500 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 27th of October, 1820, his parents being Robert and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Starr. His father was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and with his parents crossed the briny deep to the new world, the family locating in Lewistown. Pennsylvania, where the grandfather lived and died. He was a carpenter by trade and followed that occupation throughout his active business career. Robert Starr, the Doctor's father, was reared in Lewistown under the parental roof, and in 1818 came to Ohio, taking up his abode in Richland county, where he entered eighty acres of land from the government, in what is now Butler township, but was then a part of Blooming Grove township, the farm being situated two and a half miles northeast of Shenandoah. Upon the place he erected a log cabin and there lived in true pioneer style, clearing his land and cultivating his fields up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1875, when he was eighty-five years of age. Of his nine children five are yet living, but none of the number died before reaching the age of eighty years. The surviving members of the family are the Doctor; Mary, who is living in Kansas; Elizabeth, the wife of James Nelson, of Iowa; and Mahala, who makes her home in Cedar county, Missouri, with her younger brother, Milo, who completes the family. Dr. Starr is indebted to the common-school system of Ohio for the preliminary educational privileges which he enjoyed. Later he pursued his studies for two years in Ashland Academy, and at the age of twenty-two began teaching in his home district, following that profession until 1847, when he sought a broader field of labor in the practice of medicine, preparing for his chosen calling under the direction of Dr. Gustavus Allen, of Rome, Ohio. He read medicine, with Dr. Allen for his preceptor, for five summers, and in the winter season enga.ged in teaching in order to provide for his livelihood. In the winter of 1851-2 he attended lectures in the Starling Medical College, of Columbus, and in the spring of the latter year returned to Rome, where he entered into partnership with his preceptor, practicing with him until September of the same year. Dr. Starr then took up his abode in Olivesburg, where he continued in practice alone until the 1st of June, 1856, when he removed to his present location in Shenandoah. Here he has since resided and for many years he has held enviable prestige as a representative of the medical fraternity. In order to further perfect himself in his chosen calling, during the winter of 1862-3 he attended lectures in the Starling Medical College, and was graduated in that institution in the spring of the latter year. He served as a surgeon in the Union army in 1864. When Governor Tod called out the "Squirrel Hunters" the Doctor responded and marched to the defense of CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 501 Cincinnati, Ohio, which was then threatened by Kirby Smith. He relates an amusing incident showing how one of his comrades on that expedition engaged in foraging and secured some sweet potatoes, but was followed by the owner of the tubers, who threatened to shoot the forager, whereupon he was arrested, and while surrounded by the soldiers one Flanders, who had probably had previous acquaintance with the farmer, accused him of being a Rebel ; and thereupon he was made to hold up both hands and swear to support the constitution of the United States, also of the state of Ohio, to work in the trenches of the government and to take postage stamps in exchange for sweet potatoes! In March, 1852, Dr. Starr was united in marriage to Miss Mary M. Cummings, a native of Blooming Grove township, born on a farm Which joins the village of Shenandoah. She was a daughter of Hon. James Cummings, who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania early in the '20S and settled near Shenandoah, where he entered eighty acres of land. To the Doctor and his wife were born three children : Grattan, who is now a physician of Marion, Ohio ; Wilson, a representative farmer of Butler township ; and Judson, an agriculturist living in Blooming Grove township. The family has long been prominent in Richland county, its members being classed among the reliable citizens in this section of the state. From the organization of the Republican party Dr. Starr has been one of its stalwart advocates. For a half century he has been numbered among Richland county's practicing physicians and is held in the highest esteem and love in many families wherein he has labored to alleviate human suffering, to restore health and perpetuate life. His career has been an honorable and useful one, and he certainly deserves mention among the honored pioneers, for through eight decades he has not only witnessed the development and progress of. this county, but has been identified with its splendid improvement. FREDERICK H. WISE. Frederick H. Wise was born in Mansfield, Ohio, February 13, 1859, and to the public-school system of the county he is indebted for the educational privileges which he received. He represents one of the old` families of Pennsylvania. His father, Henry Wise, was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1819, and with his parents was brought to Ohio when only six years of age, the family locating in Mansfield'. After arriving at the age of maturity he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Bossler, who was born near Mansfield, in 1828. They became the parents of ten children : John, who died in child- 502 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. hood ; Isaac, who was born near Mansfield, and married Sarah Hursh, by whom he has one living child, their home being at Fort Wayne, Indiana; Henry, who died in childhood ; Mary, wife of James Livingstone; William; Frank, who married Caroline Magg, of Mt. Eaton, Ohio, and died, leaving a widow and one daughter, Hazel, their home being on Third street, in Mansfield ; Frederick, whose name introduces this article, was married to Sarah E. Livingstone; Sarah, the wife of Darius Wolford, a resident of Hiawatha, Kansas, by whom she has three children ; Samuel, who married Lizzie Frietchen, and resides in Mansfield ; and Martin, a molder by trade, also living in Mansfield. Frederick H. Wise, the subject of this article, spent his youth, upon the home farm and in early manhood engaged in farming and draying. About eight years ago he purchased a brick-yard, owned by the Ohio Brick and Tile Company. For four years he was associated with three partners. On the expiration of that period the plant was destroyed by fire and Mr. Wise purchased the interest of his partner. He then rebuilt and has since carried on the business alone. He manufactures brick of a superior quality and has secured a large trade, his annual output being extensive. His business methods are systematic. In all his dealings he is honorable, and in business circles he enjoys a high reputation from his unswerving honesty. He is a member of the National Union, also of St. Luke's English Lutheran church, and wherever known he is held in high regard. WILLIAM JESSON. One of the energetic, progressive and wide-awake young business men of Mansfield is William Jesson, whose ambition has enabled him to gain a leading position in business circles. He is now the secretary of the Tracy & Avery Company, and his sound judgment and business ability have proven important factors in the successful control of their enterprise. Mr. Jesson was born in Ashland county, Ohio, April 22, 1864. His father, Rosling Jesson, is now residing at No. 32 Perry street, Mansfield, and is a member of the Baptist church. For many years he was identified with agricultural pursuits, but is now enjoying an honorable retirement from labor. His wife passed away at her home in this city on the 5th of March, 190o. William Jesson spent the first ten years of his life on his father's farm. When a young man he learned the carpenter's trade and followed that pursuit for four years. He had acquired a good common-school education, but desiring to further promote his knowledge he entered Ada Uni- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 503 versity, in Ohio, where he spent about three years. He was then offered and accepted the position of bookkeeper for the Tracy & Avery Company, of Mansfield. By diligence and close application to his work he was promoted from time to time and for three years he has been the secretary of the company. He has made a close study of the business, and has contributed in no small degree to its prosperity. On the 23d of May, 1888, Mr. Jesson was united in marriage to Miss Alverda Handley, at Crown Point, Indiana. They now have one child, Evaline Alice, a bright little daughter of two years. They are members of the First Methodist church of Mansfield, and Mr. Jesson is a Republican in his political affiliations. Courteous, genial, well informed, alert and enterprising, he stands to-day one of the leading representative men of his county. CHARLES S. MOORE. Among the progressive and enterprising young business men of Shelby, Ohio, no one is either better or more favorably known than Charles S. Moore, the subject of this sketch. He is one of the proprietors of the Shelby Daily Globe, a "non-partisan expounder of the news," a new enterprise which has won the approbation of the public. The birth of Mr. Moore took place in Shelby September 2, 1874, a son of Wallace and Fanny (Beelman) Moore, both natives of Ohio, the former a son of George and Rosanna (Smiley) Moore. The father of our subject is a farmer in Richland county, where he resides, enjoying the esteem of all. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Moore, as follows : Rosanna, who married Dr. Franklin Keeler, of Appalachia, North Carolina ; Elizabeth, who died in 1897; Edith, who is now a teacher in Shelby; Catherine, James, Sarah, Whitney, Benjamin H., Florence and John J. Our subject obtained his education in the common schools of Shelby, where he proved himself an apt and ardent pupil, and in 1889 he entered the office of the Shelby Free Press to learn the trade of printer, in 1891 engaging with the Galion Daily Leader, an enterprising and successful newspaper printed at Galion, Ohio, remaining with it until 1893. A former resident of Shelby he became the owner of a journal at Atchison, Kansas, well known through the state as the Atchison Daily Patriot, and Mr. Moore became identified with that paper until 1895. The year 1896 was spent by our subject in travel through the south, and upon his return, with renewed health and broadened mind, he accepted a position with the Shelby Semi-weekly Republican, later with the Shelby 504 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. News and the Sheets Printing Company, remaining four years, during which time the practical knowledge of the methods of conducting a successful publication became thoroughly known to him. The progressive citizens of Shelby desired a daily paper and appeared to Mr. Moore to be willing to support a good one. On February 1, 1900, he entered into a partnership with J. C. Stanbaugh, a son of S. F. Stanbaugh, the editor of the Atchison Patriot, and a business was inaugurated for printing in all its details, meeting with so much encouragement that on April 24, 1900, our subject and partner issued the first number of the Shelby Daily Globe, a bright, newsy little journal, which attracted favorable notice from the press of the state and soon had a circulation of nine hundred, this being very gratifying, as that number insured its success. The partners in this enterprise are men well qualified to conduct it, Mr. Moore succeeding in all outside work, his genial, pleasant personality and undoubted energy enabling him to interest the public, while the gifts of Mr. Stanbaugh fit him for the office work. The friends of the energetic young firm are pleased with their bright future and the press has warmly welcomed them into the fold of journalism. Our subject is a stanch Republican, active in the ranks of his party, although he is politic enough to permit each man to express his own views. Socially he is connected with the K. of P. and the Modern Woodmen. LEWIS BRUCKER. Among Michigan's native sons and Mansfield's representative citizens stands Judge Lewis Brucker, who, by the exercise of his native abilities and those acquired through diligent effort, has secured a foremost place at the bar. He comes of a family noted for strong intellectuality and mental force, and, though deprived of many advantages which have aided in their life work some of the most eminent jurists of our country, he has improved all his opportunities, overcoming the difficulties and obstacles in his path, steadily working his way upward until he has left the ranks of the many and gained a place among the successful few. Judge Brucker was born October 30, 1855, in a log cabin on the banks of the Cass river, near the village of Bridgeport, Saginaw county, Michigan. His parents were born in the city of Vienna, Austria. His father, Ferdinand Brucker, was an architect by profession, and in 1848, in the city of his birth, he married Miss Margaretta Zeichmeister. At the close of the Rebellion in 1848 he emigrated to America and took up his abode in Detroit, but subse- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 505 quently removed to Canton, Michigan, and later located on a farm in Saginaw county, where he remained until 1877 and engaged in the lumbering business in connection with his agricultural pursuits. In the year mentioned, however, he removed with his family to Shelby, Ohio, where he became connected with the retail lumber trade, there remaining until his death, which occurred in 1889. Judge Brucker was the third son in a family of eight children,—four sons and four daughters. He was reared amid the scenes of pioneer life and his first years were a period of earnest toil in which he aided in the arduous task of developing and cultivating the new fields, or worked in the lumber mill. Through the winter months he pursued his education in the public schools, .as he found opportunity, and through the long winter evenings he pored over his hooks, thus acquiring the knowledge that served as a foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of advanced learning. In the winter of 1876-7, turning aside from his studies, Mr. Brucker was the foreman of a force of men in the lumber woods, while in the following summer he superintended a shingle-mill at Blackmar, Michigan. He continued his studies at home whenever opportunity offered, and in the winter of 1878-9 took a commercial course in the business college at Saginaw. In the following summer he again engaged in sawing shingles, and with the money thus obtained he paid his tuition in the law department in the University of Michigan, which he entered in October, 1879. For two years he closely pursued the study of law, defraying his own expenses, and in the spring of 1881 he was graduated. Several years passed before he began the active practice of the profession, for after his graduation he spent two years with his father in the lumber business at Shelby, Ohio, and for three years was a traveling representative of a firm of lumber merchants of Toledo, Ohio. In March, 1886, Judge Brucker became identified with the bar of Mansfield, beginning practice in the office of W. S. Kerr. Success did not come to him immediately but gradually he built up a practice, and in the meantime he fortified himself for his future career by close and earnest study of the principles of jurisprudence and precedents of decisions. In the spring of 1890 he was nominated, on the Democratic ticket, for the office of probate judge, and his personal popularity, as well as the confidence reposed in 'him, was indicated by the fact that he ran four hundred ahead of his ticket. He discharged his duties so ably that in 1893 he was renominated and elected without opposition for a second term. The office of probate judge in Richland county is of unusual importance on account of its more extended jurisdiction in comparison with other counties, including foreclosure of mortgages, partition, divorces and alimony. In 1897, on the expiration of his second term as probate judge, he opened 506 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. a law office in Mansfield with D. W. Cummins, under the firm name of Brucker & Cummins, and has since continued in practice, having a large and distinctively representative clientage. Though he meets in forensic combat the ablest of the bar of the district, he has won their highest respect and confidence by his extreme fairness. He craves not