50 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY of a cabin was begun, and in the spring of 1853, with the aid of sundry hospitable pioneer neighbors, the dwelling was completed. It was built of round logs, and was 22X18 feet square, and roofed with clap-boards, held down by withe-poles. With the help of the father the boys cleared four acres of land, and with the aid of the hoe, corn was planted between the stumps and under some of the high trees bordering the clearing, and a fair crop was raised, on which the family lived the first year, with the addition of a few potatoes, some garden stuff and coffee. A part of the time the father worked on the railroad, while the sons did the farm work and continued the clearing. The boys would also pick up a little money by cutting hickory hoop-poles and selling them at Delphos for a few pennies, and thus assisted the father in bearing his burden. The boys had to go to Delphos to mill, carrying .a peck to a half bushel of corn on their backs, following the canal bank, and returning with the meal at night, through the woods, with birch bark torches to light the way. At one time there was a grist-mill at Fort Jennings, to' which place, however, there was no road. This mill was run by Louis Boehmer, then a young man, whose biography may be found on another page. On one occasion the two brothers, Sebastain and Martin, carried the usual grist on their backs through the roads to this mill, taking with them, in their pockets, the last piece of bread in the house for lunch, and wading through water almost waist deep the entire distance. By the time they reached the mill they had eaten their bread, and when Louis Boehmer had ground their corn they were still wet, tired and hungry. On getting possession of the meal they started on their return home, but on the way ate heartily of their uncooked burden, and were sorely afraid of the consequences when the good mother should miss a portion of her treasure. And thus the pioneers tided over the interval until the reign of plenty came, which was but a short time afterward. The father, Sebastian Bendele, while the boys were hard at work on the farm, devoted his time to whatever he could find to do, some- times working for fifty cents per day. At the age of seventeen years, Sebastian, our subject, also began working out at four dollars per month for farming, and then drove a team of two yoke of oxen from Ottoville, at nine dollars per Month. At the age of twenty.. one he went to Seneca county and droye an ox team for seventy-five cents or one dollar per day. After his return home,, he farmed for a short time on the homestead, in the interest of the family, or until the father's death. At the age of twenty-nine he was married at Ottoville, by Father Mueller, May 7, 1868, this being the second ceremony of the kind performed here by the reverened gentle- man. The bride. was Miss Catherine Herzog, who was born December 19, 1844, in Baden, Germany, a daughter of Carl and Gertrude (Hans) Herzog. The father was a stone-mason by trade, and he and wife were the parents of the following children: Sophia (who died at the age of fifteen years), Catherine, Emma, Theresa, Fannie (who died a young woman) and Charles; all born in Baden. The father there died at about the age of fifty years, a member of the Catholic church and a well-to-do and highly respected gentleman. Of the children, Catherine, Fannie and Charles came to America, but at different times; the other members of the family remained at home. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bendele set-, tied on the eighty acres in section No. 22, which his father had bought after selling his first forty-acre tract, and which our subject, assisted by his brother Martin, had cleared up, and on which he still continues to reside, talc which he has increased to 120 acres, all berg OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 51 well cleared, cultivated and improved. To the happy union of Sebastian Bendele and wife have been born eleven children, in the following order: Rosa, Antony, Katie, Helena, Mary, Annie, Bridget, Matilda, Sebastian, Barbara and Leo. The family are all members of the St. Mary's Catholic church at Ottoville. Mr. Bendele assisted to build the original church edifice with his own hands, and the present magnificent stone structure, an account of both of which will be found in the biography of Father M. Mueller, Mr. Bendele has ever been a stanch and liberal supporter of this congregation and is at present a representative member of the church council. In his politics Mr. Bendele is a democrat and has been for a number of years a member of the school board. By his own hard work, assisted willingly since marriage by his faithful wife, Mr. Bendele has carved out from the wilderness a handsome and profitable farm and made a most happy home, and has reared a large and respected family. He has seen all the wonderful changes that have taken place since the days when the pioneers passed through miles of woods to church, carrying a rifle or shotgun, and shooting game for their families as they journeyed back and forth to and from their homes, until now, when neither forest nor game is to be seen,and in their places blooming fields of grain, orchards and domestic animals, and in bringing about tbis mighty transformation he has taken no insignificant part. To the labors of such as he is the gratitude of the present generation due for the civilization which it enjoys. MARTIN BENDELE, one of the enterprising and successful farmers of Monterey township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Alsace, France (now Germany), December 6, 1842, a son of Sebastian and Catherine (Scharer) Bendele. The father, Sebastian, also a native of Alsace, was born in the village of Eggesheim in February, 1811, was reared a farmer, and August 12, 1838, married, at Kaltenbach, a widow, Marie Catherine Scharer, the union resulting in the birth of three children-Sebastian, Helen and Martin. In 1852 the family came to America, and after a voyage of forty day's from Havre de Grace landed safely in New York, on the 5th day of May, whence they came directly to Ohio, and after stopping a few days with a relative in Seneca county, reached Putnam county in the latter part of October of the same year. Mr. Bendele, at Defiance, entered forty acres of land now occupied by Aaron Huysman in Monterey township, which, aided by his children, he converted into a good farm, and also bought the eighty acres on which his son Sebastian now lives. He was a strict Catholic, aided in building the first church of that denomination in Ottoville, and died in the faith in 1864. Martin Bendele, our subject, was nine years of age when brought to Monterey township by his parents. He distinctly remembers the departure of the family from his native village for America; their detention at Havre for twenty days; the voyage across the ocean and the arrival in this country, and all the incidents following up to arrival at Ottoville (they being the seventh of the German Catholic families to arrive here), and the lone store, the sawmill and three or four cabins scattered here and there. When he could be spared from his share of the work required in clearing off the farms spoken of above, he was permitted to attend the old log school-house for a few weeks, and so reached the years of manhood among the pioneers. January 12, 187o, he was united in marriage, at Ottoville, with Miss Helena Sanders, who was born in Seneca county, Ohio, June 24, 1846, a daughter of 52 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY William and Mary A. (Kelly) Sanders. The father, William Sanders, was a native of Pennsylvania, of German extraction, and a son of one of the original pioneers of Seneca county, Ohio. In 1855 William Sanders brought his family to Allen county, remained one year, and then, in 1856, came to Monterey town-township, Putnam county, partly cleared up eighty acres of land from the wilderness, and died three years later, aged about forty years. His widow, aided by her sons, subsequently succeeded in clearing up the farm in full, and on this she still lives, Of her family of seven children, two only are now living, John and Helena. After marriage Martin Bendele and wife settled on a farm of sixty acres which had been partially cleared. To this he added until he now owns a fine place of 100 acres, all cleared and improved, including a model barn that cost $1,000 in cash to erect, and $500 in addition for labor, timber cut off the place, hauling, and incidentals. It is a surpassingly fine structure for the purpose and unexcelled by any barn in Putnam county, and its surrounding improvements are made on an equal yscale of beauty and durability. