CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 175 Mr. Ricketts' term expired in December, and on the 1st of January, 1864, he re-enlisted and participated in the Atlanta campaign from May until September, taking part in the battles of Bridge Tunnel Hill and Buzzards' Roost, May 5th-11th ; Resaca, May 13th-15th; Cassville, May 19th-22d; Dallas and Altoona, May 25th to June 4th; New Hope Church, May 27th-28th ; Kenesaw Mountain, June 9th-10th; Galatha, June 16th-27th; Pine Knob, June 19th; Culp's Farm, June 22; Kenesaw, June 27th, Marietta, July 3d-4th; Chattahoochie River, July 6th-17th; Peach Tree Creek, July l0th; Atlanta, July 22d; the siege of Atlanta from the 22d1 of July to the 25th of August; the occupation of Atlanta from the 2d of September to the 15th of November, when the troops under General Sherman started on the celebrated march to the sea ; Milledgeville, November 12th ; Buffalo Creek, November 25th-26th; Ogeechee River, November 29th ; Savannah, December 10th-21st ; Robert's Mills, February I, 1865; Salkehatchie, February 3d; Brinker's Ridge, February 7th; Orangeburg, February 12th-13th; Columbia, February 16th-17th; Chesterfield, March 2d; Bentonville, North Carolina, March 19th-21st ; and Raleigh, April 26th. Mr. Ricketts was also present at the surrender of General Johnston's army, on the 26th of April. With his regiment he then marched to Washington, D. C., by way of Richmond, Virginia, and participated in the grand review in the capital city, "where wave after wave of bayonet-crested blue" passed by the stand from which the president watched the return of the victorious army. He was mustered out of the service May 26, 1865, and with a most creditable military record returned to his home. He was still but a boy, yet on many a hotly contested battlefield he had displayed courage and endurance equal to that of many a time-tried veteran. Mr. Ricketts remained at his home in Mansfield, Ohio, until 1869, when he went to Cincinnati, becoming connected' with the business interests of that city for ten years. During that period he was married on the 24th of December, 1872, to Miss Sarah Featherlin, a resident of Cincinnati. They now have three children : John, Richard and Harry C., the last named still a student in school. John enlisted in Company L, of the Fourteenth Regiment of the United States regulars and is now in Manila. Richard joined Company \I of the Eighth Ohio Volunteers during the Spanish-American war and was with his regiment on the firing line at Santiago. He returned with his company when the troops were recalled from Cuba, and is now in Mansfield. In 1879 Mr. Ricketts returned with his family to this city, where he has since resided, and at the present time he 176 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. is holding the position of custodian of the library. He and his family are members of the First Baptist church, and they are people of sterling worth, enjoying the high regard of many friends. Since its organization Mr. Ricketts has been a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, being now connected with McLaughlin Post, No. 31, of Mansfield. Courteous, genial and well informed, he is a popular and highly respected citizen of his native city and well deserves a representation in this volume. HON. HENRY C. KOOKEN. Henry Clute Kooken, a prominent citizen of Mansfield, Ohio, was born September 3. 1836, in Ashland county, Ohio. He is the eldest of his parents' family of thirteen children, of whom only three 'still survive, namely : himself, William H., Jr., of Alabama, and Louise, the wife of William Fulton, of Lucas. Richland county, Ohio. The subject of this review was married September 25, 1862, to Miss Mary E. Pearce, a daughter of Louis K. Pearce and his wife, Elizabeth C. Pearce nee Driskell. Mr. and Mrs. Kooken are the parents of six children, as follows : Landon M., Esther Cedelia, Luella Victoria, Elizabeth Elnora, Mary Pearce and Louis K. Landon M. was born July 25, 1863, and on August 14, 1888, married Miss Lamira A. Purdey, by whom he has two children, namely : Landon M., Jr., born June 16, 1889; and Ruth Elnora, born January 2, 1892. Esther C. was born July 29, 1864, and married Dr. J. D. Purdey October 18, 1887. Dr. and Mrs. Purdey have had two children: Pledge Kooken, born September 30. 1890, and died October 6, 1891; and Marietjee Da Lee, born March 24, 1892. Elizabeth Elnora, born August 22, 1867, married Albert Coul August 14, 1882, and has had three children: Irene Ryford, born December 29, 1883 ; Ella Eva, born August 29, 1885, and died March 19, 1892 ; and Albert Ralph, born May 28, 1888. Louis K. was born August 25, 1878, and still. remains single. Luella Victoria and Mary Pearce died young. William Hills Kooken, the father of our subject, was born October 7, 1810, and died April 1, 1888. Susan Devenbaugh, called by some of the early ancestors of the family Derfenbacher, was the mother of our subject. She was born in 1808, and was married to Mr. Kooken in 1836, and, as stated at the beginning of this sketch, became the mother of thirteen children. Her parents were Daniel Devenbaugh and Ann Maria Kooken. The original name came from Lord Devenbeaux, of France, whose descendants fled from CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 177 their native country to Germany at the time of the Huguenot persecution. and came thence to America with some of their co-religionists. Daniel Devenbaugh and Maria Kooken were married in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and were the parents of ten children, but the family records were destroyed by fire about the time of the beginning of the war of the Revolution. Their ten children are now all dead. Then name of the grandfather of the mother of the subject of this sketch was Casper Devenbaugh, a son of Casper Devenbaugh, who came from Germany to America about 1739 or 1740. The latter landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and took the oath of allegiance to the British crown before setting foot on the soil of America, as was learned from the records of the port of entry in the office of the secretary at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The maternal grandmother of the subject, Ann Maria Devenbaugh, was a daughter of John Kooken, who was born in Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania. He was a son of Johannes Kooken, who came to America about 1720. On January 29, 1729, by vote of the general assembly of Pennsylvania, he was naturalized under English rule. Being then a citizen of Philadelphia county, he was granted land and certain privileges under the Northern Liberties and William Penn's rights to the state of Pennsylvania. Ann Marie Baker, whom Johannes Kooken married, was a daughter of William Baker and Marie (Penn) Baker. Her mother was a daughter of John Penn, a son of William Penn by his second marriage, to Hannah Callohill. Inasmuch as Johannes Kooken had married the granddaughter of William Penn he had to be naturalized and be acknowledged by the general assembly of Pennsylvania, thus coming into possession of his land and other property and holding them under the ruling authorities of England and Pennsylvania and to the rights ceded to William Penn, the Free Traders' Society and the Northern Liberties. He and his wife he buried in the old Friends' burying-ground in the city of Philadelphia. The above, information was derived from the books of the old Friends' church in Philadelphia. William Hills Kooken and his wife were first cousins. The former was a son of John Kooken, who was a son of John Kooken and a grandson of Johannes Kooken and his wife, Mary or Marie Penn. William Penn was of the royal house of Tudor, his grandfather being John Tudor. William Penn was buried at Jordan's, near Beckersfield, Buckinghamshire, England, this graveyard being three miles from the London road, on the lands of a Lady Young. William Hills Kooken's mother was Margaret Hills, a daughter of William Hills and his wife, Susannah Engle. They were married in Winchester, Virginia, prior to the war of the Revolution. They were both natives 178 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of England, the former having been born in the parish of Kent. The Hills ancestors were named