laurels if they must be won by debasing himself or degrading the dignity of the profession. He stands as a defender of the weak against the strong, the right against the wrong, the just against the unjust. He is well versed in every department of jurisprudence and he prepares his cases with thoroughness, leaving no point untouched that will strengthen his client's cause. He is strong in solving technically involved. and complicated legal problems, and he is particularly strong in corporation law. Judge Brucker was also one of the original incorporators of the Bank of Mansfield and from its organization has served on its directorate. In 1884 the Judge married Miss Mary J. Cummins, of Shelby, Ohio, and they have had two children : Angeline Cummins, born August 18, 1884; and David Ferdinand, born March 23, 1891. Mrs. Brucker was the daughter of David and Angeline (Taylor) Cummins, of Shelby, whose parents were among the pioneers of Richland county. Her parents were barn in the vicinity of Shelby, where her father was engaged for the most of his life in the mercantile business. He died at Shelby, January 13, 1899. In political affairs Mr. Brucker has been an active worker. He was a member of the Democratic state executive committee in 1894-5, and was the chairman of the Democratic county central committee at the same time. For the past ten years he has been almost continuously on the county executive committee. In 1899 he was elected the state central committeeman for the fourteenth congressional district, and in 1900 re-elected to the same position and made the chairman of the Democratic state central committee. He has given his support to the Democracy because he believes in its principles, and that its platform contains the best elements of good government. Socially he is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, the Knights of Honor and with the Masonic fraternity. His active co-operation is given to all measures and movements planned for the good of the public. THOMAS RIGDON ROBISON. The value of high character in official and professional life is being every year impressed upon the voting and business population of the United States, and the declaration of ex-President Cleveland that "public office is CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 507 a public trust" is now quite generally accepted as a truism. Mansfield, Ohio, has in most periods of its history been favored with the services of good and efficient officials, and few of these in recent years have discharged the duties of public office with greater personal credit or more entirely to the satisfaction of the people than Thomas Rigdon Robison, who was for two terms city attorney and who is now a member of the city council. Thomas Rigdon Robison was born in Butler township, Richland county, Ohio, in 1866, the only son of George Washington and Mary E. (Stratton) Robison. His father was a native of Juniata county, Pennsylvania, born October 4, 1832, a son of James and Rebecca Robison, who .settled in Ashland county, Ohio, in 1835 and removed to Richland county in 1837. In 1868 they went to Indiana, and their son, George Washington Robison, the father of Thomas Rigdon Robison, died in Richland county in 1898. The families of Robison and Stratton have a Civil War record of which any family in America might be justly proud, all of Mr. Robison's uncles, five of his father's brothers and four of his mother's brothers, having served in the Federal army with bravery and credit, some of them with special distinction. Mr. Robison attended school in Butler township and then entered Baldwin University at Berea, and after a thorough course in law was admitted to the bar, in 1891, and has since practiced his profession successfully in Richland and neighboring counties. Mr. Robison has served two terms, being a period of four years, as city attorney of Mansfield, and at this time is a member of the city council. No administration of the office of city attorney was ever more satisfactory to the people, and he is popularly regarded as a model councilman. He has taken an active part in politics, on the Democratic side, since he was a comparatively young man, and he has not only been a delegate to several important political conventions but has been the chairman of the Richland county Democratic executive committee. He is a popular Knight of Pythias, and has passed all the chairs in his lodge and is now a representative of the order to the grand lodge of the state of Ohio. He married Miss Emma Gribben, a daughter of Richard Gribben, a pioneer settler in Ashland county who subsequently located in Richland county, and a niece of Hon. John Gribben, who has ably represented Hancock county in the legislature of the state of Ohio. They have one child, a daughter named Verda S., a bright scholar who has carried off the honors of her classes. Mr. and Mrs. Robison are attendants upon the services of the Lutheran church and liberal supporters of its various interests. Mr. 508 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Robison's well known public spirit renders him a particularly useful member of the city council, in which he favors all measures which he believes promise good to the public, and opposes all such as appear to him to have an opposite tendency. THE KUHN FAMILY. On section 24, Sandusky township, in one of the pleasant homes of the community, reside the descendants of Christian Kuhn, who was the grandfather of the present inmates of the home,—Charles, John, Amanda and Lillian E. Kuhn. These members of the household reside on the eighty-acre farm where the father and grandfather lived, the latter locating there about 1828. He was a tailor by trade and followed that pursuit in Stuttgart, in the province of Wurtemberg, prior to his emigration to America. After coming to the United States he engaged in the same line of business in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; until about 1828, when he and his eldest son came to Ohio. They made the long journey of nearly two hundred miles on foot. The grandfather was a well educated man and while carrying on business in Wurtemberg received the patronage of the nobility both in and out of the army. He was married in Germany and all five of his children were born there and accompanied him to America. The passage was made on a .sailing vessel and eighty days had elapsed before they anchored in the American harbor. All of the family resided in Pittsburg for a time, coming thence to Ohio. Finding that his health was failing, Christian Kuhn proposed that they go west, and, as stated, he and his eldest son, Charles, walked the entire distance. They spent the night after their arrival at the Riblet Inn, where they made inquiry concerning land that was for sale. Mr. Riblet, their landlord, replied that he thought they might purchase the eighty-acre farm on section 24, which was mostly a timber tract and which had a log house upon it. The purchase was effected and the property has. since remained in possession of the family. Those were primitive days, while the work of improvement and progress seemed scarcely begun. The mail was brought to this portion of the county from Mansfield and distributed by the landlord of the Riblet inn. Christian Kuhn and his son Charles returned on foot to Pittsburg and brought with them to Ohio the mother and two of the other children of the family, who in the meantime had been employed in the city. It was a new and trying experience for the family to perform the work of the farm and live in the primitive manner of a pio- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 509 neer settlement. Christian Kuhn worked at his trade of tailoring at night, while in the day time he became familiar with farming methods through the assistance of his hired man. His patience and perseverance enabled him to continue his work and to master agricultural methods. With the aid of his son he cleared the farm and built another cabin, which was constructed of hewed logs and sided with clapboards. In 1871 that cabin was replaced by a frame residence which is now used as a buggy house. In 1896 the present commodious and palatial residence was erected by the brothers and sisters who now occupy the old homestead. Christian Kuhn died at the age of sixty-six years, but his wife, surviving him for a number of years, passed away in 1857, at an