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Bendele has been blessed with the unusually large family of fourteen children, of whom only one has been called away, the thirteen survivors being named, in order of birth, as follows: Susannah, Nicholas S., Joseph, Mary S., Catherine, Wilhelmina, Frank H., John, William S., Charles, Martin, Peter and Clara. The family are members of the St. Mary's Catholic church at Ottoville, of which Mr. Bendele has been a member of the council for nearly eight years. In politics he is a democrat and has been a school director. He is a thoroughly practical farmer as well as business man, and has done much toward redeeming Monterey township from a wilderness and in making it a paradise of civilized prosperity, and his faithful wife also deserves her meed of praise for her substantial and earnest efforts in supporting him in all his worthy undertakings and in bringing them to so successful an issue. HENRY BENROTH, an industrious farmer of Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Openheim, Germany, on the river Rhine, April 26, 1842, a son of Charles and Johannetta (Scheler) Benroth. The father, Charles Benroth, was a cooper by trade, and in religion was a Catholic, while his wife, Johannetta, was. an adherent of the Lutheran church. Philip Benroth, father of Charles, was also a cooper, and was a man of considerable wealth. These parents, Charles and Johannetta, had born to them five children, viz: Charley, a farmer of Hancock county, Ohio; Anton and Rosa, deceased; Henry of this sketch; and George, of Bluffton, Ohio. The father, Charles Benroth, died when Henry, our subject, was but four years of age, and Johannetta, the mother, died a year later, or when Henry had reached his fifth year. Henry Benroth, our subject, attended school in Germany until fourteen years old and then learned the locksmith's trade. May 20, 1864, he came to America, landing in New York, whence he went to Philadelphia, then to Chicago, passing six weeks in each place, and then came to Ohio, where his eldest brother had made his home, in Allen county. Subsequently our subject found work in a machine shop at Lima, Ohio, and here, also, October 19, 1865, he married Sallie Light, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, June 25, 1843, a daughter of David and Barbara (Fackler) Light, who, also in 1863, moved to Allen county. David Light w born in Pennsylvania in 1811, and was grandson of a hero of the Revolutionary war. OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 53 Barbara Light was also a native of Pennsylvania, and more in relation to her family may be found in the sketch of Henry Fackler, of Van Wert county. To this union of Henry and Sallie Benroth have been born ten children, viz: Mary, wife of William Vandemark, of Union township; Seymour, farmer of same; Charles, machinist, of Deshler; Amos, farmer, at home; Sadie, attending school; Minna, also a school-girl; Emma, born January 24, 1887; and David, George and Sarah died when young. After his marriage Mr. Benroth continued to live in Lima until 1867, working in the machine shop; and then, corning to Putnam county shortly after, engaged in saw-milling. In 1873 he bought his present farm, which he cleared from the woods by his own labor, and transformed in time into one of the brightest Spots in Putnam county. He continued to operate his saw-mill until 1890, when he sold out, but still keeps his farm up to its high standard, and -his dwelling, which he built in 1876, is tidy, neat and handsome. Mr. Benroth is a natural mechanic, and has put up a number of both frame and brick dwellings and churches; in politics he is a democrat, being at present a school director, but he votes rather for a good man than for a party nominee; in religion he affiliates, with his wife, with the Christian church, although he was reared a Lutheran and a Catholic;• he is, in fact, a man who thinks for himself, and- of such as he are communities made and put forward to positions of prominence and usefulness. MRS. SALLIE BEST, one of the most remarkable ladies of Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, Ohio, and widow of George Best, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, March 21, 1824. Her parents, Jacob and Peggy (Trainer) Wagner, were natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent, but were married in Carroll county, Ohio, where all their children were born, and where their daughter, our subject, was reared, and married in 1840. George Best, the deceased husband of our subject, came with his wife and two children to Putnam county in 1844, and after renting land for two years, bought the tract of eighty acres in Sugar Creek township on which his widow still resides. The land was covered with timber and water, but a sufficient space was soon cleared up in the woods on which to build a log cabin, into which the family moved before it had either door or floor; but Mr. Best was a carpenter as well as shoemaker and farmer, and the cabin was soon rendered habitable. Assisted by his able and willing wife, the work of improving began, and to add to the revenue of the family, coon skins, deer pelts and ginseng were disposed of. Milling Wilt; done at Sidney in the early day, but at last grist was ground nearer home, a fair-sized farm was developed, fairly drained with good tile, and a comfortable dwelling erected, in which Mr. Best passed the remainder of his days, dying in May, 1875. He was a member of the Lutheran church and in politics a democrat. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Best were born twelve children, one of whom died in infancy; the remaining eleven grew to manhood and womanhood, and were named as follows: John C., who is now a prominent farmer of Union township; Mary M. is married to David Hughes, who owns a farm of eighty acres in Sugar Creek township, but for a number of years has resided in Missouri, where he owns a farm of 116 acres; Sarah A. is the wife of George Halterman of Kansas; Emeline is the widow of Ouincey Goodman and is left with ten children; Isaac H. occupies the old homestead; Jane J. and Harriet are still at home; 54 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY Catherine is married to Charles Moorhead; Susan A. is now the wife of Sherman Hubbard, a farmer; Nancy E. is married to William Nichols, a farmer of Paulding county, and Arie is the wife of H. Catlett, also a farmer and carpenter. Sallie Best is a consistent member of the Christian church and has reached a ripe old age. She is still vigorous in body and mind, and notwithstanding all the deprivations she has undergone and the hardships attendant on pioneer life, she is as ready and able to do a day's work as any housekeeper in the neighborhood. She was early inured to toil, and assisted her husband in clearing up his farm, as well as attending, on her own part, to the household duties and in performing the multitudinous tasks that pertain to pioneer 'farm life; when she first came to Sugar Creek township she thought she never could remain, on account of the dense forest and deep waters covering the surface of the land, and was much discouraged; but she was of a willing and hopeful disposition, and has lived to see the wilderness transformed into a garden and to preside with matronly grace in the hospitable dispensation of the abundance her early energy has placed at her disposal. She has done as much to redeem the country from its wild condition as any male member of the community, and no name deserves a more honorable mention in this volume than that of Sallie Best. JOHN CALVIN BEST, a successful and leading farmer of Union township, Putnam county, was born in Ross township, Carroll county, Ohio, December 16, 1841, a son of George and Sarah (Wagner) Best. The father, George Best, son of John Best, was reared a farmer, and also learned the trades of stone-cutter, mason and carpenter. About 1840 he married Sarah Wagner, a daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Darst) Wagner, the latter of Irish parentage, and whose brother James was a soldier in our war with Mexico. To the union of George and Sarah Best the following children were born: John C., our subject; Mary A., wife of David Hughes, of Macon county, Mo. ; Sarah A., wife of George Halterman, of Newton, Kas. ; Emeline, wife of Quincey Goodman, deceased, of Columbus Grove, Ohio; Annie, of Perry township; Jane, at home; Ella, wife of William E. Nichols, of Paulding county, and Arie R., wife of Hendon Catlett, of Union township, Putnam county. For some four years after his marriage George Best continued to reside in Carroll county, Ohio, and about 1844 came to Putnam county and bought an uncleared tract in Sugar Creek township, and this, with the usual hard work and endurance, he succeeded in clearing from the woods and converting into a fertile farm, on which he lived until his death in May, 1874. He was a stanch democrat in politics, held several township offices, and was a member of the Lutheran church, his widow, who still resides on the home place, being a member of the Christian congregation. John Calvin Best was educated in Putnam county, and was reared a farmer and carpenter. August 12, 1862, he enlisted in company D, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served until the close of the war. He took part in the battles of Moss Creek, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Duck River, Franklin and Nashville, Tenn., Fort Anderson, N. C., and numerous others, and during the latter part of the war, having been injured, was detailed as clerk in the quartermaster's department, under Gen. Schofield, and received his discharge in Pennsylvania in 1865. Th marriage of our subject took place January i6 1869, to Miss Sarah A. Nichols, who was bo OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 55 in Union township, Putnam county, March 22, 1849, a daughter of Edward and Margaret (Ervin) Nichols, the former of whom was a native of Licking county, Ohio, and one of the earliest settlers of Putnam county. To this happy union of John C. and Sarah A. Best have been born four children, viz: Amos W., a farmer, at home; Alfred, a farmer of Union township; Mrs. Sarah A. Streetor, also at home, as is also John E., aged eighteen years. After his marriage Mr. Best lived for four years in Sugar Creek township, and then came to his present place in Union township. He now owns 16o acres, which he has cleared from the woods, and by his own labor has paid for. He is a democrat in politics, has served as township trustee and as a member of the board of agriculture, and has filled several