Jennings, Howe, Innes, Engle and Pennington, according to the best knowledge and information that has been handed down from the past, also according to the history of the Kooken family. John Kooken, the grandfather of the subject, married a Miss Baker, who was a descendant of William Baker, who married a granddaughter of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, this information having been subscribed to on July 9, 1900, by Henry Clute Kooken, as handed down to him by his ancestors. Mary E. Kooken, the wife of the subject of this sketch, is a daughter of Louis Kinney Pearce and his wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth C. Driskell. The former was a son of Stephen Pearce and his wife, Mary Kinney, she being a daughter of Louis Kinney and his wife, Mary Williams. Louis Kinney was a son of Louis Kinney and his wife, Esther Dubois, a daughter of Joost or George Dubois, whose mother was a daughter of Louis XIV, of France. The Dubois family was noted among the Huguenots of France for their independence and intelligence, and fled from France to Holland at the time of the persecution of those of their religious faith. Resolve Waldron came to America from Amsterdam, Holland, about 1645. He was a son of Baron Johannes Wadron, of Waldron Hall, Amsterdam, and was one of the original patentees of the Harlem land patents under Governors Nichols and Thomas Dongan, under dates of 1666, 1667 and 1668, as shown by the official records in the office of the secretary of state at Albany, New York. Resolve Waldron married Miss Tannekee Von Nagle in New York city, in 1654, and among their children were Ruth, born April 12, 1657, and baptized May 1o, following. She married Johannes De La Mater, August 11, 1678, in New York city. Mr. and Mrs. De La Mater had seven children, the next to the youngest, Marietjee, or Marie, being born in New Harlem, New York, July 9, 1696, and baptized July 26, 1696. Ruth De La Mater died in New Harlem, now New York city, in 1707. Marietjee De La Mater was married to John Pearce, of Flatbush, Long Island, June 3, 1716, and died near Aquanock, New Jersey, October 24, 1734. John Pearce died in New Harlem, June 3, 1744, and was buried in the New Harlem cemetery, now New York city. James Pearce, the eldest son of John Pearce, was born August 8, 1717, and was married to Sarah Van Horn, of Bergen county, New Jersey, January 19, 1742. Stephen Pearce, a son of James Pearce, was born May 19, 1764, and was married to Mary Kinney August 29, 1787, and died in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 181o. She died in Richland county, Ohio, in 1843, and lies buried in the Perryville cemetery in Ashland county, same state. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 179 James Pearce was married on his own farm in Elizabeth, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1807. His wife, Sarah, died in Columbiana county, Ohio, and was buried in what was then known as the Bull Creek cemetery, in 1804. They had ten children. The sixth child, Louis Kinney Pearce, was born June 19, 1797, and was married to Elizabeth Cedelia Driskell September 19, 1833, the marriage ceremony being performed by Solomon Gladden, Esq., a justice of the peace of Richland county, Ohio, as is shown by the records of said county. They had five children, namely : James McVey Pearce, born December 19, 1835, married Katharine Miller, in February, 1898; Mary E. Pearce, born October 9, 1839, married H. C. Kooken September 25, 1862 ; Sarah Sophia, born September 6, 1843, and married to William S. Banks; John Reed Pearce, born January 11, 1846, and was married to Ethalinda J. Johnston ; and Louis Kinney, Jr., born May 11, 1848, and married to Lydia Jane Leppo. Louis Kinney Pearce, Sr., died December 30, 1850, and his wife, Elizabeth Cedelia Pearce, died March 15, 1890. Both lie buried in the Ford cemetery in Washington township, Richland county, Ohio. Mr. Kooken's father was a resident of Ashland county, Ohio, until the son was past thirteen years of age. The family then came to Richland county and settled on a farm four miles east of Mansfield, and here our subject's home was continued until he was past twenty-one years. The father removed to the village of Lucas, where he engaged in the boot and shoe business for several years. Later he removed to the southern part of the county, and there died. Our subject spent most of his boyhood days on a farm. He received a common-school education, and his first business venture was in the boot and shoe trade, first at Lucas and then at Newville. In 188o he came to Mansfield, which has since been his home. Since then he has been engaged in the work of genealogical and biographical writing and in the insurance business. He and his wife and all their children, save the eldest son, are members of the Christian church. AMBERSON W. GUTHRIE. Much as has been written about the pioneer period in the history of Ohio, it is impossible to consider the record of any family represented here in early days without discovering new and interesting material which deserves a permanent place in local chronicles. The family of Guthrie was represented in pioneer days by early settlers whose peculiar experiences 180 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. formed the basis of traditions which have been handed down from father to son. Amberson W. Guthrie, buyer and shipper of poultry, Shiloh, Cass township, Richland county, Ohio, is a prominent representative of this family at this time. He was born in Blooming Grove township, Richland county, December 27, 1849, a son of Nathaniel S. and Sarah (Turbit) Guthrie, and is one of seven of their eleven children who survive. Oliver is a well-known farmer of Cass township. Ransom is an elevator proprietor and a dealer in coal and grain at Plymouth, Ohio. Arkinson is living the life of a retired farmer at Shelby, Ohio. Lucy is the wife of A. Cleland, of Tiffin, Ohio. Emma is the wife of James Davidson, the proprietor of a knitting manufactory at Ashland, Ohio. Frank, of Shiloh, is a prominent farmer of Cass township, Nathaniel S. Guthrie was born in Harrison county, Ohio, March 3, 1816, and was brought by his parents to Richland county on the 15th of September following, when he was six months and twelve days old. The family settled in the woods and lived in a log cabin which was built after their arrival. They all lived during the winter of 1816-17 on "frosted" corn bread. The next spring Grandfather Guthrie put in two acres of wheat. Before it was ripe Grandmother Guthrie cut a sheaf, burned the awns off, rubbed the wheat out and boiled it as rice. The family ate heartily of the dish thus prepared, and in a few hours all were "deathly" sick. Grandfather Guthrie paid dearly for the first barrel of salt that he brought to his new home. He made a five-days journey to Sandusky and return and exchanged twenty-five bushels of wheat, at fifty cents a bushel, and two dollars and fifty cents' Worth of maple syrup and coon skins, a total value of fifteen dollars, for one barrel of this now cheap and common commodity. Their fare now was somewhat improved, consisting of mush and milk, corn pone, potatoes, venison, wild turkey and other wild game which abounded in the forests surrounding their wildwood home. Their furniture was as rude and primitive as their log cabin, and it taxed Mr. Guthrie's ingenuity to construct it of rough poles and slabs hewn from saplings and trees cut in the woods near by. Nathaniel S. Guthrie began his schooling at the age of nine years. An idea of the privations to which the members of the family were subjected will be afforded when it is stated that during the first two winters the boy went to and from the log schoolhouse barefooted ! Instead of books he had a rude wooden paddle, on one side of which the letters of the alphabet had been roughly drawn, on the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 181 other a few words of one syllable ! His school days were over when he was eighteen years old, and he began teaching music by the old "buckwheat" system of notation. April 30, 1840, he married Sarah Turbit, and began his married life almost as humbly as he had lived through the days of his boyhood. During the ten years succeeding his marriage he was able to save but fifty dollars, but from that time on he pressed forward with the determination to have a home of his own, and gradually improved his fortunes until, in 1878, an attack of heart trouble compelled him to retire from farm life and move to town. He was one of the well-to-do farmers of the county; and, owing to the loving but hardy discipline under which his sons were reared they all became men of the strictest integrity and all are well-to-do. Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie early in life became members of the United Brethren church, and from that time on were among its most active and substantial supporters. Mr. Guthrie was a class-leader for twenty-one years and was the superintendent of the first regularly established Sunday-school in his neighborhood. He was a man of the highest character, esteemed by all who knew him for his many admirable virtues, and his wife was a worthy helpmeet to him. Her death occurred August 13, 1889, his January 23, 1896. Amberson W. Guthrie was reared to farm life and acq.uired his education in the common schools, but he inclined to a business career rather than farming. At nineteen he began his career as an itinerant jewelry merchant, visiting state and county fairs and following circuses through the country and selling his wares on the streets. He pushed his business in that way for four years, and during that time visited all parts of the United States. After that he located at his old home and was married November 15, 1874, to Miss Ella McMunn, a daughter of William McMunn and a native of Plymouth, Ohio. William McMunn, an Irishman by birth, came to America, about his twenty-first year, with his mother and sisters, and settled at Plymouth, where he married. He fought through the entire period of the Civil war, and died one week after his return home. After his marriage Mr. Guthrie settled on the Guthrie homestead and managed it for eighteen years on shares. In 1893 he located at Shiloh, but did not engage in any active business until the fall of 1894, when he engaged in buying and shipping poultry to Cleveland commission houses. Later, when the magnitude of his business justified such an innovation, he established his son in a stand in the Sheriff street market, Cleveland, where his goods 182 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. were sold direct. His enterprise has now assumed such proportions that his shipments average two tons of dressed poultry a week. Amberson W. and Ella (McMunn) Guthrie have had four children, three of whom survive. His son, Barton R., has charge of his father's interests at Cleveland, as mentioned above. Florence became the wife of Rev. Edward Hermiston, an evangelist of the Baptist faith, and is his assistant. She is a trained elocutionist and an able and impressive speaker. They are known as the "Moody School Evangelists," and their work in different parts of the country for the salvation of souls has been commended by leading preachers of different denominations. Maud is the wife of Al. Zeimer, a well-known race-horse man of Chicago, Illinois. Barton R. was for two years a student at the Western Reserve Dental College, and was graduated at that institution in June, 1891. In 1896 Mr. Guthrie purchased the home farm of two hundred and twenty acres, which he rents profitably. He is one of the progressive business men of of the county and is a leading Republican, who manifests much enthusiasm in party work. URIAH LAFFERTY. The farming interests of Richland county are well represented by Mr. Lafferty, who devotes his time and energies to agricultural pursuits in Worthington township, where he has a valuable tract of land under a high state of cultivation. He was born in Harrison county, Ohio, February 6, 1825. His father, John Lafferty, was united in marriage to Miss Mary Leadom, a daughter of Thomas Leadom and a native of the Keystone state. At an early day John Lafferty removed to Harrison county, Ohio, where he lived until 1833, when he came to Richland county, casting his lot with the pioneer settlers of this section of the state. He rented a farm near Bellville until the following March, when he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of timber land two miles east of the town. No improvements had been made on the place, but he at once began to clear it and soon the wild tract was transformed into richly cultivated fields. There be continued his farming operations until his life's labors were ended in death, in 1844, when he had attained the age of sixty-six and a half years. He was very active in Democratic circles, yet neither sought nor desired the honors or emoluments of public office. His time was devoted to his business affairs, in which he met with success. He engaged in raising cat- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 183 tle and sheep in addition to his general farming pursuits. He was an active member of the Presbyterian church, as was also his wife, who died in Richland county, at the age of eighty-five years. In their family were eleven children, but Uriah is now the only one surviving. When he was a lad of nine summers Uriah Lafferty accompanied his parents on their removal to Richland county, and remained at home until about twenty-five years of age. His father died about that time and the son then moved to his present farm in Worthington township. As a companion and helpmeet on life's journey he chose Miss Nancy Kanaga, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Reem) Kanaga, both natives of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, where they were married. In 1.834 they came to Richland county, locating on the farm now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Lafferty, there spending their remaining days. Her father also owned and operated a mill, which still stands upon the place, and was a successful business man. In politics he was a Whig and was an earnest Christian gentleman although he did not belong to any church. He erected and paid for a house of worship located on his farm in Pennsylvania, and at all times contributed liberally to church work. He died at the age of seventy-nine and his wife passed away at the age of eighty-seven. She held membership in the Evangelical church. In her family were six children, including Mrs. Lafferty, who was born in Pennsylvania, April 30, 1832, and was only two years old when brought by her parents to Richland county. Almost her entire life has been spent upon the farm which is now her home. By her marriage she has become the mother of two children,—Alvin L. and Abraham J.,—who operate the old homestead, which comprises two hundred and thirty acres 0f land devoted to general farming pursuits. The fields are highly cultivated and everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance. Mr. Lafferty exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democratic party, and he and his wife are members of the Evangelical church. JAMES MADISON POST. Among the honored veterans of the Civil war and highly esteemed citizens of Richland county may be numbered James M. Post, most of whose life has been passed here. He was born on the 28th of February, 1840, in Springfield township, two miles west of Ontario, on the farm now owned by Nathan Tyler, and lived there until sixteen years of age, when he removed to the 184 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. present farm of "Jud" Aton, in Troy township, where he continued to make his home until he attained his majority. Mr. Post is a son of William and Rhoda (Poole) Post. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, of Scotch and Irish descent, and his mother was a native of Ohio. They had thirteen children. They were early settlers of Springfield township, Richland county. Prompted by a spirit of patriotism, Mr. Post enlisted August 1o, 1861, for three years, becoming a private of Company E, Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and he participated in the engagements at McDowell, Cross Keys, Franklin and Harper's Ferry,—all in Virginia. At the last named place he was taken prisoner with his regiment, and after being paroled was sent into camp at Chicago, Illinois. In February, 1862, they were exchanged and once more went to the front, taking part in the battles of Vicksburg, Raymond, Champion Hills, Jackson and Baker's Creek. They also participated in the siege of Vicksburg and were with Sherman on the Atlanta campaign. During the siege of Atlanta Mr. Post's time expired, and he was honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, July 27, 1864. Returning to his home, he resumed farming. In 1871 he removed to Eaton county, Michigan, where he resided and farmed for twelve years, and in 1883 purchased the farm of eighty acres upon which he has since successfully engaged in general farming. On the l0th of December, 1868, Mr. Post was united in marriage with Miss Isabelle C. Murphy, a daughter of John and Mary Murphy, and to them were born three children, namely : Minnie o., Mary E., and Gertrude E. The first two are married. He is a stanch supporter of the men and measures of the Republican party and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. As a citizen he has always been true and faithful to every trust reposed in him, so that his loyalty is above question, being manifest in days of peace as well as when he followed the old flag to victory on southern battlefields. CURTIS L. AVERY. Curtis Lord Avery was one of the earliest inhabitants of Mansfield, Ohio, where for many years he was a successful merchant and prominent citizen. He came to Mansfield and was one of the founders and builders of this prosperous and growing city. He was strongly opposed to slavery, believing it a sin, and that should the nation endure slavery must be abolished. Refusing to follow the teachings of many of the clergymen of the agitation days, and seeking religious affiliation and teaching in harmony with his CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 185 views, and finding many of his neighbors and friends in harmony and sympathy with his sentiments, he became one of the founders of the First Congregational church in Mansfield, and was a generous contributor of means and effort to the support of the church. From business activities he retired soon after the close of the Civil war, and later removed to Wayne, Pennsylvania, where he now (1900) resides, being yet active in mind and body, notwithstanding that he has passed the ninetieth milestone in life's journey. He was born in Groton, Connecticut, June 1, 1810, and came of an old and highly respected New England family. His parents were David and Hannah (Smith) Avery. David Avery was a soldier of the war of 1812, and his parents were Rufus and Hannah (Lord) Avery. Rufus Avery was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, as a captain of Connecticut volunteers, serving six years. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Griswold, in September, 1781. He was a son of James and Elizabeth (Allyn) Avery. His father, James, was a son of James and Elizabeth (Smith) Avery. James, the fourth, was a son of James and Mary (Griswold) Avery, and James, the third, was a son of James and Deborah (Stallyon) Avery. James, the second, was a son of James and Joanna (Greenslade) Avery, and James, the first, was the son of Christopher Avery and was born in. England, whence he came with his father to America about 1630, and after residing in Gloucester, Massachusetts, located in Groton, Connecticut, and properly became the progenitor of the family in America. Thus we have traced the genealogy of our subject back to the first representative of one of the oldest American families, and one, too, which has produced prominent men in every generation since the family was established in this country. In 1835 Curtis Lord Avery married Sarah Sturgish Buckingham, born March 15, 1817, and died February 24, 1851. Curtis L. Avery had three children,—Rufus Lord, Belinda and Ellen. Rufus Lord Avery had a short but brilliant career. He was born at Mansfield, Ohio, April 16, 1838, and was educated in the schools of Mansfield and at Kenyon College. He left Kenyon College in 1859, returned to Mansfield and took a position in his father's mercantile establishment. In the spring of 186o he formed a partnership with F. E. Tracy, as Tracy & Avery, and engaged in the grocery business, which passed from the retail to the wholesale trade in 1862. The firm of Tracy & Avery has had a prosperous existence of over forty years, but Mr. Avery did not live long after the establishment of the firm, for with the breaking out of the Civil war his patriotism prompted him to volunteer his services to the defense of the Union. He was one of the first to sign the roll of Company C, Fifteenth 186 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Ohio Infantry, on April 17, 1861. He was first made sergeant, and on the field was promoted as second lieutenant. After much arduous service in West Virginia, being present at the battle of Philippi, the first of the war (after the firing on Fort Sumter), and the term of enlistment expiring, the regiment returned to Ohio, and was reorganized in August, 1861. The necessities of Mr. Avery's business demanded his personal efforts, and therefore he did not return to the field of warfare until May I, 1864, but the entire interval was largely spent in assisting in organizing and drilling troops for the field. On rejoining the army, Mr. Avery became the captain of Company A, One Hundred and Sixty-third Ohio Infantry. The regiment spent a month in the intrenchments at Washington, and reached Deep Bottom Bridge June 14, 1864. The next day position in the intrenchments before Petersburg was taken by the regiment, and June 16 Captain Avery commanded the skirmish line in a raid made by five regiments under the command of Colonel Francis B. Pond, to cut the railroad between Richmond and Petersburg; and this was successfully accomplished. Captain Avery contracted Chickahominy fever on an expedition under General Gilman Martson, and from this disease died on board the hospital receiving-ship Matilda, off Bermuda Hundred, Virginia, August 2, 1864. He was a true and affectionate comrade, a brave and devoted soldier and a patriotic citizen. He gave his life freely and bravely for his country's existence. He was a Republican in politics, and in church faith a Congregationalist. In 1861 Mr. Avery married Mary D. Tracy, who has since resided in Mansfield. By this marriage but one child was born, who was named Sarah Lord Avery. She became the wife of Rev. Alfred Chapman Hand, who died in 1892 and by whom she has one child, Avery Chapman Hand. GEORGE MITCHELL, M. D. Prominent among the successful physicians of Richland county stands Dr. George Mitchell, of. Mansfield, whose devotion to the duties of his profession, combined with a comprehensive understanding of the principles of the science of medicine, has made him a most able practitioner, whose prominence is well deserved. Dr. Mitchell is a native of Richland county, born in Olivesburg, and is of good Revolutionary stock, his paternal grandfather, John Mitchell, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, having aided the colonies in achieving their independence. His. father, Dr. George Franklin Mitchell, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 187 was also born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1808, and took up the study of medicine under the preceptorship of a leading and distinguished physician Of Pittsburg, later graduating at a Cincinnati college of medicine about 1830. In Fayette county, Pennsylvania, he married Miss Nancy De Vatte, a daughter of John De Vatte, who belonged to an old French Huguenot family, who on being driven from France sought refuge in Ireland and later came to America. It was in 1831 that the father of our subject located in Olivesburg, Ohio, and in 1846 removed to Mansfield, where he continued to make his home throughout the remainder of his life. No better testimonial of his worth can be given than that written by H. C. Hedges, who knew him personally : "Prominent in his profession, and as prominent in his prominence as any of his brethren, comes George F. Mitchell, born in the year 1808, in the month, of May, a native of the hills of western Pennsylvania, in the county of Washington, a region which has become classic by reason of its numerous colleges and seminaries, and the sturdy manhood and beautiful womanhood of its people, the part of the country that stood the shock of