came a second time to the United States, landing at New York. He came west by canal and lake to Sandusky, Ohio, and then to the center of the state, locating on a farm near Columbus, which has since been incorporated within the limits of that city. He lived on that place for a few years and then moved to Lower Sandusky, now Fremont, where he bought a farm, having previously traversed on horseback nine states of the Union in search of a homestead. He was compelled to leave Fremont on account of the ague, and in 1819, came to this county, settling first on a farm in the center of Greenfield township, where Robert Arthur now lives, and in 1830, located on the farm now occupied by his grandson. On this land, he farmed until 1860, when he retired from active life. In 1824, he married Miss Rebecca Easter, who was born in 1801 in County Tryone. Ireland, and was the daughter of James Easter. They were united by Elder John Wheeler and became the parents of six children: two who died in infancy ; Elias ; Sarah, the wife of James McLane ; Keziah, who married Samuel Arthur; and John, who was drowned in his youth. Archibald Easter died May 1, 1867, and his wife passed away June 6, 1883, both being buried in the Steuben cemetery. He had helped to organize the whigs of his township and later became a republican. He was a successful farmer and with his wife was a member of the Congregational church. Elias Easter, his son and the father of Charles A. Easter, was born September 19, 1834, was reared on the farm and attended the public schools of Greenfield township. Shortly before his father's death, he assumed charge of the home place, on which he continued the successful farming. On the 7th of June, 1871, he was married to Miss Jennie E. McMorris, a daughter of. John and Nancy Mc- Morris, of Greenfield township, who had come originally from Ireland. Mrs. Easter died November 5, 1876, after having borne two children: Nancy, who died in infancy ; and Charles A., the subject of this review. On June 14, 1888, Mr. Easter married a second time, his bride being Mrs. Marjory Aiken, the widow of James A. Aiken. She was born March 30, 1846, in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, and was the daughter of Richard Chilcott. Mr. Easter remained on the farm now belonging to our subject until 1892, when he removed to Norwalk, where he died May 5, 1907. He was a stanch republican and held the offices of justice of the peace, trustee, and others in his township. He was a member of the Greenfield Congregational church, in which he held office of some kind nearly all his life. Charles A. Easter lived -on the farm on which he was born until 1892. He received his early training for life in the district schools of the county and upon leaving them spent three terms at Oberlin College, and then attended the business colleges at Sandusky and Norwalk. In the latter town, he worked for five years as clerk and stenographer and then obtained employment in Canton, Massilon and Cleveland. In the fall of 1907, he returned to Huron county to assume the charge of the farm in Greenfield township. It embraces one hundred and eighty-three acres of fine land, which Mr. Easter has brought to a high degree of productiveness. He follows a general line of agriculture and has been more successful than the average. 198 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY On the 22d of September, 1901, Mr. Easter was married to Miss Florence E. 'Bowers, a daughter of Henry F. and Marana (Evans) Bowers, of Norwalk. Both parents were born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, and there were married, but have lived in Norwalk for thirty years. The father, a stone mason by trade, was a soldier of the Civil war and is a member of the local post of the G. A. R. His religious affiliations are with the Methodist church. In his family were nine children: Nellie, who married James A. Whitney, deceased; Fred W., of St. Louis, Missouri; Bertha E., the wife of George Snyder, of Toledo, Ohio ; Raymond E., of that city ; Charles E., of Norwalk; Grace L., the wife of C. H. Baker, of Toledo ; ' Josephine, deceased, who married Ralph Husted ; Florence E., now Mrs. Easter; and Eva I., the wife of Harry Thorley, of Norwalk, Ohio. Florence E. was born in Norwalk, and has borne her husband two children : Charles E., born March 5, 1904 ; and Elizabeth J., born May 8, 1907. Though so recently a farmer on his own responsibility, Mr. Easter has made the two years all in his bountiful harvests. The old farm, producing under one family for three generations, has attained a cultivation it never reached before and is a fine tract of land. Mr. Easter is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Norwalk, No, 64, and of the Congregational church, and is a citizen respected in the community, among his fraternal brothers and in his church. SAMUEL W. ROWLAND. Samuel W. Rowland, a well known and respected resident of the village of Wakeman, was born in Clarksfield township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 12th of June, 1839, his parents being Ezra and Ann (Stiles) Rowland. He traces his ancestry back to Thomas and Daniel Rowland, who came to this country from Scotland in the latter part of the seventeenth century, settling in Connecticut. Several of their descendants participated in the Revolutionary war. Ezra Rowland, the father of our subject, was a son of Aaron and Deborah (Dean) Rowland, who came from Putnam county, New York, to Huron county, this state, in 1818. They left the Empire state on the l0th of October of that year, making the journey in a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen and one horse, and on the 18th of November, arrived in Clarksfield township, this county. This district was a dense forest, but they found shelter in the log cabin of Captain Husted, an earlier settler, in whose gristmill Mr. Rowland was employed for a time. The inmates of the little structure numbered twenty persons and as soon as possible, Mr. Rowland erected a cabin home of his own in the vicinity, assisting in the conduct of the gristmill and in the work of the farm. In 1822, he left the mill and took up his abode on a farm which he had previously purchased. In the family of Ezra and Ann (Stiles) Rowland were seven children, namely: Rebecca and Benjamin, who are deceased ; Aaron G., an agriculturist of Clarksfield township ; Lucy and Jairus, who have also passed away ; Samuel W., of this review ; and Joseph, who is likewise deceased. Samuel W. Rowland was reared on his father's farm and continued under the parental roof until he had attained the age of twenty-one years. He obtained his HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 199 preliminary education in the district schools of his native township and when twenty years of age, began teaching school. At the end of a year, however, he entered Oberlin College and after leaving that institution once more became connected with educational interests as an instructor in the schools of Montgomery county, where he remained until the time of his enlistment for service in the- Union army. It was in August, 1862, that he became a member of Company A, Ninety-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisting for a term of three years or during the war. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Cumberland and was with General Rosecrans at the battle of Stone River, where Mr. Rowland was wounded on the 29th of December, 1862, a shot passing through his right ankle and splintering the bone. The wound was so serious that he was compelled to remain in the hospital for sometime and was afterward sent home on a furlough, a year passing before he again joined his regiment. After returning to the army, he took part with General Sherman in all the hotly contested engagements of that campaign and on the 17th of December, 1864, was again wounded, at Nashville, in the battle between Generals Thomas and Hood, being shot in the upper right arm by a minnie ball when within sixteen feet of the Confederate breastworks. This also shattered the bones of the arm and after leaving the hospital, he was sent to a Louisville institution to convalesce, but While there was honorably discharged from the army, the war having come to an end. He had proven a most brave and loyal soldier, never faltering in the performance of any task assigned him and returned home with a splendid military record. On again taking up the pursuits of civil life, Mr. Rowland was engaged in farming in Clarksfield township and during the winter months taught in the district schools. He also taught vocal music classes for a number of years during the winter season, being a musician of considerable skill and ability. In 1867, he removed to North Lawrence, Kansas, where he remained for a year and then spent three years in Medina, Ohio, being engaged in teaching during two years of that period. Subsequently, he went to Peabody, Kansas, where he taught for five years m the graded schools, which he had organized. His success as an educator was marked, for he had the ability to impart clearly and concisely to others the knowledge that he had acquired and was moreover an excellent disciplinarian. Returning to Huron county in 1875, he established the family home in Wakeman and has here since continued to reside. He purchased a farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres, one hundred acres of which was timber land, which he immediately began clearing, cutting seven hundred thousand feet of lumber in two years. The proceeds from the sale of the lumber were sufficient to pay for the 'entire property. Industrious and energetic, he resolutely set to work to develop a good farm and as the years went by gradually transformed the place into one of The finest and most productive farms in the county. In November, 1895, he took up his abode in the village of Wakeman, where he has since lived retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. On the 4th of July, 1863, Mr. Rowland was united in marriage to Miss Betsy E. Waugh, a daughter of Lansing and Docia (Minor) Waugh. The father was a Baptist minister of Wakeman township, where the family resided for a great many years, both Mr. and Mrs. Waugh passing away and being buried there. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rowland have been born seven children, as follows : Justin 200 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY E., a practicing physician of South Euclid, Ohio ; Bertha D., who is the wife of Charles Russell of Wakeman township ; Dennis D., a resident of Cleveland, Ohio; Guy 0., who is practicing medicine at East Palestine, Ohio ; Park 0., likewise living in Cleveland ; Lansing E., of Denver, Colorado ; and Lewis U., who is a musician of note and makes his home at Grand Forks, North Dakota. All of the children are prosperous and prominent residents of their respective communities. Mr. Rowland has always given his support to the men and measures of the republican party with the exception of one year, when he voted for St. John, the presidential candidate of the prohibition party. He is a strong advocate of the cause of temperance and an ardent worker in its behalf, believing that the intemperate use of intoxicating liquors is the greatest curse with which our country has to contend. In the spring of 1896, he was elected justice of the peace and with the exception of one term has since served continuously in that office, being the incumbent at the present time. His decisions are strictly fair and impartial and he is widely recognized as a most able and just judge. He has been a member of the school board for two terms and all public improvements, such as the establishment of good schools, roads, etc., receive his hearty support and co-operation. He and his family are earnest and faithful members of the Congregational church, in which he has acted as a deacon for many years. For many years, he was also chorister in the church and, although he has now reached the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, still sings in the choir and acts as assistant chorister. He is interested and active in church and Sunday school work and in fact in all religious societies organized to promote moral advancement. He still maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in Wilson Todd Post, No. 559, G. A. R., and has served as an officer of the post ever since becoming identified therewith, acting as chaplain at the present time. He has been a delegate to both state and national encampments and is a most enthusiastic and valued member of the organization. In spite of his hazardous and severe experiences as a soldier, Mr. Rowland is ,still in excellent health, which he attributes in large measure to the fact that he has never used tobacco or stimulants in any form and it is only in recent years that he has indulged even in tea. Although now past the seventieth milestone on life's journey, in spirit and interests, he seems yet in his prime, for he has always associated to a great extent with young people and thus has ever maintained the enthusiasm of his earlier years in all the varied activities and pleasures of life. WILLIAM T. ASHTON. William T. Ashton, who is now living retired on his fine farm of one hundred and ninety-two acres in Peru township, was born in this township on the l0th of January, 1850. His parents, William and Sallie (Burch) Ashton, were natives of Lincolnshire, England, and New York state respectively, the father's birth having occurred on the 9th of March, 1819. The paternal grandparents of our subject were among the first settlers of Peru township, having made the journey to this part of the state by wagon in 1831. The grandfather erected a 201 - PHOTO OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM T. ASHTON 202 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 203 log house and resolutely set himself to the task of clearing a tract of one hundred and thirty acres of land which he had purchased, but died within a year of his arrival in this county. His family numbered seven children, all of whom are now deceased, namely : James, Thomas, William, John, Edward, Mary, and one who passed away in infancy. William Ashton, the father of William T. Ashton, was a lad of twelve years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Peru. township, Huron county, and there he continued to make his home until called to his final rest on the 17th of March, 1890. In 1866 he purchased the farm which is now in possession of his son, William T., erected a commodious residence and barns and .also placed many other substantial improvements on the property. As the years passed by he won a goodly measure of prosperity in the conduct of his agricultural interests and became widely recognized as a substantial and representative citizen of the community. His wife, who had accompanied her parents on their removal from the Empire state to Huron county, passed away m 1872 when forty-eight years of age. Unto this worthy couple were born five children, as follows: Mary, who is now deceased ; Anna, who is the wife of C. A. Howe and resides at Monroeville, Ohio ; William T., of this review ; and Lewis J. and Eva, who are likewise deceased. At the usual age William T. Ashton began his education by becoming a student in the district schools of this county. His training at farm labor was not meager, for at an early age he began work in the fields and soon became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He was successfully and energetically identified with general agricultural pursuits throughout his entire business career but has recently retired from the active work of the fields and now rents his farm. It is a well improved and valuable tract of land comprising one hundred and ninety-two acres and he still makes his home on the farm, having here a commodious and modern residence. His well directed and untiring industry in former years brought him the competence that now enables him to live practically retired, and throughout the community in which his entire life has been spent he is well known and highly esteemed as a most worthy and prosperous citizen. On the 3d of February, 1872, Mr. Ashton was united in marriage to Miss Emma P. Knoll, whose birth occurred in Ridgefield township, Huron county, in 1856, her parents being Christian and Elizabeth Knoll, of Ridgefield township. The three children born unto Mr. and Mrs. Ashton are as follows : Clara, a graduate of the Zenaium Art School at Columbus, is now the wife of P. W. Clark, who conducts a business college at Louisville, Kentucky. Their union has been blessed with one son, William A. Alice, a graduate of the Monroeville high school, gave her hand in marriage to Professor Oscar Erf, who is professor of the dairy department at the Ohio State University. They reside at ' Columbus and have one son, Lowell. Myrtle, likewise a graduate of the Monroeville high school, lives at home with her father. The wife and mother was called to her final rest on the 7th of September, 1907, her loss being deeply mourned by an extensive circle of friends as well as her immediate family. In his political views Mr. Ashton was formerly a democrat and on that ticket was elected to the office of township trustee, in which he served for a number of 204 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY years. At the present time, however, he gives his allegiance to the men and measures of the republican party, believing its principles to be most conducive to good government. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church at Monroeville. A man of sterling character, he has always merited and received the confidence and respect of all with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact. ISAAC McKESSON. The life history of Isaac McKesson constitutes an important chapter in the annals of Huron county. He figured prominently in industrial and political circles for many years, but is now living retired from active business save for the interest which he feels in the world's progress. He represents a family whose name has long been interwoven with the early history of Ohio, the family arriving in this state in 1827, settlement being made in Venice in what is now Erie county. On the paternal side, Mr. McKesson comes of Scotch lineage, his grandfather, John McKesson,. a Presbyterian minister, having come from Scotland to America in 1761 and locating in York county, Pennsylvania. He was a typical Scotch Presbyterian, who proved a power for good in the community in which he resided during the early days of the "new world" as America was then commonly designated. He wielded a wide influence by reason of his strict integrity and honorable manhood, while his life at all times measured up to a high moral standard. His son, Isaac McKesson, Sr., the father of our subject, was also educated for the ministry but his natural taste for mechanics led him to abandon that calling before he had completed his theological course and he later learned the trade of a millwright and civil engineer. Attracted by the favorable location for mills in Venice, Erie county, Ohio, he removed to that place in 1827, where for a number of years he followed his trade of millwright and also did considerable surveying and civil engmeering. Later he resided in Bellevue for some years and subsequently purchased a farm near Venice, where he engaged in farming up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1854. He had been a prominent figure in the development of the locality in which he resided, aiding very materially in the improvement of milling property, and was recognized as one of the leading and valued citizens of his part of the county. Ere coming to Ohio, he had married Miss Elizabeth Caldwell, and in their family were the following children: Jane ; James ; John ; Oliver ; William, who passed away in infancy ; William ; Elizabeth and Isaac, all of whom are now deceased with the exception of the last named' Isaac McKesson, whose name introduces this review, was born in Pennsylvania on the 12th of January, 1821, and was therefore a little lad of six years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Ohio. Spending the period of his boyhood and youth under the parental roof, he is indebted to the district school system for the educational advantages which he enjoyed. Early in life, after giving careful thought concerning the work for which he was best adapted' and which in his estimation would prove the most profitable, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, and under his direction and guidance learned the HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 205 trade of a millwright and carpenter. This he followed for a few years, at the same time giving considerable time to the management of his father's farming property. He was married on the 28th of October, 1841, to Miss Zorada J. Hunt, a daughter of John and Nancy (Lord) Hunt, natives of New Hampshire, who came to Ohio about 1816, locating in Norwalk, where Mr. Hunt engaged in the cooperage business. After his marriage, Mr. McKesson located at Enterprise, Erie county, Ohio, where he operated a sawmill for about a year, and then for two years he was engaged in carpentering and was also identified with agricultural pursuits. Later, he rented a farm near Sandusky, which he cultivated for about two years, and at the same time worked at his trade as carpenter, erecting many houses throughout the community, most of which were constructed of hewn logs. Subsequently, he purchased a farm in York township, Sandusky county, and there he engaged in general farming for six years, when he bought a farm in Groton township, Erie county, upon which he resided until 1866, when he purchased property in Collins, Huron county, to which he removed in 1869 and which he has since continued to make his place of residence. After his arrival in Huron county, be became the proprietor of a sawmill and bending works, his plant being the first steam bending works to be established in that section of the county. He also engaged in the manufacture of force pumps, which were a new feaure at that time, and the fact that Mr. McKesson added to his pump the double action caused his product to be a vast improvement upon that which had hitherto been placed upon the market. The Growth of the business, therefore, was very rapid and soon reached extensive proportions, the enterprise becoming one of the leading and important industries of Huron county. In 1880, however, he sold his interests and practically retired from active life. A man of keen business acumen, during his connection with industrial interests, he so capably controlled his various enterprises that he became recognized as one of the prominent business men of Townsend township. He also possessed considerable real estate, for as the years went by and he prospered, he invested in land, becoming the owner of property interests in Collins and also in Townsend township. For some years, he also operated a sawmill and turning plant upon land which he owned in Michigan, not far from Jackson, but since retirement from business, he has unfortunately lost most of this property. Not merely because of die success which he won in the business world is Mr. McKesson entitled to special mention in this volume, but also by reason of his deep and helpful interest in the public affairs of the community and the prominent position which he held in local political circles. He is a stalwart republican, and has been very active in the affairs of the party for many years, having been called to various positions of trust by his fellow citizens. He served as trustee of , Groton township for eight years, was justice of the peace for three years, township treasurer for two years, served for two terms as county commissioner of Erie county and was offered the nomination for a third term by the unanimous vote of the convention, but declined the honor. He was also elected trustee of Townsend township, serving for two terms, and in both Erie and Huron counties, he was a member of the school board for many years. He has been a prominent figure in county, district and state conventions, having been a delegate to the 206 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY first republican county convention held in Erie county. He called the first republican caucus in Groton township, Erie county, and was a delegate to the convention that first nominated John Sherman for congress, held in Shelby, Ohio. He assisted in organizing the first county fair association in Erie county and was a member of the board of directors, while after his arrival in Huron county, he became a director of the Huron County Agricultural Society, which position he filled for some time. He was likewise active in the movement which resulted in the establishment of a children's home in Huron county and for twenty-two years served as a trustee of the home, eventually resigning his position on account of ill health. Mr. McKesson was also very active in the affairs of Erie county and those of Ohio, during the period of the Civil war. He was commissioned by Governor Tod, lieutenant colonel of the Second Regiment, Ohio National Guard, and was active in securing Erie county's quota of troops. He also made it his duty to see that the families of the soldiers were properly cared for and gave not only freely of his time, but also liberally of his means to provide whatever was necessary for their welfare, thereby manifesting to some extent the spirit of philanthropy that underlies his nature. As the years passed the home of Mr. and Mrs. McKesson was blessed with two children : Lester and Nancy E. The daughter is now Mrs. George Liles, of Collins. The son, when only eighteen years of age, at the first call for troops enlisted on the 8th of April, 1861 as a member of the Eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for a term of three months. After his discharge, he immediately re-enlisted for three years, and throughout that period, he served with distinction, participating in more than seventy battles and skirmishes. He was thrice wounded, at Fredericksburg, later at Gettysburg and again at the battle of the Wilderness. The last wound was at first thought to be mortal but he recovered. He was promoted from a private to the rank of lieutenant and the records show that he was a brave and courageous officer, remaining at all times loyal to the old flag and the cause which it represented. After the close of the war, he returned home and entered business life, being now engaged in the real estate business in Toledo, Ohio. He is a man of high character, who stands well in his community and is a worthy son of an honored father. Mr. McKesson was called upon, in the fall of 1878, to mourn the loss of his wife, and in March, 1880, he was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Harriet (Reese) Emmerson, the widow of Henry Emmerson. She, too, passed away on the 1st of July, 1886, and for his third wife, Mr. McKesson chose Mrs. Rebecca (Balliet) Van Buskirk, whom he married on the 1st of November, 1887. She is the widow of Samuel Van Buskirk and a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Montz) Balliet, of Richland county, who originally came from Pennsylvania a d were prominent farming people. Mr. McKesson and his family have held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church for many years, he having been a member of that denomination for more than seventy years. During his connection therewith, he has been very active in church work and has held every office in the church below the clergy. He has been especially active and helpful in the direction of Sunday school work, having organized and assisted in maintaining various Sabbath schools where none had previously existed. Mr. McKesson is a great humanitarian at heart and has HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 207 ever been a stalwart supporter of those measures which serve to promote general progress along material, political, intellectual and moral lines, and also to uplift and maintain a high standard of citizenship. He is a splendid type of the high minded American gentleman and an excellent example of the power and force of honorable manhood, of earnest effort and of high principles. He has now reached the eighty-eighth mile stone on life's