other offices; he is a member of Ogilvie post, No. 64, G. A. R., and, with his wife, is a devout member of the Christian church. He has farmed and followed his trade until he has become one of the most substantial residents of Union township, and is altogether a self-made man, in a pecuniary point of view. His present handsome and substantial dwelling he erected in 1880, and is here passing his days respected by all who know him. JOSEPH BEST, one of the well-to-do farmers of Union township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a son of John and Mary (Cooper) Best, and was born in Carroll county, July 4, 1833. John Best, the father, was a native of Maryland, educated himself in the German language, and was reared on a farm. In early life he came to Ohio and entered 160 acres of land in Carroll county, which he cleared up and lived upon until 1853, when he came to Putnam county. His marriage took place about 1818, to Mary, a daughter of John Cooper, who was born in Pennsylvania of German descent. To John and Mary Best were born twelve children, of whom six are living as follows: Jacob, a farmer of Carroll county, and also a blacksmith by trade; John, of Kosciusko county, Ind. ; Isaac, of Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, Ohio; Sarah Ann, wife of Wilson Priest, of Butler county, Kans. ; Joseph, the subject of this sketch; William, a real estate dealer of Elkhart, Ind. On coining to Putnam county John Best bought a farm in Sugar Creek township, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying in the faith of the Lutheran church, and in politics a democrat. Joseph Best, our subject, was reared to manhood on a farm in Carroll county, Ohio, and in October, 1853, married Miss Elizabeth Dutenhaver, daughter of John Dutenhaver, this union resulting in the birth of the following children, viz: Lu Emma, wife of Abraham Clevenger; an infant (laughter, deceased; John Hiland, who died aged five years; Janie, who died at the age of fourteen years; Catherine, married to Charles Chrller, a jeweler of Floyd county, Ills. ; William Jacob, of Putnam county, Ohio; Mrs. Ida Snearv, deceased; Alice, wife of Grant Clements, of Fulton county, Ind. ; Lillie, wife of Grant Nye, of same county; Della, wife of a bridge carpenter 0f Fulton county, also. After his marriage our subject lived on his farm in Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, Ohio, until April, 1866, when he moved to Fulton county, Ind., where he was engaged in farming until 1892, when he sold his property and returned to Putnam county, Ohio. Mrs. Elizabeth Best died in May, 1883, a member of the Christian church, although she had formerly been a Lutheran. Mr. Best is in politics' a democrat, and is one of the highly respected and substantial farmers of Putnam county. William J. Best, son of our subject, was born in Putnam county, Ohio, in June, 1862, 56 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY and married Mary Clevenger, daughter of Eli Clevenger, the marriage being blessed with two children—Lizzie and Raymond. William is a stanch democrat in politics, is a thriving farmer, and with him Joseph Best, our subject, is at present making his home. SILAS BUTLER, the popular and accommodating liveryman of Leipsic, Putnam county, is a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and was born October 14, 1847, a son of Absalom and Martha (Baker) Butler. Absalom was also a native of Franklin county and a son of Owen Butler, of Columbus, Ohio, but who died in Illinois. Absalom Butler came from Franklin county to Leipsic in 185o, and purchased a farm in the south part of the town, on which he resided for a number of years, and then retired to Leipsic, where he passed his declining years in peace and comfort, dying a highly respected and honored citizen. Silas Butler was reared to farming on his father's homestead, and received a thorough education in the common schools of the district. In 1871 he removed to Leipsic, where for fifteen years he was engaged in the butcher business, and then embarked in the grocery trade, which occupation he followed until 1893, when he engaged in his present livery business, for which his natural love for horses well adapts him. He carries a fine line of vehicles, and his live stock is unsurpassed in the town. He is obliging and courteous to his patrons, and has made hosts of friends, who have always found him to be straightforward in all his dealings and truthful in all his representations. In politics Mr. Butler is a democrat, but has never been a seeker after office. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Lisle, and by her he is the father of two children— Gertrude, wife of John Ludwig, and Chloe. Socially the family is greatly esteemed by all who know them. JOHN W. BLAKLEY, the son of George and Martha (Simms) Blakley and brother of Benjamin G. Blakley (see sketch of Benjamin G. Blakley), was born in Putnam county, Ohio, March 23, 1852, and while a boy was given a common-school education, but when not in school he worked industriously on his father's farm. When eighteen years of age he commenced to work for himself, and after ten years of prosperity, he, on January 1, 1880, married Jane Sakemiller, who was born in Jennings township, September 8, 1854. Her father and mother, Benjamin and Mary (Shirk) Sakemiller, were both natives of Pennsylvania and early settlers of Allen county, Ohio, where they were married, and this union was blessed with eleven children; Rachael, the wife of John Deffenbaugh, of Jennings township; Chris, a farmer now living in Sugar Creek township; Jane, the good wife of the subject of this sketch; Sampson, who now lives on a farm in Jennings township ; Rebecca, married to George Clendenning, who lives on a farm in Indiana; Charles, also of Indiana; William, now living in Sugar Creek township, Putnam county, Ohio; Benjamin also of the same township, and James, of Jennings township. The maternal grandparents of these children were active, consistent members of the Christian church. The grandfather, who was a democrat in politics, died in 1887, and the grandmother followed in 1891. After marriage John and Jane Blakley located on the farm which he had owned for some time, and had by industry cleared and improved. Here three children were born to them, viz: Benjamin Russell, born July 20, 1887, and two who died in infancy. In 1888 he moved back to OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 57 the old homestead, where he has since lived. On October 19, 1892, misfortune overtook him, when their house took fire and was entirely destroyed with almost all the contents. This did not discourage him, and on the following week, with commendable courage, he began building the beautiful home which he now occupies. He and his most estimable wifeare both active members of the Christian church. In politics he is an active supporter of the principles of democracy and has served in many of the minor offices. He is known to all as one of the most progressive farmers in the township, his farm being in a splendid condition, and he is respected by all his neighbors. BENJAMIN G. BLAKLEY, a prominent and progressive farmer, of Jackson township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born May, 13, 1854, in this same township. His parents were George and Martha Ann (Simms) Blakely, the former of whom wns born in Franklin county, Ohio, July 28, 1g22. The parents of George Blakley, father of our subject, were George and Sarah (Chambers) Blakley, both natives of Ireland, who came to America and settled in this state when the Indians still roamed over it freely, and but little of its territory had yet been redeemed from its wild state. They were,the parents of eleven children: George, Jr., being third from the youngest. George, Jr., was reared a farmer, and in 1843 married Martha A. Simms, the daughter of Elkanah and Nancy (Ford) Simms. She was born in Madison county, Va., in 1825, and at the tender. age of three years had been brought across the mountains by her parents, who settled in Franklin county, Ohio, where she lived until her marriage. In childhood she had been given a fair education, and had early joined the Baptist church, of which she has always been a consistent member. To this marriage were born ten children: Mrs. Nancy Schindler, who was born June 8, 1844, and who died November 1 I, 1871 Mrs. Mary Hoffner, born July 5, 1849, and died December 23, 1877; John W:, a farmer of this township, who was born March 23, 1852; Benjamin G., of this sketch; James B., who was born December 31, 1856, and is an industrious farmer, of Jackson township; Robert T., born October 5, 1859, now living on a farm in Jackson township; Amanda E., who was born September 25, 1864, and died October 14, the same year; Louis A., born May 1, 1867, who now lives in Dayton, Ohio, and follows the painter's trade; George B., and one not named, both deceased. For seven years after their marriage the parents lived in Franklin county, and in 1851, moved to Putnam, county, where the father entered, in Jackson township, forty acres of government land, and soon increased it to eighty acres. This land was still wild woodland; no trees had been cut and it was very discouraging to a man, with a large family to support, to commence to make a home, when it would take so long before he could get much cleared, on which to raise the necessaries of life, but he sat resolutely to work to clear a farm and build a house. Success crowned his efforts, but it required many privations and hardships to accomplish this. After a few years of this toil his health broke down, and on March 28, 1871, he joined the throng beyond, dying in the faith