the early contentions of English and French for supremacy, and the borderland where savage and civilized life for decades were at variance and doubtful which won the victory, where Braddock fell and where Washington began his great career. It was there that Dr. Mitchell was born, and after boyhood began his medical studies, his preceptor being a leading and distinguished physician of Pittsburg, though he took his degree at the famous Medical College of Cincinnati. "In 1831, when only twenty-three years of age, he removed to Ohio and settled in the village of Olivesburg, Richland county,—a village that in that day was prosperous and in the midst of the richer part of Richland county; but his skill was such as to render his service in constant demand both at home and beyond the lines of a village and country practice, and in 1846 he removed to Mansfield, and ceased not his laborious life till death ended at the same, time his pilgrimage on earth and his professional career. On the morning of March 31, 1869, he visited his patents, then retiring to his home engaged in trimming his vines and trees. Suddenly the heart ceased its beating and George F. Mitchell's life on earth was closed. The years of his life were sixty and one. Dr. Mitchell was of stalwart build physically, and in the '30s was counted a man of prodigious strength. He was a portly man in his bearing, dignified in character, learned in his profession, careful in his practice, courteous, prudent, ever 188 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. pursuing the safe course, taking nothing for granted without the most searching inquiry and examination, and his success was such as might be looked for in such a conscientious man, and so skillful and careful a physician. When the great war came on Dr. Mitchell had passed the half century of life. His ripe experience, great medical learning and masterly skill ,would have been of great service to the country had he been able to respond to the invitation of the surgeon general of Ohio and enter the military service. His close-pressing engagements at home and duties he owed to the community in which he had so long lived, controlled his judgment, and wisely, and he could respond only when emergencies demanded short terms of service. After the battle of Shiloh he went to the front. After the conflicts and contests of the armed battalions in the valley of Virginia he gave his time and skill to the soldiers of the Union. "Of his family two sons and a daughter preceded him and the same number survived him. It gratified him that two of his sons followed in the field of work of their father. The elder, Dr. Milton Mitchell, whose young life went out years ago, was a man of great brilliancy and promise. The younger, Dr. George Mitchell, the practitioner of to-day, so nearly resembles the father that in him the father seems again to appear in the activities of a successful professional career,— a worthy son of a worthy sire. His wife, who was Miss Nancy De Vatte, of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, survived him many years and passed away in the fullness of age. "How shall we measure Dr. G. F. Mitchell ? He was a fearless, conscientious man, doing and daring always to do the right. Active in the church of his choice,—the Methodist Episcopal,—and one of that brotherhood on whose great .seal is emblazoned the command to visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan,' it was the great ambition of Dr. George F. Mitchell to serve well his day and generation and to bless humanity." Only three of his children are now living : Nannie, the wife of H. M. Parker, who is the superintendent of the public schools of Elyria, Ohio; William, the father of Charles W. Mitchell, a grandson of Dr. G. F. Mitchell, is now the manager of the Western Union Telegraph of Mansfield ; and George. Our subject acquired his literary education in Delaware county, where he was graduated, at the age of eighteen years, and was graduated at the Miami University, of Cincinnati, with the degree of M. D., in the spring of 1862. Immediately after his graduation in April of that CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 189 year, he entered the army as assistant surgeon of the One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the service until the close of the war, having charge of nine hospitals, boats, etc. He was commissioned the surgeon of the One Hundred and Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but would not leave his own regiment. After his return home, in 1865, the Doctor was engaged in practice with his father until the latter's death in 1869, and later was in partnership with Dr. 'William Loughridge for five years, when his partner died, and he has since been .alone in practice. He ranks high among the able practitioners of the state, and has been called upon to fill some very important positions. For several years he was the professor of materia medica and therapeutics at Wooster College, Cleveland ; was a trustee of the central insane asylum at Columbus during the construction of the building; for over a quarter of a century was a trustee of the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, —his aunt inciter,— and is now serving his third term as president of the pension board. Dr. Mitchell married Miss Mary Burns, a daughter of Colonel Barnabas Burns. By this union were born three children, namely : Milton Burns, the eldest, who died at the age of nineteen years while attending high school. He took an active interest in sports, was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Sunday-school, and was a most affectionate and dutiful son. In fact, he was a young man of great promise, whose purpose it was to enter the medical profession. Paul Caldwell, after a preparatory course at Delaware, Ohio, entered Williams College, Massachusetts, where he was graduated, and is now studying law with his uncle, John C. Burns, of Mansfield, Ohio. Mary De Vatte, the only daughter, is a graduate of the high school of Mansfield and Dr. Gannett's school of Boston, Massachusetts. She possesses an excellent soprano voice, of much power and sweetness, and prosecuted her musical studies both in Boston and Paris. She is now devoting her talent to concert and choir work. Mrs. Mitchell takes an active interest in all matters affecting the welfare of her family and in church and literary work, and has an enviable reputation as a writer, her family being gifted in that line. Since his boyhood Dr. Mitchell has been an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is now the president of the official board of the First church. He is also a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Loyal Legion, and is connected with the Odd Fellows Society, to which his father also belonged. The latter sup- 190 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ported the Whig party, and our subject is a stanch Republican, though not strictly partisan, at local elections supporting the men whom he believes best qualified for the office, regardless of party affiliations. He is an active member of the American Medical Association, to which he has been a delegate, and also holds membership in the State and Northwestern Medical Associations. The place he has won in his profession is accorded him in recognition of his skill and ability, and the place which he occupies in the social world is a tribute to that genuine worth and true nobleness of character which are universally recognized and honored. SILAS RUMMEL. Upon a valuable farm of three hundred acres adjoining the village of Lucas, Silas Rummel is carrying on general farming and stock raising. He is one of the leading agriculturists of his community, progressive and practical in his methods and determined in the prosecution of his work. Such qualities cannot fail to secure success, and Mr. Rummel is annually augmenting his income. He is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth having occurred in Seneca county, on Wolf creek, near Tiffin, on the 6th of July, 1834. His father, Lewis Rummel, was a native of Frederick county, Maryland, and a son of Lewis Frederick Rummel, who was born in the city of Berlin, Prussia. There he was educated for the Lutheran ministry. He belonged to a family