600 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ledo (his wife, Alice, died in 1894 leaving four children); Elta Elnora, born October 17, 1865, died April 13, 1870; and Minnie Estella (Mrs. Sauerwein) born July 26, 1871. Mr. Smith died October 12, 1886. For twenty-one years he was school director, and several years served as township trustee, proving a capable officer. He accumulated a handsome property, and erected in Elmore one of its finest homes, which is now occupied by his widow and Mr. and Mrs. Sauerwein. He was a very prominent and influential citizen, enjoying the esteem of all who knew him. He was an active worker in the Christian cause, and had been an elder in the Presbyterian Church for many years up to his death. Mrs. Smith (mother of Mrs. Sauerwein) lived in her native State (Pennsylvania) up to the age of sixteen, receiving her education there, and thence removed to Ohio, where she has since resided, having since her marriage had her home in Ottawa county. Her father, James Logan, was born in 1802 in Ireland, came to America in 1820, and in 1834 wedded Mrs. Mercy (Sebring) McFall, who was born in Pennsylvania, in 1798. She had one child, Hugh, by her first husband, and three by her marriage to Mr. Logan, viz. : Mary Jane (Mrs. Smith); Elizabeth Macfallen; and Ann, who died at the age of twenty-four. Mr. Logan was for many years as elder in the Presbyterian Church. His father, John Logan, was a native of Ireland, where he followed farming; he married a Miss Miller, a native of Scotland. Mrs. Smith's maternal grandmother Elizabeth (Bennett), was born September 3, 1766, in Pennsylvania, and died June 25, 1855; she had nine children. Mrs. Sauerwein was born in Elmore, and completed her education in the public schools of her native city in 1886. She has made a special study of instrumental music, and is a fine performer on the piano and organ. In the family are two interesting children—Erma M., born October 27, 1892; and Olive Grace, born January 18, 1895. In politics our subject is a stalwart. Republican, but has never sought office. A prominent and active member of the Presbyterian Church of Elmore, he is serving as one of its elders and directors, and is also superintendent of the Sunday school. He does all in his power to promote the work of the church and advance the cause of Christianity, and his well-spent life has won him high regard in which his estimable wife also shares. CONRAD MILLER, who is widely and favorably known in Elmore, Ottawa county, was born January 8, 1852, in Westphalia, Germany, where he spent his boyhood days and attended school. His ancestors lived for some generations in that country. The maternal grandfather of our subject was born in Germany, in 1783, and was a miller by trade. The father of our subject, Simon Miller, was born in 1817, and learned the brick mason's trade, which he followed through the greater part of his life; he died in 1876, and his wife, Minnie (Henning), who was born in Germany, in 1818, survived until 1894. They were the parents of six. children: William, born in 1845; Fred, November 14, 1848; Conrad, January 8, 1852; William F., in 1855; Louisa, in 1858; and William F. in 1861. Fred and. Conrad are the only members of this family now living. At the age of eighteen Conrad Miller left home to learn the butcher's trade, serving a two-years' apprenticeship, and then following that pursuit in Germany for eleven years. He is now an expert, there being no kind of meat that he can not prepare. He was married November 5, 1876, to Miss Augusta Kroos, of Lippe Detmold, Germany, born in that country February 16, 1852. Her father, Fred Kroos, was there born in 1803, and died COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 601 in 1855. He was a gardener by trade and lived at Schoed mar, Germany. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Minnie Meyer, was born at Ahsen, Germany, in 1815, and died in 1870. Their family numbered six children, namely: August, who died at the age of eighteen years; William; Minnie Caroline; Fred, who died in 1889; Augusta and Henry. Of those. living Mrs. Miller is now the only one in America. She remained at home until eleven years of age, and from that time until her marriage cared for herself. To her husband she has been a faithful companion and helpmeet, aiding him in securing the competence which they now enjoy. In December, 1880, Mr. and Mrs. Miller sailed for America, landing in New York in January, 1881, and coming direct to Ohio. They located on a farm which was their home for six months, and then removed to the village of Elmore, buying a small place, which, however, was soon sold. Mr. Miller next purchased four nice lots and a fine residence on Fremont street, and to-day has one of the most pleasant homes in Elmore, characterized by its neatness both within doors and without. For five and a half years he engaged in clerking in the hardware store of Wolf & Bendig, after which he returned to his old trade, and for eight and one-half years he has been engaged in the butchering business, six years for Mr. Wittie. He thoroughly understands his trade, and his long connection with one store indicates the faithfulness and integrity that is above question. He and his wife have many warm friends, and are widely known. DR. HENRY JOHN HELLWIG, veterinary surgeon, Elmore, Ottawa county, is the son of honored pioneers of Ottawa county, Justus and Elizabeth (Lang) Hellwig. He was born June 23, 1868, on the old homestead farm near Elliston, Ohio, and acquired his education in the schools of that place, after which he engaged in the operation of the home farm for eight years, carrying on the place for his mother for some years after his father's death.. He there made a specialty of stock raising, keeping on hand fine grades of Percheron horses, and from his boyhood he has always been a lover of fine horses. In 1890 the Doctor went to New Hamburg, Canada, in order to study veterinary surgery with Dr. William Sterling, of that place. After six months he returned home to spend the summer, and then went to Toronto, Canada, where he took a regular course in the Ontario Veterinary College, from which he graduated in the class of 1892. When his studies were ended he located in Elliston, spending four clays in each week there and three days in Oak Harbor, practicing his profession. In the fall of 1893 he removed to Elmore, where, in two years, he has built up an enviable reputation as a veterinary surgeon, and enjoys a very extensive practice. On June 18, 1891, the Doctor was united in marriage with Miss Elva Hammond, of Elliston. Her father, Henry Hammond, was born in Harris township, Ottawa county, January 25, 1845, and is a thorough mechanic, having been employed by the Toledo Bridge Company for twenty years, superintending the erection of the bridges after the material is prepared. He served in the army for three years, where he was wounded, January 4, 1864. On April 11, 1866, Mr. Hammond married Emily Gyde, who was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, February 25, 1848, and for a time was engaged in teaching school in Ottawa county. Two children were born to them: Emily (Mrs. Hellwig), and William, the latter of whom is a bridge builder. The grandfather, Anson Hammond, was born in Ohio about 1820, and died in a hospital at Savannah, Ga., during the Civil war. His wife, who 602 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. bore the name of Margaretta Witty, was born in Germany, October 9, 1822, and died February 6, 1891. The maternal grandparents were William and Harriet (Meeker) Gyde, the former of whom was born in England, in 1813, and was a carpenter by trade, but also pursued the occupation of farming, while the latter was born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1829. Mrs. Hellwig was born in Elliston, Ohio, January 4, 1867, and, after attending the public schools of that place, was a student in the normal school of Oak Harbor. In 1884 she began teaching in this section of the State, and for six years was numbered among the successful and popular teachers of Ottawa county. Mrs. Hellwig is a member of the M. E. Church, and president of the Epworth League. Both the Doctor and Mrs. Hellwig have music-loving natures, his violin making an excellent accompaniment to her organ or piano, and in their home their friends may always be sure of a refined literary treat. JOSEPH SLIGER, one of the representative self-made farmer citizens of Benton township, Ottawa county, is a native of Pennsylvania, born March 28, 1848, son of Henry and Anna (Hardman) Sliger. Henry Sliger was born in March, 1818, in Bedford county, Penn., where he was reared to manhood, and on September 18, 1842, there married Anna Hardman, a native of the same State, born November 22, 1823. To their union were born eleven children, six of whom are living, Joseph Sliger being the only one in Ohio. They came to Ohio in 1852, settling in Richland county, where Mr. Sliger cleared up a farm and made a.comfortable home for his family, living there until about 1868, when he sold out and removed to Sandusky county. Here he cleared another farm and became owner of a nice property, which he lost by sign ing papers to assist his friends in business. Here his wife died, and shortly afterward he went to Michigan, where he passed away April 7, 1886. Mr. Joseph Sliger's maternal grandfather, Jacob Hardman, was born about 1790 in Pennsylvania, and came thence with a team to Richland county, Ohio, where he died in 1860; his wife, who was born about 1790, died in 1856. Joseph Sliger was a mere child when his parents came to Richland county, Ohio, where he lived until eighteen years of age, obtaining his education in the district schools. At the age of twenty-three he was married September 14, 1871, to Miss Jenette Smith, of Sandusky county, Ohio, and they settled in Sandusky county, where they remained for six years. They then came to Section 11, Benton township, Ottawa county, where they bought forty acres of mill land, not a foot of which was cleared. There was no road to their new home, and they cut a road through the timber some distance to get onto their land, on which they built a frame house by addition to shelter them, and at once began clearing away the timber that they might raise something for their sustenance. On going over the farm now one would not realize the work that has been accomplished by him and his faithful wife in the developing of that part of the township; the land is all cleared, not only of timber, but also of stumps, is well fenced, and equipped with comfortable buildings, and the well-kept condition of the place and all the surroundings gives evidence of the neatness and taste of the owners. In connection with general agriculture he is also engaged in bee culture, having at various times nearly forty swarms, from which he has sold 100 gallons of honey in a season, and for seven seasons he has also operated a threshing outfit, in which business he has made a reasonably fair success. In addition to his own home business he has done much contracting in the line of get- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 603 ting out timber for different parties. Mr.. and Mrs. Sliger have always been busy, striving to make home pleasant for themselves and their children, and their efforts have resulted in a very cheerful and happy home. Mrs. Jenette (Smith) Sliger was born May 7, 1851, in Sandusky county, Ohio, where she lived until 1877, acquiring at the public schools as complete an education as the times would afford. Her mother dying when she was quite young, her help was needed in the home, and this somewhat curtailed her advantages for an education, for which she had a great desire. Her elder sister, Calesta, was