advanced age. Their eldest son, Charles, who was his father's able assistant in all the work of improving the new place, was married in 1845, at the age of thirty-six years, to Miss Mary E. Frye, of Bucyrus, Ohio, where they met when he was marketing his produce. The acquaintance soon ripened into love and she proved a real helpmate to him,—a noble wife and mother, whose influence over her family was most marked and beneficial. She was a lady of great strength of character and like her husband was a native of Wurtemberg, her birth having occurred in the town of Ulm. Eight children were born of their union, but their first child, a daughter, died in infancy. The Others are as follows : Amelia, who is now the widow of John Marthys, of Springfield, Ohio, and has five children ; C. F., who conducts a farm adjoining the old homestead and has three children ; Charles, who is living at the old place ; Sophia, who is the widow of Henry Redeker, of Crestline, and has one son ; John, who manages the farm ; and Amanda and Lillian are also on the old homestead. This is a most pleasant and peaceful homestead, where harmony reigns supreme. The father died in 1889, in his eightieth year, and the mother passed away in 1894, in her seventy-sixth year. These brothers and sisters own three farms, one of two hundred and twelve acres, another of one hundred and eleven acres, and a small farm, a mile south, comprising twenty acres. Besides the extensive farming interests, Charles is engaged in shipping hay to eastern and southern markets. The parents and grandparents were Lutherans in their religious faith, and of the first little chapel, which was located in the corner of their orchard, were charter members. The grandmother's funeral services were held there before the building was completed. About 1897 the little chapel was sold for fifty dollars and was torn down, and the proceeds spent toward the improvement of the Riblet cemetery near by. Miss Lillian Kuhn, who was educated in Crestline, was engaged in teaching there for sixteen years, 510 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. but at length decided to return home and live with her brothers. Filial love and devotion is very strong in the German race and the Kuhn family have shown a high regard for their father, whose wish it was that they would keep the old home; and thus the two brothers and two sisters remain here dispensing an old-time hospitality, and by their upright lives reflecting honor upon an untarnished name for the family. For more than seventy years the name of Kuhn has been deeply inscribed on the pages of the history of Richland county. The grandfather and sons have all borne their part in the work of development and public progress, and at all times have been true- to the duties of citizenship. They have aided in the material upbuilding of the county, and no history of this portion of the state would be complete without their record. MICHAEL HOGAN. Ireland has furnished to America much that is best in its citizenship,— best in honesty, best in ability, best in patriotism,—and the Irish element of the population of Richland county, Ohio, has done its full share in the work of improvement and development. Among those of Irish blood who have been well known in the county none reached a higher standard of citizenship or left a better memory than Michael Hogan, who was born in county Clare, Ireland, November 7, 1792, and died at his home in Monroe township January 17, 1875. Michael Hogan vas educated at the University of Dublin, being graduated on the completion of the classical course at the age of twenty years. His outlook in a business way was not encouraging, for the lands of his forefathers had been confiscated by the government because of their devotion to the cause of Irish freedom, and he was practically without capital with which to begin life in his native land. He made as good a beginning as he could, however, and in due time was happily married to Miss Ann Oakley, and one child had been born to them when, in 1818, they sought freedom and fortune in America. He found some employment suited to his education and ability in New York city, remaining there for five years. In 1823 he came to Ohio, and after residing for some time at Newville, where he was proprietor of a store, he purchased his farm in Monroe township, Richland county, and took up his residence upon it in April, 1827. Michael and Ann (Oakley) Hogan had the following- children : Maria, who became the wife of James N. Applegate, of Chicago, and died January 29, 1900; Edmond T., who died in California July 12, 1895, at the age CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 511 of seventy-three years ; Eleanora, who married Isaiah Bergen and died in 1888; Margaret, the wife of Simon McCarthy, a resident of Oklahoma ; Ann and Teresa, who are well known in Monroe township ; Cecelia, the wife of James Sheehy; and Clara, who completes the family. Edmond T. Hogan, the only son, studied under his father's instruction until he had acquired a good classical education and then entered the College of St. Xavier, at Cincinnati, where he was graduated. He afterward pursued the study of law under the direction of the Hon. T. W. Bartley, of Mansfield, and then went to California, where he was afterward admitted to the bar and served as prosecuting attorney for twelve years and common-pleas judge of Piumas county, that state. Mrs. Michael Hogan died July 24, 1864, at the age of sixty-seven years. Mr. Hogan was a successful farmer and business man, and at his. death left two good farms of one hundred and sixty acres each, which are now the property of his daughters. In early life he gained a good knowledge of medicine, and after he came to Ohio practiced successfully and gratuitously among his neighbors far and near. The laws regulating medical practice were not as strict then as now, and he did a .good work, for which many a man and woman rose up and called him blessed. In politics he was a Democrat, and he is remembered as a particularly well informed man, who was strong in his beliefs and was never at a loss to give a reason for them. His public spirit led him to espouse every cause which in his good judgment promised to benefit his fellow men, and there are those who have reason to remember him as a stanch friend of public education. He was a Roman Catholic, but was liberal in his views on religious questions and in support of religious worship under whatever name it might be offered. His wife was an Episcopalian. JOHN ILER. Such a record as is made by the able man of affairs, the faithful and efficient public official and the patriotic volunteer soldier is that of the popular citizen of Jackson township, Richland county, Ohio, whose name is the title of this sketch, A native of this township, he was born February 26, 1842, on the farm now known as the Manuel Wise place, a son of Andrew Iler, who was born in Pennsylvania, married Susan Yeiger, and settled early in Ohio. Andrew and Susan (Yeiger) Iler had four children : Elizabeth, who is now the widow of John Wetz and lives in Jackson township ; Sarah, who is the wife of Abraham Straub, of Shelby ; Annie, who is the wife of 512 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Charles Newcomb, of Vernon Junction, Ohio ; and the immediate subject of this sketch. Mr. Iler died in 1842, and Mrs. Iler some years later married John Welsh. John Iler remained with his mother and stepfather until 1848, when, at the age of six years, he was adopted by John F. Rice, with whose family he had a home until he attained his majority. At the age of twenty-one Mr. Iler began business life for himself on a rented farm. He was a renter for twelve years all told, but proved that he was not of the stuff of which life-long renters are made. He used his opportunities to the best advantage, saved his money and at the end• of the period mentioned was able to purchase his present farm. He now owns seventy-seven acres of improved, productive and valuable land and is widely known as a successful general farmer. In 1862 Mr. Iler enlisted as a private in Company C, Twentieth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in active service about a year, participating in the fighting at Mission Ridge and in the siege of Vicksburg. He received honorable discharge from the service, having in all ways won the commendation