of nobility, but during his boyhood he ran away from home and in Berlin made the acquaintance of a tailor who influenced him to learn the trade. In 1780 .he came to America, locating near Harper's Ferry, Virginia, where he learned the miller's trade, and under his direction Lewis Rummel, the father of our subject, also became familiar with the business. In the '20s he came to Ohio, locating near Tiffin, where he leased a flour-milt, continuing its operation until 1839, when he removed to Wyandot county, Ohio, and purchased a mill on the Sandusky river, near Wyandot. He operated that for nine years and in 1848 he came to Richland county, purchasing a farm of one. hundred and twenty-six acres in 'Worthington township. In 1838 he bought a mill property in Knox county known as the Gilcriest property, near Amity, and removed to that place, continuing the mill business until 1864, when he returned to Richland county, here making his home throughout his remaining days, his last years being spent on the old Mock farm, in Worthington township, near Bethany Chapel, which he himself CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 191 built. He died October 8, 1891, at the age of eighty-seven years, his birth baying occurred on the l0th of April, 1804. He married Miss Elizabeth Nichols, and they became the parents of seven children, all save one of whom reached years of maturity and reared families of their own. He married a second time in life, wedding Anna Cregg, by whom there were six children, one now deceased. Lewis Frederick Rummel was a self-educated man, and by experience, reading and observation became well informed. Of strong mentality and of marked character, he exercised a wide influence in the community in which he lived and was a citizen of worth. He was very generous and public-spirited, and was one of the leading workers in the Disciple church, a strong and typical follower of Alexander Campbell. Silas Rummel, whose entire life has been spent in Ohio, was reareil at his parental home and learned the trades of miller and millwright. He was married December 20, 1860, and in order to support his family followed both milling and farming. In 1864 he removed from Knox county to Madison township, Richland county, Ohio, where he purchased the old Campbell flouring-mill on the Rocky Ford. Five years later he sold that property and located at his present place, buying a farm of eighty acres near Lucas, the Oldfield property. He also became owner of a flouring-mill, which he conducted in connection with general farming. He is to-day the owner of three hundred acres of valuable land adjoining the village of Lucas and there successfully carries on general farming and stock-raising. In addition he owns an eighty-acre farm in Madison township,. two tenement houses in Mansfield, one hundred and twenty acres of land in Polk county, Missouri, one hundred and sixty acres in Kansas and three hundred and eighty acres of timber land on the White River in Arkansas. As his financial resources have increased he has judiciously invested his capital in real estate, which is the safest of all investments. He is a man of keen discernment and sound business judgment, qualities which have enabled him to place his money so that it has brought to him a good return. On the l0th of December, 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Susan Lahmon, of Knox county, Ohio, and for forty years she has been to him a faithful companion and helpmate on life's journey. They became the parents of seven children : William A., deceased, who was a miller of Salem, Oregon; Delnorta, the wife of 0. E. Swigart ; Mary, the wife of Lewis Dickes, of Butler ; George and Otis A., both at home ; Edward G., a physician of Butler; and Mrs. Flora Baughman. Mr. Rummel gives his political support to the Republican party, but the 192 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. honors or emoluments of office have no attraction for him, as he has preferred to give his entire time and attention to his business interests, in which he has met with creditable success. He started out in life empty handed, but has steadily worked his way upward, overcoming all difficulties by determined purpose, utilizing obstacles as stepping stones to something higher ; and his good wife has helped him. His resolute will and indefatigable energy have been the salient features of his success. BENJAMIN F. OBERLIN. Among those who at the country's call went to the front and aided in the preservation of the Union was Benjamin F. Oberlin, now an enterprising and successful merchant of Butler. Throughout the years of an active business career he has ever been found faithful to duty, whether upon the field of battle or in the walks of private life, and he enjoys the respect and confidence of all with whom he has been associated. A native of Ohio, Mr. Oberlin was born in Stark county, September 25, 1844. His grandparents were natives of Pennsylvania, and in that state John Oberlin, the father of our subject, was born. In early manhood, however, he accompanied his parents to Stark county, Ohio, where he was reared and engaged in farming until about 1848. He then came to Richmond county, settling five miles south of Mansfield, where he purchased a tract of land, continuing its cultivation until his death, which occurred when he was about sixty-five years of age. In politics he was a Republican and religiously was connected with the Lutheran church. He married Elizabeth Kelker, a native of Stark county, Ohio, who died on the home farm in Richland county when about fifty-seven years of age. She was a consistent member of the Lutheran church. Benjamin F. Oberlin was a lad of only four summers when he came to Richland county. He early became familiar with the labors of field and meadow and assisted in the work of the home farm until June, 1863, when, at the age of eighteen years, he responded to the country's call and joined the "boys in blue" of Company C, Eighty-sixth Ohio Infantry, for six months' service. He went to the front as a private and remained at the scene of activity for about eight months, aiding in the capture of Hooker and doing garrison duty at Cumberland Gap. On the 24th of February, 1864, he re-enlisted in Company C, Sixty-fourth Ohio Infantry, for three years, as a private, but was mustered out as a corporal in Texas, on the 3d of December, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 193 1865. He participated in the Atlanta campaign until after the fall of the city and then went with his troops to Nashville and later to Texas. On his return home he engaged in farming for his father until 1869, when he was married and purchased a farm near Butler. There he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1877 when he sold his land and engaged in merchandising. He has since devoted his energies to the conduct of his store and is a -wide-awake and progressive merchant. He carries a large and well selected stock of goods and receives from the public a liberal patronage. On the 16th of November, 1869, Mr. Oberlin was united in marriage to Miss Sarah M. Secrist, a native of Richland county, and a daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Baker) Secrist. Her father was born in Pennsylvania and with his parents came to Ohio, the family locating in Wayne county when he was fifteen years of age. When a young man the family removed to Richland county, locating in Washington township, and later he took up his abode in Worthington township, where he remained until 1872. At that date he took up his abode in Butler and lived retired until called to his final rest, when about eighty-six years of age. His business affairs were attended with success, his. industry and perseverance being the salient features in his prosperity. He voted with the Republican party, but was not an active politician. Of the Evangelical association, however, he was a faithful member and earnest worker. His parents, Henry and Rachel (Crim) Secrist, were natives of Pennsylvania, but passed their last days in Washington township, Richland county, the former dying at the age of seventy-five and the latter at the age of forty-six. Mrs. Secrist, the mother of Mrs. Oberlin, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and came to