a teacher and away from home much of the time, thus leaving a great deal for Mrs. Sliger to do; but this early experience has of course added much to her success in managing her own home, and she has been of great assistance to her husband in securing the home. To Mr. and Mrs. Sliger have been born four children: Newton, August 31, 1872; Anna, June 18, 1874; Edwin, August 14, 1885, and May, May 8, 1890, of whom Edwin died when only two months old. The others are living with their parents on the farm, and have been very faithful in helping them in various ways. Special mention should here be made of Newton and Anna; they have improved every opportunity to secure an education, having adopted the profession of teaching. In addition to their country schooling, Newton attended the high school at Rocky Ridge for a time, and Anna the high school at Oak Harbor, leaving when in her senior year to accept a position as a teacher, which occupation she has followed for three years, and is now among the most promising teachers in Ottawa county. Newton taught one term, and was obliged to discontinue the work on account of his health. They are truly ambitious, self-made young people, and, if health permits, they will no doubt make creditable records for themselves. Daniel Smith, father of Mrs. Sliger, was born in Pennsylvania July 11, 1814, and December 6, 1834, was married to Miss Jenette Holcomb, who was born June 3o, 1815. To them were born seven children, four of whom are living—two sons and two daughters. Daniel Smith was one of the first justices in Sandusky county, an office he held for thirty-three years. The grandfather, Daniel Smith, Sr., was born about 1777, and in his family were thirteen children. They were among the pioneers of Sandusky county, coming to this region when it was a forest, out of which they cleared up a farm and made for themselves a comfortable home. [To the above sketch Mr. Sliger adds in the early part of November, 1895: " We are packing our household goods preparatory to starting for Los Angeles, Cal., where we intend making our future home. "—Editor. REV. ERNEST WALTER YAECKER, son of Robert and Louisa (von \Veber) Yaecker, was born in Duesseldorf, Germany, May 8, 1867, was educated in the scientific schools of Germany, and took the theological course in the Northwestern College of Illinois, from which he graduated in 1888. Carl Yaecker, the father of Robert Yaecker, was born in Germany, February 7, 1812, and died in that country in 189o. Robert Yaecker was born April 17, 1838, in Kronenberg, Germany, and he now lives in Duesseldorf. He married Louisa von Weber, who was born in Pohlhausen, Rhine Provinz, Germany, in 1838, and they had eight children, seven of whom are now living, all in Germany except the subject of this sketch. An uncle of Rev. E. W. Yaecker was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, and died in Andersonville prison. Robert Yaecker was for a time in the hardware business, sold out and is now foreman in a large iron pipe factory. At one time he had a nice sum of money in one of the banks of Germany, 604 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. but lost much of his hard earnings in consequence of the failure of the bank. His wife, Louisa, died in Germany in 1871. Her parents, who were descendants of German nobility, died at an advanced age. While in Germany Rev. E. W. Yaecker learned the trade of truss and limb manufacturing and followed it for some time. He embarked for America in 1885, and encountered a severe storm at sea, during which the machinery of the vessel got out of repair, and they were adrift for half a day until repairs could be made, when the vessel proceeded on her course. Soon after reaching America our subject took up his theological studies, and since his graduation has been engaged in the active work of the ministry. He was first located in Cleveland for one year as pastor of the Evangelical Association (he is a member of its Erie Conference), after which he preached at Elliston, in Benton township, Ottawa county, for one year, was located for four years in Pennsylvania, and then returned to Elliston, where he has been since March, r 894. He fills three appointments, all in Benton township, namely: Elliston, Rocky Ridge and Blackberry, in which there is a large membership. Since coming to Benton township he has received his naturalization papers, which were issued 1890. On May 8, 1890, the Rev. E. W. Yaecker was united in marriage with Miss Mary Albertine Kopf, who was born August 11, 1869, in Munster, Alsace-Loraine, and they have had three children—Walter Ernest, born September 27, 1891; Robert Arthur, June 13, 1893; and Henry Emerson, September 10, 1894—all living. Mary A. Kopf, now Mrs. Yaecker, came to America at the age of five years with her widowed mother, who settled in Cleveland, Ohio, and she was educated in the schools of that city, graduating in 1883. Mrs. Yaecker has also made a study of music, and is proficient on the organ and piano. Her father, Albert Kopf, was born in Muhlburg, Baden, Germany, in 1824, and died in the Fatherland in 187 r. Her mother, whose maiden name was Ruhland, came from a wealthy family and was born at Munster, Germany; she is now living in Cleveland, Ohio, where she located upon coming to America. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kopf were the parents of three children, Mrs. Yaecker being the only one of them now living. JACOB S. PICKARD, proprietor of the only barber shop in Rocky Ridge, is one of the best in his line in Ottawa county. He is an Ohioan by birth, having first seen the light August 4, 1840, in Wayne county, where his early years were spent. At the age of six he was bound out, and the people with whom he lived, instead of sending him to school, kept him doing little errands for them, thus depriving him of even a show for an elementary education. At the age of eight years he ran away from those to whom he was bound out, and went to work for a farmer for three dollar per month, remaining with him five years. At the age of thirteen he took up the carpenter's trade with his brother, working at same one and one-half years for his board and clothes. He then went to work on a farm again for eight dollars per month, and so continued until the outbreak of the Civil war. In 1861 Mr. Pickard enlisted for three months in the Seventeenth Ind. V. I., at the end of that time re-enlisting, but his health was so poor that he was rejected. He remained at home for six months, and having somewhat regained his health he entered, in August, 1862, Company E, Sixty-fifth O. V. I. ; he was again taken sick, and in the fall of 1863 was discharged, but at the end of eight months he had so far recovered that he again enlisted, this time in the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth O. V. I., and served out his time. Mr. Pickard was in several COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 605 skirmishes, and in the hot battles of Cumberland Gap and Shiloh. In the fall of 1864 he went to Nashville as teamster for the government, and there remained for five months. In January, 1865, he went to Graytown, in Benton township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, to work in the sawmill of Walker & Harman, with whom he continued some ten years. About 1875 he began work in the stave factory of Joseph Traults, at Graytown, where he labored four years; then, after spending several years on a farm, he took up and learned the barber's trade. He is self-made in his vocation, and is known as one of the most skillful tonsorial artists in the county. Mr. Pickard has a neat place of business, and, it being the only establishment of the kind in Rocky Ridge, he has all the custom he can conveniently handle. He has purchased a comfortable home on Third street, and has met with well-merited success, being now able to enjoy life as he deserves. On August 14, 1865, Mr. Pickard was married to Miss Nancy Ann Bennett, of Port Clinton, and to their union were born six children, their names and dates of birth being as follows: Annie, September 5, 1868; William Henry, November 27, 1870; Alvin Francis, September 8, 1872; George Frederick, January 22, 1875; Lanoria Jane, October 4, 1876; Jacob J., January 8, 1883; of whom, Alvin F. died May 6, 1875; Jacob J. died June 29, 1883; and Annie died May 29, 1884; Lanoria Jane is married to Frank Kiser, of Rocky Ridge; 'William H. is engaged in the stave business in Paulding county, Ohio; George F. is a clerk for C. F. Frese & Co., of Graytown, and is known as a capable, energetic young man. Mrs. Nancy Ann Pickard died April 7, 1883, after eight years' illness, and Mr. Pickard then remained a widower a few years, caring for his three remaining children. In 1887 he was married to Mrs. Bell Morgan, of Rocky Ridge, by whom he had the. following children: Frank S., born July 17, 188-, deceased August 28, 1890; and Ella Belle, born January 1, 1890. On April 1, 1895, Mr. Pickard was married to Mrs. Jennie Baker, of Rocky Ridge, a lady of Scotch-Irish descent. The parents of our subject were John and Mary (Shrolley) Pickard, the former of whom was born in 1797, in Pennsylvania, and passed from earth in 1882, in Benton township, Ottawa Co., Ohio. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Pickard were John and Ellen Pickard, the former of whom, born in Germany in 1740, died in 1858, at the advanced age of one hundred and eighteen years; the grandmother was born in Ireland in 1742, and died in Indiana in 1858, being one hundred and sixteen years old. For twenty years prior to his death the grandfather was blind and deaf. The parents of Mr. Pickard's first wife were of French descent. WASHINGTON D. SMITH, who was one of the brave defenders of the Union in the war of the Rebellion, is a son of James A. and Jane (McCormick) Smith, and was born in Harris township, Ottawa county, Ohio, February 7, 1837. James A. Smith was born in Virginia, June 5, 1806, and his wife, whose maiden name was Jane McCormick, was born in Canada in 1811. They had nine children-five sons and four daughters-four of whom are now living. The father of James A. Smith was John B. Smith. Mrs. James A. Smith's father was born in Ireland. Washington D. Smith remained at home until he was nineteen years of age, then went to Indiana, where for two years he worked on the Wabash and Erie canal, and also on a farm. He then returned to Ohio, and learned the stone and brick mason's trade, which he had just completed at the outbreak of the Rebellion. On April 27, 1861, Mr. Smith responded to President Lincoln's call for seventy- 606 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. five thousand men for three months, enlisting in Company I, Twenty-first O. V. I. He served his time and immediately re-enlisted in the same company for three years or during the war. In 1863, under the bounty plan, he again re-enlisted, receiving the four-hundred dollars bounty for three years or during the war. Mr. Smith was in some of the hardest battles of the Rebellion, among which may be mentioned those of Stone River, Chickamauga, and Atlanta. He was also with Sherman on his famous march to the sea. After the battle of Chickamauga he was taken prisoner October 2, 1863, was held only four days, and then allowed to return to his regiment. Mr. Smith regards as one of the most interesting scenes he ever witnessed the battle of Missionary Ridge, which he viewed from a distance of three miles. He was in the grand review at Washington at the close of the war, then returned to Ohio, has since given his attention to his trade and to farming, and for the last twenty-three years has lived in Benton township. Politically Mr: Smith is an ardent supporter of his party's ideas. He is a member of the