journey and he can look back upon the past without regret and upon the future without fear. AUGUST SCHEID. August Scheid, who has long been numbered among the most enterprising, energetic and successful agriculturists of Peru township, is the owner of a rich and arable tract of land of one hundred and forty-four acres. He is a native son of Huron county, his birth having occurred in Peru township on the 26th of October, 1858. His parents, John William and Catherine (Beilstein) Scheid, were both natives of Germany, the former born on the 9th of January, 1818, and the latter in 1826. In 1849 the father accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world, the family home being established in Peru township, Huron county, Ohio, where both the grandfather and grandmother of our subject passed away. John William Scheid, the father of August Scheid, continued to make his home in Peru township until called to his final rest on the 30th of November, 1903, being successfully identified with general agricultural pursuits throughout his active business career. He assisted in the organization and erection of the Lutheran church in Peru township and served as one of its elders for a number of years. His wife, who had made • the journey to the new world in company with her sisters and brothers, was called to her final rest in 1885. Unto this worthy couple were born six children, namely : Elizabeth, who is the wife of Charles J. Heyman and resides in Lyme township; August, of this review ; Henrietta, who makes her home with her sister, Mrs. Hass, in Sherman township ; William C., living in Peru township ; Catherine B., residing in Sherman township, who is the wife of George C. Hass ; and L. H., of California. In the district and German schools of his home neighborhood August Scheid obtained his education and when not busy with his text-books assisted in the work of the home farm, thus early becoming familiar with the line of activity which he later chose as a life occupation. He is now devoting his time and energies to the cultivation and improvement of a farm one hundred and forty-four acres in Peru township, ninety-five acres of which he eceived from his father, while the remaining forty-nine acres were purchased by him from the Lewis Hoffman estate. As the years have gone by he has placed many substantial improvements on the property and annually reaps bountiful harvests which find a ready sale on the market. He likewise has charge of the Heyman Milling Company's interests at Pontiac, buying grain, etc. On the 21st of February, 1882, Mr. Scheid was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Heyman, a native of Sherman township and a daughter of George W. and Elizabeth (Longscheid) Heyman, of Sherman township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 208 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY Scheid have been born ten children, as follows : George W., who is a teacher in the Ohio Normal University at Ada ; Estella, who is the wife of Fred Linder, of Townsend township ; and Walter, Dora, Arthur, Herbert, Edwin, Ralph, Alfred and Harvey, all of whom are still under the parental roof. Politically Mr. Scheid is a democrat and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have called him to various positions of public trust. He has served as township trustee for seven years, was justice of the peace for three years and in 1890 acted as real-estate appraiser of Peru township. He has likewise been a member of the school board, the cause of public education ever finding in him a stalwart champion. The Lutheran church of Pontiac numbers him among its most active and helpful members and he has served in various official capacities therein. In the community where they have spent their entire lives both he and his wife are most widely and favorably known, the circle of their friends being almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintances. LOUIS ERF. Louis Erf, who is extensively and successfully engaged in farming and dairying, is the owner of the Hickory Dairy Farm, comprising a tract of two hundred and thirty acres of rich and productive land in Peru township. It was on this place that his birth occurred, his natal day being July 28, 1866. His parents, Philip and Dorothy (Heyman) Erf, were both natives of Germany, the former born in 1832. When a young man of twenty-one years Philip Erf came alone to the new world and, securing employment as a farm hand, was busily engaged in the work of the fields for several years. Believing that the United States afforded broader opportunities than could be obtained in his native land, he then sent for his parents, Jacob and Kathryn Erf, and his two brothers, Anthony and Jacob, all of whom took up their abode in Huron county, Ohio. When he had accumulated sufficient capital, Philip Erf, the father of our subject, bought a small tract of land in Peru township and as his financial resources increased added to his holdings by additional purchase until at the time of his death he owned more than five hundred acres. The prosperity which he enjoyed was the direct result of his untiring and well directed labor and he was recognized throughout the community as a most successful, enterprising and representative citizen. He served as school director and township trustee in Peru township and also held other positions of public trust, ever discharging his official duties in a prompt and capable manner. His demise, which occurred in January, 1894, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for his upright and honorable life had gained him the kindly regard and friendship of all with whom he was associated. His wife was but a little maiden of twelve years when she crossed the Atlantic to the United States in company with her parents, William and Johanetta Heyman. She still survives at the age of sixty-nine years and now makes her home with her son, Louis. Her other children are as follows : William, who is a resident of Lyme township ; Lydia, the deceased wife of A. P. 209 - PHOTO OF LOUIS ERF 210 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 211 Horn, of Lyme township ; and Oscar, who is professor of the dairy department in the Ohio State University at Columbus. Louis Erf obtained his education in the schools of Monroeville, Ohio, and after his father died took charge of the old homestead farm, which has since been in his possession and which has remained his place of residence from his birth to the present time. It is one of the finest farming properties in the entire county and the commodious and substantial residence thereon was erected by his father in 1867, but he has since made many improvements in the way of modern conveniences. His place is known as the Hickory Dairy Farm and in the conduct of both his agricultural and dairying interests he has met with a highly gratifying and commendable measure of success, being a man of sound business judgment and unfaltering energy. He was one of the promoters of the Star Creamery Company at Monroeville and is now a member of its board of directors as well as one of its stockholders. He is likewise the president of the Farmers & Citizens Bank of Monroeville, one of the promoters and stockholders of the Hess Hardware Company of that place and a director and stockholder in the Perfect Silo & Cement Company of Sunbury, Ohio. Possessing excellent executive ability and keen discrimination, his cooperation has been sought in the management and control of various other concerns and he has gained wide and favorable recognition as a leading and respected resident of his native county. On the l0th of February, 1897, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Erf and Elizabeth Henninger, a daughter of Jacob and Kathryn (Spatz) Henninger, of Monroeville. By this union there are three children: Philip, Clifford and Dorothy. In his political views Mr. Erf is a stalwart democrat and has served as school director in Ridgefield township, while at the present time he is treasurer of Peru township. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic lodge at Monroeville, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Evangelical church. His life is exemplary in all respects and he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to uplift and benefit humanity by his own high moral worth. What he undertakes he accomplishes, for he possesses resolution, perseverance and reliability, and these qualities have caused him to be enrolled among the best citizens of this part of the state. EDWARD MUSHETT. Edward Mushett, engaged in agricultural pursuits in Ridgefield township, Hu- ron county, Ohio, was born upon the farm on which he now resides April 18, 1871, a son of Alexander and Jane (Harpster) Mushett. The former, who was born in New York in 1825, came to Ohio when a young man in company with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Mushett. The family home was established in Ridgefield township, where Alexander Mushett spent the rest of his life, devoting his time and attention to the occupation of farming. He was a democrat in politics and gave stanch support to that party. His wife was a native of Ridgefield township and a daughter of Philip Harpster and she passed away at an early age, leaving three chil- 212 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY dren to mourn her loss, of which number Edward, of this review, was the youngest. Frank, the eldest, resides at Monroeville, Ohio, and