Richland county, Ohio, with her father, Christian Baker, and settled near Bellville, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. In politics he was a Republican, and he lived to be about sixty-nine years of age.' His father, Christian Baker, served in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Secrist, who was a faithful member of the Evangelical 'church, died at the age of fifty-seven years, leaving eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Oberlin had a daughter, Eva Elizabeth, who died November 7, 1899, at the age of twenty-seven years, seven months and ten days. Mr. Oberlin exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party and is unswerving in his advocacy of its principles. He served for one term as the township assessor, for two terms as the treasurer and for several years was a member of the city council, and in each position he met the obligations resting upon him in a prompt and capable manner. Socially he is connected with Lucullus Lodge, No. 121, K. of P., 194 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of which he is a charter member. He also belongs to Samuel Bell Post, G. A. R., and for four years has been its commander. He is also one of its charter members and has been earnest in his labors to promote the welfare of the organization. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active part in its work. During their long residence in Butler they have become widely known and enjoy the warm friendship of all with whom they have been associated. L. N. LOISELLE. L. N. Loiselle is a Canadian by birth but a loyal American by adoption. He is now one of the most prominent, influential and successful citizens of Mansfield, Ohio, where he is carrying on a wholesale and retail bakery. He was born in Montreal, Canada, November 2, 1858, and is of French lineage. During his boyhood his parents, Edward and Rose Loiselle, left the English province and with their family came to the United States, locating at Keene, New Hampshire, in 1863, where the father and mother lived until a recent date, now living in Mansfield, Ohio. Mr. Loiselle, of this review, accompanied his parents on their removal and was reared under the parental roof. He enjoyed such educational privileges as the public schools afforded and was thus well fitted for a practical business career. In the year 1885 he became a resident of Mansfield. and for several years traveled on the road as a representative of John \V: Wagner's wholesale hardware establishment and later Crawford & Taylor, proprietors of a wholesale bakery. The capital which he acquired through his own efforts at length enabled him to engage in the bakery business on his own account, and in the year 1893 he began operations in Mansfield as the proprietor of a wholesale and retail bakery. From the beginning his business has proved a successful venture, and his trade has steadily increased until it has now assumed extensive proportions. He well deserves a liberal patronage, for he is systematic, methodical and enterprising, and at all times honorable. The lady who is now Mrs. Loiselle was in her maidenhood Sarah E. Barton, a resident of Peru, LaSalle county, Illinois. The Barton family to which she belongs is one of the most distinguished of the Keystone state. Mr. and Mrs. Loiselle enjoy the high regard of many friends in Mansfield and sustain pleasant relations in social circles. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His attention, how- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 195 ever, is chiefly given to his business, which, under his able management, has become one of the leading bakeries of the city. A laudable ambition has characterized his business career, and his advancement has been continuous, resulting from determined purpose to work his way steadily upward where a competence would supply him with comforts of life. ELLZY A. ASHBAUGH. Ellzy A. Ashbaugh, a prominent agriculturist living in the southeast corner of section 32, Sharon township, and whose postoffice is Cookton, was born in Richland county, Ohio, January 31, 1850. His father, Harvey Ashbaugh, was a native of Adams county, Pennsylvania, born there in 1811, and came to Ohio in 1836, driving all the way with team and wagon and bringing with him his wife and one child. After reaching Ohio he lived one year in Mansfield, purchased one hundred acres of woodland in Springfield township, and in 1850 purchased another farm, containing one hundred and fifty-two acres, upon which he lived until his death in 1876. In addition he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Crawford county prior to 1848, and upon which the city of Crestline now stands. The maiden name of his wife was Eliza C. Elliott, who also was of Adams county, Pennsylvania, born in 1812, and married to Mr. Ashbaugh August 6, 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Ashbaugh were the parents of seven children, of whom they reared six, the subject of this sketch and five daughters. These children were as follows : Vienna, now the widow of B. F. Lee, living in Genesee county, Michigan, and who has five sons and two daughters; Margaret, the wife of Orrin Hart, and living in Flushing, Michigan, having two sons; Jane, who became the wife of David E. Shepard, and died in Richland county, Ohio, at the age of thirty-seven, leaving three daughters; Ida M., the wife of Harrison Ralston, living in Springfield township and having two sons; Harriet, the widow of W. H. Shea, living in Springfield township, and having one son and one daughter; Ellzy A., the subject of this sketch ; and Alice, the wife of W. J. Wilkinson, of Shelby, and having a family of four children. The father of these children died in 1876 and the mother in 1889, and they now rest in Oakland cemetery. They gave their children an excellent education, believing that the best legacy they could leave them, and were members of the Baptist church. The subject of this sketch lived at home until after his father's death, and on February 27, 1877, was married to Miss Amanda M. Everts, who was 196 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. born in Bellville in October, 1854, a daughter of Solomon C.. and Lucy E. (Coile) Everts. Both of her parents are still living. Their family consisted of this one daughter and one son—J. M. Everts, of Nemaha county, Kansas, Mr. and Mrs. Ashbaugh have but one child, Emma A., the wife of William F. Morehead, Mr. and Mrs. Morehead being the parents of a fine boy, born to them March 3, 1899. Mr. Ashbaugh settled on his present eighty-five-acre farm in 1887, inheriting it from his father, who purchased it in 1854. At his death he owned but one farm, having given his other two farms to. his children. Ellzy A. Ashbaugh is in politics a Republican, but has never held office. He has a most fertile farm and pleasant home. Upon his farm is an excellent orchard, and he carries on general farming, raising various crops and keeping a variety of stock. He is a thorough farmer, believing in the old maxim, that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. He and his wife are most excellent people and enjoy the confidence and respect of all their neighbors and friends. HENRY BACKENSTO. A fitting reward of a well spent life is retirement from labor,—a period in which one may enjoy the fruits of former toil, and rest from the active labors of years that have gone by. Such has been vouchsafed to Mr. Backensto, who for many years was identified with agricultural interests, but has now left the farm and is living in the village of Shiloh. He was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, on the 31st of October, 1825, his parents being Jacob and Rebecca (Beasore) Backensto. In their family were ten children. The ancestry can be traced back to one of three brothers who emigrated from Germany to America some years prior to the Revolution. One of the brothers settled in the Empire state, another in Virginia, and the third in Pennsylvania, and it is from the last named that the branch of the family to which our subject belongs is descended. When the yoke of British oppression became intolerable, and the colonies resolved to renounce allegiance to the mother country, the three brothers all joined the colonial army and loyally aided in