G. A. R., of the I. O. O. F.., and of the P. of H. On July 25, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Davenport, of Carroll township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, and they have had four children, as follows: James Edson, born June 27, 1871, died March 11, 1880; Emma, born October 10, 1872; Lula, born November 5, 1875; and Mary Elizabeth, born September 6, 1886. Mrs. W. D. Smith's father was born in 1807 in Ohio;• her mother was born in 1809. They had nine children—four sons and five daughters—five of whom are still living. Miss Emma Smith, the eldest daughter of W. D. Smith, was born in Harris township, Ottawa county, where she lived until three years of age, when her parents moved to Benton township. As did also her young sisters, she acquired a liberal literary education in the public schools of Graytown. She has been away from home the greater part of the time since sixteen years of age, and is at present, and has been for the past four years, engaged in Decatur; at the time of this writing she was at home visiting her parents. Lula Smith, the second daughter of the subject of these lines, was born November 5, 1875, in Benton township, where she has since lived. She was educated in the public schools of Graytown, in Benton township, and completed her course of studies in 1894, under the supervision of Principal A. L. Ferris. In October, 1894, Miss Lula began her work as a teacher in one of the public schools of Carroll township, Ottawa county, where she has very successfully taught her first year. Her ambition is to pursue her studies further as soon as possible, and to make of herself a professional teacher. ALFRED C. JOHNSON, manufacturer of brick and tile, Martin, Ottawa county, and superintendent of and stockholder in the Toledo White Lime Company, was born February 7, 1850, in the Kingdom of Sweden, son of Charles Johnson, who followed the occupation of fishing in that country. When our subject was but a year and a half old his father died, and when Alfred had reached the age of six years the mother came with her family to America, locating in Sandusky, Ohio. His educational privileges were very meager, and he early began to earn his livelihood in connection with the fishing business. He then began sailing on the lakes, following that life until twenty-four years of age, when, thinking he might bend his energies to a more profitable business, he came to Martin, Ohio, and entered into partnership with his father-in-law, A. E. Salisbury, in the stave manufacturing industry, with which he was connected until 1886, at the same time also enigag- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 607 ing in mercantile pursuits at Martin. In 1886 Mr. Salisbury withdrew, and Mr. Johnson continued the enterprise alone until 1889, when he embarked in the brick and tile manufacturing, business which he yet conducts. In 1880 Mr. Johnson entered the employ of the Toledo White Lime Company as superintendent, and has since served in that capacity, operating the works at Clay Center, Ohio. In 1890 he became one of the stockholders in the company, and the two industries with which he is now connected yield him a good income. Through his business ability and progressive ideas he has succeeded in making the lime works a paying concern, and under his supervision many improvements have been made in the kilns, and in the use of the best machinery. He is now superintending the construction of a branch railroad which is to be run from the factory to Clay Center, and he has charge of the erection of a new kiln in connection with the present one. On October 13, 1875, Mr. Johnson married Miss Mary Salisbury, daughter of A. E. Salisbury, a prominent business man of Martin. She was born October 22, 1855, in Randall, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, was educated at Martin, Genoa and in Berea (Ohio) College, and made her home with her father until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson now have one daughter, Lottie A., who was born July 5, 1876, in Martin, where she attended school, completing her literary education in the high school of Toledo, after which she entered a business college of that city, taking a full business course. She is now a bookkeeper, stenographer and typewriter in the office of the Toledo White Lime Company, and is a most estimable young lady, possessed of superior business ability. His success in life Mr. Johnson owes to no man, it being the reward of his own efforts. He began life without capital, but energy and industry are the traits of character which have brought him success. He was self-educated, and is entirely self-made, but possesses good business ability, and the energy and determination that helped him to accomplish whatever he has undertaken. His straightforward dealing in all transactions has won him the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been brought in contact, and his life furnishes an example well worthy of emulation. His political support is ever given to the Republican party, of whose principles he is a stanch advocate. The family reside in Toledo. JOHN McINTYRE LEMMON. Few men are better or more favorably known throughout northern Ohio, or indeed throughout the State, than was the one whose name is here given. In the various relations of citizen, soldier, member of the bar and judge upon the bench, his record has been so full of all that is to be emulated in the conduct of life that it is with more than ordinary pleasure we include a sketch of his career in this volume. Necessarily condensed, owing to the limitations of such a work, we present only tho salient points, from which, however, a correct idea can be obtained of the character of the man who possessed the love and admiration of his fellow-citizens, as well as the respect and esteem of all who ever had dealings with him. Judge Lemmon was a native of Ohio, born July 25, 1839, in Townsend, Sandusky county, a son of Uriah Blake and Emily Amanda (McIntyre) Lemmon. His ancestry were Scotch-Irish, and he inherited much of the vigorous, .well-balanced temperament which marks that race. His father's family, in this country, is traced back to Hugh Lemmon, who left Ireland when seventeen years old, coming to New York, where he learned the trade of a tailor, at which he worked for several 608 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. years. He then removed to Pennsylvania, where he married into a family named McHenry, of Scotch origin. He had a family of twelve children, of whom James Lemmon, Sr., the grandfather of our subject, was the second. He was born in Northumberland county, Penn., July 17, 1779; was married to Rebecca Blake in '805; was a volunteer soldier in the war of 1812; removed to Ohio in 1827, and died at his home on North Ridge, Townsend, Sandusky county, May 7, 1854. Uriah Blake Lemmon, the father of our subject, died at Clyde, this State, February 16, 1887, when nearly seventy-nine years old. His wife departed this life July 12, 1860, in Townsend township, Sandusky county. The present generation can scarcely comprehend the manner in which the early settlers of this and other western States were obliged to live, in those early days. The country was wild and sparsely inhabited. It was miles to the house of the nearest neighbor; the only and chief mode of travel was by ox-teams; no roads were laid out, no bridges built; dense forests surrounded the log cabin of the lonely settler. It depended on his strong right arm to wrest from the wilderness a living for his little family, and too often sickness and death resulted from the too great labor, and on the mother's weaker shoulders was placed the burden of caring for her little ones. The home in which Judge Lemmon opened his eyes upon the world differed but little from those which abounded throughout the West. A log cabin with two rooms, in this case one above the other, through whose chinks peeped the sun by day, and the moon by night; innocent of lath and plaster, the crevices daubed with mud which needed constantly to be renewed to keep out the heat of summer and the chilling rains and snows of winter. The only heat to be obtained was from an immense fire-place in one end of the living room, at which, also, all the cooking was done. It was lonesome in the little home until the faces of children brightened the bare interior and childish voices rang out among the trees, and doubtless the mother's heart often longed for her girlhood's home while the weary hours stole on, her husband hard at work and often absent for a week at a time. The home place comprised 120 acres of land which our subject's father purchased at a low price, and which was covered with heavy timber. He was a carpenter by trade, and worked at this after he was married, by this means supporting his family, while in the few leisure hours he had he cleared off his farm and prepared it for cultivation. It was a hard life, and involved an amount of labor which few men of the present day would care to undertake. Of such stuff, however, were our pioneers made, and we who reap the benefits of their toil can never sufficiently thank and honor them. The father of Judge Lemmon was a man of limited education, but of excellent judgment and practical wisdom, and determined that his children should have all the advantages that he could afford them. His wife was well-educated, a great reader, and possessed fine conversational powers. Until he was about twelve years of age Judge Lemmon attended the district school, which was then held for three months in the winter and three and a half in the summer. Soon, however, his help was needed on the farm, and he was reduced to the winter term only. When eighteen years of age he attended a select school for six weeks. These tastes of knowledge only gave the ambitious boy a hunger for more, and he employed all his spare time in studying, so well profiting thereby that at the age of nineteen he secured a teacher's certificate and took charge of a school at Clyde. At the close of this school he entered Oberlin College, remaining there three terms. He then taught school again for several terms, and in the spring of 1859 accompanied an uncle to Missouri, where COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 609 he located in Memphis, the seat of Scotland county. In November of the same year Judge Lemmon went to Jefferson City, Mo., where he took the decisive step of his career, beginning the study of law under James Proctor Knott, then attorney-general of that State. During the time he spent there he met and became acquainted with men who afterward were well-known characters in the Civil war, among them being Sterling Price, Claiborne Jackson, afterward governor, Stringfellow and Atchison. In 1860, owing to the illness of his mother, the young lawyer returned to Ohio, and read law in the office of J. R. Bartlett, of Fremont, and in the winter following took charge of the school in his home district. When news of the firing on Fort Sumter reached Fremont on that eventful April day in 1861, young Lemmon did not hesitate as to his duty. He enlisted in Company F, Eighth O. V. I. , for three months' service. Before the company left Fremont, however, he was taken with the measles, and did not rejoin his company until the regiment reached Fort Denison; soon afterward he was again taken sick, and was compelled to go home. In October of the same year, having regained his health, he again enlisted in Company B, Seventy-second O. V. I., which was organized under Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. It may be mentioned incidentally here, that at a reunion of this regiment held in Fremont in October, 1893, Judge Lemmon read a most interesting biography of Gen. Buckland, who served throughout