of his superiors as a brave and faithful soldier. In 1864 he married Mary Sheets, who has proved a good helpmeet to him and who has borne him seven children, named as follows in the order of birth : Charles E., William, Robert, Ida, Elizabeth, Orpha and Annie,—the last mentioned of whom is dead. In political affiliations Mr. Iler is a Democrat, and he is an active and enthusiastic worker for the advancement of the principles of his party. It will be seen that he is not without a good personal political influence when it is considered that he has been twice elected to the important office of commissioner of Richland county, serving from 1885 to 1892, during a period of six years. to the entire satisfaction of the voters whose interests he had in charge. He is a member of the Lutheran church and has served as one of its deacons. His public spirit has been many times put to the test and has always been equal to all reasonable demands upon it. Ever practically interested in public education, he has done everything in his power, as school director and otherwise, to elevate the standard of the schools of his township. CHRISTOPHER C. AREHART. The career of the soldier is always interesting, and in all local history the soldier must always have an honored place. There are yet living in Monroe township, Richland county, Ohio, several ex-soldiers of the Civil CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 513 war who are regarded with peculiar respect, and none of these is held in higher esteem than the subject of this notice. Christopher C. Arehart was born near Perrysville, Ashland county, Ohio, April 29, 1843, and was only a little past his eighteenth birthday when, in 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company B, One Hundred and Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three years or during the war. For a time he was stationed at Covington, Kentucky, and his first engagement was at Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Arkansas, January 11, 1863. He also saw service at Thompson's Hill, Mississippi, May 1, 1863.; at the siege of Vicksburg, May 18 to July 4, 1863 ; at Big Black River, May 17, 1863 ; at Jackson, Mississippi, July 9 to 16, 1863 ; was appointed corporal May 1, 1864, and fought at Frankfort City, May 3, 1864. Arriving at Snaggy Point, on the Red river, on the transport City Belle, May 3, 1864, the regiment was captured, with the exception of one hundred. After the engagement last mentioned his company became Company E, One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Captain Henry Eberhart commanding, and Mr. Arehart took part in the fighting at Graham's plantation, May 5 to May 7, 1864; at Prairie Bayou, May 14 to 16, 1864; at De Glaise, May 16, 1864; in the siege of Mobile, March 26 to April 9, 1865; and in the warfare at Fort Blakely, April 2 to 9, 1865. July 24 following he was transferred to Company E, Forty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged from the service at Houston, Texas, October 4, 1865, and returned to Ashland county, Ohio, and was during one term a student at the school at Perrysville. After that he devoted himself for a time to learning the plasterer's trade, at which he worked for the next seven years, when he engaged in farming in Monroe township, Richland county. Mr. Arehart married Miss Emma Yates January 2, 1870, and in 1878 they moved to their present home farm, consisting of one hundred and twenty-two acres, where he has since devoted himself with success to general farming. A Democrat politically, he is a member of the Grange and influential in local affairs, having been a member of the township school board, assessor two terms and township trustee four years. He is a comrade in Swigart Post, No. 116, Grand Army of the Republic, and is one of its past commanders. Mr. and Mrs. Arehart have four children, named as follows in the order of their birth : Lloyd, May, John and Don. Mr. Arehart is in all things a representative, progressive citizen, successful in his chosen vocation, intelligently conversant with public affairs and patriotically devoted to the best interests of his township, county, state and country. His interest in public education is especially strong and in his 514 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. official capacity he did all in his power to raise the standard of public education in Monroe township. He has always been a liberal supporter of all measures tending to the enhancement of the public welfare and his helpfulness to churches has been generous. PETER DAVIDSON. For forty-two years Peter Davidson was a resident of Richland county and throughout that period retained the respect and confidence of his fellow men, while in his active and energetic life he won the success for which all men are striving. He was born May 10, 1810, in the parish of Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and is the son of John and Margaret Davidson, the former a farmer by occupation. Our subject attended the parish school of his native town, where he pursued the studies of reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic, but at an early age he put aside his text-books in order to provide for his own support working for the farmers of the neighborhood. He was honest, energetic and cheerful and was universally trusted by his employers. Becoming convinced that he could never better his financial condition by remaining in Scotland, at the age of twenty-six years he determined to emigrate to America and landed at New York on the loth of August, 1836, after a voyage of seven weeks in the sailing vessel. He came direct to Ashland county, Ohio, then a part of Huron county, for the division was not made until about nine years later. The following year, as a companion and helpmeet on the journey of life, Mr. Davidson chose Miss Margaret Beattie, who also was a native of Scotland, and they began their domestic life in Ruggles, Ashland county, where, in common with the other early settlers, they endured many hardships. In times of drought Mr. Davidson had to go forty-five miles in order to obtain a grist of flour. By their marriage were born seven children, of whom two died in infancy, while five are yet living. In the spring of 1858 the family removed to a farm. which Mr. Davidson purchased in Butler township, Richland county. There his first wife died October 19, 1866, and in February, 1868, he was again married, his second union being with Miss Elsie Beattie, who died in 1893. Mr. Davidson survived her until the 21st of May, 190o, when he was called to his final rest, at the age of ninety years and eleven days. He had resided in Richland county for forty-two years and throughout that period had carried on agricultural pursuits, aiding in transforming the wild lands into richly cultivated farms. In his business CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 515 dealings he was reliable and at all times was an energetic, diligent and prosperous farmer. Three years after his arrival in Ohio Mr. Davidson applied for papers of citizenship, and when he had obtained the right of franchise he voted with the Free-soil party, being the twelfth person in the township to support that ticket. He always made it a rule not to vote for party alone but also to advocate what he believed to be the best principles for good government regardless of party affiliations. His first presidential vote was cast for James G. Birney, the Abolition candidate, who was defeated. The Free-soil and Whig parties subsequently united and formed the Republican party, to which Mr. Davidson ever afterward gave his allegiance, and he never failed to attend the elections until too feeble to make his way to the polls. He never belonged to any secret societies, but after arriving in America joined the Baptist church and subsequently he joined the Christian church, being a member of the latter for half a century. His life is upright and honorable, and he is accounted one of the leading and valued citizens of his community. MORTIMER A. DITTENHOEFER. A gentleman of scholarly attainments and strong mentality, Mortimer A. Dittenhoefer, although a young man, has exercised a strong influence upon the intelligence and culture of Mansfield, Richland county. He is very popular and has a host of warm friends throughout the community where his entire life has been passed. He was