the struggle for independence. Jacob Backensto, the father of our subject, was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, upon a farm. This was one of the. historic places of the community, for it was the scene of an atrocious murder of nine persons, committed by the Indians prior to the Revolution. On the old homestead Mr. Backensto CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 197 attained his manhood and soon afterward was united in marriage to Rebecca Beasore. In a short time afterward they removed to Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, where five of their children were born. In 1831 the family came to Ohio, arriving in Franklin township, Richland county, on the 22d of April, after a journey of twenty-two days, made by wagon. They were accompanied by Christ Urick and Benjamin Schiffler, with their respective families. On their arrival Mr. Backensto purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, making his home upon that place until a short time prior to his death. At the time of his second marriage, to Mrs. John Plank, then a widow, he removed to Planktown, Cass township, where he died .about two or three years later. In connection with farming he engaged in teaming, a pursuit which he followed throughout much of his life. When a boy of only twelve years he made many trips to Baltimore and Philadelphia, with a four-horse team, and was thoroughly acquainted with the country at the time when railroads were unknown, and when the work of progress and civilization was scarcely begun beyond the Atlantic coast. Of the ten children of the family only four are now living, namely : Henry; Rebecca, the wife of 0. J. Rotsel, of Bryan, Ohio; David H., of Weller township, Richland county ; and Sarah, the wife of William H. Jackson, a farmer of Williams county, Ohio. Mr. Backensto of this review acquired a limited education in the old pioneer log schoolhouse. On attaining his majority he made a trip through the east, covering a period of three months, and after his return home was married, on the 28th of October, 1847, Miss Sarah Clayburg becoming his wife. She is a native of Butler township, Richland county, a daughter of Abraham Clayburg, who was one of the first settlers on Whetstone creek, this county. Soon after his marriage Mr. Backensto erected a log cabin on the farm of one hundred and sixty acres owned by his father, which stood in the midst of beech woods in what was then Blooming Grove township, but is now Butler township. He took his young bride to this primitive home and at once began the clearing of his land and preparing it for the plow. At the time of his father's death he inherited eighty acres of the land, and purchased the other eighty-acre tract from his brother. As the years passed he added to his farm all the comforts of civilized life, replacing the pioneer home by a commodious frame residence, also erecting barns and other necessary outbuildings, and to-clay he has one of the most desirable and attractive properties in this section of Richland county. He extended the boundaries of his place by additional purchases, so that his farm comprised two hundred 198 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. acres of rich, arable land. In 1863, however, he removed to Shiloh, where he has since resided. After four years he sold his farm and since that time he has bought and sold various farm properties. At the present time he owns valuable land in Cass township, and from his real estate he derives a good income. About fifteen years ago he was the owner of a general mercantile store in Shiloh, with his son as a partner and the general manager; The latter now gives his attention to the direction of the business, while his father is living retired. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Backensto were born nine children, but five have passed away. Those still surviving are : John F., a resident of California; Dorcas, the wife of Elmer Y. Rose, of Richland county; Clement L., who is engaged in business with his father ; and Sadie, the wife of Frank Beaver, of Columbus, Ohio. On the 4th of July, 1890, the mother died, and on the l0th of May, 1891, Mr. Backensto again married, his second union being with Mrs. Catherine Crum. Of the Democratic party Mr. Backensto is a supporter, and was a member of the first council of Shiloh. He has also served as a trustee of Cass and Butler townships, being called to public office by his fellow townsmen, who recognized his worth and ability. A long and active business career well entitles him to a rest. He is a man of sound judgment, possessing excellent business and executive ability, combined with resistless energy and resolute purpose. REV. FRANCIS J. HOPP. Father Francis Joseph Hopp, parish priest of Shelby Settlement Catholic church, was born at Akron, Ohio, February 23, 1874. His father, Jacob Hopp, a native of Austria. was born in 1830 and in 1856 crossed the Atlantic to the new world. In 1862 he married Catherine Cline, of Ohio, and in order to provide for the support of his family he followed the stone-mason's trade. At the time of the Civil war he offered his services to the government but was refused. He and his wife made their home in Akron and they became the parents of three sons and three daughters. The father died in 1889 and the mother, surviving him several years, passed away in 1894. Rev. Francis J. Hopp, of this review, acquired his preliminary education in the parochial school of Akron and pursued a college course in Buffalo, New York, where he was graduated in 1891. His preparation for the priesthood was obtained in the Theological Seminary at Cleveland, and he was ordained in 1897, on the completion of a six-years course. His first parish work was in connection CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 199 with St. Patrick's church, of Cleveland, as assistant to the Rev. James O'Leary. There he remained for seven months. Father Hopp was called to the pastorate of Shelby Settlement Catholic church on the 11 th of January, 1898. His parish was organized in 1833, and in 1836 the little log church was built. The brick church now used as a temporary school building was erected between the years 1851 and 1853, and the present fine stone edifice was begun in 1891 and completed and dedicated in 1895, and is now practically free from debt. There are now two hundred and forty-five communicants, or seventy families, in the church. Its beautiful house of worship is valued at forty thousand dollars. The present board of trustees are : William Weaver, Anthony Sutter, Henry Keller and Jacob Rondy. The church was erected under the pastorate of Father F. A. Schreiber, now the pastor of St. Peter's Catholic church, of Mansfield, and there is much credit due him, for few men have accomplished the noble work that he is doing. There are few, if any, churches in the rural districts that can compare with that of the Shelby Settlement. It is surrounded by large and beautiful grounds, shaded by trees, and affords ample space for holding summer picnics and Sabbath gatherings. Father Hopp has a promising future before him and is already accomplishing a splendid work in connection with the church of which he is the pastor. JAMES F. RABOLD. One of the prominent business men of Shelby, Richland county, Ohio, who is now the junior partner in the firm of D. Rabold & Son, is James F. Rabold, the subject of this sketch. He was born in this town, in 1856, a son of Daniel and Mary (Saltzgaber) Rabold, the former of whom was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and the latter in Shelby, Ohio, and is the daughter of Samuel and Jane (Van Horn) Saltzgaber, residents of Van Wert, Ohio. The maternal grandfather of our subject has reached the unusual age of one hundred and one years, and his anniversary was fittingly celebrated January 12, 1901, by not only his family and intimate friends but also by the whole population. For many years he was one of the accommodating and well known proprietors of a hotel in Shelby, and travelers of forty years ago hold him in special remembrance. Many evidences of good will were offered upon this happy occasion, the papers of the county commented upon it, and none enjoyed it more than did the vigorous centenarian himself.