the war with great bravery, and who was afterward elected to Congress. While waiting for this regiment to be completely organized, Mr. Lemmon went over the county making speeches in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and urging his friends and neighbors to enlist. On January 18, 1862, his regiment was sent to Camp Chase, and thence to Cincinnati and Paducah, where it was placed in a division under Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman. His first fight was on April 2, 1862, two days before the battle of Shiloh, and at that memorable battle his regiment saw hard service. It is a curious circumstance that the only injuries Mr. Lemmon received in his military career, which lasted throughout the entire war, were received on the first two days of the battle at Shiloh. On the first day he was wounded in the left arm by a musket ball, and the next day a ball struck his right arm, benumbing it so that he lost the use of it for a time. In the afternoon of the same day he was disabled by a shell from the Rebel batteries exploding and throwing a heavy piece of timber against him. Mr. Lemmon was in the expedition under Gen. Grant which started November 26, 1862, and went as far as Oxford, Miss., and on the return accompanied his regiment to Moscow, Bolivar and Corinth. This expedition was full of hardships and privations. After the surrender of Vicksburg, he was in the siege of Jackson under Sherman, and then in the expedition to Brandon, Miss., which to him was the hardest service seen during the war. The weather was exceedingly hot, and he was on provost-guard duty a part of the time, They marched back to Jackson under a burning sun, and he received a sunstroke which affected his eyes so that they were never afterward strong, and also his head, which troubled him in extremely hot weather. In June, 1864, Mr. Lemmon was detailed as judge-advocate of a military commission in Memphis, which was a military court organized for the trial of criminal cases for violation of both common and military law by citizens. Some very important cases were brought before this court, and one man, convicted of being the leader of a band of guerrillas, was hanged. Judge Lemmon served for seven months as judge of this court, and was relieved at his own request, having gained an enviable reputation for the manner in 610 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. which he performed his responsible duties. Judge Lemmon participated in the campaign, under Gen. .Canby, against Mobile, and in the siege of Spanish Fort, whence his command was marched to Montgomery, Ala., and the welcome news received that the war was at an end. Two hundred guns were fired in honor of the great event. During his service Judge Lemmon, who enlisted as a private, was promoted to a second lieutenancy, May 23, 1862, and was made captain July 23, 1863. In June, 1865, the war being over, Judge Lemmon was mustered out of service, and returned home. He had been married, March 29, 1864, to Miss Annie Covell, at Perkins, Erie county, this State, and, as his health was poor on his return from the army, he settled in Clyde, a quiet little place, where he pursued his law studies, practiced his profession, and also carried on the business of claim agent and insurance agent. On June 11, 1886, he was elected the first mayor of Clyde, and in April, 1867, was re-elected to the same position. His law practice now grew so large that he gave up all other occupations, and devoted his entire time to his profession. He became widely known as thoroughly conversant with every phase of legal knowledge, and as a man of unerring judgment and great ability. In 1881 he received a flattering offer to go to New York City and devote himself entirely to corporation law at a large salary, and where he would have undoubtedly made both fame and fortune, but his love for a quiet and retired life prevented his acceptance. In October, 1866, Mr. Lemmon was appointed, without solicitation on his part, as the successor of Charles P. Wickham, judge of the common pleas court of the First Sub-division of the Fourth Judicial District of Ohio. He had only shortly before declined to accept the nomination for the same office at the hands of his party friends. In 1887 he was again asked to fill the place, but declined, as he did not then wish to wholly give up his practice. In the summer of 1887 Judge Lemmon, with his wife, made a tour through France, England, Scotland and Wales, the first vacation which he had enjoyed in twenty-three years of incessant activity, hoping thereby to gain renewed health and strength. In July, 1888, however, he was seriously threatened with nervous prostration if not with paralysis, from which, later, he fully recovered. He died August 17, 1895, at his home in Clyde, deeply regretted by all who knew him. His last days were days of comfort and peace, for he had secured a comfortable competence, and felt that he had completed his part in the busy world. He was a Republican, and though not an active politician did much for the good of his party. His character was above reproach, and his record as a jurist unsurpassed in the State. WILLIAM H. LACHMILLER, one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citizens of Benton township, Ottawa county, was born in Elmore. same county, April 25, 1858, son of William and Mary (Rohterd) Lachmiller, who settled at Elmore in the year of his birth. The boyhood of our subject was passed in attending the public schools of Elmore up to the age of fourteen, when he was confirmed in the German Lutheran Church, of which he is still a member. When fifteen years old he removed, with his parents, to Woodville, Sandusky county, where, for seven years, he assisted his father in the manufacture of wagons, and soon after his marriage, in. 1881, he removed to Benton township, Ottawa county, where he has since been identified with business interests, first engaging as clerk in the store of C. F. Frese & Co. At the end of two years he severed his connection COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 611 with this firm and embarked in business for himself, engaging in the lumber trade in company with Peter Lickert, under the firm name of Lickert & Lachmiller. On March 1, 1885, Mr. Lickert sold out his interest in the concern to Frese & Co., the name changing to Lachmiller & Frese Bros., and so continuing for four years, when Mr: Lachmiller purchased the Frese Brothers' share, thus becoming sole owner of the business. At the end of one year he sold a third interest to his brother-in-law, John F. Shoemaker, purchasing this share again, however, in 1894, since which time he has conducted the business alone. He carries a stock of lumber, shingles, etc., ranging in value from $5,000 to $10,000, and his large and flourishing trade is ever on the increase, the hum of the mill being heard unceasingly from 7 A. M. to 6 P. M. In 1883, when Mr. Lachmiller ventured into business, he had but $1,000, which he invested in his plant, going in debt for the remainder, and by diligent attention to his affairs he has not only succeeded in paying that debt, but now has a lumber stock and mill free of all in-cumbrances, the value of which is not less than $17,00o. Aside from the lumber industry and his large mill Mr. Lachmiller owns property in Graytown, Oak Harbor and Toledo, valued at $10,000. By the foregoing it will be seen that in the short space of twelve years this comparatively young man has, by his own individual efforts, made for himself the snug fortune of over $25,000. This is indeed a business record of which any young man would have great reason to feel proud. Many a young man has become wealthy by inheritance; but for a man to start with only $1,000, and in the short period of twelve years work out a fortune such as he has, is a record of which few can boast. Mr. Lachmiller is very public-spirited, takes great interest in educational matters, having for eight years been a member of the school board of the village of Graytown, and is justice of the peace in the township where he now lives. On April 28, 1880, Mr. Lachmiller was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eliza Shoemaker, of Woodville, Sandusky county, who was born in Sandusky county September 18, 1860, daughter of a thrifty farmer of that section. She received a liberal education in the public schools of Woodville, where she spent her girlhood days. At the age of fourteen she was confirmed in the German Lutheran Church, of which she is still a member. To Mr. and Mrs. Lachmiller have been born five children, all of whom are living, their names and dates of birth being as follows: Bertha, January 25, 1881; Achsa, January 26, 1883; Eddie, May 30, 1885; Leah, September 5, 1887; and Emory, January 23, 1892. The eldest, Bertha, has now nearly completed the course in the public school of Graytown; she has a decided talent for music, of which she will make a specialty, it being her parents' intention to give her the advantages of a course in some institution where this—one of the finest' of the arts—is thoroughly taught. William Lachmiller, father of our subject, was born in Germany, February 26, 1827. He served in the standing army of his country two and one-half years, attaining the rank of lieutenant two years before his discharge. In 1854 he came to America, and in 1855 settled in what is now Toledo, Ohio, then but a hamlet, where he at one time owned the block of property between Oak and Adams streets, on Summit street. He purchased this block for $400, selling it one year later for $500, and it is now valued at half a million. In 1857 Mr. Lachmiller came to Elmore, where he yet resides, hale and hearty at the ripe old age of sixty-nine years. In 1857 he married Miss Mary Rohterd, who was born in Woodville November 5, 1839, and their entire married life has been passed in Sandusky and 612 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Ottawa counties. Nine children were born to them, eight of whom are still living, the eldest being William H. This record would be incomplete without mention of Mrs. Lachmiller's parents. They were among the earliest settlers of Sandusky county, coming here when the county was a wilderness, and the only path was the Indian trail. Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker cleared for themselves a home in this region, and many a time has Mr. Shoemaker carried a grist on his back to Fremont, a distance of twelve miles. Thus our ancestors labored, and we enter into the fruits of their labors. GEORGE MYERHOLTS, a substantial farmer of Benton township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, is one of the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Myerholts, and was born November 13, 1865, in Harris township, Ottawa county, where he lived until eighteen years of age. He then started out to seek his fortune, with fifty cents in his pocket. He obtained employment in Sandusky county on a farm; receiving $18 per month the first season and $19 the next. He was employed by his father the next four summers, receiving $20 a month, and spent the winters " batching in the wilderness," clearing on his father's land in Benton township. As he was now twenty-one years old, and having saved $500, he and his brother John bought forty acres of timbered land, and they worked diligently, clearing and cutting timber. Two years later forty acres more were purchased, and another two years saw them the owners of 120 acres, one hundred being under cultivation and well underdrained, with a fine house and outbuildings, and an orchard planted. They lived together while clearing their farms, doing their own cooking. During the autumn of 1891 they dissolved partnership, John taking eighty acres and George forty, while George purchased forty acres near by. He has now a fine farm of eighty acres, well under cultivation and underdrained, with a comfortable house and a fine barn, sufficiently large to hold his hay and grain. In the season of 1895 he raised 10o bushels of potatoes, 300 of wheat, over 2,000 of corn, and fifteen tons of hay. His farm is well stocked with horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. He has a fine orchard and vineyard, while the garden is well supplied with small fruits. On May 14, 1891, George Myerholts was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ferris, a daughter of James Ferris, of Benton township, and two children have been born to them: A son, born March 21, 1892, and died a week later; and Nellie Elizabeth, born March 1, 1893. Mrs. Myerholts, when a girl, was obliged to remain at home much of the time to assist in caring for the younger children, and was thus deprived of school advantages that the others enjoyed. She had some opportunity to attend the district school until thirteen years of age, but from that time until she was nineteen she was deprived entirely of every educational privilege. She then resumed her studies at the district school, and so thoroughly applied herself that at the end of eighteen months she obtained a teacher's certificate. She began teaching at twenty-one years, and followed that profession for six years. The worthy example and merited success of such young people furnish great encouragement to the young, as well as to those of mature years, and should prove strong incentives to industry and virtue. RICHARD BARNES, a thrifty and well-known farmer of Benton township, Ottawa county, is a son of Hamilton and Renew (Sweet) Barnes, and was born July 24, 1840, in Lorain county, Ohio. Hamilton Barnes, the father, was born COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 613 in 1803, in New York, lived there until thirty years of age, and then came to Ohio, where he died in 1893; the mother was born in New York in 1804. They were married about 1825, and ten children were born to them, four now living, viz.: A. H., H. S., E. L. and Richard. Grandfather Barnes was born about 1775, the grandmother about 1783. Our subject lived in his native county until twenty-four years of age, obtaining his education in the district school, which he attended during the winter until sixteen years of age. From the time he was twelve years of age he was obliged to work on the farm summers, with only a meagre opportunity for schooling even in the winter. At the age of sixteen he struck out in life for himself, and for two years worked on a farm for thirteen dollars per month, at the end of which time he returned home and worked the homestead for two years. Coming to Ottawa county, he worked here on a farm for one summer, and then going to Saginaw, Mich., he worked for one season in the salt works, after which he returned to Ohio. For one year he was laid up with typhoid fever, and on recovering he went to Elmore, Ohio, where, for some time, he was engaged in getting out stave timber. In 1864 Mr. Barnes was married to Miss Mary Yost, of Elmore, and he then settled on the old farm, buying out the heirs. In July, same year, he enlisted in Company H, First O. V. H. A., remaining in the service until the close of the war; he was in no special battles, his regiment being mainly engaged in foraging. In July, 1865, he returned to his home on the old farm, but after a residence there of two years sold out and settled in Section 14, Benton township; the township was at that time a forest, there being not even a road by which to reach his farm, and a road had to be cut before he could move on to his property. He at once erected a comfortable house, and settled down to clearing his new land. He remained here for fourteen years, when he purchased a place at Limestone on which he lived three years, and on selling out he came to Section 11, Benton township, where he purchased sixty acres more land. He and his brother now divided up their property, Richard taking the Limestone property and fifteen acres of the first piece purchased in Section 14. In 1882 he sold the Limestone property, and gave his entire attention to the improving of the farm whereon he now lives. The place is systematically cultivated, and a fine orchard, good fences and comfortable buildings add considerably to its appearance and value. To Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have come two children: Phoebe, born January 14, 1865, died May 23, 1883; and Bertha L., born August 16, 1868, married February 16, 1893, to Oliver Kincaid, of Nevada, and had one child, Leah, born March 25, 1894, died October 25, 1895. Mrs. Mary Barnes was born in Harris township, Ottawa county, December 17, 1846, attended the Portage River schools, obtaining what education could be gained therein in her day, and lived in her native township until her marriage to Mr. Barnes. Her father,. John S. Yost, was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, her mother, Phoebe Ferris Yost, in Clark county, Ohio, December 25, 1814. There were seven children in their family, six of whom are living—three in Kansas and three in Ohio. EDWIN H. FALL, member of the enterprising firm of A. Couche & Co., exporters of logs, is one of the prominent and highly respected citizens of Port Clinton, Ottawa county. He is a native of Ohio, born September 5, 1860, in Fremont, Sandusky county, a son of Amos W. and Hannah (Kistler) Fall, who have been 614 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. residents of Port Clinton for the past thirty-five years. Amos W. Fall followed sailing on the lakes for about twelve years or until 1873, when he commenced working for Alphonse Couche in the lumber business, attending to the elevators in shipping grain and lumber, and getting out timber for shipment to Europe. For a number of years he was traveling purchaser for Mr. Couche, and had the management of large shipments of various kinds of timber and lumber to domestic and foreign ports, his wide experience thus acquired having been of great service to him in the conduct of the business of the firm since Mr. Couche's death in 1891. Mr. Fall was married March 8, 1859, at Fremont, Ohio, to Miss Hannah Kistler, and the children born to this union are Abbie E., Edwin H., Jennie E., Mary, Ida B., Josephine, Amos W., Jr., and Alice, all born in Port Clinton, Ohio, except the eldest two. Our subject grew to manhood in Port Clinton, Ohio, where he attended school during the winter seasons and worked at various jobs in the employ of Alphonse Couche during the summer seasons. He worked for" noother man. He began by hauling sawdust, and later, was employed at everything in the sawmill and outside, in regard to the shipment of timber, lumber and grain. He also traveled occasionally, as salesman and purchaser for Mr. Couche. In the month of March, 1882, he commenced working in the office as bookkeeper, which position he has held ever since, and in June, 1887, he became equal owner; he also has charge of business outside the office. From his long acquaintance with the details of the business firm, and his care and fidelity in the performance of his duties, he was entrusted with the general management in the absence of Mr. Couche, who between 1886 and 1891 spent from six to eight months of each year in France, going in the fall and returning in the spring. In August, 1894, Mr. Fall was appointed guardian for the minor heirs of Alphonse Couche. In November, 1894, he commenced on his own account, and independent of his log-exporting business, dealing in lumber, building material, wood and coal, in which line he is enjoying a lucrative patronage. In fact he is one of the busiest men in Port Clinton, where he is popular in both business and social circles, being a gentleman of pleasing address and genial disposition. On July 1, 1885, Mr. Fall was married to Miss Emma J. Richardson, who was born December 8, 1863, in Portage township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, daughter of David and Pauline (Adleman) Richardson, and the names and dates of birth of their children are as follows: Clara P., April 1, 1886; Arthur E., December 15, 1887; David W., November 16, 189o; Mable M., November 21, 1892, and Edwin H., June 11, 1895, all born at Port Clinton, Ohio. JOHN STANG, contractor of public works—government, railroad, etc.—capitalist, merchant and banker, whose residence is in Lorain, Ohio, is one of the most progressive and busiest of busy citizens in the " Buckeye State." A native of Germany, he was born February 19, 1836, in Allmershausen, Hessen, a son of Augustus and Margueritha (Herwig) Stang, of the same nativity. At the district school of the neighborhood of his birthplace our subject received a liberal education up to the age of fourteen, when, like all other boys, he was put to learn a trade, the one chosen for him being that of woolen-cloth making—chiefly broad-cloths. There being several branches in that business, it took Mr. Stang five years to complete his apprenticeship, at the end of which time he resolved to turn his face toward the New World, and emigrate to a land where there was more scope for a young man of COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 615 ambition. One of the main reasons for his leaving the Fatherland was his dislike to the system of the German Government in compelling young men at the age of from twenty to twenty-five years to serve for three or four years in the army, and giving for their services only their board and clothing, whether in time of peace or time of war. At the age of nineteen Mr. Stang set sail from the port of Bremen, and after a voyage of fifty-three days—during which long passage the vessel was nearly shipwrecked, the foremast having been completely dismantled by a stroke of lightning —the ship reached New York, a. sorry-looking craft, but the passengers were safely landed October 16, 1855. From that city Mr. Stang at once set out for Lorain (then called Black River), Ohio; but on his arrival there he found there were no woolen-mills, and consequently he had to turn his attention to some other trade than the one he had learned. There being a shipyard at Black River, he secured employment therein at seventy-five cents per day, and worked hard to acquire that trade, in the meantime learning the English language. Soon he received more wages, and when the shipyard stopped from the lack of orders for new vessels, he took up house-carpentry (chiefly among farmers); but in 1859, house-building being very quiet, he bought a half interest in a small lake vessel, and went sailing. Now his first serious misfortune happened to him—the breaking of his leg while trying to make port in a storm, which accident laid him up for six months, during which time he lost all his savings, including his interest in the vessel. On his recovery Mr. Stang commenced business " on his own hook," to use his own expression, as contractor in house and barn building, also sub-contracting for part of vessel work, as well as erecting mills, and whatever came in his way in that line. He found people very kind, all the work he could do being given him, and he was never out of a job. Thus he - 39 - continued until 1864, in which year, there being a lively demand for ship timber and plank, he bought oak timber, which he cut, hauled and manufactured into bills such as the United States Government used for gunboats. This he shipped to New York by order of Hiram Smith, who had a contract for supplying an entire shipyard in that city. In 1865, the Civil war having closed, no more gunboats were required, and as the New York parties could not sell the lumber they had not used, they failed, taking down with them the contractor, Mr. Hiram