Nellie, who married Fred Hohler, lives on a part of the farm operated by Edward Mushett. Her husband is at present mining in the gold fields of Alaska. After the death of his first wife Alexander Mushett wedded Jemima Simmons and both are now deceased, the former passing away January 12, 1907. On the farm upon which he was born Edward Mushett was reared to manhood, acquiring his education in the district schools and assisting in the work of the fields. He has never followed any other occupation than that of farming nor has he had any, desire to engage in any other line of business inasmuch as he has been most successful in his agricultural pursuits. He now owns a third interest in the home farm upon which he resides. It consists of one hundred and forty-four acres of land, which was originally cleared by his father, who also placed all 0f the improvements upon the place. On the 24th of October, 1900, Mr. Mushett was united in marriage to Miss Anna Enderle, a daughter of Charles and Louisa (Kerris) Enderle, of Groton township, Erie county, Ohio, and unto them have been born three children, Leona, Clifford and Ellen, all at home. Mr. Mushett belongs to the Lutheran church and he also holds membership in the National Protective Legion. He is highly esteemed throughout the community by reason of his genuine personal worth and sterling traits of character. He is public-spirited in citizenship and always lends his aid on the side of reform, progress and improvement, while he stands inflexibly for truth and justice on all occasions. AMBROSE FRAYER. The man to whom above all others the village of Greenwich owes its progress and the excellence of its municipal improvements and also its financial prosperity, is Ambrose Frayer. This public-spirited citizen was born in Greene county, New York, in the Catskill mountains, July 7, 1820, and is a son of Isaac and Charity (Leming) Frayer, who came with their family to Huron county, Ohio, in 1832, and engaged in farming. They had seven children: Ambrose, Loren, Philea Ann, Elliott, Earl, Amanda and Evaline, all of whom grew to maturity, though Ambrose and Evaline are the only ones who have survived to the present. The father died in 1889, at the age of eighty-three, outliving his wife by twenty years, she having died at the comparatively early age of forty. They were a highly respected couple, for they possessed many sterling traits of character. Ambrose Frayer grew up at home and remained under the guidance of his parents until he was twenty-one years of age. He received his education at the little log country school and by reading at home in the chimney corner, with a hickory torch for a light. These were not large opportunities for winning a knowledge of books and men, but even as a boy he was a great reader, and through his association in later years with persons of high education has become a man singularly well informed upon matters of general interest and competent to render discriminating and good judgment. When he attained his majority he left the parental roof and HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 213 engaged in farm work for others by the month. He soon was able to buy a tract of wild land, which he cleared, and to this kept adding until he had a farm of two hundred acres. He was successful from the start, and this place was but the nucleus of the six hundred and forty acres which he afterward possessed, all excellent land. For a number of years, in addition to his farming he raised fine thoroughbred horses and was about the first to introduce full blood merino sheep into Huron county. In these lines, as in agriculture, he prospered well, and he became known throughout the state and elsewhere as the breeder of roadsters of the finest quality. Upon both sheep and horses his judgment was often eagerly sought. Always alert to see the possibilities for improvement, he patented a fanning mill and a gate, the rights to manufacture which he sold in other states, thereby reaping a considerable amount. He established a factory for the making of the fanning mills at Plymouth, which was successfully conducted for a number of years. At the same time he engaged in general farming and the success of one seemed never to be gained at the expense of the other. His interests in the welfare and advancement of Greenwich are just as numerous and have borne just as profitable returns. The size of the village and business conducted there demanded a local bank and Mr. Frayer was foremost in the organization of the Greenwich Banking Company—the first bank established there, It was incorporated under the banking laws of the state of Ohio, with a capital of twenty-five thousand dollars, Mr. Frayer being vice-president at the time of its organization, and at one time president. Later he severed his connection with that bank and assisted in the organization of the First National Bank of Greenwich, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, becoming vice-president, which position he has held to the present time, in this way having a guiding hand upon its affairs. It has Leen a very successful institution and has always been conducted along conservative lines. His other important commercial interest is that of the Greenwich Creamery Company. As both township trustee and treasurer he served the people for a number of years, and for a long period was a member of the village council. While filling the latter office he proposed and carried to completion many municipal improvements of which the residents are now very proud, though in the beginning they opposed such progress. It owes its splendid water system and electric lighting plant to his agitation and also the brick paved streets. In short he has always stood for advancement and better conditions. Mr. Frayer has been married twice, his first wife being Miss Adeline Lee, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Smith) Lee, of Huron county. Of this union there were born five children : David 0. ; Luella, deceased, the wife of Samuel Kelso of Mussell Fork, Missouri ; Eugene ; Mary, now Mrs. Arthur T. Burnell ; and Lina, who married Dr. Harry Fulstow, of Norwalk. Of these Eugene is a lawyer in New York city, and Mr. and Mrs. Burnell are prominent educators. Mrs. Frayer died September 19, 1874, and Mr. Frayer married Mrs. Lucy A. Mickey, the widow of Thomas Mickey. She passed away March 26, 1901. Appreciating from his own lack of it the value of a fine education Mr. Frayer has given his children the best that could be obtained, and they have all made excellent use of the advantages thus put within their reach. They are well established in life, and all are progressing in their various vocations. 214 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY Mr. Frayer has always been a very active man and at the age of eighty-nine, he retains his interest in public affairs and looks after his business concerns as he has for many years past. He still owns a fine farm of four hundred acres, although Mr. Nelson Van Aken, who has been in his employ for twenty-six years, superintends it. In the fraternal organization to, which he belongs he is also active. He was one of the charter members of the Greenwich Lodge, No. 543, F. & A. M., and has held all offices in the blue lodge. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and has been connected with the order for ty-three years. In religious matters he gives his support to the Congregational church and has always been intimately identified with the affairs of that body. In short, to sum up the results of his many years, no man has wielded a broader influence for good and progress than has Mr. Frayer. If the good health of the past is vouchsafed him in the future- an idea of which may be gained from the fact that he has never found the need of glasses for even the finest print—there is every reason to look for the extension of this influence. WILLIAM E. JOINER. William E. Joiner, who has the distinction of being the oldest assessor in Greenfield township and in fact in Huron county, was born in the house in which he now lives, September 8, 1839, and is the son of Azias and Philura (Newberry) Joiner. The father was born July 20, 1797, in Colerain township, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, where his father, William Joiner, was a school teacher. In the spring of 1818 he came to this county from Cayuga county, New York, having made the greater part of the journey on foot. He bought a tract of two hundred and fifty acres in Greenfield township and in 1825 returned to Connecticut to obtain the deed to his land. He came back immediately and made this farm his home until his death. In 1831 he married Miss Philura Newberry, who for almost half a century was his companion on the highroad of life, enduring the hardship of living in an uncleared forest, for Mr. Joiner had much work to do before he could cultivate his land. Unto them were born three children : William E., of this review; Wallace O., born March 22, 1842, a resident of Hillsdale, Michigan ; and Mary, who was born January 5, 1844, and died October t0, 1871. She was the wife of Watson T. Smith, also deceased. Mrs. Joiner was called to her final rest December 29, 1887, and her husband followed in a little more than a year, his death occurring May 16, 1889. He was a man of fine education and a great reader, who had ever evinced a fondness for mathematics. He was a public-spirited man as well and had held the office of