born in Mansfield June 19, 1873, and is a son of Adolph P. and Ettie M. Dittenhoefer. He is also a cousin of Hon. A. J. Dittenhoefer, ex-judge of the marine court of New York and a grandson of M. L. Miller, one of Mansfield's enterprising and prominent business men. Mr. Dittenhoefer, of this review, acquired his early education in the Mansfield public schools, after which he entered the Ohio Business College, being graduated in that institution with credit. Subsequently he went to Louisville, Kentucky, where he engaged in merchandising for two years. Later he entered the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and after twenty-seven months of continuous application—the three-years course—he completed his law studies in that institution and went to Columbus, Ohio, where, with the class of three hundred, he took the examination for admission to the bar of the state. This he successfully passed and was admitted 516 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. to practice law in Ohio. He then returned to Ann Arbor, where he graduated the following summer with the degree of Bachelor of Law. Returning to Mansfield, the Doctor became identified with the law firm of Douglass & Mengert, one of the best law firms of northern Ohio, and in his practice he has met with excellent success, securing a constantly growing clientage which connects him with some of the most important litigation tried in the courts of his district. He is a gentleman of genuine worth, of industrious habits and broad-minded views. He possesses many excellent qualities and some rare ones. He is a constant contributor to the press and has written many articles which reflect credit on his ability and indicate his strong and well disciplined mind. His leisure moments outside of his law practice are spent in literary work and he is especially successful as a writer of short stories, having won considerable fame in this direction. Among his productions are Blue Envelopes, Dott, the Flower Girl, Her Father's Secret and Weedles. He also published a novel in book form called A Dowie Elder, and has written a one-act play called the Flower Girl, which is a dramatization of his story of Dott. ROSS C. WINTERS. Ross C. Winters has one of the fine farms of Monroe township, Richland county. The place is located on section 23, where he owns eighty acres of richly cultivated land. In the midst of the farm stands a handsome residence, which he erected in 1883, and good barns and outbuildings furnish shelter for grain and stock. The latest improved machinery enables him to perform his work in a progressive manner, and all the conveniences and accessories of a modern farm are found upon his place. Mr. Winters was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, on the 25th day of February, 1847, his parents being Stiles and Drusilla (Gladden) Winters. His father was also a native of Jefferson county, born in 182o, and his death occurred in 1865. He was reared in the county of his nativity and there resided until after the birth of three of his children. In 1848 he removed to Ashland county, Ohio, locating near Petersburg, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, the greater part of which was covered with timber. The only improvement upon the place was a log cabin, in which the family lived for six years, when the pioneer home was replaced by a more modern and pretentious residence. Throughout his life he carried on farming in pursuit of fortune, and made for his family a good living. He voted with the Republican party. He was recognized as one of CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 517 the leading and influential citizens of his community. Of his seven children all are yet living, as follows : Hannah, the wife of John Applegate, of Monroe township, Richland county Martha, the wife of Steve Airsman, of Macon county. Missouri; Ross C. ; Isaiah, also of Macon county, Missouri ; William, of Petersburg, Ohio ; Curtis, who is living in Weller township; and Alice, the wife of J. Lemon, of Lucas, Ohio. To the public-school system of Ohio Ross C. Winters is indebted for the educational privileges afforded him. He was early trained to habits of industry and economy upon. the home farm, and these have proved of value to him in later years as he has carried on business for himself. In 1873 he chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss Amanda Harlan, and they took up their abode upon a rented farm owned by William Peterson. There they lived for six years, when his success enabled Mr. Winters to purchase his present home farm of eighty acres. This is one of the most desirable places in the neighborhood, its many excellent improvements rendering it very attractive. In 1893 he also purchased a farm of sixty acres on which, his son, Trevanion E., now resides. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Winters have been born three children : Trevanion E., who married Anna Hackett; and Ira J. and Bessie E., both at home. The Republican party receives the political support of Mr. Winters. He is a progressive and public-spirited citizen, deeply interested in all that pertains to the welfare of the community and in all that is calculated to advance the general good. He and his family are widely and favorably known in Richland county, and enjoy the high regard of many friends. WILLIAM H. ELSTON. For many years Mid. Elston has been an active factor in the commercial circles of Bellville and is still to a limited extent engaged in the tailoring business, although he is virtually living retired. He has certainly earned his rest, for through long years he has labored earnestly and steadily, endeavoring to gain that competence for which all are striving. He was born in Litchfield, England, August 11, 1829. His father, William Elston, was a native of Noblesville, England, and later resided in Birmingham, where he followed shoemaking until after his wife's death. He married Ann Osborn, a native of Litchfield, England, who died in Birmingham, when about thirty-five years of age. She was a consistent member of the Congregational church and an earnest Christian woman. In 1836 the father came with his family to America, locating in Lowell, Massa- 518 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. chusetts, where he engaged in the manufacture of shoes and also conducted a shoe store until 1854, when he came to Bellville, where he followed the same business until his death. He was an active member of the Presbyterian church and for many years served as its chorister. He had three children, but the first born died in infancy. Mary, the second, has been a preacher and elder in the Shaker church at Shirley, Massachusetts, for over fifty years. William H. Elston, the other member of the family, went to live with an uncle in England at the time of his mother's death, but when ten years of age he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, joining his father in Lowell, Massachusetts. He made the voyage on the ship Concordia, which arrived in Boston in July, 1838. For a few months he resided with his father, and then went to Providencetown, Massachusetts, where he lived with a merchant tailor, under whose direction he learned the trade, making his home there until his marriage, with the exception of the time spent on the sea. He made two voyages as ship keeper on whaling vessels and was afterward in the navy as seaman and commodore's cockswain for three years and ten months. His experience on the sea covered a period of about eleven years. When only eighteen years of age he was made the second mate and when on a trip to the West Indies the entire crew, with the exception of Mr. Elston and one seaman, died of yellow fever. Our subject then secured a crew of colored men and brought the ship safely back to Boston. He twice experienced shipwreck on the coast near Boston. At length he abandoned life on the ocean, wave and accepted a position as cutter in a large tailoring establishment in Boston, where he remained until July, 1856, when he arrived in Bellville to visit his father. Being greatly pleased with the country and its prospects Mr. Elston determined to locate here and began working at the trade in the employ of a Mr. Moore. About a year later he entered into partnership with his employer, conducting a clothing store and merchant tailoring establishment. Two or