of the Baptist church, of which he had been an active and faithful member. In politics he was a stanch democrat; and served as constable, supervisor two terms, and school director. He was a Mason, being a member of Kalida lodge, F. & A. M., No. 280. He was known as a hard-working, progressive farmer, and socially no man stood higher. After the death of her husband Mrs. Blakley and her 58 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY elder sons carried on farming for several years. In April, 1888, she moved to Dayton, where she still lives, respected by all. Her two grandfathers, Benjamin Ford and George Simms, served their country faithfully in the Revolutionary war, and the former a second time answered his country's call in I 812. Her mother, who after the death of Mr. Ford became Mrs. Nancy Whiteman, died November 6, 1895, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. Benjamin G. Blakley, the subject of our sketch, passed his early life on his father's farm, and after reaching his majority worked six years for himself, and prospered, so that he, on March 20, 1880, married Ellen Rower, the daughter of 'William Rower (see sketch), who had been born in Putnam county, February 15, 1854, and had been educated here. After their marriage he located in Union township, Putnam county, where he remained for two years, when he purchased the farm on which he now lives. Here were born their three children: Jesse Monroe, on January 9, 1884; Bessie Leona, on July 8, 1886; Grace Clare, July 16, 1888. Now owning a farm of his own, he sat resolutely to work to improve it and make it one of the best in the township; success had well crowned his labors when, in 1891, misfortune met him, and fire destroyed his house and entire contents, but this did not discourage him, and in the next year, 1892, he built his present beautiful home. Progress has been his watchword, and anything that would aid him in pushing forward to the foremost rank; he employed no new labor-saving machinery, yet all new ideas he adopted and made his own, so he is now known as one of the best and most progressive farmers in the county, and while pushing forward his own affairs he has had time to show his public spirit, being always an active worker in the interest of the democratic party, and holding numerous offices of trust, among them being now a school director. He is a prominent member of the United Brethren church, of which he has served in the capacity of trustee. HENRY JOSEPH BOEHMER was born in the grand duchy of Oldenburg, Germany, was educated in his native country, came to America when about twenty-eight years of age, and for a short time taught school in Minster, Auglaize county, Ohio, and later in the same year, 1832, came to Jennings township, Putnam county, entered land, and then returned to Minster, Ohio, where he continued to teach until 1836 or 1837, when he returned to Fort Jennings and married Mary Wellman, a daughter of Frederick Wellman, also a native of Oldenburg, Germany, who settled at Fort Jennings in 1834, and became a farmer. He had been a wealthy man in the old country, and failed to better his condition by coming to America. He was the father of two children—Mary and Henry—and died in 1861. After his marriage Henry Joseph Boehmer settled on his land in Fort Jennings and opened a store, the old hewed log house in which he kept his goods being still in existence on the west side of Water street, the flooring and timbers having been sawed 0ut by hand with a whip-saw. His traffic was chiefly with the Wyandot Indians, trading goods for their furs. Mr. Boehmer prospered, and bought and entered lands until he became the owner of i,000 acres, much of which he sold to early settlers. He was one of the earliest Catholics of Fort Jennings, which point had been settled by that denomination, while the .Lutherans were close by in the country. The former were ministered to by Prof. Horstman, of Glandorf, who made periodical visits for that purpose. When Mr. Boehmer first settled here, however, there had but two families preceded him—those of OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 59 Ferdinand von der Embse and Frederick Wellman. The country round about was a wilderness, with a few settlers scattered through the woods. Mr. Boehmer continued trading with the Indians until their removal to their western reservation, and still continued in the mercantile business many years after, keeping the only store and being known to the early settlers for miles around. To Mr. and Mrs. Boehmer were born seven children, viz: Amos, Louis, August, Matilda, William, Joseph and Mary, but, as schools were scarce, their education was chiefly acquired at home. In politics Mr. Boehmer was a democrat and served several terms as county commissioner and for twenty-one years was a justice of the peace; he was a member of the state legislature in 1856-58, and again in 1864-66 and in 1868-70. He was a prosperous and substantial citizen and left a goodly estate, comprising about 1,000 acres of land. He lived to be sixty-one years of age, dying December 8, 1868. He was highly respected, and was considered by the venerable Judge McKinzie, of Lima, to be one of the best educated men that had ever come to Putnam county. He was upright and honorable in all his dealings, and was patriotic in his impulses. He had one son in the late war, August, who served in the Thirty-eighth Ohio infantry. Amos Boehmer, son of Henry Joseph and Mary (Wellman) Boehmer, was born October 26, 1838, in Fort Jennings, and is now the oldest native-born resident of the place. He passed his boyhood on the farm and in his father's store, and well remembers the Indians. He attended the first school taught in Fort Jennings, and that school was instructed by his father. The old log school-house was also used on Sundays by both Catholics and Protestants for divine services about once a month, as circumstances permitted. Amos studied in this building about three months each winter until eighteen years of age, and during the period had several teachers, among whom was Louis De Lucenay, who was a highly educated gentleman, and later became a physician. Amos next attended the public schools at Findlay one year, and then six months at Saint Xavier. He then studied law at Lima with Nichols & Cunningham, and was admitted to the bar in 1862. He practiced for a year in Lima, and then enlisted, in Toledo,. in 1864, in the United States army, and was assigned to the provost marshal's office as a recruiting officer, stationed at Toledo, and served until the close of the war. His marriage took place October 4, 1867, at Fort Jennings, to Miss Mary Kleekamp, who was born in 1846 in Germany, daughter of Francis and Catherine Kleekamp, who came to Fort Jennings about 1850, the father engaging in saw-milling and later in merchandising. Mr. and Mrs. Kleekamp had a family of four children, viz: Mary, Anna, Louis and Paulina. The father lived to be seventy years of age and died at Fort Jennings, a member of the Catholic church and a highly respected citizen. After his marriage Mr. Boehmer lived for two years in Delphos, where he owned a distillery, and then returned to Fort Jennings, where he has been engaged in farming and for the past ten years has also been engaged in the dry-goods trade. He owns 300 acres of fine farming land, 220 acres of which he inherited from his father, and also owns a handsome town residence. In politics he is a democrat; in 1867-68 was a member of the state legislature and has also served as mayor of Fort Jennings. He and family are members of the Catholic church and are among the most substantial and respected people of the town and county. Mr. and Mrs. Boehmer are the parents of four children, viz: Henry Joseph, Frank H., Mary and Flora, who are ornaments to the society in which they move. 60 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY LOUIS BOEHMER, second son of Henry J. and Mary (Wellman) Boehmer, was born in Fort Jennings August 25, 1841, and attended the public school until thirteen years of age, devoting three months of each year to study therein, after which his education was entirely self acquired. He worked, when small, on the farm of his grandfather Wellman., and when between fifteen and sixteen went into his father's mill--the first grist-mill of Fort Jennings, built about 1847. The first dam across the Auglaize river at this point was built of logs by Henry Joseph Boehmer in 185o, and a saw-mill attached. In 1866 the grist-mill was built, and remodeled in 1886 with a complete roller system, but was destroyed by fire about 1887. In February, 1887, Mr. Boehmer rebuilt the saw-mill, put in new machinery, and is now turning out about 8,000 feet of lumber per day. The marriage of Louis Boehmer was solemnized at Fort Jennings July 20, 1865, with Miss Anna Kleekamp, who was born May 2, 1840, a daughter of Frank H. and Catherine (Rolker) Kleekamp. Mr. Kleekamp came from Hanover, Germany, about 1847, and two years later brought over his family. He first worked in the mill, saved his earnings, and later ran a tavern, and next engaged in the dry-goods business, which he carried on until his death, at the age of seventy-seven years. He was a member of the Catholic church, and reared a most respected family of ten children. Mr. and Mrs. Boehmer have had born to them five children, all of whom have been reared to maturity, viz: Anna, Elizabeth, George H., Marie A. and Albert L. The parents are Catholics, have reared their family in the same faith, and they now stand among the foremost of the most respectable society of Fort Jennings and the county of Putnam. In politics Mr. Boehmer is a democrat and has been