township trustee. In the affairs of life he had prospered, through , hard work, careful attention to details, and good management. William E. Joiner has lived on his present farm all his life. He was permitted a longer school period than many youths of the country can enjoy, for he was twenty-three before he discontinued his lessons. He took a course in double and single entry bookkeeping for he had looked forward to entering the commercial world and winning success and a reputation as an accountant. It was his father's wish, however, that he return to the farm and conduct its affairs—a wish in which the son HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 215 acquiesced. He has been fortunate in his agricultural experiments, his fields are models of careful cultivation and his crops reveal what hard work may do. He has also entered into the life of the township. He is known as the oldest assessor of Huron county having been first elected thirty yearls ago on the republican ticket. He has since served sixteen years, and on the occasion of one election received all but one of the votes cast in his township. On the 14th of September, 1865, Elder Hahurst pronounced the words that made William E. Joiner and Miss Emma L. May man and wife. The ceremony was performed at North Fairfield, Ohio, and the union has been blessed with two children: Erminnie L., born March 17, 1867, became the wife of Charles H. Swigard, a civil engineer, who has charge of the irrigation improvements in the state of Washington, but she died June 26, 1891. They have one child, Minnie L., who lives with her grandfather, William E. Joiner. Hattie, the second daughter, married E. H. Bouten and lives at North Fairfield, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Joiner have also reared a niece, Dessie, the daughter of Watson F. Smith, who is now married to George Trimmer and lives at Peru, Ohio. Mr. Joiner is a member of the Congregational church and takes a prominent part in its work. A man of ability and unquestioned integrity, he has won a place in the hearts of the residents of his township, as was attested by the fact that there was but one dissenting vote at his election to the position he has held s0 long, and in. fulfilling the duties of which he takes such a pride. WILLIAM HAMILTON McPHERSON, SR. William Hamilton McPherson, Sr., a prosperous and progressive agriculturist of Bronson township, where he owns a farm comprising one hundred and sixty-one acres of land, was born in Greenfield township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 14th of June, 1842, his parents being James and Jane (Arthur) McPherson. The father was born in Scotland in 1814 and in early life accompanied his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William McPherson, on their removal to Lond0nderry, Ireland, but a few years later the family came to this country, locating on the farm in Bronson township, Huron county, Ohio, where our subject now makes his home and where his grandfather died. His father, James McPherson, became a resident of Greenfield township and lived there until his death. In his family were three sons : George, John and William H. Our subject's maternal grandparents were John and Mat- tie (Easterly) Arthur. William H. McPherson, of this review, remained a resident of his native township until IN came into possession of his grandfather's old homestead in Bronson township in 1888, living here continuously since. He is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land, to the cultivation and improvement of which he devotes his time and energies. In the operation of his farm he displays practical and effective methods which produce good results, as seen in the abundant harvests which he annually gathers. Mr. McPherson has been married twice, his first union being with Miss Lucy Wheeler, a daughter of John Wheeler, by whom he had three children : Arthur, 216 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY William H. and Scott. Following the death of his first wife he was again married, on the 29th of June, 1881, his second union being with Miss Margaret Mutch, whose birth occurred April 28, 1861. Her parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (Davidson) Mutch, were natives of Scotland and, emigrating to America about 1858, first located in Canada but subsequently crossed the border into the United States. By his second wife Mr. McPherson has two children, namely : Clyde, born in 1883; and Glenn, who was born in 1890. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. McPherson has given his support to the men and measures of the republican party and is at present serving as a trustee of Bronson township. Fraternally he is identified with the Maccabees, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church at Olena, Ohio. In the county where he spent his entire life, now covering a period of more than two-thirds of a century, he has gained an extensive circle of warm friends by reason of his upright and honorable manhood. PHILIP HERNER. Philip Herner, numbered among the successful and enterprising agriculturists of Peru township, owns a half interest in the farm of one hundred and eighty- seven acres on which he resides with his brother Fred. He was born in Sherman township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 12th of December, 1862, his parents being ~hedwsandLena (Hilderbrand) Herner, both of whom were natives of Germany. In early manhood the father crossed the Atlantic to the United States and took up his abode in Sherman township, this county, where he made his home throughout practically the remainder of his life, devoting his attention to the cultivation of a farm of eighty acres which he had purchased. His demise occurred in Peru township in 1905, when he had attained the age of sixty-eight years, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1904 at the age of sixty-seven years. Their union was blessed with thirteen children, the record of whom is as follows : Mary, who is the wife of Christ Bauman and resides in Indiana ; Margaret, who gave her hand in marriage to Lawrence Linder, of Peru township ; Phedius, living in Peru township ; Emma, who is deceased ; Philip, of this review ; Elizabeth, who is the wife of George Schild and makes her home in Peru township ; Kathryn, the wife of Charles Schild, who likewise resides in Peru township ; William, of Monroeville, Ohio ; Jacob, who has passed away ; Minnie, who is the wife of Albert Heyman, of Sherman township ; Charles, living in Greenfield township ; Fred, who wedded Miss Minnie Herbin, by whom he has two children, Gilbert R. and Arthur F. ; and Lottie, who is also deceased. Philip Herner spent the first ten years of his life in Sherman township and obtained his education in the district and German schools at Pontiac. Since the age of ten years he has made his home in Peru township and has always followed agricultural pursuits as a means of livelihood. The farm of one hundred and eighty-seven acres which he owns in partnership with his brother Fred was purchased by them from their father and they have brought the property under a high state of cultivation and improvement. Alert, enterprising and progressive, 217 - PHOTO OF MR. AND MRS. PHILIP HERNER 218 - BLANK HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 219 they have met with a well merited measure of prosperity in their farming operations and have gained favorable recognition as representative and substantial citizens of the community. The brothers belong to the Lutheran church at Pontiac and their honorable and upright lives have made them well worthy the regard which is uniformly accorded them. M. C. PRICE. M. C. Price needs no introduction to the readers of this volume for he is at the head of the Norwalk Piano Company, one of the leading commercial institutions of the city of Norwalk. Moreover he is a worthy and honored representative of one of the oldest and best known families of this part of Ohio. He comes of a family of English-Welsh descent and the sterling qualities of the founder have been reproduced in the descendants. The Prices and Hatfields are supposed to have laid out the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1664, Christopher Price leased Price's Commons, now an important part of the city, for ninety-nine years. He afterward exchanged his lease of land for a horse which he mounted and rode over the mountains to Lexington, Kentucky, where he reared his large family. His descendants have never sought to figure prominently in public life, but have been of the solid and substantial men and women of their various communities where they have acquired good homes and won honorable names. Of this family, Governor Price, the founder of Leesville, Ohio, is a representative. When on a visit to Pennsylvania, he met Miss Sarah Rippeth, who afterward became his wife. They returned to Lexington, Kentucky, and to them were born the following named : Kit, William, James, John, Joseph, Basil, Joshua, Benjamin, Linda, the wife of John N. Adair, a merchant and hatter ; Anna, the wife of Dr. Lawthers ; Mrs. Sarah Smith ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Dr. Watkins ; and Mrs. Rebecca Brisbin. In about 1812, Governor Price rode on horseback from Lexington, Kentucky, and spent the night in a log cabin where the cemetery is now located. He bought a tract of land and returned to Lexington and when he again came to Ohio made his way up the