three years later he purchased his partner's interest in the store and carried on the business for many years, having the leading establishment of the kind in the town until about fifteen years ago, when he sold out. He now does a small tailoring business, for indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and he would not be content to put aside altogether the care and responsibility of business life. His excellent workmanship as a tailor and his honorable methods of business secured to him a liberal patronage and brought to him a richly merited competence. On the 7th of April, 1852, Mr. Elston was united in marriage to Miss CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 519 Elizabeth L. Alexander, of Providencetown, Massachusetts. She was a daughter of Isaac Bemis and Elizabeth (Glyspie) Alexander. Her father was born in Boston June To, 18m, and died in Providencetown January 8, 1890. He was twice married, his first union being with Elizabeth Glyspie, by whom he had seven children. The mother died in Providencetown April To, 1848, at the age of thirty-five years, and he afterward wedded Caroline Patten, by whom he had two children, both now deceased. The children of the first marriage were as follows : Elizabeth L., the eldest, became the wife of our subject. Sarah Winston, born February 24, 1837, died July 6, 1838. Margarette S. and Nancy, twins, were born February 8, 1848, and the latter died on the 17th of May of the same year. Robert Glyspie married Amanda Melvina Clifford, by whom he had three children, and for his second wife chose Lucy Hamilton. Mary H., born. in Providencetown September 26, 1842, married George H. Lewis. Martha A., born in Providencetown April I, 1845, is the wife of Captain Elisha Holmes Tillson. Mrs. Elston was a member of the Episcopal church during her residence in the east, but had no church connection in Ohio, as there was no organization of that denomination near her home. She was an earnest Christian woman in whom the poor and needy found a faithful friend, while those in distress always received her earnest sympathy and assistance. She died November 28, 1898, respected by all who knew her and greatly beloved by her family and many friends. She left three children : Lizzie, now the widow of Benton Garber, of Bellville; Nellie G., the wife of Dr. J. B. Lewis, of Bucyrus, Ohio ; and William Blake, who was graduated at the high school at Bellville, at the age of seventeen. Soon afterward he was offered the position of assistant superintendent of the schools of Bellville, but refused and began learning the tailor's trade of his father. He was employed as a cutter in large establishments in Chicago and other cities for some time, but is now conducting a profitable and extensive business of his own in Peoria; Illinois. Mr. Elson, of this review, gives his political support to the Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for office. He belongs to Bellville Lodge, No. 376, F. & A. M., and is the second oldest living member of Clinton Commandery, K. T., at Mount Vernon, Ohio. He is now the oldest living member of Bellville Lodge, No. 306, I. O. O. F. He was the president of the Beneficial Insurance Company for a great many years, and when it failed closed out its business without employing an attorney. A faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, he served for a quarter of a century as the superintendent of its Sunday-school and for about twenty- 520 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. three years he was a church steward. He withholds not the hand of assistance from those in need of aid and is well known for his charity and benevolence. In business he prospered and was always willing to share his success with those less fortunate. His life has been an active and useful one, commending him to the confidence and respect of all, and his name deserves mention upon the pages of the history of his adopted county. Mr. Elston recently made a visit to the home of his youth and the grave of his mother in England, and also to the Paris exposition. He found in England two aunts, ten cousins and other old friends. The trip altogether, was one of the most interesting events of his life. JAMES HERVEY COOK. James Hervey Cook, an honored and upright citizen of Mansfield whose entire life was spent in Madison township, died December 2, 1897, at his home in Mansfield, Ohio. He took to his bed November 23, having had a slight stroke of paralysis the day before, but retained consciousness until his death. He had been identified with Mansfield's interests for many years. Mr. Cook was born on a farm two and a half miles south of Mansfield, September 3, 1816, a .son of Jabez and Hannah Cook and a twin brother of Dr. Thomas McCurdy Cook, who died at his home in Sandusky, March 14, 1896. The family lineage is traced to Francis Cooke of the Mayflower, the deceased being the eighth generation from him. The following article, from the Mansfield News at the time of his death, gives succinctly his history and shows the prominence he occupied in our community : The Cooks trace their lineage back to the twelfth century, when Walter and Richard Cok served in the wars in the Holy Land, in 1191. In 1462 a Cook was the lord mayor of London. Later William Henry Cooke was the recorder of Oxford, judge of the county courts and a historian of note. In 1543 Sir Anthony Cooke was a tutor to King Edward VI. In 1612 a Cooke was the chancellor of the Irish exchequer. (The name, whether spelled Cok, Cooke or Cook, refers to the same family.) Sir Thomas Cook, of Worchestershire, founded Worchester College at Oxford ; and Sir Thomas Cook, of Middlesex, was the governor of the East India Company. The History of Essex. England, contains favorable mention of the Cook family—men of influence by birth and marriage—filling positions in the army, the navy, the church, in literature and in learned professions. The founder of the Cook family in America was Francis Cooke, who came over in the Mayflower, and was the seventeenth signer of the Mayflower CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 521 compact. It is supposed that the ancestors of the Cooks were Romanists ; and there are no data to show when Francis Cooke espoused the doctrine of the Separatists ; but his name was in the list of those designated as exiles from Scrooby, joining Brewer and Bradford in worship there, and going with them to Leyden and on to their haven of rest on Cape Cod. Francis Cooke was born in 1577, and was about forty years old when he came to America in the Mayflower. He died in 1663, aged eighty-six years. His wife survived him several years. The position Francis Cooke occupied in the Plymouth colony is attested by the fact that he held positions of trust and honor, and his social standing was high, his home being on Leyden street and adjoining the residence of Edward Winslow and Isaac Allerton. Of his lineal descendants we note his son (2) Jacob Cooke, who was born in 1618 ; (3) Jacob Cooke, born in 1653 ; (4) Jacob Cooke, born in 1691; (5) Jacob Cooke, born. in 1725 ; (6) Noah Cook, born in 1758 ; (7) Jabez Cook, born in 1792 ; (8) James Hervey Cook, born in 1816 ; and (9) James M. Cook, born in 1859. Jacob Cooke, of the fifth generation from Francis Cooke, born in 1725, in Plymouth county, Massachusetts, removed with his father's family to Morris county, New Jersey, in 1744, and emigrated with his family to Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1767, and died there in 1808. He was the father of Noah Cook, who came to Richland county, Ohio, in 1814, and died in Lexington in 1834. Jabez Cook, the son of Noah Cook, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1792 ; came to Ohio in 1815, and died February 6, 1875. His wife's maiden name was Hannah Pierson. Jabez and Hannah Cook were the parents of the following children : James Hervey and Thomas McCurdy, twins, born September 3, 1816; Alice, January 13, 1819 ; Abba Ellen, August 7, 1821 ; Emily, December 22, 1823 ; William Mortimer, September 15, 1826 ; Elizabeth, July 19, 1828 ; Willis Merriman, August 5, 1830; and Lydia Jane, November 20, 1832. Noah Cook served several terms of enlistment in the war of the Revolution, and was also with Colonel Crawford in his march and defeat. His pension certificate was dated October 3o, 1832. He did much to promote the religious interests