Smith, of whom mention has just been made. Mr. Stang tried to collect from him, but found that Mr. Smith's wife owned all the belongings—the timber on hand, sawmills, house, horses, mules, wagons, etc.,—everything in fact; and as a consequence our subject lost nearly all he possessed, nothing being left him except nine yoke of oxen and two span of horses. As he had no work to occupy the animals on, he had nothing for it but sell them to satisfy his creditors; then getting together his carpenter tools he commenced the world afresh, poor in pocket but rich in experience. Succeeding in getting bridge work, at first in the county, later on railroads, he procured fresh teams and commenced the buying and selling of timber at Lorain, Cleveland and Buffalo, selling also a large amount for export, shipping from Quebec to England, and so securely protecting himself that he incurred no more losses. In this line he continued until about 1885. In 1873 he also constructed pile-drivers, building all the docks at Lorain for the C. L. & W. R. R. Co., as well as bridges on that road as far as the Ohio river. In addition to all this he built docks in Cleveland, and the first 1, i oo feet of the breakwater at that city, for the government, which class of work naturally caused him to drift into dredging. In 1881 he built all the docks for the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad Company, at Huron, Ohio, after which he 616 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. constructed the docks, and dredged from Erie, Penn., to Toledo, Ohio. He also built several government piers along the south shore of Lake Erie, and the range-light cribs in Sandusky Bay. For two years he dredged for the government at Bay City, Mich.; built railroad bridges from Cleveland to Akron for the Valley road, at the time of its construction, now some twenty-two years ago; in 1881 and 1882 he built all the wooden trestles, and put in the foundations for the iron and wooden bridges between Cleveland and Ft. Seneca and Wolf Creek, on the Nickel Plate road, putting in over two million feet of pine beside the oak timber, which contract amounted to $110,000; he put in the foundations for a double-track railroad bridge across the Ohio river, near Wheeling, W. Va. (while this work was in progress the Johnstown flood took place, and Mr. Stang came near losing his pile drivers, caissons, timber, rafts, etc., the water was so high in the river, and the under current so full of large rafts of logs, loose lumber, old bridges etc., the worst sight, he says, he ever set his eyes on, and, he adds, he would rather take his chances on Lake Erie any day). At Cleveland he built a dry-dock for the Ship Owners Dry Dock Co., and in 1885 he built foundations for the Cleveland central viaduct at a cost of $65,000, for the city, which bridge is nearly a. mile in length. In 1879 Mr. Stang bought a tract of timber land in Ottawa county, Ohio, erected a saw and stave mill, and cut off most of the timber, which land his son John J. is now farming. Our subject has also done some wrecking—raising sunken vessels, tugs and dredges, and pulling some off the shore when stranded, which was always hard and incessant work, there being no rest, day or night, till the job, once commenced, was successfully completed. During the past two years he has been busy dredging a harbor and river three miles south of Lorain, and got seventeen feet of water up to the Johnson Company Steel Plant at. Lorian, at which city he this season built the extension on the government pier. In addition to all the above-mentioned vast amount of contract and other work, Mr. Stang, in 1867, along with another-party, built a sailing vessel at a cost of $16,0o0, in which he had a quarter interest. She sank or was shipwrecked near Au Sable river, Lake Huron, while on her way to Chicago with a cargo, the-captain being drowned. The vessel was. raised, however, and Mr. Stang sold out his interest, though at a loss, as soon as she arrived at Buffalo. He built all the docks, for the past seven years, at Fairport, Ohio, and also at Conneaut, as well as the extension docks for the Sandusky & Columbus Short Line Railway Co., at Sandusky, Ohio. Among his commercial interests, he operates a grocery store, and is interested in the Lorain Fish Co., Lo.-. rain Lumber & Mfg. Co., of which he is. president, real estate and banking, being. "president of the Citizens Savings Bank. Co., of Lorain. He says his health is. good, and that he hopes to see Lorain built up to the dignity of a city before he. dies. Mr. Stang has been twice married, first time; in 1861, at the age of twenty-. six years, to Miss Mary Brown, of Lorain, Ohio, and by this union his home was blessed with two sons and two daughters, namely: Christina M., wife of H. Little; W. F. and John J., attending to their father's timber interests; and. Lizzie, wife of P. Jackson. The son John J. has for the past eleven years: operated the saw and stave mill already referred to, and been clearing the land. In March, 1872, the dear mother of these. children was called from earth, deeply lamented by all, and mourned to the utmost by her bereaved husband and family. In October, 1872, Mr. Stang be-. came united in marriage with Mrs. Catherine Brown, who had four children—all sons—by her first husband, who had died COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 617 five years before her second marriage. In his political sympathies Mr. Stang is a. stanch Republican, and an enthusiastic admirer of Lincoln and Harrison, his first Presidential vote being cast for the former. In religious faith he is a member of the German Evangelical Church, while, socially, he is affiliated with the Royal Arcanum, Knights of the Maccabees and Knights of Honor. Such is the record of one of the busiest men in northern Ohio, one, who from the commencement of absolutely nothing, a poor immigrant lad, has, by perseverance, assidious toil, sound judgment and a life of integrity, built up solid enterprises, established businesses on foundations of positive safety, and, withal, made for himself a name second to none in the commercial and social world. JOHN J. STANG, an enterprising and thorough business man of Benton township, Ottawa county, is the son of John and Mary (Brown) Stang, a biographical sketch of whom appears above. He was born. April 20, 1866, in Lorain county, Ohio, where he lived until eighteen years of age, receiving his education in the public schools, which he left just one year before completing the prescribed course of study. Mr. Stang came to Benton township, May 22, 1884, at the age of eighteen, and took charge of his father's extensive business in that township. He and his father together have 525 acres of land, on which are twelve acres of fruit, consisting of 500 apple trees, 500 pear trees, and 200 quinces. The orchard is young, but bids fair to become one of the best in that section of the county. On January 17, 1889, he was married to Miss Virginia L. Perry, of Lucas county, Ohio, and to them were born two children: Harvey Edward, October 14, 189o, and John Perry, October I, 1893. On January 2, 1895, after an illness of two weeks, Mrs. Stang died, leaving a kind husband and two little children, as well as many friends, to mourn their loss. She was educated in the schools of Lucas county, and made a special study of instrumental music, in which she was proficient, although she studied it only for her own pleasure and that of her friends. Her father, Moses Perry, was born February 9, 1830, and her mother on February 25, 184o, and both are yet living; their family consisted of twelve children: James, Victory, Maryettie, Virginia, William, Henry, Napoleon, Georgia, Pearly, Frank, Nelson and Albert, seven of whom are now living. Mrs. Perry's mother, Maryann Shovar, was born October 3, 182o, and her father, Henry Shovar, was born April 8, 1816; Mrs. Shovar died February 24, 1894, but Mr. Shovar is still living. DANIEL MUGGY. This gentleman takes prominent rank among the progressive well-to-do farmers of Ottawa county, especially in Benton township, where his industry and public spirit have been no small factors in the advancement of the community and the development of its interests. John C. Muggy, father of our subject, was born in Germany in 1816, and the mother, Ellen (McMahan), was born in Ireland in 1820. They came to America in early life, and not long after settling in this country they both happened to be engaged to work for the same family, the Johnsons, of New York City. Here they met, and they were married in Johnson's parlor about 1840. To their union came ten children, six of whom are living, Daniel being next to the eldest. John C. Muggy was one of the pioneers of Ottawa, county. He came here about 1852, and after clearing up one large farm removed to Catwaba Island, where he cleared one hundred acres of land and put out sixty acres to fruit, spending the remainder of 618 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. his life on that tract. When he landed in this country he had but fifty cents; at the time of his death his property was valued at $75,000, all accumulated by hard work and careful attention to business. The result speaks for itself, and our subject has no doubt inherited the energy and ambition of his pioneer father, for like him he is a self-made man, one who has earned his right to that title by hard work and judicious management of his affairs. The paternal grandfather of our subject was born in Germany in 1764, and was a teacher in the public schools of his native country during the later years of his life; he lived tc the advanced age of ninety-eight, and his wife, who was born in Germany in 1772, died at the ad-. vanced age of ninety-two. Mr. Muggy's maternal grandparents were born in Ireland, and died comparatively young. Daniel Muggy first opened his eyes to the world December 31, 1845, in New York City, living there until brought by his parents to Danbury, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where he had his home six years. The family then removed to Catawba Island, whence, after a residence of fourteen years, our subject came to Benton township, purchasing a farm in Section 3o, whereon he lived one year. He then purchased a farm in Clay township, same county, which he soon sold, and returning to Benton township settled on land in Section 13. Mr. Muggy has cleared up three large farms in Ottawa county, also developing a fruit farm on Catawba Island, and on all these tracts he erected buildings and made other valuable improvements. In 1887 he purchased his present farm in Benton township, which was all timber at the time, and in the eight years of their residence thereon he and his family have succeeded by hard labor in clearing the land entirely of timber, removing all the stumps, etc., and the place has been well fenced and equipped with good buildings—an achievement which is indeed worthy of notice. After the Civil war Mr. Muggy engaged in fishing for a time on Lake Erie; and, besides attending to his general agricultural interests, he has for the past several years been extensively engaged in fruit growing, having twelve acres in fruit; he has also for some time dealt in nursery stock. His business ability has never been allowed to rust for want of use, for since his removal to his present farm he „has, in addition to all his other interests, .been engaged in handling farm machinery, and the prosperity which has attended his labors is only the reward which is sure to follow persistent energy and attention to business. There is probably no man of his age who has aided 'more in the development of Benton township than Daniel Muggy, and he is now reaping the fruits of his toil in the enjoyment of the home