river to Steubenville, a sparsely settled town. He was accustomed to hard work and immediately commenced the task of felling the trees and building a log cabin but the primitive home was soon afterward replaced by a brick dwelling. The family made their linen from the flax which they grew and their sugar from the maples in their camp. Governor Price was a farmer, but much of his time was spent in clearing land. He laid out the town of Leesville and at a public dinner the lots were sold at auction. In early manhood, he became a member of the Baptist church, but afterward united with the Universalist church and always took an active part in its meetings. He lived a life of usefulness and died honored by all. His sons settled principally near Leesville, although a few of the family went west, James Price of this family was born at Lexington, Kentucky, November 17, 1799. He came up the river with is father, Governor Price, in a rowboat when about two years old and when they stopped for dinner, he was left on the bank 220 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY and was not missed until they were several miles up the stream when the family returned for him. As a boy, he assisted in clearing up the land and afterward, learned the cabinetmaker's trade, becoming an expert workman. On the 14th of June, 1821, he married Miss Mary Holmes, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Holmes. She died October 2, 1865, and James Price afterward wedded Mrs. Gartrell. Mr. Price lived to see cities established where forests stood and the few friendly Indians disappear before the advancing modern civilization. He was born when Ohio was still a territory and lived to see many states added to the Union. His life was spent in honest industry and was fraught with many good deeds and characterized by kindly assistance to others. He embodied in his life the truth of Christianity without its forms and won the respect and good will of all who knew him. His children were: Clun, Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Susan, Samuel E., Bazaleel, Isaac T., Rezin, James C., and Meredith C. Of this family, Clun Price was born April 2, 1822, acquired a common school education and took up the study 0f medicine with Dr. Smith, of Moorefield, Ohio. He was afterward graduated from the Cincinnati Medical College and successfully practiced his profession. He married Linda Hines and located at Birmingham, Ohio. Their children were: Meredith C., Galen, John, Will, Tude and Linnie. The sons all became connected with the drygoods trade. In politics, Mr. Price was a republican and he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Sarah Price, the eldest daughter of James Price, was born November 3, 1823, and was a lady of many excellent traits of character. On the l0th of April, 1843, she became the wife of Amos Carr, a teacher, surveyor and merchant, who was a natural leader among men and had influence, because of his personal worth and ability. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Carr were born the following named: Lorin, Ermina, Annie, Ada V., Lish and Lou. Of this family, Lorin was born in 1851, and he displays many of the sterling traits exhibited by his worthy father. After acquiring his education, he turned his attention to merchandising and later completed the study of law and was admitted to the bar, but abandoned his profession to accept a clerkship in the Ohio house of representatives. Later he became connected with the railway mail service. In November, 1875, he married Lillian Hunt and they had a family of two sons and a daughter. Ermina Carr, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Carr, was born February 2, 1856, was accorded good educational advantages, and in 1871, became the wife of Alfred Canaga, of the United States navy, who was formerly professor of naval tactics at Cornell University, Utica, New York, but is now deceased. They have one son, Bruce. Annie Carr, born October 25, 1858, married C. M. Rippeth, a successful and popular merchant, and has one child, Mina. Ada V., born December 24, 1859, was educated at the public schools of Baltimore, Maryland, at Scio College, and the Valparaiso (Indiana) Normal, from which institution, she was graduated. She was no less esteemed for her educational attainments than for her splendid womanly qualities, and has made an excellent record as a teacher. Lish Carr, born May 15, 1865, attended the Leesville schools and later was graduated from Campbell University at Holton, Kansas. She married W. F. Holmes, a farmer near Leesville. Lou Carr, born April 24, 1867, was graduated from the public schools of Clinton, Missouri, winning honors in scholarship, and on the 22d of October, 1888, she married A. D. Walker, an attorney of Holton, Kansas. HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 221 Susan Price, a daughter of James Price, was born August 20, 1825, and died October 16, 1855. Her life was characterized by many noble qualities and kindly acts which endeared her to all who knew her. Elizabeth Price, the next member of the family, was born January 17, 1827, and became the wife of Ecton Roby, but both are now deceased. Their children were Maud, the wife of Webster Heron, a prominent business man of Columbus ; Eva, the wife of Charles Wheaton, of South Bend, Indiana ; and Merritt. John Price, another son of James Price, was born October 12, 1829, and became a millwright. When a young man, he went west, secured employment at Taylorville, Illinois, and soon formed a partnership in the milling business. He has developed an extensive enterprise, his trade extending over several states. His wife bore the maiden name of Hattie Cogle. Samuel E. Price, the next member of the family, born October 31, 1831, was educated in Hopedale College and afterward engaged in teaching school for a time and then read law with Judge Hance, of New Philadelphia. He married Miss Carrie Smith, principal of the New Philadelphia schools, and removed to Clinton, Missouri, to practice law. In his profession, he has shown marked ability, attaining high rank among the lawyers of that locality, while he and his wife have been active in educational work. He has been chosen and served as president of the board of education of Clinton. Bazaleel Price, born October 8, 1833, was educated in the common schools and began clerking for his brother-in-law, Amos Carr, at Leesville, while later, he became proprietor of the store, being regarded for many years as the leading merchant of Harrison and Carroll counties. In business matters, he was a man of strict integrity, never weighing any act in the scale of public opinion, and his career was at all times useful and honorable. He was a strong abolitionist, who did valuable service in the anti-slavery cause and became an enthusiastic republican, but supported Horace Greeley in 1872, and afterward voted the democratic ticket. On August 7, 1856, he married Jennie Burr, a daughter of the late Dr. Joseph S. Burr, and they had three children, Orrin, Wendell and William. Of these Orrin was born February 24, 1859, and was married October 30, 1879, to Clara Finney. For years, he was in charge of one of the departments of the Joseph Horner Dry Goods Store, of Pittsburg. His brother William, born April 3, 1866, occupied a similar position with Giddings Brothers & Bent, of Colorado Springs. Wendell, born April 15, 186o, was graduated from the Northern Ohio University, August 28, 1883, and in 1889, married Florence Head, an accomplished musician and graduate of the, same school. Wendell Price became well known in educational circles as principal of the Leesville schools. James C. Price, son of James Price, Sr., was born November 5, 1835, and when eighteen years of age learned the mason's trade and as a contractor, built various churches, schools and public buildings. In 1859, during the Pikes Peak gold excitement, he with three others from Leesville, started for the gold fields and at Kansas City, bought an outfit for the trip. There they connected themselves with a wagon train of fourteen teams and seventy men and after a journey of seven weeks reached Denver, which at that time contained little but a government postoffice. Proceeding on their way to Colorado Springs, they met thousands of prospectors, who were devising all kinds of means whereby they might return to 222 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY the states. Of the party of seventy, only four remained. Mr. Price with a young man from Vermont, opened up a claim in what was then called Russell's Gulch, where they worked five men at two dollars and a half per day and board. Mr. Price spent his time prospecting between Mountain City and Pikes Peak and to the head of the Arkansas river. In the fall they returned to the states for winter quarters, again returning to the mines as before. In 1861, James C. Price returned to Ohio and in 1862, enlisted in the Forty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. At the close of the war, he did contract work in Cadiz, Uhrichsville and New Philadelphia. He married Miss Martha English, of Mastersville, and afterward became proprietor of the United States Hotel at Leesville, Ohio. His children are : Burdell, Neva, De Forest and Fay. Judge Isaac T. Price, a brother of James C. Price just mentioned above, was born November 27, 1837, and after acquiring a good literary education took up the study of law, was admitted to the Ohio bar, and