a member of the school-board for twenty-seven years, a member of the common council of Fort Jennings seven years, and a justice of the peace for four years. He is one of the most enterprising citizens of the county and is the proprietor of three sawmills—one at Fort Jennings, one at Middle-point and one at Stanley. As is evident, Mr. Boehmer is in a prosperous condition, and this prosperity is due to his natural business qualifications to a great extent, and also largely to his persistent industry. His business integrity is universally acknowledged, and his promises are as freely relied on, when once given, as any document backed by all the collateral in existence. WlILLIAM BOEHMER, ex-county commissioner, of Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Fort Jennings, August 15, 1846, in his father's old Indian trading post, which is still standing. His father, Henry Joseph Boehmer, as will readily be seen by a preceding sketch, was one of the early pioneers of the township. William, our subject, was reared a farmer and miller, and from the time he was large enough to first handle a sack of grain ran the home mill, in conjunction with his brother Louis, until 1870, when he married, at Fort Jennings, Miss Elizabeth Odenwaller, a native of Odenwald, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. Lou Odenwaller, father of Mrs. Boehmer, was well-educated gentleman and a school-teacher. His wife was a daughter of Peter Karst, an there were born to them seven children, viz Elizabeth, Lewis, John, Henry, Matilda, Ber nardina and Bernard, all born in Ohio with th exception of Elizabeth, who is a native of Ger many, born in 1847 in her father's native vil lage. In 1847 Mr. Odenwaller came to Amer ica and located at Findlay, Ohio, ran a groce OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 63 store, and then went to Pendleton, Ohio, and for a time kept a grocery in connection with a tavern. In 1853 he came to Fort Jennings and taught school here and in the surrounding country for at least twenty years, and then kept a grocery store until. his death, in the faith of the Roman Catholic church. After marriage Mr. Boehmer settled in Fort Jennings, and worked in the mill until 1883, when he was elected county commissioner by the democratic party, and so satisfactorily did he perform his ditties that at the expiration of his term he was re-elected by a good round majority. In March, 1894, Mr. Boehmer moved to his present farm, which was formerly. a part of his father's estate. He has .erected a beautiful residence on his place, and he owns, beside, a residence property in town. He has recently been elected a trustee of Jennings township, has been mayor of Fort Jennings several years, has served as justice of the peace three years, and is now serving as one of the jury commissioners. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Boehmer have been born seven children, named as follows: Amelia, Matilda, Frederick, Gertrude, Otto, Bernardino. and Louis. Of these Matilda is married to Charles Rimlinger, a farmer of Fort Jennings, who is descended from good old German-French parents, who settled in Putnam county, and has been intrusted with the administration of all the offices within the gift of the people of his township.J JOSEPH N. BOXWELL, of Cascade, Perry township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a retired farmer and merchant, is among the best known and highly esteemed citizens, and is the son of Moses and and Catherine (Fogwell) Boxwell. Moses Boxwell was born in Alleghany county, Md., October 8, 1802, his parents having come to America prior to the Revolutionary war. He was one of, a family of nine children and was married, about the year of 1825, to Catherine Fogwell, who was born in Washington county, Md., March 4, 1805, and to their union were born the following-named children: Daniel A.. and John W., deceased in infancy; Mrs. Sarah A. Keifer, deceased, William F., interested in the gold mines of. Idaho; Joseph N., of this mention; Catherine and. George P., deceased. After his marriage Moses Boxwell located in Alleghany county, Md., where his time was divided between farming, shoemaking and carpentering. He became a very wealthy man and his wife's people. were also a family of ample means. He died February 20, 1843, truly lamented by all who knew him. Many public favors and distinctions in the way of offices had been bestowed upon him and he had been a life-long supporter of the Whig party, to which he gave loyal allegiance; he was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal church and a christian gentleman in his daily life and dealing. His wife died in 1844, a member of the Lutheran church. Joseph N. was reared on a farm, and at the early age of eleven years began life for himself, earning his own living; when sixteen years of age he learned the miller's trade, which business he followed for eight years. He attended school some seven months and gave such other time to study as was possible. In the year of 1848 he came to Putnam county, and on August 30, 1855, was married to Adeline Meyers, who was born August 30, 1836, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret Meyers, and became the mother of nine children: Jacob Charles, deceased; Anna Villa, died in infancy; Maggie Edith, wife of Prof. F. Logan; Abraham M., of the Cherokee strip; Joseph S., a. mercantile traveler of Leipsic; Eva M., deceased wife of F. Hart; 'Willie, deceased in infancy, and Albert E. at the age of five, and 64 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY John Edward, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Box-well began life in pure pioneer fashion, settling immediately after their marriage on their present place, which was then an unbroken and uncleared wilderness. Mr. Boxwell's time, from 1879 to March, 1883, was occupied on his farm and in following the milling trade, at which time he came to Cascade, where he now lives. An important and honorable event in the history of our subject was his enlistment, April 4, 1862, in the Union army, in company C, Eighty-seventh Ohio volunteer infantry. Under this enlistment he served four months at Harper's Ferry, and re-enlisted in February, 1863, in company B, Second Ohio heavy artillery, in which he gallantly served until the close of the war, receiving his discharge June 20, 1 86 5 . He was at Franklin and Nashville and through to Atlanta, and experienced the many hardships of camp and soldier's life, losing his eyesight by exposure. After the war he began improving his place, making such headway as lack of seeing would permit, his sight in 1866 being gone. In 1877 Mrs. Boxwell died. She was a woman of true and practical piety and a communicant of the Christian church. April 16, 1880, Mr. Boxwell was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Staffer, née Shank. Mrs. Elizabeth Box-well was born in Putnam county January 5, 1837, and educated in the schools of Greensburg township. She is the daughter of Jonas and Veronica (Meyers) Shank, both natives of Maryland and early settlers of Ohio. She is a member of the Mennonnite church, and her husband a member of the Christian church. Politically, Mr. Boxwell is a republican and has often held the office of township clerk, trustee, and justice of the peace. He is a member of the G. A. R., \Visor post, and one of his great enjoyments is the meeting of the boys in blue—the old comrades of by-gone soldier days. It gives one pleasure to write of men whose character admits of so many kind acts and deeds as our subject. Three girls and a number of boys have been brought up and aided by him, and his life is rich in kind and generous actions. JOHN A. BOGGS, one of the you and successful farmers of Monroe to ship, Putnam county, Ohio, was bo in Miami county, October 30, 1858. His grandfather was Ezekiel Boggs, whose John was born in Hamilton county, Ohi June 24, 1809, was of German descent, was reared a farmer. From Hamilton coun John moved to Miami county, where he b a water-power grist and saw-mill, and w there married to Miss Julia A. Snodgrass, w was born July 16, '8'6, a daughter of Willi and Margaret (Newcomb) Snodgrass. John Boggs, son of Ezekiel and father our subject, was one of the pioneers of Mo roe township, Putnam county, coming he when the country was a vast forest, filled wi swamps and frog-ponds and infested with animals; scarcely any roads had been laid ou very little clearing had been done, no ditch, nor draining had been undertaken, and cabins of settlers were few and far between. B among the wild animals that roamed the forest were deer, and occasionally a bear or two, that helped to replenish the too often depleted larder of the pioneer, and served to relieve sameness or lack of variety on the daily table Here Mr. Boggs succeeded in clearing up farm of great fertility and with the exercise the almost unceasing toil necessary at that d made for himself and family a home which present has few equals for comfort and pro in Putnam county, and of this comfort he now fully avails himself, living in ease and enjoying the respect of a large circle of friends and OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 65 neighbors that the country, when he first settled in it, knew not of. William Snodgrass, father of Mrs. Julia A. Boggs, came to Monroe township, Putnam county, in 1860, and here worked as a carpenter a number of years; later he cleared up a farm of ninety-seven acres and made a home unequaled, or, at least, unexcelled, in all the conveniences of modern civilization. Here he lost his wife December 12, 1887; she being, as he, a member of the Christian church. He still lives on the old farm, a