of Troy township. He announced a meeting for a religious service at a schoolhouse, but at the appointed hour "Uncle Noah" was the only one there; but he held the service ! Some passers-by heard him singing and stopped to listen ; then he prayed and read and preached as though the benches were listeners with ears to hear and souls to save ! The report of 522 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. this service was noised abroad, with the result of good congregations of people at subsequent services. Hannah (Pierson) Cook, the wife of Jabez Cook and the mailer of James Hervey Cook, was a daughter of John and Sarah (Van Dyke) Pierson. John Pierson we trace back to Thomas Pierson, of Bonwicke, Yorkshire, England, a relative of Rev. Abram Pierson, the founder of Newark, New Jersey. in 1666, and one of the promoters of Yale College. John Pierson served eight years in the war of the Revolution. Through the Van Dykes the Cook family is related by marriage to the Schencks, of the same family as General Robert C. Schenck, one of Ohio's statesmen and warriors. In taking tip the personal history of James Hervey Cook, we note that his elementary education was secured at the Sandy Hill schoolhouse, after which he continued his studies at Granville. He worked on the farm in the summer months and taught school for several winters. In the winter of 18401 he came to Mansfield and has lived here continuously since. He taught school at the corner of Fourth and Mulberry streets in a little red schoolhouse. In the spring of 1849 he took possession of the \Viler House and was engaged in the hotel business there continuously for ten years. He then sold out, but later was again the proprietor of the Wiler House, from 1864 to 1869. He was one of the first conductors on the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Railroad, after that road was constructed. Until within very recent years Mr. Cook was remarkably alert, both mentally and physically. During his years as a septuagenarian it was a matter of comment that he was one of Mansfield's very youngest old men. His constitution was a hardy one. His early life developed a perfect physical organism which in after years he retained by a regularity of habits seldom followed. Always punctual as to his hours of labor and of rest, and methodical in all his ways, he carefully conserved his strength and energy. He was seldom seen to wear an overcoat, as his splendid vitality needled none ; but he was always carefully- gloved. None knew him but to admire him. He was ever generous and charitable, but always without ostentation. His hearty, cheering "How do you do, sir ?" with a marked accent on the "sir," will be remembered by all, and his greeting to the humble toiler was ever as cordial as to the man of wealth. His attitude toward his fellow men was ever that of one who felt "The rank is but the guinea's stamp ; The man's the gowd for a' that." CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 523 Mr. Cook was an officer of the Richland Mutual Insurance Company for about thirty years, being for 'many years its president. He was also the president of the cemetery association for nearly that length of time. Besides four children, Mr. Cook left seven grandchildren. On the 27th of March, 1842, James Hervey Cook was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Wiler, a daughter of John and Margaret Wiler. Her father was born in Herisau, Appenzell county, Switzerland, June 4, 1780, and was the eldest of a large family of children. When very young he learned the weaver's trade in his native town. While yet in his 'teens he concluded to see something of the world and for a number of years traveled through Europe, working at his trade as a journeyman weaver. During the campaign of Napoleon I in Austria Mr. Wiler enlisted in the Swiss army for duty on the frontier. Having concluded to seek his fortune in the new world, he sailed for America from Amsterdam on the 19th of May, 1817, and landed at Philadelphia on the 26th of August, after a voyage of ninety-nine days. Of the five hundred passengers on board the vessel, one hundred and five died of ship fever during the voyage. Selecting Ohio for his home Mr. Wiler resided for one year in New Lancaster and one year in Columbus, after which he located permanently in Mansfield, where he engaged in business and built the Wiler House, which still bears his name. He was married April 25, 1819, to Margaret Steyer. The couple lived happily together and prospered and left to their children a competence and an untarnished name. John Wiler died August 1, 1881, and his wife passed away May 25, 1868. Their daughter, Mrs. Cook, together with her four children, survives the subject of this review. The daughters of the family are : Mrs. George "W. Blymyer, Mrs. Laura C. Bunker, and Mrs. Clada Sturges. The one son, James M. Cook, was born December 14, 1859, and was married May 22, 1889, to Miss Janie M. Vennum. Mr. Cook is the secretary of the Mansfield Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He is a young man of fine ability and gives close application to business; is upright in character and maintains the reputation and dignity of a long line of worthy ancestors. The death of J. H. Cook removes another citizen whose life was well nigh coextensive with that of the city. Nor was he one who simply aged with the city. His was an active, honorable business life. He did his full share toward the development of the city and his duty toward his fellow men. His life was a useful one and he leaves an unsullied name and an influence for good that will ever be of fragrant memory. 524 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. JOHN DITWILER. There have been few residents in this portion of Ohio who have enjoyed to greater degree the esteem and friendship of a large circle of acquaintances than John Ditwiler, now deceased. He was a man of sterling worth, of genial disposition and unfailing courtesy, and these qualities' rendered him popular, while his sterling character enabled him to retain friendship when gained. He was born in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, in 1825, and was a son of Jacob Ditwiler who died during his infancy, while his mother passed away in 1876, at which time she was visiting her children in Chesterville, Ohio. During the days of his boyhood and youth John Ditwiler remained upon the farm and assisted in the labors of field and meadow, while in the schools of the neighborhood he acquired his education. On attaining his majority he became connected with the dry-goods trade, but after two years' failing health, caused by confinement in the store, forced him into other fields of labor and he became a traveling salesman, in which enterprise he was very successful. He had the ability to dispose of goods readily, for he was well known for his integrity and trustworthiness in trade transactions. He remained upon the road through a long period, but at length became connected with the manufacturing interests of Mansfield, organizing and establishing the Buckeye Suspender Company. Mr. Ditwiler was united in marriage to Miss Olive J. Gurney, a daughter of Samuel and Jane (Cross) Gurney. The family is of English lineage and the ancestry can be traced back to James VI. The family coat of arms has been furnished by a cousin. Nathaniel Gurney, the grandfather of Mrs. Ditwiler, was born in England in 1786, and after coming to America took up his abode on a farm in Maine, about 1816. He carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life and in addition to farming he was also a stockholder in a bank, was the owner of a vessel and was a very wealthy man. He died in Belfast, Maine, in 1871. Samuel Gurney, the father of Mrs. Ditwiler, was born in Maine in 1813, and died in early manhood, in New Orleans. His wife, who was born in 1811, died in Bellville, Ohio, in 1878. In their family were three sons: John, a farmer of Huron county, Ohio ; Oliver, who is living in Bellville, Richland county ; and Louis, of Mansfield. The daughter became the wife of John Ditwiler, and their marriage was blessed with the following named : Harvey G., who is now forty-nine years of age and was married, in 1879, to Miss Nettie J. Redrup, and they had two children : Mary Olive, now the wife of Fred Martin Bushnell, who is the cashier of the Richland Savings -Row 1, Cell 1-