which he and his estimable wife have, by their care and labor, converted into one of the finest farms in the vicinity. On December 23, 1868, Mr. Muggy was married to Miss Susan E. Tillotson, of Catawba Island. Roy, the eldest child is now in Lima, Ohio, engaged in the insurance business. George, another son, by profession a school teacher, was born on Catawba Island, where he lived until four years of age; his education has been obtained in the same manner that his father obtained his handsome farm, by hard digging; " he attended the district schools in. Clay township until fifteen years old, then in Benton township for three years, when he began teaching, a profession he has since followed; though yet young 'he is regarded as a leading educator. Unlike many young men he does not waste his summer vacations, but has helped his father on the farm. In addition to his study in the common schools he attended the Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio, where he thoroughly fitted himself for his chosen calling. He is now in St. Louis, Mo., as agent for the Oak Harbor File & Sup- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 619 ply Co., for the present season, but he will resume teaching in September. In his own neighborhood, where he is best known, he will probably have the same distinction as his father and grandfather before him, that of being a " self-made man," and he has a bright outlook for the future. Mrs. Susan E. Muggy was born December 11, 1847, on Catawba Island, where she attended the public schools, acquiring a liberal education, and remained in her native town until her marriage to Mr. Muggy. She is the daughter of 0. Tillotson (who was born in Cleveland in 18o5) and Elizabeth Wonnell (who was born in Maryland in 1817); the father died May 25, 1873, and was buried in Shook cemetery, Ottawa county, by the side of the mother, who had passed away on Catawba Island January I, 1858. They were the parents of three children--one son and two daughters. Mr. Muggy's history would not be complete without some mention of his long service in the Civil war. When eighteen years of age he enlisted in the battalion of sharpshooters formed at Cleveland by G. M. Barber, and he participated in many skirmishes and hard-fought battles, seeing active service at Chickamauga, Ringgold, Dalton, Resaca, Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, siege of Atlanta, Nashville and Atlanta. Though always in front and in the hottest of the fight, he went through the war without a wound or any sickness, a record equalled by few soldiers of the Rebellion. JOHN E. MYERHOLTS, an enterprising and prosperous young farmer of Benton township, Ottawa county, was born January 22, 1864, near Elmore, Harris township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where he spent his boyhood days, and received his education. Grandfather Myerholts was born November 1, 1794, and died July 2, 1857, at the age of sixty-three years; his wife was born December 18, 1797, and died March 21, 1892, aged ninety-five years. Grandfather Dusing was born July 18, 1804, and died April 1,188o, aged seventy-six years; his wife was born February 1, 1809, and died June 24," 1892, aged eighty-three years. Henry Myerholts, the father of John E., was born in Germany in 1832, and when two years old came to America with his parents, who settled on the pike near Woodville, Sandusky Co. , Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Henry Myerholts started out for himself in Harris township, Ottawa county, when twenty-five years old, cleared the farm where he now lives, and in 1856 was married. His wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, was born in Germany in 1836, and when a year and a half old came to America with her parents, who settled in Wood county, Ohio, where she was reared, receiving her education in the district schools of the township where they resided. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Myer-bolts had children as follows: Clara, born in 1857; Henry, in 1858; Ricca, in 1859; Fred, in 1861; John, in 1864; George, in 1865; Amelia, in 1867; Mary, in 1869; Louisa, in 1871; August, in 1875; and Lucy, in 1879. One daughter lives in Michigan, a son in Wisconsin, and the remainder in Ohio. The mother of Henry Myerholts (Sr.) was born in Germany, March 21, 1797, and died in Sandusky, Ohio, at the age of ninety-five years. When a young man John E. Myerholts came with his father to Benton township, where they purchased quite a tract of land, and he now has a fine farm of his own of eighty acres near that of his father. When he purchased the farm, it was nearly all timber, but by hard work he has cleared this away, and erected a nice frame house, a barn and outbuildings for his stock. The farm is now fenced, under good cultivation, and in every way shows the 620 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. care and industry of the owner. For several years prior to his marriage he and his brothers " bached," as they call it, cutting timber and clearing their farms in the winter, and at times having several men helping them. They worked in the woods until noon, then came up and cooked their own dinner. They did their own baking and cooking, John being a general cook and able to bake bread, pies, etc., and, in fact, do any kind of housework. Thus he worked on until the time of his marriage, when he had his farm well cleared and under cultivation, buildings completed, and all in readiness. On September 8, 1892, John E. Myerholts was united in marriage with Miss Emma Libba, of Sandusky county, Ohio, who is to him a faithful wife and helper, and they have one child, Mabel Hazel, born October 20, 1894. Mrs. Myerholts was born April 28, 1873, in Sandusky county, Ohio, where she was educated, and where she lived until her marriage. Her father, Mr. Libba, was born in Germany in 1833, came to America when quite young, and settled in Sandusky county, near Woodville, where he cleared a farm, making a pleasant home for himself and family. His wife was born in Germany in 1843 and came to America when sixteen years of age. Their children were: Henry, born in 1864; John, in 1866; Flora, in 1868; Anna, in 187o; Emma (Mrs. Myerholts), in 1873; William, in 1875; Edward, in 1878; Carrie, in 1880; and Rica, in 1884. All but one are living and are residents of Ohio. Mr. Myerholts has set out a nice orchard of apple trees, and before long will have an abundance of fruit for his own use and to spare. He is also somewhat engaged in the stock business. It is just to him to say, that, as a young man, he has made his mark in the world, securing a nice farm well cultivated, fenced and under-drained, with good team and tools with which to work. His record as a young farmer is one worthy of emulation. LOUIS WILSON WALKER SPOHN, a representative farmer and highly-esteemed citizen of Washington township, Sandusky county, Ohio, was born January 31, 1864, on the farm which is still his home, and is a son of David and Catherine (Spohn) Spohn. They were both natives of Pennsylvania, and, emigrating westward in 1854, took up their residence in Sandusky county, Ohio, where the father secured from the government forty acres of land in Washington township. This was a wild tract, on which not a furrow had been turned . or an mprovement made; but it had not long been in his possession when it was transformed into rich and fertile fields. Success attended his well-directed efforts, and as his financial resources increased he added two hundred acres to his farm. The improvements he placed upon it and the care and attention which he gave to it made it one of the most desirable properties in his section of the country, and the owner was ranked among the leading farmers. His death occurred in 1871, when he was aged fifty-seven years, and his wife, who survived him several years, passed away in 1885, willing the old homestead to her son, Louis. Our subject is one of the three living children in a family that once numbered thirteen members. The educational privileges which he received were those afforded by the common schools, but through contact with the world, experience and observation he has added greatly to his store of knowledge, and is today one of the well-informed men of the community. A well-spent life has also made him highly esteemed, and gained him the confidence and good will of many friends. An interesting event in his life occurred on the 4th of October, 1884, when was celebrated his marriage with Miss Mary Shenfield, a daughter of a well-to-do farmer of Washington township, Sandusky county. One child now graces COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 621 this union, a daughter, Bertha, who was born February 2 I , 1890. Mr. Spohn votes with the Republican party, and, as every true American citizen should do, manifests an interest in political affairs, but has never been an office seeker. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and his life is in harmony with his professions, while his upright, honorable career has gained him a wide circle of warm friends. He is a worthy representative of a family that has been connected with the history of Sandusky county since its pioneer days, and manifests a deep and abiding interest in all that pertains to the welfare of the community, and its upbuilding. EDWARD STONE, of Benton township, Ottawa county, is to-day one of the active men of Benton. He was born in Canada July 4, 1860. His father J. B. Stone, was born in 1804, in Canada, died in 1874, in Irondale, Clinton county, N. Y., and is buried in the cemetery at Redford, in the same county. His widow was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1824, and is still living in Boston, Mass. They were the parents of six children—three sons and three daughters, as follows: Edward, our subject; Henry, who is employed as a lumber contractor in Harriettstown, Franklin Co., N. Y. ; John B., a resident of Boston, Mass., a competent engineer, and at present running hydraulic presses; Jennie, living in Cambridge, Mass. ; Anna, in Chelsea, Mass. ; and Rosa, in Kittery Point, Maine. 7When Edward Stone was seven years of age, his people moved to New York State, where they lived until 1873, when, at the age of only thirteen years, he struck out in life for himself. His first move was to Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked in a meat market for two months. He then went to Toledo, remaining only a month; was office boy in Deshler, Henry Co., Ohio, for two months; took charge of a machine in the hoop factory there, where he remained one year; then went into a machine shop, at the same place, and was there fifteen months. He then went to Sandusky City, Erie Co., Ohio, where in 1875 he embarked as a deck hand on the steambarge " Yosemite," running on the lake between Sandusky and Bay City, Mich. At the close of the season on the lake Mr. Stone went to Mooretown, Canada, engaged as clerk in one of the hotels, remained there two months, was on a farm for a short time, and then returned to the lakes, on the steamer " Huron City," running between Alpena and Buffalo. At the close of the season Mr. Stone made a visit of two months in Toledo, Ohio, and then went to Harris township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, Where he spent the winter cutting timber on Joseph Terault's farm. He then returned to the lakes again, making his headquarters at Cleveland, remained during the sailing season, returned to Benton township as hoop worker, for the winter, and in the spring went back to the lakes. At the close of that season Mr. Stone went to Lindsey, Sandusky Co., Ohio, as fireman in a stave factory, remaining six months, and then engaged as engineer in a tile yard, and remained one year. He next worked by the month for two years on a farm in Sandusky county, and was engaged in hoop working for a year in Paulding county, Ohio. For six months he was employed in the cambric mill at Boston, Mass. ; worked also at East Brookfield, Mass., in a wheel factory, and as engineer in a pottery at Spencer, Mass. ; also drove a 'bus in Providence, R. I., four months, and from there went to a summer resort at Saranac Lake, N. Y. Mr. Stone then returned to Ohio by way of Canada, and began farming. After about eight months, and while at Peter Lickert's, he was united in marriage, March 17, 1888, with Miss Kattie R. Harman, of Harris township, Ottawa county, and they have had two 622 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. children, namely: Jennie May, born December 30, 1888; and Daniel Edward, born September 20, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Stone remained one summer at Mr. Lickert's where he was employed in clearing and getting out timber. They then came to the farm on which they now live, containing eighty acres, fourteen of which Mr. Stone has cleared himself and fenced and tilled. In addition to his farming, he deals in all kinds of stock, selling to local dealers. Politically, Mr. Stone is a Democrat. His estimable wife is the daughter of Jacob and Martha (Randall) Harman, and was born in Harris township, Ottawa county, received a literary education in the public schools of that township, and lived there until her marriage. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harman, are now living in Harris township. ELI LA VIGNE, general merchant and postmaster at Martin, Ottawa county, well worthy of representation in this volume, is numbered among the most prominent and influential citizens of the county, and belongs to that type of representative Americans who advance the public welfare, while promoting individual prosperity. A native of Michigan, he was born in La Salle township, .Monroe county, February 7, 1847, and is a son of Joseph and Mary (Jenaur) La Vigne, both of whom were natives of Michigan, 'and were of French-Canadian parentage. The father followed the occupation of farming in that State, but both he and his wife are now passed, away. Their family numbered eleven children, six of whom are still living, namely: Joseph, a resident of La Salle township, Monroe Co., Mich. ; Eliza, wife of Samuel Arguett, of Wayne county, Mich. ; Eli, subject of this sketch; Dolphus, who is living in Wayne county; Moses, a resident of Monroe county, Mich. ; and Rosaline, wife of Charles Bomier. In taking up the personal history of our subject we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Ottawa county. The public schools afforded him his educational privileges, and to his father he gave the benefit of his services until twenty-six years of age, working on the home farm. In 1872 he came to Ohio, and has since been a continuous resident of Martin. For a few years he was in the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, and in 1875 he embarked in .business as a general merchant at Martin, and is still conducting one of the leading establishments of the kind in the county. His genial and affable manner has won for him the esteem and patronage of the residents of Martin and the surrounding locality, and he carries a large stock of goods to meet the growing demand of his trade: In Erie township, in his native county, on August 8, 1876, Mr. La Vigne was married to Agnes Baron, who was born May 18, 1858, and is a daughter of Noel and Margaret (Mominee) Baron, natives of La Salle township, Monroe county. Five children have-been born to our subject and his wife, their names and dates of birth being as follows: Gertrude, born in Martin, May 26, 1877; Clarence, March 9, 1879; Mary Ettie, November 17, 1881; Alice, April 21, 1884; and Bessie, April, 24, 1890. Mr. La Vigne is now serving his second term as postmaster of the village of Martin, having' first been appointed by President .Cleveland to a second term. He is a sound Democrat in his political views, and the religion of himself and family is that of the Roman Catholic Church. He possesses business ability of a high order, and his keen discrimination, enterprise and sound judgment have brought to him success. He is one of the most popular and influential citizens of his COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 623 adopted county, and is public spirited in an eminent degree, taking an active interesin allll that pertains to the welfare of the community and its advancement. A pleasant, genial gentleman; his circle of friends is limited only by the circle of his acquaintances, and all who know him have for him the highest regard. JOHN YOUNG, owner of a fine farm in Allen township, Ottawa county, is one of the many German settlers who came to Ohio in an early day, bringing with them the habits of industry, thrift and perseverance acquired in their native land, and which have enabled them to become important factors in the growth and progress of the State of their adoption. Our subject was born in Spiesheim, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, April 10, 1838, and is the son of John and Catherine (Young) Young, both natives of the same province as their son. His boyhood days were spent ischoolcl and .upon his father's farm, and in 1856 he came with the family to America. They settled in Lake township, Wood Co., Ohio, and here, when old enough, he carried on farming until February 13, 1865, when, on the last call for men to take arms against. the Rebellion, he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Eighty-ninth Ohio Infantry, under command of Col. Henry Kingsbury. He served in this regiment for eight months, and on September 28, same year, received his discharge at Nashville, Tenn. He then returned to Wood county where he worked on his father's farm for upward of twenty years, at the end of which time he went to Hillsdale county, Mich., where he bought land and farmed two years. In 1886 Mr. Young returned to this State, and purchasing fifty-three acres' of partially-cleared land in Allen township, Ottawa county, began the improvements, which have made it such a valuable piece of property. He now has a comfortable dwelling, etc., and is regarded as one of the solid, thorough-going and intelligent men of the county. Mr. Young was married July 30, 1871, at Genoa, Ohio, to Katie, daughter of John and Susanna (Bihn) Young, who were farmers of Ottawa county, and of this union there are seven children, as follows: Matilda, born August 20, 1872, was married March 29, 1894, to John Vogelpohl, a farmer of Lucas county, Ohio, and has one child—Williebornrh April 15, 1895; Charles J., born June 29, 1874, is farming in Ottawa county; while Magdalena, born April 26, 1876, Mary E., June 3, 1879, Lewis J., November 25, 1882, and Katie E., July 18, 1889, are all at home with their parents. One child died in infancy • John Young, the father of our subject, was born in Germany in 1802, and was a farmer by occupation. He was there married to Miss Catherine Young, who was born in 1800, and they emigrated to this country when their children were quite young. They at first settled in New York State, near Niagara Falls, where they remained for three years, then came to Ohio and made their home in Lake township, Wood county. They were the parents of seven children, all born in Germany, of whom the following record is given: Philip, the eldest, is a farmer in Wood county; Charles is' a stone mason, and lives in Toledo; Elizabeth married Joseph Kapp, a farmer of 'Wood county, and both are deceased, the former dying September 2, 1891, the latter on August 26, same year (they left five children); John, our subject, is the fourth in order of birth; Andrew is married, lives at Toledo, and is the father of four children, two of who . are living; two died in Germany. The parents of this family died in Wood county, the father in August, 1866, and the mother in September, 1862. It is a curious coincidence that the names of the fathers of both Mr. and Mrs. Young should be John Young, and that 624 - COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. those of our subject's mother and his wife should both be Catherine Young. The father of our subject's wife was also a native of Germany, his birth taking place in Spiesheim, Hesse-Darmstadt, February 21, 1819. He followed farming in the old country, until his emigration to America, in 1857. He settled in Clay township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where he carried on farming for a number of years; he now resides in Genoa, that county, where he is a mail carrier. He was married in 1843, in Germany, to Susanna Bihn, 'daughter of Peter Bihn, and to them have been born six children: Mary E., born January 22, 1844, now the widow of Jacob Long, a farmer, and residing in Michigan; Katie, born August 6, 1848, now the wife of our subject; Jacob, born January 28, 1854, married, and living in New York City; Phillipina M., born December 31, 1856, now the wife of John Ernst, a jeweler, residing in Genoa; John, born August 4, 1858, a butcher by trade, and living in Huntington, Ind. ; Matilda, born October 24, 1862, died at the age of eleven years, in Ohio. Mr. Young is highly esteemed by his fellow citizens, and held the office of school director in Lake township, Wood county, for two years, and in Allen township, where he now resides, for the same length of time. He is a strong Republican, and has the best interests of his community at heart. He and his family are regular attendants at the Lutheran Church. WILLIAM ERNSTHAUSEN is the owner of one of the fine farms of Ottawa county—a tract of land of 100 acres on which stands a comfortable and commodious brick residence, and substantial barns and outbuildings for the care and shelter of the stock and grain. Well kept fences divide the land into fields of convenient size, and the place is under a high state of cultivation and improved with all modem accessories. The owner of this desirable farm is recognized as one of the most successful agriculturists of the community, and is well deserving of mention in this volume. He was born in Genoa, Ohio, December 31, 1862, and is. a son of Casper and Dorotha (Gerwin) Ernsthausen. The father was born in Germany, June 15, 1826, and was a son of Henry Ernsthausen, who was born in the same land in 1790, and was by trade a carpenter. The great-grandfather, Fred Hunter, was born in 1779, and his wife, Sophia, was born in 1786. He served in the German army from 1803 until 1812, and was instrumental in saving the life of Prince Bismarck, the father of Germany's late chancellor, and in recognition of this service was pre- sented with a tea-set by the Prince. The ancestry of the Gerwin family can be traced back in the following manner: The grandfather of our subject, Lewis Gerwin, was born in Germany, August 15, 1798, and was a wagon maker by trade. In 1826 he married Sophia Hunter (who was born in Hanover, Germany, March 11, 1803), and to them were born seven children, of whom five are living, all residents of America. His father, Henry Gerwin, was born in Germany, in 1762, and wedded Clara Brightholdt, who was born in 1767. The mother of our subject was born in Germany, November 12, 1827, and there resided until she was nineteen years of age, when in 1847 she crossed the Atlantic to the New World, and after two years spent in New York became a resident of Toledo, Ohio, where her marriage wtth Casper Ernsthausen was celebrated. We now take up the personal history of their son William, in whom the citizens of Ottawa county are deeply interested. When he was only a year old his parents removed to Ohio, where they lived five years, when they came to the farm which is now his residence. His