highly respected gentleman and a well-known member of the republican party, the principles of which he ardently sustains at the polls. John A. Boggs, the respected subject of this biographical mention, was but an infant when brought to Monroe township, Putnam county. He received his early education in the old-fashioned frontier log school-house, which, though lowly, very often gave forth pupils who in after life became prominent in every department of life—in statesmanship, in the legal profession, in medicine, in the profession of arms—and who had their names inscribed on the tablets in the temple of Fame. Our subject, however, was content with the instruction necessary for the prosperous prosecution of the everyday affairs of the rural life to which he was reared, for his life has always been that of a farmer. Reaching his majority, Mr. Boggs was first united in the bonds of matrimony, May, 3, 1879, with Miss Emeline Spencer, who was born October 30, 1862, a daughter of Nathan and Rebecca (Hobbs) Spencer, and to this union were born two children—Rosetta and Elma L. The death of the mother of these children took place January 15, 1882, and the second marriage of Mr. Boggs was solemnized on the i i th day of October, 1886, with Miss Catharine P. Spencer, who was born August 4, 1869, a daughter of Nathan B. and Rebecca Spencer. To this happy union have been born the following children: Edna, Franklin, Marv, Florence and Elsie Viola, who still live to bless the home of their parents. Mr. Boggs has a finely cultivated farm of ninety-seven acres, the greater part of which he assisted in clearing up. He has improved it with every modern convenience and has a neat, substantial dwelling, that is an ornament to the neighborhood. His fields show every evidence of the care of a skillful agriculturist, and he has the reputation of being the best farmer of his age in the township. In politics Mr. Boggs is a republican, and has held several township offices. With his wife he is a member of the Christian church, and also of Enterprise grange, No. 777, P. of H. Mr. Boggs, who has climbed the ladder of success from the bottom rung to the utmost towering height, well deserves the esteem in which he is held by his neighbors and fellow-citizens. Although yet a young man, he has, through an intelligent exercise of the superior qualities with which he has been endowed by nature, attained an assured position that, although it does not justify a defiance of the powers of fate, yet gives every evidence of a prolonged and happy future. REV. CHARLES BRASCHLER, of Fort Jennings, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Switzerland, November 2, 1843, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Baechtiger) Braschler, and is the only survivor of a family of eleven children. At the age of eleven or twelve years he was placed at work in a large cotton mill, where he was employed for about four years, acquiring, in the meantime, an excellent common school education; he subsequently attended a normal school for a year, studied Latin, and 66 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY otherwise prepared himself for college, and at the age of seventeen was admitted to the Mary Einsdeln order of Saint Benedict, and graduated four years later; he then attended the college at Freeburg one year, and the next two years studied philosophy and physics in Monza. Italy; in 1867 he came to America and studied theology. at Saint Mary's seminary, at Cleveland, Ohio, for three years; July 17, r 1870, he was ordained priest at Cleveland, by Bishop Mullen, of Erie, Pa., in the absence of the presiding bishop. Father Braschler began his pastoral labors at Edgerton, Ohio, where fbr three years he had charge of six missions, extending over three counties; in 1873, he was called to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, where he had charge of Saint Peter's congregation, and was very successful in his ministry for nearly sixteen years. In the fall of 1888 he came to Fort Jennings, where he has since faithfully exer- cised the functions of his holy office. Father Braschler is a gentleman of refined spirituality as well as thorough scholarship, and a linguist of exceptional attainments. He is by nature a musician, and rigid training and discipline have made him an expert in the art. As a performer on the organ he has few equals, and several other musical instruments yield readily to his manipulation, while his voice is ever a welcome and agreeable accompaniment to either choir or mass. His eloquence is of the most exalted character, his logic .indisputable and convincing, his manner suave and, pleasing, and his piety is made manifest in his every act. His early habits of study have had much to do in the formation of his character, but nature endowed him with powers of energy and indefatigability. His work for the church and his present parishioners can never be fully appreciated by the latter. July 17, 1895, the reverend father celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, receiving the fervent congratulations of his flock and many complimentary letters from abroad. HENRY THOMPSON BRECKBILL, M. D., one of the leading physicians of Columbus Grove, Ohio, is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Lebanon county, that state, on July 20, 1845. He is the son of Jonas and Prudence (Fletcher) Breckbill, the father having been born in Pennsylvania in the year '812, and the mother in London, England, the same Year. Dr. Breckbill's grandfather was John Breckbill, who was born in Philadelphia, and was the son of one of three brothers who came to America from Switzerland prior to the Revolutionary war, in which struggle one of them was a colonel. When these brothers came across the sea the name was Brightbill, but the branch of the family from which the doctor springs changed it to Breckbill. The maternal grandfather was John Fletcher, who came to America during the last century as a surveyor, being the first surveyor to come to his part of the country. He followed this calling for many years, and then became superintend' ent of the Coalman iron works at Lancaster, Pa., at which vocation he continued the bal ance of his life. Five years after he came across his family joined him. The parents of Dr. Breckbill were married in Lancaster, Pa., in 1833, and remained in Lebanon county until 1851, and then came to Richland county, Ohio, they crossing the Alleghany mountains when the cars were drawn over by horses. They settled on a farm in Richland county, Ohio, twelve miles northeast from Mansfield. They remained on the farm for about six years, and then, selling out, removed to Shelby, Ohio, where the father engaged in the hardware business. In 1879 they came with Dr. Breck- OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 67 bill to Columbus Grove, the father dying here September 17, 1882, the mother surviving him and dying on November 18, 1886. The father was reared a member of the German Reformed church, and the mother of the Episcopal church of England. After their marriage they became members of the United Brethren church. They were the parents of five sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood but one, the fifth son, who died at the age of two years. Another son died at the age of forty years, in 1883. Dr. Breckbill was six years of age when he came with his parents to Ohio. He was reared on the farm and in the town of Shelby, passing through the high school of that place. At fifteen years of age he taught his first school, and continued in the same vocation three years. He then entered a dry-goods store in Shelby, and there resided from 1 862 to 1877. During that period he read medicine and recited at night for seven years. In 1877 he entered the office of Dr. A. M. Ballard, and read that summer, and in September of that year went to Cincinnati and entered Pulte Medical college, remaining there until March, 1878, when he graduated. Returning to Shelby he entered into partnership with Dr. A. M. Ballard, his preceptor, and remained one year. In 1879 he came to Columbus Grove on a visit, and while here was influenced by friends to locate permanently. Again returning to Shelby county he sold out to his partner, and on April 26, 1879, he removed here and immediately engaged in the practice of his profession, and has since continued. He is a member of the State Homeopathic Medical society and of the World Homeopathy society; is a member of the Rufus Putnam lodge, of Columbus Grove, and of Ottawa chapter, and the Sir Knights of Lima, and also of the Methodist Episcopal church. Dr. Breckbill was married December 27, 1882, to Zoe K. Maple, youngest daughter of Simon and Kate Maple, and they are the parents of two children—Bonnie, born March 8, 1890, and Catherine Prudence, born December 1, 1894, and died March 14, 1895. The doctor is also extensively engaged in farming, operating 30 acres of land. FRANK G. BRINKMAN, one of the substantial farmers of Jennings township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a son of one of the pioneers of the township, and is of sturdy German stock. Leopold Brinkman, grandfather of our subject, was a native of Westphalia, Prussia, was a farmer, and married Elizabeth Pitzes, the union resulting in the birth of five children: Herman, Bernard, Henry, Frank and Annie. Leopold Brinkman lived until the advanced age of eighty-seven years, and died on his farm in Prussia, in the faith of the Catholic church. Frank H. Brinkman, the father of Frank G., our subject, was born on his father's farm, in Westphalia, December 0, 180, and came to America in 1848 or 1849, in the sailing vessel Antoinette, from Bremen, making the voyage in fifty-six days, and landing in New York. He located first in Cincinnati, and married, June 10, 1851, Elizabeth Winkleman, who was born October 18, 1825,. in Westphalia, a daughter of Bernard and Annie M. (Arens) Winkleman. Bernard Winkleman was also a native of Westphalia, and was a farmer, and served his time in the Prussian army. To his marriage were born three children—Therese, Matthias and Elizabeth. He came to the United States in the fall of 1845, sailing from Bremen and bound for New Orleans, but his vessel, the Burgundy, stranded in the English channel two and a half days later, and the passengers were taken to London and thence forwarded to New Orleans, but in the voyage the vessel was ravaged by fever and cholera, 68 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY and the mother and a brother, Theodore, died of the latter disorder. Bernard Winkleman and a daughter reached St. Louis, and there he also died of cholera in the fall of 1846. Mrs. Brinkman and her brother, Matthias, then proceeded to Cincinnati, where she worked as a domestic until her marriage to our subject. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brinkman resided in Cincinnati until 1856, and then moved to Delphos. He had already purchased the eighty acres of land on which he now lives in 1853, and settled thereon in 1857. It was all woods and swamp, but he erected a log cabin and cleared away little by little of his farm as he could spare time from his day's work at Ottoville and Delphos. By hard work, however, he succeeded in wresting a first-class farm from the wilderness, and in rearing five children, viz: Matthias, Elizabeth, Erhard, Annie and Frank G. The eldest was born in Cincinnati and she remainder on the farm in the order named. Mr. and Mrs. Brinkman and family were all ardent members of the Catholic church. He manifested his devotion to his faith by contributing $300 in cash and $100 in labor—a total of $400—to the erection of the magnificent Catholic house of worship in Ottoville, and in that faith he died on his farm at the age of seventy years, nine months and nine days, having been in politics a democrat. Frank G. Brinkman was born September 14, 1866, and received a good common-school education. He has always been a farmer, and is one of most enterprising in his township. Matthias Winkleman, brother of Mrs. Brinkman and father of Max Winkleman, whose biography will be found on another page, was born in Westphalia, Prussia, March 2, 1827, and came to America when a young man, three years before his father—probably about 1842—and landed at New Orleans, say at the age of sixteen years, and, coming north, learned the tinner's trade at Xenia, Ohio. He removed to Delphos early in 1852 or 1853, and entered the farm on which Frank G. Brinkman now lives, Mr. Winkleman purchasing it in 1853. Matthias Winkleman then moved to Delphos, and there married Frances Michel. GEORGE BUCHANAN, deceased, was a successful and respected farmer of Greensburg township, Putnam county, Ohio, and was born, in 1832, in Coshocton county, Ohio, a son of John and Elizabeth (Ayers) Buchanan. His father, John, was a native of Ireland who came to America in his youth, settled among the pioneers of Coshocton county, and there married Miss Ayers, who became the mother of two children--John, who died in 1868, and George, the subject of this sketch. George Buchanan was educated in the common schools and reared to farming. From Coshocton, Ohio, he accompanied his mother, in his youth, to Illinois, whence they came, in 1854, to Putnam county, Ohio, where, in 1859, he married Miss Elizabeth McGinley, daughter of Charles and Mary A. (Ewing) McGinley, and this union was blessed by the birth of five children, named as follows: Alice M., wife of Leroy Hixon, of Audrain county, Mo. ; Belle, deceased wife of Daniel Fender, of Michigan; Charles J, Eddie, who died in infancy, and Terence J. also deceased. After his marriage, Mr. Buchanan located on a farm in Perry township, Putnam county, but four years later moved to Greensburg township, then moved to Liberty township, and in 1867 to Eaton county,- Mich. In 1870 he returned to Putnam county, Ohio, en route to the South in search of health. He was a successful farmer and stock trader, and greatly respected by all with whom he had any. dealing. A Freemason and an Odd Fellow,. he was held in high esteem by his fellow-mem- OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 69 bers of both brotherhoods; in politics he was a stanch democrat, and in religion a consistent Methodist, in which faith he died in 1872. John Buchanan, elder brother of George, our subject, was a teacher in early life, later he became a lawyer, and was for a number of years clerk of court. During the Civil war he held a captain's commission, and was a gallant soldier. He married Susan Hinsel, of Illinois, and this union was favored with five children, all now residing in Nebraska. Elizabeth (McGinley) Buchanan was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1842. Her father, Charles McGinley, was a native of Venango county, Pa., and a son of Jacob McGinley, who was born in Ireland, but became an early settler of Pennsylvania. Charles McGinley, although reared to the pursuit of agriculture, came in his youth to Columbiana county, Ohio, and there engaged in contracting and mining, in which vocation he met with much success. He married Miss Mary A. Ewing, a daughter of James and Dorothy (Hipner) Ewing, and the seven children born to this marriage were named as follows: Sarah A., wife of Levi Guy, of Greensburg township, Putnam county; Margaret, wife of Benjamin Connell, of Michigan; Nancy, who died in childhood; Elizabeth, whose name opens this paragraph; Jacob, deceased; Mary, wife of Harrison Ayers, of Van Wert county, Ohio, and Ellen, married to John Campbell, of Greensburg township, Putnam county. In 1858 Charles McGinley moved his family to Putnan county and cleared up a farm from the woods, and here passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1874, a member of the Catholic church and in politics a sound democrat. Mrs. Buchanan, who has passed her five decades of years, resided on the old homestead in Greensburg township, until aged five. She was educated in the common schools of Columbiana county and later became one of the pioneer teachers of Putnam county. For a number of years after the death of her husband she continued to carry on the old homestead, with the assistance of her sons, but in 1890 moved to her present home in Kalida. Alice M. Hixon, eldest Child of George and Elizabeth Buchanan, was born in Perry township, Putnam county, Ohio, June 26, 1861, received het. primary education in the common schools, afterward attended the Normal university at Ada, and for seven years was engaged in teaching school. In 1883 she was married to Leroy Hixon, has borne two children, Grace K. and Burton B. , and resides at Laddonia, Mo. Belle, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan, was born February 7,1863, was married, in 1879, to Daniel Fender, a native of Eaton county Mich. , and became the mother of three children—one that died in infancy, Grace M. and Charles—while her own death occurred in 1889. Charles J., the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan, was born February 8, 1865, received a good education and in early life began contracting; he has also been engagrd in the manufacture of tile and brick, as well as the hotel business, and has traveled widely through the west; he has made a success of everything he has undertaken, and now stands with the foremost business men of Kalida. Terence J., the youngest son, was born May 39, 187o, and died at Roswell, N. Mex., January 28, 1895. He was well educated, was full of energy and the soul of honor, and while in business with his brother, Charles, did much to advance the interests of the concern. His loss was deeply deplored by the entire community. ARTEMAS M. BROWN is a successful business man of Ottawa, Ohio, and a brief outline of his personal and family history is herewith presented. His father, David Brown, was of Scotch and En- 70 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY glish descent, and a native of Washington county, Pa., where his birth occurred about the year 1797. By occupation David Brown was a mechanic. He became a resident of Ohio in 1819, locating in Wayne county, where he purchased 16o acres of government land and worked at his trade of millwright. In 1846 he moved to the county of Holmes, and one year later, disposing of his possessions in Ohio, he returned to Pennsylvania, where he purchased a part of the paternal homestead. He died in his native state at the age of seventy-eight years. The father of David Brown was James Brown,• an extensive farmer of Pennsylvania, who married Miss Charity Pocock. David Brown was a local politician of some note, supported for many years the democratic party, but changed his political views when the republican party sprang into existence, identifying himself with the latter and continuing to vote with the same until his death. His first wife was Sarah J. Smith, whose stepfather's name was Freeman. She was born in Wayne county, Ohio, and died at the age of thirty-seven years, leaving four sons and one daughter. The eldest son, James, now dead, was an oil operator in Oil City, Pa. ; the daughter, Sarah J., married Aquilla Naylor, of Sedalia, Mo. Daniel S. resides at this time in Oklahoma territory. He was captain of company F, Fifty-fifth regiment Ohio volunteer infantry, in the late war, and afterward served as provost marshal of the Fifth Ohio district. The next in order of birth is Artemas M., whose