afterward removed to Holton, Kansas, where he soon found clients and friends. His ability being of 'a high order, he easily won election three times to the office of probate judge. He has a family of four daughters : Effie, Ella, Myrile and Floy. Rezin Price, born February 26, 1840, learned the woodworkers trade and for a number of years engaged in the furniture business and undertaking, but later entered the employ of the Edna Piano & Organ Factory, at Monroeville. He enlisted in the Union army and met all the hardships and privations of military life. He married Miss Jennie Kail and they became parents of three daughters and two sons : Effie, Pearl, Merritt, Orlo and Marie. Merideth C. Price, born May 25, 1846, another son of Clun Price and the immediate subject of this review, was two years old when adopted by his grandfather, James Price, Sr. Under his care, he was reared to manhood. He was still pursuing his education when, constrained by a spirit of patriotism, he put aside his text-books and offered his aid to the government in February, 1864, en- ' listing when a boy of seventeen years as a member of Company A, Eightieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was made a drummer boy and what he lacked in years he made up in valor and loyalty, sharing with the other soldiers in the many hardships of war, particularly the famous march to the sea. At the close of the war, July 8, 1865, he received his discharge and when he returned home resumed his education as a student in Mount Union College, where he remained until 1867, when he assumed the management of the drygoods store, owned by his uncle, B. W. Price. He remained with his uncle until 1874, and then established business on his own account as proprietor of a jewelry and music store. A year later, he bought out a stock of general merchandise and carried on business in the old Millisack corner until the fall of 1878, when he purchased the Crawford corner and thereon erected a model business block at a cost of nearly ten thousand dollars. Seeing the advantage of a newspaper, he established the Times and later on also published the Plaindealer from the Times office. On the 5th of December, 1890, he sold his stock to A. F. Kail and became the largest stockholder and also the manger of the Edna Piano & Organ Company, of Monroeville. He figures as one of the best known men of Leesville and contributes in large measure to the enterprise and upbuilding of the town, as well as to his individual success. He became the most extensive real-estate owner of the town, making investments HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY - 223 from time to time in property, and paying more than double the taxes of any other citizen. For twelve years, he remained in active connection with the Edna Piano & Organ Company and then established business in Norwalk, opening a piano and organ store in the Williams block on West Main street, under the name of the Norwalk Piano Company. He brought to the development of this enterprise the same spirit of determination, industry and keen discernment that had promoted his success in former years, and was soon at the head of one of the most important undertakings of this character in his section of Ohio. His store was fitted up as a handsomely furnished parlor, containing easy chairs, divans and tables, large mirrors and many beautiful pictures. The rooms contained also a large stock of pianos of many makes, including the Chickering, Kimball, Ivers & Pond, Cori, Wisner, Boston, Nelson, Haddorff, Weaver, Krell, Winter, National, Lagonda, Foster, Royal and Ropelt. He also carries a line of the best known makes of piano players, together with all kind's of string and wind instruments, and a large line of music and musical sundries. The establishment is altogether attractive in its appointments and the kind of goods carried and the business has reached extensive and profitable proportions. His trade now amounts to about seventy-five thousand dollars annually and the business not only covers the state of Ohio, but extends into almost every state in the Union. It has been developed along modern lines of trade and commerce and is permeated at all times by a spirit of undaunted enterprise and of unfaltering perseverance, which are essential factors to success. Mr. Price has always figured quite largely in the public life of the community. Many times, he has been elected to offices of trust and sometimes the contest has been spirited, yet he has never been defeated. He is not only a favorite with the voters, but with all who know him, including his associates in business and his friends in social life. He is a good conversationalist with marked persuasive powers, to which his success as a salesman has been largely due. His business career shows' him to be a man of undaunted energy, capable of despatching an astonishing amount of business and inspiring his employes with the same enthusiasm which he manifests. While not all days have been equally bright, he possesses the adaptability that has enabled him to use each situation to the utmost in his efforts to attain honorable success, and frequently, he has thus been enabled to turn threatened failures into victories. It is characteristic of him that he has always been warmhearted, generous and liberal, often accommodating others at a sacrifice of his own interests, and it has been truthfully said of him that no man was ever refused a favor when it was within his power to grant it. These qualities have won for him the admiration of all and his life record also displays many acts of kindness and benevolence. His nature is by no means self centered for he looks at life from the standpoint of a broad-minded man, who recognizes and utilizes his opportunities, not only for promoting his own interests, but of doing good to others. It has been truthfully said of him that he never tried to crush a rival, but only to obtain legitimate leadership, and he has extended a helping hand on many occasions to those who were traveling the same road as himself. For many years, he was regarded as a central figure in business circles of Leesville, becoming equally prominent in Monroeville, and has now won for himself a place of similar honor and importance in Norwalk. 224 - HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY Mr. Price is pleasantly situated in his home life. He was married November 14, 1901, to Miss Florence C. Canby, and unto them have been born three children: Meredith Canby, whose birth occurred February 20, :003 ; and Charles Kenneth and Florence Emma, twins, born on the 1st of October, 1905. Mr. Price took deep interest in the Norwalk Centennial celebration, which was made a homecoming week, on which occasion, the men and women from all parts of the country returned to Huron county to again visit the scenes among which they had formerly lived. On the day which' was set aside especially for Monroeville, the band from that town gathered in front of the store of the Norwalk Piano Company, playing several selections in honor of Mr. Price, who with his characteristic hospitality, then invited the entire number to a dinner at the Avalon. This was an expression of his warm heart and the open handed qualities which have endeared him to his fellow men in strong ties of friendship. JOSEPH HOHLER. Joseph Hohler, well known in Huron county by reason of his former connection with mercantile interests and his present connection with agricultural affairs, lives in Peru township, where he owns ninety-nine acres 0f land. He was born in Pontiac, Peru township, on the 14th of March, 1856, his parents being Frederick G. and Catherine (Zipfel) Hohler, both of whom were natives of Germany. When fourteen years of age Frederick G. Hohler accompanied his parents on their emigration to the United States, the family home being established in Peru township, Huron county, Ohio. Here they purchased a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of timber land and for the first few years after their arrival in this county lived in a barn. This part of the state was still largely wild and undeveloped but they resolutely faced the hardships and privations of pioneer life and their labors proved an important element in the work of early development and upbuilding. Frederick G. Hohler, the father of Joseph Hohler, passed away in 1866 at the age of forty-six years. His wife was also called to her final rest in the same year, having attained the age of forty-two. She had likewise made the voyage to this country in company with her parents, who located at Monroeville, Huron county. Peter Hohler, a brother of Frederick G. Hohler, passed away in Peru township at, the venerable, age of ninety-five years. He was a stalwart adherent of the democracy and on that ticket was elected to the offices of assessor and township trustee, the duties of which he capably discharged for a number of years. Unto Frederick G. and Catherine (Zipfel) Hohler were born seven children, namely : August, a resident of Monroeville ; Peter, who is deceased ; Agnes, the wife of Mathew Gable, of Berea, Ohio ; Frances, who died at the Cleveland Sisters' Home, was a sister of charity, known as Sister Martin ; Joseph, of this review ; Leo, who lives in the old homestead.' in Peru township ; and Fred, who is in Alaska. In the acquirement of an education Joseph Hohler attended the district and German schools of Peru township, where he has resided from his birth to