name introduces this biography. The youngest member of the family, Leander S., is a well-known physician, residing at Fort Collins, Colo., and is also a minister of the Christian church, and a man of much professional and literary acquirement. The name of David Brown's second wife was Susan Holten, who bore him three children: David, deceased; John, a physician of Middletown, Pa., and Silas, also a resident o the Keystone state. Artemas M. Brown was born in Wayne county, Ohio, six miles west of the city of Wooster, November 3, 1835. He spent the first twelve years of his life in his native state, and then went to Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood, attending in the meantime the common schools and Pleasant Valley Normal school, in which he acquired a good education. The greater part of his intellectual training, however, is the result of home study, and before reaching his twenty-first year he began teaching, which profession he followed with gratifying success for a considerable length of time. His first work as superintendent of schools was at Kalida, Putnam county, in 1867, where he remained for a period of eighteen months, and then accepted a position at Ottawa, where he continued two years, reorganizing the schools of the city, in the meantime, under the union school system. Mr. Brown severed his connection with educational work in 1870, and, in partnership with C. H. Rice and Nicholas Goetschius, organized the firm of Rice, Brown & Co., for the purpose of manufacturing wheels and wheel material. The firm thus constituted lasted about twenty years, its dissolution dating from the sale of the property in 189o, since which time Mr. Brown has been engaged in settling up the business of the same. He purchased the several partners' interests in the Ottawa Buggy company, with which enterprise he is still identified, in connection with the real estate and loan business. He has agencies at McComb, Mount Blanchard and Dupont, and is in the enjoyment of a very extensive business in Putnam and adjoining counties. Mr. Brown was married in Madison, Jefferson county, Ind., in 1871, to Miss Henrietta M. Bruning, who was born in Cincinnati, October 27, 1846. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Brow OF PUTNAM COUNTY - 73 has been gladdened by the birth of three children—Carrie A., a graduate of the Ottawa high school; Emma, also a graduate, and William B., a student at Kenyon Military academy, Gambier, Ohio. Mr. Brown is a republican in politics, and fraternally belongs to the Masonic order, holding membership with Ottawa lodge, No. 325. In matters educational he manifests a live interest, and as a member of the school board has done much toward bringing the schools of Ottawa to their present state of efficiency. For many years he has been a consistent member of the Church of Christ and an active worker in the Sunday-school, having been chosen to represent Ottawa township in the state Sunday-school convention which convened a short time ago in the city of Cleveland. In the true sense of the word, Mr. Brown is self-made, and it is a compliment well deserved to class him with the most intelligent and progressive citizens of the county of Putnam. His daughters are active workers in the Sunday-school and the society of Christian Endeavor, and are highly esteemed in Ottawa, where they move in the best social circles. JOSEPH BRUMLEY, a prominent farmer and early settler of Van Buren township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of Bedford county, Pa., and was born March 8, 1834. He is the eldest of three children born to John and Mary Magdalen (Hift) Brumley, the former of whom was born at Trenton, N. J., February 4, 1800, and the latter in Bucks county, Pa., January 1, 1800, and were married in Bedford county April 15, 1833. The father was a highly educated gentleman, was a county surveyor, and also owned a fine farm in the Keystone state, but through misfortune lost all his property, and in 1842 came to Ohio with but limited means, and first located in Harrison county, where for a year he taught school. He also taught in Coshocton, Henry and Hancock counties, and did some surveying here in the meantime. In 1853 he came to Putnam county and bought a tract of land in the woods in Van Buren township, which was cleared up and mostly paid for by our subject and his brother. There were no roads in Van Buren township at that period, and as Mr. Brumley was capable in every respect, he was appointed by the commissioners to lay these out and do other special work for the county. At his death, which took place December 18, 1856, in his fifty-sixth year, he was honored by all who knew him. Joseph Brumley, father of John Brumley and grandfather of Joseph, our subject, was a prominent man in his day, at one time being treasurer of Washington City, D. C., and our subject has in his possession some of the old receipts for taxes made out by his grandfather at Washington in 1816; he also has an old docket and other papers made out by his father, John Brumley, who served several terms as justice of the peace in Coshocton c0unty, Ohio, which he cherishes as relics. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Henry Hift, was a well-known farmer of Bucks county, Pa., but afterward moved to Bedford county, where he bought large tracts of land and became a very influential citizen. William H. Brumley, the only brother of our subject, was born September 22, 1836, in Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio with his parents, and soon after his marriage enlisted in the Sixty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry. He was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and after his recovery was retained at the hospital as nurse, as his wound had rendered him unfit for field duty; in fact, he never fully recovered, and died at his home from the effects of this wound June 23, 1871. Angeline H. Brumley, our subject's only sister, was born October 3o, 1838, and was first married to 74 - BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY Felix Herbst, who died, leaving two children; her second marriage was to William Jackson, a resident of Monroe county, Mich. The mother of this family died January 1, 1877, at the age of seventy-seven years, a respected member of the Uuited Brethren church. Joseph Brumley, the subject of this sketch, was chiefly educated in Coshocton county, Ohio. On coming to Putnam county, in 1853, there were no houses in Leipsic, and he well remembers the difficulties his parents had in struggling through the first year or two of their existence here in the wilderness. In 1862 he married Miss Philopena Leffler, who was born in Hocking county, Ohio, September 16, 1842, a daughter of Solom0n and Christian Leffler, both natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. About 1852 the Leffler family left Hocking county, where the father had owned a farm, and came to Putnam county, buying a tract in Van Buren township, on which they lived until about 1883, when they retired to Leipsic, where Solomon still lives at the age of eighty-seven, his wife dying August 27, 1895, in her eighty-first year. Solomon Leffler has been quite a prominent man in his day, and as a democrat has filled some of the more important township offices; he has been quite successful through life, and now owns considerable property in Leipsic and at other places. He and wife are members of the German Lutheran church, and parents of sixteen children, viz: John, Daniel, now county commissioner; Jacob, William, George, Lewis, Catherine, Philopena, Christina, Nancy, Susan, Caroline, Henry, Mary and two deceased infants. To our subject and wife have been born nine children, in the following order: John H., October 5, 1863, now farming the homestead; Daniel J., March 19, 1865; Ida A., July 1, 1867, married Thomas Bach and died in February, 1895, the mother of three children; Mary C., October 29, 1869; Abbie S., November 29, 1871; Benjamin B., March 7, 1874, attending college; Oscar V., March 9, 1876, attending the Ohio university; Minnie D., March 9, 1878, and Flora C., August 3, 1880. Of the above, Daniel J. is highly educated; he resides at Evansville, Ind., where he is acting as civil engineer for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad company, in the esteem of which company he stands very high. In fact, all our subject's children have received, or are receiving, superior educational advantages. At the time of his marriage Mr. Brumley was the owner of eighty acres, slightly improved, derived from his father's estate, and this farm he has increased t0 1 oo acres, has ditched and tiled it, and placed it under a most excellent state of cultivation. He has a commodious dwelling, two barns, a wind-mill, and every other convenience pertaining to a first-class farm; he has set out a fine orchard, has introduced Durham cattle, and done many other things indicative of the superior farmer. He and wife are members of the Methodist church, in which he has y held several offices; in politics he is a republican, and his name has been frequently offered for the high positions of the county, but, the county being democratic, he has been elected to some of the township offices only. He is a gentleman of generous disposition, has done much toward advancing the welfare of the county, and makes friends wherever he goes. HENRY BUCK, one of the leading citizens of Putnam county, Ohio, and trustee of Pleasant township, was born on the farm where he now lives, north from Columbus Grove, adjoining the corporate limits, July 21, 1839. His father was Benjamin Denton Buck, who was one of the pioneers of Putnam county, having come